Patrick R. Lowenthal

During the COVID‑19 campus closures, 15 international exchange students in Korea were forced into remote courses on an empty campus. Interviews revealed themes of isolation, diverse learning experiences, and limited teaching, cognitive, or social presence. The paper discusses implications for supporting students in emergency and sustained remote contexts.

Research suggests that video can improve social presence in online courses, but results vary with how and when it is used. This mixed‑methods sequential explanatory study examined student perceptions of three types of asynchronous video—video announcements, instructional videos, and video feedback. Students preferred instructional videos, followed by video feedback and then announcements. Findings indicate that video’s contribution to social presence depends on use in context and individual preferences, with implications for online teaching practice.

Asynchronous online courses typically rely on text-based feedback. This study explored student perceptions of screencasting‑style video feedback used by instructors and peers across multiple offerings of a graduate course. Survey data from 84 students indicated satisfaction with video feedback, perceived contributions to learning, and social presence comparable to prior research. The paper discusses limitations and implications for online teaching.

Scoping review of 66 studies (2001–2018) mapping how community and connectedness are defined, operationalized, and enacted in online higher education. The synthesis clusters findings around course design, technologies, faculty practices, and student roles, and surfaces gaps—such as program types and under‑explored actor roles—for future investigation.

Drawing on an NSF‑funded project, the authors describe creating interview‑based and instructional videos for online modules for secondary mathematics teacher candidates and iterative development of the hosting platform. They share production lessons and practical recommendations for designing video‑rich modules.

Asynchronous video‑based discussion tools like Flipgrid may address constraints of text‑based discussions. Surveying 79 students using Flipgrid in fully online courses, the study found students liked the tool, found it easy to use, and reported improved social presence. The article discusses implications for design and facilitation of online discussions.

To address ongoing questions about how social presence develops in online courses, this mixed‑method case study examined social presence in asynchronous discussion forums in an online course. Results suggest that social presence is influenced by situational variables such as group size, instructional task, and prior relationships. The article reports findings and implications for researchers and practitioners.

Mixed‑methods study of 186 MOOC instructors (plus 15 interviews) exploring motivations, experiences, and perceptions of MOOC teaching. Instructors cited passion/interest, publicity/marketing, and incentives; most had limited prior online‑teaching experience yet were satisfied with their own courses while expressing reservations about MOOCs in general.

Analyzing 774,939 comments and replies on 655 TEDx and TED‑Ed YouTube videos, the study examines how sentiment varies by topic, presenter gender, video format, threading, and moderation. Most comments were neutral; however, replies to female presenters exhibited greater positive and negative polarity. Animated videos reduced both negative and positive extremity. The authors also demonstrate that sentiment‑based moderation could suppress substantial amounts of non‑offensive content, raising design and policy implications for social platforms and educators.

This case study documents the design and evaluation of eQIP, an online faculty‑development program, using surveys, analytics, and social network analysis to inform iterative improvements. Reflections and implications are offered for institutions scaling support for online teaching.

Most online courses rely on asynchronous text‑based interactions, which can limit spontaneity and timely feedback. This design case describes integrating live web‑conferencing meetings into asynchronous courses, summarizes iterative improvements based on student feedback, and presents strategies for using synchronous meetings to complement asynchronous learning.

This study modeled early warning indicators of at‑risk students using learning‑management‑system interaction data. Analyses explored whether a holiday‑period effect contributes to failure and compared frequency of interaction versus amount of interaction as predictors. Findings suggest frequency of interaction is a preferable indicator for identifying students needing support.

Researchers conceptualize and define social presence in varied ways, which complicates synthesis and application. This study analyzed definitions used in highly cited social presence research to understand how the construct is framed and how usage may be changing. The authors report results and discuss implications for future research and practice.

Survey of educational technology scholars’ perceptions of open‑access journals in the field. Respondents identified OA journals they value and rated characteristics they consider most important, offering a snapshot of perceived legitimacy, quality, and impact drivers for publishing in open‑access venues within educational technology.

Infographics can support efficient processing and recall of dense information. An analysis of the top 20 “liked” infographics on a sharing site identified design features associated with effectiveness. The paper synthesizes lessons learned and offers recommendations for educators to leverage infographics in coursework.

Using the Quality Matters (QM) higher‑education rubric, the authors evaluated six randomly selected STEM MOOCs from Coursera, edX, and Udacity. None passed an initial QM review, but two scored near the passing threshold and could meet standards with targeted revisions. Results suggest MOOCs can achieve high‑quality design and offer implications for course design and credit considerations.

Analyzes common admissions requirements across distance/hybrid EdTech doctorates and details the Boise State EdTech admissions system. The article discusses fairness, workload, and selection quality, outlining practices for building a transparent, equitable process that yields strong cohorts suited to online doctoral study.

With the growth of online learning and associated attrition concerns, the authors developed and validated a self‑assessment instrument of online learning readiness. Through a three‑phase study, they iteratively refined the instrument and situated readiness within literature on learner characteristics, the digital divide, and ICT engagement. The validated survey supports student self‑assessment and institutional planning.

Responding to AECT’s return to the label “educational technology,” the authors argue the rationale was insufficient and that shifts in terminology can mislead external audiences and practitioners. They review job postings, program titles, and community discussions to underscore how naming practices shape perceptions of the field.

To foster the social processes of learning online, the authors integrated Twitter to enable just‑in‑time interactions that extend beyond LMS tools. The teaching tip outlines how Twitter supported social presence, instructional benefits, and guidelines for implementation in online courses.