"There are two important facts which need to be remembered about e-Learning. The first is that there has seldom been a subject more fashionable and the second is that there has seldom been a subject which is more open to misunderstanding. It is obvious to nearly everyone that education throughout the world is under pressure to change. Education is expensive, or even education is extremely expensive. As the world transforms from highly individualist economies into economies that want to be regarded as global players so the demand for education soars. As the demand grows so does the cost of delivery. Now we talk about mass education which scares some of the older members of the education establishment.There are few people today who would oppose the view that e-learning has to become an integral part of the education of the future. And indeed, when e-Learning is correctly employed it can be highly effective and cost efficient." --Back cover.

Volume two of Leading Issues in e-Learning Research brings together a collection of the latest ideas in the area of e-Learning research. e-Learning is undergoing a revolution. The expectations of X and Y generation learners are changing the way we teach. They want more interactive, social and mobile course presentation formats which are resulting in novel teaching methods like flipped classrooms, new tools for learning, apps, social learning and augmented reality. Also, the rise of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) can offer free education for learners around the world. Behind the trends is an ever more globalised, complex and interconnected world which has led to new expectations regarding training, especially in higher education settings: students need to be digitally literate and able to manage uncertainty through creative thinking. This is a profound change which draws its inspiration from the world of business, fostering pedagogical innovation to create new e-Learning initiatives. Melanie Ciussi has put together an excellent collection of leading research papers on the pedagogical innovations that are part of this digital revolution. The general reader as well as researchers, teachers and students will find this book very rewarding."

This is a highly practical book which introduces the whole range of grounded theory approaches. Unlike most existing books in this area, which are written from a particular philosophical standpoint, this text provides a comprehensive description of the strategies and techniques employed in this methodology. Birks and Mills accessible and highly-readable text is driven by practical case examples throughout to help the reader get to grips with the process of doing grounded theory analysis for themselves. The book deploys a variety of educational activities to guide readers through both the principles and the application of grounded theory, making this an ideal starter text for those new to the approach. This is an ideal first introduction to grounded theory for any student or researcher looking to use grounded theory approaches in their analysis for the first time.

This book is to explores a variety of facets of online learning environments to understand how learning occurs and succeeds in digital contexts and what teaching strategies and technologies are most suited to this format. Business, health, government and education are some of the core sectors of society which have been experiencing deep transformations due to a generalized digitalization. While these changes are not novel, the swift progress of technology and the rising complexity of digital environments place a focus on the need for further research and novel strategies. In the context of education, the promise of increased flexibility and broader access to educational resources is impelling much of higher education’s course offerings to online environments. The 21st century learner requires an education that can be pursued anytime and anywhere and that is more aligned with the demands of a digital society. Online education not only assists students to success-fully integrate a workforce that is increasingly digital, but it helps them to become more comfortable with the use of technology in general and, hence, more prepared to be prolific digital citizens. The variety of settings portrayed in this volume attest to the unlimited opportunities afforded by online learning and serve as valuable evidence of its benefit for students’ educational experience. Moreover, these research efforts assist a more comprehensive reflection about the delivery of higher education in the context of online settings.

As traditional classroom settings are transitioning to online environments, teachers now face the challenge of using this medium to promote effective learning strategies, especially when teaching older age groups. Because adult learners bring a different set of understandings and skills to education than younger students, such as more job and life experiences, the one-size-fits-all approach to teaching does not work, thus pushing educators to create a student-centered approach for each learner. The Handbook of Research on Student-Centered Strategies in Online Adult Learning Environments is an important resource providing readers with multiple perspectives to approach issues often associated with adult learners in an online environment. This publication highlights current research on topics including, but not limited to, online competency-based education, nontraditional adult learners, virtual classrooms in public universities, and teacher training for online education. This book is a vital reference for online trainers, adult educators, university administrators, researchers, and other academic professionals looking for emerging information on utilizing online classrooms and environments in student-centered adult education.

The affective realm is a critical, but often forgotten, aspect of schooling. The development of character and the formation of appropriate learning environments rely to a large extent on understanding the affective nature of students. Even when the focus is on cognitive achievement, affect has a role to play. Teachers frequently mention a lack of motivation as a primary reason for students not achieving as well as they should or as well as their teachers would like. Despite the importance of affect, educators rarely make an effort to systematically collect and use information about students' affective characteristics to better understand students and to substantially improve the quality of education they receive. This book's purpose is to provide educators with the knowledge and skills they need to design and select instruments that can be used to gather information about students' affective characteristics. Once valid and reliable information has been gathered, it can be used to aid in understanding and to improve educational quality. The second edition features: * an updated list of affective characteristics (i.e., attitudes, values, interests, self-esteem, self-efficacy, locus of control) * a dual emphasis on selecting and designing affective assessment instruments * an emphasis on multi-scale instruments (i.e., a single instrument with multiple affective scales) * the use of a single small data set to illustrate and foster understanding of key concepts and procedures * a dual emphasis on data about individual students and groups of students * a dual focus on the instrumental value of affective data and the inherent value of affective data (i.e., affect is valuable in and of itself)

"This book includes a selection of world-class chapters addressing current research, case studies, best practices, pedagogical approaches and strategies, related resources and projects related to e-learing"--Provided by publisher.