Resources & References

This section showcases 3 themes and their associated list of resources per theme. The themes and resources are related not only to distance education or eLearning/training but also to my research interest.

Theme: Learning Theories

The references and resources in this section provide insights on the learning theories that can be applied to distance education.

Ally, M. (2008). Foundations of educational theory for online learning. In T. Anderson (Ed.). The theory and practice of online learning (pp.15-44). Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Press. Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/01_Anderson_2008 Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf

This publication discusses educational theory and its application to the distance education landscape. It also discusses the effective design of online learning resources and presents a model for designing and developing online instruction. This resource is important because it provides clarity on learning theories and how they can be applied to distance education.

Bates, A. W. (2019). Chapter 01: Fundamental change in education, and Chapter 02: The nature of knowledge and the applications for teaching. In Teaching in a digital age. SFU Document Solutions Books. https://teachonline.ca/teaching-in-a-digital-age/teaching-in- a-digital-age-second-edition

Contact North | Contact Nord Research Associate Dr. Tony Bates has written a comprehensive, easy to read guide that answers various questions and many more in one place, drawing upon his 40 years of experience from higher education in Canada and around the globe. Chapter 2 in his work is pertinent because it provides a basic understanding of epistemology and how it informs learning theories in distance education.

Harasim, L. (n.d.). OCL theory. Linda Harasim Blog. Retrieved from

https://www.lindaharasim.com/online-collaborative-learning/ocl-theory/

Linda Harasim is an expert in the distance education landscape and the brainchild of the online collaborative learning theory. Her blog serves as a useful resource that briefly explains what the theory is all about from her perspective.

Kop, R., & Hill, A. (2008). Connectivism: Learning theory of the future or vestige of the past? The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v9i3.523

In order to determine if there is something new in the connectivism theory of learning, or as an approach for 21st century teaching, this paper draws attention to connectivism providing a critical analysis of its application in this digital era. It also looks at the existing theories of education and highlights their relevance in today’s digital world. The resource is essential because it helps the reader think about the relevance and application of learning theories in this era.

Kurt, S. (2021). Constructivist learning theory. Educational Technology.

https://educationaltechnology.net/constructivist-learning-theory/

Kurt (2021) breakdown the theory of constructivism in his work noting that it is based on the idea that learners are active participants in their learning journey; knowledge is built on experience. His work is vital to understanding how students learn in a constructivist classroom.

Sarder, R. (2015, June 4). What is systems thinking? by Peter Senge, author of the fifth discipline [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V38HrPnYkHI

In this 1-minute video, Peter Senge presents an overview of systems thinking. It is an important resource because it helps one to see the interconnectedness in every situation.

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1). Retrieved from

https://jotamac.typepad.com/jotamacs_weblog/files/Connectivism.pdf

This is a landmark article by George Siemens on connectivism that deserves to be studied more carefully. In this article, he explained his theory of education which is connectivism which he believes matches the needs of the 21st century learners. The importance of his work can be seen in the way he accounts for the changes in learning, use of technology and networks as well as the decreasing life cycle of knowledge which are taken into consideration by his theory.

Sustainability Science Education. (2019, August 23). Systems thinking for educators [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7RH7JGEx48

This video provides insights on system thinking. It is useful in helping one to view the interconnectedness and the dynamics of various systems.

Staff, T. (2023, July 27). A visual summary: 32 learning theories every teacher should know. TeachThought. https://www.teachthought.com/learning/learning-theories-teachers/

The visual presented in this resource is pertinent because it appeals to visual learners providing them a snapshot of 32 learning theories applied to distance education & e-learning/training. This work also provides a very brief summary of each theory giving readers a deeper understanding of learning theories in DE.

Theme: Distance Education/Training

The references and resources below provide a wealth of information on the distance education/e-learning sphere.

Anderson, T. (2008). Towards a theory of online learning. In T. Anderson (Ed.), The theory and practice of online learning. Athabasca University Press. pp. 45-74.

Recent developments in the field and scholars’ understanding of online learning are highlighted in the revised version of the theory and practice of online learning, edited by Terry Anderson. It is a very useful resource in this sphere because it gives readers a blend of scholarship and research where distance education is concerned and also provides practical details about online teaching and learning.

Bates, A. W. (2019). Teaching in a digital age. SFU Document Solutions Books.

https://teachonline.ca/teaching-in-a-digital-age/teaching-in-a-digital-age-second-edition

This e-book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning about distance education.

In this publication, Tony Bates talks about educational theories, best DE practices, and strategies

which offer clear, practical, and actionable advice based on research and extensive professional

experience in over 30 countries.

Berg, B. (2021, May 12). The differences between eLearning αnd distance learning. ELearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/differences-between-elearning-and-distance-learning

It is crucial that one understands the difference between distance education and e-learning. This

blog thence serves as a useful resource helping one to comprehend how these concepts differ.

Berg (2021) pointed out the major difference which is that eLearning is a method of learning,

whereas distance learning allows you to attend classes even if you're not in person.

Catio23. (2015, March 4). Robert Gagne [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgDcUnObLqI

This video explains Gagne’s 9 events of instruction clearly and does an excellent job of explaining their application to online course design and development. It plays an important role in helping viewers to comprehend instructional design.

DevPro PD Flipped. (2012, October 18). What is a PLN - Marc-André Lalande’s take [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLLpWqp-owo

In this short video, Lalande describes personal learning networks. It serves as a useful resource for viewers who are interested in learning about PLNs and its relation to distance education.

Hall, J. (2021, September 9). Time Management Tips from your Instructor - Dr. Jeff Hall [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2x2aegpr84

A few key time management tips are covered in this video by professor Dr. Jeff Hall to help you take advantage of the limited time we have available to get work done. Time can be considered a limited resource and there are many time constraints. As a DE student or professional, this video serves as an essential resource in helping you to strategize your use of time.

Jean-Louis, M. (2023). Marketing online and distance learning. In Handbook of Open, Distance and Digital Education (pp. 605-621). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.

https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-981-19-2080-6_33

This article is pertinent because it helps readers understand the marketing aspect of distance

education. A contemporary approach to the marketing of online courses and programmes is

explored in this article. It also provides a better understanding of the increasing importance of

social media in marketing to prospective pupils.

SmartDraw. (2018, August 17). SWOT Analysis - What is SWOT? Definition, Examples and How to Do a SWOT Analysis [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXXHqM6RzZQ

In this video, you learn more about a SWOT analysis which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It serves as a pertinent resource for those who want to learn more about doing a SWOT analysis for their project.

Peck, D. (2020). Gagne's nine events of instruction [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-31fCUQ2htU

This video explains Gagne’s 9 events of instruction clearly and does an excellent job of explaining its application to online course design and development. It plays an important role in helping viewers to comprehend instructional design.

More to consider:

The tech tools below can be used in distance education for a variety of purposes. Throughout my MDE studies, these tools were very useful in helping me create and deliver video presentations for discussions and assignments.

Zoom (https://zoom.us/)  
Animoto (https://animoto.com/)  
Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/)  
Biteable (https://biteable.com/)  
Moovly (https://www.moovly.com/)  
FlipGrid (https://info.flipgrid.com/)  
VoiceThread (https://www.voicethread.com)  
Screencastify (https://www.screencastify.com/)
Loom (https://www.loom.com)  
Screencast-O-Matic (https://screencast-o-matic.com/)
Prezi Video (Screencastify (https://www.screencastify.com/)
Vidyard (https://www.vidyard.com/virtual-teaching/)

Theme: Gamification & Student Engagement in Higher Education

These references and resources offer pertinent details on the effects of using gamification as a teaching strategy to enhance student engagement.

Barua, P. D., Zhou, X., Gururajan, R., & Chan, K. C. (2018, December). Determination of factors influencing student engagement using a learning management system in a tertiary setting. In 2018 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on Web Intelligence (WI) (pp. 604-609). IEEE. DOI: 10.1109/WI.2018.00-30

This study investigates the various factors that influence student engagement. It is a useful study because it provides scholarly information on engagement issues in online higher education.

Blakey, C. H., & Major, C. H. (2019). Student perceptions of engagement in online courses: An exploratory study. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 22(4), 1-11.

In this study, researchers explored how students think about the engagement of their online classes, as well as the engagement elements they consider to be meaningful. It is important because it helps readers understand the magnitude of engagement issues from a student’s perspective and provides insight on how it affects their outcomes.

De Byl, P., & Hooper, J. (2013). Key attributes of engagement in a gamified learning environment. In ASCILITE-Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education Annual Conference (pp. 221-230).

The authors of this paper explored the relationship between student engagement and gamification. It was concluded that individual students’ playfulness and acceptance of innovative and dynamic activities contributes to the level of engagement and the amount of time they spend in a gamified classroom. This paper helps the reader to draw connections and conclusions on the research project.

Fuertes, H., Evangelista Jr, I., Marcellones, I. J., & Bacatan, J. (2023). Student engagement, academic motivation, and academic performance of intermediate level students. International Journal of Novel Research in Education and Learning, 10(1), 133-149.

Researchers sought to determine the relationship between student engagement and other factors like academic performance in this study. Generally, It provides more insight into the issue of student engagement.

Hollister. B., Nair, P., Lindsay, S., & Chuckoskie, L. (2022). Engagement in online learning: Student attitudes and behavior during COVID- 19. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.851019/full

This resource provides numerical data on student engagement in distance education. Most of the research participants reported that they experienced engagement issues in their online classes. This research is significant because it presents data on the research topic that is quantifiable and can be tabulated.

Raju, R., Bhat, S., Bhat, S., D’Souza, R., & Singh, A. B. (2021). Effective usage of gamification techniques to boost student engagement. Journal of Engineering Education Transformations, 34, 713-717.

This research investigated the effective use of gamification in an online engineering course to boost student engagement. The results indicated that students experienced high levels of engagement when gamification tools were incorporated into the course. Its usefulness can be seen in the scholarly data it provides on the benefits of gamification on student engagement.

Subhash, S., & Cudney, E. A. (2018). Gamified learning in higher education: A systematic review of the literature. Computers in human behavior, 87, 192-206. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563218302541

The researchers’ systematic review of gamified learning in online higher education is an excellent resource that provides a compilation of data on the subject matter. Its importance is based on the findings from their literature review which presents insights on the pros and cons of gamification where student engagement is concerned.