Designing an online lecture in the discipline of soil science

Technological developments have not only been introduced to support traditional face to face education, but also to facilitate the spread of distance education programs and online learning. This paper contributes to the development of online lectures based on the foundations provided by learning theories (behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism and connectivism). Using this approach, the author has developed an online lecture in the discipline of soil science on the topic ‘crop residue management and phosphorus cycling’. Different aspects of designing an online lecture in terms of the content of lecture and its organisation, learner preparation, a couple of activities to engage students, and strategies to promote interaction have been discussed in detail. This lecture is designed for use in future and the feedback received by authors would be effectively utilised to improve upon this practice.

[1]  G. A. Miller.  THE PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW THE MAGICAL NUMBER SEVEN, PLUS OR MINUS TWO: SOME LIMITS ON OUR CAPACITY FOR PROCESSING INFORMATION 1 , 1956 .

[2]  Funda Dag,et al.  Relations between online learning and learning styles , 2009 .

[3]  Yong Zhao,et al.  What Makes the Difference? A Practical Analysis of Research on the Effectiveness of Distance Education , 2005, Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education.

[4]  J. Keller.  Motivational Design of Instruction , 1983 .

[5]  Mark Stansfield,et al.  A quasi-experimental study of three online learning courses in computing , 2007, Comput. Educ..

[6]  Andria Young,et al.  Assessing the quality of online courses from the students' perspective , 2006, Internet High. Educ..

[7]  A. McBratney,et al.  A soil science renaissance , 2008 .

[8]  Diane H. Jackman,et al.  Comparing the Success of Students Enrolled in Distance Education Courses vs. Face-to-Face Classrooms. , 2000 .

[9]  Tiffany A. Whittaker,et al.  A Comparison of Student Achievement and Satisfaction in an Online Versus a Traditional Face-to-Face Statistics Class , 2005 .

[10]  K. Patricia Cross,et al.  Teaching for Learning. , 1987 .

[11]  Karl L. Wuensch,et al.  Pedagogical Characteristics of Online and Face-to-Face Classes , 2006 .

[12]  C. Gunawardena,et al.  DISTANCE EDUCATION , 2003 .

[13]  Karen Swan,et al.  Virtual interaction: Design factors affecting student satisfaction and perceived learning in asynchronous online courses , 2001 .

[14]  John O'Malley,et al.  Students Perceptions of Distance Learning, Online Learning and the Traditional Classroom , 1999 .

[15]  Bonnie Bata-Jones,et al.  Teaching pharmacology to graduate nursing students: evaluation and comparison of Web-based and face-to-face methods. , 2004, The Journal of nursing education.

[16]  Matthew J. Eick,et al.  Design and implementation of interactive online tutorials for introductory soil science courses , 2000 .

[17]  A. P. Rovai,et al.  Student evaluation of teaching in the virtual and traditional classrooms: A comparative analysis , 2006, Internet High. Educ..

[18]  G. Churchman.  The philosophical status of soil science , 2010 .

[19]  George Siemens.  Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age , 2004 .

[20]  Alex B. McBratney,et al.  Soil Science teaching principles , 2011 .

[21]  S. Cassidy,et al.  Learning Styles: An overview of theories, models, and measures , 2004 .

[22]  T. Flannery.  Here on Earth: an Argument for Hope , 2010 .

[23]  Dowming Yeh,et al.  What drives a successful e-Learning? An empirical investigation of the critical factors influencing learner satisfaction , 2008, Comput. Educ..

[24]  Lauren Cifuentes,et al.  Using web tools, collaborating, and learning online , 2001 .

[25]  Dirk Holtbrügge,et al.  Learning style preferences and the perceived usefulness of e-learning , 2012 .

[26]  Mary K. Tallent-Runnels,et al.  Student outcomes and perceptions of instructors' demands and support in online and traditional classrooms , 2006, Internet High. Educ..

[27]  Heidi M. Stout,et al.  Land Use Planning Exercise Using Geographic Information Systems and Digital Soil Surveys. , 2004 .

[28]  J. Michael Spector,et al.  Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, 3rd Edition , 2012 .

[29]  Eileen Scanlon,et al.  Remote experiments, re-versioning and re-thinking science learning , 2004, Comput. Educ..

[30]  B. Funke,et al.  University Faculty and Student Perceptions of Web-Based Instruction , 1998 .

[31]  Mohamed Ally,et al.  FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL THEORY FOR ONL INE LEARNING , 2004 .

[32]  Andrew Topper.  Are they the same? Comparing the instructional quality of online and face‐to‐face graduate education courses , 2007 .

[33]  C. Lange,et al.  Applying the scholarship of teaching and learning: student perceptions, behaviours and success online and face-to-face , 2012 .

[34]  Edward Lieblein,et al.  Critical factors for successful delivery of online programs , 2000, Internet High. Educ..

[35]  Ronald Reuter.  Introductory Soils Online: An Effective Way to Get Online Students in the Field. , 2007 .

[36]  David H. Jonassen,et al.  Constructivism: Implications for the Design and Delivery of Instruction , 1996 .

[37]  Sabine Grunwald,et al.  Development of an environmental virtual field laboratory , 2005, Comput. Educ..