The Role of Teacher Presence during Computer Supported Online Collaborative Sessions in an Adult Education Course.

The convenience sample for this study was taken from an A.E.C. (Attestation of Collegial Studies) Communication course of the Continuing Education Technical Support Program. A key component of this course competency is for students to develop the skill to write business letters for various purposes and to apply the three-step writing process during the crafting of the correspondence. This is achieved with a number of writing assignments which are carried out by students working in teams and completing the writing assignments out-of-class. the out-of-class work was convened using the PrimaryPad program to complete two of the writing assignments, which formed the basis of the research. This research uses a case study design that employed a repeated measures method with two conditions (teacher scaffolding vs. no teacher scaffolding). The possibility of an order effect was controlled for by using a counterbalancing of treatment design. A post-treatment questionnaire was used to gather descriptive statistics.

Using an evidence-based online module to improve parents’ ability to manage their child with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Background : Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. Best practices include raising parents’ awareness and building capacity but few interventions incorporating these best practices are documented. Objective : To examine whether an evidence-based online module can increase the perceived knowledge and skills of parents of children with DCD, and lead to behavioural changes when managing their child’s health condition. Methods : A mixed-methods, before-after-follow-up design guided by the theory of planned behaviour was employed. Data about the knowledge, skills and behaviours of parents of children with DCD were collected using questionnaires prior to completing the module, immediately after, and three months later. One-way repeated measures ANOVAs and thematic analyses were performed on data as appropriate. Results : Fifty-eight participants completed all questionnaires. There was a significant effect of time on self-reported knowledge [F(2.00,114.00)=16.37, p=0.00] and skills [F(1.81,103.03)=51.37, p=0.00] with higher post- and follow-up scores than pre-intervention scores. Thirty-seven (65%) participants reported an intention to change behaviour postintervention; 29 (50%) participants had tried recommended strategies at follow-up. Three themes emerged to describe parents’ behavioural change: sharing information, trialing strategies and changing attitudes. Factors influencing parents’ ability to implement these behavioural changes included clear recommendations, time, and ‘right’ attitude. Perceived outcomes associated with the parental behavioural changes involved improvement in well-being for the children at school, at home, and for the family as a whole. Conclusions : The online module increased parents’ self-reported knowledge and skills in DCD management. Future research should explore its impacts on children’s outcomes long-term.