Showing papers on "Experiential learning published in 2015"

Foundations of Game-Based Learning.

Abstract: In this article we argue that to study or apply games as learning environments, multiple perspectives have to be taken into account. We first define game-based learning and gamification, and then discuss theoretical models that describe learning with games, arguing that playfulness is orthogonal to learning theory. We then review design elements of games that facilitate learning by fostering learners' cognitive, behavioral, affective, and sociocultural engagement with the subject matter. Finally, we discuss the basis of these design elements in cognitive, motivational, affective, and sociocultural foundations by reviewing key theories from education and psychology that are the most pertinent to game-based learning and by describing empirical research on learning with games that has been or should be conducted. We conclude that a combination of cognitive, motivational, affective, and sociocultural perspectives is necessary for both game design and game research to fully capture what games have to offer for...

Let’s not forget: Learning analytics are about learning

Abstract: The analysis of data collected from the interaction of users with educational and information technology has attracted much attention as a promising approach for advancing our understanding of the learning process. This promise motivated the emergence of the new research field, learning analytics, and its closely related discipline, educational data mining. This paper first introduces the field of learning analytics and outlines the lessons learned from well-known case studies in the research literature. The paper then identifies the critical topics that require immediate research attention for learning analytics to make a sustainable impact on the research and practice of learning and teaching. The paper concludes by discussing a growing set of issues that if unaddressed, could impede the future maturation of the field. The paper stresses that learning analytics are about learning. As such, the computational aspects of learning analytics must be well integrated within the existing educational research.

Improvements from a Flipped Classroom May Simply Be the Fruits of Active Learning.

Abstract: Researchers show that students perform equally well in flipped and nonflipped classrooms if active-learning activities are held constant, suggesting that active learning is the key moderator of suc...

Measuring student engagement in technology-mediated learning

Abstract: Using digital technology to deliver content, connect learners, and enable anytime, anywhere learning is increasing, but keeping students engaged in technology-mediated learning is challenging. Instructional practices that encourage greater engagement are essential if we are to effectively use digital instructional technologies. To determine the impact of innovative instructional practices on learning, we need useful measures of student engagement. These measures should be adaptable to the unique challenges to studying technology-mediated learning, such as when students learn at a distance or in a blended learning course. In this review, we examine existing approaches to measure engagement in technology-mediated learning. We identify strengths and limitations of existing measures and outline potential approaches to improve the measurement of student engagement. Our intent is to assist researchers, instructors, designers, and others in identifying effective methods to conceptualize and measure student engagement in technology-mediated learning. Consensus is needed for the definition and operationalization of student engagement.Most technology-mediated learning research uses self-report measures of engagement.Physiological and systems data offer an alternative method to measuring engagement.More research is needed to study the role of emotional engagement in learning.More research needed to determine value of physiological and systems data.

Self-paced curriculum learning

Abstract: Curriculum learning (CL) or self-paced learning (SPL) represents a recently proposed learning regime inspired by the learning process of humans and animals that gradually proceeds from easy to more complex samples in training. The two methods share a similar conceptual learning paradigm, but differ in specific learning schemes. In CL, the curriculum is predetermined by prior knowledge, and remain fixed thereafter. Therefore, this type of method heavily relies on the quality of prior knowledge while ignoring feedback about the learner. In SPL, the curriculum is dynamically determined to adjust to the learning pace of the leaner. However, SPL is unable to deal with prior knowledge, rendering it prone to overfitting. In this paper, we discover the missing link between CL and SPL, and propose a unified framework named self-paced curriculum leaning (SPCL). SPCL is formulated as a concise optimization problem that takes into account both prior knowledge known before training and the learning progress during training. In comparison to human education, SPCL is analogous to "instructor-student-collaborative" learning mode, as opposed to "instructor-driven" in CL or "student-driven" in SPL. Empirically, we show that the advantage of SPCL on two tasks.

Employability Skill Development in Work-Integrated Learning: Barriers and Best Practice.

Abstract: Work-integrated learning (WIL) is widely considered instrumental in equipping new graduates with the required employability skills to function effectively in the work environment. Evaluation of WIL programs in enhancing skill development remains predominantly outcomes-focused with little attention to the process of what, how and from whom students acquire essential skills during work placement. This paper investigates best practice in the classroom and placement activities which develop employability skills and identifies factors impeding skill performance during WIL, based on survey data from 131 undergraduates across different disciplines in an Australian university. What students actually experienced during placement, or what they felt was important to their learning, broadly aligns with best practice principles for WIL programs and problems experienced in performing certain skills during placement can be largely attributed to poor design. Implications for academic and professional practitioners are di...

Critical Periods in Speech Perception: New Directions

Abstract: A continuing debate in language acquisition research is whether there are critical periods (CPs) in development during which the system is most responsive to environmental input. Recent advances in neurobiology provide a mechanistic explanation of CPs, with the balance between excitatory and inhibitory processes establishing the onset and molecular brakes establishing the offset of windows of plasticity. In this article, we review the literature on human speech perception development within the context of this CP model, highlighting research that reveals the interplay of maturational and experiential influences at key junctures in development and presenting paradigmatic examples testing CP models in human subjects. We conclude with a discussion of how a mechanistic understanding of CP processes changes the nature of the debate: The question no longer is, “Are there CPs?” but rather what processes open them, keep them open, close them, and allow them to be reopened.

A mobile gamification learning system for improving the learning motivation and achievements

Abstract: This paper aims to investigate how a gamified learning approach influences science learning, achievement and motivation, through a context-aware mobile learning environment, and explains the effects on motivation and student learning. A series of gamified learning activities, based on MGLS Mobile Gamification Learning System, was developed and implemented in an elementary school science curriculum to improve student motivation and to help students engage more actively in their learning activities. The responses to our questionnaire indicate that students valued the outdoor learning activities made possible by the use of a smartphone and its functions. Pre- and post-test results demonstrated that incorporating mobile and gamification technologies into a botanical learning process could achieve a better learning performance and a higher degree of motivation than either non-gamified mobile learning or traditional instruction. Further, they revealed a positive relationship between learning achievement and motivation. The correlation coefficient for ARCS dimensions and post-test shows that the ARCS-A attention is greater than ARCS-R, ARCS-C and ARCS-S. This means that the attention ARCS-A of this system is an important dimension in this research. The results could provide parents, teachers and educational organizations with the necessary data to make more relevant educational decision.

The Link between High-Impact Practices and Student Learning: Some Longitudinal Evidence.

Abstract: The current paper used data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education—a longitudinal, pretest/posttest design—to estimate the effects of participation in the ten “high-impact” educational practices put forth and endorsed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) on a variety of liberal arts educational outcomes. The high-impact practices included in the study were: first-year seminars, academic learning communities, writing-intensive courses, active and collaborative learning, undergraduate research, study abroad, service learning, internships, and capstone courses/experiences. Findings from ordinary least squares regression analyses suggested that active and collaborative learning as well as undergraduate research had broad-reaching positive effects across multiple liberal arts learning outcomes, such as critical thinking, need for cognition, and intercultural effectiveness. Several other high-impact practices—including study abroad, internship, service learning, and capstone course/experience—had more narrowly focused positive effects on student learning. Overall, this study’s findings support AAC&U’s advocacy of high-impact practices as pathways to student success.

Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses

Abstract: Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons. 352 pp. $40.00 (paperback).ByL. D. Fink (2013)Dee Fink has been advocating learner- and learning-centered approaches to teaching since the 1970s. This revised and updated version of his classic book continues that tradition with its focus on what educators must do to foster learning that will enhance individual lives and foster informed and thoughtful citizens. Fink's central idea is that education will not improve until educators step down from the lecture podium to walk with and among their learners, to collaborate in designing learning experiences. He argues that the most effective way for individuals to do this is by developing instructional design skills grounded in active and experiential learning theories and methods. On one level, Fink targets individual educators from all disciplines who desire to make a significant change to their teaching practice, and on another level, he relates to groups interested in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), professional development and instructional design. Fink's scholarship and insight make this an excellent resource on both levels.Fink organized his book into seven chapters. The first two focus on the need for change in postsecondary education. He then defines "significant learning experiences" and introduces his taxonomy as a means to provide grounded theories and concepts for action. Chapters 3 and 4 puts his taxonomy to use with practical language that details integrated course design concepts and tools. Chapter 5 provides a case study as well as other examples from educators who improved their practice by using Fink's taxonomy and course design model. Chapter 6 explores what front-line educators need to make significant learning experiences the new norm. Fink ends this book with a conversation about what education could become if the idea of "significant learning experiences" became the goal.Fink defines significant learning experiences as those that result in something truly significant in the learner's life. For this to happen, learning experiences must go beyond fostering understanding and the ability to remodel discipline- related information, they must connect the course content with the learner's life in such a way that the learner will draw upon past experiences to connect the content with new ideas and new future learning. Teaching is broken into four components: subject matter knowledge, design of instruction, student interactions and managing course event. Fink makes the case that designing instruction is the weakest link for post-secondary educators; this is where the majority have no conceptual tools - it has not been part of their background or training. …

A review of predictive factors of student success in and satisfaction with online learning

Abstract: Students perceive online courses differently than traditional courses. Negative perceptions can lead to unfavourable learning outcomes including decreased motivation and persistence. Throughout this review, a broad range of factors that affect performance and satisfaction within the online learning environment for adult learners will be examined including learning outcomes, instructional design and learner characteristics, followed by suggestions for further research, and concluding with implications for online learning pertinent to administrators, instructors, course designers and students. Online learning may not be appropriate for every student. Identifying particular characteristics that contribute to online success versus failure may aid in predicting possible learning outcomes and save students from enrolling in online courses if this type of learning environment is not appropriate for them. Furthermore, knowing these learner attributes may assist faculty in designing quality online courses to meet students’ needs. Adequate instructional methods, support, course structure and design can facilitate student performance and satisfaction. Keywords: online learning; learner characteristics; instructional design; online learning outcomes (Published: 27 August 2015) Responsible Editor: Meg O’Reilly, Southern Cross University, Australia Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2015, 23 : 26507 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v23.26507

Virtual reality and learning: Where is the pedagogy?

Abstract: The aim of this paper was to build upon Dalgarno and Lee's model or framework of learning in three-dimensional (3- D) virtual learning environments ( VLEs) and to extend their road map for further research in this area. The enhanced model shares the common goal with Dalgarno and Lee of identifying the learning benefits from using 3- D VLEs. The approach adopted here is to attempt a more pedagogical description using the concept of pedagogical immersion as derived from Mayes and Fowler's framework for mapping stages of learning onto types of learning environment. The paper adopts a 'design for learning' perspective and in doing so hopes the combined framework will prove useful to those designing learning activities in 3- D VLEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalising learning

Abstract: Flexible teaching and learning and the 'flipped classroom' are current buzzwords in higher education in Australia and elsewhere in the world. They are reflections of the progressive change in higher education over the last few decades towards more student-and learning centred pedagogies and practices, which are made possible through new technologies and more delivery of online and blended (combination of face-to-face and online components) courses. The increasing personalising and flexibility of learning in higher education requires equal attention spent to assessment practices to ensure a cohesive learning experience. This paper provides the findings and conclusions of a study about a flipped classroom, which also included flexible assessment components. The study showed that students enjoy and are more engaged in a flipped classroom, prefer a blended learning to a fully online learning approach, want and require clear structure and guidelines, and strongly value flexible assessment through more choices and control. The main concern of higher education teachers is the time commitment and lack of institutional support for flipping classrooms and providing flexible assessment. It is argued that personalising learning requires more personalising of assessment, and that it is mainly the responsibility of teachers and institutions to develop 'flexible students'. Student and teacher perceptions about flexible learning and flexible assessment were collected and analysed.Students enjoyed the personalising of learning and the flipped classroom and the wider choices in learning and assessment but want clear structure and guidelines.Teachers are concerned about workload and time commitment to provide flipped classroom and more flexible assessment.Flexible learning and teaching needs to include the personalising of assessment practices.

Service experience co-creation: conceptualization, implications, and future research directions

Abstract: Purpose – The collective, interactive aspects of service experience are increasingly evident in contemporary research and practice, but no integrative analysis of this phenomenon has been conducted until now. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize service experience co-creation and examines its implications for research and practice. Design/methodology/approach – To map the multi-approach research area of service experience co-creation, the study draws on literature in the fields of service management, service-dominant logic and service logic, consumer culture theory, and service innovation and design, together with invited commentaries by prominent scholars. Findings – A conceptualization is developed for “service experience co-creation,” and multiple dimensions of the concept are identified. It is postulated that service experience co-creation has wider marketing implications, in terms of understanding experiential value creation and foundational sociality in contemporary markets, as well as in t...

Design and implementation factors in blended synchronous learning environments: Outcomes from a cross-case analysis

Abstract: Increasingly, universities are using technology to provide students with more flexible modes of participation. This article presents a cross-case analysis of blended synchronous learning environments—contexts where remote students participated in face-to-face classes through the use of rich-media synchronous technologies such as video conferencing, web conferencing, and virtual worlds. The study examined how design and implementation factors influenced student learning activity and perceived learning outcomes, drawing on a synthesis of student, teacher, and researcher observations collected before, during, and after blended synchronous learning lessons. Key findings include the importance of designing for active learning, the need to select and utilise technologies appropriately to meet communicative requirements, varying degrees of co-presence depending on technological and human factors, and heightened cognitive load. Pedagogical, technological, and logistical implications are presented in the form of a Blended Synchronous Learning Design Framework that is grounded in the results of the study.

Entrepreneurship education: a need for reflection, real-world experience and action

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of common undergraduate entrepreneurship classroom activities on students’ motivational processes related to entrepreneurial careers. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 700 undergraduate students from a variety of majors at a large midwestern university in the USA were invited to take a web-based survey. They were asked to indicate which experiential activities they would participate/were participating in as part of their program. Findings – The findings show that students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) is a driving force in classroom activities enhancing students’ intentions. However, the authors also found that the type of classroom activities that are common in entrepreneurship education negatively impact students’ ESE. Research limitations/implications – The generalizability is limited to the US region and the link from intention to behavior goes untested, but results strongly supported the adoption of social cognitive career theo...

The Science of Learning and the Art of Teaching

Abstract: Effective teaching may involve scientific understanding of learning processes, but the creation of engaging and rich learning experiences is more art than science. This presentation focuses on some key aspects of the art of teaching today's students, including specific techniques for tapping into student passions, empowering students to stay focused and balanced, shifting from lecture-intensive to learning-focused class sessions, and using new technologies to connect student learning to course content and life goals. Participants will explore course contracts and strategies for redesigning activities in support of a learning objective and share strategies for artfully managing student learning.

Enhancing socially shared regulation in collaborative learning groups: designing for CSCL regulation tools

Abstract: For effective computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL), socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) is necessary. To this end, this article extends the idea first posited by Jarvela and Hadwin (Educ Psychol 48(1):25–39, 2013) that successful collaboration in CSCL contexts requires targeted support for promoting individual self-regulatory skills and strategies, peer support, facilitation of self-regulatory competence within the group, and SSRL. These (meta)cognitive, social, motivational, and emotional aspects related to being/becoming aware of how one learns alone and with others are for the most part neglected in traditional CSCL support. Based upon a review of theoretical and empirical studies on the potential of and challenges to collaboration, three design principles for supporting SSRL are introduced: (1) increasing learner awareness of their own and others’ learning processes, (2) supporting externalization of one’s own and others’ learning process and helping to share and interact, and (3) prompting acquisition and activation of regulatory processes. Finally, an illustrative example is presented for how these principles are applied in a technological tool for supporting SSRL.

Learning is Not a Spectator Sport: Doing is Better than Watching for Learning from a MOOC

Abstract: The printing press long ago and the computer today have made widespread access to information possible. Learning theorists have suggested, however, that mere information is a poor way to learn. Instead, more effective learning comes through doing. While the most popularized element of today's MOOCs are the video lectures, many MOOCs also include interactive activities that can afford learning by doing. This paper explores the learning benefits of the use of informational assets (e.g., videos and text) in MOOCs, versus the learning by doing opportunities that interactive activities provide. We find that students doing more activities learn more than students watching more videos or reading more pages. We estimate the learning benefit from extra doing (1 SD increase) to be more than six times that of extra watching or reading. Our data, from a psychology MOOC, is correlational in character, however we employ causal inference mechanisms to lend support for the claim that the associations we find are causal.

The Effectiveness of WhatsApp Mobile Learning Activities Guided by Activity Theory on Students' Knowledge Management.

Abstract: This research paper explores the effectiveness of using mobile technologies to support a blended learning course titled Scientific Research Methods in Information Science. Specifically, it discusses the effects of WhatsApp mobile learning activities guided by activity theory on students' knowledge Management (KM). During the 2014 academic year, the researcher adopted an experimental approach-based comparison between an experimental group (34 students) and a control group (34 students). The learning process of the experimental group was based on continuity between 2 hours of in-class learning and 1 hour of learning activities that were mediated by WhatsApp instant messaging each week. The control group’s experience was 100% in-class with no app mediation. The researcher used the t-test to compare the means of the control and experimental groups in the test and the students’ attitudes at 0.05 alpha levels. This research paper is useful for exploring the effectiveness of mobile technologies in supporting blended learning courses.

A Social Virtual Reality Based Construction Safety Education System for Experiential Learning

Abstract: The construction industry is a complex environment where high accident rates make significant contributions to cost overruns and time delays. Safety education is important in promoting a safe and healthful working environment in construction; however current pedagogical methods and tools at the tertiary level are unable to provide students with real practical and safety experiences. This study proposes an online social virtual reality (VR) system framework which allows students to perform role-playing, dialogic learning, and social interaction for construction safety and health education. The framework includes the following three modules: 1) Cooperative Distributed Safety Learning (CDSL) to understand root causes of accidents in construction site; 2) Hazard Inspection and Safety Cognition (HISC) to reflect on safety theories through hazard inspection within a social VR environment; 3) Active Safety Game-based Learning (ASGL) to enhance practical capacities by playing the safety training game in a 3D virtual environment. The system prototype is developed and evaluated with virtual scenarios derived from real safety cases to identify the system's benefits and limitations. The results concluded that the social/collaborative virtual reality platform would improve construction safety & health education effectively.

Context counts

Abstract: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) require individual learners to self-regulate their own learning, determining when, how and with what content and activities they engage. However, MOOCs attract a diverse range of learners, from a variety of learning and professional contexts. This study examines how a learner's current role and context influences their ability to self-regulate their learning in a MOOC: Introduction to Data Science offered by Coursera. The study compared the self-reported self-regulated learning behaviour between learners from different contexts and with different roles. Significant differences were identified between learners who were working as data professionals or studying towards a higher education degree and other learners in the MOOC. The study provides an insight into how an individual's context and role may impact their learning behaviour in MOOCs. A learner's current context and role influences overall self-regulation in a MOOC.The contextualisation of learning activities promotes self-regulated learning.Connecting learning in MOOCs to 'real-world' contexts makes learning more accessible.

Self-Regulated Learning: The Role of Motivation, Emotion, and Use of Learning Strategies in Students' Learning Experiences in a Self-Paced Online Mathematics Course.

Abstract: Enrollment in online remedial mathematics courses has increased in popularity in institutions of higher learning; however, students unskilled in self-regulated learning (SRL) find online remedial mathematics courses particularly challenging. We investigated the role of SRL, specifically motivation, emotion, and learning strategies, in students’ learning experiences in a remedial online mathematics course. With an online survey of 229 college students, we found that student motivation explained a small portion of variance in achievement; whereas student motivation and emotion explained a significant portion of variance in satisfaction. In addition, significant differences in motivation and emotion were found in passing and nonpassing students; however, learning strategies did not influence student achievement and satisfaction. Implications for teaching and learning in self-paced online remedial mathematics courses are discussed.

NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory: Brief Narrative Description.

Abstract: Editor's Note: This article is excerpted from The NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory, a monograph published by the National League for Nursing, copyright 2015.Based on the thorough synthesis of the literature by Adamson (see page 282) and discussion among simulation researchers and leaders, the NLN Jeffries Simulation Framework (2005, 2007, 2012) is now referred to as the NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory with a few minor changes within the conceptual illustration. The concepts of this theory are briefly described below to provide more clarity and to explain the new NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory. (See the Figure for a diagram of the theory.)CONTEXTContextual factors such as circumstances and setting impact every aspect of the simulation and are an important starting point in designing or evaluating simulation. The context may include the place (academic vs. practice; in situ vs. lab) and the overarching purpose of the simulation, for example, whether the simulation is for evaluation or instructional purposes.BACKGROUNDWithin this context, the background includes the goal(s) of the simulation and specific expectations or benchmarks that influence the design of the simulation. The theoretical perspective for the specific simulation experience and how the simulation fits within the larger curriculum are all important elements of the background and inform the simulation design and implementation. Finally, the background of a simulation includes resources such as time and equipment, as well as how these resources will be allocated.DESIGNOutside of and preceding the actual simulation experience are specific elements that make up the simulation design. Although some elements of the simulation design may be changed during implementation of the simulation experience, there are aspects of the design that need to be considered in preparation for the simulation experience.The design includes the specific learning objectives that guide the development or selection of activities and scenario(s) with appropriate content and problem-solving complexity. Elements of physical and conceptual fidelity - including decisions about equipment, moulage (physical), and appropriate, predetermined facilitator responses to participants' interventions (conceptual) - are established as part of the simulation design. Participant and observer roles (including whether or not videography will be used), progression of activities, and briefing/debriefing strategies are all established as part of the simulation design.SIMULATION EXPERIENCEThe simulation experience is characterized by an environment that is experiential, interactive, collaborative, and learner centered. This environment requires the establishment of trust; both the facilitator and participant share responsibility for maintaining this environment. They enhance the quality of the simulation experience through "buying-in" to the authenticity of the experience and suspending disbelief. This helps promote engagement and psychological fidelity within the simulation experience (Kiat, Mei, Nagammal, & Jonnie, 2007; Leighton & Sholl, 2009; van Soeren et al., 2011).FACILITATOR AND EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIESWithin this simulation experience is a dynamic interaction between the facilitator and the participant. The literature about the characteristics these individuals bring to the simulation experience and how they affect the simulation experience is extensive. Facilitator attributes include (but are not limited to) skill, educational techniques, and preparation (Parker & Myrick, 2012; Parsh, 2010). The facilitator responds to emerging participant needs during the simulation experience by adjusting educational strategies such as altering the planned progression and timing of activities and providing appropriate feedback in the form of cues (during) and debriefing (toward the end) of the simulation experience.PARTICIPANTParticipant attributes also affect the simulation learning experience. …

Examining the necessary condition for engagement in an online learning environment based on learning analytics approach: The role of the instructor

Abstract: This study analyzes the impact of an instructor on the students' engagement using learning analytics approach by tracking one university's log data of teaching and learning activities in a web-based learning platform. Based on the tracking data and theoretical analysis, this study builds a teaching and learning interaction activity model to show how the instructor's course preparation and assistance activities affect different dimensions of student engagement activities and the relationship between these activities. The results reveal that an instructor's course preparation is significantly positively related to the students' viewing activities, while instructor's guidance and assistance has a significant impact on the students' completing learning tasks. The study also indicates that the students' viewing activities have a direct positive influence on their completing learning tasks activities. Students' completing learning tasks exert direct positive influence on their interaction for learning, while their viewing activities have an indirect impact on their interaction activities.

A contextual game-based learning approach to improving students' inquiry-based learning performance in social studies courses

Abstract: Inquiry-based learning, an effective instructional strategy, can be in the form of a problem or task for triggering student engagement. However, how to situate students in meaningful inquiry activities remains to be settled, especially for social studies courses. In this study, a contextual educational computer game is developed to improve students' learning performance based on an inquiry-based learning strategy. An experiment has been conducted on an elementary school social studies course to evaluate the effects of the proposed approach on the inquiry-based learning performances of students with different learning styles. The experimental results indicate that the proposed approach effectively enhanced the students' learning effects in terms of their learning achievement, learning motivation, satisfaction degree and flow state. Furthermore, it is also found that the proposed approach benefited the "active" learning style students more than the "reflective" style students in terms of learning achievement. This suggests the need to provide additional supports to students with particular learning styles in the future. A contextual game based on an inquiry-based learning strategy was developed.The approach was applied to an elementary school social studies course.The approach improved the students' learning achievement.The approach improved the students' motivation, satisfaction degree and flow state.The approach benefited the "active" style students more than "reflective" style ones.

Learning the Concept of Researcher as Instrument in Qualitative Research

Abstract: A naive view of qualitative research is that it can be conducted according to the canons of quantitative research and, as such, that it is merely a modification of quantitative research. More disconcerting is the view that qualitative research is second class. However, Sandeloswki (2004) reminds us that an important contribution of qualitative research is that it "complicates and thereby unfreezes the idea of evidence, foregrounds the politics in definitions of evidence, and precludes a priori prejudices against certain types of evidence" (p. 1382). To become a qualitative researcher requires a whole new way of thinking about what counts as evidence. Unlike in the natural sciences, where an Archimedean point is prized for its vantage point of total objectivity of the researcher in relation to the object of study, qualitative researchers accept that evidence is not a given, fixed reality. Thus, qualitative health researchers challenge the hegemony of a hierarchy of evidence based solely on the allure of the randomized control trial as the gold standard in health care research. They take a much more nuanced and complex view of what constitutes evidence in health research. In this article we discuss how a student with a Master's degree in Economics enrolled in an Advanced Qualitative Research course as a part of a subsequent Master's Degree in Applied Health Services Research (MASHR) and was guided to expand her thinking about the nature of evidence and the concept of researcher "as the primary instrument or medium through which the research is conducted" (Lofland, Snow, Anderson, & Lofland, 2006, p. 3). Being told that qualitative research is different from quantitative research is different than actually experiencing the difference. We believe that learning how the researcher plays a central role in generating and interpreting data in qualitative research assists neophyte qualitative researchers in understanding the complexity inherent in qualitative research. To provide a context for the discussion we first describe the background on the unique nature of the master's program; subsequently, we describe how within the course the student was guided to develop an appreciation for qualitative research. Context of the Educational Program The Atlantic Regional Training Centre Atlantic Canada is a largely rural area especially when compared to other parts of Canada and the United States. Thus, increasing capacity for health service research has been a focus of the Atlantic Regional Training Centre (ARTC), which is one of four applied health research training centres funded by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research through the Capacity for Applied and Developmental Research and Evaluation initiative. The ARTC is a collaborative endeavor among four Atlantic Canada universities (Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Memorial University of Newfoundland, the University of New Brunswick and the University of Prince Edward Island), offering both a MAHSR and opportunities for PhD studies. The master's program consists of eight courses in health care research plus "rotating theme-based workshops as forums for interchanges among decision makers, students, and faculty; a residency placement where students apply theory and concepts within a decision-making organization; the involvement of health decision makers in thesis work; and dissemination of research results to decision makers parallel to traditional academic requirements" (ARTC, nd, [paragraph] 5). Students in the MASHR program come from diverse disciplines and backgrounds and may have limited background in the healthcare field. By the end of the program, students are expected to demonstrate grounding in scholarly research techniques and a comprehensive understanding of distinct theoretical and practical perspectives underpinning a multidisciplinary understanding of key issues in health service policy, administration, and delivery (ARTC, nd). …