Asian Journal of Distance Education

Are We Facing an Algorithmic Renaissance or Apocalypse? Generative AI, ChatBots, and Emerging Human-Machine Interaction in the Educational Landscape

Aras Bozkurt — 2024-03-07

This study explores the transformative potential of Generative AI (GenAI) and ChatBots in educational interaction, communication, and the broader implications of human-GenAI collaboration. By examining the related literature through data mining and analytical methods, the paper identifies three main research themes: the revolutionary role of GenAI-powered ChatBots in educational interactions, their capability to enrich social learning, and their dual role as both support and assistance within educational settings. This research further highlights the impact of human-GenAI interaction in education from social, psychological, and cultural perspectives, focusing on social presence as a fundamental component of the teaching and learning process. It discusses the integration of GenAI and ChatBots into education and considers whether this marks the dawn of an algorithmic renaissance that elevates educational experiences or an apocalypse that threatens the very essence of human learning and interaction.

Quality Assurance implementation and application in Distance Education

Kezia Mkwizu — 2024-01-04

Due to the recent developments in the delivery of teaching-learning processes when COVID-19 hit the world with a health crisis and pandemic, it is crucial to look into the quality of courses delivered via online means or through distance education modality. This paper examines implementation and application of quality assurance (QA) landscape in Distance Education (DE). A documentary review using bibliographic inquiry is used. Previous studies on QA in DE are examined and arranged into themes using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that most of the literature on QA in DE in Africa and Asia based on the reviewed Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions are basically dealing with frameworks, outcomes and performance, instructional design, student services and challenges as well as parity in terms of quality with the traditional institutions. Therefore, this paper concludes that more studies are needed for QA in DE to match the post-COVID-19 trends like artificial intelligence. This implies that there is a need to expand research on QA in DE to include areas of artificial intelligence.

The Enablers and Barriers of Online Learning: A Study of Students’ Narratives

Martin Otto — 2024-01-04

Since stepping into education delivery, technology continues to revolutionise education, responding to access and equity. This has made online learning to be the choice for access and equity-like never seen before. Unfortunately, it has not only provided solutions but also introduced issues that have created a divide in technology and online learning for learners and institutions. The study explored online learning in the Solomon Islands from students' narratives at the Solomon Islands National University via tok stori; seeking to understand what they perceived as enablers and barriers of online learning. The study employed the sequential mixed-method approach and was guided by the theories of transactional distance and interaction, with the latter's extensions. The findings show that the level and strategies of support in administration, academics, and technology determine what transpires as an enabler or a barrier to online learning.

Asynchronous Interaction in An Online Course: Examining Dynamics from the Action Research Perspective

Ebubekir Kaba — 2024-01-04

This action research aims to investigate the determinants of asynchronous interaction among students, interaction between students and instructors, and interaction with course content in an online learning environment. The study involves fifteen graduate students from a state university as participants. The research employed multiple data collection instruments, including commission meeting reports, focus-group sessions, semi-structured interviews, observation forms, emails, video recordings, researchers’ diaries, and system log records. The content analysis method was employed for data analysis. The findings revealed that in learner-learner interaction, instructional method, notifications, technical issues, and individual problems exert discernible effects. For learner-instructor interaction, feedback, instructional methods, and the utilization of diverse communication channels were identified as influential factors. Moreover, technical problems, time constraints, and system usability emerged as key elements shaping learner-content interaction. Notably, learners' personal preferences, encompassing attitudes toward the online course and time management, manifested both positive and negative effects across all interaction types. The study has concluded that assignments with open access, star-based scoring, and mobile notifications enhance learner-learner interaction. Instant feedback from instructors and notifications initiated by instructors enhance learner-instructor interaction. Overall, optimal system usability and minimal technical issues contribute substantively to augmenting learner-content interaction.

Integrating Technology in EFL: A Study on TPACK and Self-Efficacy Among Turkish Educators

Rabia Dinçer — 2024-01-14

This study explores the intersection of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and Technology Integration Self-Efficacy (TISE) among EFL instructors in Turkey. Utilizing a quantitative approach, 101 EFL instructors were across various Turkish universities, employing the TPACK-EFL assessment and the TISE questionnaire. Our findings reveal a robust foundation in EFL educators' TPACK and a general confidence in technology integration. Obviously, a predictive relationship between TPACK levels and TISE beliefs was observed, indicating that educators’ self-efficacy in technology integration significantly influences their TPACK proficiency. This research contributes to the understanding of EFL educators' capabilities in integrating technology into higher education and highlights areas for enhancing technology confidence and proficiency. The implications of these findings extend to the design of instructor training programs and curriculum development in EFL settings, advocating for an increased focus on technology integration competencies.

Using Online Discussion Forums in Blended Learning Design to Advance Higher Order Thinking

Hiroshi Miyashita — 2024-01-21

Due to the predominance of test-oriented practice, one major challenge faced in Japanese high school classrooms is the lack of learning activities to develop higher order thinking. The purpose of this action research study was to explore an extracurricular blended learning program created to develop the higher order thinking of English language learners at a public high school in Japan. In this one-month program, 16 participants engaged in online synchronous and asynchronous activities, with English as a medium of instruction and communication, supported by in-person face-to-face sessions conducted in Japanese. Data were collected via asynchronous forums, a post-survey, and my observation notes. Results indicated that participants demonstrated higher order thinking to a certain extent overall in the forums; however, learner-learner interaction was not as highly activated as expected, mainly due to limited social interaction within the forums. These findings suggested that constructivist asynchronous forums can be used to develop the higher order thinking of English language learners in K-12 settings, with appropriate program design, instructor mediation, and content.

A Proposal for Policy Framework and Emergency Action Plan after Covid-19 for Distance Education Practices in Higher Education

Mehmet Yavuz — 2024-02-10

This study aimed to investigate distance education practices in higher education during the pandemic, focusing on lived experiences, and to propose a policy decision framework for future distance education in similar conditions. Additionally, the study aimed to establish a design framework for an Emergency Action Plan for similar crisis periods. In study, case study was used to provide a detailed examination of the current situation's characteristics. The study group consisted of 63 administrators from 34 universities who actively participated in decision-making during the pandemic. Data were collected through 11 online focus group interviews, and the Miles-Huberman Model was used for analysis. The study proposed a policy decision framework for distance education in the post-pandemic period, consisting of 11 headings such as blended learning, open course materials, and Distance Education Center structuring. Additionally, the study presented an emergency action plan framework consisting of six components, including keeping the technological infrastructure working and supporting face-to-face courses with distance education. This study provides valuable insights for universities in preparing for potential future crises and improving their distance education practices.

Roles of the Parents in Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study

Gul Kurum Tiryakioğlu — 2024-02-17

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the education process. A sudden shift to online learning changed the mechanism of the education system. As key stakeholders, parents have to undertake the responsibility of this process at home. This study aims to reveal the roles of parents in online learning during the pandemic. It was conducted with a phenomenological research design. The study group consists of 28 parents having children aged 7 to 13 years old. Data collected employing interviews and open-ended questionnaires were analyzed by the thematic analysis method. According to the findings, parents organize their daily lives at home according to online learning of their children. They explain the online learning process in the context of family circumstances, the challenges they experienced, the educational environment, household chores, job responsibilities, and relationships. It is challenging for parents to undertake the roles of reinforcer, supervisor, motivator, and controller in online learning at home. To overcome the challenges they take family or caregiver support, make partnerships, and use external sources like tutoring, web applications, etc. All these findings suggest that with the emergent shift to remote teaching, parents get much more involved in the education process by undertaking the responsibilities of the teachers.

Patterns of Media Usage by Higher Education Students in Germany and Ghana: A Cross-Country Analysis

Frank Senyo Loglo — 2024-02-21

The study compared two survey datasets from higher education students in Germany and Ghana regarding access to digital devices; perceived value of digital media, tools, and services used for learning; gap analysis of the actual and desired use of digital teaching and learning formats; and types of media usage profiles among students. The findings underscored commonalities between the two groups, revealing that students in both contexts are equipped with mobile devices, and are highly utilized for their learning. Similarly, both student groups exhibit a preference for utilizing external media, tools and services not owned nor administered by their respective universities. However, a stark contrast emerged in terms of the provision of, and expressed demand for digital teaching and learning formats, attributable to significant disparities in the underlying internet infrastructure and service provision between the two countries. The high intensity in the use of videos, social networks and messaging applications means majority of the students in both contexts were classified as entertainment users of media by means of a latent class analysis. While students in Germany showed differentiation between non-traditional and traditional students in terms of their media usage patterns, there was little differentiation among Ghanaian students. The study concludes by offering suggestions for enhancing support for non-traditional learning and improving digital education in Ghana and similar contexts.

The SETI Framework and Technology Integration in the Digital Age

Helen Crompton — 2024-03-13

Effective integration of technology is critical for online, blended, hybrid, and face-to-face learning. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the SETI (Socio-Ecological Technology Integration) framework and explain what it adds to the scholarly research regarding effective technology integration. The SETI framework goes beyond previous frameworks and applies a holistic systems approach to understanding effective technology integration. This takes into account all aspects of technology integration including new findings uncovered during the Covid-19 lockdown. TPACK and SAMR were analyzed identifying their benefits and limitations and then the SETI framework was explained providing insight into the value of a whole systems approach to technology integration.

The Unveiling the Landscape: Studies on Automated Short Answer Evaluation

Abdulkadir Kara — 2024-03-18

Evaluation is an essential component of the learning process when discerning learning situations. Assessing natural language responses, like short answers, takes time and effort. Artificial intelligence and natural language processing advancements have led to more studies on automatically grading short answers. In this review, we systematically analyze short-answer evaluation studies. We present the development of the field in terms of scientific production features, datasets, and automatic evaluation features. The field has developed with pioneering studies in the US. Researchers generally conduct applications with English datasets. There has been a significant increase in research in recent years with large language models that support many different languages. These models have applications that achieve accuracy close to that of human evaluators. In addition, deep learning models do not require traditional approaches' detailed preprocessing and feature engineering processes. The dataset size trend is 1000 and above regarding the number of responses. It was observed that metrics such as accuracy, precision, and F1 score were used in performance determination. It is seen that the majority of the studies focus on scoring or rating. In this context, there needs to be more literature on the context of evaluation system applications that can provide descriptive and formative feedback. In addition, the developed assessment systems must be actively used in learning environments.

Leveraging AI for Enhanced Support: Satisfaction Levels of Users Utilizing Virtual Assistant in Open Education

Sefa Emre Öncü — 2024-04-02

This study explores users' perceptions of the Virtual Assistant application facilitated by the Anadolu University Open Education System. It assesses the application's effectiveness and user satisfaction by analyzing opinions regarding its importance and the experience it delivers. The research delineates its population as learners engaging with the Virtual Assistant within the Anadolu University Open Education Framework. Employing a sequential explanatory design within mixed-method research methodologies, the investigation commenced with an online Virtual Assistant Satisfaction Survey involving 374 participants as the sample-subsequent focus group discussions with 18 users aimed to delve deeper into satisfaction levels vis-à-vis user expectations. Findings indicate a moderate level of satisfaction among users with the Virtual Assistant application, reflecting a congruence with anticipated outcomes. Moreover, the analysis across various dimensions revealed a comprehensive satisfaction in alignment with user expectations, particularly highlighting approval for the application’s adherence to the Open Education website’s design language. Conversely, dissatisfaction was noted concerning the specificity and utility of the information provided. The study identifies a disparity in satisfaction levels, with high marks in design aspects and lower evaluations in usability. Recommendations are extended towards enhancing the Virtual Assistant and similar tools through user-centric development and encouraging further research predicated on the insights garnered from this study.

We need to talk about how we talk about what we talk about: Revisiting ODL

Mark Nichols — 2024-04-03

The terms ‘open’ and ‘distance’ are no longer helpful for advancing approaches to education traditionally served by open institutions. A proposal to reframe the terms ‘open’ and ‘distance’ is made: ‘open’, it is suggested, needs to be linked more explicitly to education that is increasingly available, inclusive, scalable, and sustainable. ‘Distance’, on the other hand, needs to be replaced with the term ‘designed,’ which places attention on to the range of educational approaches now used to facilitate learning in ways that remove geographical barriers. The paper is based on part on the experience of a dedicated ODL institution in New Zealand, which found itself marginalized while a nation-wide renewal of the vocational education sector was taking place. Rather than being seen as a central part of the solution, ODL was instead assumed to be possible across regional provision. The ‘distance’ component was even represented as ‘online,’ which is becoming common across new entrants into what was traditionally understood as ODL. Five reasons for the decline of traditional understandings of ODL are offered.