Showing papers on "Meaningful learning published in 2015"

The Effectiveness of a Meaningful Learning-Based Evaluation Model for Context-Aware Mobile Learning.

Abstract: In recent years, context-aware mobile learning ( CAML) has been widely applied to various fields and has become a popular issue in educational research. Despite the tremendous potential of CAML and its growing significance, continued evaluations and refinements under the advice of field experts and instructors are crucial to ensure its validity, value and sustainability. In this paper, an evaluation model for CAML is developed based on meaningful learning theory using the analytic hierarchy process ( AHP). To verify the effectiveness of the model, three different CAML learning activities are tested, and some experts are invited to evaluate and compare them. As a result, the strengths and weaknesses of each learning activity are obtained. With the aid of the evaluation model proposed in this work, CAML developers can progressively enhance the value of learning activities, thus improving this new approach to learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perspectives of Students with Disabilities Toward Physical Education: A Qualitative Inquiry Review

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to review published qualitative inquiries that examine the perspective of students with disabilities toward experiences in physical education. Keyword searches were used to identify articles from electronic databases published from 1995 to 2014. Thirteen articles met all inclusion criteria, and findings were extracted. The 13 located qualitative articles were subject to a narrative analysis, and study characteristics were tabulated. The findings of targeted studies were explored and 3 thematic clusters emerged: (a) perspectives toward typically developing peers, (b) perspectives toward physical educators, and (c) perspectives toward inclusion and exclusion. Findings from this review support the notion that positive attitudes of physical educators may be a critical feature in ensuring meaningful learning experiences for students with disabilities. Meaningful learning experiences can be constructed through modifications and accommodations during activities, creating a welcomin...

Development of an Assessment Tool To Measure Students’ Meaningful Learning in the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory

Abstract: Research on learning in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory necessitates an understanding of students’ perspectives of learning. Novak’s Theory of Meaningful Learning states that the cognitive (thinking), affective (feeling), and psychomotor (doing) domains must be integrated for meaningful learning to occur. The psychomotor domain is the essence of the chemistry laboratory, but the extent to which the cognitive and affective domains are integrated into the laboratory is unknown. For meaningful learning to occur in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory, students must actively integrate both the cognitive domain and the affective domains into the “doing” of their laboratory work. The Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Instrument (MLLI) was designed to measure students’ expectations before and after laboratory courses and experiences, in both the cognitive and affective domains, within the context of conducting experiments in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory. The MLLI was pilot-tested and modif...

Exploring new learning paradigms in ODL: A reflection on the paper of Barber, Donnelly and Rizvi (2013): “An avalanche is coming: Higher education and the revolution ahead”.

Abstract: The paper of Barber, Donnelly & Rizvi (2013): “An avalanche is coming: Higher education and the revolution ahead” addresses some significant issues in higher education and poses some challenging questions to ODL (Open and Distance Learning) administrators, policy makers and of course to ODL faculty in general. Barber et al.’s paper does not specifically address the area of teaching and learning theories, strategies and methodologies per se. In this paper I would therefore like to reflect on the impact that the contemporary changes and challenges that Barber et al. describes, have on teaching and learning approaches and paradigms. In doing so I draw on earlier work about future learning paradigms and navigationism (Brown, 2006). We need a fresh approach and new skills to survive the revolution ahead. We need to rethink our teaching and learning strategies to be able to provide meaningful learning opportunities in the future that lies ahead.

Problem Based Learning and Authentic Assessment in Digital Pedagogy: Embracing the Role of Collaborative Communities.

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to qualitatively examine the relationship between a problem‑based learning context, authentic assessment and the role of community in fostering learning in digital contexts. The authors used Digital MomentsŽ to create a meaningful learning environment and build the online class community. They then collaboratively developed assessment strategies and tools with students following problem‑based learning methodologies. Given that the pace of information is rapid and changing, the authors argue that online learning must occur in a context that embraces these three concepts 1. Students must be empowered through PBL to choose real world tasks to demonstrate their knowledge, 2. Students are allowed to choose the modality to represent that knowledge and participate in designing the tools for assessing that knowledge and 3. They do so in a supportive online community built through the sharing of Digital Moments. The paper chronicles the interconnection between problem based learning, authentic real world assessment tasks and a supportive online community. This resulted in developing learner autonomy, improving student engagement and motivation, greater use of meaningful self and peer assessments and shared development of collective knowledge.. Further to this, it builds a foundation from which authentic assessment, student ownership of learning and peer support can occur in an ongoing way as learners make the important shifts in power to owning their learning and becoming problem‑based inquirers in future courses. As a result, in order to fully embrace the online learning environment, we cannot limit ourselves to simple text based measures of student achievement. Stepping into this brave new world requires innovation, creativity and tenacity, and the courage to accept that as the nature of knowledge has evolved in the digital landscape, so must our means of assessing it.

Excluded from school: getting a second chance at a ‘meaningful’ education

Abstract: In this paper, we draw upon the experiences of a group of young people who have been excluded from mainstream schools in two Australian states to provide an account of the ways in which they have found their way to education in educational sites that are variously referred to as ‘flexible learning centres', ‘second chance schools' and ‘alternative schools'. Whilst often clashing with school authorities in their original schools, these young people described how, when given the opportunity, they were able to engage in more meaningful learning in environments that recognised and accommodated their personal circumstances, and avoided authoritarian rule. A question we address is: What kinds of educational experiences facilitate ‘meaningful learning’ for these students?

Measuring Meaningful Learning in the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory: A National, Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract: Research on laboratory learning points to the need to better understand what and how students learn in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory. The Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Instrument (MLLI) was administered to general and organic chemistry students from 15 colleges and universities across the United States in order to measure the students’ cognitive and affective expectations and experiences within the context of performing experiments in their chemistry laboratory courses. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis. The factor analysis revealed unique mental frameworks for how students think about their laboratory experiences. Exploration of the cluster analysis output indicated a four cluster solution for general chemistry students and a three cluster solution for organic chemistry students. The clusters were further analyzed by examining item pre versus post scatterplots to characterize their unique cognitive and affective expectations and experiences for lea...

Role-Playing as a Tool to Facilitate Learning, Self Reflection and Social Awareness in Teacher Education

Abstract: Meaningful learning in the tertiary sector benefits from the inclusion of a variety of teaching and learning techniques including active learning. Role-plays are one type of active and participatory learning activity that creates interaction between students and a simulated scenario. This reality can serve to open the minds of participants to issues they need to be able to deal with in their chosen careers. This paper reports role-plays in four different learning applications: the first was in a multicultural education class and simulated a microcosm of society where students took on the roles of minority groups. The second reports on a history class that provided simulations of key battles of World Wars One and Two. The third was in mathematics for primary teachers’ class where the students simulated experiences as children in mathematics classrooms, parents and teachers speaking to each other and teachers teaching children. The fourth was in a leadership class for final year Early Childhood and Primary pre-service teachers, and involved role-play of an interview during the management of an unsatisfactory work performance by a staff member. The findings show that in each case the objectives of having students experience a simulation of reality were met.

An effective educational tool: construction kits for fun and meaningful learning

Abstract: The integration of robotics in education is still relatively new and represents an important advance in education practices. So, this paper aims to share the results from the perspectives of both students and trainers in an experimental case research in which LEGO Mindstorms construction kits were used. Sixty-two students between the ages of 8 and 14 participated in the study. Multiple data collection methods were used to ensure the richness and diversity of the data. According to the findings, constructivist learning experiences that students had in this training program were themed into the four major themes; active learning, authentic learning, multiple perspectives and collaborative learning. Learning through construction kits offered opportunities to deepen the students’ understanding of various concepts with hands-on exploration and design, resulting in fun and enjoyment. It also promoted students’ active involvement and fostered the collaboration that leads to developing multiple perspectives.

Meaningful learning in the cooperative classroom

Abstract: Meaningful learning is based on more than what teachers transmit; it promotes the construction of knowledge out of learners' experience, feelings and exchanges with other learners. This educational view is based on the constructivist approach to learning and the co-operative learning approach. Researchers and practitioners in various countries and settings seek ways to incorporate these approaches to create meaningful learning in the multicultural classroom and in the co-operative learning classroom. This article presents some of the ideas, studies and methods that signal a major shift of emphasis in education from product to process.

The Effects of Learning Styles and Meaningful Learning on the Learning Achievement of Gamification Health Education Curriculum.

Abstract: Background:Aiming at the human blood circulation unit, which is rather difficult to comprehend, in the biology materials for junior high school students, Mobile Meaningful Blood Circulation Learning System, called MMBCLS gamification learning, is developed.Materials and methods:In the study, the instructional design is based on Meaningful Learning and follows the principles of digital game-based learning models to design the after-class multimedia materials, which allow learners enjoying learning with fun. With quasi-experimental design, Kolb’s Learning Styles Scale and Meaningful Learning Scale are utilized as the research instruments. Taking G8 class as the subject, 46 valid copies of questionnaires are received.Results:The research findings show more Divergent styles in mobile game-based learning styles, students with convergent styles regarding the highest curriculum design in Meaningful Learning, students with distinct gender presenting no significant difference in curriculum design and learning achievement in Meaningful Learning, students with different learning styles revealing remarkable differences in learning achievement, and students in the experimental group appearing higher learning achievement than the ones in the control group, with notable differences.Conclusions:The research outcomes could be the reference of material design for teachers and provide educators with the reference of mobile as meaningful media material design.

"Systems of Assessments" for Deeper Learning of Computational Thinking in K-12

Abstract: As K-12 educators move to introduce computing curricula, the issue of assessing student learning of computational concepts remains largely unresolved. This is central, however, if the goal is to help students develop deeper, transferable computational thinking (CT) skills that prepare them for success in future computing experiences. This paper argues for the need for multiple measures or “systems of assessments” that are complementary, attend to cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of CT, and contribute to a comprehensive picture of student learning. It also describes the multiple forms of assessments used in a middle school computing curriculum, including formative assessments such as multiple-choice quizzes, and directed as well as open-ended programming assignments, and summative assessments to measure growth and transfer of CT. Objectives “Deeper learning” (Pellegrino and Hilton, 2012) is increasingly seen as an imperative for helping students develop robust, transferable knowledge and skills for the 21-century. The phrase acknowledges the cognitive, intrapersonal and interpersonal dimensions of learning, while also underscoring the need for learners to be able to transfer learning to future contexts. Ideas of deeper learning find resonance in How People Learn (Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 2000)—the seminal treatise that explicated the need for learning environments to be assessment-centered in addition to learner-, knowledgeand community-centered. Computational Thinking (CT) is widely recognized today as a necessary skill for today’s generation of learners (Wing 2006, 2011), and a consensus has been building around the view that all children must be offered experiences with computer science (CS) in their K-12 years (Grover & Pea, 2013). Without attention to assessment, computing can have little hope of making its way successfully into K–12 school education settings at scale. Using the deeper learning lens for assessing computational learning, this paper reviews the shortcomings in commonly used assessments of CT, and argues for employing “systems of assessments” (Conley & Darling-Hammond, 2013) to assess the development of CT’s cognitive and non-cognitive aspects. As a case in point, it describes the systems of assessments employed in an introductory computer science course for middle school students, and the results of empirical inquiries of its use. Framing the Research Despite the many efforts aimed specifically at tackling the issue of CT assessment (e.g., Fields, Searle, Kafai & Min, 2012; Ioannidou, Repenning, & Webb, 2010; Meerbaum-Salant et al., 2010; Werner et al., 2012), assessing the learning of computational concepts and constructs in these programming environments remains a challenge. Furthermore, few studies at the K-12 level, if any, have looked at the issue of transfer of CT skills to future learning contexts. New approaches to transfer such as Preparation for Future Learning (Schwartz, Bransford & Sears, 2005) have shown promise in the context of science and mathematics learning at the secondary level (Dede, 2009; Schwartz & Martin, 2004). Interventions in CS education could similarly benefit from these emergent ideas from the learning sciences. In the context of introductory programming, Werner, et al. (2012) conducted a series of investigations involving game programming in Alice with middle school students. Their “Fairy Assessment” requires students to code parts of a pre-designed program to accomplish specific tasks. This assessment is Alice-based, and grading is subjective and time-consuming—a perennial challenge for assessing student code. Looking at student-created programs alone could also provide an inaccurate sense of students’ computational competencies (Brennan & Resnick, 2012). Although timeconsuming, “artifact-based interviews” can help provide a more accurate picture of student understanding of their programming projects (Barron et al., 2002). There is a thus a need for more objective assessment instruments as well that can illuminate student understanding of specific computing concepts. Cooper created a multiple-choice instrument for measuring learning of Alice programming concepts (Moskal, Lurie & Cooper, 2004), but it has not been used to measure student learning in K-12 education. SRI International (2013)’s effort to create systematic frameworks for assessing CT—Principled Assessment of Computational Thinking (PACT)—focuses on assessing CS Concepts, Inquiry Skills, and Communication & Collaboration Skills as key elements of CT practices in the context of the high school ECS curriculum. Outside the US, introductory computing curricula at the elementary and middle school levels in countries such as the UK (Scott, 2013) and Israel ((Zur Bargury, 2012) also provide useful ideas for assessment. The Israeli effort uses multiple-choice assessments and attendant rubrics (Zur Bargury, Pârv & Lanzberg, 2013) that make it easier to measure learning in a large-scale setting than open-ended student projects. Barron and Darling-Hammond (2008) contend that robust assessments for meaningful learning must include: (1) intellectually ambitious performance assessments that require application of desired concepts and skills in disciplined ways; (2) rubrics that define what constitutes good work; and (3) frequent formative assessments to guide feedback to students and teachers’ instructional decisions. Conley and Darling-Hammond (2013) assert that assessments for deeper learning must measure: 1. Higher-order cognitive skills, and more importantly, skills that support transferable learning, and 2. Abilities such as collaboration, complex problem solving, planning, reflection, and communication of these ideas through use of appropriate vocabulary of the domain in addition to presentation of artifacts to a broader audience. These assessments are in addition to those that measure key subject matter concepts. This assertion implies the need for multiple measures or “systems of assessments” that are complementary, encourage and reflect deeper learning, and contribute to a comprehensive picture of student learning. Few to none of the prior efforts described above nor current computing curricula (such as those promoted by Code.org or Khan Academy) include such comprehensive assessments, if they assess at all.

Measuring Meaningful Learning in the Undergraduate General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratories: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract: Understanding how students learn in the undergraduate chemistry teaching laboratory is an essential component to developing evidence-based laboratory curricula. The Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Instrument (MLLI) was developed to measure students’ cognitive and affective expectations and experiences for learning in the chemistry laboratory. Previous cross-sectional studies in both general and organic chemistry laboratory courses have shown trends where cognitive expectations go unfulfilled, and affective expectations and experiences are diverse among all students. On the basis of these previous findings, a longitudinal study was carried out to explore how students’ ideas about laboratory learning change over two years of chemistry laboratory instruction. The data were analyzed using multiple visualizations, inferential statistics, and cluster analysis. Findings from this study supported previous findings from the cross-sectional studies. In addition, it was found that students “reset” their expect...

A New Era for Educational Assessment.

Abstract: In this article, David Conley focuses on how to assess meaningful learning in ways that promote student achievement while simultaneously meeting system accountability needs. The article draws upon research that supports the notion that a major shift in educational assessment is needed in order to encourage and evaluate the kind of learning that enables success in college and careers. Over the next several years, almost every state will either implement the Common Core State Standards or develop an alternative version of their own. The question worth posing is whether educational stakeholders should be satisfied with on- demand tests that measure only a subset of the standards, or will they demand something more like a system of assessments in which multiple measures result in deeper insight into student mastery of complex and cognitive challenging standards? This article presents a vision for a new system of assessments, one designed to support the kinds of ambitious teaching and learning that most parents say they want for their children. The article begins with a brief historical overview, describes where educational assessment appears to be headed in the near term, and then discusses some longer-term possibilities, concluding with a series of recommendations for how policymakers and practitioners can move toward a better model of assessment for teaching and learning.

The effectiveness of the meaningful learning-based evaluation for different achieving students in a ubiquitous learning context

Abstract: In recent years, fueled by the rise of mobile technology, ubiquitous learning has shown great potential in various disciplines, especially in context-aware environments. However, improper applications of this learning approach may also lead to inefficient learning and even reduced learning effectiveness. It is thus necessary to assess whether a ubiquitous learning project is able to achieve the aim of meaningful learning, so as to empower learners in scaffolding their knowledge students with different levels of achievement, especially low-achieving ones. This study aims to investigate the impact of a meaningful learning-based evaluation method on ubiquitous learning, in order to enhance the target system. A quasi-experiment is designed for this purpose, in which the post-evaluation and refined ubiquitous learning activities are adopted for the experimental group, in contrast to the control group, which works without the proposed evaluation method. The findings show that the evaluating ubiquitous learning using the meaningful learning paradigm can significantly enhance learning effectiveness, especially for low-achieving students, although the gains were not so significant for the high-achieving students, as seen in the posttest. Moreover, no significant differences in learning effectiveness were found between the experimental and control groups. The results of the posttest showed that the low-achieving students in the experimental group significantly outperformed those in the control group. This study suggests that the functions of a learning system may be need to be further enhanced to better suit the needs of low-achieving students, and that the use of a meaningful learning-based evaluation method is an effective way to find out what needs to be improved. We aim to investigate the impact of a meaningful learning evaluation method.The evaluation method can reveal the advantages and disadvantages of u-learning.Meaningful learning benefits learning effectiveness of low-achieving students.

Using cluster analysis to characterize meaningful learning in a first-year university chemistry laboratory course

Abstract: The Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Instrument (MLLI) was designed to measure students' cognitive and affective learning in the university chemistry laboratory. The MLLI was administered at the beginning and the end of the first semester to first-year university chemistry students to measure their expectations and experiences for learning in their laboratory course. To better understand what students' expectations for learning were fulfilled, and what expectations went unmet, cluster analysis was used to examine students' expectations and experiences as measured by their average scores on the MLLI at both the beginning and the end of the semester. The cluster solution yielded four clusters. Three of the four clusters consisted of parallel responses, i.e., the first cluster had both low expectations and low experiences, the third cluster had both high expectations and high experiences, and the second cluster was in the middle of the first and third. The fourth cluster had expectations similar to those of the high cluster, but surprisingly had experiences similar to those of the middle and low clusters. Descriptions of each cluster of students, including distinguishing characteristics of their learning in the laboratory, and the implications of this research are discussed.

Mechanisms behind the testing effect: an empirical investigation of retrieval practice in meaningful learning.

Abstract: The testing effect – more learning by testing as compared to restudying – is a well-established finding. A typical testing procedure in the context of meaningful learning comprises a recall task after an initial study phase. Different theories refer to different mechanisms when explaining the positive effects of such recall tasks. In the context of learning from expository texts, we tested three mechanisms as suggested by a variety of prominent approaches: the elaborative-retrieval theory, the theory of transfer-appropriate processing, and the unspecific-goal perspective. We experimentally varied the type of testing task (short-answer task vs. free-recall task, both compared to a restudy task) in a within-subject design (N = 47 university students). We replicated the testing effect. We found no evidence for a transfer-appropriate processing effect or an unspecific-goal effect. The testing effect disappeared when statistically controlling for mental effort. Initially non-tested material was also fostered by testing (spreading activation effect). These findings indicate that testing helps learning when learners must invest substantial mental effort, as suggested by the elaborative retrieval theory. For educational purposes, testing tasks should be assigned that require the learners to invest substantial mental effort.

Students' experiences of learning in relation to didactic strategies during the first year of a nursing programme: a qualitative study.

Abstract: In university undergraduate nursing programmes, didactic strategies that enable students to learn nursing skills, solve problems and develop reflective and critical thinking and practice are needed. The aim of this study was to explore how different didactic strategies support nursing students’ experiences of learning during the first year of a reconstructed nursing curriculum. This study employed a qualitative approach. The data were gathered through written narratives that were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Nursing students’ experiences of learning through different didactic strategies, were evident in the text. These perspectives were organised into the following themes: To focus on the patient perspective and paying more attention to others, Learning from discussions and reflections on one’s own learning, Training for the professional role and becoming more courage, and Gaining insights into nursing and increasing one’s self-awareness. The education increased the students’ self-awareness, which helped them to pay greater attention to patients and their relative. During the learning process, the students became more courageous, reflected and discovered their shortcomings. Stated didactic strategies supported a broad base of knowledge on nursing and the professional role of nurses. Educators are challenged to strengthen meaningful learning in nursing and to facilitate the progression of nursing programmes.

Engaging and Assessing Students with Technology: A Review of Kahoot!

Abstract: The author reviews a free Web site that may he useful to teachers in creating a learning environment that provides immediate and meaningful assessment of students' learning. An added benefit of the site is its appeal to students with varied learning styles.RationaleMotivating all students to learn poses many challenges for teachers-but motivation is critical to learning. Good and Brophy (2000) found that students who were motivated had higher achievement rates than those who were not. They asserted that the role of teachers in motivating students includes providing (a) a supportive environment; (b) an appropriate challenge or level of difficulty; (c) meaningful learning objectives; and (d) varied motivational strategies. Good and Brophy also indicated that students respond positively to learning activities that allow them to interact with their teacher and others and receive immediate feedback. Using technology can help teachers incorporate such components into their lessons.Various studies have found that using technology, including computers, personal tablets, and smartphones, is effective in improving students' engagement and active participation in classrooms (Bransford, Brown 8i Cocking, 2000; Kim C Koile & Singer, 2006; Rogers & Cox, 2008). Many school systems implement the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy in order to provide active learning opportunities for students. The use of individual devices and computers can enhance a teacher's ability to solicit active participation from all students during lessons, incorporate Internet resources, and evaluate students' progress (Kim 8i Reeves, 2007; Koile & Singer, 2006; Rogers & Cox, 2008). Such activities provide kinesthetic learners an opportunity to participate actively through movement of their muscles in response to stimulation from the seeing and hearing objects (Grant, 1985; Valiente, 2008).Using technology can be a great way to engage students in today's classrooms, and using appropriate Web sites to help assess learning is rapidly becoming a reality. For example, my college students bring their smartphones, tablets, and laptops to class on a daily basis, so I often have them use their own devices to assess their prior knowledge at the beginning of the class or acquisition of lesson content at the end of the class. Such use of the technology helps guide my instruction and helps my students monitor their own learning. Classroom computers and computer lab can be used in a similar manner if students do not have access to individual devices.Kahoot!Kahoot! (https://getkahoot.com) is a free Web site that allows teachers to create game-based quizzes and surveys in which participants compete against each other. Scores are kept according to accuracy and response time, and top responders are revealed after each answer. The class scoreboard at the end of the game displays the top five responders with the number correct and can be exported as a document for teachers to save as a record.Creating a quiz and survey is simple on the Kahoot! Web site. After creating his or her own account for the site, a teacher can create a new Kahoot! quiz or survey or use an existing Kahoot! quiz or survey created by others and shared as a "public" resource to use on the site.Students use a game pin number at kahoot.it to join a specific game as directed by the teacher. They do not have to have their own accounts to join a game but can log in using their real names or nicknames. …

A Blended Learning Approach to Teaching Project Management: A Model for Active Participation and Involvement: Insights from Norway

Abstract: The paper demonstrates and evaluates the effectiveness of a blended learning approach to create a meaningful learning environment. We use the term blended learning approach in this paper to refer to the use of multiple or hybrid instructional methods that emphasize the role of learners as contributors to the learning process rather than recipients of learning. Contribution to learning is attained by using in class gaming as pathways that ensure active involvement of learners. Using a blended learning approach is important in order to be able to address different learning styles of the target group. The approach was also important in order to be able to demonstrate different types of challenges, issues and competences needed in project management. Student evaluations of the course confirmed that the use of multiple learning methods and, in particular, in class gaming was beneficial and contributed to a meaningful learning experience.

An integrated way of using a tangible user interface in a classroom

Abstract: Despite many years of research in CSCL, computers are still scarcely used in classrooms today. One reason for this is that the constraints of the classroom environment are neglected by designers. In this contribution, we present a CSCL environment designed for a classroom usage from the start. The system, called TapaCarp, is based on a tangible user interface (TUI) and was designed to help train carpenter apprentices. A previous study (Cuendet and Dillenbourg 2013) showed that the tangible nature of TapaCarp helped integrate it in the classroom environment, but that this did not guarantee a meaningful learning activity. In this article, we describe the process that led us to design a new learning classroom activity for the particular context of dual carpentry apprenticeships. One innovative aspect of the activity is that TapaCarp is used only for a small part of it. This contrasts with the mainstream CSCL approach that assumes that the system must be used from beginning to end of the activity. This new activity was used in a classroom study with 3 classes of carpenter apprentices over two days for each class. Despite its many steps, the activity proved usable and fostered many connections to the workplace, which was one of its main purposes. The teacher and the students were positive and showed high engagement in the activity. The learning gain results were mixed: the performance of the students improved from day 1 to day 2, but the learning gain measured with a pre-test/post-test mechanism did not show any significant difference compared to that of a control group.

Using the theory of meaningful learning in nursing education.

Abstract: Objective to synthesize the scientific literature about the Theory of Meaningful Learning in the process of teaching and learning in nursing. Method this is an integrative review conducted in the databases MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, BDENF and CINAHL with studies addressing the subject or aspects of the theory of meaningful learning of David Ausubel. Ten studies were included, from which six were written in Portuguese and four in English, published from 1998 to 2013. Results five studies used the theory of meaningful learning, four studies cited Ausubel as the author of this theory and only two studies followed the framework for the application of the theory completely. There are only a few studies on this subject and those which explore it are not correlated with Ausubel's theory. Conclusion it is necessary to break with the dichotomy between theory and practice and promote the articulation of content with action, introducing the student as the author of their own knowledge.

Active Learning: Qualitative Inquiries Into Vocabulary Instruction in Chinese L2 Classrooms

Abstract: Active learning emerged as a new approach to learning in the 1980s. The core concept of active learning involves engaging students not only in actively exploring knowledge but also in reflecting on their own learning process in order to become more effective learners. Because the nonalphabetic nature of the Chinese writing system makes learning to read and write Chinese characters extremely time-consuming for native English speakers, this qualitative study was intended to identify instructional strategies, methods, and activities for promoting active learning among beginning learners of Chinese as a second language and to investigate students' perceptions of the identified strategies, methods, and activities with regard to their effectiveness in engaging students in meaningful learning.

Literacy, learning and identity: challenging the neo-liberal agenda through literacies, everyday practices and empowerment

Abstract: In the UK, further education (FE) colleges play a key role in providing literacy programmes. This article draws upon our research in FE, with a focus on literacy, learning and identity, to explore how different learners are positioned differently depending on the value of the literacy practices they bring with them from home. Indeed, it is generally considered that recognising the literacies that learners bring into the classroom is an effective strategy to teaching and learning because purposeful and meaningful learning builds and expands on learners’ prior knowledge and experience to shape and construct new knowledge rather than seeing the learner as an empty vessel ready to be filled by the tutor. Learning is seen as a social activity embedded in particular cultures and contexts where assessment is based on the learners demonstrating competence in achieving specific learning outcomes. The achievement of these learning outcomes is situated in the learners’ real life and everyday practices. The paper con...

Language socialization across learning spaces

Abstract: Language Socialization Across Learning Spaces Jin Sook Lee and Mary Bucholtz 1. Introduction Learning to think, act, and speak like an expert in specific physical, temporal, cultural, and ideological spaces is a necessity to function successfully in any community. A primary way that humans become socialized to act and interact in culturally appropriate ways is through the use of language. Language socialization (LS) refers to the process by which individuals acquire, reproduce, and transform the knowledge and competence that enable them to ­participate appropriately within specific communities of language users. Thus, LS is fundamental to social life, given that all community members engage in practices of LS at numerous points in their lives, whether as relative experts or as relative novices. Within LS research, language is regarded as a ‘dynamic social practice’ that is constantly ‘contested’ and ‘in flux’ among its users (Duff and Talmy 2011, p. 96). LS thus offers a ­theoretical and methodological framework for understanding how linguistic and cultural competence are developed through everyday interactions within communities of practice. Based in the traditions of human development and linguistic anthropology, LS is concerned with both ‘socialization through the use of language and socialization to use language’ (Schieffelin and Ochs 1986, p. 163). LS researchers take a cross‐cultural perspective to make visible the intersections between language and culture in the processes of learning and teaching. Such a perspective not only recognizes the existence of biological and psychological attributes in these processes but also importantly acknowledges considerable variations due to cultural factors and sociohistorical conditions (Garrett and Baquedano‐Lopez 2002, p. 341). In addition, because of its concern with cultural specificity, scholarship on LS pays close attention to how socialization occurs in culturally meaningful learning spaces, and how these practices may be linked or kept apart across different kinds of spaces. This chapter first presents a brief overview of the theoretical principles and method­ ological approaches employed in LS research (see also Duff and Anderson, this volume). To illustrate this framework and particularly the pivotal role of learning spaces within LS, the chapter then discusses how a university–high school educational partnership offers students opportunities to gain a new perspective on LS as ethnographers of language and culture in The Handbook of Classroom Discourse and Interaction, First Edition. Edited by Numa Markee. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.