Showing papers in "British Journal of Educational Technology in 2009"

Investigating the determinants and age and gender differences in the acceptance of mobile learning

Abstract: With the proliferation of mobile computing technology, mobile learning (m-learning) will play a vital role in the rapidly growing electronic learning market. M-learning is the delivery of learning to students anytime and anywhere through the use of wireless Internet and mobile devices. However, acceptance of m-learning by individuals is critical to the successful implementation of m-learning systems.Thus, there is a need to research the factors that affect user intention to use m-learning. Based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), which integrates elements across eight models of information technology use, this study was to investigate the determinants of m-learning acceptance and to discover if there exist either age or gender differences in the acceptance of m-learning, or both. Data collected from 330 respondents inTaiwan were tested against the research model using the structural equation modelling approach. The results indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, perceived playfulness, and self-management of learning were all significant determinants of behavioural intention to use m-learning. We also found that age differences moderate the effects of effort expectancy and social influence on m-learning use intention, and that gender differences moderate the effects of social influence and self-management of learning on m-learning use intention.These findings provide several important implications for m-learning acceptance, in terms of both research and practice.

Second Life in higher education: Assessing the potential for and the barriers to deploying virtual worlds in learning and teaching

Abstract: Second Life (SL) is currently the most mature and popular multi-user virtual world platform being used in education. Through an in-depth examination of SL, this article explores its potential and the barriers that multi-user virtual environments present to educators wanting to use immersive 3-D spaces in their teaching. The context is set by tracing the history of virtual worlds back to early multi-user online computer gaming environments and describing the current trends in the development of 3-D immersive spaces. A typology for virtual worlds is developed and the key features that have made unstructured 3-D spaces so attractive to educators are described. The popularity in use of SL is examined through three critical components of the virtual environment experience: technical, immersive and social. From here, the paper discusses the affordances that SL offers for educational activities and the types of teaching approaches that are being explored by institutions. The work concludes with a critical analysis of the barriers to successful implementation of SL as an educational tool and maps a number of developments that are underway to address these issues across virtual worlds more broadly.

m‐Learning: An experiment in using SMS to support learning new English language words

Abstract: There is an increase use of wireless technologies in education all over the world. In fact, wireless technologies such as laptop computers, palmtop computers and mobile phones are revolutionising education and transforming the traditional classroom-based learning and teaching into anytime and anywhere education.Thispaperinvestigatestheuseof wirelesstechnologiesineducation with particular reference to the potential of learning new technical English language words using Short Message Service (SMS) text messaging. The system,developedbytheauthors,calledmobilelearningtool(MOLT),hasbeen tested with 45 1st-year undergraduate students. The knowledge of students before and after the experiment has been measured. Our results show that students enjoyed and learned new words with the help of their mobile phones. We believe that using the MOLT system as an educational tool will contribute to the success of students.

The impact of mobile learning on students' learning behaviours and performance: Report from a large blended classroom

Abstract: Chinese classrooms, whether on school grounds or online, have long suffered from a lack of interactivity. Many online classes simply provide recorded instructor lectures, which only reinforces the negative effects of passive nonparticipatory learning. At Shanghai Jiaotong University, researchers and developers actively seek technologic interventions that can greatly increase

Educational applications of Web 2.0: Using blogs to support teaching and learning

Abstract: This article presents the findings of a study conducted to determine whether blogs can be used as an effective educational tool. The research subjects were a class of postgraduate students at a university in Hong Kong, China over a period of a single semester. The author of the study focused on a primary question of whether blogs can contribute to an improved learning environment. He also examined the use of other Web 2.0 applications such as Wikies, social networking tools, and social book-marking tools in the classroom.

The future for (second) life and learning

Abstract: This paper highlights the potential of three-dimensional multi-user environments such as Second Life (SL) from the perspective of future developments in the service of learning. It notes trends within the SL innovation to date, including the provision of realistic settings, the exploitation of pleasant simulated environments for groups and the links with other learning technologies. It also considers the creativity sparked by SL’s potential to offer the illusion of 3-D ‘spaces’ and buildings, and points to infinite imaginative educational possibilities. It explores aspects of the construction of virtual representations of learners and teachers as avatars, and reveals a wide range of intriguing issues yet to be researched.

e-Assessment and the student learning experience: A survey of student perceptions of e-assessment

Abstract: This paper describes a piece of research carried out at the University of Bradford into student perceptions of e-assessment. An online questionnaire was delivered to 130 undergraduates who had taken part in online assessment (either formative or summative) during the academic year 2007–2008. The survey looked at six main dimensions: (1) affective factors, (2) validity, (3) practical issues, (4) reliability, (5) security, and (6) learning and teaching. The aim of the survey was to identify possible risks in planning e-assessments, as well as to gauge student opinion. The findings of the survey indicated a range of opinions across the student body, with greatest concern about the fairness of item banking. It was also found that the most positive aspect of e-assessment in the eyes of students concerned the benefits that it can bring to teaching and learning. In addition, the paper concludes that age and gender did not significantly affect student responses in any of the areas studied.

Does regular online testing enhance student learning in the numerical sciences? Robust evidence from a large data set

Abstract: While a number of studies have been conducted on the impact of online assessment and teaching methods on student learning, the field does not seem settled around the promised benefits of such approaches. It is argued that the reason for this state of affairs is that few studies have been able to control for a number of confounding factors in student performance. We report on the introduction of a regular (every 3 weeks) low-mark online assessment tool in a large, first-year business mathematics course at the University of New South Wales, a major Australian university. Using a retrospective regression methodology together with a very large and rich data set, we test the proposition that exposure to the online assessment instrument enhances student learning. Significantly, we are able to control for prior student aptitude, in-course mastery, gender and even effort via a voluntary class attendance proxy. Furthermore, the study incorporates two large, and statistically diverse cohorts as well as manipulations in the model tested to robustly examine the outcomes. Our central result is that higher exposure to the online instrument robustly leads to higher student learning, all else being equal. Various implications for online assessment design, implementation and targeting are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational technology: A definition with commentary – By Alan Januszewski & Michael Molenda

Abstract: This article reviews the book "Educational technology: A definition with commentary," by Alan Januszewski and Michael Molenda.

Catalytic assessment: understanding how MCQs and EVS can foster deep learning

Abstract: One technology for education whose adoption is currently expanding rapidly in UK higher education is that of electronic voting systems (EVS). As with all educational technology, whether learning benefits are achieved depends not on the technology but on whether an improved teaching method is introduced with it. EVS inherently relies on the multiple-choice question (MCQ) format, which many feel is associated with the lowest kind of learning of disconnected facts. This paper, however, discusses several ways in which teaching with MCQs, and so with EVS, has transcended this apparent disadvantage, has based itself on deep learning in the sense of focusing on learning relationships between items rather than on recalling disconnected true–false items, and so has achieved substantial learning advantages. Six possible learning designs based on MCQs are discussed, and a new function for (e-)assessment is identified, namely catalytic assessment, where the purpose of test questions is to trigger subsequent deep learning without direct teaching input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socialisation for learning at a distance in a 3‐D multi‐user virtual environment

Abstract: This paper reports findings of a pilot study that examined the pedagogical potential of Second Life (SL), a popular three-dimensional multi-user virtual environment (3-D MUVE) developed by the Linden Lab. The study is part of a 1-year research and development project titled 'Modelling of Secondlife Environments' (http://www.le.ac.uk/moose) funded by the UK Joint Information Systems Committee. The research question addressed in this paper is: how can learning activities that facilitate social presence and foster socialisation among distance learners for collaborative learning be developed in SL, a 3-D MUVE? The study was carried out at the University of Leicester (UoL) within an undergraduate module on Archaeological Theory, where two tutors and four students took part in four learning activities designed to take place in SL within the UoL Media Zoo island. The learning activities and training in SL were based on Salmon's five-stage model of online learning. Students' engagement in SL was studied through interviews, observations and records of chat logs. The data analysis offers four key findings in relation to the nature and pattern of in-world 'socialisation' and its impact on real-world network building; the pattern of in-world 'socialisation' stage in Salmon's 5-stage model; perspectives on students' progress in-world through the first stage of the model--'access and motivation'--and perspectives on their entry into, and progress through, the second stage of the model--'socialisation'--and the role of identity presented through avatars in the process of socialisation. The paper offers implications for research and practice in the light of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Secondary Data in Educational and Social Research – By Emma Smith

Abstract: The article reviews the book "Using Secondary Data in Educational and Social Research," by Emma Smith.

Evaluating the Quality of E-Learning at the Degree Level in the Student Experience of Blended Learning.

Abstract: This paper reports on the development of a scale for determining the quality of the student e-learning experience at the degree level when the student learning context is predominately a campus-based experience Rapid developments in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in higher education require methods for evaluating the contribution of such tools to student learning, especially when they are complementing a face-to-face experience We examine the psychometric functioning of a proposed e-learning scale in relation to a well-validated degree-level teaching evaluation instrument, the Student Course Experience Questionnaire The e-learning scale has suitable reliability and validity in the present sample of undergraduate students for quality assurance activities around ICT [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning in virtual worlds: Using communities of practice to explain how people learn from play

Abstract: Although there is interest in the educational potential of online multiplayer games and virtual worlds, there is still little evidence to explain specifically whatandhowpeoplelearnfromtheseenvironments.Thispaperaddressesthis issue by exploring the experiences of couples that play World of Warcraft together. Learning outcomes were identified (involving the management of ludic, social and material resources) along with learning processes, which followed Wenger’s model of participation in Communities of Practice. Comparing this with existing literature suggests that productive comparisons can be drawn with the experiences of distance education students and the social pressures that affect their participation.

Motivators and Inhibitors for University Faculty in Distance and e-learning

Abstract: This article reports on four United States studies of how rewards systems, extrinsic and intrinsic, could play an important role in providing incentives for university faculty to teach (or remain teaching) electronic and distance education courses. The first three studies conducted prior to 2003 reported faculty were inherently motivated to teach e-learning and distance education. The fourth study in 2003 reported key findings that differed from the earlier studies. Using a principal components analysis, the researchers found nine indicators of motivation to participate or not participate in electronic or distance education. The implications from the fourth study indicated that, while faculty members were inherently committed to helping students, faculty members wanted their basic physiological needs met by university administration through extrinsic motivators, such as salary increases and course releases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-Assessment for Learning? The Potential of Short-Answer Free-Text Questions with Tailored Feedback.

Abstract: A natural language based system has been used to author and mark short-answer free-text assessment tasks. Students attempt the questions online and are given tailored and relatively detailed feedback on incorrect and incomplete responses, and have the opportunity to repeat the task immediately so as to learn from the feedback provided. The answer matching has been developed in the light of student responses to the questions. A small number of the questions are now in low-stakes summative use, alongside other e-assessment tasks and tutor-marked assignments, to give students instantaneous feedback on constructed response items, to help them to monitor their progress and to encourage dialogue with their tutor. The answer matching has been demonstrated to be of similar or greater accuracy than specialist human markers. Students have been observed attempting the questions and have been seen to respond in differing ways to both the questions themselves and the feedback provided. We discuss features of appropriate items for assessment of this type.

Optimising the Use of Note-Taking as an External Cognitive Aid for Increasing Learning.

Abstract: Taking notes is of uttermost importance in academic and commercial use and success. Different techniques for note-taking utilise different cognitive processes and strategies. This experimental study examined ways to enhance cognitive performance via different note-taking techniques. By comparing performances of traditional, linear style note-taking with alternative non-linear technique, we aimed to examine the efficiency and importance of different ways of taking notes. Twenty-six volunteer adult learners from an information management course participated in this study. Cognitive performance scores from a traditional linear note-taking group were compared with another group by using a commercially available non-linear note-taking technique. Both groups were tested in two settings: after a classroom lecture and a panel forum discussion. Tasks included measures on story comprehension, memory, complexity of mental representations and metacognitive skills. Data analysis revealed that the non-linear note-takers were significantly better than the linear group both in terms of the quantity and the quality of the learned material. This study demonstrates the importance of using cognitively compatible note-taking techniques. It identifies the cognitive mechanisms behind effective note-taking and knowledge representation. Using such techniques enables deeper understanding and more integrated knowledge management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ontology‐based concept map for planning a personalised learning path

Abstract: Developing personalised web-based learning systems has been an important research issue in e-learning because no fixed learning pathway will be appropriate for all learners. However, most current web-based learning platforms with personalised curriculum sequencing tend to emphasise the learner preferences and interests in relation to personalised learning services but fail to consider the difficulty level of course materials, learning order of prior and posterior knowledge and learner abilities while constructing a personalised learning path. As a result, these ignored factors thus easily lead to the generation of poor quality learning paths. Generally, learners could generate cognitive overload or fall into cognitive disorientation owing to inappropriate curriculum sequencing during learning processes, thus, reducing the learning effect. With the advancement of artificial intelligence technologies, ontology technologies enable a linguistic infrastructure to represent conceptual relationships between course materials. Ontology can be served as a structured knowledge representation scheme, capable of assisting the construction of a personalised learning path. This study thus proposes a novel genetic-based curriculum sequencing scheme based on a generated ontology-based concept map, which can be automatically constructed by the pretest results of numerous learners, to plan appropriate learning paths for individual learners. The experimental results indicated that the proposed approach could create high-quality learning paths for individual learners. The proposed approach thus can help learners to learn more effectively and to likely reduce learners' cognitive overloads during learning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimedia learning and individual differences: Mediating the effects of working memory capacity with segmentation

Abstract: Research in multimedia learning lacks an emphasis on individual difference variables, such as working memory capacity (WMC). The effects of WMC and the segmentation of multimedia instruction were examined by assessing the recall and application of low (n=66) and high (n=67) working memory capacity students randomly assigned to either a segmented instruction (SI) or non-segmented instruction (NSI) version of a multimedia tutorial on historical inquiry. WMC was found to have a significant, positive effect on participants' recall and application scores; however, the use of segmentation mediated the effects of WMC to allow learners with lower WMC to recall and apply equal to those with higher WMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning in 3-D multiuser virtual environments: Exploring the use of unique 3-D attributes for online problem-based learning.

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to present the results of a study conducted to investigate how the attributes of 3-D technology such as avatars, 3-D space, and comic style bubble dialogue boxes affect participants’ social, cognitive, and teaching presences in a blended problem-based learning environment. The community of inquiry model was adopted to analyse and interpret data collected from transcripts and group interviews. The results indicated that although the attributes of 3-D technology promoted participants’ social presence, this positive online social experience did not completely contribute to participants’ cognitive presence due to inherent technology attributes. Additionally, critical technical and instructional features of the 3-D environment were required in order to further enhance teaching presence and overall learning experience.

Exploring the educational potential of virtual worlds—Some reflections from the SPP

Abstract: This paper describes and reflects on the development of the Schome Park Programme (SPP), which was established with the specific aim of extending our thinking about schome, which aims to be the optimal educational system for the 21st century. In an earlier stage of the Schome Initiative, it became clear that people find it almost impossible to break free from established conceptions of education. Open virtual worlds like Second Life® virtual world offer opportunities for people to have radically different 'lived experiences' of educational systems and thus seemed to be the ideal vehicle for exploring alternative models of education. The SPP therefore set out in late 2006 to use Teen Second Life® virtual world to support the development of the vision of schome, informed by current understandings about learning, pedagogy and the 'tools' available to us today. This paper provides an overview of the first three phases of the SPP and briefly outlines the research methodologies used within it. This leads into a discussion of the potential of virtual worlds to support pedagogical exploration, which in turn leads to consideration of three dimensions of practice that emerged from the SPP. These three dimensions, which correspond closely with a framework developed in post-compulsory education, are illustrated by use of descriptions of activities and other data from the SPP. The paper concludes by raising questions about the extent to which pedagogical practices will change in the future as a result of the opportunities offered by virtual worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary pupils' use of information and communication technologies at school and home

Abstract: Based on survey data from 612 pupils in five English primary schools, this paper investigates children's engagement with information and communication technologies (ICTs) inside and outside the school context. Analysis of the data shows pupils' engagements with ICTs to be often perfunctory and unspectacular, especially within the school setting, where the influence of year group and school attended are prominent. Whilst the majority of children felt that ICT use led to gains in learning, the paper discusses how there was a strong sense of educational uses of ICTs being constrained by the nature of the schools within which ‘educational’ use was largely framed and often situated. The paper concludes by suggesting possible changes to ICT provision in primary schools, most notably relaxing school restrictions regarding Internet access and developing meaningful dialogues with pupils about future forms of educational ICT use.

Students' Evaluation of the Use of Online Summative Assessment on an Undergraduate Financial Accounting Module.

Abstract: According to the Quality Assurance Agency, ‘Assessment describes any processes that appraise an individual's knowledge, understanding, abilities or skills’, and is inextricably linked to a course or programme's intended learning outcomes. It also has a fundamental effect on students' learning where it serves a variety of purposes including evaluation, feedback and motivation. Assessment also provides a performance indicator for both students and staff. E-assessment offers opportunities for creating innovative assessment practices that help engage students and increase their motivation for learning. The paper reports the findings of a qualitative study undertaken in the academic years 2006–07 and 2007–08 where a series of online summative assessments were introduced into a 1st-year financial accounting course. Feedback from students obtained from an evaluative survey and focus group interviews indicates that assessment played a significant role in the teaching/learning process. That is, students perceived a beneficial impact on learning, motivation and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of final examinations: A comparative study of closed‐book, invigilated exams and open‐book, open‐web exams

Abstract: Educators have long debated the usefulness (or otherwise) of final examinations; a debate that has typically revolved around the relative merits of closed-book exams, open-book exams, take-home exams or their substitution by some other assessment format (eg, project work). This paper adds a new dimension to the debate by considering how the final examination assessment instrument might be enhanced through harnessing the power of technology, more specifically, how the learner experience of the final examination might be made more authentic and, in the process, more constructively aligned with stated learning outcomes. The authors report on the latest findings of an ongoing research project evaluating the effectiveness of ‘open-book, open-web’ (OBOW) examinations delivered by an online university, vis-a-vis a closed-book, invigilated alternative. Earlier research had indicated that the OBOW model receives the strong endorsement of students in a number of respects, most particularly the quality of the learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Training teachers to use new technologies impacts multiple ecologies: Evidence from a national initiative

Abstract: A pair of papers re-examined the evidence from a national initiative to train all teachers in England to bring them up to the level of newly qualified teachers, who are required to know when to use and when not to use information and communication technologies (ICT) in their professional practice. The first paper confirmed that multilevel evaluation of professional development was robust for ICT teacher training. This second paper contrasts the highest and lowest rated designs for ICT teacher training: an ‘organic’ approach that provided training in schools was highly rated, whereas a centralised computer-assisted learning approach with online access to trainers was the lowest rated design. The study supports an ecological view of the diffusion of ICT innovations in education and recommends that ICT teacher training be designed to support evolution of each teacher's classroom, school and region, as well as the training of the ICT teacher trainers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the effects of gender and learning styles on computer programming performance: implications for programming pedagogy

Abstract: Computer programming has been taught in secondary schools for more than two decades. However, little is known about how students learn to program. From the curriculum implementation perspectives, learning style helps address the issue of learner differences, resulting in a shift from a teacher-centred approach to a learner-focused approach. This study aims to investigate the effects of gender and learning styles on computer programming performance. The Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) was employed to measure learning styles. A test was administered to assess students’ programming performance. Two hundred and seventeen secondary school students of age from 14 to 19 participated in this study. Results indicated that no gender differences in programming performance were found after controlling for the effect of student ability. Academic ability had a differential effect on programming knowledge. Sequential learners in general performed better than random learners. These results suggest the importance of the ordering dimension of the GSD in influencing programming performance. Implications of the findings in relation to programming pedagogy are discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ICT teacher training: Evidence for multilevel evaluation from a national initiative

Abstract: This paper is one of a pair that re-examines the evidence from a national initiative to train all teachers in England to bring them up to the level of newly qualified teachers, who are required to know when to use and when not to use information and communication technologies (ICT) in their professional practice. Reanalysis of data gathered for the 2004 evaluation uncovers the complexity of such professional development. The effectiveness of contrasting approaches to ICT-related teacher training was analysed using the national survey of 496 trainees and experts’ reports on 11 of the 47 training providers. multilevel evaluation of professional development was shown to be robust for ICT teacher training, including a significant correlation between the views of experts and those of teachers. The presence of the middle level of ‘organisational support and change’ emerged as a particularly discriminating factor, indicating that higher-quality teacher training supports change in the classroom and in the school. Therefore, we recommend that all five of Guskey's levels be consistently adopted for the evaluation of ICT teacher training, and that research should also adopt a multilevel model. A second paper delves deeper to describe and contrast the highest and lowest-rated approaches to ICT teacher training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facilitating Asian Students' Critical Thinking in Online Discussions.

Abstract: The purpose of the study reported here is to illustrate how an approach based on a culturally appropriate ‘shepherd metaphor’ has helped Asian students to cross cultural boundaries and to engage in critical thinking online. Asian students are under different levels of influence from the Confucian Heritage Culture, which cultivates students to revere authority, maintain harmony and avoid conflicts in public. This has a significant impact on Asian students' cultural readiness to verbalise critical thinking. This paper partially reports research undertaken in a large English as a Foreign Language reading class in Taiwan, in which ‘shepherd leadership’ was practised. Shepherd leadership involves knowing students individually, offering cognitive modelling, exercising leadership and discipleship, encouraging student leadership and calling on silent students personally to get them to participate. This approach, concentrating on Asian students' affective needs, cognitive modelling, passing leadership to students and reaching out to silent ones, was found effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘I've Stuck to the Path I'm Afraid’: Exploring Student Non-Use of Blended Learning

Abstract: This paper draws on qualitative data from a study of student use of blended learning as part of a conventionally taught undergraduate Sociology course. Findings from an early evaluation questionnaire highlighted an overwhelming pattern of non-use of the materials and subsequent research with a group of 16 students evidenced limited and inconsistent engagement with the resources. In an analysis of the category ‘non-use’, the students’ rejection of the materials is seen to be closely related to a trust in traditional texts as authentic academic knowledge and an instrumental and strategic approach to study. Blended learning resources are shown to challenge existing learning patterns and practices, reconfigure existing understandings and expectations of academic scholarship and reconstruct academic boundaries in new spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of multimedia programmes in children's vocabulary learning

Abstract: The present experiment investigated the effect of three different presentation modes in children's vocabulary learning with a self-guided multimedia programmes. Participants were 135 third and fourth grade children who read a short English language story presented by a computer programme. For 12 key (previously unknown) words in the story, children received verbal annotations (written translation), visual annotations (picture representing the word), or both. Recall of word translations was better for children who only received verbal annotations than for children who received simultaneously visual and verbal annotations or visual annotations only. Results support previous research about cognitive load in e-learning environments, and show that children's learning processes are hindered by limited working memory. This finding implies a challenge for multimedia programmes designed for children and based on self-regulated learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]