Showing papers in "Educational Technology Research and Development in 2017"

Understanding the relationship between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and technology use in education: a systematic review of qualitative evidence

Abstract: This review was designed to further our understanding of the link between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and their educational uses of technology. The synthesis of qualitative findings integrates the available evidence about this relationship with the ultimate goal being to facilitate the integration of technology in education. A meta-aggregative approach was utilized to analyze the results of the 14 selected studies. The findings are reported in terms of five synthesis statements, describing (1) the bi-directional relationship between pedagogical beliefs and technology use, (2) teachers’ beliefs as perceived barriers, (3) the association between specific beliefs with types of technology use, (4) the role of beliefs in professional development, and (5) the importance of the school context. By interpreting the results of the review, recommendations are provided for practitioners, policy makers, and researchers focusing on pre- and in-service teacher technology training.

Factors affecting the adoption of e-learning systems in Qatar and USA: Extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2)

Abstract: This study examines the major factors that may hinder or enable the adoption of e-learning systems by university students in developing (Qatar) as well as developed (USA) countries. To this end, we used extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) with Trust as an external variable. By means of an online survey, data were collected from 833 university students from a university in Qatar and another from USA. Structural equation modelling was employed as the main method of analysis in this study. The results show that performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, habit and trust are significant predictors of behavioural intention (BI) in both samples. However, contrary to our expectation, the relationship between price value and BI is insignificant. Our results also show that effort expectancy and social influence lead to an increase in students’ adoption of e-learning systems in developing countries but not in developed countries. Moreover, facilitating conditions increase e-learning adoption in developed countries which is not the case in developing countries. Overall, the proposed model achieves an acceptable fit and explains its variance for 68% of the Qatari sample and 63% of the USA sample. These results and their implications to both theory and practice are described.

Development of an instructional design model for flipped learning in higher education

Abstract: In response to pedagogical challenges in higher education, blended learning has become a prevalent practice in colleges and universities. Flipped learning (FL) represents a newly emerging form of blended learning, where students individually watch online lectures prior to class and then engage in classroom learning activities interacting with peers and instructors. Although the conceptual framework of FL may be intuitively appealing, its design and implementation involve considerable intricacy. The purpose of this study was to develop a FL design model for higher education that could systematically guide instructors or designers in creating an appropriate blend of individualized online lectures and collaborative face-to-face learning activities. Using an established method for model development research, a theoretically constructed initial model was iteratively improved and underwent internal and external validation through model usability tests, expert review, and field evaluation. The implementation of an algebra class in a Korean university designed by the final model resulted in significant increases in the maturity of mathematical views, quality of reflections, and satisfactions of students. Features of the model are discussed, along with theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for further research.

Understanding the Quality Factors That Influence the Continuance Intention of Students toward Participation in MOOCs.

Abstract: The massive open online course (MOOC) is emerging as the new paradigm for modern education. The success of MOOCs depends on learners’ continued usage. Drawing upon the information systems success model (IS success model) and technology acceptance model, a theoretical model for studying learners’ continuance intentions toward participation in MOOCs was developed. Based on survey data from 294 respondents, structural equation modeling was employed to assess the model. The results of this analysis indicate that system quality, course quality, and service quality were significant antecedents of the continuance intention of individuals, and the effect of course quality and service quality were mediated by perceived usefulness. The results contribute to the extant literatures in the context of MOOCs learning by identifying the critical quality factors, and provide managerial guidelines for MOOCs utilization and generalization. The implications of the present findings for research and managerial practice are discussed.

Understanding student engagement in online learning environments: the role of reflexivity

Abstract: It is important to develop understanding of what underpins the engagement of students in online learning environments. This article reports on a multiple case study that explored student engagement in a set of postgraduate degrees offered on a fully online basis. The study was based on a theorization of student engagement as the exercise of intentional human action, .or agency. It identified ways in which tasks and social relations in the online learning environments triggered reflexivity on the part of students, with ‘reflexivity’ understood to mean the ordinary mental capacity to consider oneself in relation to one’s social setting. A different relationship between reflexivity and student engagement was in view than that identified by Margaret Archer with regard to reflexivity and social mobility. Rather than displaying one dominant mode of reflexivity, the students considered in the study were seen to draw on a range of modes. The engagement of these students in their learning was also seen to depend on the manner in which they engaged in reflexivity centred on the pursuit of shared goals, that is in collective reflexivity. Specific practices were seen to trigger constructive forms of collective reflexivity, while fractured and restricted forms of collective reflexivity were linked to student disengagement in relation to joint tasks. As well as adverting to the importance of collective reflexivity to learning, the study highlights scope for dissonance between the modes of reflexivity and practices favoured by an online learning environment and the reflexive profile of the student.

The process of designing for learning: understanding university teachers’ design work

Abstract: Interest in how to support the design work of university teachers has led to research and development initiatives that include technology-based design-support tools, online repositories, and technical specifications. Despite these initiatives, remarkably little is known about the design work that university teachers actually do. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study that investigated the design processes of 30 teachers from 16 Australian universities. The results show design as a top-down iterative process, beginning with a broad framework to which detail is added through cycles of elaboration. Design extends over the period before, while, and after a unit is taught, demonstrating the dynamic nature of design and highlighting the importance of reflection in teachers’ design practice. We present a descriptive model of the design process, which we relate to conceptualizations of higher education teaching and learning, and compare with the characteristics of general design and instructional design. We also suggest directions for future research and development.

Influential factors for mobile learning acceptance among Chinese users

Abstract: This study examines the factors that influence mobile learning adoption among Chinese university students. China’s higher education market is large and mobile device ownership is considered a status symbol. Combined, these two factors suggest mobile learning could have a big impact in China. From the literature, we identified three major areas that may affect behavioral intention to adopt mobile learning in this context: pedagogical, personal, and social. A 27-item survey was administered online to 292 students at a northern Chinese university. Exploratory factor analysis was used to measure the reliability and validity of the survey items. Path analysis was then used to test the hypotheses in the proposed mobile learning acceptance model. Findings indicate that pedagogical factors have the greatest effect on students’ behavioral intention to adopt mobile learning. Social influences, especially social image and subjective norm, also play a role. Personal innovativeness was not found to be a main factor, although it has some indirect influences.

Explaining technology integration in K-12 classrooms: a multilevel path analysis model

Abstract: The purpose of this research was to design and test a model of classroom technology integration in the context of K-12 schools. The proposed multilevel path analysis model includes teacher, contextual, and school related variables on a teacher’s use of technology and confidence and comfort using technology as mediators of classroom technology integration. Data were collected from 1235 K-12 teachers, who were located in 336 schools in 41 districts across the state of Florida. The results suggest that a teacher’s experience with technology significantly influenced his or her classroom technology integration. Access to technology in classrooms and the availability of quality technology support were related to classroom technology integration. In addition, how frequently a teacher uses technology and his or her confidence and comfort using technology were mediators for classroom technology integration. These results provide preliminary evidence that the proposed model is both useful and relevant in explaining classroom technology integration in K-12 schools.

Analysis of student activity in web-supported courses as a tool for predicting dropout

Abstract: Persistence in learning processes is perceived as a central value; therefore, dropouts from studies are a prime concern for educators. This study focuses on the quantitative analysis of data accumulated on 362 students in three academic course website log files in the disciplines of mathematics and statistics, in order to examine whether student activity on course websites may assist in providing early identification of learner dropout from specific courses or from degree track studies in general. It was found in this study that identifying the changes in student activity during the course period could help in detecting at-risk learners in real time, before they actually drop out from the course. Data examination on a monthly basis throughout the semester can enable educators and institutions to flag students that have been identified as having unusual behavior, deviating from the course average. It was found that a large percentage of students (66%) who had been marked as at-risk actually did not finish their courses and/or degree. The presented analysis allows instructors to observe website student usage data during a course, and to locate students who are not using the system as expected. Furthermore, it could enable university decision makers to see the information on a campus level for initiating intervention programs.

Effects of multimedia story reading and questioning on preschoolers’ vocabulary learning, story comprehension and reading engagement

Abstract: The use of multimedia story applications on touch-interactive mobile devices has become prevalent in early education settings. However, despite the promise of multimedia story applications for early learning outcomes, there has been a dearth of research on the educational benefits of such tools, and whether their effects can be strengthened with the integration of questioning strategies. This study investigated the effects of multimedia story reading and questioning on children’s literacy skills, including vocabulary learning, story comprehension and reading engagement. Using a 2 (multimedia vs. paper) × 2 (question vs. no question) design, a total of 72 participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: multimedia story reading, multimedia story reading with questioning, paper story reading, and paper story with questioning. To identify the effects of Media and Questioning on children’s vocabulary learning, story comprehension, and reading engagement, we conducted a series of two-way ANCOVAs, controlling for different covariates as appropriate. The results showed significant interaction of media and questioning on target vocabulary and significant main effect of media for engagement, but the results showed no significant main effects of either media or questioning for comprehension. This study demonstrated research tools to examine children’s learning and engagement with interactive mobile devices, and suggested potential benefits of multimedia story reading and questioning for learning. We discuss implications of these findings for the design and use of multimedia storybooks.

Investigating the effect of an adaptive learning intervention on students’ learning

Abstract: Educators agree on the benefits of adaptive learning, but evidence-based research remains limited as the field of adaptive learning is still evolving within higher education. In this study, we investigated the impact of an adaptive learning intervention to provide remedial instruction in biology, chemistry, math, and information literacy to first-year students (n = 128) entering a pharmacy professional degree program. Using a mixed methods design, we examined students’ learning in each of the four content areas, their experience using the adaptive system, and student characteristics as related to their choice of participating in the intervention. The findings showed the adaptive learning intervention helped address the knowledge gap for chemistry, but the same effect was not observed for the other three content areas. Math anxiety was the only student characteristic that showed a significant relationship with students’ participation. While the students reported an overall positive experience, the results also revealed time factor and several design flaws that could have contributed to the lack of more student success. The findings highlight the importance of design in adaptive learning.

Improving Workplace-Based Assessment and Feedback by an E-Portfolio Enhanced with Learning Analytics.

Abstract: Electronic portfolios (E-portfolios) are crucial means for workplace-based assessment and feedback. Although E-portfolios provide a useful approach to view each learner’s progress, so far options for personalized feedback and potential data about a learner’s performances at the workplace often remain unexploited. This paper advocates that E-portfolios enhanced with learning analytics, might increase the quality and efficiency of workplace-based feedback and assessment in professional education. Based on a 5-phased iterative design approach, an existing E-portfolio environment was enhanced with learning analytics in professional education. First, information about crucial professional activities for professional domains and suited assessment instruments were collected (phase 1). Thereafter probabilistic student models were defined (phase 2). Next, personalized feedback and visualization of the personal development over time were developed (phase 3). Then the prototype of the E-portfolio—including the student models and feedback and visualization modules—were implemented in professional training-programs (phase 4). Last, evaluation cycles took place and 121 students and 30 supervisors from five institutes for professional education evaluated the perceived usefulness of the design (phase 5). It was concluded that E-portfolios with learning analytics were perceived to assist the development of students’ professional competencies and that the design is only successful when developed and implemented through the eyes of the users. Feedback and assessment methods based upon learning analytics can stimulate learning at the workplace in the long run. Practical, technological and ethical challenges are discussed.

An examination of undergraduates’ metacognitive strategies in pre-class asynchronous activity in a flipped classroom

Abstract: The aim of the study is to examine undergraduate students’ awareness of metacognition, the metacognitive strategies they use in their learning and their learning performance in pre-class asynchronous activity in a flipped classroom. The sample consisted of 47 undergraduate students. Eleven students were not included in this study since they did not participate in all quizzes and most of the metacognitive strategy activities. Metacognitive Awareness Inventory and Metacognitive Strategies Evaluation Activities were used as data collection tools. The results showed that Computer Education and Instructional Technology students’ metacognitive awareness was at a high level and their metacognitive strategy levels and learning performances differed weekly. Post hoc results indicated no difference between metacognitive strategy and learning performance in the first three weeks. However, the results of the first 3 weeks differed from those of the 4th and 5th weeks. In addition, our regression analysis result indicated that using metacognitive strategies predicted 80% of students’ learning performance. This rate shows the importance of using metacognitive strategies for the learning process in pre-class asynchronous activity in the flipped classroom.

Potential of one-to-one technologies in the classroom: teachers and students weigh in

Abstract: Increased efforts to promote 21st century learning emphasize the central role of technology in instructional delivery in order to advance the multifaceted abilities and skills required for student success in an increasingly technology-rich learning and work environment. A qualitative study was conducted in a large, economically diverse, mid-Atlantic school district to examine the implementation of six technology devices in 18 elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. The purpose was to understand teachers’ and students’ experiences related to the instructional implications of each device to inform long term, one-to-one implementation of an appropriate technology device to meet the district’s strategic goals for a 21st century learning environment. Teacher interviews and student focus groups revealed several themes related to technology integration, factors influencing implementation, impact on instruction, and impact on student motivation and engagement. Findings are discussed in relation to the district infrastructure and other considerations to support a one-to-one teaching and learning environment and how each of the six devices support the establishment of 21st century learning environments.

Teacher professional development through digital content evaluation

Abstract: In this study, researchers designed and implemented a 1-year professional development (PD) program that focused on supporting teachers in evaluating and selecting digital learning contents. Participants in this investigation included 109 teachers who consented to the study amongst a total of 171 teachers from five school districts across central Ohio. In addition to their participation in the PD program, they completed surveys, interviews, and self-reflections in this mixed-method study. The results revealed that teachers’ perceived TPACK increased over time throughout the PD program, suggesting that training teachers to evaluate digital contents can be an effective PD model to improve teachers’ capacity in learning technology integration. The PD program was especially effective for teachers with less prior experience in technology integration or related training. Mathematics teachers, in comparison to teachers from other disciplines, began with low TPACK; however, these initial differences gradually diminished over the course of the PD program. In terms of their motivation in digital content evaluation, teachers’ expectancy for success increased significantly while their task values remained medium high. The qualitative analyses provided additional insights and revealed design suggestions for success in future PDs.

Success, failure and emotions: examining the relationship between performance feedback and emotions in diagnostic reasoning

Abstract: Students experience a variety of emotions following achievement outcomes which stand to influence how they learn and perform in academic settings. However, little is known about the link between student outcome emotions and dimensions of performance feedback in computer-based learning environments (CBLEs). Understanding the dynamics of this relationship is particularly important for high-stakes, competency-based domains such as medical education. In this study, we examined the relationship between medical students’ (N = 30) outcome emotion profiles and their performance on a diagnostic reasoning task in the CBLE, BioWorld. We found that participants could be organized into distinct emotion groups using k-means cluster analyses based on their self-reported outcome emotion profiles: an expected positive emotion cluster and negative emotion cluster and an unexpected low intensity emotion cluster. A clear relationship was found between emotion clusters and diagnostic performance such that participants classified to the positive emotion cluster had the highest performance; those classified to the negative emotion cluster had the lowest performance; and those classified to the low intensity emotion cluster had performance outcomes that fell between the other two. Our discussion focuses on the theoretical implications of emotion classification and design recommendations for learning environments and emotional interventions in computer-based contexts.

Disrupting and democratising higher education provision or entrenching academic elitism: towards a model of MOOCs adoption at African universities

Abstract: Challenges of broadening access, escalating cost, maintaining desirable quality and enhancing meaningful learning experiences in African higher education (HE) have spurred debates on how to restructure higher education delivery to meet the diverse needs of heterogeneous learners and adapt pedagogical models to the educational realities of low-income African countries. In view of these complexities, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been advanced by Western Consortia, universities and online platform providers as panaceas for disrupting/transforming existing education models African universities. MOOCs have been touted as disruptive innovations with the potential to create new niche markets for HE courses, disrupt traditional models of instruction and content delivery and create new revenue streams for higher education. Yet academic elitism which manifests in the exclusive selection of top American universities to develop, host and deliver MOOCs, MOOC providers’ use of university brand and reputation as benchmarks for charging recruitment fees on headhunters recruiting MOOC graduates and their complex business models involving the sale of students’ big data (e.g. learning analytics) for profit seem to be inconsistent with claims about philanthropic and egalitarian drive of MOOCs. Drawing on disruptive innovation theory and a review of mainstream literature on MOOCs adoption in American and African tertiary sectors, this study argues that behind the MOOC rhetoric of disrupting and democratizing higher education lies the projection of top academic brands on the marketing pedestal, financial piggybacking on the hype and politics of academic exclusion.

Model-based learning: a synthesis of theory and research

Abstract: This article provides a review of theoretical approaches to model-based learning and related research. In accordance with the definition of model-based learning as an acquisition and utilization of mental models by learners, the first section centers on mental model theory. In accordance with epistemology of modeling the issues of semantics, ontology, and learning with models as well as structural aspects and functions of mental models (such as simplification, idealization, analogy, simulation) will be discussed. Starting with early theoretical approaches in the realm of cognitive science, the emphasis will be on recent theoretical developments in the field of reinforcement learning that distinguish between model-based and model-free learning. These new theoretical approaches confirm, to a large extent, the early theories of mental models but they also contribute new insights in age-related aspects of model-based learning. The second main section of the article provides a review of basic and applied research on model-based learning. A short overview of basic research on mental models aims at sketching an “overall picture” followed by a more detailed description and discussion of findings in the field of instructional research, especially with regard to K-12 STEM education and the support of model-based learning through teaching and technology.

Measuring experiences of interest-related pursuits in connected learning

Abstract: This paper describes an effort to develop a survey instrument capable of measuring important aspects of adolescents’ experiences of interest-related pursuits that are supported by technology. The measure focuses on youths’ experiences of connected learning (Ito et al. in Connected learning: an agenda for research and design. Digital Media and Learning Research Hub, Irvine, 2013), an emerging model of learning across settings supported by digital media. Specifically, the instrument aims to measure the depth with which youth are able to engage in an interest-related pursuit, the level of support and encouragement they receive from peers, and the degree to which their pursuit involves performance or media production as an essential feature. The survey also elicits information regarding the connections between youths’ interest-related pursuits and academic goals, the involvement of adults as co-participants in pursuits, and youths’ access to technology tools they deem necessary for their pursuits. The paper reports on results from a pilot study and two rounds of field-testing, in which we evaluated the validity and reliability of the instrument and compared results with evidence from interviews with youth. Our aim was to investigate the feasibility of an approach to measuring youths’ interest-related pursuits to inform future research and evaluation of initiatives focused on digital media and learning.

A problem posing-based practicing strategy for facilitating students’ computer programming skills in the team-based learning mode

Abstract: Computer programming is a subject that requires problem-solving strategies and involves a great number of programming logic activities which pose challenges for learners. Therefore, providing learning support and guidance is important. Collaborative learning is widely believed to be an effective teaching approach; it can enhance learners’ social interaction and offer a learning environment which provides rich learning experiences. However, the social interaction in collaborative learning does not occur automatically. Without proper guidance strategies or supporting tools for collaborative learning, the learning effects can be disappointing. To solve such a problem, a problem posing-based practicing strategy was proposed to support the development of a collaborative learning activity in a computer programming practice course. The students were guided to raise computer programming problems to boost the discussion among team members. The problems raised in each team were then exchanged and solved by another team to examine the coding and to provide feedback. To investigate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, an experiment was conducted in a C# programming course. Two classes of students from a university participated in the experiment. One class with 25 students was randomly assigned as the experimental group, and learned with a collaborative learning activity using the problem posing-based practicing strategy; the other class with 28 students was the control group, which learned with a conventional collaborative learning activity. The results show that the proposed strategy benefited the students in terms of improving their learning achievement, in particular, their programming skills. Moreover, it was found that the students who learned with the proposed approach had higher self-efficacy and lower cognitive load than those who learned with the conventional collaborative learning approach.

An Embodied Agent Helps Anxious Students in Mathematics Learning.

Abstract: Mathematics anxiety is known to be detrimental to mathematics learning. This study explored if an embodied agent could be used to help alleviate student anxiety in classrooms. To examine this potential, agent-guided algebra lessons were developed, in which an animated agent was equipped with prescriptive instructional guidance and anxiety treating messages. The lessons were deployed in regular mathematics classrooms, one lesson per day over a week, with 138 boys and girls in the 9th grade in the United States. After taking the weeklong agent-based lessons, students decreased in their mathematics anxiety (p = .042) and increased in mathematics learning (p = .001), regardless of the presence or absence of the agents’ anxiety messages. The presence of the agents’ messages only seemed to make a difference for high-anxiety students. This finding suggests that an embodied agent could provide affective support for students with special needs.

Facilitating a student-educator conceptual model of dispositions towards critical thinking through interactive management

Abstract: Critical thinking (CT) is a metacognitive process, consisting of a number of sub-skills and dispositions that, when used appropriately, increases the chances of producing a logical conclusion to an argument or solution to a problem. Though the CT literature argues that dispositions are as important to CT as is the ability to perform CT skills, the majority of research in the area has focused on CT skills. In addition, though most CT interventions are designed based on academic or expert definitions of CT, students are rarely, if ever, asked to guide their instruction by describing their perspectives on what constitutes CT. Thus, the current study used interactive management to examine similarities and differences in the way students and educators conceptualise CT dispositions. Interactive management (IM) is a computer-assisted process that allows a group to build a consensus-based structural model describing relations between elements in a system. Consistent with previous research, it is suggested that addressing how students conceptualise CT may provide a starting point to negotiate and innovative the CT curriculum and learning process. Furthermore, evaluating similarities and differences in the way students and educators understand CT dispositions may facilitate the building of complementary and integrative models of CT dispositions that reflect the full range of perspectives in University teaching environments. Results of the current study suggest that while students’ conceptualisation of CT dispositions was largely consistent with both the educators’ conceptualisation and dispositions highlighted in the extant literature, students’ descriptions were broader, less abstract and more concrete accounts of CT dispositions; and were also primarily focused on utility or function rather than ideal principles of action. Results are discussed in light of research and theory on CT and best practice for CT instruction.

The goals and methods of educational technology research over a quarter century (1989–2014)

Abstract: This paper presents an analysis of educational technology research with specific emphasis on determining how the research goals pursued and methods used have evolved over the 25-year period from 1989 through 2014. For this study, the contents of the Educational Technology Research and Development journal were analyzed over two six-year periods, first from 1989 to 1994 and second from 2009 to 2014, to identify the goals and methods of the studies specifically designated in the journal as “research papers.” Results indicate trends in the goals and methods employed in educational technology research that have implications for future research directions as well as for the preparation of graduate students and early career scholars to conduct educational technology research.

Analyzing the knowledge construction and cognitive patterns of blog-based instructional activities using four frequent interactive strategies (problem solving, peer assessment, role playing and peer tutoring): a preliminary study

Abstract: Instructional strategies can be helpful in facilitating students’ knowledge construction and developing advanced cognitive skills. In the context of collaborative learning, instructional strategies as scripts can guide learners to engage in more meaningful interaction. Previous studies have been investigated the benefits of different instructional strategies; nonetheless, relatively little attention has been paid to illustrating the learners’ cognitive processing and behavioral patterns in the learning process. Nowadays, with the proliferation of information technology, behavior and interaction of learners can be conveniently documented and analyzed. The aim of this study is to propose a new approach examining the learning process. This study designed a four-week collaborative learning activity involving four widely used instructional strategies, i.e. problem solving, peer assessment, role playing and peer tutoring. Blogs were used to support students’ collaboration. A total of 9843 discussion messages were retrieved for data analysis. Quantitative content analysis and lag sequential analysis were employed to explore the content structure and behavioral patterns demonstrated in students’ online discussions. The results showed that students exhibited relatively more cognitive process of ‘understand’ under peer assessment and peer tutoring instructional strategies. Meanwhile, students showed relatively more cognitive process of ‘create’ under problem solving and role playing strategies. Implications of the findings and suggestions for subsequent work are discussed.

Investigating the effectiveness of speech-to-text recognition applications on learning performance, attention, and meditation

Abstract: In this study, the effectiveness of the application of speech-to-text recognition (STR) technology on enhancing learning and concentration in a calm state of mind, hereafter referred to as meditation (An intentional and self-regulated focusing of attention in order to relax and calm the mind), was investigated. This effectiveness was further explored with regard to foreign language ability and gender. Finally, students’ perceptions towards STR-texts were surveyed. 60 non-native English speaking undergraduates participated in this study. All students were randomly assigned into either a control or an experimental group, with 30 students in each group. Two lectures, both in English but at different levels of difficulty, were given in a classroom environment. Students in the control group received a lecture containing only a video of the instructor and slides; students in the experimental group received the video of the instructor and slides as well as STR-texts of the lecture. The following main findings were obtained: First, STR-texts had a positive effect on the learning performance, attention and meditation of students. In addition, most students had positive perceptions regarding the usefulness of STR-texts for learning. This is because students in the experimental group received instructional content in both verbal (i.e., speech) and visual (i.e., STR-texts) forms, which made the content more comprehensible and easier to process. Second, during lectures with STR, high ability and female students had higher levels of attention and meditation in most cases compared to their counterparts. This finding can be explained by the difference in learning motivation and in the use of learning strategies. That is, high ability and female students are more interested in learning and display greater use of various learning strategies. Based on these results, it is suggested that educators and researchers integrate STR-texts during lectures in English in order to enhance learning and to increase the level of attention and meditation of non-native English speaking students.

The impact of student teaching experience on pre-service teachers’ readiness for technology integration: A mixed methods study with growth curve modeling

Abstract: Adopting a two-phase explanatory sequential mixed methods research design, the current study examined the impact of student teaching experiences on pre-service teachers’ readiness for technology integration. In phase-1 of quantitative investigation, 2-level growth curve models were fitted using online repeated measures survey data collected from 68 pre-service teachers doing their student teaching. The results revealed significant progress in readiness for technology integration during student teaching and significant variability in individual change trajectories of readiness for technology integration. Two dummy variables, prior-teaching (0 = “having no prior teaching experience”; 1 = “having prior teaching experience”) and grade-level (0 = “elementary level”; 1 = “secondary level”), were identified as significant in predicting the shape of individual change trajectories of readiness for technology integration. In phase-2 of qualitative investigation, follow-up interview data were collected from 11 pre-service teachers among those who participated in the online surveys. The interview data was analyzed both deductively and inductively yielding clues and insights for interpreting and understanding the quantitative results from phase-1. Based on its quantitative and qualitative results, this study made recommendations for future technology integration research and for improving pre-service teachers’ technology use experience during student teaching.

A university’s strategic adoption process of an PBL-aligned eLearning environment: an exploratory case study

Abstract: Much has been written about the promise and peril of technology in education. This paper presents an empirical study that explores how technology can play a pivotal role in student learning and how teaching staff can adopt innovative technology-based approaches in the creation of interactive online problem-based learning (PBL) resources, allowing students to interact with authentic, complex and realistic problems designed within a framework of PBL methodology. The application of PBL approaches within authentic situated learning contexts has been shown in the literature to deepen student learning outcomes. This paper demonstrates how innovative authoring tools that promote problem-solving skills and the acquisition of domain-specific knowledge were introduced as part of a University-wide elearning strategic blueprint. Overall, student feedback is very positive, with many students commenting on the realism, and even the enjoyment of the online problem simulations. However, major challenges were met in the implementation requiring several support activities across the organisation.

The Use of Wikis in a Science Inquiry-based Project in a Primary School

Abstract: This study explored the use of wikis in a science inquiry-based project conducted with Primary 6 students (aged 11–12). It used an online wiki-based platform called PBworks and addressed the following research questions: (1) What are students’ attitudes toward learning with wikis? (2) What are students’ interactions in online group collaboration with wikis? (3) What have students learned with wikis in a science inquiry-based project in a primary school context? Analyses of the quantitative and qualitative data showed that with respect to the first research question, the students held positive attitudes toward the platform at the end of the study. With respect to the second research question, the students actively engaged in various forms of learning-related interactions using the platform that extended to more meaningful offline interactions. With respect to the third research question, the students developed Internet search skills, collaborative problem solving competencies, and critical inquiry abilities. It is concluded that a well-planned wiki-based learning experience, framed within an inquiry project-based approach facilitated by students’ online collaborative knowledge construction, is conducive to the learning and teaching of science inquiry-based projects in primary school.

“I don’t think that word means what you think it means”: A proposed framework for defining learning communities

Abstract: In this paper we address the obfuscation surrounding the concept of learning communities by operationalizing community according to four characteristics that serve as boundaries for defining a community: access, relationships, vision, and function. Although these community boundaries sometimes overlap, they represent distinctive features of possible community structures. In addition to defining and discussing learning community boundaries, we share insights for researching learning communities. We believe a clearer understanding of how to define learning communities can assist scholars and practitioners in cultivating and studying these communities.

Designing role-playing video games for ethical thinking

Abstract: How can we better design games, such as role-playing video games (RPGs), to support the practice of ethical thinking? Ethical thinking is a critical component of twenty-first century citizenship and we need to design ways to creatively support its practice. This study investigates how male participants, ages 18–34, make ethical decisions in three in-game scenarios in Fable III, an RPG, and one additional scenario. The decision-making processes of thirty participants were analyzed; twenty were randomly assigned to play Fable III and ten were assigned to a control condition of written ethical scenarios. Results suggested that participants practiced a variety of ethical thinking skills and thought processes in both conditions, including reasoning-, empathy-, reflection-, and information gathering-related skills and thought processes. Three hypotheses were investigated and detailed, and any significant differences or similarities that emerged between conditions and across game scenarios were explored. Based on this analysis, four preliminary design principles were described.