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Educational Technology: Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Practice

Sana Jamil
No empirical investigations have attempted to explore the integration of educational technology along with policy in K-12 schools, despite continuous investments by the Newfoundland and Labrador Government (Education and Early Childhood Development, 2020). This study explores how educational technology policies shape teachers’ use of technology. Specifically, the study seeks to understand the mechanisms through which policy decisions impact elementary teachers' instructional practices in Newfoundland and Labrador Schools. The study is guided by the following research questions: (1) How do provincial policies shape teachers' use of educational technology in classrooms? (2) What are the existing policy frameworks that support or hinder the implementation of educational technology? and (3) How do teachers perceive the relevance and effectiveness of these policies in their instructional practices? Guided by Feenberg’s (1991) critical theory of technology and a qualitative single case study approach, data were gathered through documents, a questionnaire, interviews, and classroom observations. Findings emphasize the need for administrative support and planning, ongoing professional development, and teacher involvement in policy design. A new implementation model called the Educational Technology Action Cycle is proposed, thereby integrating elements from Deliverology and the Alberta Teachers’ Association professional development planning cycle. The study offers recommendations to align policy, investment, and professional learning for more effective technology integration in education.

Students’ Experiences with Online Proctoring: Scale Development and Initial Validation

Daniel Woldeab and Thomas Brothen
As online and hybrid course offerings continue to expand, online exam proctoring is an increasingly common assessment tool in higher education. And although a growing body of research has examined online proctoring in relation to academic integrity, exam anxiety, and student performance; this literature remains fragmented and lacks a standardized instrument for fully assessing student experiences with proctored exams. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and initially validate a multidimensional scale measuring student experiences with online proctoring. Using a two-phase design, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with a sample of undergraduate students (N = 321) to identify the underlying factor structure of the scale, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with an independent sample (N = 123) to evaluate the plausibility of the resulting measurement model. The EFA supported a three-factor solution: (1) Exam Quality and System Fairness; (2) Proctoring Anxiety and Concerns; and (3) Preference for and Benefits of Online Proctoring. Together these factors yielded a refined 12-item scale. CFA results indicated acceptable model fit and coherent standardized factor loadings, providing initial empirical support for the proposed structure. Collectively, the findings suggest that the scale offers a concise and theoretically grounded tool for assessing student experiences with online proctoring and provides a foundation for future research and institutional evaluation of online and hybrid assessment practices.

Speaking Out: Complex Trauma Survivors on Trauma-Informed Practice for Open/Online Higher Education

Hilary Schmidt
Childhood complex trauma profoundly disrupts survivors’ lifetime educational and career trajectories, sharply reducing the odds of credential completion and adult employment. Ensuring survivors have every opportunity to access and complete higher education is an essential step toward equity, and open and online learning provides one possible pathway. Nonetheless, prior educational research has largely neglected survivors’ perspectives regarding their own needs, contradicting the key principle of collaboration within a trauma-informed approach. In response to this gap, this paper explores survivors’ needs through their own eyes as they learn in an open and online postsecondary setting. Findings from this small qualitative case study include the high value survivors place on access, self-advocacy, and assistance from advisors and others in the university system. The findings also highlight challenges around communication and interaction, both within courses and more broadly at the institutional level, and survivors’ desire for the university to prioritize safety, trust, transparency, empowerment, voice, and choice, key elements of established trauma-informed practice. Implications include the need for further survivor-centred research and the importance of systemic, pan-institutional approaches to trauma-informed educational practices in open/online postsecondary contexts.

Rethinking Openness in a Large-Scale ODeL Institution: How ICT Systems Integration Influence Transactional Distance and Student Equity in the Global South

Kershnee Sevnarayan and Thuthukani Vincent Msomi
This research article presents a unique contribution to the existing body of knowledge as it examines the concept of openness within an open distance e-learning (ODeL) institution in South Africa, through the lens of Moore’s theory of transactional distance. As one of the world’s largest ODeL providers, which serves over 400,000 students annually, the institution embodies both the promise and perils of scaling distance education in the Global South. The study focuses on the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) systems and investigates how such integration either reduces or exacerbates transactional distance, which may enable or constrain openness. The theory is guided by three core elements: dialogue, structure, and autonomy. The research explores stakeholder perspectives to understand how ICT systems influence equitable access, meaningful interaction, and learner agency. Specifically, the research seeks to understand how integration processes for ICT systems can be managed to promote openness and contribute to student success. In addition, the study explores the viewpoints of lecturers, students, and the ICT personnel on openness within the institution. This qualitative research approach involves data collection through email interviews, focus group discussions, and evaluation questions. The findings reveal that true openness in ODeL is not guaranteed by digital delivery alone but depends on deliberate efforts to reduce transactional distance through reliable infrastructure, inclusive design, and responsive support. These findings have implications for educational institutions and prompt a review of distance learning strategies to enhance relevance, adapt to technological advancements, and encourage a conducive open distance teaching and learning context.

Technology and Digital Literacy as Drivers of Student Success in an Open and Distance e-Learning Environment

Kazeem Ajasa Badaru
This article examines the importance of technology and digital literacy to student success in an Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL) environment. The existing literature often oversimplifies digital literacy, failing to examine how it affects a student's technological proficiency and, consequently, their success in ODeL contexts. This indicates a gap in understanding the significance of digital literacy and technology for student success in an ODeL environment. This paper employed a narrative literature review, using connectivism as the theoretical framework, to explore how digital literacy and technology are crucial to students' success in ODeL and electronically mediated environments. Connectivism emerged as a theory for the digital age, positing that technology and socialization are network phenomena that influence learning. Results demonstrate how connectivism explains the relationship between technology, digital literacy, and student success in ODeL institutions. Students from diverse backgrounds can access education anytime, from any location, given the integration of technology and digital literacy into ODeL practices, which enhances accessibility and flexibility and enriches learning experiences. It is recommended that educational policies require ODeL curricula to include digital literacy training, equipping students with the skills they need to thrive in technologically advanced learning environments. The study concludes that equitable access to technology and the development of digital literacy are imperative for students to succeed in ODeL environments and to reduce academic achievement gaps. This article advances a connectivist synthesis of technology and digital literacy functioning interdependently as cohesive drivers of student success in the ODeL context.

Women and Leadership in Distance Education in Canada

Hilary Schmidt