The document discusses a study conducted on 33 students enrolled in an online terrorism and counterterrorism class. The study examined students' computer readiness skills and ability to manage independent work online. Results showed that over half of students were able to complete assignments on time, while a smaller percentage struggled with organization, time management, and meeting deadlines. A one-day homework assignment saw higher on-time completion rates than a longer independent project. The document concludes that while students are interested in online learning, some may need to improve computer and time management skills first to succeed, and recommends lower-stakes online options to build those skills.

1. Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
1
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary Students and
Challenges Encountered in Online Learning
21 May 2016
Presented by Diana T. Mackiewicz, M.Ed
Eagle Hill School, Hardwick, Massachusetts, US
www.ehs1.org
Dynamic Teachers, Motivated
Students

2. Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
2
Blended Online instruction provides a
strong and reliable method for
development of computer readiness and
student-professor relationship building.
This is especially important when
instructing emerging secondary and
postsecondary students.
Diana T. Mackiewicz, M.Ed.

3. The Study
• Students were first observed in my 2014-2015
Blended Online class on Terrorism Counter-
terrorism (TCT) for their overall computer
readiness skills to:
• organize,
• efficiently handle,
• cope with deadlines
within a blended online course model.
• The study was then planned and in 2015-2016 it
was carried out on 33 students enrolled in the
TCT Class.
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
3

4. What is Blended Online?
• Blended Online classes are face-to-face supervised instruction and
remaining course material is completed online. This model has
progressed into the: Flipped classroom, Station-Rotation, and Lab-
Rotation Models. In all the above models, the student is supervised
in class and completes less supervised work online.
Image from
http://www.globalenglish.com/why_PEBS/blended_learning Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
4

5. Distance Online
and MOOC
• Majority of online class experience is done through a school
or university as the support for the class.
• Classes are presented synchronously or asynchronously
contingent upon instructor and the curriculum
• MOOC: Massive Online Open Course, offered by hundreds of
universities worldwide and are usually free to low cost to the
public; EdX, Coursera, Future Learn
• MIT pioneered Open Course Ware and were the first largest
university to sponsor MOOC, by 2012 MIT built the renown
EdX MOOC program.
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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6. MOOC in Mexico
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered
in Online Learning
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Telefonica: largest e-
learning company in
Spain, first in the world.
Banco Santander
allied with
Universia and
Telefonica for
eLearning.
Universia, largest
network of university
cooperation for
eLearning in Latin
America.
Three major companies listed above have allied to work with MiriadaX, second
largest MOOC platform in the world, and the first one in Spanish; 56
universities in 11 countries, over 305 courses located on the platform.
http://noticias.universia.net.mx/educacion/noticia/2015/10/16/1132531/telefonica-santander-impulsam-educacion-digital-
mexico.html

7. Student Decisions
• Eligibility requirements
• “Personal Readiness”
• Access to Internet: 24 hours or less, wi-fi, satellite ??
• Personalized Learning Needs,
• Quality content relevant to their studies
• Quality choices based on providers for the
content material
• Overall assessment and accountability for the
classes
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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8. Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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9. Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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Student learned how to identify:
• Labels,
• Symbolism,
• Analogy, and
• Irony
then write a meaning for the cartoon.
All information was written in a Word or Google Doc. Student directed to save
each cartoon in their digital folder for the TCT class, and then send assignment
as an email attachment to instructor. Students were reminded once weekly on
the school portal (website) each week.
21 Day Independent Project : political cartoons about ISIS and terrorism .
The Study at Eagle Hill School

10. The other part of the study……
In order to compare student
independent work, they also
had to complete a one night
homework assignment.
• Reading for one night.
• Answer 5 comprehensive
questions about the
reading.
• Submit answers through
DROPBOX located on
school website.
What do you think
were the results?
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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11. Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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16 12th graders
6 11th graders
6 10th graders
5 9th graders
Primary Diagnosis Students per diagnosis
ADHD 10
ADHD-Inattentive 14
ADHD-Combined 4
Dyslexia 2
Mixed Receptive Expressive Disorder 1
Specific Learning Disability 1
General Anxiety Disorder 1
Total 33 Students enrolled in
classes
12
Breakdown of 33 students involved in the study

12. Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
Diagnosis Class ONE Class TWO Class THREE Class FOUR Class FIVE
ADHD 3 1 3 4 1
ADHD-Inattentive. 4 5 2 1 1
ADHD-Combined 1 2
Dyslexia 1 1
Mixed Receptive
Expressive
Disorder
1
Specific Learning
Disability
1
General Anxiety
Disorder
1
Total 7 8 6 8 4
Class breakdown by student learning diagnosis
13

13. Early
Submittal
On-Time
Submittal
1-Day Late 2-Days late Partial
Completion
13.79% 55.17% 20.69% 20.69% 3.45%
4 students 16 students 6 students 6 students 1 student
Results for 21-Day Project given in % and student amount
*These results are from total population of N=33
The 21-Day Project indicated for 55.17% that they could
(1)organize their work time, (2)complete assignments on time
and (3)email documents as attachments.
All students managed emails and attachments, which take
more time to achieve and keep organized.
All students received the same weekly reminder.
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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14. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
ADHD (10 Students)
ADHD-Inattentive (14)
ADHD-Combined (4)
Dyslexia (2)
Mixed Receptive Expressive Dis. (1)
Specific Learning Diagnosis (1)
General Anxiety Disorder (1)
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
6
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
5
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
21 Day Independent Project Results
Partial Assignment Completion
2 Days Late
1-Day Late
On-time
Early
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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15. Results for One-Day Homework assignment in % and student
amount
*These results are from total population of N=33.
On-Time
Submittal
1- Day late 2- Day late Never Completed
HW
82.76% 17.24% 6.90% 6.90%
24 students 5 students 2 students 2 students
The One-Day Homework Assignment indicated for 82.76% that
they could (1)complete the homework and (2)submit it through
the DROPBOX (online submittal).
The results indicate further that there was a fast turnaround on
homework that required less time to organize; and simpler
cognitive functions involved that required reading and answering
questions for comprehension.
No time to procrastinate on a one day assignment.
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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16. 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
ADHD (10 Students)
ADHD-Inattentive (14)
ADHD-Combined (4)
Dyslexia (2)
Mixed Receptive Expressive Dis. (1)
Specific Learning Diagnosis (1)
General Anxiety Disorder (1)
6
11
3
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1- Day Homework Results
Never completed HW
2 days late
One day late
One day HW/on-time
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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17. Conclusions on Study
The Blended Online class provided a learning
platform to observe students and their potential
computer readiness skills.
Success requires a student to develop and cope with
the following issues:
1. Time,
2. Technology,
3. Advocacy,
4. Completion and an ability to
5. Communicate with the instructor via email in a
timely manner and to contact instructors during
office hours, etc.
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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18. Students at Eagle Hill School displayed a
growing propensity and interest for an online
class and possibilities for future success in this
learning environment.
The role of the learner was paramount to their
success.
Students challenged by (1)organization and
(2)completion of schoolwork and assignments
with a (3)lack of commitment to time
management will need further practice.
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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19. Recommendations:
Student’s learning style reviewed in relation to
relevant factors of an online class.
1. Novice students may want to hold off on
entering an online class until their computer
readiness skills are improved.
2. Students that feel stronger in a class where
there is a face-to-face presence with faculty
and peers may consider not taking an online
class.
3. Reinforce the importance of time-
management skills when enrolled in an
online class.
Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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20. Consider online classes of low credit value but
high computer experience value: MOOC, Khan
Academy, etc..
1. Ready to invest the time but not the money,
then consider the MOOC options in your area
and language: Coursera, largest MOOC in
the world followed by MiriadaX, 2nd largest
and in Spanish; EdX out of MIT; Future Learn
from the UK, etc.
2. Consider the MOOC classes an investment in
building the skills needed to manage an
online class successfully.

21. Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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Encourage students to use all devices for schoolwork and
not just cellphones.

22. Emerging Secondary and Postsecondary
Students and Challenges Encountered in
Online Learning
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