Roubides, Adwyn
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Constructivism in Online Course Design of Skilled-based Courses and Its Impact on Student Achievement Roubides, Pascal; Roubides, Adwyn
Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Vol. 2 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education
Publisher : Scientia Publica Media

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.70232/jrmste.v2i1.34

Abstract

The following monogram presents a research case study involving two sections of an asynchronous online college algebra course which aimed at exploring the potential impact (or lack thereof) of the traditional one-size-fits-all online course design ideology for the development of skilled-based courses at a large higher education institution in Florida, USA. At the principal author’s institution, as appears to be the case in many other sister institutions, constructivism is the philosophical framework upon which all online courses are being built – that occurs without the consideration that the impact of constructivist elements of course design may have little to no effect on student achievement when applied to largely or strictly skilled-based courses. Empirical observations, as well as past experiences in this field, have pointed to the realization that there are many skilled-based courses “sprinkled” with myriads of “little” tasks aimed at conforming to the constructivist ideology that do not appear to add any value in terms of the actual objectives of learning. Therefore, adding such tasks for the mere satisfaction of or adherence to a particular educational ideology may pose an inappropriate, ineffective, and inefficient way to provide and assess learning. Hence, it was the authors’ impetus to investigate what empirical observations in online skilled-based courses alluded to in a structured academic research manner and ascertain mathematically whether such a misalignment exists so as to inform future practice. Results obtained confirmed empirical observations that adding constructivist elements in the asynchronous online college algebra courses analyzed made no difference in overall student success.
Student Engagement as a Factor of Successful Online Course Completion Roubides, Pascal; Roubides, Adwyn
Journal of Research in Education and Pedagogy Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025): Journal of Research in Education and Pedagogy
Publisher : Scientia Publica Media

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.70232/jrep.v2i2.55

Abstract

The following monogram discusses a quantitative case study funded via a grant award which was aimed at discovering correlations of course access levels and academic success in an online gateway mathematics course at a higher education institution in south Florida, USA. In particular, the study aimed at investigating whether student engagement in a general education online mathematics course, College Algebra, as measured by the frequency of student course logins, might correlate with successful completion of the course itself. The study addresses the need for quantitative measures to identify at-risk student behaviors in online learning environments, where subjective faculty judgment often delays or limits effective interventions. Results obtained show a positive correlation between the frequency of student course logins and their respective final course outcomes. Despite challenges accessing a higher level of detailed course engagement data, as initially intended, the study results statistically support the hypothesis that increased course access correlates with better academic outcomes. The study also aligns with activity theory, which emphasizes that meaningful learning arises from active engagement, as well as with recent studies on student engagement challenges in online learning. It is the author’s point of view that the current study is an important first step in statistically quantifying such expected relations and promoting further study and application of quantitative metrics in regards to addressing online students’ course engagement challenges and hopefully lead to early warning systems that can increase timely interventions, and by extension, increase overall rates of student retention and success in online environments.