This book investigates e-learning practices at American and Australian institutes of higher learning, their status quo, best-practice examples, and remaining issues. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, it combines three studies – two using quantitative methods and a third using qualitative methods – in order to gauge the status quo of e-learning. The first study addresses the dominant cultural dimensions, revealing that the main explanation for the results may be the fact that most suppliers of the Australian university’s e-learning system had an East Asian cultural background and predominantly traditional perspectives on learning. In Study 2, the findings indicate that the levels of e-learning practice at the Australian and US universities surveyed were above average, although the American university was ranked higher in terms of e-learning practices. In turn, Study 3 investigates current problems in e-learning practice on the basis of four aspects – pedagogy, culture, technology and e-practice – and determines that cultural sensitivity and effective cultural practices show room for improvement, while key technological challenges and issues like faculty polices, quality, LMS, and online support need to be overcome. In general, the outcomes suggest that it is essential for the Australian university surveyed to further develop and update its e-learning system, especially in terms of e-practice, using the same technologies that pioneering countries like America are employing. Indeed, the combination of adopting patterns successfully used in other countries, and adjusting them to the Australian culture, represents the best strategy for educational decision and policy makers. This book provides the basis for designing a culture-sensitive framework for higher education e-learning practice in American and Australian contexts. Moreover, students’ and teachers’ experiences with e-learning in a comparative higher education context can help higher education instructors and university managers to understand how e-learning relates to, and can be integrated with, other experiences of learning and teaching.

This book offers the latest research and new perspectives on Interactive Collaborative Learning and Engineering Pedagogy. We are currently witnessing a significant transformation in education, and in order to face today’s real-world challenges, higher education has to find innovative ways to quickly respond to these new needs. Addressing these aspects was the chief aim of the 21st International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (ICL2018), which was held on Kos Island, Greece from September 25 to 28, 2018. Since being founded in 1998, the conference has been devoted to new approaches in learning, with a special focus on collaborative learning. Today the ICL conferences offer a forum for exchanging information on relevant trends and research results, as well as sharing practical experiences in learning and engineering pedagogy. This book includes papers in the fields of: * Collaborative Learning * Computer Aided Language Learning (CALL) * Educational Virtual Environments * Engineering Pedagogy Education * Game based Learning * K-12 and Pre-College Programs * Mobile Learning Environments: Applications It will benefit a broad readership, including policymakers, educators, researchers in pedagogy and learning theory, school teachers, the learning industry, further education lecturers, etc.

The sudden implementation of emergency health procedures at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic forced many educators and educational institutions to explore new territory in terms of policy, teaching strategy, and more. Now that many institutions are familiar with online education, innovations have been developed and implemented. It is essential to study these best practices and innovations that have been developed in remote teaching and learning to better understand the future of online education. The Research Anthology on Remote Teaching and Learning and the Future of Online Education explores the recent developments, strategies, and innovations in remote teaching and learning that have been implemented globally. Covering topics such as emergency remote teaching, psycho-social well-being, and cross-cultural communication, this major reference work is an indispensable resource for educators and administrators of both K-12 and higher education, pre-service teachers, teacher educators, librarians, government officials, IT managers, researchers, and academicians.

In this digital age, faculty, teachers, and teacher educators are increasingly expected to adopt and adapt pedagogical perspectives to support student learning in instructional environments featuring online or blended learning. One highly adopted element of online and blended learning involves the use of online learning discussions. Discussion-based learning offers a rich pedagogical context for creating learning opportunities as well as a great deal of flexibility for a wide variety of learning and learner contexts. As post-secondary and, increasingly, K-12 institutions cope with the rapid growth of online learning, and an increase in the cultural diversity of learners, it is critical to understand, at a detailed level, the relationship between online interaction and learning and how educationally-effective interactions might be nurtured, in an inclusive way, by instructors. The Handbook of Research on Online Discussion-Based Teaching Methods is a cutting-edge research publication that seeks to identify promising designs, pedagogical and assessment strategies, conceptual models, and theoretical frameworks that support discussion-based learning in online and blended learning environments. This book provides a better understanding of the effects and both commonalities and differences of new tools that support interaction, such as video, audio, and real-time interaction in discussion-based learning. Featuring a wide range of topics such as gamification, intercultural learning, and digital agency, this book is ideal for teachers, educational software developers, instructional designers, IT consultants, academicians, curriculum designers, researchers, and students.

This book is divided into seven chapters, beginning with discussions of the main concepts of cyberspace, the relationship between cyberspace and real space, learning and education. It describes the relationship between cyberspace and real space, and presents capacities, judiciary, and concepts related to cyberspace. Cyber curricular education forms are then described in terms of teaching and learning resources in cyberspace. The discussion presented in this book consists of two main sections: The first section, outlines the objectives of training in cyberspace at different levels, while the second section describes the injuries caused by learning and training in cyberspace at different levels, and then highlights how cyber training is handled and receives feedback. Lastly, the authors provide a summary of the topics presented. Most other discussions are general and present the overall benefits of e-learning and e-teaching that is formally carried out in universities and schools through cyberspace. But, unfortunately, none of them fully explores the learning, education and cyber-training resources which should be used by individuals, groups, organizations, governments, and others in pursuing to achieve their goals. In addition to this, they do not pay much attention to the challenges and injuries caused by learning and teaching in cyberspace. This has led the authors to investigate these and other issues related to learning and training in cyberspace more widely and comprehensively, and also consider them beyond official formal learning and education. Most importantly they address issues such as the injuries and challenges that, in different ways and at different levels result from learning and education in this space. As such this book goes beyond simple and repetitive issues that have been raised concerning cyberspace, and underlines the challenges it poses. Although intended for scholars and students from the fields of science education, information technology, sociology and educational technology as well as interested parties and related authorities, this book is also helpful for people wishing to better understand new topics, such as cyberspace, learning and training in cyberspace, and related issues. It is of interest to a wide range of enthusiasts, with different educational, specialist and executive backgrounds, including academics, policymakers, managers and planners from educational and cultural institutions

This book presents the proceedings of The 2020 International Conference on Machine Learning and Big Data Analytics for IoT Security and Privacy (SPIoT-2020), held in Shanghai, China, on November 6, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak problem, SPIoT-2020 conference was held online by Tencent Meeting. It provides comprehensive coverage of the latest advances and trends in information technology, science and engineering, addressing a number of broad themes, including novel machine learning and big data analytics methods for IoT security, data mining and statistical modelling for the secure IoT and machine learning-based security detecting protocols, which inspire the development of IoT security and privacy technologies. The contributions cover a wide range of topics: analytics and machine learning applications to IoT security; data-based metrics and risk assessment approaches for IoT; data confidentiality and privacy in IoT; and authentication and access control for data usage in IoT. Outlining promising future research directions, the book is a valuable resource for students, researchers and professionals and provides a useful reference guide for newcomers to the IoT security and privacy field.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Advances in Web-Based Learning, ICWL 2021, which was held in Macau, China, in November 2021. The papers included in this volume deal with multiple topics, from algorithms to systems and applications and are organized in 3 tracks: Online learning methodologies, trust, and analysis; Online learning environment with tools; Online learning privacy issues and special tools.

Adjunct Faculty in Online Higher Education: Best Practices for Teaching Adult Learners is an essential handbook that delves into the pivotal role of adjunct faculty instructors in the booming realm of online higher education, with a specific focus on adult learners. As the demand for online education continues to soar, administrators, program directors, and adjunct faculty instructors alike are presented with unique challenges and opportunities. This comprehensive guidebook provides a wealth of knowledge and best practices for adjunct faculty instructors seeking to excel in online teaching roles. With a keen understanding of the competitive nature of the field, this book equips instructors with valuable insights that will set them apart in the ever-expanding landscape of higher education. University administrators and program directors will also find immense value in the book's content, which explores strategies for providing professional development to adjunct faculty and designing effective evaluations to support continuous improvement. Recognizing the paramount importance of the student experience, the book emphasizes the crucial role played by adjunct faculty in representing their respective institutions. Covering a wide range of topics, from the historical context of adult learners to the challenges associated with being an adjunct instructor, this handbook serves as a comprehensive guide for both aspiring and experienced adjunct faculty members. It offers practical advice on curriculum design, personnel development, and evaluation methods, empowering administrators and directors alike to make informed decisions in hiring and supporting adjunct faculty instructors.

Quality accreditation in higher education institutions (HEIs) is currently a buzzword. The need to maintain high-quality education standards is a critical requirement for HEIs to remain competitive in the market and for government and regulatory bodies to ensure the quality standards of programs offered. From being an implicit requirement that is internally addressed, quality assurance activities become an explicit requirement that is regularly audited and appraised by national and international accreditation agencies. HEIs are voluntarily integrating quality management systems (QMS), institutional and program-specific, in response to the political and competitive environment in which it exists. Through its higher education department or by creating non-profitable accreditation bodies, many governments have implemented a quality framework for licensing HEIs and invigilates its adherence based on which accreditation statuses are granted for HEIs. Global Perspectives on Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education Institutions provides a comprehensive framework for HEIs to address quality assurance and quality accreditation requirements and serves as a practical tool to develop and deploy well-defined quality management systems in higher education. The book focuses on the critical aspects of quality assurance; the need to develop a concise and agile vision, mission, values, and graduate attributes; and to develop a system that effectively aligns the various activities of the HEI to the attainment of the strategic priorities listed in the institutional plans. The chapters each cover the various facets of the quality assurance framework and accreditation agencies' requirements with practical examples of each. This book is useful for HEI administrators, quality assurance specialists in HEIs, heads of academic departments, internal auditors, external auditors, and other practitioners of quality, along with stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in quality assurance and accreditation in higher education.

This book is about inclusivity and open education in the digital age. It reports the latest data on this topic from the 2021 Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age (CELDA) conference. This annual conference focuses on challenges pertaining to the evolution of the learning process, the role of pedagogical approaches and the progress of technological innovation, in the context of the digital age. The material in this book represents the work of both researchers and practitioners in an effort to cover both technological and pedagogical issues in ground-breaking studies. The book covers a wide array of topics examining the deployment of learning technologies, proposing pedagogical approaches and practices to address digital transformation, presenting case studies of specific technologies and contexts and overall debating the contribution of learning technologies for the improvement of the learning process and the experience of students and for the development of key competences. It represents the best work reported during CELDA 2021, comprising expanded peer reviewed chapters from best papers focusing on open education models, inclusive learning environments and adaptive as well as personalized learning support.