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This study evaluated the perceived impact of the revised National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) book allowance disbursement system on student academic performance at a South African public university. The study compared academic performance before and after the implementation of the new system, looking at flexibility and autonomy, cost management and availability of study materials as attributes of interest. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 91 students under the School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy who had experienced both the new and old systems as part of the academic journey. Online and traditional survey methods were used, and the data were analysed using IBM SPSS. Tests included descriptive statistics, t-tests to test for academic performance perceptions differences in the old versus new system and Fisher's exact tests to assess how academic performance was associated with identified attributes of the new system. The findings show that under the new system, the advantages of autonomy, flexibility and cost management in book allowance use increased. The prescribed textbook availability advantage, however, was declined. Regardless, there was an overall perception of (1) academic improvement and (2) neutrality in academic performance even when the actual prescribed textbook availability declined. The study recommends strengthening students' capacities to autonomously manage their book allowance usages while at the same time facilitating the availability of OER and students' abilities to evaluate OER quality. This two-pronged approach will narrow the gap between costs and expenditure, enabling students' allowance to stretch a bit longer while supporting stable or improved academic performance. Students surveyed highlighted that the new book allowance disbursement system was associated with higher academic performance, at least from a student perspective. The findings show that under the new system, the advantages of autonomy and flexibility, as well as cost management in book allowance use, increased. By implication, the study shows that student academic performance cannot be looked at simply from a prescribed textbook availability via the book allowance route/

To help EFL learners improve English pronunciation skills, researchers have recently turned to automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology. Despite some attempted review studies, relatively few have targeted ASR in an EFL setting. Therefore, the current study aims to delve into various aspects of ASR implementation, including theoretical foundations, research topics, research methods, target features, measurements, and findings, drawing upon published empirical literature. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guided the review. Of the 6138 articles with 2886 from Web of Science Core Collection and 3252 from Scopus, a total of 24 empirical articles were included. The results revealed: (1) twenty percent of the studies consisted of underpinning theories/models/concepts for the implementation of ASR in an EFL context; (2) a majority of studies adopted a quasi-experimental design, primarily focusing on the pronunciation gains in accuracy; (3) most learning activities with the use of ASR tools were designed for in-class activities; (4) the reviewed ASR studies were primarily concerned with the production accuracy of segmental features. Based on the findings, ASR is proven to be an effective tool in language classrooms but entails limitations. Future studies should investigate how ASR can best be implemented in a classroom setting.

The quest to investigate the role of support services (SS) in trainee teacher performance for education programmes (EP) provided via distance education (DE) prior to this paper remained inconclusive. This paper demystifies the challenge by examining the impact of SS quality for both trainee teachers and tutors on learning outcomes, addressing two research questions: (i) the influence of the input variable on the output variable, and (ii) the predictive potential of SS in performance discourses. A hypothesis was also tested to determine outcome differences based on respondents' sex. Using multi-stage sampling procedures, 329 tutors and 397 students were selected to respond to questionnaires and lesson observation sheets, following an explanatory design from a nationally recognized DE provider. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient, independent samples t-test, and multiple linear regression. Three key findings emerged: (i) SS quality for trainee teachers and tutors positively relates to performance, (ii) a statistically significant difference exists between trainee teacher SS quality and performance based on sex, and (iii) 39% of the variation in trainee teacher performance is predicted by SS received, while tutor SS predicts 15%. These conclusions suggest a strong connection between SS and trainee teacher performance. Consistent with these findings, it is recommended that the DE service provider implement SS that meets the instructional needs of trainee teachers to enhance learning outcomes. Institutions in similar contexts can leverage these findings to review and redesign their education programmes to achieve optimal performance outcomes among teacher trainees. Our study explores the impact of support services on the performance of trainee teachers in distance education programs at the University of Cape Coast (UCC). It reveals that quality support services, such as academic counselling, skill training, and welfare support, significantly enhance trainee teacher performance. Interestingly, the study found no significant difference in support quality and performance based on sex. The findings suggest that trainee-teacher support services play a more substantial role in performance improvement than tutor support services. The research highlights the need for comprehensive support services to be integral to the educational process, emphasizing the importance of addressing human relationships, career development, and learning skills. Future research directions include examining the long-term impact of support services and exploring the role of technology in delivering these services, thus underscoring the critical role of support services in fostering effective teaching and learning in distance education settings.

The Great American Education-Industrial Complex examines the structure and nature of national networks and enterprises that seek to influence public education policy in accord with their own goals and objectives. In the past twenty years, significant changes have taken place in the way various interest groups seek to influence policies and practices in public education in the United States. No longer left to the experience and knowledge of educators, American education has become as much the domain of private organizations, corporate entities, and political agents who see it as a market for their ideas, technologies, and ultimately profits. Piccciano and Spring posit that educational technology is the vehicle whereby these separate movements, organizations, and individuals have become integrated in a powerful common entity, and detail how the educational-industrial complex has grown and strengthened its position of influence. This timely, carefully documented, well argued book brings together Picciano's perspective and expertise in the field of technology and policy issues and Spring's in the history and politics of education in a unique critical analysis of the education-industrial complex and its implications for the future.

Students' Experiences of e-learning in Higher Education helps higher education instructors and university managers understand how e-learning relates to, and can be integrated with, other student experiences of learning. Grounded in relevant international research, the book is distinctive in that it foregrounds students' experiences of learning, emphasizing the importance of how students interpret the challenges set before them, along with their conceptions of learning and their approaches to learning. The way students interpret task requirements greatly affects learning outcomes, and those interpretations are in turn influenced by how students read the larger environment in which they study. The authors argue that a systemic understanding is necessary for the effective design and management of modern learning environments, whether lectures, seminars, laboratories or private study. This ecological understanding must also acknowledge, though, the agency of learners as active interpreters of their environment and its culture, values and challenges. Students' Experiences of e-learning in Higher Education reports research outcomes that locate e-learning within the broader ecology of higher education and: Offers a holistic treatment of e-learning in higher education, reflecting the need for integrating e-learning and other aspects of the student learning experience Reports research on students' experiences with e-learning conducted by authors in the United States, Europe, and Australia Synthesizes key themes in recent international research and summarizes their implications for teachers and managers.

The Emotionally Intelligent Online Tutor foregrounds the tutor within online and blended learning environments, and focusses on desirable skills, qualities and attributes for effective tutoring. It analyses these qualities in relation to prominent psychological constructs, such as emotional intelligence, and the exploration of their value in practice. This book is focussed on the tutoring of adult learners undertaking study within higher education, commonly on a part-time basis whilst studying vocationally relevant degree programmes. However, the contents are applicable and generalisable to those tutoring within informal environments, such as Massive Open Online Courses. Prominent social constructivist models of e-learning are critiqued with alternative actions provided for tutors now practicing in a digital age. The book provides a conceptual model that represents an interpretation of effective practice in a blended learning context. This book will be of great interest for academics, scholars and postgraduate students in the field of education and for e-tutors delivering online and blended courses. Furthermore, it will be useful for those undertaking teacher training, psychology and counselling courses.

By showcasing international, European, and community-based projects, this volume explores how online technologies using collaborative and blended learning can be used to bolster social cohesion and increase students' understanding of what it means to be a global citizen. With the pace of technology rapidly increasing, Blended and Online Learning for Global Citizenship draws timely attention to the global lessons being learned from the impact of these technologies on peace building, community development, and acceptance of difference. In-depth case studies showcasing successful projects in Europe, Northern Ireland, and Israel explore blended learning and illustrate how schools and educators have embraced online technologies to foster national and international links both within and beyond communities. This has, in turn, equipped students with experiences that have informed their attitudes to cultural and political conflicts, as well as racial, ethnic, and social diversity. Building on the authors' previous work Online Learning and Community Cohesion (2013), this thought-provoking text will be of interest to researchers, academics, and postgraduate students in the fields of international and comparative education. Educators and school leaders concerned with how multiculturalism and technology play out in the classroom environment will also benefit from reading this text.

Distance education (DE) offers ways to reach the many people around the world who lack access to education and training by other means. International DE methods, however, are fragmented, and distance educators have often abandoned new technologies before giving them a chance to develop. As a result, many current DE tools and techniques are incompatible with the needs and cultures of different global regions. With the goal of designing efficient, relevant DE for worldwide audiences, Harmonizing Global Education invites scholars and practitioners to consider the historic development of technology-based education and communication studies, going back further in the literature than is often assumed necessary. The book examines a wide range of historical ideas capable of shaping modern DE, including the Luddite Revolt among British textiles workers in 1811-12, the evolution of cubist art and musical aesthetics, and the visionary advances of early twentieth-century Soviet multimedia specialists. The author urges an awareness of previous generations of communications studies, and shows how audience research relating to traditional media can be relevant in the design of current internet-based and social media approaches. Today's open universities have grown from these earlier historical efforts, and the future success of open and distance education depends on learning from the successes and the failures of the past.

\"Intended as a resource for psychology educators ranging from teaching assistants to experienced faculty, this book shows readers how to effectively create and manage an online psychology course. Guidelines for preparing courses, facilitating communication, and assigning grades are provided along with activities and assessments geared specifically towards psychology. Pedagogical theories and research are fused with the authors' teaching experiences to help maximize the reader's abilities as an online psychology instructor. The book focuses on psychology education at the undergraduate level but it also includes material appropriate for graduate students and professionals. Readers will find helpful examples from all the major content areas including introductory, social, developmental, biological, abnormal, and positive psychology, and human sexuality. Every chapter is organized around 3 sections. The Purpose part introduces the key concepts, theory, and research. The Implementation section reviews the 'nuts and bolts' of online teaching, and the Troubleshooting section addresses key problems and potential solutions. 'Text boxes' highlight important tips. The website http://www.TeachingPsychologyOnline.com provides additional tips, links to related articles and other resources, and examples of online psychology assignments from across the discipline. The book addresses: launching your online course; enhancing student/instructor communication; modes of multimedia and how to integrate them into your course including lecture videos, podcasting, blogging, wikis, and social networking sites; creating activities for online courses; assessment and grading; and online education trend including doctoral level education. Ideal for instructors teaching ANY psychology course, from introductory to upper-level undergraduate to graduate courses, this text can be used for developing on line courses in applied\"

In this paper, we discuss the challenges experienced by Kenyan public universities in implementation of e-learning and recommend possible solutions towards its successful implementation. In the last few years, most Kenyan public universities have adopted e-learning as a new approach to teaching and learning. However, the implementation challenges faced by these universities have continued to impact negatively on its effective utilization. This paper presents the findings from a survey of 148 staff of three Kenyan public universities who are currently using e-learning in blended mode approach. The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges hindering the implementation of e-learning in Kenyan public universities. Data was collected through questionnaires, in-depth interviews and document analysis. The findings reveal that e-learning comes with some challenges that must be addressed by Kenyan public universities before successful implementation can be realized. However, the benefits and opportunities presented by e-learning far outweigh the challenges. The paper finally recommends some possible solutions that public universities could embrace towards successful implementation of e-learning.