24th Annual TCC | Online Conference | April 16-18, 2019

Sustainable Learning, Accessible Technologies, & Diverse Contexts

20-Minute LTEC Student Session

Evaluating the Usability of an Online Resource for the University of Hawaii Maui College Information Technology Help Desk Workers

Session Description
The Information Technology (IT) Help Desk at the University of Hawaii Maui College (UHMC) currently does not have a centralized online resource repository for their documentation. Procedures are verbally taught or recorded in written form. When changes occur it is not properly documented, which raises an issue when the changes are not performed correctly. This project addressed the issues and attempted to resolve inconsistencies and increase performance by creating a web-based repository site using Confluence. This strategy provided a basis for a centralized resource repository to host the UHMC IT Help Desk operations’ documentation and policies.

Both minimalist and user-centered design approaches have been implemented to achieve good user-experience with a simplistic design. To evaluate the site’s utility, a usability research study was conducted with the IT staff of UHMC. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the ease of use of navigation and overall efficiency of the online resource repository. Heuristic evaluations and usability testing were conducted on the repository to identify and measure issues with the user interface and content design. The usability test went through a sequence of introductory questions, task ratings, and tasks to be performed. Data analysis collected from participants were positive. Critical modifications were made, which enhanced the repository’s navigational efficacy.

Presenter(s)
Malia Ah Nee
Malia Ah Nee, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Wailuku, HI, USA
Malia Ah Nee is a graduate student in the Learning Design and Technology (LTEC) program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Previously, she obtained her B.A.S in Applied Business and Information Technology (IT) from the University of Hawaii Maui College (UHMC). Malia is currently employed at UHMC as the IT Help Desk manager. She is driven by technology, which motivates her to be an active learner in education
Session Type
20-Minute LTEC Student Session
Audience
Intermediate, Advanced

A recording of this presentation is available.
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Online Tutor Training: An Instructional Design Project

Session Description
Online tutor training has been administered by a number of programs across the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, including a range of topics and delivery sequences. Though not consistently explicit, it appeared the instructional strategies often mirrored the instructional content. For this project, content included: Bloom’s Taxonomy, Checking for Understanding, and Scaffolding/Zone of Proximal Development. These are topics that could also be documented for Level-1 College Reading and Learning Association certification. The purpose of this instructional design project was to create and evaluate a freshly designed online training for undergraduate tutors at the LAC.

The study involved a total of 13 tutors, with prior tutoring experience and training ranging from 0 to six semesters. Three learning modules were designed and measured for effectiveness. Each module consisted of a pre-test, an explanation and application of topics, and a post-test to measure knowledge acquisition. Modules were available online for tutors to complete asynchronously in lieu of traditional F2F training. Additionally, participants were given a demographic and attitudinal pre-survey and attitudinal post-survey. Results suggest an increase in knowledge of curriculum topics and a slight increase in training satisfaction. Cognitive post-tests showed exceptional improvement in clarity and thoughtfulness of short answer justifications, and affective post-survey results included high ratings for application and job performance confidence. Recommendations include maintenance of social aspects during asynchronous, online training, especially in a field such as tutoring that demands real-time interaction. These suggestions along with the design and development process, implementation and evaluation will be covered in this presentation.

Presenter(s)
Shauna Sibonga
Shauna Sibonga, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Shauna earned a B.A. in Biology and is an M.Ed. candidate in Learning Design and Technology, both from the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM). She is currently a Transfer Student Support Specialist for the Manoa Transfer Coordination Center with prior experience within Undergraduate Education in tutoring, teaching, and Academic Coaching. Her primary student population includes undergraduate students, often first generation and first time college students, and transfer students from the UH system community colleges. Additionally she works with the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at UHM as an education technologist where she uses photography and graphic design skills to advise the grower and consumer communities.

And when she’s not in the classroom or in front of a computer, Shauna loves to propagate and cultivate succulents and cacti.

Session Type
20-Minute LTEC Student Session
Audience
Intermediate

A recording of this presentation is available.
Click the button to the right to access the session archive.

Motivating English as a Foreign Language Teachers to Cultivate Intercultural Competence through an Online Course: An Instructional Design Project

Session Description
The purpose of this instructional design project is to motivate English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers to cultivate intercultural competence through an online course (https://yuchieh6.wixsite.com/mysite). While it is crucial for EFL teachers to equip intercultural competence in the era of globalization, resources that incorporate EFL classes with intercultural components are inadequate due to the complicated nature of cultures.

To explore the topic of language and identity, three motivational lessons were designed based on the attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS) model. In each lesson, participants were exposed to text, images, tutorials and follow-up online discussions. Considering the intercultural components in this project, critical literacy pedagogy was used to capture non-tangible cultural aspects such as assumptions and implications of a discourse.

A total of 16 EFL teachers from six countries were recruited to evaluate the courses’ impact on motivation. Quantitative data from the pre-lesson and post-lesson questionnaire were collected. Qualitative data from one-on-one interview, intercultural conversations online, and open-ended questions in the retrospective survey were clustered into patterns through selective coding.
Three themes from this research emerged after analysis: willingness to communicate online, awareness of the language and identity issues, and confidence in making changes through language teaching. This result showed that well-designed online tasks, where participants interacted with each other to discuss intercultural issues can be motivating. Since current research may reveal only a partial view of motivation, long-range research would be worthwhile to learn participants’ attitudes on this topic, as well as on group dynamics.

Presenter(s)
Yu-Chieh Wu
Yu-Chieh Wu, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, USA
I am a graduate student from the Department of Learning Design and Technology at the UHM. Before I studied abroad, I worked as an international exchange program coordinator for three years. Having the experiences of working with schools in different countries opened up my passion to International Education and distance learning.
Session Type
20-Minute LTEC Student Session
Audience
All Audiences

A recording of this presentation is available.
Click the button to the right to access the session archive.

Ke Au Hou: Instructional Design for Online Hawaiian Language Course Module

Session Description
In 2007, the Hawainuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge (HSHK) was formed and the Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language (KCHL) became a unit under this new school. One of the school’s initiative is to develop online Hawaiian language courses so that students and the community at large will have an avenue to learn the language without leaving the comforts of their home and fulfill the two year language requirement.

For my project, I created one module in the Canvas Learning Management System that presented the core contents of chapter three of the Ka Lei Haʻaheo Hawaiian language teaching text. Within the module, students progress through eight subpages that includes a lecture recorded in Zoom, one imagery assignment in Google Slides, one written assignment in Google Docs and three short multiple choice quizzes. Navigational instructions were embedded into course pages in order to easily access the required material. A constructionist framework was selected for the design by requiring students to create their own sentences in visual form with gifs and images thus mastering the grammatical pattern through use and experience. Although online can reduce the effectiveness of face to face interaction commonly found in classroom settings, language pedagogy has shifted and the use of imagery and manipulatives have been pillars of comprehensible input. Technological tools supports the delivery of images and manipulatives that can enhance a student’s learning experience and provide more meaningful input opposed to a white board in a large classroom.

This study includes the results of 9 participants who completed surveys to provide valuable insight required for module improvements. The results revealed participant scores increased from the pretest to the posttest. Some participants provided constructive feedback that allowed for important improvements. The data was thoroughly analyzed and the module was revised based on the participants’ comments. To view this course, please utilize this Canvas URL: https://canvas.instructure.com/enroll/MPKGJG link to self-enroll in the course.

Presenter(s)
Kahealani Lono
Kahealani Lono, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, Ka Lāhui ʻo Hawaiʻi
Kahealani Lono serves as an instructor of Hawaiian language at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, under the Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language. Her primary focus is developing a series of online Hawaiian language courses while blending online curriculum with comprehensible input.

Kahealani graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a B.A. in Hawaiian language as well as a M.A. in Hawaiian. Currently, Kahealani is completing a second masters in Learning Design and Technology from Mānoa and she plans to design four courses in Hawaiian language so that students can complete the required four semesters of language entirely online.

Session Type
20-Minute LTEC Student Session
Audience
All Audiences

A recording of this presentation is available.
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ViGLe: A Visual Graphical Learning Module on Optical Character Recognition

Session Description
Students of the Arts and Humanities use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert scanned images of pre-1800 AD text. They need to know how digital text is extracted from the scanned image. Thanks to images captured with cell phones, understanding this is useful for everybody. The processing steps employed by a typical OCR software are, in order, Binarization, Deskew, Segmentation, Character Segmentation and Character Recognition. In this research project, a standalone asynchronous visual graphical learning environment (VIGLE) on OCR was developed. Constructivist learning strategy was employed. The learning module was integrated in a website that works on mobile. Latest web technology was used to achieve one stop interface, browser compatibility, responsive window sizing and interactive visual content. Binarization, Deskew and Segmentation modules was implemented in the time available. Each module provided commands to run Ocropy, to apply the learning at each step.

The participants took the course asynchronously on their own time and assessed for themselves their own performance. Each processing step was equipped with links to pre-quest and post-assessment tests. A post survey was used to evaluate the results of the learning module. Results show that the participants found both the graphical representation and the visual interface helpful. They found the incomplete learning module on OCR at best moderately useful in helping them digitize text. It is recommended that a facility be added by which participants can interact with each other. The design and development of the website and detailed results will be provided during the TCC presentation.

Presenter(s)
Umesh Rao
Umesh Rao, University of Hawaii, Placentia, California, USA
Born and raised in India, Umesh Rao received his first Masters in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi. He holds dual graduate degrees in Electrical Engineering and Systems Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. He has worked in the semiconductor industry for Intel Corporation and ON Semiconductor. He is pursuing a Masters in Learning Design at the University of Hawaii and sees learning as an indicator that corporations will leverage to evaluate the well being of their employees and the health of their organization, in the future. Learning is the antidote to changing business conditions and the task of the management is to ensure learning thrives among their employees and the greater organization.
Session Type
20-Minute LTEC Student Session
Audience
Intermediate, Advanced

A recording of this presentation is available.
Click the button to the right to access the session archive.