Bits, Pieces, and Tidbits from AECT

A few ideas and notes from three sessions:

Relationship between Learning Management System Self-Efficacy, Situational Interest, Self-Regulation, and Learning Engagement of Online Learners presented by SANGHOON PARK, University of South Florida; and Jung Lim, University of South Florida
Dissertations in an Online Doctoral Program: Mentoring, Challenges, and Strategies by Swapna Kumar, University of Florida; Catherine Coe, University of Florida
An Analysis of Professional Practice Dissertations in an Online Educational Technology Program Kara
Dawson, University of Florida; Swapna Kumar, University of Florida
Breakfast with the Champions: Charles Hodges and Thomas Reeves

LMS and Learner Engagement

Instruments to investigate further

LMSSE (learning management system self-efficacy) – it’s a measure of how well the students can use the LMS
Situated interest
Self-regulation measured by (MLSQ)
Types of engagement – behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, cognitive engagement
Engagement scale

Results and Ideas

LMS self-efficacy was not a significant predictor of all types of engagement (consistent with Sun & Rueda 2012)
Course design factors related to situational interest and self-regulation strategies have to be considered.
Experimental Sampling Method – Hektner 2007 – a method to use to analyze user experience along with the data logs that come from the LMS; can use it to create a learning experience dashboard

Top reason students finish their dissertation – the relationship with their mentor, dissertation chair, dissertation supervisor, depending on how it’s called at your university.
Literature in online mentoring is business and healthcare related; more research needs to be done
Students really wanted synchronous with their mentor; but they wanted feedback in writing, and track changes in Word
We won’t meet the needs for more and better higher education until professors become designers of learning experiences and not teachers. Larry Spence, 2001, in The Case Against Teaching
“Online teaching and learning is a wild ride.” Angelica Pazurek, University of Minnesota Learning Technologies
Brookfield’s adult learning theory – 2006
FlipGrid – a different kind of discussion tool

Research idea from the table for students working on theses and dissertations. Have a research fair where the students share their research every year… whether it’s their early idea idea or anywhere along the way to dissertation proposal to defending. Gives them practice in telling others about their research.
Self efficacy is very context dependent. Not just one instrument. Instrument will probably need to be revised if you select one.
You’ve heard of a cMOOC and an xMOOC, how about a pMOOC? Problem Based MOOC – making something for real clients. Thomas Reeves worked with colleagues in Australia to create a MOOC where participants were building OERs. Read about it in MOOCs: Let’s get REAL.