activity learners construct: Topics by Science.gov

Sample records for activity learners construct

Learning from instructional explanations: effects of prompts based on the active-constructive-interactive framework.

PubMed

Roelle, Julian; Müller, Claudia; Roelle, Detlev; Berthold, Kirsten

2015-01-01

Although instructional explanations are commonly provided when learners are introduced to new content, they often fail because they are not integrated into effective learning activities. The recently introduced active-constructive-interactive framework posits an effectiveness hierarchy in which interactive learning activities are at the top; these are then followed by constructive and active learning activities, respectively. Against this background, we combined instructional explanations with different types of prompts that were designed to elicit these learning activities and tested the central predictions of the active-constructive-interactive framework. In Experiment 1, N = 83 students were randomly assigned to one of four combinations of instructional explanations and prompts. To test the active < constructive learning hypothesis, the learners received either (1) complete explanations and engaging prompts designed to elicit active activities or (2) explanations that were reduced by inferences and inference prompts designed to engage learners in constructing the withheld information. Furthermore, in order to explore how interactive learning activities can be elicited, we gave the learners who had difficulties in constructing the prompted inferences adapted remedial explanations with either (3) unspecific engaging prompts or (4) revision prompts. In support of the active < constructive learning hypothesis, we found that the learners who received reduced explanations and inference prompts outperformed the learners who received complete explanations and engaging prompts. Moreover, revision prompts were more effective in eliciting interactive learning activities than engaging prompts. In Experiment 2, N = 40 students were randomly assigned to either (1) a reduced explanations and inference prompts or (2) a reduced explanations and inference prompts plus adapted remedial explanations and revision prompts condition. In support of the constructive < interactive learning hypothesis, the learners who received adapted remedial explanations and revision prompts as add-ons to reduced explanations and inference prompts acquired more conceptual knowledge.
Learning from Instructional Explanations: Effects of Prompts Based on the Active-Constructive-Interactive Framework

PubMed Central

Roelle, Julian; Müller, Claudia; Roelle, Detlev; Berthold, Kirsten

2015-01-01

Although instructional explanations are commonly provided when learners are introduced to new content, they often fail because they are not integrated into effective learning activities. The recently introduced active-constructive-interactive framework posits an effectiveness hierarchy in which interactive learning activities are at the top; these are then followed by constructive and active learning activities, respectively. Against this background, we combined instructional explanations with different types of prompts that were designed to elicit these learning activities and tested the central predictions of the active-constructive-interactive framework. In Experiment 1, N = 83 students were randomly assigned to one of four combinations of instructional explanations and prompts. To test the active < constructive learning hypothesis, the learners received either (1) complete explanations and engaging prompts designed to elicit active activities or (2) explanations that were reduced by inferences and inference prompts designed to engage learners in constructing the withheld information. Furthermore, in order to explore how interactive learning activities can be elicited, we gave the learners who had difficulties in constructing the prompted inferences adapted remedial explanations with either (3) unspecific engaging prompts or (4) revision prompts. In support of the active < constructive learning hypothesis, we found that the learners who received reduced explanations and inference prompts outperformed the learners who received complete explanations and engaging prompts. Moreover, revision prompts were more effective in eliciting interactive learning activities than engaging prompts. In Experiment 2, N = 40 students were randomly assigned to either (1) a reduced explanations and inference prompts or (2) a reduced explanations and inference prompts plus adapted remedial explanations and revision prompts condition. In support of the constructive < interactive learning hypothesis, the learners who received adapted remedial explanations and revision prompts as add-ons to reduced explanations and inference prompts acquired more conceptual knowledge. PMID:25853629
High School Learners' Mental Construction during Solving Optimisation Problems in Calculus: A South African Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brijlall, Deonarain; Ndlovu, Zanele

2013-01-01

This qualitative case study in a rural school in Umgungundlovu District in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, explored Grade 12 learners' mental constructions of mathematical knowledge during engagement with optimisation problems. Ten Grade 12 learners who do pure Mathemat-ics participated, and data were collected through structured activity sheets and…
Constructing Interpretative Views of Learners' Interaction Behavior in an Open Learner Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papanikolaou, Kyparisia A.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we discuss how externalizing learners' interaction behavior may support learners' explorations in an adaptive educational hypermedia environment that provides activity-oriented content. In particular, we propose a model for producing interpretative views of learners' interaction behavior and we further apply this model to…
Information-seeking strategies and science content understandings of sixth-grade students using on-line learning environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, Joseph Loris

1999-11-01

This study examined the information-seeking strategies and science content understandings learners developed as a result of using on-line resources in the University of Michigan Digital Library and on the World Wide Web. Eight pairs of sixth grade students from two teachers' classrooms were observed during inquiries for astronomy, ecology, geology, and weather, and a final transfer task assessed learners' capabilities at the end of the school year. Data included video recordings of students' screen activity and conversations, journals and completed activity sheets, final artifacts, and semi-structured interviews. Learners' information-seeking strategies included activities related to asking, planning, tool usage, searching, assessing, synthesizing, writing, and creating. Analysis of data found a majority of learners posed meaningful, openended questions, used technological tools appropriately, developed pertinent search topics, were thoughtful in queries to the digital library, browsed sites purposefully to locate information, and constructed artifacts with novel formats. Students faced challenges when planning activities, assessing resources, and synthesizing information. Possible explanations were posed linking pedagogical practices with learners' growth and use of inquiry strategies. Data from classroom-lab video and teacher interviews showed varying degrees of student scaffolding: development and critique of initial questions, utilization of search tools, use of journals for reflection on activities, and requirements for final artifacts. Science content understandings included recalling information, offering explanations, articulating relationships, and extending explanations. A majority of learners constructed partial understandings limited to information recall and simple explanations, and these occasionally contained inaccurate conceptualizations. Web site design features had some influence on the construction of learners' content understandings. Analysis of data suggests sites with high quality general design, navigation, and content helped to foster the construction of broad and accurate understandings, while context and interactivity had less impact. However, student engagement with inquiry strategies had a greater impact on the construction of understandings. Gaining accurate and in-depth understandings from on-line resources is a complex process for young learners. Teachers can support students by helping them engage in all phases of the information-seeking process, locate useful information with prescreened resources, build background understanding with off-line instruction, and process new information deeply through extending writing and conversation.
Supporting Learners' Experiment Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Riesen, Siswa; Gijlers, Hannie; Anjewierden, Anjo; de Jong, Ton

2018-01-01

Inquiry learning is an educational approach in which learners actively construct knowledge and in which performing investigations and conducting experiments is central. To support learners in designing informative experiments we created a scaffold, the Experiment Design Tool (EDT), that provided learners with a step-by-step structure to select…
Attending to the Grammatical Errors of Students Using Constructive Teaching and Learning Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wornyo, Albert Agbesi

2016-01-01

This study was a classroom-based action research. In this study, constructive teaching and learning activities were used to help learners improve on their grammar and usage with a focus on how to help them internalize subject verb agreement rules. The purpose of the research was to assist learners to improve upon their performance in grammar and…
The Learners' Mental Models of Television in Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sumalee, Chaijaroen

1999-01-01

Examines the learners' mental models of television in actual media classroom activity by which knowledge was constructed. Findings revealed how media capabilities and the instructional designs that employ them interact with the learners and the task characteristics to influence the formation of the learners' mental models and their learning…
Learning and cognitive styles in web-based learning: theory, evidence, and application.

PubMed

Cook, David A

2005-03-01

Cognitive and learning styles (CLS) have long been investigated as a basis to adapt instruction and enhance learning. Web-based learning (WBL) can reach large, heterogenous audiences, and adaptation to CLS may increase its effectiveness. Adaptation is only useful if some learners (with a defined trait) do better with one method and other learners (with a complementary trait) do better with another method (aptitude-treatment interaction). A comprehensive search of health professions education literature found 12 articles on CLS in computer-assisted learning and WBL. Because so few reports were found, research from non-medical education was also included. Among all the reports, four CLS predominated. Each CLS construct was used to predict relationships between CLS and WBL. Evidence was then reviewed to support or refute these predictions. The wholist-analytic construct shows consistent aptitude-treatment interactions consonant with predictions (wholists need structure, a broad-before-deep approach, and social interaction, while analytics need less structure and a deep-before-broad approach). Limited evidence for the active-reflective construct suggests aptitude-treatment interaction, with active learners doing better with interactive learning and reflective learners doing better with methods to promote reflection. As predicted, no consistent interaction between the concrete-abstract construct and computer format was found, but one study suggests that there is interaction with instructional method. Contrary to predictions, no interaction was found for the verbal-imager construct. Teachers developing WBL activities should consider assessing and adapting to accommodate learners defined by the wholist-analytic and active-reflective constructs. Other adaptations should be considered experimental. Further WBL research could clarify the feasibility and effectiveness of assessing and adapting to CLS.
How Do Novice and Expert Learners Represent, Understand, and Discuss Geologic Time?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Layow, Erica Amanda

This dissertation examined the representations novice and expert learners constructed for the geologic timescale. Learners engaged in a three-part activity. The purpose was to compare novice learners' representations to those of expert learners. This provided insight into the similarities and differences between their strategies for event ordering, assigning values and scale to the geologic timescale model, as well as their language and practices to complete the model. With a qualitative approach to data analysis informed by an expert-novice theoretical framework grounded in phenomenography, learner responses comprised the data analyzed. These data highlighted learners' metacognitive thoughts that might not otherwise be shared through lectures or laboratory activities. Learners' responses were analyzed using a discourse framework that positioned learners as knowers. Novice and expert learners both excelled at ordering and discussing events before the Phanerozoic, but were challenged with events during the Phanerozoic. Novice learners had difficulty assigning values to events and establishing a scale for their models. Expert learners expressed difficulty with determining a scale because of the size of the model, yet eventually used anchor points and unitized the model to establish a scale. Despite challenges constructing their models, novice learners spoke confidently using claims and few hedging phrases indicating their confidence in statements made. Experts used more hedges than novices, however the hedging comments were made about more complex conceptions. Using both phenomenographic and discourse analysis approaches for analysis foregrounded learners' discussions of how they perceived geologic time and their ways of knowing and doing. This research is intended to enhance the geoscience community's understanding of the ways novice and expert learners think and discuss conceptions of geologic time, including the events and values of time, and the strategies used to determine accuracy of scale. This knowledge will provide a base from which to support geoscience curriculum development at the university level, specifically to design activities that will not only engage and express learners' metacognitive scientific practices, but to encourage their construction of scientific identities and membership in the geoscience community.
Characterizing Engineering Learners' Preferences for Active and Passive Learning Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magana, Alejandra J.; Vieira, Camilo; Boutin, Mireille

2018-01-01

This paper studies electrical engineering learners' preferences for learning methods with various degrees of activity. Less active learning methods such as homework and peer reviews are investigated, as well as a newly introduced very active (constructive) learning method called "slectures," and some others. The results suggest that…
Is Free Recall Active: The Testing Effect through the ICAP Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruchok, Christiana; Mar, Christopher; Craig, Scotty D.

2017-01-01

Amidst evidence in favor of "active learning," online instruction widely implements passive design and tests learners' retrieval performance as opposed to learners' understanding. Literature reporting the testing effect promotes recall as a learning tool. The Interactive>Constructive>Active>Passive taxonomy would place quizzing…
A Semantic Basis for Meaning Construction in Constructivist Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badie, Farshad

2015-01-01

Regarding constructivism as a learning philosophy and/or a model of knowing, a person (learner or mentor) based on her/his preconceptions and on personal knowings could actively participate in an interaction with another person (learner or mentor) in order to construct her/his personal knowledge. In this research I will analyse "meaning…
Building a Dynamic Online Learning Community among Adult Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Minjuan; Sierra, Christina; Folger, Terre

2003-01-01

Examines the nature of learning communities constructed among a diverse group of adult learners in an international online graduate-level course. Discusses independent work, team tasks, the variety of computer-mediated communication tools used, and implications for promoting adult learners' active participation in online learning and instructional…
Help Seeking: Agentic Learners Initiating Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher, Anna Katarina

2018-01-01

Effective feedback is an essential tool for making learning explicit and an essential feature of classroom practice that promotes learner autonomy. Yet, it remains a pressing challenge for teachers to scaffold the active involvement of students as critical, reflective and autonomous learners who use feedback constructively. This paper seeks to…
Learner Agency and the Use of Affordances in Language-Exchange Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahn, Tae youn

2016-01-01

Language exchange refers to a learning partnership between two learners with different native languages who collaborate to help each other improve their proficiency in the other's language. The purpose of this study is to examine the ways in which language-exchange participants activate learner agency to construct opportunities for learning in…
Best Practices in Learning Space Design: Engaging Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grummon, Phyllis T. H.

2009-01-01

Conceptions of the learning process have varied over time, from seeing learners as "blank slates" for a teacher to fill to the view that, unless a learner is engaged in actively constructing knowledge, little will be learned or retained. As research on the physiological aspects of learning has revealed, active engagement with the learning…
Negative Evidence in Language Classroom Activities: A Study of Its Availability and Accessibility to Language Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pica, Teresa; Washburn, Gay N.

2002-01-01

This study identified and described the ways in which negative evidence was made available and accessible to learners during two widely practiced classroom activities. One was a teacher-led discussion that emphasized communication of subject matter content. The other was a teacher-led sentence construction exercise that focused on application of…
Validation of learning style measures: implications for medical education practice.

PubMed

Chapman, Dane M; Calhoun, Judith G

2006-06-01

It is unclear which learners would most benefit from the more individualised, student-structured, interactive approaches characteristic of problem-based and computer-assisted learning. The validity of learning style measures is uncertain, and there is no unifying learning style construct identified to predict such learners. This study was conducted to validate learning style constructs and to identify the learners most likely to benefit from problem-based and computer-assisted curricula. Using a cross-sectional design, 3 established learning style inventories were administered to 97 post-Year 2 medical students. Cognitive personality was measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test, information processing by the Learning Styles Inventory, and instructional preference by the Learning Preference Inventory. The 11 subscales from the 3 inventories were factor-analysed to identify common learning constructs and to verify construct validity. Concurrent validity was determined by intercorrelations of the 11 subscales. A total of 94 pre-clinical medical students completed all 3 inventories. Five meaningful learning style constructs were derived from the 11 subscales: student- versus teacher-structured learning; concrete versus abstract learning; passive versus active learning; individual versus group learning, and field-dependence versus field-independence. The concurrent validity of 10 of 11 subscales was supported by correlation analysis. Medical students most likely to thrive in a problem-based or computer-assisted learning environment would be expected to score highly on abstract, active and individual learning constructs and would be more field-independent. Learning style measures were validated in a medical student population and learning constructs were established for identifying learners who would most likely benefit from a problem-based or computer-assisted curriculum.
Team Regulation, Regulation of Social Activities or Co-Regulation: Different Labels for Effective Regulation of Learning in CSCL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saab, Nadira

2012-01-01

Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is an approach to learning in which learners can actively and collaboratively construct knowledge by means of interaction and joint problem solving. Regulation of learning is especially important in the domain of CSCL. Next to the regulation of task performance, the interaction between learners who…

Construction of a Learning Environment Supporting Learners' Reflection: A Case of Information Seeking on the Web

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saito, Hitomi; Miwa, Kazuhisa

2007-01-01

In this study, we design a learning environment that supports reflective activities for information seeking on the Web and evaluate its educational effects. The features of this design are: (1) to visualize the learners' search processes as described, based on a cognitive schema, (2) to support two types of reflective activities, such as…
Exploring the Impact of Role-Playing on Peer Feedback in an Online Case-Based Learning Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ching, Yu-Hui

2014-01-01

This study explored the impact of role-playing on the quality of peer feedback and learners' perception of this strategy in a case-based learning activity with VoiceThread in an online course. The findings revealed potential positive impact of role-playing on learners' generation of constructive feedback as role-playing was associated with higher…
Constructs for Web 2.0 Learning Environments: A Theatrical Metaphor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tu, Chih-Hsiung; Blocher, Michael; Roberts, Gayle

2008-01-01

Web 2.0 technologies empower learners to create personalized and community-based collaborative environments. Social networking technology affords learners to weave their human networks through active connections to understand what we know and we want to know. Social acts that bring out identities, awareness, relationships, connections, and…
The Design of Computerized Practice Fields for Problem Solving and Contextualized Transfer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riedel, Jens; Fitzgerald, Gail; Leven, Franz; Toenshoff, Burkhard

2003-01-01

Current theories of learning emphasize the importance of learner-centered, active, authentic, environments for meaningful knowledge construction. From this perspective, computerized case-based learning systems afford practice fields for learners to build domain knowledge and problem-solving skills and to support contextualized transfer of…
The Impact of Teaching Presence on Online Engagement Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Huaihao; Lin, Lijia; Zhan, Yi; Ren, Youqun

2016-01-01

Guided by the Interactive-Constructive-Active-Passive framework, the purpose of the study was to investigate whether teaching presence would impact online learners' passive, active, constructive, and interactive engagement behaviors. A total of 218 middle-school English teachers participated in an online professional development course.…
An effective self-assessment based on concept map extraction from test-sheet for personalized learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liew, Keng-Hou; Lin, Yu-Shih; Chang, Yi-Chun; Chu, Chih-Ping

2013-12-01

Examination is a traditional way to assess learners' learning status, progress and performance after a learning activity. Except the test grade, a test sheet hides some implicit information such as test concepts, their relationships, importance, and prerequisite. The implicit information can be extracted and constructed a concept map for considering (1) the test concepts covered in the same question means these test concepts have strong relationships, and (2) questions in the same test sheet means the test concepts are relative. Concept map has been successfully employed in many researches to help instructors and learners organize relationships among concepts. However, concept map construction depends on experts who need to take effort and time for the organization of the domain knowledge. In addition, the previous researches regarding to automatic concept map construction are limited to consider all learners of a class, which have not considered personalized learning. To cope with this problem, this paper proposes a new approach to automatically extract and construct concept map based on implicit information in a test sheet. Furthermore, the proposed approach also can help learner for self-assessment and self-diagnosis. Finally, an example is given to depict the effectiveness of proposed approach.
Impact of Consciousness-Raising Activities on Young English Language Learners' Grammar Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fatemipour, Hamidreza; Hemmati, Shiva

2015-01-01

Grammar Consciousness-Raising (GCR) is an approach to teaching of grammar which learners instead of being taught the given rules, experience language data. The data challenge them to rethink, restructure their existing mental grammar and construct an explicit rule to describe the grammatical feature which the data illustrate (Ellis, 2002). And…
The Effects of Input Enhancement and Recasts on the Development of Second Language Pragmatic Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Minh Thi Thuy; Pham, Hanh Thi; Pham, Tam Minh

2017-01-01

This study investigates the combined effects of input enhancement and recasts on a group of Vietnamese EFL learners' performance of constructive criticism during peer review activities. Particularly, the study attempts to find out whether the instruction works for different aspects of pragmatic learning, including the learners' sociopragmatic and…
Radio Waves and Curriculum Pathways: Jamaican "At Risk" Learners Construct Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feraria, Paulette J.

2018-01-01

This paper explores radio play as an alternative space for learning language and literacy for Jamaican students labeled as 'at-risk' learners. Through the creation of a make-believe radio station in the classroom, students developed oral language skills as a necessary precursor for social literacy. They connected reading and writing activities and…
The Acquisition of the BA Construction by English-Speaking Learners of Chinese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Hongying

2012-01-01

This study examined the acquisition of the BA construction by English-speaking learners of Chinese. The BA construction is a unique yet important grammar phenomenon in Chinese. Whether second language (L2) learners of Chinese are able to understand and use this construction correctly and appropriately may affect the overall success of their…
College English Learners' Discursive Motivation Construction in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gu, Mingyue

2009-01-01

There are abundant studies of second/foreign language learning motivation. However, there appears to be insufficient research into how language learners' discourses mediate the construction of their learning/motivation. This paper investigated the discursive construction of two English language learners' motivation in a comprehensive university in…
Analyzing the Social Knowledge Construction Behavioral Patterns of an Online Synchronous Collaborative Discussion Instructional Activity Using an Instant Messaging Tool: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hou, Huei-Tse; Wu, Sheng-Yi

2011-01-01

Online discussions have been widely utilized as an educational activity, and much research has been conducted on the process and behaviors involved in asynchronous discussions. However, research on behavioral patterns in learners' synchronous discussions, including the process of social knowledge construction and project coordination is limited.…
The Effects of Task Complexity and Input Frequency on the Acquisition of the Past Counterfactual Construction through Recasts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Révész, Andrea; Sachs, Rebecca; Hama, Mika

2014-01-01

This investigation examined two techniques that may help learners focus on second language (L2) constructions when recasts are provided during meaning-based communicative activities: altering the cognitive complexity of tasks and manipulating the input frequency distributions of target constructions. We first independently assessed the validity of…
Supporting Reflective Activities in Information Seeking on the Web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Hitomi; Miwa, Kazuhisa

Recently, many opportunities have emerged to use the Internet in daily life and classrooms. However, with the growth of the World Wide Web (Web), it is becoming increasingly difficult to find target information on the Internet. In this study, we explore a method for developing the ability of users in information seeking on the Web and construct a search process feedback system supporting reflective activities of information seeking on the Web. Reflection is defined as a cognitive activity for monitoring, evaluating, and modifying one's thinking and process. In the field of learning science, many researchers have investigated reflective activities that facilitate learners' problem solving and deep understanding. The characteristics of this system are: (1) to show learners' search processes on the Web as described, based on a cognitive schema, and (2) to prompt learners to reflect on their search processes. We expect that users of this system can reflect on their search processes by receiving information on their own search processes provided by the system, and that these types of reflective activity helps them to deepen their understanding of information seeking activities. We have conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of our system. The experimental results confirmed that (1) the system actually facilitated the learners' reflective activities by providing process visualization and prompts, and (2) the learners who reflected on their search processes more actively understood their own search processes more deeply.
Building a pipeline of talent for operating radio observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wingate, Lory M.

2016-07-01

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory's (NRAO) National and International Non-Traditional Exchange (NINE) Program teaches concepts of project management and systems engineering in a focused, nine-week, continuous effort that includes a hands-on build project with the objective of constructing and verifying the performance of a student-level basic radio instrument. The combination of using a project management (PM)/systems engineering (SE) methodical approach based on internationally recognized standards in completing this build is to demonstrate clearly to the learner the positive net effects of following methodical approaches to achieving optimal results. It also exposes the learner to basic radio science theory. An additional simple research project is used to impress upon the learner both the methodical approach, and to provide a basic understanding of the functional area of interest to the learner. This program is designed to teach sustainable skills throughout the full spectrum of activities associated with constructing, operating and maintaining radio astronomy observatories. NINE Program learners thereby return to their host sites and implement the program in their own location as a NINE Hub. This requires forming a committed relationship (through a formal Letter of Agreement), establishing a site location, and developing a program that takes into consideration the needs of the community they represent. The anticipated outcome of this program is worldwide partnerships with fast growing radio astronomy communities designed to facilitate the exchange of staff and the mentoring of under-represented1 groups of learners, thereby developing a strong pipeline of global talent to construct, operate and maintain radio astronomy observatories.
Exploring the Interactive Patterns of Concept Map-Based Online Discussion: A Sequential Analysis of Users' Operations, Cognitive Processing, and Knowledge Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Sheng-Yi; Chen, Sherry Y.; Hou, Huei-Tse

2016-01-01

Concept maps can be used as a cognitive tool to assist learners' knowledge construction. However, in a concept map-based online discussion environment, studies that take into consideration learners' manipulative actions of composing concept maps, cognitive process among learners' discussion, and social knowledge construction at the same time are…
Giving feedback in medical teaching: a case of lung function laboratory/spirometry.

PubMed

Meo, Sultan Ayoub

2013-01-01

Feedback in medical teaching is an important part of medical education, it encourages and enhances the learners' knowledge, skills and professional performance at various stages of their schooling. A constructive feedback enhances the awareness of strength and areas for improvement. An adequate, meaningful and fruitful feedback needs motivation, emphasis, objectivity, expertise, and active participation in the session. Before giving feedback, the instructor should be well prepared and must have practice on the task. The instructor should utilize all means such as good oral presentation, eye contact, visual cues, utilize body language to actively involve the learners in a session, all these activities enhance the knowledge, skill and attitude of the learners. The aim of this commentary is to highlight the basic issues in giving an appropriate feedback in medical teaching with special emphasis on a lung function laboratory / Spirometry.
Epistemic Gameplay and Discovery in Computational Model-Based Inquiry Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkerson, Michelle Hoda; Shareff, Rebecca; Laina, Vasiliki; Gravel, Brian

2018-01-01

In computational modeling activities, learners are expected to discover the inner workings of scientific and mathematical systems: First elaborating their understandings of a given system through constructing a computer model, then "debugging" that knowledge by testing and refining the model. While such activities have been shown to…
The Construction of a Square through Multiple Approaches to Foster Learners' Mathematical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reyes-Rodriguez, Aaron; Santos-Trigo, Manuel; Barrera-Mora, Fernando

2017-01-01

The task of constructing a square is used to argue that looking for and pursuing several solution routes is a powerful principle to identify and analyse properties of mathematical objects, to understand problem statements and to engage in mathematical thinking activities. Developing mathematical understanding requires that students delve into…
ClimatePad: Enabling public exploration of climate data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, J. E.; Chapman, W. L.

2012-12-01

Informal learners interested in climate issues can find a wealth of information in the print and online media related to climate and climate change. Throughout these resources, the equal use of generic terms like 'global warming' and 'climate change' suggest a level of nuance in the science that is not easy to convey in this conventional media. Perhaps more than any other discipline, climate literacy has the most potential to be enhanced via the process of cognitive construction and reconstruction, rather than simple transmission of knowledge. Constructionism suggests that meaningful learning happens most effectively if the learner is actively engaged in constructing a product in the real world rather than absorbing information passively. Recent technological innovations have introduced mobile computing devices with sufficient power to do serious data analysis. The potential of these devices to augment climate literacy by turning citizens into scientists has yet to be exploited. We introduce ClimatePad, an iPad application that permits students and public to actively browse climate datasets, construct trends, plot time series, create composite differences and view animations of real-world climate data. Interactions with the ClimatePad permits varying the starting and ending dates of trends and differences. Climate analysis maps and animations can be customized with different color palettes, enticing the user to delve into and absorb the subtleties of the regional and temporal variations of the recent climate record. Finally, user-generated climate visualizations created with ClimatePad can be emailed to friends and shared via Facebook, entraining even more active learners.

Mental Constructions and Constructions of Web Sites: Learner and Teacher Points of View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazzan, Orit

2004-01-01

This research focuses on knowledge and ways in which knowledge may be constructed in the learner's mind. Specifically, it addresses the Web as a cognitive supporter for learning, organising and constructing a new domain of knowledge. In particular, the research analyses student reflection on constructing web sites. The analysis is based on an…
The Discursive Construction of College English Learners' Identity in Cross-Cultural Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gu, Michelle Mingyue

2010-01-01

There are abundant studies on second/foreign language learners' identities. However, there appears to be insufficient longitudinal research on the construction of learners' L2 identities in systematic interactions between fixed dyads in an out-of-class context. Adopting a critical discourse analysis framework (Fairclough, 2003) and suitably…
WebQuests: Tools for Differentiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweizer, Heidi; Kossow, Ben

2007-01-01

This article features the WebQuest, an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet. WebQuests, when properly constructed, are activities, usually authentic in nature, that require the student to use Internet-based resources to deepen their understanding and…
Interacting Parallel Constructions of Knowledge in a CAS Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidron, Ivy; Dreyfus, Tommy

2010-01-01

We consider the influence of a CAS context on a learner's process of constructing a justification for the bifurcations in a logistic dynamical process. We describe how instrumentation led to cognitive constructions and how the roles of the learner and the CAS intertwine, especially close to the branching and combining of constructing actions. The…
New education system for construction of optical holography setup - Tangible learning with Augmented Reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaguchi, Takeshi; Yoshikawa, Hiroshi

2013-02-01

In case of teaching optical system construction, it is difficult to prepare the optical components for the attendance student. However the tangible learning is very important to master the optical system construction. It helps learners understand easily to use an inexpensive learning system that provides optical experiments experiences. Therefore, we propose the new education system for construction of optical setup with the augmented reality. To use the augmented reality, the proposed system can simulate the optical system construction by the direct hand control. Also, this system only requires an inexpensive web camera, printed makers and a personal computer. Since this system does not require the darkroom and the expensive optical equipments, the learners can study anytime, anywhere when they want to do. In this paper, we developed the system that can teach the optical system construction of the Denisyuk hologram and 2-step transmission type hologram. For the tangible learning and the easy understanding, the proposed system displays the CG objects of the optical components on the markers which are controlled by the learner's hands. The proposed system does not only display the CG object, but also display the light beam which is controlled by the optical components. To display the light beam that is hard to be seen directly, the learners can confirm about what is happening by the own manipulation. For the construction of optical holography setup, we arrange a laser, mirrors, a PBS (polarizing beam splitter), lenses, a polarizer, half-wave plates, spatial filters, an optical power meter and a recording plate. After the construction, proposed system can check optical setup correctly. In comparison with the learners who only read a book, the learners who use the system can construct the optical holography setup more quickly and correctly.
Adult English Language Learners Constructing and Sharing Their Stories and Experiences: The Cultural and Linguistic Autobiography Writing Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Gloria

2011-01-01

This article is the culmination of the Cultural and Linguistic Autobiography (CLA) writing project, which details narrative descriptions of adult English language learners' (ELLs') cultural and linguistic experiences and how those experiences may have influenced the ways in which these learners constructed and reconstructed their identities.…
Attentional Processing of Input in Explicit and Implicit Conditions: An Eye-Tracking Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Indrarathne, Bimali; Kormos, Judit

2017-01-01

In this study we examined language learners' attentional processing of a target syntactic construction in written L2 input in different input conditions, the change in learners' knowledge of the targeted construction in these conditions, and the relationship between the change in knowledge and attentional processing. One hundred L2 learners of…
3...2...1...Liftoff!: An Educator's Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, Technology, and Language Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

This curriculum supplement introduces students in the early childhood classroom to the International Space Station and the role rockets play in its construction. The guide uses these topics as the basis for interdisciplinary activities for the early learner. Each activity features objectives, a material list, educator information, procedures, and…
"You Focus, I'm Talking": A CHAT Analysis of Mobile Dictionary Use in an Advanced EFL Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lilley, Warren; Hardman, Joanne

2017-01-01

This article discusses how students and teachers in an Advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class in Cape Town, South Africa, construct meaning through mobile phones. Drawing on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), mobile phones are viewed as cultural artefacts that learners and teachers engage in the construction of meaning-making…
SLurtles: Supporting Constructionist Learning in "Second Life"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Girvan, Carina; Tangney, Brendan; Savage, Timothy

2013-01-01

Constructionism places an emphasis on the process of constructing shareable artefacts. Many virtual worlds, such as "Second Life", provide learners with tools for the construction of objects and hence may facilitate in-world constructionist learning experiences. However, the construction tools available present learners with a significant barrier…
Learner Autonomy as a Social Construct in the Context of "Italki"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turula, Anna

2017-01-01

The article looks at language learner autonomy as a social construct in relation to the context and its user based on the example of "Italki", a social networking site for tandem language learning. Considering the two foci--the context and the learner--the study is divided into two parts, both carried out from the perspective of online…
Examining Collaborative Knowledge Construction in Microblogging-Based Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luo, Tian; Clifton, Lacey

2017-01-01

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of the study is to provide foundational research to exemplify how knowledge construction takes place in microblogging-based learning environments, to understand learner interaction representing the knowledge construction process, and to analyze learner perception, thereby suggesting a model of delivery for microblogging.…
"Metamorphosis": A Collaborative Leadership Model to Promote Educational Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gialamas, Stefanos; Pelonis, Peggy; Medeiros, Steven

2014-01-01

A school that holds as a central belief that knowledge is individually and socially constructed by learners who are active observers of the world, active questioners, agile problem posers and critical and creative problem solvers must evolve leadership models and organizational patterns that mirror this model of genuine and meaningful learning as…
Learning Genetics through an Authentic Research Simulation in Bioinformatics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelbart, Hadas; Yarden, Anat

2006-01-01

Following the rationale that learning is an active process of knowledge construction as well as enculturation into a community of experts, we developed a novel web-based learning environment in bioinformatics for high-school biology majors in Israel. The learning environment enables the learners to actively participate in a guided inquiry process…
Historical Text Comprehension Reflective Tutorial Dialogue System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grigoriadou, Maria; Tsaganou, Grammatiki; Cavoura, Theodora

2005-01-01

The Reflective Tutorial Dialogue System (ReTuDiS) is a system for learner modelling historical text comprehension through reflective dialogue. The system infers learners' cognitive profiles and constructs their learner models. Based on the learner model the system plans the appropriate--personalized for learners--reflective tutorial dialogue in…
Socially situated activities and identities: Second-grade dual language students and the social construction of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryce, Nadine

Latina and Latino American students are among the lowest achievers in science, when compared to European and Asian American students, and are highly underrepresented in science careers. Studies suggested that a part of this problem is students' lack of access to science, due to their status as English language learners and their perceived status as deficient students. This study investigated the social construction of science in a second grade dual language urban classroom that offered bilingual students access to science, while positioning them as competent, capable learners. What participants valued in science was interpreted from their stated beliefs and attitudes, as well as their patterned ways of reading, writing, and talking. A bilingual European American teacher and three Latina and Latino focal students were observed over the course of 10 weeks, as they enacted a science unit, in English, on habitats. Science lessons were videotaped, documented with field notes, and transcribed. Interviews with the teacher and students were audiotaped and transcribed, and relevant curriculum documents, and teacher- and student-generated documents, copied. Gee's (1999) d/Discourse analysis system was applied to the transcripts of science lessons and interviews as a way to understand how participants used language to construct situated activities and identities in science. Curriculum documents were analyzed to understand the positioning of the teacher and students by identifying the situated activities and roles recommended. Students' nonfiction writing and published nonfiction texts were analyzed for linguistic structures, semantic relationships and conventions of science writing. Results indicated that the teacher drew on traditional and progressive pedagogical practices that shaped her and her students' science activities and situated identities. The teacher employed traditional talk strategies to build science themes, while students enacted their roles as compliant learners, but the teacher also provided curricular structures for students to engage in science as knowledge brokers, researching and writing from nonfiction books, and authoring original texts. Conclusions drawn suggest that teachers should be aware that students are multiply positioned as learners, d/Discourse analysis can be a useful tool for studying classroom practices, and science is relational as well as discipline-centered.
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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shu-Ming; Hou, Huei-Tse; Wu, Sheng-Yi

2017-01-01

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…
Challenging Representations: Constructing the Adult Literacy Learner over 30 Years of Policy and Practice in the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Mary; Pitt, Kathy

2011-01-01

This article addresses the question, How do changes in policy discourses shape public representations of literacy learners and the goals of adult literacy education? It examines specifically how the agency of adult literacy learners is constructed. We carry out a critical discourse analysis of two key adult literacy policy documents from the U.K.:…
A Psychometric Study of Reading Processes in L2 Acquisition: Deploying Deep Processing to Push Learners' Discourse Towards Syntactic Processing-Based Constructions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manuel, Carlos J.

2009-01-01

This study assesses reading processes and/or strategies needed to deploy deep processing that could push learners towards syntactic-based constructions in L2 classrooms. Research has found L2 acquisition to present varying degrees of success and/or fossilization (Bley-Vroman 1989, Birdsong 1992 and Sharwood Smith 1994). For example, learners have…
Shifting Constructions of Role Models for English Learners in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Xuesong

2014-01-01

This essay draws attention to the shifting constructions of nationally famous role models for English learners. It examines how three individuals rose to national prominence because of their association with the craze for learning English in China in the last three decades. This essay compares the constructed images of these individuals and…

Linguistic Turn and Gendering Language in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arimbi, Diah A.; Kwary, Deny A.

2016-01-01

Language constructs how humans perceive things. Since language is a human construction, it tends to be biased as it is mainly men's construction. Using gender perspectives, this paper attempts to discuss the imbalance in gender representations found in the examples given in an English learner's dictionary, that is, the "Cambridge Advanced…
Assessing Learner Satisfaction by Simultaneously Measuring Learner Attitude, Motivation, Loyalty and Service Quality in English Academies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huong, Vu Thi; Casadesus, Marti; Marimon, Frederic

2017-01-01

The aims of this study are threefold in their approach to English academy teaching: (i) to assess learner satisfaction, (ii) to assess the impact of satisfaction on loyalty and (iii) to assess the three constructs that we considered to be the antecedents of learner satisfaction: learner motivation, learner attitude and service quality. To collect…
Fragile Identities: Exploring Learner Identity, Learner Autonomy and Motivation through Young Learners' Voices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamb, Terry Eric

2011-01-01

Recent research in the fields of motivation and learner autonomy in language learning has begun to explore their relationships to the construct of identity. This article builds on this through the voices of a group of six learners of French or German in a secondary school in England, over a two-year period. These young learners initially reveal a…
Adults' Perceptions of Knowledge Construction as Participants in Nonformal World Affairs Programs: An Interpretive Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yelich Biniecki, Susan M.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this interpretive research study was to explore how adult learners perceive they construct knowledge in connection to their participation in nonformal world affairs programs. The study context involved the exploration of 12 adult learners' perceptions of their knowledge construction as participants in world affairs programs held in…
Double Object Constructions in L3 English: An Exploratory Study of Morphological and Semantic Constraints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agirre, Ainara Imaz; García Mayo, María del Pilar

2014-01-01

The present study examines the acquisition of double object constructions (DOCs) ("Susan gave Peter an apple") by 90 Basque/Spanish learners of English as a third language (L3). The aim of this study was to explore whether (i) learners established a distinction when accepting DOCs vs. prepositional phrase constructions (PPCs)…
Constructing Knowledge about the Trigonometric Functions and Their Geometric Meaning on the Unit Circle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altman, Renana; Kidron, Ivy

2016-01-01

Processes of knowledge construction are investigated. A learner is constructing knowledge about the trigonometric functions and their geometric meaning on the unit circle. The analysis is based on the dynamically nested epistemic action model for abstraction in context. Different tasks are offered to the learner. In his effort to perform the…
Creating Space for Learner Autonomy: An Interactional Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szczepek Reed, Beatrice

2017-01-01

This paper is concerned with teachers' and learners' collaborative pursuit of learner autonomy in a highly asymmetrical education setting, the music masterclass. Evaluations are identified as a potential opportunity for the mutual construction of learner autonomy. The analysis shows that, while teaching professionals mitigate interactional…
Learners' Dictionaries: State of the Art. Anthology Series 23.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tickoo, Makhan L., Ed.

A collection of articles on dictionaries for advanced second language learners includes essays on the past, present, and future of learners' dictionaries; alternative dictionaries; dictionary construction; and dictionaries and their users. Titles include: "Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow; or Vaticinations on the Learners' Dictionary"…
Technology Uses in Creating Second Language Learning Environments: When Learners Are Creators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Gaoming

2010-01-01

From a learner-as-creator perspective, this study investigates how second language learners use technology, especially computers and the Internet, to construct their language learning environments. This study also attempts to identify factors that affected the frequency of technology by second language learners. Participants were 102 Chinese…
A framework for developing rural academic general practices: a qualitative case study in rural Victoria.

PubMed

Brown, J B; Morrison, Tracy; Bryant, Melanie; Kassell, Lisa; Nestel, Debra

2015-01-01

There is increasing pressure for Australian rural general practices to engage in educational delivery as a means of addressing workforce issues and accommodating substantial increases in learners. For practices that have now developed a strong focus on education, there is the challenge to complement this by engaging in research activity. This study develops a rural academic general practice framework to assist rural practices in developing both comprehensive educational activity and a strong research focus thus moving towards functioning as mature academic units. A case study research design was used with the unit of analysis at the level of the rural general practice. Purposively sampled practices were recruited and individual interviews conducted with staff (supervisors, practice managers, nurses), learners (medical students, interns and registrars) and patients. Three practices hosted 'multi-level learners', two practices hosted one learner group and one had no learners. Forty-four individual interviews were conducted with staff, learners and patients. Audio recordings were transcribed for thematic analysis. After initial inductive coding, deductive analysis was undertaken with reference to recent literature and the expertise of the research team resulting in the rural academic general practice framework. Three key themes emerged with embedded subthemes. For the first theme, organisational considerations, subthemes were values/vision/culture, patient population and clinical services, staffing, physical infrastructure/equipment, funding streams and governance. For the second theme, educational considerations, subthemes were processes, clinical supervision, educational networks and learner presence. Third, for research considerations, there were the subthemes of attitude to research and research activity. The framework maps the development of a rural academic practice across these themes in four progressive stages: beginning, emerging, consolidating and established. The data enabled a framework to be constructed to map rural general practice activity with respect to activity characteristic of an academic general practice. The framework offers guidance to practices seeking to transition towards becoming a mature academic practice. The framework also offers guidance to educational institutions and funding bodies to support the development of academic activity in rural general practices. The strengths and limitations of the study design are outlined.
Mural Painting as Inclusive Art Learning Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Kong

2010-01-01

Traditional art education, like other academic disciplines, emphasizes competitiveness and individualism. Through a mural painting curriculum, learners participate in mural art and history appreciation, are active in mural theme or content construction, and engage in hands-on mural design and painting processes. When mural paintings are produced…
Study Partners Recommendation for xMOOCs Learners

PubMed Central

Xu, Bin; Yang, Dan

2015-01-01

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) provide an opportunity for people to access free courses offered by top universities in the world and therefore attracted great attention and engagement from college teachers and students. However, with contrast to large scale enrollment, the completion rate of these courses is really low. One of the reasons for students to quit learning process is problems which they face that could not be solved by discussing them with classmates. In order to keep them staying in the course, thereby further improving the completion rate, we address the task of study partner recommendation for students based on both content information and social network information. By analyzing the content of messages posted by learners in course discussion forum, we investigated the learners' behavior features to classify the learners into three groups. Then we proposed a topic model to measure learners' course knowledge awareness. Finally, a social network was constructed based on their activities in the course forum, and the relationship in the network was then employed to recommend study partners for target learner combined with their behavior features and course knowledge awareness. The experiment results show that our method achieves better performance than recommending method only based on content information. PMID:25663836
Efficacy of Using Career and Self-Construction to Help Learners Manage Career-Related Transitions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, A.; Maree, J. G.

2016-01-01

This article explores the extent to which an intervention programme helped learners from two contrasting educational settings manage career-related transitions. Forty-two learners from two schools were selected, using convenience and purposive sampling, to take part in an intervention programme. Two comparison groups comprised of 45 learners from…
Drama Techniques in Language Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maley, Alan; Duff, Alan

The drama activities in this teaching guide are designed to develop second language learning skills by constructing situations that require the student to concentrate on the meaning and emotional content of language rather than on its structure. In an attempt to involve the whole personality of the learner in the acquisition of language, the…
Second Language Socialization and Learner Agency: Adoptive Family Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogle, Lyn Wright

2012-01-01

This book examines how Russian-speaking adoptees in three US families actively shape opportunities for language learning and identity construction in everyday interactions. By focusing on a different practice in each family (i.e. narrative talk about the day, metalinguistic discourse or languaging, and code-switching), the analyses uncover…
Metaphor, computing systems, and active learning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carroll, J.M.; Mack, R.L.

1982-01-01

The authors discuss the learning process that is directed towards particular goals and is initiated by the learner, through which metaphors become relevant and effective in learning. This allows an analysis of metaphors that explains why metaphors are incomplete and open-ended, and how this stimulates the construction of mental models. 9 references.
Student Curators: Becoming Lifelong Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koetsch, Peg; And Others

1994-01-01

Fifth graders at a Virginia school are applying new knowledge about world cultures by constructing artifacts for an Egyptian legacy exhibit. Exhibitions are a key facet of Museums-in-Progress (MIP), a program that links problem-solving activities with the real world. Students learn to develop, install, and interpret an exhibition by touring local…
Learners' Internal Management of Cognitive Processing in Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, C.-Y.; Pedersen, S.

2012-01-01

This study examined students' internal management of their cognitive processing in an interactive online class. A mixed methods approach was used to explore students' strategy use in online discussions. The focus is on examining individual knowledge construction through active cognitive engagement, rather than the social interactions, in the…
How Learners Perceive They Construct Knowledge as Participants in Outreach Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yelich Biniecki, Susan

2010-01-01

The purpose of this interpretive qualitative research study was to explore how adult learners perceive they construct knowledge in connection to their participation in educational outreach programs, encompassing a continuum of formal, non-formal, and informal learning experiences. The study context involved three world affairs outreach education…
The Impact of Learner Characteristics on the Multi-Dimensional Construct of Social Presence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mykota, David

2017-01-01

This study explored the impact of learner characteristics on the multi-dimensional construct of social presence as measured by the computer-mediated communication questionnaire. Using Multiple Analysis of Variance findings reveal that the number of online courses taken and computer-mediated communication experience significantly affect the…

Evaluating and Comparing Singaporean and Taiwanese Eighth Graders' Conceptions of Science Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Tzung-Jin; Tan, Aik-Ling; Lee, Min-Hsien; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2017-01-01

Background: Researchers have indicated that assessment practices and methods should support learners' construction of meaningful understanding of knowledge. Understanding students' conceptions of assessment will enable us to construct more realistic, valid and fair assessments. Learners' conceptualization of assessment would be imperative to serve…
Small Stories for Learning: A Sociocultural Analysis of Children's Participation in Informal Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desjardins, Elia Nelson

2011-12-01

This dissertation examines the ways children use language to construct scientific knowledge in designed informal learning environments such as museums, aquariums, and zoos, with particular attention to autobiographical storytelling. This study takes as its foundation cultural-historical activity theory, defining learning as increased participation in meaningful, knowledge-based activity. It aims to improve experience design in informal learning environments by facilitating and building upon language interactions that are already in use by learners in these contexts. Fieldwork consists of audio recordings of individual children aged 4--12 as they explored a museum of science and technology with their families. Recordings were transcribed and coded according to the activity (task) and context (artifact/exhibit) in which the child was participating during each sequence of utterances. Additional evidence is provided by supplemental interviews with museum educators. Analysis suggests that short autobiographical stories can provide opportunities for learners to access metacognitive knowledge, for educators to assess learners' prior experience and knowledge, and for designers to engage affective pathways in order to increase participation that is both active and contemplative. Design implications are discussed and a design proposal for a distributed informal learning environment is presented.
Connecting the Hands-On to the Minds-On: A Video Case Analysis of South African Physical Sciences Lessons for Student Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramnarain, Umesh

2015-01-01

In South Africa, there is a strong curriculum imperative for South African school science teachers to not only involve learners in practical inquiry activities but also to support students in making a connection between the construction of substantive scientific knowledge to these activities. The research reported in this article investigated the…
Math Anxiety, Math Self-Concept, and Math Self-Efficacy in Adult Learners Compared to Traditional Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jameson, Molly M.; Fusco, Brooke R.

2014-01-01

Adult learners comprise a significant portion of current undergraduate populations, and projections indicate steady or growing numbers of adult learners in the future. Previous research has suggested that adult learners possess lower self-confidence than and face barriers not experienced by traditional undergraduate students. These constructs have…
Scaffolding Learner-Centered Curricular Coherence Using Learning Maps and Diagnostic Assessments Designed around Mathematics Learning Trajectories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Confrey, Jere; Gianopulos, Garron; McGowan, William; Shah, Meetal; Belcher, Michael

2017-01-01

The paper describes how designers used the construct of learning trajectories to create a tool, Math-Mapper 6-8, to help scaffold curricula toward increased learner-centered coherence. It defines "learner-centered curricular coherence" as "an organizational means to promote a high likelihood that each learner traverses one of many…
Feedback in a clinical setting: A way forward to enhance student's learning through constructive feedback.

PubMed

Sultan, Amber Shamim; Mateen Khan, Muhammad Arif

2017-07-01

Feedback is considered as a dynamic process in which information about the observed performance is used to promote the desirable behaviour and correct the negative ones. The importance of feedback is widely acknowledged, but still there seems to be inconsistency in the amount, type and timing of feedback received from the clinical faculty. No significant effort has been put forward from the educator end to empower the learners with the skills of receiving and using the feedback effectively. Some institutions conduct faculty development workshops and courses to facilitate the clinicians on how best to deliver constructive feedback to the learners. Despite of all these struggles learners are not fully satisfied with the quality of feedback received from their busy clinicians. The aim of this paper is to highlight what actually feedback is, type and structure of feedback, the essential components of a constructive feedback, benefits of providing feedback, barriers affecting the provision of timely feedback and different models used for providing feedback. The ultimate purpose of this paper is to provide sufficient information to the clinical directors that there is a need to establish a robust system for giving feedback to learners and to inform all the clinical educators with the skills required to provide constructive feedback to their learners. For the literature review, we had used the key words glossary as: Feedback, constructive feedback, barriers to feedback, principles of constructive feedback, Models of feedback, reflection, self-assessment and clinical practice etc. The data bases for the search include: Cardiff University library catalogue, Pub Med, Google Scholar, Web of Knowledge and Science direct.
Identity Construction and Reversal Conceptual Transfer among Iranian EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gholaminejad, Razieh

2017-01-01

This article draws on a qualitative study which seeks to explore whether Iranian English as a foreign language learners experience any reversal conceptual transfer and whether they construct two identities as a result of learning a foreign language. The findings from the open-ended questionnaires distributed among 65 undergraduates at the…
Points of Transition: Understanding the Constructed Identities of L2 Learners/Users across Time and Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adawu, Anthony; Martin-Beltran, Melinda

2012-01-01

Using sociocultural and poststructuralist theoretical lenses, this study examines the narrative construction of language-learner identity across time and space. We applied cross-narrative methodologies to analyze language-learning autobiographies and interview data from three English users who had recently transitioned to a U.S. context for…
Promoting Creativity in International Business Education: A Protocol for Student-Constructed Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riordan, Diane A.; Sullivan, M. Cathy; Fink, Danny

2003-01-01

Case studies, including "archival cases," "documentary cases," "living cases," and "learner-generated cases," are popular teaching methods in the international business curriculum. In this paper we present a protocol for student-constructed cases, an extension of the learner-generated case, and provide an example using foreign currency exchange…
Constructing Proxy Variables to Measure Adult Learners' Time Management Strategies in LMS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jo, Il-Hyun; Kim, Dongho; Yoon, Meehyun

2015-01-01

This study describes the process of constructing proxy variables from recorded log data within a Learning Management System (LMS), which represents adult learners' time management strategies in an online course. Based on previous research, three variables of total login time, login frequency, and regularity of login interval were selected as…
An e-Learning System with MR for Experiments Involving Circuit Construction to Control a Robot

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takemura, Atsushi

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a novel e-Learning system for technological experiments involving electronic circuit-construction and controlling robot motion that are necessary in the field of technology. The proposed system performs automated recognition of circuit images transmitted from individual learners and automatically supplies the learner with…
Working Together Online to Enhance Learner Autonomy: Analysis of Learners' Perceptions of Their Online Learning Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eneau, Jerome; Develotte, Christine

2012-01-01

This study concerns the development of autonomy in adult learners working on an online learning platform as part of a professional master's degree programme in "French as a Foreign Language". Our goal was to identify the influence of reflective and collaborative dimensions on the construction of autonomy for online learners in this programme. The…
Using Instructional Pervasive Game for School Children's Cultural Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Cheng-Ping; Shih, Ju-Ling; Ma, Yi-Chun

2014-01-01

In the past ten years, mobile learning (m-learning) has created a new learning environment that enables learners, through active learning aids. Instructional pervasive gaming (IPG) seems to be an innovative way introduced to enhance m-learning. This study employed a theoretical IPG model to construct a cultural-based pervasive game. Individual and…
An Enhanced Concept Map Approach to Improving Children's Storytelling Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Chen-Chung; Chen, Holly S. L.; Shih, Ju-Ling; Huang, Guo-Ting; Liu, Baw-Jhiune

2011-01-01

Storytelling is an imperative and innovative pathway to enhance learning due to the fact that such activity prompts learners to reflect to construct meaning based on their observations and knowledge. Therefore, to develop and enhance students' storytelling ability has become an important issue for both educators and researchers. Since storytelling…
Learners' Reflections in Technological Learning Environments: Why To Promote and How To Evaluate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rimor, Rikki; Kozminsky, Ely

In this study, 24 9th-grade students investigated several issues related to modern Israeli society. In their investigation, students were engaged in activities such as data search, data sorting, making inquiries, project writing, and construction of a new computerized database related to the subjects of their investigations. Students were…
Cooperating in Constructing Knowledge: Case Studies from Chemistry and Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbosa, Rejane; Jofili, Zelia; Watts, Mike

2004-01-01

This paper looks at three case studies within the teaching and learning of chemistry. Each case considers the effectiveness of group learning activities in terms of the ways in which they enhance cooperative learning. Group tasks are generally undertaken in order to encourage learners to develop their understanding of particular issues, lthough…
Dialogic Pedagogies in Educational Settings for Active Citizenship, Social Cohesion and Peacebuilding in Lebanon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akar, Bassel

2016-01-01

Many educational programmes in societies affected by armed conflict aim to promote dialogic engagement as a fundamental aim and pedagogy for social reconstruction. Despite supporting government policies, classrooms show very little or no evidence of dialogic practices where learners (co-)construct knowledge with peers and engage in critical and…
Socio-Cultural Factors in Second Language Learning: A Case Study of Adventurous Adult Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozfidan, Burhan; Machtmes, Krisanna L.; Demir, Husamettin

2014-01-01

Sociocultural theories consider language learning as a social practice examines students as active participants in the construction of learning processes. This study investigates sociocultural theories' central concepts, which includes peer interaction and feedback, private speech, and self-efficacy. The present study is a case study of twenty…
Computer-Animated Instruction and Students' Conceptual Change in Electrochemistry: Preliminary Qualitative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talib, Othman; Matthews, Robert; Secombe, Margaret

2005-01-01

This paper discusses the potential of applying computer-animated instruction (CAnI) as an effective conceptual change strategy in teaching electrochemistry in comparison to conventional lecture-based instruction (CLI). The core assumption in this study is that conceptual change in learners is an active, constructive process that is enhanced by the…
Profiling Perceptual Learning Styles of Chinese as a Second Language Learners in University Settings.

PubMed

Sun, Peijian Paul; Teng, Lin Sophie

2017-12-01

This study revisited Reid's (1987) perceptual learning style preference questionnaire (PLSPQ) in an attempt to answer whether the PLSPQ fits in the Chinese-as-a-second-language (CSL) context. If not, what are CSL learners' learning styles drawing on the PLSPQ? The PLSPQ was first re-examined through reliability analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with 224 CSL learners. The results showed that Reid's six-factor PLSPQ could not satisfactorily explain the CSL learners' learning styles. Exploratory factor analyses were, therefore, performed to explore the dimensionality of the PLSPQ in the CSL context. A four-factor PLSPQ was successfully constructed including auditory/visual, kinaesthetic/tactile, group, and individual styles. Such a measurement model was cross-validated through CFAs with 118 CSL learners. The study not only lends evidence to the literature that Reid's PLSPQ lacks construct validity, but also provides CSL teachers and learners with insightful and practical guidance concerning learning styles. Implications and limitations of the present study are discussed.

Higher order thinking skills competencies required by outcomes-based education from learners.

PubMed

Chabeli, M M

2006-08-01

Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) brought about a significant paradigm shift in the education and training of learners in South Africa. OBE requires a shift from focusing on the teacher input (instruction offerings or syllabuses expressed in terms of content), to focusing on learner outcomes. OBE is moving away from 'transmission' models to constructivistic, learner-centered models that put emphasis on learning as an active process (Nieburh, 1996:30). Teachers act as facilitators and mediators of learning (Norms and Standards, Government Gazette vol 415, no 20844 of 2000). Facilitators are responsible to create the environment that is conducive for learners to construct their own knowledge, skills and values through interaction (Peters, 2000). The first critical cross-field outcome accepted by the South African Qualification Framework (SAQA) is that learners should be able to identify and solve problems by using critical and creative thinking skills. This paper seeks to explore some higher order thinking skills competencies required by OBE from learners such as critical thinking, reflective thinking, creative thinking, dialogic / dialectic thinking, decision making, problem solving and emotional intelligence and their implications in facilitating teaching and learning from the theoretical perspective. The philosophical underpinning of these higher order thinking skills is described to give direction to the study. It is recommended that a study focusing on the assessment of these intellectual concepts be made. The study may be qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods in nature (Creswell 2005).
Online Learner's "Flow" Experience: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Namin

2006-01-01

This study is concerned with online learners' "low" experiences. On the basis of Csikszentmihalyi's theory of flow, flow was conceptualised as a complex, multimentional, reflective construct composing of "enjoyment", "telepresence", "focused attention", "engagement" and "time distortion" on the part of learners. A flow model was put forward with…
Effects of Verb Semantics and Proficiency in Second Language Use of Constructional Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hyunwoo; Rah, Yangon

2016-01-01

This study investigates the influence of the semantic heaviness of verbs (i.e., heavy or light verbs) and language proficiency on second language (L2) learners' use of constructional information in a sentence-sorting task and a corpus analysis. Previous studies employing a sentence-sorting task demonstrated that advanced L2 learners sorted English…
Constructing Gender in an English Dominant Kindergarten: Implications for Second Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hruska, Barbara L.

2004-01-01

This article is part of a year-long ethnographic study conducted in an English dominant kindergarten in the United States. The classroom comprised 6 Spanish-bilingual English language learners and 17 native English speakers. The study was based on a theoretical framework that views language as the site for constructing social meaning and…
A Web Browser Interface to Manage the Searching and Organizing of Information on the Web by Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Liang-Yi; Chen, Gwo-Dong

2010-01-01

Information Gathering is a knowledge construction process. Web learners make a plan for their Information Gathering task based on their prior knowledge. The plan is evolved with new information encountered and their mental model is constructed through continuously assimilating and accommodating new information gathered from different Web pages. In…
Evaluating and comparing Singaporean and Taiwanese eighth graders' conceptions of science assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Tzung-Jin; Tan, Aik-Ling; Lee, Min-Hsien; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2017-10-01

Background: Researchers have indicated that assessment practices and methods should support learners' construction of meaningful understanding of knowledge. Understanding students' conceptions of assessment will enable us to construct more realistic, valid and fair assessments. Learners' conceptualization of assessment would be imperative to serve as an essential reference to evaluate their learning progress.
Monitoring of Students' Interaction in Online Learning Settings by Structural Network Analysis and Indicators.

PubMed

Ammenwerth, Elske; Hackl, Werner O

2017-01-01

Learning as a constructive process works best in interaction with other learners. Support of social interaction processes is a particular challenge within online learning settings due to the spatial and temporal distribution of participants. It should thus be carefully monitored. We present structural network analysis and related indicators to analyse and visualize interaction patterns of participants in online learning settings. We validate this approach in two online courses and show how the visualization helps to monitor interaction and to identify activity profiles of learners. Structural network analysis is a feasible approach for an analysis of the intensity and direction of interaction in online learning settings.
Adjective Identification in Television Advertisements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abd Rahim, Normaliza

2013-01-01

Learning the Malay language has been a challenging task for foreign language learners. Learners have to learn Malay grammar structure rules in order to write simple sentences. The word choice is important in constructing a sentence. Therefore, the study focuses on the use of adjectives in television advertisements among Korean learners at Hankuk…
Learning Difficulty and Learner Identity: A Symbiotic Relationship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirano, Eliana

2009-01-01

This paper reports on a longitudinal case study of an adult EFL learner who perceived himself as having difficulty learning English. Both learning difficulty and learner identity are viewed as being constructed in discursive interactions throughout one's life and, hence, amenable to reconstruction. Data collected from classroom interactions,…
Benchmarking the Degree of Implementation of Learner-Centered Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blumberg, Phyllis; Pontiggia, Laura

2011-01-01

We describe an objective way to measure whether curricula, educational programs, and institutions are learner-centered. This technique for benchmarking learner-centeredness uses rubrics to measure courses on 29 components within Weimer's five dimensions. We converted the scores on the rubrics to four-point indices and constructed histograms that…
Curriculum Constructions of Ability: Enhancing Learning through Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) as a Curriculum Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Joy I.

2006-01-01

This article examines the curricular constructions that influence our perceptions of learner "ability" within games education. Games education has both inherent and intrinsic value for learners, and within this context, teachers make important choices about what they believe will be of most value and interest for students. This in turn impacts the…
The Influence of Social Media on Adult Learners' Knowledge Construction and Democratic Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldman, Eric M.

2015-01-01

This paper provides a resource on the impact of social media on adult learners' construction of knowledge, particularly as it pertains to adult education's role in fostering a robust democratic society. There has been an increase in the literature in recent years that explores the various aspects of social media use, such as the incivility of…
Orienting to "Being Ordinary": The (Re)Construction of Hegemonic Ideologies in Interactions among Adult Immigrant Learners of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Elizabeth R.

2009-01-01

This article investigates the construction and maintenance of ideologies regarding the legitimacy of English as the dominant language in the United States in interactions involving adult immigrant learners of English. As both the researcher and these students' English as second language (ESL) instructor, I am a participant in the ESL classroom and…
Constructions of Mathematicians in Popular Culture and Learners' Narratives: A Study of Mathematical and Non-Mathematical Subjectivities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreau, Marie-Pierre; Mendick, Heather; Epstein, Debbie

2010-01-01

In this paper, based on a project funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council considering how people position themselves in relation to popular representations of mathematics and mathematicians, we explore constructions of mathematicians in popular culture and the ways learners make meanings from these. Drawing on an analysis of popular…
The Outcome of Constructive Alignment between Open Educational Services and Learners' Needs, Employability and Capabilities Development: Heutagogy and Transformative Migration among Underprivileged Learners in Rwanda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nkuyubwatsi, Bernard

2016-01-01

While teachers play an important role in education and supporting learning, many learners in under-resourced settings are not privileged to have access to teachers. Some of these underprivileged learners deal with the issue by engaging in self-determined and self-directed learning. Their efforts sometimes pay off with access to formal higher…
The Multiple Intelligence Based Enrichment Module on the Development of Human Potential: Examining Its Impact and the Views of Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azid, Nurulwahida Hj; Yaacob, Aizan; Shaik-Abdullah, Sarimah

2016-01-01

Purpose: Howard Gardners' concept of multiple intelligence (MI) offers an alternative perspective on intelligence which highlights the importance of acknowledging learner diversity, individual talents and the development of human potentials. MI has been used as a basis for the construction of modular enrichment activities to facilitate the…
A New Model for the World of Instructional Design: A New Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isman, Aytekin; Caglar, Mehmet; Dabaj, Fahme; Ersozlu, Hatice

2005-01-01

Like all models, the new model is also based on a theoretical foundation; constructivism, which emphasis is placed on the learner or the student rather than the teacher or the instructor. Students learn by fitting new information together with what they already know. People learn best when they actively construct their own understanding. The new…
Toward a Theory of Thematic Curricula: Constructing New Learning Environments for Teachers and Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Carole Cook; Sokoloff, Harris J.

A theory of thematic curriculum emerged during the development of a thematic unit on pets, entitled "Pets and Me." The unit, intended for preschool through grade five, focuses on the human-animal bond, incorporating language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, art, and music activities. "Pets and Me" was developed,…
From Bakhtin to See the Co-Construction of EFL Adult Learners' Utterances

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tseng, Chingyi; Huh, Keun

2016-01-01

The purposes of this study were to explore the effect of dialogic activities on EFL students' utterances development by engaging with others, as well as the students' perceptions in the dialogic learning environment. The theoretical framework guiding this inquiry consists of the on-site lecture from the instructor and voice board feedback from the…
Comparing the Effects of Two Facets of Multiple Intelligences Theory on Developing EFL Learners' Listening

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bemani Naeini, Ma'ssoumeh

2015-01-01

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory (MIT), however having been embraced in the field of language acquisition, has apparently failed to play a role in research on learning styles as an alternative construct. This study aims at examining the potential effects of MI-based activities, as learning styles, on the listening proficiency of Iranian…

Tree, Map, Container: Metaphors for the History of Art Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kan, Koon Hwee

2011-01-01

Many graduate programs in North America require a course in the history of art education for master and doctoral students. When learners of all ages fail to see connections between their learning experience and educational outcomes, they are less motivated to engage actively, creatively, and responsibly in the construction of their own knowledge.…
Impacting Academic Achievement with Student Learners Teaching Digital Storytelling to Others: The ATTTCSE Digital Video Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Figg, Candace; McCartney, Robin

2010-01-01

University researchers, teacher candidates, language and technology instructors, student learners, and families from diverse backgrounds partnered in an invitational teaching/learning experience--middle school student learners teaching their VIPs (very important persons) how to create stories and construct digital movies with reference to their…
EFL Learners' Grammatical Awareness through Accumulating Formulaic Sequences of Morphological Structure (-ing)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kashiwagi, Kazuko; Ito, Yukiko

2017-01-01

Even young EFL learners who have not yet learned L2 grammar will notice language patterns if, when retrieving exemplars ("item-based patterns"), they succeed in making form-meaning connections (FMCs). Item-based patterns, termed formulaic sequences (FS), serve as a basis for creative constructions. Although learners are implicitly…
The Politics of Naming: Critiquing "Learner-Centred" and "Teacher as Facilitator" in English Language and Humanities Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ha, Phan Le

2014-01-01

"Learner-centred" and "teacher as facilitator," among the most influential concepts (re)shaping education over the past decades, are often represented as bringing democratic participation, equality, and empowerment to learners and helping transform and liberate societies. At the same time, these concepts are constructed in…
Constructing a Learner-Centered Syllabus: One Professor's Journey. IDEA Paper #60

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richmond, Aaron S.

2016-01-01

Educators increasingly agree that a learner-centered syllabus is associated with better rapport between students and teachers and increased student motivation, achievement, and empowerment. Accordingly, in 2009 Cullen and Harris developed a rubric for assessing the degree to which a syllabus is learner-centered versus teacher-centered. To date,…
Foreign Language Learners' Beliefs about CALL: The Case of a U.S. Midwestern University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sydorenko, Tetyana; Hsieh, Ching-Ni; Ahn, Seongmee; Arnold, Nike

2017-01-01

A significant body of research has examined language learners' attitudes toward particular technologies used in foreign language classrooms. However, literature is scarce on foreign language learners' beliefs toward computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in general. To narrow this gap, we investigated the constructs that compose a system of…
Reading Component Skills of Learners in Adult Basic Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacArthur, Charles A.; Konold, Timothy R.; Glutting, Joseph J.; Alamprese, Judith A.

2010-01-01

The purposes of this study were to investigate the reliability and construct validity of measures of reading component skills with a sample of adult basic education (ABE) learners, including both native and nonnative English speakers, and to describe the performance of those learners on the measures. Investigation of measures of reading components…
The WebQuest: constructing creative learning.

PubMed

Sanford, Julie; Townsend-Rocchiccioli, Judith; Trimm, Donna; Jacobs, Mike

2010-10-01

An exciting expansion of online educational opportunities is occurring in nursing. The use of a WebQuest as an inquiry-based learning activity can offer considerable opportunity for nurses to learn how to analyze and synthesize critical information. A WebQuest, as a constructivist, inquiry-oriented strategy, requires learners to use higher levels of thinking as a means to analyze and apply complex information, providing an exciting online teaching and learning strategy. A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all of the information learners work with comes from the web. This article provides an overview of the WebQuest as a teaching strategy and provides examples of its use. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.
Effects of Matching Teaching Strategy to Thinking Style on Learner's Quality of Reflection in an Online Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Nian-Shing; Kinshuk; Wei, Chun-Wang; Liu, Chia-Chi

2011-01-01

Reflection plays an important role in improving learning performance. This study, therefore, attempted to explore whether learners' reflection levels can be improved if teaching strategies are adapted to fit with learners' thinking styles in an online learning environment. Three teaching strategies, namely constructive, guiding, and inductive,…
PKS: An Ontology-Based Learning Construct for Lifelong Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manganello, Flavio; Falsetti, Carla; Spalazzi. Luca; Leo, Tommaso

2013-01-01

This paper addresses adult lifelong learners, i.e., persons interested in learning or compelled to learn during their working life but not able to, or not interested in participating in formal learning. These learners are motivated and self-aware enough to self-direct their learning, are presumed to be novices with respect to the needed knowledge…
Using a Network of Strategies Rubric to become a Self-Regulated Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmitt, Maribeth Cassidy

2011-01-01

Clay's work regarding how learners develop independent, strategic control over the process of constructing meaning from written texts indicates that all learners need a flexible repertoire of strategies as a network for: (a) "problem solving" or working on text on the run, (b) "self-monitoring" of the message for clarity and coherence, and (c)…
Rethinking construction: inclusion of slow learners as taker-off in quantity surveying practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majid, Masidah Abdul; Ashaari, Norul Izzati M.; @ Suhana Kamarudin Nurul Aini Osman, Suhaida; Suhaimi, Mohamad Saifulnizam Mohd

2017-11-01

The objective of this paper is to present the preliminary findings regarding the participation of OKU with learning disability in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) sectors. Review of the works of past researchers suggested that OKU is a potential workforce in STEM sectors but still under-represented due to lack of efforts from stakeholders and learning institutions in providing information on the opportunities that are available. A research has been initiated to explore the potential of slow learners to become workforce in the construction industry as a taker off - part of work of a Quantity Surveyor. Against the findings from the literature review, the modest attempt to attract slow learners to become taker off in the construction industry require the formulation of appropriate learning environment and strong support from the respective key players and stakeholders.
Computer-Based Tools for Inquiry in Undergraduate Classrooms: Results from the VGEE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandya, R. E.; Bramer, D. J.; Elliott, D.; Hay, K. E.; Mallaiahgari, L.; Marlino, M. R.; Middleton, D.; Ramamurhty, M. K.; Scheitlin, T.; Weingroff, M.; Wilhelmson, R.; Yoder, J.

2002-05-01

The Visual Geophysical Exploration Environment (VGEE) is a suite of computer-based tools designed to help learners connect observable, large-scale geophysical phenomena to underlying physical principles. Technologically, this connection is mediated by java-based interactive tools: a multi-dimensional visualization environment, authentic scientific data-sets, concept models that illustrate fundamental physical principles, and an interactive web-based work management system for archiving and evaluating learners' progress. Our preliminary investigations showed, however, that the tools alone are not sufficient to empower undergraduate learners; learners have trouble in organizing inquiry and using the visualization tools effectively. To address these issues, the VGEE includes an inquiry strategy and scaffolding activities that are similar to strategies used successfully in K-12 classrooms. The strategy is organized around the steps: identify, relate, explain, and integrate. In the first step, students construct visualizations from data to try to identify salient features of a particular phenomenon. They compare their previous conceptions of a phenomenon to the data examine their current knowledge and motivate investigation. Next, students use the multivariable functionality of the visualization environment to relate the different features they identified. Explain moves the learner temporarily outside the visualization to the concept models, where they explore fundamental physical principles. Finally, in integrate, learners use these fundamental principles within the visualization environment by literally placing the concept model within the visualization environment as a probe and watching it respond to larger-scale patterns. This capability, unique to the VGEE, addresses the disconnect that novice learners often experience between fundamental physics and observable phenomena. It also allows learners the opportunity to reflect on and refine their knowledge as well as anchor it within a context for long-term retention. We are implementing the VGEE in one of two otherwise identical entry-level atmospheric courses. In addition to comparing student learning and attitudes in the two courses, we are analyzing student participation with the VGEE to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of the VGEE. In particular, we seek to identify the scaffolding students need to construct physically meaningful multi-dimensional visualizations, and evaluate the effectiveness of the visualization-embedded concept-models in addressing inert knowledge. We will also examine the utility of the inquiry strategy in developing content knowledge, process-of-science knowledge, and discipline-specific investigatory skills. Our presentation will include video examples of student use to illustrate our findings.
The Tale of Two Noras: How a Yup'ik Middle Schooler Was Differently Constructed as a Math Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogan, Maureen P.

2008-01-01

This case study seeks to explain why a Yup'ik middle schooler, Nora, from a remote Alaskan village, was differently constructed as a math learner by her 6th- and 7th-grade math teachers. When a culturally relevant curriculum was used in 6th grade, Nora had a greater opportunity for leadership, ownership of knowledge, collaborative problem solving,…
Intelligent Image Based Computer Aided Education (IICAE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

David, Amos A.; Thiery, Odile; Crehange, Marion

1989-03-01

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has found its way into Computer Aided Education (CAE), and there are several systems constructed to put in evidence its interesting advantages. We believe that images (graphic or real) play an important role in learning. However, the use of images, outside their use as illustration, makes it necessary to have applications such as AI. We shall develop the application of AI in an image based CAE and briefly present the system under construction to put in evidence our concept. We shall also elaborate a methodology for constructing such a system. Futhermore we shall briefly present the pedagogical and psychological activities in a learning process. Under the pedagogical and psychological aspect of learning, we shall develop areas such as the importance of image in learning both as pedagogical objects as well as means for obtaining psychological information about the learner. We shall develop the learner's model, its use, what to build into it and how. Under the application of AI in an image based CAE, we shall develop the importance of AI in exploiting the knowledge base in the learning environment and its application as a means of implementing pedagogical strategies.
The Role of Oral Reading Fluency in ESL Reading Comprehension among Learners of Different First Language Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Xiangying

2016-01-01

This study discusses the construct of oral reading fluency and examines its relationship to reading comprehension among adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners of four first language (L1) backgrounds. One hundred and forty-nine adult learners of English with Arabic, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese language backgrounds participated in this…
Analyzing the Effects of Iranian EFL Textbooks on Developing Learners' Life Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khosravani, Mahboobeh; Khosravani, Mahmood; Khorashadyzadeh, Abbas

2014-01-01

Education is not an end, but a means to an end. The ultimate goal of education is to prepare students for their future life. Regarding this fact, English language classes and textbooks can be used as tools for improving learners' life skills. Meanwhile, informative textbooks with rich socio-cultural constructs that foster learners' life skills are…
A Pluriliteracies Approach to Content and Language Integrated Learning--Mapping Learner Progressions in Knowledge Construction and Meaning-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Oliver; Coyle, Do; Halbach, Ana; Schuck, Kevin; Ting, Teresa

2015-01-01

Over the past decades content and language integrated learning (CLIL) research has predominantly focused on the language proficiency of CLIL learners. The results are very promising and show that working language skills in learners, especially reading and listening skills, can be improved through a CLIL programme. Studies focusing on subject…
Learning and teaching science as inquiry: A case study of elementary school teachers' investigations of light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Zee, Emily H.; Hammer, David; Bell, Mary; Roy, Patricia; Peter, Jennifer

2005-11-01

This case study documents an example of inquiry learning and teaching during a summer institute for elementary and middle school teachers. A small group constructed an explanatory model for an intriguing optical phenomenon that they were observing. Research questions included: What physics thinking did the learners express? What aspects of scientific inquiry were evident in what the learners said and did? What questions did the learners ask one another as they worked? How did these learners collaborate in constructing understanding? How did the instructor foster their learning? Data sources included video- and audio- tapes of instruction, copies of the participants' writings and drawings, field notes, interviews, and staff reflections. An interpretative narrative of what three group members said and did presents a detailed account of their learning process. Analyses of their utterances provide evidence of physics thinking, scientific inquiry, questioning, collaborative sense making, and insight into ways to foster inquiry learning.
KnowledgePuzzle: A Browsing Tool to Adapt the Web Navigation Process to the Learner's Mental Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AlAgha, Iyad

2012-01-01

This article presents KnowledgePuzzle, a browsing tool for knowledge construction from the web. It aims to adapt the structure of web content to the learner's information needs regardless of how the web content is originally delivered. Learners are provided with a meta-cognitive space (e.g., a concept mapping tool) that enables them to plan…

Exploring the roles of interaction and flow in explaining nurses' e-learning acceptance.

PubMed

Cheng, Yung-Ming

2013-01-01

To provide safe and competent patient care, it is very important that medical institutions should provide nurses with continuing education by using appropriate learning methods. As compared to traditional learning, electronic learning (e-learning) is a more flexible method for nurses' in-service learning. Hence, e-learning is expected to play a pivotal role in providing continuing education for nurses. This study's purpose was to explore the role and relevance of interaction factors, intrinsic motivator (i.e., flow), and extrinsic motivators (i.e., perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU)) in explaining nurses' intention to use the e-learning system. Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) with the flow theory, this study's research model presents three types of interaction factors, learner-system interaction, instructor-learner interaction, and learner-learner interaction to construct an extended TAM to explore nurses' intention to use the e-learning system. Sample data were gathered from nurses at two regional hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 320 questionnaires were distributed, 254 (79.375%) questionnaires were returned. Consequently, 218 usable questionnaires were analyzed in this study, with a usable response rate of 68.125%. First, confirmatory factor analysis was used to develop the measurement model. Second, to explore the causal relationships among all constructs, the structural model for the research model was tested by using structural equation modeling. First, learner-system interaction, instructor-learner interaction, and learner-learner interaction respectively had significant effects on PU, PEOU, and flow. Next, flow had significant effects on PU and PEOU, and PEOU had a significant effect on PU. Finally, the effects of flow, PU, and PEOU on intention to use were significant. Synthetically speaking, learner-system interaction, instructor-learner interaction, and learner-learner interaction can indirectly make significant impacts on nurses' usage intention of the e-learning system via their extrinsic motivators (i.e., PU and PEOU) and intrinsic motivator (i.e., flow). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The effects of computer-supported inquiry-based learning methods and peer interaction on learning stellar parallax

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruzhitskaya, Lanika

The presented research study investigated the effects of computer-supported inquiry-based learning and peer interaction methods on effectiveness of learning a scientific concept. The stellar parallax concept was selected as a basic, and yet important in astronomy, scientific construct, which is based on a straightforward relationship of several components presented in a simple mathematical equation: d = 1/p. The simplicity of the concept allowed the researchers to explore how the learners construct their conceptual knowledge, build mathematical skills and transfer their knowledge beyond the learning settings. A computer-based tutorial Stellar Parallax Interactive Restricted and Unrestricted Tutorial (SPIRUT) was developed for this study, and was designed to aid students' knowledge construction of the concept either in a learner-controlled or a program-controlled mode. The first investigated method in the study was enhancing engagement by the means of scaffolding for inquiry, which included scripted prompts and called for students' predictions and reflections while working in the learner-controlled or the computer-controlled version of SPIRUT. A second form of enhancing engagement was through peers working cooperatively during the learning activities. The students' level of understanding of the concept was measured by (1) the number of correct answers on a conceptual test with (2) several questions that require knowledge transfer to unfamiliar situations and (3) their ability to calculate the stellar parallax and find distances to stars. The study was conducted in the University of Missouri among 199 non-science major students enrolled in an introductory astronomy course in the fall semester 2010. The participants were divided into two main groups: one was working with SPIRUT and another group was a control group and utilized a paper-based tutorial. The SPIRUT group was further divided into the learner-controlled and the program-controlled subgroups. Students' learning achievements were measured by two post- tests and compared to the students' results on a pre-test. The first post-test was administered right after the treatment with aim to measure the immediate effect of the treatment. The second post-test was administered eight weeks later and was aimed to elicit how much of the constructed knowledge students retained after the treatment. Results of the study revealed that students who learned the concept with SPIRUT constructed greater conceptual knowledge and were able to better transfer it to another situation while their mathematical skills were equally improved as those students who worked with the paper-based tutorial. It was also evident that there was no difference between students' performances after their engagement with the learner-controlled or with the program-controlled version of SPIRUT. It was also found that students who worked independently constructed slightly greater knowledge than students who worked with peers. Albeit, there was no significant difference found of retention of knowledge after any type of treatment.
New Wine in Old Skins: Changing Patterns in the Governing of the Adult Learner in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fejes, Andreas

2005-01-01

This paper explores the ways in which the adult learner has been governed in recent years and whether the techniques for doing this have changed over the last 50 years. The focus is first on which adult subject (adult learner) is constructed in the material analysed. What kinds of subjects are governed? This is followed by an analysis of what…
Analysis of a mammography teaching program based on an affordance design model.

PubMed

Luo, Ping; Eikman, Edward A; Kealy, William; Qian, Wei

2006-12-01

The wide use of computer technology in education, particularly in mammogram reading, asks for e-learning evaluation. The existing media comparative studies, learner attitude evaluations, and performance tests are problematic. Based on an affordance design model, this study examined an existing e-learning program on mammogram reading. The selection criteria include content relatedness, representativeness, e-learning orientation, image quality, program completeness, and accessibility. A case study was conducted to examine the affordance features, functions, and presentations of the selected software. Data collection and analysis methods include interviews, protocol-based document analysis, and usability tests and inspection. Also some statistics were calculated. The examination of PBE identified that this educational software designed and programmed some tools. The learner can use these tools in the process of optimizing displays, scanning images, comparing different projections, marking the region of interests, constructing a descriptive report, assessing one's learning outcomes, and comparing one's decisions with the experts' decisions. Further, PBE provides some resources for the learner to construct one's knowledge and skills, including a categorized image library, a term-searching function, and some teaching links. Besides, users found it easy to navigate and carry out tasks. The users also reacted positively toward PBE's navigation system, instructional aids, layout, pace and flow of information, graphics, and other presentation design. The software provides learners with some cognitive tools, supporting their perceptual problem-solving processes and extending their capabilities. Learners can internalize the mental models in mammogram reading through multiple perceptual triangulations, sensitization of related features, semantic description of mammogram findings, and expert-guided semantic report construction. The design of these cognitive tools and the software interface matches the findings and principles in human learning and instructional design. Working with PBE's case-based simulations and categorized gallery, learners can enrich and transfer their experience to their jobs.
Multi-Agent Systems Design for Novices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Simon; Rajendran, Keerthi

2005-01-01

Advanced approaches to the construction of software systems can present difficulties to learners. This is true for multi-agent systems (MAS) which exhibit concurrency, non-determinacy of structure and composition and sometimes emergent behavior characteristics. Additional barriers exist for learners because mainstream MAS technology is young and…
Literacies, Narratives, and Adult Learning in Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elmborg, Jim

2010-01-01

Learners within academic library settings use information resources toward specific ends--learner-constructed research and writing projects that offer new perspectives on particular topics. Such projects may take the form of individual research papers and/or class presentations, literature reviews, theses, e-portfolios, web pages, or…
A Learner Directed Approach to Kpelle. A Handbook on Communication and Culture with Dialogs, Texts, Cultural Notes, Exercises, Drills and Instructions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thach, Sharon V.; And Others

A combined teacher's manual and learner's manual for one of the Mande languages of Liberia presents materials for about 300 hours of study and is the equivalent of a first-year college language course. The basic text introduces all of the syntactic constructions of Kpelle that learners are likely to encounter in the language, and introduces 1,000…
Teacher Investment in Learner Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Jenelle

2009-01-01

From a sociocultural perspective, teacher identity is constructed in relation to others, including other teachers and students. Drawing on positioning theory and the concept of investment, this study analyzed the case of a secondary English teacher who negotiated his teacher identity in relation to English language learners (ELLs). Findings…
Learner-Centred Education and "Cultural Translation"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Paul

2013-01-01

This paper contests the proposal that learner-centred education (LCE) may simply be a western construct, irrelevant to the current educational needs of developing countries, by arguing that its specific forms will be more effective when introduced through small-scale institutional relationships than through large-scale contracts with national…
Meaningful Learning in the Cooperative Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharan, Yael

2015-01-01

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…
Knowledge Organization through Multiple Representations in a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Namdar, Bahadir; Shen, Ji

2018-01-01

Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments provide learners with multiple representational tools for storing, sharing, and constructing knowledge. However, little is known about how learners organize knowledge through multiple representations about complex socioscientific issues. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to…
Coaching: a new model for academic and career achievement.

PubMed

Deiorio, Nicole M; Carney, Patricia A; Kahl, Leslie E; Bonura, Erin M; Juve, Amy Miller

2016-01-01

Individualized education is emerging as an innovative model for physician training. This requires faculty coaching to guide learners' achievements in academic performance, competency development, and career progression. In addition, coaching can foster self-reflection and self-monitoring using a data-guided approach to support lifelong learning. Coaching differs from mentoring or advising, and its application in medical education is novel. Because of this, definitions of the concept and the constructs of coaching as applied to medical education are needed to accurately assess the coaching relationship and coaching processes. These can then be linked to learner outcomes to inform how coaching serves as a modifier of academic and competency achievement and career satisfaction. We developed definitions and constructs for academic coaching in medical education based on review of existing education and non-education coaching literature. These constructs focus on 1) establishing relationship principles, 2) conducting learner assessments, 3) developing and implementing an action plan, and 4) assessing results and revising plans accordingly. Coaching is emerging as an important construct in the context of medical education. This article lays the vital groundwork needed for evaluation of coaching programs aimed at producing outstanding physicians.
Providing Deep Learning through Active Engagement of Adult Learners in Blended Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonough, Darlene

2014-01-01

Malcolm Knowles (2011) indicates that adult learners are most likely to be actively engaged in learning when they are given some choice and control over the learning process. When the curriculum relates to the adult learner's interests, is individualized, and authentic; the adult learner becomes actively engaged in the process by making a…
Second Language Writing Classification System Based on Word-Alignment Distribution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotani, Katsunori; Yoshimi, Takehiko

2010-01-01

The present paper introduces an automatic classification system for assisting second language (L2) writing evaluation. This system, which classifies sentences written by L2 learners as either native speaker-like or learner-like sentences, is constructed by machine learning algorithms using word-alignment distributions as classification features…
Becoming Adult Learners: Principles and Practices for Effective Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drago-Severson, Eleanor

2004-01-01

This book offers a new and promising way to support adults in Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) programs specifically, and learners in adult education, in general. Applying renowned Harvard University psychologist Robert Kegan's constructive-development theory, Drago-Severson depicts an in-depth…
The Influence of Township Schools on the Resilience of Their Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mampane, Ruth; Bouwer, Cecilia

2011-01-01

Many learners living in townships require protection and resilience to overcome obstacles and adversities in their context of development. The literature on resilience indicates strongly that resilience is embedded systemically. In the absence of constructive and supportive conditions in the home environment, the school would logically appear to…
Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulation, and Goal Orientation: Learner Motivational Characteristics That Influence Online Student Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wintling, Cheral Ann

2012-01-01

Learner motivational constructs of self-efficacy, self-regulation, and goal orientation in predicting successful student performance in online courses were explored. Thirty-three undergraduate students from the online courses Introduction to Educational Technology and Introduction to Education completed sections of the Motivated Strategies for…
It's not about you: a simple proposition for improving biology education.

PubMed

Wright, Robin

2014-10-01

THE Genetics Society of America's Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education recognizes significant and sustained impact on genetics education. Consistent with her philosophy of linking research and education, the 2014 Awardee Robin Wright includes undergraduate students in all of her research. She seeks to teach how to think like and to actually be a biologist, working in teams and looking at real-world problems. She emphasizes a learner-centered model of classroom work that promotes and enhances lifelong skills, and has transformed biology education at the University of Minnesota through several efforts including developing the interactive, stimulating Foundations of Biology course sequence, encouraging active learning and open-ended research; supporting the construction of Active Learning Classrooms; and establishing Student Learning Outcomes, standards that measure biology education. She serves as founding editor-in-chief of CourseSource, focusing national effort to collect learner-centered, outcomes-based teaching resources in undergraduate biology. Copyright © 2014 by the Genetics Society of America.
Meaningful learning: The essential factor for conceptual change in limited or inappropriate propositional hierarchies leading to empowerment of learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, Joseph D.

2002-07-01

The construction and reconstruction of meanings by learners requires that they actively seek to integrate new knowledge with knowledge already in their cognitive structure. Ausubel's assimilation theory of cognitive learning has been shown to be effective in guiding research and instructional design to facilitate meaningful learning (Ausubel, The psychology of meaningful verbal learning, New York: Grune and Stratton, 1963; Educational psychology: A cognitive view, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968; The acquisition and retention of knowledge, Dordrecht: Kluwer, 2000). Gowin's Vee heuristic has been employed effectively to aid teachers and students in understanding the constructed nature of knowledge (Gowin, Educating, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1981). Situated learning occurs when learning is by rote or at a lower level of meaningful learning. Concept mapping has been used effectively to aid meaningful learning with resulting modification of student's knowledge structures. When these knowledge structures are limited or faulty in some way, they may be referred to as Limited or Inappropriate Propositional Hierarchies (LIPH's). Conceptual change, or more accurately conceptual reconstrution, requires meaningful learning to modify LIPH's. Collaborative group learning facilitates meaningful learning and new knowledge construction. World-wide economic changes are forcing major changes in business and industry placing a premium on the power and value of knowledge and new knowledge production. These changes require changes in school and university education that centers on the nature and power of meaningful learning. New computer tools are available to facilitate teaching activities targeted at modifying LIPH's, and aiding meaningful learning in general.
Language Learning Activities of Distance EFL Learners in the Turkish Open Education System as the Indicator of Their Learner Autonomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altunay, Dilek

2013-01-01

This study investigates the noncompulsory language learning activities performed by a group of distance EFL learners in the Turkish Open Education System. Performance of these activities has been considered as an indicator of their learner autonomy. The data were collected through an online questionnaire and interviews. The study shows that in…

Radical Conversations: Part Two--Cultivating Social-Constructivist Learning Methods in ABE Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muth, Bill; Kiser, Madeline

2008-01-01

In many U.S. prisons an overuse of individualized instruction silences literacy learners and reinforces oppressive notions about what knowledge is and whose knowledge counts. In these classrooms, methods that invite learners to tap their background knowledge, reflect on their worlds, and dialogue with others to construct meaning--commonplace in…
Learner-Created Podcasts: Students' Stories with Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolden, Benjamin

2013-01-01

This article describes uses for podcasts in music education, focusing on learner-created podcasts as an opportunity for students to construct and represent knowledge. The author outlines a podcast assignment that enables secondary and postsecondary students to examine and more deeply understand the meaning music holds for them and the role it has…
Constructing a "Third Space" for EFL Learners: Where Language and Cultures Meet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liaw, Meei-Ling

2007-01-01

Efforts have been made by language educators and researchers to use computer technology to assist L2 learners' growth in either linguistic or intercultural competence. Nonetheless, web-based environments devoted to developing both types of competences in tandem are new and experimental. The purpose of this project, which involves the collaboration…
Plays Well with Others: A Study of EFL Learner Reciprocity in Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozkose-Biyik, Cagri; Meskill, Carla

2015-01-01

Classroom observation studies suggest that the teacher-calculus is complex and sensitive to learner behaviors. In language education, this becomes particularly important due to strong emphasis on productive interpersonal interaction. This study set out to understand what constitutes positive learning behaviors in an EFL context. The construct of…
Slowmation: Preservice Elementary Teachers Representing Science Knowledge through Creating Multimodal Digital Animations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoban, Garry; Loughran, John; Nielsen, Wendy

2011-01-01

Research has identified the value of learners using technology to construct their own representations of science concepts. In this study, we investigate how learners, such as preservice elementary teachers, design and make a narrated animation to represent their science knowledge. The type of animation exemplified is called a "Slowmation"…
On the "Vulnerability" of Syntactic Domains in Swedish and German

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohnacker, Ute

2007-01-01

This article investigates the L2 acquisition of clausal syntax in postpuberty learners of German and Swedish regarding V2, VP headedness, and verb particle constructions. The learner data are tested against L2 theories according to which lower structural projections (VP) are acquired before higher functional projections (IP, CP), VP syntax is…
Investigating Linguistic, Literary, and Social Affordances of L2 Collaborative Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thoms, Joshua J.; Poole, Frederick

2017-01-01

This exploratory study analyzes learner-learner interactions within a virtual environment when collaboratively reading Spanish poetry in a Hispanic literature course at the college level via an ecological theoretical perspective (van Lier, 2004). The goals of the study are (a) to present empirical data that illustrate the theoretical construct of…
Effects of Degree of Segmentation and Learner Disposition on Multimedia Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doolittle, Peter E.; Bryant, Lauren H.; Chittum, Jessica R.

2015-01-01

The construction of asynchronous learning environments often involves the creation of self-paced multimedia instructional episodes that provide the learner with control over the pacing of instruction (segmentation); however, does the amount of segmentation impact learning? This study explored the effects of the degree of segmentation on recall and…
Learning by Generating vs. Receiving Instructional Explanations: Two Approaches to Enhance Attention Cueing in Animations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Koning, Bjorn B.; Tabbers, Huib K.; Rikers, Remy M. J. P.; Paas, Fred

2010-01-01

This study investigated whether learners construct more accurate mental representations from animations when instructional explanations are provided via narration than when learners attempt to infer functional relations from the animation through self-explaining. Also effects of attention guidance by means of cueing are investigated. Psychology…
Tussle Over English-Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zehr, Mary Ann

2007-01-01

In the past decade, Harrisonburg, Virginia, has become a magnet for immigrant families drawn to jobs in the poultry and construction industries. More than 1,600 of the school district's 4,400 students are English-learners. The largest group of newcomers are Latinos, followed by Kurdish and Russian refugees. In this article, the author discusses a…
L'analyse contrastive: histoire et situation actuelle (Contrastive Analysis: History and Current Situation).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Py, Bernard

1984-01-01

It is suggested that it is not between two languages that transfers and interference occur, but within the learner. The learner mediates and constructs this relationship according to acquisition operations, processes, strategies, and stages that contrastive analysis, despite its utility, can neither account for nor predict. (MSE)
Envisaging Agency as Discourse Hybridity: A Butlerian Analysis of Secondary Classroom Discourses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charteris, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Conceptualised from a range of sociological perspectives, and theorised extensively over the last 50 years, human agency is an integral element to lifelong learning. Poststructural theory with its decentred discursive construction of the learner offers a vibrant conception of classroom dynamics. This paper envisions how learner agency can be…
Hyphenated Identities of Korean Heritage Language Learners: Marginalization, Colonial Discourses and Internalized Whiteness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Jeeweon

2016-01-01

Drawing on the data collected through classroom observations, participants' written journals, and in-depth interviews, this study examines the hyphenated identity constructions of 1.5- ("ilcem osey") and 2nd-generation heritage language learners. The study observes that ethnic and racial exclusion in a White dominant society was more…
The Effects of Self-Determination on Learning Outcomes in a Blended Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joo, Young Ju; Lim, Kyu Yon; Han, Sang Yoon; Ham, Yoo Kyoung; Kang, Aran

2013-01-01

The purpose of the paper is to examine whether the sub-constructs of self-determination, that is, learners' perceived level of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, predict learning flow, persistence, and achievement in a blended learning context. Participants are 102 adult learners who voluntarily registered for a Chinese language learning…
Survey of Native English Speakers and Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners in Tertiary Introductory Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesser, Lawrence M.; Wagler, Amy E.; Esquinca, Alberto; Valenzuela, M. Guadalupe

2013-01-01

The framework of linguistic register and case study research on Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) learning statistics informed the construction of a quantitative instrument, the Communication, Language, And Statistics Survey (CLASS). CLASS aims to assess whether ELLs and non-ELLs approach the learning of statistics differently with…
Performance Assessment and the Components of the Oral Construct across Different Tasks and Rater Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chalhoub-Deville, Micheline

This study investigated whether different groups of native speakers assess second language learners' language skills differently for three elicitation techniques. Subjects were six learners of college-level Arabic as a second language, tape-recorded performing three tasks: participating in a modified oral proficiency interview, narrating a picture…
Learners' Perceptions of Instructional Design Practice in a Situated Learning Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolf, Nicholas; Quinn, James

2009-01-01

This case study investigated learners' perceptions of value from participating in a learning activity designed to model professional instructional design practice. Learners developed instructional design products for a corporate client in the context of a classroom-based course. The findings indicate that learners perceived different kinds of…
The influence of prior knowledge on the retrieval-directed function of note taking in prior knowledge activation.

PubMed

Wetzels, Sandra A J; Kester, Liesbeth; van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G; Broers, Nick J

2011-06-01

Prior knowledge activation facilitates learning. Note taking during prior knowledge activation (i.e., note taking directed at retrieving information from memory) might facilitate the activation process by enabling learners to build an external representation of their prior knowledge. However, taking notes might be less effective in supporting prior knowledge activation if available prior knowledge is limited. This study investigates the effects of the retrieval-directed function of note taking depending on learners' level of prior knowledge. It is hypothesized that the effectiveness of note taking is influenced by the amount of prior knowledge learners already possess. Sixty-one high school students participated in this study. A prior knowledge test was used to ascertain differences in level of prior knowledge and assign participants to a low or a high prior knowledge group. A 2×2 factorial design was used to investigate the effects of note taking during prior knowledge activation (yes, no) depending on learners' level of prior knowledge (low, high) on mental effort, performance, and mental efficiency. Note taking during prior knowledge activation lowered mental effort and increased mental efficiency for high prior knowledge learners. For low prior knowledge learners, note taking had the opposite effect on mental effort and mental efficiency. The effects of the retrieval-directed function of note taking are influenced by learners' level of prior knowledge. Learners with high prior knowledge benefit from taking notes while activating prior knowledge, whereas note taking has no beneficial effects for learners with limited prior knowledge. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.
Using Writing as a Constructivist Instructional Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narayanan, M.

2006-12-01

Researchers in the area of cognitive science and educational psychology have shown that instructors who encourage student writing are actually helping in motivating a reluctant pupil. It has also been reported that writing indirectly rewards an individual with dynamic interest. Furthermore, it is believed that writing strengthens the self-confidence of a lethargic learner. (Kosakowski, 1998). All in all, promoting writing helps and supports learners cultivate a positive attitude toward the subject matter in question. The constructivist approach promotes a learning paradigm and helps individuals learn and understand by "constructing" knowledge. Learners are effectively encouraged to generate and build their own knowledge base. Learners document progress by constructing new concepts based on previously gained knowledge. The role of the teacher is actually to facilitate the creation of a learning environment. The constructivist approach when used in the classroom enables the students to become more active, independent thinkers of knowledge. Education World writer Gloria Chaika (Chaika, 2000) states that "Talent is important, but practice creates the solid base that allows that unique talent to soar. Like athletes, writers learn by doing. Good writing requires the same kind of dedicated practice that athletes put in. Young writers often lack the support they need to practice writing and develop their talent to the fullest, though." The author has successfully utilized some of these principles and techniques in a senior level course he teaches. He has encouraged students to try to solve problems their own way and has asked them to observe, document, assess and evaluate the results. In the classroom, the author takes the role of a coach and helps the students approach the problem with a different viewpoint. Eventually the students document their conclusions in a page-long essay. This type of writing assignment not only builds critical thinking abilities but also generates improved written communication skills among learners. References: Kosakowski, John, (1998). The Benefits of Information Technology. ERIC Digests; Technology Integration; Technology Role, ED0-IR-98-04 Chaika, Gloria (2000),Encourage Student Writing: Published on the Web, Education World http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech042.shtml
Learner-Content-Interface as an Approach for Self-Reliant and Student-Centered Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicolay, Robin; Schwennigcke, Bastian; Sahl, Sarah; Martens, Alke

2015-01-01

Conceptualization and implementation of computer supported teaching and training is currently not tailored to the paradigm of learner centration. Many technical solutions lack transparency and consistency regarding the supported learner activities. An insight into learners activities correlated to learning tasks is needed. In this paper we outline…

Ubiquitous Mobile Knowledge Construction in Collaborative Learning Environments

PubMed Central

Baloian, Nelson; Zurita, Gustavo

2012-01-01

Knowledge management is a critical activity for any organization. It has been said to be a differentiating factor and an important source of competitiveness if this knowledge is constructed and shared among its members, thus creating a learning organization. Knowledge construction is critical for any collaborative organizational learning environment. Nowadays workers must perform knowledge creation tasks while in motion, not just in static physical locations; therefore it is also required that knowledge construction activities be performed in ubiquitous scenarios, and supported by mobile and pervasive computational systems. These knowledge creation systems should help people in or outside organizations convert their tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, thus supporting the knowledge construction process. Therefore in our understanding, we consider highly relevant that undergraduate university students learn about the knowledge construction process supported by mobile and ubiquitous computing. This has been a little explored issue in this field. This paper presents the design, implementation, and an evaluation of a system called MCKC for Mobile Collaborative Knowledge Construction, supporting collaborative face-to-face tacit knowledge construction and sharing in ubiquitous scenarios. The MCKC system can be used by undergraduate students to learn how to construct knowledge, allowing them anytime and anywhere to create, make explicit and share their knowledge with their co-learners, using visual metaphors, gestures and sketches to implement the human-computer interface of mobile devices (PDAs). PMID:22969333
Ubiquitous mobile knowledge construction in collaborative learning environments.

PubMed

Baloian, Nelson; Zurita, Gustavo

2012-01-01

Knowledge management is a critical activity for any organization. It has been said to be a differentiating factor and an important source of competitiveness if this knowledge is constructed and shared among its members, thus creating a learning organization. Knowledge construction is critical for any collaborative organizational learning environment. Nowadays workers must perform knowledge creation tasks while in motion, not just in static physical locations; therefore it is also required that knowledge construction activities be performed in ubiquitous scenarios, and supported by mobile and pervasive computational systems. These knowledge creation systems should help people in or outside organizations convert their tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, thus supporting the knowledge construction process. Therefore in our understanding, we consider highly relevant that undergraduate university students learn about the knowledge construction process supported by mobile and ubiquitous computing. This has been a little explored issue in this field. This paper presents the design, implementation, and an evaluation of a system called MCKC for Mobile Collaborative Knowledge Construction, supporting collaborative face-to-face tacit knowledge construction and sharing in ubiquitous scenarios. The MCKC system can be used by undergraduate students to learn how to construct knowledge, allowing them anytime and anywhere to create, make explicit and share their knowledge with their co-learners, using visual metaphors, gestures and sketches to implement the human-computer interface of mobile devices (PDAs).
Construct Relevant or Irrelevant? The Role of Linguistic Complexity in the Assessment of English Language Learners' Science Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avenia-Tapper, Brianna; Llosa, Lorena

2015-01-01

This article addresses the issue of language-related construct-irrelevant variance on content area tests from the perspective of systemic functional linguistics. We propose that the construct relevance of language used in content area assessments, and consequent claims of construct-irrelevant variance and bias, should be determined according to…
Autonomous Learner Model Resource Book

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Betts, George T.; Carey, Robin J.; Kapushion, Blanche M.

2016-01-01

"Autonomous Learner Model Resource Book" includes activities and strategies to support the development of autonomous learners. More than 40 activities are included, all geared to the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical development of students. Teachers may use these activities and strategies with the entire class, small groups, or…
Constructing Community in a Postsecondary Virtual Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bielman, Virginia A.; Putney, Leann G.; Strudler, Neal

2003-01-01

Interactional ethnography with a social constructionist perspective was used as an orienting theoretical framework to investigate how a community of learners was constructed in a postsecondary distance education class. The question guiding this research was: How do the interactions of the participants in an on-line classroom construct the social…
Enhancing Learners' Self-Directed Use of Technology for Language Learning: The Effectiveness of an Online Training Platform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Chun; Shum, Mark; Tian, Yan

2016-01-01

Enhancing self-directed use of technology for language learning is essential for maximizing the potential of technology for language learning. Understanding how to construct learner training to promote this critical competency is of great significance. This study examined the effectiveness of an online training platform aimed at enhancing the…
"I Won't Talk about This Here in America": Sociocultural Context of Korean English Language Learners' Emotion Speech in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Sujin; Dorner, Lisa M.

2013-01-01

This article examines the relationship between language and emotion, especially drawing attention to the experiences and perspectives of second language (SL) learners. Informed by the sociocultural perspective on the construction of emotion and its representation, this study highlights the intertwined relationship among emotions, cultural…
Adult Science Learners' Mathematical Mistakes: An Analysis of Responses to Computer-Marked Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Sally

2014-01-01

Inspection of thousands of student responses to computer-marked assessment questions has brought insight into the errors made by adult distance learners of science. Most of the questions analysed were in summative use and required students to construct their own response. Both of these things increased confidence in the reliability of the…
Blended E-Learning as a Requirement for Teaching EFL in a Thai Academic Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tananuraksakul, Noparat

2016-01-01

This paper results from a pilot study in a Thai academic context testing two hypotheses. First, blended e-learning required by an institution can motivate learners extrinsically to learn EFL. Second, blended e-learning can enhance learners' positive attitudes toward learning EFL. The hypotheses were constructed based on an implication that Thai…
Effects of Instruction on Chinese College Students' Thematic Choice in Academic Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Jing

2016-01-01

The Theme is a major aspect of how speakers construct their messages in a way which makes them fit smoothly into the unfolding language event. Thematic choice provides clues as to how English learners organize information and shape their texts. Previous studies reveal that English learners deviated from English native speakers in their thematic…
The Social Construction of Academic Language in Teacher Education: Preparing Preservice Teachers to Work with English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scalzo, Jennifer Noel

2010-01-01

Increasing numbers of English language learners enrolled in public schools has brought national attention to issues surrounding the education of linguistically diverse students. Teacher education programs have come under scrutiny for not doing an "adequate job of preparing teachers to teach diverse populations" (Hollins & Guzman,…
Exploring an Invisible Medium: Teacher Language Awareness among Preservice K12 Educators of English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindahl, Kristen Marie

2013-01-01

This study investigates the construct of Teacher Language Awareness (TLA) in a group of preservice mainstream K-12 teachers who are developing skills to work with English Language Learners (ELLs) in United States (US) public school contexts. Specifically, the study seeks to explore how preservice teachers' participation in directed university…
Constructing and Role-Playing Student Avatars in a Simulation of Teaching Algebra for Diverse Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Tingting; Brown, Irving A.; Kulm, Gerald; Davis, Trina J.; Lewis, Chance W.; Allen, G. Donald

2016-01-01

From the perspectives of Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs), this study examines the design and implementation of a simulated teaching environment in "Second Life" (SL) for prospective teachers to teach algebra for diverse learners. Drawing upon the Learning-for-Use framework, the analyses provide evidence on the development of student…
Negotiating Multiple Identities through eTandem Learning Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Se Jeong; Yi, Youngjoo

2017-01-01

Much of eTandem research has investigated either linguistic or cross-cultural aspects of second language (L2) learning, but relatively little is known about issues of identity construction in an eTandem context. Situating the study within theories and research of language learner identity, we examined ways in which two adult L2 learners (a Korean…
Pilot Study on the Feasibility and Indicator Effects of Collaborative Online Projects on Science Learning for English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terrazas-Arellanes, Fatima E.; Knox, Carolyn; Walden, Emily

2015-01-01

The 2006 National Science Board called for new strategies and instructional materials for teachers to better serve English Learners' (EL) needs. Bilingual Collaborative Online Projects in science were created to assist ELs' construction of science knowledge, facilitate academic English acquisition, and improve science learning. Two bilingual…
Relevance: Cornerstone for Constructing Meaning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardell, Melanie

2005-01-01

Relevance has been called the "What's In It For Me" (WIIFM) issue. If there is not something in the content that the learner really needs, then they normally do not want to be bothered with it. Relevance is learner driven, but must be teacher provided for optimal learning. Relevance is so important to the making of meaning that Eric Jensen (1996,…
Fostering German-Language Learners' Constructions of Meanings for Fractions--Design and Effects of a Language-and Mathematics-Integrated Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prediger, Susanne; Wessel, Lena

2013-01-01

Learning situations that concentrate on conceptual understanding are particularly challenging for learners with limited proficiency in the language of instruction. This article presents an intervention on fractions for Grade 7 in which linguistic challenges and conceptual mathematical challenges were treated in an integrated way. The quantitative…
Of Pigs and Wolves at the OK Corral--or the Emerging Alternative Paradigm and the Construction of Knowledge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huber, Tonya

1996-01-01

Explores the need for recognizing and respecting different learner perspectives in order to better develop culturally responsive pedagogy. It argues for a new constructionist paradigm for teaching within a multicultural setting, which does not emphasize assimilation into the dominant culture, but enhances the learner's potential for creating anew…
The Construction of a Questionnaire to Evaluate the Science Orientedness of Students' Identities as Learners from a Cognitive Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taconis, Ruurd; de Putter-Smits, Lesley G. M.; Henry, Steven; den Brok, Perry J.; Beijaard, Douwe

2010-01-01

Forming a science-oriented identity is considered a process underlying both interest and achievement in science education. A questionnaire is developed for describing "identities as learners" and evaluating their science orientedness. The instrument (k = 65) focuses on cognitive aspects. An internal coherence of .88 was found. Five…
Becoming "Spanish Learners": Identity and Interaction among Multilingual Children in a Spanish-English Dual Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martínez, Ramón Antonio; Durán, Leah; Hikida, Michiko

2017-01-01

This article explores the interactional co-construction of identities among two first-grade students learning Spanish as a third language in a Spanish-English dual language classroom. Drawing on ethnographic and interactional data, the article focuses on a single interaction between these two "Spanish learners" and two of their…

Investigating the Reading Engagement of English Language Learners: A Case Study of Four Middle School ELLs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Protacio, Maria Selena O.

2013-01-01

This study investigates the reading engagement of four middle school English Language Learners (ELLs) in their English or English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom. Engaged readers are those who address the four components of reading engagement--motivation, strategic knowledge, constructing meaning from texts, and social interactions. In this…
Informal Learning with Technology: The Effects of Self-Constructing Externalizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Damnik, Gregor; Proske, Antje; Narciss, Susanne; Körndle, Hermann

2013-01-01

Especially in the context of technology-enhanced informal learning, it is crucial to understand how to design information sources in such a way that learners are not overwhelmed by the demands of the learning process, but at the same time are engaged in higher order thinking processes. Guidance aids learners in dealing with the demands of a…
Backwards and Forwards: An Approach to Understanding the Older Learner.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Mary Alice

At each age learning is a complex interaction of motivation, cognition, and development. In older adults, motivation is often related to a lifelong personality construct or personal meaning that an older individual will seek to play out when given the opportunity in late life. The needs of the older adult learner can be discussed in terms of…
Acquisition of Zero Relative Clauses in English by Adult Turkish Learners of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ordem, Eser

2017-01-01

Studies on acquisition of relative clauses by first and second language learners have evoked considerable interest in recent decades. In line with such studies, in this present study we aim to show the possible effect of first language (Turkish) on second language (English) in zero relative clause constructions. English uses certain stranded…
The Influence of Self-Regulated Learning and Prior Knowledge on Knowledge Acquisition in Computer-Based Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernacki, Matthew

2010-01-01

This study examined how learners construct textbase and situation model knowledge in hypertext computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) and documented the influence of specific self-regulated learning (SRL) tactics, prior knowledge, and characteristics of the learner on posttest knowledge scores from exposure to a hypertext. A sample of 160…
A Flow Theory Perspective on Learner Motivation and Behavior in Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liao, Li-Fen

2006-01-01

Motivating learners to continue to study and enjoy learning is one of the critical factors in distance education. Flow theory is a useful framework for studying the individual experience of learning through using computers. In this study, I examine students' emotional and cognitive responses to distance learning systems by constructing two models…
The Evolution of the Social Roletaking and Guided Reflection Framework in Teacher Education: Recent Theory and Quantitative Synthesis of Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reiman, Alan J.

1999-01-01

Addresses the lack of theory and directing constructs for reflective practice in teacher education, reviewing Vygotskyian and Piagetian theoretical tenets, relating them to a developmental action/reflection framework for adult learners, and summarizing a taxonomy for differentiating reflection according to adult learners' needs. Summarizes the…
Accommodations for English Language Learners Taking Large-Scale Assessments: A Meta-Analysis on Effectiveness and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kieffer, Michael J.; Lesaux, Nonie K.; Rivera, Mabel; Francis, David J.

2009-01-01

Including English language learners (ELLs) in large-scale assessments raises questions about the validity of inferences based on their scores. Test accommodations for ELLs are intended to reduce the impact of limited English proficiency on the assessment of the target construct, most often mathematic or science proficiency. This meta-analysis…
Transfer in L3 Sentence Processing: Evidence from Relative Clause Attachment Ambiguities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rah, Anne

2010-01-01

The present study investigates transfer effects in two groups of German learners of French for ambiguous relative clause (RC) constructions. The first learner group had started to learn French before English, whereas the second group had started to learn English before French. The RC attachment ambiguity is interesting to study possible transfer…
Identifying educator behaviours for high quality verbal feedback in health professions education: literature review and expert refinement.

PubMed

Johnson, Christina E; Keating, Jennifer L; Boud, David J; Dalton, Megan; Kiegaldie, Debra; Hay, Margaret; McGrath, Barry; McKenzie, Wendy A; Nair, Kichu Balakrishnan R; Nestel, Debra; Palermo, Claire; Molloy, Elizabeth K

2016-03-22

Health professions education is characterised by work-based learning and relies on effective verbal feedback. However the literature reports problems in feedback practice, including lack of both learner engagement and explicit strategies for improving performance. It is not clear what constitutes high quality, learner-centred feedback or how educators can promote it. We hoped to enhance feedback in clinical practice by distinguishing the elements of an educator's role in feedback considered to influence learner outcomes, then develop descriptions of observable educator behaviours that exemplify them. An extensive literature review was conducted to identify i) information substantiating specific components of an educator's role in feedback asserted to have an important influence on learner outcomes and ii) verbal feedback instruments in health professions education, that may describe important educator activities in effective feedback. This information was used to construct a list of elements thought to be important in effective feedback. Based on these elements, descriptions of observable educator behaviours that represent effective feedback were developed and refined during three rounds of a Delphi process and a face-to-face meeting with experts across the health professions and education. The review identified more than 170 relevant articles (involving health professions, education, psychology and business literature) and ten verbal feedback instruments in health professions education (plus modified versions). Eighteen distinct elements of an educator's role in effective feedback were delineated. Twenty five descriptions of educator behaviours that align with the elements were ratified by the expert panel. This research clarifies the distinct elements of an educator's role in feedback considered to enhance learner outcomes. The corresponding set of observable educator behaviours aim to describe how an educator could engage, motivate and enable a learner to improve. This creates the foundation for developing a method to systematically evaluate the impact of verbal feedback on learner performance.
Basic Skills Resource Center: Teaching Reading Comprehension to Adults in Basic Skills Courses

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-08-01

paper trash out to be burned 4. A hockey coach telling his players to keep shooting at the goalie . What skill, or skills, did you use to answer the...With this exercise the learner is introduced to the idea of INFERENCE. The learner’s mind must INFER the rest of the idea in order to pull the four...to pull the ideas of the paragraph together. (Lesson 3 will teach learners how to construct an "umbrella" idea to act as a topic sentence for readings
Learners' Interpersonal Beliefs and Generated Feedback in an Online Role-Playing Peer-Feedback Activity: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ching, Yu-Hui; Hsu, Yu-Chang

2016-01-01

Peer feedback affords interaction and critical thinking opportunities for learners in online courses. However, various factors prevent learners from taking advantage of these promising benefits. This study explored learners' perceptions of the interpersonal factors in a role-playing peer-feedback activity, and examined the types of peer feedback…
Promoting Physics Among Female Learners in the Western Cape Through Active Engagement (abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arendse, Gillian J.

2009-04-01

In 2006 the author organized a one-day intervention aimed at promoting physics among female learners at the University of Stellenbosch. The activities included an interactive lecture demonstration promoting active engagement, a hands-on session, and short presentations by female physicists addressing issues such as balancing family and career, breaking the stereotypes, and launching a successful career in physics. Each learner was expected to evaluate the program. In 2007 the author joined forces with Hip2B2 (Shuttleworth Foundation) to host a competition among grade-10 learners with the theme, ``promoting creativity through interactivity.'' The author was tasked by the Hip2B2-team to assist with a program for female learners planned for August 2008, coinciding with our national celebration of Women's Day. The event targeted 160 learners and took place in Durban, East London, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. The author shares some of the learners' experiences and personal triumphs.
Construction of Shared Knowledge in Face-to-Face and Computer-Mediated Cooperation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Frank; Mandl, Heinz

This study examined how learners constructed and used shared knowledge in computer-mediated and face-to-face cooperative learning, investigating how to facilitate the construction and use of shared knowledge through dynamic visualization. Forty-eight college students were separated into dyads and assigned to one of four experimental conditions…
From Concrete to Abstract: A Story of Passion, Proof and Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawton, Fiona

2011-01-01

The author states her belief that mathematics is a human construct based on axiomatic systems, and that these constructs are both personal and social. She argues that to succeed in mathematics, learners' personal constructs need to be aligned with formal globally agreed mathematical conventions. Put more simply, she informs her students that…
Metalinguistic Knowledge of Salient vs. Unsalient Features: Evidence from the Arabic Construct State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azaz, Mahmoud

2017-01-01

This study examined to what extent English-speaking learners of Arabic demonstrated varied metalinguistic knowledge of a salient feature (head-direction) vs. an unsalient feature (definiteness) in the Arabic construct state. In addition, it examined whether this knowledge was utilized in form-focused task performance. In the target construction,…
E-Learning System Using Segmentation-Based MR Technique for Learning Circuit Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takemura, Atsushi

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a novel e-Learning system using the mixed reality (MR) technique for technical experiments involving the construction of electronic circuits. The proposed system comprises experimenters' mobile computers and a remote analysis system. When constructing circuits, each learner uses a mobile computer to transmit image data from the…
Channeling Children's Energy through Vocabulary Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schindler, Andrea

2006-01-01

In this article, the author shares vocabulary development activities for young learners. These activities channel students' energy and make learning more effective and fun. The author stresses the importance of giving young learners a good language-learning experience, and the challenges of teaching young learners who are not literate in their L1.…
Motivators that Do Not Motivate: The Case of Chinese EFL Learners and the Influence of Culture on Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Judy F.; Warden, Clyde A.; Chang, Huo-Tsan

2005-01-01

Language learning motivation plays an important role in both research and teaching, yet language learners are still largely understood in terms of North American and European cultural values. This research explored language learning motivation constructs in a Chinese cultural setting, where large numbers of students are required to study English.…
An Asymmetrical Network Model of the Japanese EFL Learner's Mental Lexicon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aotani, Noriko; Sugino, Naoki; Fraser, Simon; Koga, Yuya; Shojima, Kojiro

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to construct a model of a simple lexical network showing the strength and asymmetry of the connections between vocabulary items in the L2 mental lexicon of Japanese learners. The study focuses on eight nouns and investigates how they are networked, and whether the existing network structure formed by these nouns would be…

The Relationship between Willingness to Communicate and Multiple Intelligences among Learners of English as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohammadzadeh, Afsaneh; Jafarigohar, Manoochehr

2012-01-01

The present study was conducted to examine the existence of any possible relationship between willingness to communicate (WTC) and multiple intelligences (MI) among over 500 EFL learners. The study also investigated the effect of gender on the relationship between these two constructs. The data for the research were gathered using a three-part…
Seeking out Challenges to Develop L2 Self-Confidence: A Language Learner's Journey to Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwads, Emily; Roger, Peter Stewart

2015-01-01

As one constituent of second language (L2) motivation, L2 "self-confidence" has been shown to be a significant predictor of language proficiency. More recently, L2 self-confidence has been studied as part of the "willingness to communicate" (WTC) construct. Less is known, however, about the processes by which learners develop…
A Phenomenological Self-Actualization Study of People in Leadership Positions with and without Learning Disabilities: Examining the Degrees of Learner Autonomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Paula A.

2013-01-01

In the last decades, learner autonomy has received a bevy of attention in education literature in the context of leadership dimensions and student-centered learning. The construct of learning disabilities has also experienced significant growth in empirical studies from the primary, secondary, and postsecondary educational arenas. However, there…
Learning to Teach as Acculturation: A Case Study of Constructing a Professional Teaching Culture of Learner-Centered Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aponte Martinez, Gerardo Joel

2017-01-01

This study explores how a group of Dominican teachers build a professional teaching culture of learner-centered pedagogies by working with a U.S.-Dominican education non-profit organization, CREAR. First, this study uncovers the CREAR cultural logics--the knowledge and know how's characteristic of teaching--that shape CREAR teaching to define…
Comparing Learners' State Anxiety during Task-Based Interaction in Computer-Mediated and Face-to-Face Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baralt, Melissa; Gurzynski-Weiss, Laura

2011-01-01

The construct of anxiety is often believed to be the affective factor with the greatest potential to pervasively affect the learning process (Horwitz, 2001), and recent research has demonstrated that anxiety can mediate whether learners are able to notice feedback and subsequently produce output (Sheen, 2008). In order to reduce the negative…
A Case Study Exploring the Reading Engagement of Middle Grades English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Protacio, Maria Selena

2017-01-01

This study investigates the reading engagement of four middle school English learners in their English or English as a Second Language classroom. Students with high levels of reading engagement are those who (a) are motivated to read, (b) use strategies when reading, (c) use reading as a way to construct meaning from texts, and (d) participate in…
Initial Evaluation of a Mobile Scaffolding Application That Seeks to Support Novice Learners of Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mbogo, Chao; Blake, Edwin; Suleman, Hussein

2014-01-01

The aim of this paper is to explore the use of an application that scaffolds the constructions of programs on a mobile device. The application was developed to support novice learners of programming outside the classroom. This paper reports on results of a first experiment conducted to evaluate the mobile application. The main research questions…
Close Encounters with Nature in an Urban Kindergarten: A Study of Learners' Inquiry and Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghafouri, Farveh

2014-01-01

This article reports on the findings of a recent qualitative grounded theory research study in a metropolitan area in the south-east of Canada examining one junior/senior kindergarten classroom's engagement with nature. It focuses on the role of the learners, the children and the teacher, in co-constructing two very different learning experiences.…
Explicit Knowledge and Processes from a Usage-Based Perspective: The Developmental Trajectory of an Instructed L2 Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roehr-Brackin, Karen

2014-01-01

This article considers explicit knowledge and processes in second language (L2) learning from a usage-based theoretical perspective. It reports on the long-term development of a single instructed adult learner's use of two L2 constructions, the German Perfekt of "gehen" ("go," "walk") and "fahren"…
Study of the Impact of Collaboration among Teachers in a Collaborative Authoring System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lafifi, Yacine; Touil, Ghassen

2010-01-01

Several researchers have studied the impact of collaboration between the learners on their cognitive levels, but few studies have been carried out on the impact of collaboration between the teachers. The aim of our research is to study the effects on the knowledge levels of learners of collaborative construction of learning objects created by the…
Constructing a Scale to Assess L2 Written Speech Act Performance: WDCT and E-Mail Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Yuan-shan; Liu, Jianda

2016-01-01

This study reports the development of a scale to evaluate the speech act performance by intermediate-level Chinese learners of English. A qualitative analysis of the American raters' comments was conducted on learner scripts in response to a total of 16 apology and request written discourse completion task (WDCT) situations. The results showed…
Transfer in SLA and Creoles: The Implications of Causative Serial Verbs in the Interlanguage of Vietnamese ESL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helms-Park, Rena

2003-01-01

This paper presents a study that attributes verb serialization in the interlanguage of Vietnamese-speaking ESL learners to language transfer and, furthermore, puts forward the view that such transfer bears a resemblance to substrate influence in creoles with serial verb constructions (SVCs). In a task that elicited English causatives through…
Learners' and Teachers' Perceptions of Learning Analytics (LA): A Case Study of Southampton Solent University (SSU)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Osama

2017-01-01

This paper depicts a perceptual picture of learning analytics based on the understanding of learners and teachers at the SSU as a case study. The existing literature covers technical challenges of learning analytics (LA) and how it creates better social construct for enhanced learning support, however, there has not been adequate research on…
Developmental Diversity in the Academic Language-Learning Experiences of Adult English as a Second or Other Language Learners: A Constructive-Developmental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ouellette-Schramm, Jennifer R.

2016-01-01

Academic language is a challenging yet increasingly important skill for Adult Basic Education/English as a Second or Other Language learners. Related to academic language learning is an adult's developmental perspective. Developmental perspectives have been shown to vary in adulthood and shape qualitatively distinct ways of reasoning and learning…
Processing of action- but not stimulus-related prediction errors differs between active and observational feedback learning.

PubMed

Kobza, Stefan; Bellebaum, Christian

2015-01-01

Learning of stimulus-response-outcome associations is driven by outcome prediction errors (PEs). Previous studies have shown larger PE-dependent activity in the striatum for learning from own as compared to observed actions and the following outcomes despite comparable learning rates. We hypothesised that this finding relates primarily to a stronger integration of action and outcome information in active learners. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated brain activations related to action-dependent PEs, reflecting the deviation between action values and obtained outcomes, and action-independent PEs, reflecting the deviation between subjective values of response-preceding cues and obtained outcomes. To this end, 16 active and 15 observational learners engaged in a probabilistic learning card-guessing paradigm. On each trial, active learners saw one out of five cues and pressed either a left or right response button to receive feedback (monetary win or loss). Each observational learner observed exactly those cues, responses and outcomes of one active learner. Learning performance was assessed in active test trials without feedback and did not differ between groups. For both types of PEs, activations were found in the globus pallidus, putamen, cerebellum, and insula in active learners. However, only for action-dependent PEs, activations in these structures and the anterior cingulate were increased in active relative to observational learners. Thus, PE-related activity in the reward system is not generally enhanced in active relative to observational learning but only for action-dependent PEs. For the cerebellum, additional activations were found across groups for cue-related uncertainty, thereby emphasising the cerebellum's role in stimulus-outcome learning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Acquisition of Mathematical Language: Suggestions and Activities for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cirillo, Michelle; Bruna, Katherine Richardson; Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth

2010-01-01

In this article, we describe aspects of mathematical language that could be problematic to English-language learners, provide recommendations for teaching English-language learners, and suggest activities intended to foster language development in mathematics. (Contains 1 figure.)
Exploratory qualitative case study of lab-type activity interactions in an online graduate geoscience course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciavarella, Veronica C.

This exploratory qualitative case study investigated the use of lab-type activities in an online graduate geoscience course. Constructivism is the theoretical framework used to explain how learning happens in lab-type activity, and provided the goals to which successful learning in lab-type activity is compared. This study focused on the learner-instructor, learner-learner, and perceptions of the learner-content interactions that occurred related to lab-type activities in an online graduate geoscience course to determine: if the instructor appeared as a facilitator of the learning process in the interactions over the activities; if students engaged in discussion and reflection about the activities; if students perceived the activities as meaningful and authentic; and if students perceived using higher order thinking and prior knowledge while interacting with the content. Ten graduate students from three offerings of the course participated in this study, as well as the instructor and designer of the course content and lab-type activities. Data were collected through interviews, and observation and analysis of the lab-type activities, instructor feedback to students in their graded activities, and discussion that occurred between the instructor and students and among students about the lab-type activities in discussion forums. The nature of the instructor's interactions in discussion forums, in feedback to students on graded activities, and reported by students' in interviews supported that, in the learner-instructor interactions, the instructor of this course was a facilitator who guided and scaffolded the students towards successfully completing the activities. Students engaged in discussion and reflected on the activities, but most learner-learner interactions in discussion forums about the lab-type activities appeared to occur for the purpose of comparison of results, support, and empathy. Students' success at higher order thinking type questions in lab-type activities and their perceptions reported in interviews of using higher order thinking in their interactions with the lab-type activities supported that the learner-content interactions involved higher order thinking. Students also reported finding the activities realistic, meaningful and authentic, and this increased their interest with the activities, and the activities aided their understanding of the content.
Doing Your Part To Help Your Child Become SMART (Successful, Motivated, Autonomous, Responsible, Thoughtful): Six Workshops on Parenting SMART Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sattes, Beth; Walsh, Jackie; Hickman, Mickey

A SMART Learner is a lifelong learner who can adapt to rapid change and who possesses characteristics associated with success in and out of school. These workshop materials to help parents help their children become SMART learners provide: information from current research and best practice; learning activities that will actively engage parents in…
Patterns of Knowledge Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Bo

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify knowledge construction patterns in a local learning community. Observation, documents, and semistructured interviews were employed to collect data. Twenty learners were interviewed. Data were analyzed inductively using the constant comparative method. Five major patterns--radiation, circulation,…
Active Learning in Engineering Education: a (re)introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lima, Rui M.; Andersson, Pernille Hammar; Saalman, Elisabeth

2017-01-01

The informal network 'Active Learning in Engineering Education' (ALE) has been promoting Active Learning since 2001. ALE creates opportunity for practitioners and researchers of engineering education to collaboratively learn how to foster learning of engineering students. The activities in ALE are centred on the vision that learners construct their knowledge based on meaningful activities and knowledge. In 2014, the steering committee of the ALE network reinforced the need to discuss the meaning of Active Learning and that was the base for this proposal for a special issue. More than 40 submissions were reviewed by the European Journal of Engineering Education community and this theme issue ended up with eight contributions, which are different both in their research and Active Learning approaches. These different Active Learning approaches are aligned with the different approaches that can be increasingly found in indexed journals.

"The Biggest Problem": School Leaders' Covert Construction of Latino ELL Families--Institutional Racism in a Neoliberal Schooling Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briscoe, Felecia M.

2014-01-01

This critical discourse analysis focuses upon the discursive construction of Latino English language learners (ELL) identity within a Texas neoliberal schooling context. Qualitative content analysis was used to examine the construction of Latino ELL identities in the discourses of Texas school leaders practicing under the aegis of neoliberal…
Infinitivals at the End-State: Evidence for L2 Acquisition of English Non-Finite Complementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heil, Jeanne

2015-01-01

This dissertation investigates the knowledge of English non-finite complement constructions by near-native L1 Spanish/L2 English learners. In particular, this study concerns Object Control, Raising to Object, and "for"-type constructions. Although the three constructions look identical on the surface, they are in fact distinct syntactic…
Proceedings of Selected Research and Development Presentations at the 1995 National Convention of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Sponsored by the Research and Theory Division (17th, Anaheim, CA, 1995).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonson, Michael R., Ed.; Anderson, Mary Lagomarcino, Ed.

1995-01-01

This Proceedings volume contains 67 papers. Subjects addressed include: learner curiosity; interpretation construction design; cognitive task analysis; constructivist learning materials and instructional design; learning from video; copyright knowledge levels of media directors; instructional theory for learner control; teacher planning and…
L2 and L3 Ultimate Attainment: An Investigation of Two Parameters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermas, Abdelkader

2014-01-01

This study considers the upper limit of ultimate attainment in the L2 French and L3 English of trilingual learners. The learners are native speakers of Moroccan Arabic who started learning L2 French at eight and L3 English at 16. They are advanced in both languages. Four constructions representing the verb movement and null subject parameter were…
Toward a Theory of Web-Mediated Knowledge Synthesis: How Advanced Learners Used the Web to Construct Knowledge about Climate Change Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeSchryver, Michael

2012-01-01

This dissertation utilized a multiple case study design to explore how advanced learners synthesize information about ill-structured topics when reading-to-learn and reading-to-do on the Web. Eight graduate students provided data in the form of think-alouds, interviews, screen video, digital trails, and task artifacts. Data analysis was based on…
Loanwords and Vocabulary Size Test Scores: A Case of Different Estimates for Different L1 Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laufer, Batia; McLean, Stuart

2016-01-01

The article investigated how the inclusion of loanwords in vocabulary size tests affected the test scores of two L1 groups of EFL learners: Hebrew and Japanese. New BNC- and COCA-based vocabulary size tests were constructed in three modalities: word form recall, word form recognition, and word meaning recall. Depending on the test modality, the…
Learning by Doing versus Learning by Viewing: Three Experimental Comparisons of Learner-Generated versus Author-Provided Graphic Organizers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stull, Andrew T.; Mayer, Richard E.

2007-01-01

Do students learn more deeply from a passage when they attempt to construct their own graphic organizers (i.e., learning by doing) than when graphic organizers are provided (i.e., learning by viewing)? In 3 experiments, learners were tested on retention and transfer after reading a passage with author-provided graphic organizers or when asked to…
Processing Subject-Object Ambiguities in the L2: A Self-Paced Reading Study with German L2 Learners of Dutch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Havik, Else; Roberts, Leah; van Hout, Roeland; Schreuder, Robert; Haverkort, Marco

2009-01-01

The results of two self-paced reading experiments are reported, which investigated the online processing of subject-object ambiguities in Dutch relative clause constructions like "Dat is de vrouw die de meisjes heeft/hebben gezien" by German advanced second language (L2) learners of Dutch. Native speakers of both Dutch and German have been shown…
We are what we do: Examining learner-generated content in the anatomy laboratory through the lens of activity theory.

PubMed

Doubleday, Alison F; Wille, Sarah J

2014-01-01

Video and photography are often used for delivering content within the anatomical sciences. However, instructors typically produce these resources to provide instructional or procedural information. Although the benefits of learner-generated content have been explored within educational research, virtually no studies have investigated the use of learner-generated video and photograph content within anatomy dissection laboratories. This study outlines an activity involving learner-generated video diaries and learner-generated photograph assignments produced during anatomy laboratory sessions. The learner-generated photographs and videos provided instructors with a means of formative assessment and allowed instructors to identify evidence of collaborative behavior in the laboratory. Student questionnaires (n = 21) and interviews (n = 5), as well as in-class observations, were conducted to examine student perspectives on the laboratory activities. The quantitative and qualitative data were examined using the framework of activity theory to identify contradictions between student expectations of, and engagement with, the activity and the actual experiences of the students. Results indicate that learner-generated photograph and video content can act as a rich source of data on student learning processes and can be used for formative assessment, for observing collaborative behavior, and as a starting point for class discussions. This study stresses the idea that technology choice for activities must align with instructional goals. This research also highlights the utility of activity theory as a framework for assessing classroom and laboratory activities, demonstrating that this approach can guide the development of laboratory activities. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.
Enhancement of knowledge construction activities utilizing 21st century learning design rubric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedoche, Margarette Anne U.; Taladua, Janica Mae M.; Panal, Geicky Pearl C.; Magsayo, Joy R.; Guarin, Rica Mae B.; Myrna, H. Lahoylahoy

2018-01-01

The main objective of the study was to enhance knowledge construction activities on its design particularly the objectives, support materials, student activities and assessment tools. Activities from the 2nd Quarter of Science Learners Material were the basis in the adaptation of activities. The adapted activities were evaluated by the In-service Science teachers and undergone modification by the researchers based on the teacher's comments and suggestions. It was then evaluated, revised, and validated, tried-out using the 21st CLD Rubric. Subjects of the study were 110 students from Grade 7-B, Grade 7-D, Grade 7-F in Geronima Cabrera National High School, Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte during the academic year 2016-2017, the study to determine their learning capabilities investigated by the use of Knowledge Construction Activities in the 21st Century Classroom, to investigate how the lessons were understood and appreciated by students, to stimulate interpretation, analysis, synthesizing, or evaluating ideas and develop critical thinking. Both quantitative and qualitative data were obtained from the students' scores in three activities. Results showed that there was a significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of students. Mean scores between the pretest and posttest showed a mean difference of 3.35, thus the null hypothesis was rejected. It could be concluded with sufficient evidence to show that the students had basically low prior knowledge about the topic ecosystem. A significant difference was seen in the pretest and posttest, scores of the activities and Ecosystem model results after the implementation phase that a knowledge construction type of activity was better than the traditional one for it promoted meaningful learning and active engagement of students. Based on the results, it was clear that the use of knowledge construction activities had an effect on student's achievement in comparison to traditional teaching method. Thus, it was recommended for teachers to design more activities to enhance and develop students' knowledge construction and for teachers to start using knowledge construction in the classroom to further improve students' performance.
Interactions between and among Heritage Language Learners and Second Language Learners during Collaborative Writing Activities: How Learners Attend to Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walls, Laura

2013-01-01

This study investigates the dynamics in the Spanish classroom between heritage language learner (HLL) dyads, second language learner (L2L) dyads, and mixed HLL-L2L dyads. Specifically, it examines oral, written and embodied discourse that informs our understanding of how learners attend to language. Analysis for this dissertation examined…
Endogenous sources of variation in language acquisition.

PubMed

Han, Chung-Hye; Musolino, Julien; Lidz, Jeffrey

2016-01-26

A fundamental question in the study of human language acquisition centers around apportioning explanatory force between the experience of the learner and the core knowledge that allows learners to represent that experience. We provide a previously unidentified kind of data identifying children's contribution to language acquisition. We identify one aspect of grammar that varies unpredictably across a population of speakers of what is ostensibly a single language. We further demonstrate that the grammatical knowledge of parents and their children is independent. The combination of unpredictable variation and parent-child independence suggests that the relevant structural feature is supplied by each learner independent of experience with the language. This structural feature is abstract because it controls variation in more than one construction. The particular case we examine is the position of the verb in the clause structure of Korean. Because Korean is a head-final language, evidence for the syntactic position of the verb is both rare and indirect. We show that (i) Korean speakers exhibit substantial variability regarding this aspect of the grammar, (ii) this variability is attested between speakers but not within a speaker, (iii) this variability controls interpretation in two surface constructions, and (iv) it is independent in parents and children. According to our findings, when the exposure language is compatible with multiple grammars, learners acquire a single systematic grammar. Our observation that children and their parents vary independently suggests that the choice of grammar is driven in part by a process operating internal to individual learners.
Investigative Research: How It Changes Learner Status.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenny, Brian

1993-01-01

What matters about an educational activity is how learners respond to it. This article examines a program concerned with the learners' needs, through the expression of learners' own meanings, and advances the concept of investigative research as a suitable vehicle for more autonomous learning, through a change in learner status. (26 references)…
Computing of Learner's Personality Traits Based on Digital Annotations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omheni, Nizar; Kalboussi, Anis; Mazhoud, Omar; Kacem, Ahmed Hadj

2017-01-01

Researchers in education are interested in modeling of learner's profile and adapt their learning experiences accordingly. When learners read and interact with their reading materials, they do unconscious practices like annotations which may be, a key feature of their personalities. Annotation activity requires readers to be active, to think…
Improving the EFL Learners' Speaking Ability through Interactive Storytelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marzuki; Prayogo, Johannes Ananto; Wahyudi, Arwijati

2016-01-01

This present research was aimed to improve the EFL learners' speaking ability and their classroom activities through the implementation of Interactive Storytelling Strategy. Therefore, this study was directed to explore the beneficial of Interactive Storytelling that closely related to the EFL learners' everyday activities at their home and…
Are One-to-One Computers Necessary? An Analysis of Collaborative Web Exploration Activities Supported by Shared Displays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Chia-Jung; Liu, Chen-Chung; Shen, Yan-Jhih

2012-01-01

Collaborative web exploration, in which learners work together to explore the World Wide Web, has become a key learning activity in education contexts. Learners can use a shared computer with a shared display to explore the web together. However, such a shared-computer approach may limit active participation among learners. To address this issue,…
The Child as an Active Learner: Views, Practices, and Barriers in Chinese Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tang, Fengling

2006-01-01

The Chinese view of the child is in the process of changing from the dependent child of traditional Chinese society to the child as an active learner in contemporary China. The view of the child as an active learner forces early childhood practitioners to rethink the features of the child's learning and development, individuality, and needs and…
Longview Public Library Final Performance Report for Library Services and Construction Act (LCSA) Title VI Library Literacy Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longview Public Library, WA.

Project Read at the Longview (Washington) Public Library conducted a program to maintain and expand the Family Literacy Center to provide a monitored tutoring site and family outreach program for a minimum of 75 adult learners and 40 tutors. Two projects were involved: (1) Project READ focused on adult learners with a one-on-one tutoring approach;…
A Tale of Blue Rain Cafe: A Study on the Online Narrative Construction about a Community of English Learners on the Chinese Mainland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Xuesong

2007-01-01

The study analyzes a strand of online discussion messages entitled "a Tale of Blue Rain Cafe" from an online community of English learners on the Chinese mainland. The strand of messages was part of the collective reflection made by members of an English learning club on their participation. Using sociocultural learning theory, the paper…
Research on the Application of "Tree Analysis Diagram" to the Teaching of English Argumentative Writing of the Chinese EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Xiaokai

2018-01-01

Writing as one of essential skills in English learning is attached more and more importance. English writing involves not only the application of lexicon and grammar, but also the construction of the text and the expression of the thought. For Chinese EFL learners, the common problem in English writing is that they tend to apply the Chinese…

Educational Programs for Graduate Level Learners and Professionals - National Radio Astronomy Observatory National and International Non-Traditional Exchange Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wingate, Lory Mitchell

2017-01-01

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s (NRAO) National and International Non-Traditional Exchange (NINE) Program teaches concepts of project management and systems engineering to chosen participants within a nine-week program held at NRAO in New Mexico. Participants are typically graduate level students or professionals. Participation in the NINE Program is through a competitive process. The program includes a hands-on service project designed to increase the participants knowledge of radio astronomy. The approach demonstrate clearly to the learner the positive net effects of following methodical approaches to achieving optimal science results.The NINE teaches participants important sustainable skills associated with constructing, operating and maintaining radio astronomy observatories. NINE Program learners are expected to return to their host sites and implement the program in their own location as a NINE Hub. This requires forming a committed relationship (through a formal Letter of Agreement), establishing a site location, and developing a program that takes into consideration the needs of the community they represent. The anticipated outcome of this program is worldwide partnerships with fast growing radio astronomy communities designed to facilitate the exchange of staff and the mentoring of under-represented groups of learners, thereby developing a strong pipeline of global talent to construct, operate and maintain radio astronomy observatories.
Between the Social and the Selfish: Learner Autonomy in Online Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Tim

2013-01-01

This paper explores what it means to be an autonomous learner in an online social context. Using distinctions originally drawn by Jürgen Habermas, it argues that classic accounts of learner autonomy as teleological action are inadequate to explain learner activity in group settings. It points out that learners in such settings display attitudes…
Developing Computational Thinking through Grounded Embodied Cognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fadjo, Cameron Lawrence

2012-01-01

Two studies were conducted to examine the use of grounded embodied pedagogy, construction of Imaginary Worlds (Study 1), and context of instructional materials (Study 2) for developing learners' Computational Thinking (CT) Skills and Concept knowledge during the construction of digital artifacts using Scratch, a block-based programming…
Personal Constructs and Attribution for Academic Success and Failure in Dyslexia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphrey, Neil; Mullins, Patricia M.

2002-01-01

A British study examined relationships between dyslexia and the ways in which students perceive themselves as learners, specifically their personal constructs and attributional styles. Results indicated that dyslexia has negative consequences for students' individual development. Suggestions are offered for making schools more "dyslexia…
Social construction of American sign language--English interpreters.

PubMed

McDermid, Campbell

2009-01-01

Instructors in 5 American Sign Language--English Interpreter Programs and 4 Deaf Studies Programs in Canada were interviewed and asked to discuss their experiences as educators. Within a qualitative research paradigm, their comments were grouped into a number of categories tied to the social construction of American Sign Language--English interpreters, such as learners' age and education and the characteristics of good citizens within the Deaf community. According to the participants, younger students were adept at language acquisition, whereas older learners more readily understood the purpose of lessons. Children of deaf adults were seen as more culturally aware. The participants' beliefs echoed the theories of P. Freire (1970/1970) that educators consider the reality of each student and their praxis and were responsible for facilitating student self-awareness. Important characteristics in the social construction of students included independence, an appropriate attitude, an understanding of Deaf culture, ethical behavior, community involvement, and a willingness to pursue lifelong learning.
Who Benefits from Cooperative Learning with Movement Activity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoval, Ella; Shulruf, Boaz

2011-01-01

The goal of this study is to identify learners who are most likely to benefit from a small group cooperative learning strategy, which includes tasks involving movement activities. The study comprised 158 learners from five second and third grade classes learning about angles. The research tools included structured observation of each learner and…
RITES: Online (Reaching In-Service Teachers With Earth Sciences Online)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baptiste, H.

2002-12-01

The RITES: Online project team (Drs. H. Prentice Baptiste, Susan Brown, Jennifer Villa) believe that the power of technology could not be effectively utilized unless it is grounded in new models of teaching and learning based on a student centered and project based curriculum, that increases opportunities for active, hands-on learning and respect for multiculturalism. We subscribe to an inquiry approach to learning. Specifically, science teaching should actively engage the learners in activities that draw on multiple abilities and learning styles. Recent brain-based research has shown that human beings construct knowledge through actions and interactions within their environment. Learning occurs in communities, and new ideas are linked to previous knowledge and constructed by the learner. Knowledge is acquired by making connections. We believe the aforementioned ideas and points to be equally true for the inservice teachers participating in the RITES: Online project as well as for their students. The ESSEA science courses are delivered by distance learning via the university WebCt distance education system. Teachers are encouraged to use technology in their classrooms and to record their students' involvement in science activities with digital cameras. Teachers involved in the ESSEA courses are engaged in earth science inquiry activities relevant to the four spheres (atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere) with the students in their classes. This presentation will highlight the teachers in the roles of designer, researcher, and collaborator. As a result of our courses our teachers attain the following positive outcomes: 1) Teachers experience the inquiry approach to learning about the spheres of our earth. 2) Teachers become confident in using technology. 3) Teachers learn to work cooperatively in-groups and understand what their own students must feel. 4) Teachers find ways to obtain dynamic professional development and not leave their classrooms or homes. 5) Teachers develop relationships with other teachers that have an interest in teaching science and a learning community evolves.
Reading component skills of learners in adult basic education.

PubMed

MacArthur, Charles A; Konold, Timothy R; Glutting, Joseph J; Alamprese, Judith A

2010-01-01

The purposes of this study were to investigate the reliability and construct validity of measures of reading component skills with a sample of adult basic education (ABE) learners, including both native and nonnative English speakers, and to describe the performance of those learners on the measures. Investigation of measures of reading components is needed because available measures were neither developed for nor normed on ABE populations or with nonnative speakers of English. The study included 486 students, 334 born or educated in the United States (native) and 152 not born or educated in the United States (nonnative) but who spoke English well enough to participate in English reading classes. All students had scores on 11 measures covering five constructs: decoding, word recognition, spelling, fluency, and comprehension. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test three models: a two-factor model with print and meaning factors; a three-factor model that separated out a fluency factor; and a five-factor model based on the hypothesized constructs. The five-factor model fit best. In addition, the CFA model fit both native and nonnative populations equally well without modification, showing that the tests measure the same constructs with the same accuracy for both groups. Group comparisons found no difference between the native and nonnative samples on word recognition, but the native sample scored higher on fluency and comprehension and lower on decoding than did the nonnative sample. Students with self-reported learning disabilities scored lower on all reading components. Differences by age and gender were also analyzed.
Interlanguage Passive Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simargool, Nirada

2008-01-01

Because the appearance of the passive construction varies cross linguistically, differences exist in the interlanguage (IL) passives attempted by learners of English. One such difference is the widely studied IL pseudo passive, as in "*new cars must keep inside" produced by Chinese speakers. The belief that this is a reflection of L1 language…
A Process Approach to Literacy Using Dialogue Journals and Literature Logs with Second Language Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reyes, Maria de la Luz

1991-01-01

Examines the ability of 10 sixth grade Hispanic bilingual students to construct meaning in dialogue journals and literature logs in their first and second languages. Finds that students are more effective in constructing meaning in dialogue journals than in literature logs. (MG)
Empowerment of Refugees by Language: Can ESL Learners Affect the Target Culture?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tadayon, Fereshteh; Khodi, Ali

2016-01-01

Numerous studies have investigated the changing patterns of immigration, the growth of multicultural-multilingual societies, and the important role of language in identity construction. Unfortunately, the issue of identity construction is affected by a variety of factors such as language learning and acquisition underlying different contexts and…
La Gramatica Ingles: Libro de Trabajo (English Grammar: Workbook).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Paul

This student workbook is designed for native Spanish-speaking learners of English as a second language, and presents instruction in basic English grammatical constructions and usage, as well as some vocabulary development. Lessons include basic descriptions of the constructions and rules in applying them, and a brief exercise reinforcing the…
Transformational Processes and Learner Outcomes for Online Learning: An Activity Theory Case Study of Spanish Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terantino, Joseph M.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the actions of online language learners from an activity theoretical perspective. It also attempted to explain how the students' learning outcomes evolved from their online learning experiences. This explanation placed an emphasis on the learners' previous experiences, defining their activity…
Training Learners to Use Quizlet Vocabulary Activities on Mobile Phones in Vietnam with Facebook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tran, Phuong

2016-01-01

Mobile phone ownership among university students in Vietnam has reached almost 100%, exceeding that of Internet-capable desktop computers. This has made them increasingly popular to allow learners to carry out learning activities outside of the classroom, but some studies have suggested that learners are not always willing to engage in activities…
Investigating Learner Attitudes toward E-Books as Learning Tools: Based on the Activity Theory Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liaw, Shu-Sheng; Huang, Hsiu-Mei

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the use of e-books as learning tools in terms of learner satisfaction, usefulness, behavioral intention, and learning effectiveness. Based on the activity theory approach, this research develops a research model to understand learner attitudes toward e-books in two physical sizes: 10? and 7?. Results suggest that screen…
Support of mathematical thinking through embodied cognition: Nondigital and digital approaches.

PubMed

Tran, Cathy; Smith, Brandon; Buschkuehl, Martin

2017-01-01

Research on mathematics education has shown that learners' actions can influence how they think and vice versa. Much of this work has been rooted in the use of manipulatives, gestures, and body movements. Our article dissects the mechanisms that underscore the impact of embodied activities and applies this lens to explore how to harness the affordances of new technology to enhance mathematical thinking. This is especially crucial given the increasing accessibility of technology-such as digital touch devices, 3D printers, and location sensors-for constructing embodied experiences. Providing guidance for incorporating those tools, we focus on the role that embodied cognition can play in communicating mathematical concepts as well as in allowing learners to experiment and evolve their ideas. To inspire future integration of theory in the development of technologically enhanced embodied mathematics experiences, we provide examples of how this can be done. Finally, we outline future directions in the areas of design, implementation, and assessment of embodied learning of mathematics.
The Development of Expert Learners in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahman, Saemah; Mahmud, Zuria; Yassin, Siti Fatimah Mohd; Amir, Ruslin; Ilias, Khadijah Wan

2010-01-01

The term "expert learner" refers to students who are actively engaged with the materials learned and take responsibility for their own learning. Literature reviews suggested the use of metacognitive approach to help develop students to become expert learners. Research on development of expert learners can be traced from movements that…
The Effect of Reading on Second-Language Learners' Production in Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collentine, Karina

2016-01-01

Tasks provide engaging ways to involve learners in meaningful, real-world activities with the foreign language (FL). Yet selecting classroom tasks suitable to learners' linguistic readiness is challenging, and task-based research is exploring the relationship between learners' overall abilities (e.g., reading, grammatical) and the complexity and…
From gesture to sign language: conventionalization of classifier constructions by adult hearing learners of British Sign Language.

PubMed

Marshall, Chloë R; Morgan, Gary

2015-01-01

There has long been interest in why languages are shaped the way they are, and in the relationship between sign language and gesture. In sign languages, entity classifiers are handshapes that encode how objects move, how they are located relative to one another, and how multiple objects of the same type are distributed in space. Previous studies have shown that hearing adults who are asked to use only manual gestures to describe how objects move in space will use gestures that bear some similarities to classifiers. We investigated how accurately hearing adults, who had been learning British Sign Language (BSL) for 1-3 years, produce and comprehend classifiers in (static) locative and distributive constructions. In a production task, learners of BSL knew that they could use their hands to represent objects, but they had difficulty choosing the same, conventionalized, handshapes as native signers. They were, however, highly accurate at encoding location and orientation information. Learners therefore show the same pattern found in sign-naïve gesturers. In contrast, handshape, orientation, and location were comprehended with equal (high) accuracy, and testing a group of sign-naïve adults showed that they too were able to understand classifiers with higher than chance accuracy. We conclude that adult learners of BSL bring their visuo-spatial knowledge and gestural abilities to the tasks of understanding and producing constructions that contain entity classifiers. We speculate that investigating the time course of adult sign language acquisition might shed light on how gesture became (and, indeed, becomes) conventionalized during the genesis of sign languages. Copyright © 2014 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.
Comparing Learner Community Behavior in Multiple Presentations of a Massive Open Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Silvia Elena; Savage, Timothy

2015-01-01

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) can create large scale communities of learners who collaborate, interact and discuss learning materials and activities. MOOCs are often delivered multiple times with similar content to different cohorts of learners. However, research into the differences of learner communication, behavior and expectation between…

Comparing Learner Community Behavior in Multiple Presentations of a Massive Open Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Silvia Elena; Savage, Timothy

2016-01-01

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) can create large scale communities of learners who collaborate, interact and discuss learning materials and activities. MOOCs are often delivered multiple times with similar content to different cohorts of learners. However, research into the differences of learner communication, behavior and expectation between…
Assessment Certitude as a Feedback Strategy for Learners' Constructed Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kealy, W. A.; Ritzhaupt, A. D.

2010-01-01

Educational researchers have "rarely" addressed the problem of how to provide feedback on constructed responses. All participants (N = 76) read a story and completed short-answer questions based on the text, with some receiving feedback consisting of the exact material on which the questions were based. During feedback, two groups receiving…
Complement Constructions in English: Fairly Difficult for EFL Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fazeli, Fatemeh; Shokrpour, Nasrin

2012-01-01

Complement constructions vary significantly in English and Persian. There are more complementation structures in English than in Persian and a complement structure in Persian might have more than one equivalent in English. Producing complement structures (CSs) in English is very difficult for native speakers of Persian, especially in an EFL…
Predators of Knowledge Construction: Interpreting Students' Metacognition in an Amusement Park Physics Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, David; Nashon, Samson

2007-01-01

It is recognized widely that learning is a dynamic and idiosyncratic process of construction and reconstruction of concepts in response to new experiences. It is influenced by the learner's prior knowledge, motivation, and sociocultural context. This study investigated how year 11 and 12 physics students' metacognition influences the development…
Creating Spaces for Constructing Practice and Identity: Innovations of Teachers of English Language to Young Learners in Vietnam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Chinh Duc

2017-01-01

The discourse on construction of practice and identity in language teaching has been situated in transnational contexts. However, not all teachers are provided with access to transnational spaces for professional development. Drawing on the concept of "multimembership" in "multicommunities", this study explores how Vietnamese…
Discursive Construction of Social Presence and Identity Positions in an International Bilingual Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Ute

2017-01-01

This article examines the discursive construction of social presence and identity in a bilingual collaboration between tertiary distance learners of German in New Zealand and Academic English students in Germany. Drawing on positioning theory, this small-scale study investigated the collaborative practices of a group of students, whose synchronous…
A Descriptive Enquiry into Subject-Verb Concord in English Existential Constructions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsuchida, Takehiro

2011-01-01

Subject-verb concord in English existential constructions is often viewed as problematic from both prescriptive and descriptive approaches to grammar and causes considerable confusion among teachers and learners of English as a second language (ESL). This paper aims to disentangle debates over the curious usage of the "there" + plural noun phrase…
Road Maps for Learning: A Bird's Eye View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunne, Timothy T.

2011-01-01

The notion of the road map, advocated by Black, Wilson, and Yao (2011), and the associated minutiae of the construct map have several powerful features. At one level these notions assist the teacher to select and embody a suitable sequence of constructs within a specified curriculum. Whatever disparate sequenced pathways individual learners may…
Changing Policy Discourses: Constructing Literacy Inequalities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Mary; Pitt, Kathy

2011-01-01

This paper explores the ways in which policy discourses have constructed rationales for addressing adult literacy over the last 50 years. In particular, we examine how policy positions the literacy learner as citizen within discourses of rights and equity. Taking the case of the UK, we compare two key documents produced at different historical…
Constructing Learning Spaces? Videoconferencing at Local Learning Centres in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Logdlund, Ulrik

2010-01-01

This article explores videoconferencing in the context of local learning centres in Sweden. The practice is described as a "learning space" in which adult learners construct socio-spatial relations. The study goes beyond a sociological apprehension of actors and opposes the idea of the material as neutral, passive and conformed by…
Block scheduling: Instructional practices in high school science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richelsoph, Barry

Proponents of block scheduling perceive this approach to be a 'structural lever' to invite and impel teachers to change their teaching (Marshak, 1997). This desired shift is supposed to be manifest in movement from the traditional classroom structure, focusing on the teacher as lecturer or transmitter of subject matter, to that of teacher as coach with students as active learners, engaged in a variety of activities involving them individually and collaboratively in their education (Canady & Rettig, 1995). Block scheduling changes the formal structure of the school day, but does it really change pedagogical practices in high school science classrooms? Fraser's Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire (ICEQ) the instrument used in this study of science classes in five block-scheduled high schools in Connecticut, incorporates the tenets for an enriched classroom environment in its five scales or constructs: Participation---Extent to which students are encouraged to participate rather than be passive learners; Personalization---Emphasis on opportunities for individual students to interact with the teacher and on concern for the personal welfare and social growth of the individual; Investigation---Emphasis on the skills and processes of inquiry and their use in problem solving and investigation. Independence---Extent to which students are allowed to make decisions and have control over their own learning environment and behavior; Differentiation---Emphasis on the selective treatment of students on the basis of ability, learning style, interests, and rate of working (Fraser, 1990). The results and conclusions from this research study suggested that the block-scheduled high school science classes that participated in this research do promote, to varying degrees, those tenets that define an enriched classroom environment. Both the teachers and their classes of students perceived opportunities for Participation, Personalization, and Investigation constructs as prevalent in science instruction. However, Independence and Differentiation, although existent to some extent, were perceived to occur less by both the teachers and the students in their classes. The provision of more class time alone was not enough to drive the tenets of these two constructs significantly.
Learning to Construct Meaning from Text: A Case Study of the Relationship between a Tutor and an English Learner within a Response to Intervention Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaeger, Elizabeth L.

2015-01-01

This case study describes the ways in which Sam, an English learner with weak comprehension, grew as a reader, student, and friend during his fourth grade year. Using the Interactive Model of Reading (Dis)ability and the RAND model of comprehension as a frame, Sam's experience in a Tier 2/3 tutorial program is examined. Over time, Sam (1) engaged…
Guided Inquiry Learning With Sea Water Battery Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashudi, A.

2017-02-01

Science learning process is expected to produce valuable product, innovative and real learning environment, and provide memorable learning experience. That orientation can be contained in Inquiry Based Learning. SMP N 4 Juwana is located close to the beach. That’s why, Sea Water Battery Project is very suitable to be applied in learning activity as an effort to fulfill the renewable energy based on local wisdom. This study aims to increase interest, activity and achievement of students. Learning implementation stage, namely : Constructing Sea Water Battery project, observation, group presentations, and feedback. Sea Water Battery is renewable energy battery from materials easily found around the learner. The materials used are copper plate as the anode, zinc plate as the cathode and sea water as the electrolyte. Average score of students Interest on the first cycle 76, while on the second cycle 85. Average score of students Activity on the first cycle 76 and on the second cycle 86. Average score of students achievement on the first cycle 75, while on the second cycle 84. This learning process gave nurturant effect for students to keep innovating and construct engineering technology for the future.
Formative use of select-and-fill-in concept maps in online instruction: Implications for students of different learning styles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaminski, Charles William

The purpose of this research was to investigate the formative use of Select and Fill-In (SAFI) maps in online instruction and the cognitive, metacognitive, and affective responses of students to their use. In particular, the implications of their use with students of different learning styles was considered. The research question investigated in this qualitative study was: How do students of different learning styles respond to online instruction in which SAFI maps are utilized? This question was explored by using an emergent, collective case study. Each case consisted of community college students who shared a dominant learning style and were enrolled in an online course in environmental studies. Cases in the study were determined using Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI). Seven forms of data were collected during the study. During the first phase of data collection, dominant learning style and background information on student experience with concept mapping and online instruction was determined. In the second phase of data collection, participants completed SAFI maps and quiz items that corresponded to the content of the maps. Achievement data on the map activities and quiz and student responses to a post-SAFI survey and questionnaire were recorded to identify learner cognitive, metacognitive, and affective responses to the tasks. Upon completion of data collection, cases were constructed and compared across learning styles. Cases are presented using the trends, across participants sharing the same dominant learning style, in achievement, behaviors and attitudes as seen in the evidence present in the data. Triangulation of multiple data sources increased reliability and validity, through cross-case analyses, and produced a thick description of the relationship between the cases for each learning style. Evidence suggesting a cognitive response to the SAFI tasks was inconsistent across cases. However, learners with an affinity towards reflective learning activities demonstrated more positive metacognitive and affective responses to the SAFI tasks. This suggests that the contemplation and consideration of relationships expressed in the map requires learners, while completing the SAFI task, to compare their existing cognitive structure with an accepted structure and to reflect on the differences and similarities that may exist. Subsequently, the value of formative online SAFI map use for learners lies within the cognitive process of completing the tasks, not in the construction of an abstract cognitive structure reflecting an accepted structure and organization of concepts suggested by a completed map.
A model for educational feedback based on clinical communication skills strategies: beyond the "feedback sandwich".

PubMed

Milan, Felise B; Parish, Sharon J; Reichgott, Michael J

2006-01-01

Feedback is an essential tool in medical education, and the process is often difficult for both faculty and learner. There are strong analogies between the provision of educational feedback and doctor-patient communication during the clinical encounter. Relationship-building skills used in the clinical setting-Partnership, Empathy, Apology, Respect, Legitimation, Support (PEARLS)-can establish trust with the learner to better manage difficult feedback situations involving personal issues, unprofessional behavior, or a defensive learner. Using the stage of readiness to change (transtheoretical) model, the educator can "diagnose" the learner's stage of readiness and employ focused interventions to encourage desired changes. This approach has been positively received by medical educators in faculty development workshops. A model for provision of educational feedback based on communication skills used in the clinical encounter can be useful in the medical education setting. More robust evaluation of the construct validity is required in actual training program situations.
Designing Non-Cognitive Construct Measures That Improve Mathematics Achievement in Grade 5-6 Learners. A User-Centered Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatterji, Madhabi; Lin, Meiko

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to design and iteratively improve the quality of survey-based measures of three non-cognitive constructs for Grade 5-6 students, keeping in mind information needs of users in education reform contexts. The constructs are: Mathematics-related Self-Efficacy, Self-Concept, and Anxiety (M-SE, M-SC, and M-ANX).…
Motivation Classification and Grade Prediction for MOOCs Learners

PubMed Central

Xu, Bin; Yang, Dan

2016-01-01

While MOOCs offer educational data on a new scale, many educators find great potential of the big data including detailed activity records of every learner. A learner's behavior such as if a learner will drop out from the course can be predicted. How to provide an effective, economical, and scalable method to detect cheating on tests such as surrogate exam-taker is a challenging problem. In this paper, we present a grade predicting method that uses student activity features to predict whether a learner may get a certification if he/she takes a test. The method consists of two-step classifications: motivation classification (MC) and grade classification (GC). The MC divides all learners into three groups including certification earning, video watching, and course sampling. The GC then predicts a certification earning learner may or may not obtain a certification. Our experiment shows that the proposed method can fit the classification model at a fine scale and it is possible to find a surrogate exam-taker. PMID:26884747
Motivation Classification and Grade Prediction for MOOCs Learners.

PubMed

Xu, Bin; Yang, Dan

2016-01-01

While MOOCs offer educational data on a new scale, many educators find great potential of the big data including detailed activity records of every learner. A learner's behavior such as if a learner will drop out from the course can be predicted. How to provide an effective, economical, and scalable method to detect cheating on tests such as surrogate exam-taker is a challenging problem. In this paper, we present a grade predicting method that uses student activity features to predict whether a learner may get a certification if he/she takes a test. The method consists of two-step classifications: motivation classification (MC) and grade classification (GC). The MC divides all learners into three groups including certification earning, video watching, and course sampling. The GC then predicts a certification earning learner may or may not obtain a certification. Our experiment shows that the proposed method can fit the classification model at a fine scale and it is possible to find a surrogate exam-taker.
Beyond individualism: professional culture and its influence on feedback.

PubMed

Watling, Christopher; Driessen, Erik; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; Vanstone, Meredith; Lingard, Lorelei

2013-06-01

Although feedback is widely considered essential to learning, its actual influence on learners is variable. Research on responsivity to feedback has tended to focus on individual rather than social or cultural influences on learning. In this study, we explored how feedback is handled within different professional cultures, and how the characteristics and values of a profession shape learners' responses to feedback. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, we conducted 12 focus groups and nine individual interviews (with a total of 50 participants) across three cultures of professional training in, respectively, music, teacher training and medicine. Constant comparative analysis for recurring themes was conducted iteratively. Each of the three professional cultures created a distinct context for learning that influenced how feedback was handled. Despite these contextual differences, credibility and constructiveness emerged as critical constants, identified by learners across cultures as essential for feedback to be perceived as meaningful. However, the definitions of credibility and constructiveness were distinct to each professional culture and the cultures varied considerably in how effectively they supported the occurrence of feedback with these critical characteristics. Professions define credibility and constructiveness in culturally specific ways and create contexts for learning that may either facilitate or constrain the provision of meaningful feedback. Comparison with other professional cultures may offer strategies for creating a productive feedback culture within medical education. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Popular Culture, English Out-of-Class Activities, and Learner Autonomy among Highly Proficient Secondary Students in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Hoi Wing

2016-01-01

This paper reports on how and why proficient learners of English in Hong Kong participated in popular culture, out-of-class activities, with an emphasis on their development of learner autonomy. Autonomy in language learning is defined as an individual's ability and responsibility to take charge of his or her own learning [1]. Out-of-class…

The Pediatrics Milestones Assessment Pilot: Development of Workplace-Based Assessment Content, Instruments, and Processes.

PubMed

Hicks, Patricia J; Margolis, Melissa; Poynter, Sue E; Chaffinch, Christa; Tenney-Soeiro, Rebecca; Turner, Teri L; Waggoner-Fountain, Linda; Lockridge, Robin; Clyman, Stephen G; Schwartz, Alan

2016-05-01

To report on the development of content and user feedback regarding the assessment process and utility of the workplace-based assessment instruments of the Pediatrics Milestones Assessment Pilot (PMAP). One multisource feedback instrument and two structured clinical observation instruments were developed and refined by experts in pediatrics and assessment to provide evidence for nine competencies based on the Pediatrics Milestones (PMs) and chosen to inform residency program faculty decisions about learners' readiness to serve as pediatric interns in the inpatient setting. During the 2012-2013 PMAP study, 18 U.S. pediatric residency programs enrolled interns and subinterns. Faculty, residents, nurses, and other observers used the instruments to assess learner performance through direct observation during a one-month rotation. At the end of the rotation, data were aggregated for each learner, milestone levels were assigned using a milestone classification form, and feedback was provided to learners. Learners and site leads were surveyed and/or interviewed about their experience as participants. Across the sites, 2,338 instruments assessing 239 learners were completed by 630 unique observers. Regarding end-of-rotation feedback, 93% of learners (128/137) agreed the assessments and feedback "helped me understand how those with whom I work perceive my performance," and 85% (117/137) agreed they were "useful for constructing future goals or identifying a developmental path." Site leads identified several benefits and challenges to the assessment process. PM-based instruments used in workplace-based assessment provide a meaningful and acceptable approach to collecting evidence of learner competency development. Learners valued feedback provided by PM-based assessment.
The neural coding of expected and unexpected monetary performance outcomes: dissociations between active and observational learning.

PubMed

Bellebaum, C; Jokisch, D; Gizewski, E R; Forsting, M; Daum, I

2012-02-01

Successful adaptation to the environment requires the learning of stimulus-response-outcome associations. Such associations can be learned actively by trial and error or by observing the behaviour and accompanying outcomes in other persons. The present study investigated similarities and differences in the neural mechanisms of active and observational learning from monetary feedback using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Two groups of 15 subjects each - active and observational learners - participated in the experiment. On every trial, active learners chose between two stimuli and received monetary feedback. Each observational learner observed the choices and outcomes of one active learner. Learning performance as assessed via active test trials without feedback was comparable between groups. Different activation patterns were observed for the processing of unexpected vs. expected monetary feedback in active and observational learners, particularly for positive outcomes. Activity for unexpected vs. expected reward was stronger in the right striatum in active learning, while activity in the hippocampus was bilaterally enhanced in observational and reduced in active learning. Modulation of activity by prediction error (PE) magnitude was observed in the right putamen in both types of learning, whereas PE related activations in the right anterior caudate nucleus and in the medial orbitofrontal cortex were stronger for active learning. The striatum and orbitofrontal cortex thus appear to link reward stimuli to own behavioural reactions and are less strongly involved when the behavioural outcome refers to another person's action. Alternative explanations such as differences in reward value between active and observational learning are also discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Use of Referential Discourse Contexts in L2 Offline and Online Sentence Processing.

PubMed

Yang, Pi-Lan

2016-10-01

The present study aimed to investigate (a) the extent to which Chinese-speaking learners of English in Taiwan use referential noun phrase (NP) information contained in discourse contexts to complete ambiguous noun/verb fragments in a sentence completion task, and (b) whether and when they use the contexts to disambiguate main verb versus reduced relative clause (MV/RRC) ambiguities in real time. Results showed that unlike native English speakers, English learners did not create a marked increase in RRC completions in biasing two-NP-referent discourse contexts except for advanced learners. Nevertheless, like native speakers, the learners at elementary, intermediate, and advanced English proficiency levels all used the information in a later stage of resolving the MV/RRC ambiguities in real time. The delayed effect of referential context information observed suggests that L2 learners, like native speakers, are able to construct syntax-to-discourse mappings in real time. It also suggests that processing of syntactic information takes precedence over integration of syntactic information with discourse information during L1 and L2 online sentence processing.
Design of Ontology-Based Sharing Mechanism for Web Services Recommendation Learning Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hong-Ren

The number of digital learning websites is growing as a result of advances in computer technology and new techniques in web page creation. These sites contain a wide variety of information but may be a source of confusion to learners who fail to find the information they are seeking. This has led to the concept of recommendation services to help learners acquire information and learning resources that suit their requirements. Learning content like this cannot be reused by other digital learning websites. A successful recommendation service that satisfies a certain learner must cooperate with many other digital learning objects so that it can achieve the required relevance. The study proposes using the theory of knowledge construction in ontology to make the sharing and reuse of digital learning resources possible. The learning recommendation system is accompanied by the recommendation of appropriate teaching materials to help learners enhance their learning abilities. A variety of diverse learning components scattered across the Internet can be organized through an ontological process so that learners can use information by storing, sharing, and reusing it.
E-portfolios and personalized learning: research in practice with two dyslexic learners in UK higher education.

PubMed

Hughes, Julie; Herrington, Margaret; McDonald, Tess; Rhodes, Amy

2011-02-01

This paper analyses the use of an e-portfolio system in contributing to the personalized learning of two dyslexic learners at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. The rationale for this research rests at the intersection of generic findings from e-portfolio (and wider e-learning) research and the still challenging project in higher education (HE) of creating inclusive curricula. A qualitative, ethnographic approach was employed in a piece of collaborative research between academic staff and dyslexic learners. Two retrospective learner narratives were constructed and then reviewed by all co-authors in terms of the 'personalized fit' which they allowed with dyslexic thinking, learning and writing experience. The findings suggest a potential refinement of the general pedagogical claims about e-portfolio-based learning when considering dyslexic learners and thence the value of an enhanced prioritization of e-portfolio learning practices within inclusive HE curricula. The review and analysis also allow a 'critical' discussion of the practical and theoretical issues arising within this work. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spatial ability of slow learners based on Hubert Maier theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Permatasari, I.; Pramudya, I.; Kusmayadi, T. A.

2018-03-01

Slow learners are children who have low learning achievement (under the average of normal children) in one or all of the academic field, but they are not classified as a mentally retarded children. Spatial ability developed according to age and level of knowledge possessed, both from the neighborhood and formal education. Analyzing the spatial ability of students is important for teachers, as an effort to improve the quality of learning for slow learners. Especially on the implementation of inclusion school which is developing in Indonesia. This research used a qualitative method and involved slow learner students as the subject. Based on the data analysis it was found the spatial ability of slow learners, there were: spatial perception, students were able to describe the other shape of object when its position changed; spatial visualisation, students were able to describe the materials that construct an object; mental rotation, students cannot describe the object being rotated; spatial relation, students cannot describe the relations of same objects; spatial orientation, students were able to describe object from the others perspective.
Trainers and Learners Constructing a Community of Practice: Masculine Work Cultures and Learning Safety in the Mining Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Somerville, Margaret; Abrahamsson, Lena

2003-01-01

Interviews and observations involving 20 coal miners and 7 trainers found the group constructed a community of practice that reinforced the culture of masculinity. Miners learned safety measures through experience and from coworkers. Trainers viewed their work as simulated environments and codified practices, which implicitly devalue experiential…
Foreign Language Anxiety as an Individual Difference Variable in Performance: From an Interactionist's Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Youngsang

This article addresses a research direction in which language professionals' research efforts can be invested to clarify the conceptual framework of the foreign language (FL) anxiety construct and develop an alternative measure to the construct. Current research on the effects of FL anxiety on learner performance has yielded inconsistent research…
Ecological Fallacy in Reading Acquisition Research: Masking Constructive Processes of the Learner.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berninger, Virginia W.; Abbott, Robert D.

A study examined whether conclusions about constructive processes in reading based on analysis of group data were consistent with those based on an analysis of individual data. Subjects, selected from a larger sample of 45 first grade students who had participated in a longitudinal study on acquisition of linguistic procedures for printed words,…
Constructing Meaning: Think-Aloud Protocols of ELLs on English and Spanish Word Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Celedon-Pattichis, Sylvia

This one-year qualitative study analyzed how nine middle school English language learners (ELLs) of Mexican descent constructed meaning on think-aloud protocols of Spanish and English word problems. Strategies used by these students to process information from English to their native language included translating to Spanish, reading the problem at…
A Comparative Study of the Variables Used to Measure Syntactic Complexity and Accuracy in Task-Based Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inoue, Chihiro

2016-01-01

The constructs of complexity, accuracy and fluency (CAF) have been used extensively to investigate learner performance on second language tasks. However, a serious concern is that the variables used to measure these constructs are sometimes used conventionally without any empirical justification. It is crucial for researchers to understand how…
The Inquiry, Communication, Construction and Expression (ICCE) Framework for Understanding Learning Experiences in Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Mamta; Foster, Aroutis

2014-01-01

There is a paucity of research frameworks that focus on aiding game selection and use, analyzing the game as a holistic system, and studying learner experiences in games. There is a need for frameworks that provide a lens for understanding learning experiences afforded in digital games and facilitating knowledge construction and motivation to…
Adult Learners' Week in Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, John

2002-01-01

Promotional materials and activities for Australia's Adult Learners Week, which are shaped by a variety of stakeholders , include media strategies and a website. Activities are evaluated using a market research company and website and telephone hotline statistics. (SK)
Spoken Language Activation Alters Subsequent Sign Language Activation in L2 Learners of American Sign Language.

PubMed

Williams, Joshua T; Newman, Sharlene D

2017-02-01

A large body of literature has characterized unimodal monolingual and bilingual lexicons and how neighborhood density affects lexical access; however there have been relatively fewer studies that generalize these findings to bimodal (M2) second language (L2) learners of sign languages. The goal of the current study was to investigate parallel language activation in M2L2 learners of sign language and to characterize the influence of spoken language and sign language neighborhood density on the activation of ASL signs. A priming paradigm was used in which the neighbors of the sign target were activated with a spoken English word and compared the activation of the targets in sparse and dense neighborhoods. Neighborhood density effects in auditory primed lexical decision task were then compared to previous reports of native deaf signers who were only processing sign language. Results indicated reversed neighborhood density effects in M2L2 learners relative to those in deaf signers such that there were inhibitory effects of handshape density and facilitatory effects of location density. Additionally, increased inhibition for signs in dense handshape neighborhoods was greater for high proficiency L2 learners. These findings support recent models of the hearing bimodal bilingual lexicon, which posit lateral links between spoken language and sign language lexical representations.
Learners' Satisfaction Level with Online Student Portal as a Support System in an Open and Distance eLearning Environment (ODeL)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Secreto, Percia V.; Pamulaklakin, Rhodora L.

2015-01-01

Learner support in an open, distance and online learning is defined as "all activities and elements in education that respond to a known learner or group of learners, and which are designed to assist in the cognitive, affective, and systemic realms of the learning process" (Brindley, et. al, 2004). Teaching and tutoring, advising and…
Form-Focused Discovery Activities in English Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogeyik, Muhlise Cosgun

2011-01-01

Form-focused discovery activities allow language learners to grasp various aspects of a target language by contributing implicit knowledge by using discovered explicit knowledge. Moreover, such activities can assist learners to perceive and discover the features of their language input. In foreign language teaching environments, they can be used…
Implementing Verbal and Non-Verbal Activities in an Intercultural Collaboration Project for English Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fujii, Kiyomi; Hirotani, Maki

2015-01-01

Technological development offers language teachers a myriad of options for collaborative activities. Learners, in turn, benefit from increased opportunities to interact with people who can speak their target language. Research has previously highlighted the importance of developing learners' intercultural competence through such activities. The…
Age of acquisition modulates neural activity for both regular and irregular syntactic functions

PubMed Central

Hernandez, Arturo E.; Hofmann, Juliane; Kotz, Sonja A.

2007-01-01

Studies have found that neural activity is greater for irregular grammatical items than regular items. Findings with monolingual Spanish speakers have revealed a similar effect when making gender decisions for visually presented nouns. The current study extended previous studies by looking at the role of regularity in modulating differences in groups that differ in the age of acquisition of a language. Early and late learners of Spanish matched on measures of language proficiency were asked to make gender decisions to regular (-o for masculine and –a for feminine) and irregular items (which can end in e,l,n,r,s,t and z). Results revealed increased activity in left BA 44 for irregular compared to regular items in separate comparisons for both early and late learners. In addition, within group-comparisons revealed that neural activity for irregulars extended into left BA 47 for late learners and into left BA 6 for early learners. Direct comparisons between-groups revealed increased activity in left BA 44/45 for irregular items indicating the need for more extensive syntactic processing in late learners. The results revealed that processing of irregular grammatical gender leads to increased activity in left BA 44 and adjacent areas in the left IFG regardless of when a language is learned. Furthermore, these findings suggest differential recruitment of brain areas associated with grammatical processing in late learners. The results are discussed with regard to a model which considers L2 learning as emerging from the competitive interplay between two languages. PMID:17490895
Annotation-Based Learner's Personality Modeling in Distance Learning Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omheni, Nizar; Kalboussi, Anis; Mazhoud, Omar; Kacem, Ahmed Hadj

2016-01-01

Researchers in distance education are interested in observing and modeling learners' personality profiles, and adapting their learning experiences accordingly. When learners read and interact with their reading materials, they do unselfconscious activities like annotation which may be key feature of their personalities. Annotation activity…
The Influence of Perceived Information Overload on Student Participation and Knowledge Construction in Computer-Mediated Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chun-Ying; Pedersen, Susan; Murphy, Karen L.

2012-01-01

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) has been used widely to engage learners in academic discourse for knowledge construction. Due to the features of the task environment, one of the main problems caused by the medium is information overload (IO). Yet the literature is unclear about the impact of IO on student learning. This study therefore…

Gender and Heritage Spanish Bilingual Grammars: A Study of Code-Mixed Determiner Phrases and Copula Constructions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valenzuela, Elena; Faure, Ana; Ramirez-Trujillo, Alma P.; Barski, Ewelina; Pangtay, Yolanda; Diez, Adriana

2012-01-01

The study examined heritage speaker grammars and to what extent they diverge with respect to grammatical gender from adult L2 learners. Results from a preference task involving code-mixed Determiner Phrases (DPs) and code-mixed copula constructions show a difference between these two types of operations. Heritage speakers patterned with the…
Exploring the Learner's Knowledge Construction and Cognitive Patterns of Different Asynchronous Platforms: Comparison of an Online Discussion Forum and Facebook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hou, Huei-Tse; Wang, Shu-Ming; Lin, Peng-Chun; Chang, Kuo-En

2015-01-01

The primary purpose of this study is to explore the knowledge construction behaviour and cognitive patterns involved in students' online discussion using online forum and Facebook (FB). This study employed quantitative content analysis and lag sequential analysis to examine the content and behavioural patterns of 50 students from a private…
Motivations for Older Adults' Participation in Distance Education: A Study at the National Open University of Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulenga, Derek; Liang, Jr-Shiuan

2008-01-01

This study investigated the factor structure of motivational constructs as expressed by older adult learners and examined how these constructs correlated with selected socio-demographic characteristics at the National Open University of Taiwan (NOUT). Results were based on the responses of 371 elders to the 32-item Reasons for Participation Scale…
New "Field" of Vocal Music Teaching and Research: Research on the Construction of a Novel Interaction Mode

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Donglan

2015-01-01

This paper, as an attempt to find a solution to the problem of "Identity Crisis" brought about by the traditional spoon-feeding Education Mode, explores to construct a new mode of vocal music teaching characterized by an interaction on an equal and democratic footing between learners and the teacher in light of Habermas' Communicative…
Collaborative 3D Learning Games for Future Learning: Teachers' Instructional Practices to Enhance Shared Knowledge Construction among Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hämäläinen, Raija; Oksanen, Kimmo

2014-01-01

Collaborative games will enable new kinds of possibilities for learning. In the future, the goal of game-based learning should be to introduce new ideas and deepen learners' in-depth understanding. However, studies have shown that shared high-level knowledge construction is a challenging process. Moreover, thus far, few empirical studies have…
Coaching: a new model for academic and career achievement

PubMed Central

Deiorio, Nicole M.; Carney, Patricia A.; Kahl, Leslie E.; Bonura, Erin M.; Juve, Amy Miller

2016-01-01

Background Individualized education is emerging as an innovative model for physician training. This requires faculty coaching to guide learners’ achievements in academic performance, competency development, and career progression. In addition, coaching can foster self-reflection and self-monitoring using a data-guided approach to support lifelong learning. Context Coaching differs from mentoring or advising, and its application in medical education is novel. Because of this, definitions of the concept and the constructs of coaching as applied to medical education are needed to accurately assess the coaching relationship and coaching processes. These can then be linked to learner outcomes to inform how coaching serves as a modifier of academic and competency achievement and career satisfaction. Innovation We developed definitions and constructs for academic coaching in medical education based on review of existing education and non-education coaching literature. These constructs focus on 1) establishing relationship principles, 2) conducting learner assessments, 3) developing and implementing an action plan, and 4) assessing results and revising plans accordingly. Implication Coaching is emerging as an important construct in the context of medical education. This article lays the vital groundwork needed for evaluation of coaching programs aimed at producing outstanding physicians. PMID:27914193
A Theory-Based Contextual Nutrition Education Manual Enhanced Nutrition Teaching Skill.

PubMed

Kupolati, Mojisola D; MacIntyre, Una E; Gericke, Gerda J

2018-01-01

Background: A theory-based contextual nutrition education manual (NEM) may enhance effective teaching of nutrition in schools. School nutrition education should lead to the realization of such benefits as improved health, scholarly achievement leading to manpower development and consequently the nation's development. The purpose of the study was to develop a contextual NEM for teachers of Grade 5 and 6 learners in the Bronkhorstspruit district, South Africa, and to assess teachers' perception on the use of the manual for teaching nutrition. Methods: This descriptive case study used an interpretivist paradigm. The study involved teachers ( N = 6) who taught nutrition in Life Skills (LS) and Natural Science and Technology (NST) in a randomly selected primary school in the Bronkhorstspruit district. Findings from a nutrition education needs assessment were integrated with the constructs of the Social cognitive theory (SCT) and the Meaningful learning model (MLM) and the existing curriculum of the Department of Basic Education (DoBE) to develop a contextual NEM. The manual was used by the teachers to teach nutrition to Grades 5 and 6 learners during the 2015 academic year as a pilot project. A focus group discussion (FDG) was conducted with teachers to gauge their perceptions of the usefulness of the NEM. Data were analyzed using the thematic approach of the framework method for qualitative research. Results: Teachers described the NEM as rich in information, easy to use and perceived the supporting materials and activities as being effective. The goal setting activities contained in the NEM were deemed to be ineffective. Teachers felt that they did not have enough time to teach all the important things that the learners needed to know. Conclusion: Teachers perceived the NEM as helpful toward improving their nutrition teaching skills.The NEM template may furthermore guide teachers in planning theory-based nutrition lessons.
A multi-agent intelligent environment for medical knowledge.

PubMed

Vicari, Rosa M; Flores, Cecilia D; Silvestre, André M; Seixas, Louise J; Ladeira, Marcelo; Coelho, Helder

2003-03-01

AMPLIA is a multi-agent intelligent learning environment designed to support training of diagnostic reasoning and modelling of domains with complex and uncertain knowledge. AMPLIA focuses on the medical area. It is a system that deals with uncertainty under the Bayesian network approach, where learner-modelling tasks will consist of creating a Bayesian network for a problem the system will present. The construction of a network involves qualitative and quantitative aspects. The qualitative part concerns the network topology, that is, causal relations among the domain variables. After it is ready, the quantitative part is specified. It is composed of the distribution of conditional probability of the variables represented. A negotiation process (managed by an intelligent MediatorAgent) will treat the differences of topology and probability distribution between the model the learner built and the one built-in in the system. That negotiation process occurs between the agents that represent the expert knowledge domain (DomainAgent) and the agent that represents the learner knowledge (LearnerAgent).
Participation in online continuing education.

PubMed

Farrell, Barbara; Ward, Natalie; Jennings, Brad; Jones, Caitlin; Jorgenson, Derek; Gubbels-Smith, Ashley; Dolovich, Lisa; Kennie, Natalie

2016-02-01

The ADAPT (ADapting pharmacists' skills and Approaches to maximize Patients' drug Therapy effectiveness) e-learning programme requires weekly participation in module activities and facilitated discussion to support skill uptake. In this study, we sought to describe the extent and pattern of, satisfaction with and factors affecting participation in the initial programme offering and reasons for withdrawal. Mixed methods - convergent parallel approach. Participation was examined in qualitative data from discussion boards, assignments and action plans. Learner estimations of time commitment and action plan submission rates were calculated. Surveys (Likert scale and open-ended questions) included mid-point and final, exit and participation surveys. Eleven of 86 learners withdrew, most due to time constraints (eight completed an exit survey; seven said they would take ADAPT again). Thirty-five of 75 remaining learners completed a participation survey. Although 50-60% of the remaining 75 learners actively continued participating, only 15/35 respondents felt satisfied with their own participation. Learners spent 3-5 h/week (average) on module activities. Factors challenging participation included difficulty with technology, managing time and group work. Factors facilitating participation included willingness to learn (content of high interest) and supportive work environment. Being informed of programme time scheduling in advance was identified as a way to enhance participation. This study determined extent of learner participation in an online pharmacist continuing education programme and identified factors influencing participation. Interactions between learners and the online interface, content and with other learners are important considerations for designing online education programmes. Recommendations for programme changes were incorporated following this evaluation to facilitate participation. © 2015 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
Participatory Multimedia Learning: Engaging Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiili, Kristian

2005-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a participatory multimedia learning model for use in designing multimedia learning environments that support an active learning process, creative participation, and learner engagement. Participatory multimedia learning can be defined as learning with systems that enable learners to produce part of the…
Learning To Learn: Western Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Gene L.

Building awareness of the self as learner is central to learning. Reflecting on past experiences helps individuals elucidate undetected characteristics of themselves as learners. Active learners are more likely to experiment with new learning strategies and take risks. Because of their inquiring dispositions, they self-monitor and self-evaluate…
Trapped as a Group, Escape as a Team: Applying Gamification to Incorporate Team-building Skills Through an ‘Escape Room’ Experience

PubMed Central

Lee, Hyunjoo; Rodriguez, Carlos; Rudner, Joshua; Chan, Teresa M; Papanagnou, Dimitrios

2018-01-01

Teamwork, a skill critical for quality patient care, is recognized as a core competency by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). To date, there is no consensus on how to effectively teach these skills in a forum that engages learners, immerses members in life-like activities, and builds both trust and rapport. Recreational ‘Escape Rooms’ have gained popularity in creating a life-like environment that rewards players for working together, solving puzzles, and completing successions of mind-bending tasks in order to effectively ‘escape the room’ in the time allotted. In this regard, escape rooms share many parallels with the multitasking and teamwork that is essential for a successful emergency department (ED) shift. A pilot group of nine emergency medicine (EM) residents and one senior EM faculty member underwent a commercial escape room as part of a team-building exercise in January 2018. The escape room required participants to practice teamwork, communication, task delegation, and critical thinking to tackle waves of increasingly complex puzzles, ranging from hidden objects, physical object assembly (i.e., jigsaw puzzles), and symbol matching. Activities required members to recognize and utilize the collective experiences, skills, knowledge base, and physical abilities of the group. After the game, players underwent a structured ‘game-master’ debriefing facilitated by an employee of the commercial escape room; this was followed by a post-event survey facilitated by a faculty member, which focused on participants’ feelings, experiences, and problem-solving techniques. Escape rooms afford learners the opportunity to engage in an activity that rewards teamwork and effective leadership through experiences that directly link to specific ACGME milestones and educational learning theories. EM participants were engaged in the activity and felt that the escape room reproduced an environment analogous to the ED. The debriefing that followed the activity provided a satisfactory conclusion to the experience; but learners preferred a more organized debriefing format that provided them with constructive and specific feedback on their performance. PMID:29725559
Trapped as a Group, Escape as a Team: Applying Gamification to Incorporate Team-building Skills Through an 'Escape Room' Experience.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao Chi; Lee, Hyunjoo; Rodriguez, Carlos; Rudner, Joshua; Chan, Teresa M; Papanagnou, Dimitrios

2018-03-02

Teamwork, a skill critical for quality patient care, is recognized as a core competency by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). To date, there is no consensus on how to effectively teach these skills in a forum that engages learners, immerses members in life-like activities, and builds both trust and rapport. Recreational 'Escape Rooms' have gained popularity in creating a life-like environment that rewards players for working together, solving puzzles, and completing successions of mind-bending tasks in order to effectively 'escape the room' in the time allotted. In this regard, escape rooms share many parallels with the multitasking and teamwork that is essential for a successful emergency department (ED) shift. A pilot group of nine emergency medicine (EM) residents and one senior EM faculty member underwent a commercial escape room as part of a team-building exercise in January 2018. The escape room required participants to practice teamwork, communication, task delegation, and critical thinking to tackle waves of increasingly complex puzzles, ranging from hidden objects, physical object assembly (i.e., jigsaw puzzles), and symbol matching. Activities required members to recognize and utilize the collective experiences, skills, knowledge base, and physical abilities of the group. After the game, players underwent a structured 'game-master' debriefing facilitated by an employee of the commercial escape room; this was followed by a post-event survey facilitated by a faculty member, which focused on participants' feelings, experiences, and problem-solving techniques. Escape rooms afford learners the opportunity to engage in an activity that rewards teamwork and effective leadership through experiences that directly link to specific ACGME milestones and educational learning theories. EM participants were engaged in the activity and felt that the escape room reproduced an environment analogous to the ED. The debriefing that followed the activity provided a satisfactory conclusion to the experience; but learners preferred a more organized debriefing format that provided them with constructive and specific feedback on their performance.
Exploring Students' Emotional Responses and Participation in an Online Peer Assessment Activity: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Kun-Hung; Hou, Huei-Tse; Wu, Sheng-Yi

2014-01-01

In the social interactions among individuals of learning communities, including those individuals engaged in peer assessment activities, emotion may be a key factor in learning. However, research regarding the emotional response of learners in online peer assessment activities is relatively scarce. Detecting learners' emotion when they make…
Enrolment Purposes, Instructional Activities, and Perceptions of Attitudinal Learning in a Human Trafficking MOOC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Sunnie Lee; Kim, Woori

2016-01-01

This study examines learner enrolment purposes, perceptions on instructional activities and their relationship to learning gains in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for attitudinal change regarding human trafficking. Using an author-developed survey, learners reported their perceptions on instructional activities and learning gains within the…
Older Adult Learners: A Comparison of Active and Non-Active Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sloane-Seale, Atlanta; Kops, Bill

2007-01-01

This paper reports on a 2004 follow-up study conducted in partnership with the University of Manitoba Continuing Education Division and local senior's organizations. The partnership was formed in 2002-03 to promote applied research on lifelong learning and older adults, develop new and complement existing educational activities, and explore new…
Generating Language Activities in Real-Time for English Learners Using Language Muse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burstein, Jill; Madnani, Nitin; Sabatini, John; McCaffrey, Dan; Biggers, Kietha; Dreier, Kelsey

2017-01-01

K-12 education standards in the U.S. require all students to read complex texts across many subject areas. The "Language Muse™ Activity Palette" is a web-based language-instruction application that uses NLP algorithms and lexical resources to automatically generate language activities and support English language learners' content…
Ten Helpful Ideas for Teaching English to Young Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Joan Kang

2006-01-01

This article offers ten suggestions for teaching young learners between the age of 7 and 12 based on language-teaching principles. They include supplementing activities with visuals, realia and movement; involving students in making visuals and realia; moving from activity to activity; teaching in themes; using stories and contexts familiar to…
Engaging Teachers as Learners: Modeling Professional Development for Adult Literacy Providers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanna, Mary Barbara; Salzman, James A.; Reynolds, Sharon L.; Fergus, Katherine B.

2010-01-01

As professional developers for the Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE) system in Ohio, the authors have focused their efforts over the last several years on more actively engaging adult basic education teachers as learners in the professional development they offer. By creating activities that engage teachers in active learning with their adult…
Age Effects in L2 Grammar Processing as Revealed by ERPs and How (Not) to Study Them

PubMed Central

Meulman, Nienke; Wieling, Martijn; Sprenger, Simone A.; Schmid, Monika S.

2015-01-01

In this study we investigate the effect of age of acquisition (AoA) on grammatical processing in second language learners as measured by event-related brain potentials (ERPs). We compare a traditional analysis involving the calculation of averages across a certain time window of the ERP waveform, analyzed with categorical groups (early vs. late), with a generalized additive modeling analysis, which allows us to take into account the full range of variability in both AoA and time. Sixty-six Slavic advanced learners of German listened to German sentences with correct and incorrect use of non-finite verbs and grammatical gender agreement. We show that the ERP signal depends on the AoA of the learner, as well as on the regularity of the structure under investigation. For gender agreement, a gradual change in processing strategies can be shown that varies by AoA, with younger learners showing a P600 and older learners showing a posterior negativity. For verb agreement, all learners show a P600 effect, irrespective of AoA. Based on their behavioral responses in an offline grammaticality judgment task, we argue that the late learners resort to computationally less efficient processing strategies when confronted with (lexically determined) syntactic constructions different from the L1. In addition, this study highlights the insights the explicit focus on the time course of the ERP signal in our analysis framework can offer compared to the traditional analysis. PMID:26683335

Active Learning Using Arbitrary Binary Valued Queries

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-10-01

active learning in the sense that the learner has complete choice in the information received. Specifically, we allow the learner to ask arbitrary yes...no questions. We consider both active learning under a fixed distribution and distribution-free active learning . In the case of active learning , the...a concept class is actively learnable iff it is finite, so that active learning is in fact less powerful than the usual passive learning model. We
The Roles of Structured Input Activities in Processing Instruction and the Kinds of Knowledge They Promote

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsden, Emma; Chen, Hsin-Ying

2011-01-01

This study aimed to isolate the effects of the two input activities in Processing Instruction: referential activities, which force learners to focus on a form and its meaning, and affective activities, which contain exemplars of the target form and require learners to process sentence meaning. One hundred and twenty 12-year-old Taiwanese learners…
Recognition of Learner's Personality Traits through Digital Annotations in Distance Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omheni, Nizar; Kalboussi, Anis; Mazhoud, Omar; Kacem, Ahmed Hadj

2017-01-01

Researchers in distance education are interested in observing and modelling of learner's personality profile, and adapting their learning experiences accordingly. When learners read and interact with their reading materials, they do unselfconscious activities like annotation which may be a key feature of their personalities. Annotation activity…
The Integration of Personal Learning Environments & Open Network Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tu, Chih-Hsiung; Sujo-Montes, Laura; Yen, Cherng-Jyh; Chan, Junn-Yih; Blocher, Michael

2012-01-01

Learning management systems traditionally provide structures to guide online learners to achieve their learning goals. Web 2.0 technology empowers learners to create, share, and organize their personal learning environments in open network environments; and allows learners to engage in social networking and collaborating activities. Advanced…
Beginning Learners' Development of Interactional Competence: Alignment Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tecedor, Marta

2016-01-01

This study examined the development of interactional competence (Hall, 1993; He & Young, 1998) by beginning learners of Spanish as indexed by their use of alignment moves. Discourse analysis techniques and quantitative data analysis were used to explore how 52 learners expressed alignment and changes in participation patterns in two sets of…
Enhancing Motivation in Online Courses with Mobile Communication Tool Support: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaiprasurt, Chantorn; Esichaikul, Vatcharaporn

2013-01-01

Mobile technologies have helped establish new channels of communication among learners and instructors, potentially providing greater access to course information, and promoting easier access to course activities and learner motivation in online learning environments. The paper compares motivation between groups of learners being taught through an…
Factors Driving Learner Success in Online Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vu, Phu; Cao, Vien; Vu, Lan; Cepero, Jude

2014-01-01

This study examined factors that contributed to the success of online learners in an online professional development course. Research instruments included an online survey and learners' activity logs in an online professional development course for 512 in-service teachers. The findings showed that there were several factors affecting online…
The Indonesian EFL Learners' Motivation in Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salikin, Hairus; Bin-Tahir, Saidna Zulfiqar; Kusumaningputri, Reni; Yuliandari, Dian Puji

2017-01-01

The motivation will drive the EFL learners to be successful in reading. This study examined the Indonesian EFL learners' motivation in reading activity based on Deci and Ryans' theory of motivation including intrinsic and extrinsic. This study employed mixed-method design. The data obtained by distributing questionnaire and arranging the group…
Ties that Bind: Cultural Referent Groups and Coping Strategies of Adult Women as Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nanton, Carmela R.

2009-01-01

This chapter examines the cultural influences and applications of women's social capital networks on women's knowledge construction, community development, and autonomy within their cultures and the adult learning context.
Assessment Processes and Outcomes: Building a Folio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnett, Bruce G.; Lee, Patty

1994-01-01

The first step in portfolio construction is building a folio--accumulation of all possible materials documenting a person's learning. Materials may include artifacts created by the learner and attestations from other people and organizations. (SK)
Collaborative Supervised Learning for Sensor Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagstaff, Kiri L.; Rebbapragada, Umaa; Lane, Terran

2011-01-01

Collaboration methods for distributed machine-learning algorithms involve the specification of communication protocols for the learners, which can query other learners and/or broadcast their findings preemptively. Each learner incorporates information from its neighbors into its own training set, and they are thereby able to bootstrap each other to higher performance. Each learner resides at a different node in the sensor network and makes observations (collects data) independently of the other learners. After being seeded with an initial labeled training set, each learner proceeds to learn in an iterative fashion. New data is collected and classified. The learner can then either broadcast its most confident classifications for use by other learners, or can query neighbors for their classifications of its least confident items. As such, collaborative learning combines elements of both passive (broadcast) and active (query) learning. It also uses ideas from ensemble learning to combine the multiple responses to a given query into a single useful label. This approach has been evaluated against current non-collaborative alternatives, including training a single classifier and deploying it at all nodes with no further learning possible, and permitting learners to learn from their own most confident judgments, absent interaction with their neighbors. On several data sets, it has been consistently found that active collaboration is the best strategy for a distributed learner network. The main advantages include the ability for learning to take place autonomously by collaboration rather than by requiring intervention from an oracle (usually human), and also the ability to learn in a distributed environment, permitting decisions to be made in situ and to yield faster response time.
Creating a Global Community of Learners in Nursing and Beyond: Caring Science, Mindful Practice MOOC.

PubMed

Sitzman, Kathleen L; Jensen, Andrea; Chan, Sang

The aim was to examine the usefulness of a massive open online course (MOOC) on caring and mindfulness to a broad international audience that included nurses, allied health professionals, and others. MOOCs in higher education have been evident since 2008. Very few MOOCs on nursing topics have appeared since that time. Exploration was needed regarding how MOOCs could be employed to share nursing knowledge with national and international communities. Two "Caring Science, Mindful Practice" MOOC sessions were examined. Demographics, learner satisfaction, course flow, and perceived usefulness of content were analyzed. Learners from varied backgrounds participated. Higher than expected course activity levels and completion rates suggested effective learner engagement. Excellent course ratings demonstrated that content and delivery methods were effective. Active learners communicated specific plans to apply new knowledge in the future. MOOCs facilitate learning where participants learn about topics of interest in nursing and beyond.
Modeling the effects of multicontextual physics instruction on learner expectations and understanding of force and motion systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deese Becht, Sara-Maria Francis

1999-11-01

The purpose of this study is two-fold involving both practical and theoretical modeling components. The practical component, an experiential-learning phase, investigated a study population for effects that increasing levels of multicontextual physics activities have on student understanding of Newtonian systems of motion. This contextual-learning model measured learner convictions and non-response gaps and analyzed learner response trends on context, technology, challenge, growth, and success. The theoretical component, a model-building phase, designed a dynamic-knowing model for learning along a range of experiential tasks, from low to high context, monitored for indicators of learning in science and mathematics: learner academic performance and ability, learner control and academic attitude, and a learner non- response gap. This knowing model characterized a learner's process-of-knowing on a less to more expert- like learner-response continuum using performance and perspective indices associated with level of contextual- imagery referent system. Data for the contextual-learning model were collected on 180 secondary subjects: 72 middle and 108 high, with 36 physics subjects as local experts. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups differing only on context level of force and motion activities. Three levels of information were presented through context-based tasks: momentum constancy as inertia, momentum change as impulse, and momentum rate of change as force. The statistical analysis used a multi-level factorial design with repeated measures and discriminate analysis of response-conviction items. Subject grouping criteria included school level, ability level in science and mathematics, gender and race. Assessment criteria used pre/post performance scores, confidence level in physics concepts held, and attitude towards science, mathematics, and technology. Learner indices were computed from logit- transforms applied to learner outcomes and to study control and prediction criteria parameters. Findings suggest learner success rates vary with multicontextual experience level. When controlling for context, learner success seems to depend on technology level of assessment tool, learner attitude toward technology learning tools, learner attitude toward science and mathematics, and challenge level of force and motion problems. A learner non-response gap seems important when monitoring learner conviction. Application of the knowing model to the study population pictures learners on a journey towards success referenced to a local expert response.
Uneven Reassembly of Tense, Telicity and Discourse Features in L2 Acquisition of the Chinese "shì…de" Cleft Construction by Adult English Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mai, Ziyin; Yuan, Boping

2016-01-01

This article reports an empirical study investigating L2 acquisition of the Mandarin Chinese "shì…de" cleft construction by adult English-speaking learners within the framework of the Feature Reassembly Hypothesis (Lardiere, 2009). A Sentence Completion task, an interpretation task, two Acceptability Judgement tasks, and a felicity…
The Social Construction of Age: Adult Foreign Language Learners. Second Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrew, Patricia

2012-01-01

This book explores the social construction of age in the context of EFL in Mexico. It is the first book to address the age factor in SLA from a social perspective. Based on research carried out at a public university in Mexico, it investigates how adults of different ages experience learning a new language and how they enact their age identities…
Objects prompt authentic scientific activities among learners in a museum programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achiam, Marianne; Simony, Leonora; Kramer Lindow, Bent Erik

2016-04-01

Although the scientific disciplines conduct practical work in different ways, all consider practical work as the essential way of connecting objects and phenomena with ideas and the abstract. Accordingly, practical work is regarded as central to science education as well. We investigate a practical, object-based palaeontology programme at a natural history museum to identify how palaeontological objects prompt scientific activity among upper secondary school students. We first construct a theoretical framework based on an analysis of the programme's palaeontological content. From this, we build our reference model, which considers the specimens used in the programme, possible palaeontological interpretations of these specimens, and the conditions inherent in the programme. We use the reference model to analyse the activities of programme participants, and illustrate how these activities are palaeontologically authentic. Finally, we discuss our findings, examining the mechanism by which the specimens prompt scientific activities. We also discuss our discipline-based approach, and how it allows us to positively identify participants' activities as authentic. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings.
Modality-specific processing precedes amodal linguistic processing during L2 sign language acquisition: A longitudinal study.

PubMed

Williams, Joshua T; Darcy, Isabelle; Newman, Sharlene D

2016-02-01

The present study tracked activation pattern differences in response to sign language processing by late hearing second language learners of American Sign Language. Learners were scanned before the start of their language courses. They were scanned again after their first semester of instruction and their second, for a total of 10 months of instruction. The study aimed to characterize modality-specific to modality-general processing throughout the acquisition of sign language. Results indicated that before the acquisition of sign language, neural substrates related to modality-specific processing were present. After approximately 45 h of instruction, the learners transitioned into processing signs on a phonological basis (e.g., supramarginal gyrus, putamen). After one more semester of input, learners transitioned once more to a lexico-semantic processing stage (e.g., left inferior frontal gyrus) at which language control mechanisms (e.g., left caudate, cingulate gyrus) were activated. During these transitional steps right hemispheric recruitment was observed, with increasing left-lateralization, which is similar to other native signers and L2 learners of spoken language; however, specialization for sign language processing with activation in the inferior parietal lobule (i.e., angular gyrus), even for late learners, was observed. As such, the present study is the first to track L2 acquisition of sign language learners in order to characterize modality-independent and modality-specific mechanisms for bilingual language processing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A Development of Game-Based Learning Environment to Activate Interaction among Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takaoka, Ryo; Shimokawa, Masayuki; Okamoto, Toshio

Many studies and systems that incorporate elements such as “pleasure” and “fun” in the game to improve a learner's motivation have been developed in the field of learning environments. However, few are the studies of situations where many learners gather at a single computer and participate in a game-based learning environment (GBLE), and where the GBLE designs the learning process by controlling the interactions between learners such as competition, collaboration, and learning by teaching. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to propose a framework of educational control that induces and activates interaction between learners intentionally to create a learning opportunity that is based on the knowledge understanding model of each learner. In this paper, we explain the design philosophy and the framework of our GBLE called “Who becomes the king in the country of mathematics?” from a game viewpoint and describe the method of learning support control in the learning environment. In addition, we report the results of the learning experiment with our GBLE, which we carried out in a junior high school, and include some comments by a principal and a teacher. From the results of the experiment and some comments, we noticed that a game may play a significant role in weakening the learning relationship among students and creating new relationships in the world of the game. Furthermore, we discovered that learning support control of the GBLE has led to activation of the interaction between learners to some extent.
Lab4CE: A Remote Laboratory for Computer Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broisin, Julien; Venant, Rémi; Vidal, Philippe

2017-01-01

Remote practical activities have been demonstrated to be efficient when learners come to acquire inquiry skills. In computer science education, virtualization technologies are gaining popularity as this technological advance enables instructors to implement realistic practical learning activities, and learners to engage in authentic and…
A Helping Hand with Language Learning: Teaching French Vocabulary with Gesture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Alison

2016-01-01

Finding ways to make language teaching practices both active and effective is of great importance for young learners. However, extending the foreign language production of young learners in instructional settings beyond the naming of objects is often challenging. The memorisation abilities of very young learners (children aged 5-7) sometimes…

Elementary School EFL Learners' Vocabulary Learning: The Effects of Post-Reading Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atay, Derin; Kurt, Gokce

2006-01-01

As language learning involves the acquisition of thousands of words, teachers and learners alike would like to know how vocabulary learning can be fostered, especially in EFL settings where learners frequently acquire impoverished lexicons, despite years of formal study. Research indicates that reading is important but not sufficient for…
Maximising Asian ESL Learners' Communicative Oral English via Drama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, Chamkaur

2016-01-01

This paper proposes that activities based on a variety of drama-based techniques could be valuable in giving Asian ESL learners opportunities to use communicative spoken English confidently and without restraint during their time in English-language-speaking countries. These learners often get anxious when in situations where they are required to…
Effects of Community Service-Learning on Heritage Language Learners' Attitudes toward Their Language and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pascual y Cabo, Diego; Prada, Josh; Lowther Pereira, Kelly

2017-01-01

This study examined the effects of participation in a community service-learning experience on Spanish heritage language learners' attitudes toward their heritage language and culture. Quantitative and qualitative data from heritage language learners demonstrated that engagement in community service-learning activities as part of the Spanish…
The Relationship between Iranian EFL Learners' Self-Regulatory Vocabulary Strategy Use and Their Vocabulary Size

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amirian, Seyed Mohammad Reza; Mallahi, Omid; Zaghi, Damoon

2015-01-01

Self-regulation is referred to as learners' self-generated ideas and actions which are systematically directed towards achieving educational goals and require learners' active participation in the learning process (Zimmerman & Bandura, 1994). The present study investigated the relationship between Iranian EFL students' self-regulation capacity…
Learner-Information Interaction: A Macro-Level Framework Characterizing Visual Cognitive Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sedig, Kamran; Liang, Hai-Ning

2008-01-01

Visual cognitive tools (VCTs) are external mental aids that maintain and display visual representations (VRs) of information (i.e., structures, objects, concepts, ideas, and problems). VCTs allow learners to operate upon the VRs to perform epistemic (i.e., reasoning and knowledge-based) activities. In VCTs, the mechanism by which learners operate…
A Multi-Perspective Investigation into Learners' Interaction in Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çardak, Çigdem Suzan

2016-01-01

This article focusses on graduate level students' interactions during asynchronous CMC activities of an online course about the teaching profession in Turkey. The instructor of the course designed and facilitated a semester-long asynchronous CMC on forum discussions, and investigated the interaction of learners in multiple perspectives: learners'…
Virtual Simulations and Serious Games in a Laptop-Based University: Gauging Faculty and Student Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapralos, Bill; Hogan, Michelle; Pribetic, Antonin I.; Dubrowski, Adam

2011-01-01

Purpose: Gaming and interactive virtual simulation environments support a learner-centered educational model allowing learners to work through problems acquiring knowledge through an active, experiential learning approach. To develop effective virtual simulations and serious games, the views and perceptions of learners and educators must be…
Independence Pending: Teacher Behaviors Preceding Learner Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roesler, Rebecca A.

2017-01-01

The purposes of the present study were to identify the teacher behaviors that preceded learners' active participation in solving musical and technical problems and describe learners' roles in the problem-solving process. I applied an original model of problem solving to describe the behaviors of teachers and students in 161 rehearsal frames…
Guiding Learners into Reengagement through the SCALE Environment: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verginis, Ilias; Gouli, Evangelia; Gogoulou, Agoritsa; Grigoriadou, Maria

2011-01-01

The paper presents the facilities offered by the open learner model maintained in the web-based, adaptive, activity-oriented learning environment SCALE (Supporting Collaboration and Adaptation in a Learning Environment), in order to guide online students who become disengaged and support their reengagement. The open learner model (OLM_SCALE)…
Investigating the Use of Inquiry & Web-Based Activities with Inclusive Biology Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bodzin, Alec M.; Waller, Patricia L.; Edwards, Lana; Darlene Kale, Santoro

2007-01-01

A Web-integrated biology program is used to explore how to best assist inclusive high school students to learn biology with inquiry-based activities. Classroom adaptations and instructional strategies teachers may use to assist in promoting biology learning with inclusive learners are discussed.
Systems-Oriented Workplace Learning Experiences for Early Learners: Three Models.

PubMed

O'Brien, Bridget C; Bachhuber, Melissa R; Teherani, Arianne; Iker, Theresa M; Batt, Joanne; O'Sullivan, Patricia S

2017-05-01

Early workplace learning experiences may be effective for learning systems-based practice. This study explores systems-oriented workplace learning experiences (SOWLEs) for early learners to suggest a framework for their development. The authors used a two-phase qualitative case study design. In Phase 1 (spring 2014), they prepared case write-ups based on transcribed interviews from 10 SOWLE leaders at the authors' institution and, through comparative analysis of cases, identified three SOWLE models. In Phase 2 (summer 2014), studying seven 8-week SOWLE pilots, the authors used interview and observational data collected from the seven participating medical students, two pharmacy students, and site leaders to construct case write-ups of each pilot and to verify and elaborate the models. In Model 1, students performed specific patient care activities that addressed a system gap. Some site leaders helped students connect the activities to larger systems problems and potential improvements. In Model 2, students participated in predetermined systems improvement (SI) projects, gaining experience in the improvement process. Site leaders had experience in SI and often had significant roles in the projects. In Model 3, students worked with key stakeholders to develop a project and conduct a small test of change. They experienced most elements of an improvement cycle. Site leaders often had experience with SI and knew how to guide and support students' learning. Each model could offer systems-oriented learning opportunities provided that key elements are in place including site leaders facile in SI concepts and able to guide students in SOWLE activities.
An inexpensive, easily constructed, reusable task trainer for simulating ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis.

PubMed

Zerth, Herb; Harwood, Robert; Tommaso, Laura; Girzadas, Daniel V

2012-12-01

Pericardiocentesis is a low-frequency, high-risk procedure integral to the practice of emergency medicine. Ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis is the preferred technique for providing this critical intervention. Traditionally, emergency physicians learned pericardiocentesis in real time, at the bedside, on critically ill patients. Medical education is moving toward simulation for training and assessment of procedures such as pericardiocentesis because it allows learners to practice time-sensitive skills without risk to patient or learner. The retail market for models for pericardiocentesis practice is limited and expensive. We have developed an ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis task trainer that allows the physician to insert a needle under ultrasound guidance, pierce the "pericardial sac" and aspirate "blood." Our model can be simply constructed in a home kitchen, and the overall preparation time is 1 h. Our model costs $20.00 (US, 2008). Materials needed for the construction include 16 ounces of plain gelatin, one large balloon, one golf ball, food coloring, non-stick cooking spray, one wooden cooking skewer, surgical iodine solution, and a 4-quart sized plastic food storage container. Refrigeration and a heat source for cooking are also required. Once prepared, the model is usable for 2 weeks at room temperature and may be preserved an additional week if refrigerated. When the model shows signs of wear, it can be easily remade, by simply recycling the existing materials. The self-made model was well liked by training staff due to accessibility of a simulation model, and by learners of the technique as they felt more at ease performing pericardiocentesis on a live patient. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Using Science Activities To Internalize Locus of Control. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowland, Paul McD.

This project was designed to investigate the effect of the use of cause-and-effect activities in the science curriculum on the locus of control of the learner. The purpose of this research is to find the effect of the activities on the learner's locus of control and attitude toward science at grades 7 through 10. A multivariate analysis of…
The Planning Illusion: Does Active Planning of a Learning Route Support Learning as Well as Learners Think It Does?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonestroo, Wilco J.; de Jong, Ton

2012-01-01

Is actively planning one's learning route through a learning domain beneficial for learning? Moreover, can learners accurately judge the extent to which planning has been beneficial for them? This study examined the effects of active planning on learning. Participants received a tool in which they created a learning route themselves before…
Effects of Three Forms of Reading-Based Output Activity on L2 Vocabulary Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rassaei, Ehsan

2017-01-01

The current study investigated the effects of three forms of output activity on EFL learners' recognition and recall of second language (L2) vocabulary. To this end, three groups of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) were instructed to employ the following three output activities after reading two narrative texts: (1) summarizing the…
The Cerebral Basis for Language Learner Strategies: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takeuchi, Osamu; Ikeda, Maiko; Mizumoto, Atsushi

2012-01-01

In this paper, we validate Macaro's (2006) model of strategy use among language learners by assessing the amount of neural activity around the prefrontal cortex, the supposed locus of working memory (WM). We also examine whether WM activation during first language (L1) strategy deployment is lower than WM activation during second language (L2)…
Associations of MC3R polymorphisms with physical activity in South African adolescents.

PubMed

Yako, Yandiswa Y; Hassan, Mogamat S; Erasmus, Rajiv T; van der Merwe, Lize; Janse van Rensburg, Susan; Matsha, Tandi Edith

2013-08-01

There is evidence demonstrating that the contribution of sedentary behavior and effect of physical activity on metabolic phenotypes is mediated by polymorphisms in genes. The type and frequency of physical activity was assessed by means of structured questionnaires in 1555 South African school learners. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and lipids were measured using standard procedures. The effect of different types and frequency of physical activity on obesity-related traits was assessed in relation to MC3R T6K and V81I genotypes in 430 of the learners. Levels of total cholesterol were significantly lower in learners carrying the MC3R T6K and V81I minor alleles, after adjusting for age, race, gender, and each specific physical activity category. An activity-by-genotype interaction was also detected: learners heterozygous for the V81I polymorphism and performed house chores often had reduced total cholesterol. Though no association was observed between frequency of physical activity and BMI, television viewing was significantly associated with an increase in height, weight and marginally with waist circumference. Our findings suggest that physical activity even in the form of house chores has a positive effect on metabolic traits and this effect is further enhanced in the presence of MC3R polymorphisms.
Synthesizing Technology Adoption and Learners' Approaches towards Active Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Kevin; Cheung, George; Wan, Kelvin; Brown, Ian; Luk, Green

2015-01-01

In understanding how active and blended learning approaches with learning technologies engagement in undergraduate education, current research models tend to undermine the effect of learners' variations, particularly regarding their styles and approaches to learning, on intention and use of learning technologies. This study contributes to further…
The Effect of Metacognitive Training and Prompting on Learning Success in Simulation-Based Physics Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moser, Stephanie; Zumbach, Joerg; Deibl, Ines

2017-01-01

Computer-based simulations are of particular interest to physics learning because they allow learners to actively manipulate graphical visualizations of complex phenomena. However, learning with simulations requires supportive elements to scaffold learners' activities. Thus, our motivation was to investigate whether direct or indirect…
Active Learning Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zayapragassarazan, Z.; Kumar, Santosh

2012-01-01

Present generation students are primarily active learners with varied learning experiences and lecture courses may not suit all their learning needs. Effective learning involves providing students with a sense of progress and control over their own learning. This requires creating a situation where learners have a chance to try out or test their…

Flipping the Classroom for English Language Learners to Foster Active Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hung, Hsiu-Ting

2015-01-01

This paper describes a structured attempt to integrate flip teaching into language classrooms using a WebQuest active learning strategy. The purpose of this study is to examine the possible impacts of flipping the classroom on English language learners' academic performance, learning attitudes, and participation levels. Adopting a…
Learner-Interface Interaction for Technology-Enhanced Active Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinha, Neelu; Khreisat, Laila; Sharma, Kiron

2009-01-01

Neelu Sinha, Laila Khreisat, and Kiron Sharma describe how learner-interface interaction promotes active learning in computer science education. In a pilot study using technology that combines DyKnow software with a hardware platform of pen-enabled HP Tablet notebook computers, Sinha, Khreisat, and Sharma created dynamic learning environments by…
Activating Metacognition through Online Learning Log (OLL)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurt, Mustafa

2007-01-01

This study aims to investigate the activation process of metacognition of learners who systematically reflect on their learning using Online Learning Logs (OLL) which were designed to encourage them to think about learning. The study is qualitative and attempts to identify the metacognitive strategies of learners and their attitudes towards OLL.…
Epistemological Development in Social Work Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson-Meger, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Epistemological development is an important factor in facilitating learner identity and developing critical thinking aptitudes. This qualitative action research study explored undergraduate social work students' epistemological beliefs about knowledge, how knowledge is constructed, and implications for social work education. Data collection…
Unpacking Sensemaking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapon, Suulamit

2017-01-01

Learning science involves an ongoing process in which learners construct and reconstruct self-explanations and evaluate their relative soundness. This work coordinates and aligns complementary methodological and theoretical approaches to learning to both unpack sensemaking and better understand the conditions that facilitate it. I conceptualize…
The development and validation of the Self-Efficacy Beliefs about Equitable Science Teaching and learning instrument for prospective elementary teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritter, Jennifer M.

1999-12-01

The purpose of this study was to develop, validate and establish the reliability of an instrument to assess the self-efficacy beliefs of prospective elementary teachers with regards to science teaching and learning for diverse learners. The study used Bandura's theoretical framework, in that the instrument would use the self-efficacy construct to explore the beliefs of prospective elementary science teachers with regards to science teaching and learning to diverse learners: specifically the two dimensions of self-efficacy beliefs defined by Bandura (1977): personal self-efficacy and outcome expectancy. A seven step plan was designed and followed in the process of developing the instrument, which was titled the Self-Efficacy Beliefs about Equitable Science Teaching or SEBEST. Diverse learners as recognized by Science for All Americans (1989) are "those who in the past who have largely been bypassed in science and mathematics education: ethnic and language minorities and girls" (p. xviii). That definition was extended by this researcher to include children from low socioeconomic backgrounds based on the research by Gomez and Tabachnick (1992). The SEBEST was administered to 226 prospective elementary teachers at The Pennsylvania State University. Using the results from factor analyses, Coefficient Alpha, and Chi-Square a 34 item instrument was found to achieve the greatest balance across the construct validity, reliability and item balance with the content matrix. The 34 item SEBEST was found to load purely on four factors across the content matrix thus providing evidence construct validity. The Coefficient Alpha reliability for the 34 item SEBEST was .90 and .82 for the PSE sub-scale and .78 for the OE sub-scale. A Chi-Square test (X2 = 2.7 1, df = 7, p > .05) was used to confirm that the 34 items were balanced across the Personal Self-Efficacy/Outcome Expectancy and Ethnicity/LanguageMinority/Gender Socioeconomic Status/dimensions of the content matrix. Based on the standardized development procedures used and the associated evidence, the SEBEST appears to be a content and construct valid instrument, with high internal reliability and moderate test-retest reliability qualities, for use with prospective elementary teachers to assess self-efficacy beliefs for teaching and learning science for diverse learners.
Investigating the Relationships between a Reading Test and Can-Do Statements of Performance on Reading Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Hsin-min

2014-01-01

One of the fundamental problems in language testing is the lack of adequate generalizability between what a test is measuring and what fulfills the learners' real world language use needs. It is important to recognize that no matter how precise a test measures a construct, if the way that a construct is defined and the way that test tasks are…
Thai Learners' Linguistic Needs and Language Skills: Implications for Curriculum Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulla, Mark B.; Winitkun, Duangkamon

2017-01-01

Learners' success in language learning always has implications for curriculum and instruction. Thus, it is important to take into account the kinds of learning experiences that these learners will find helpful in learning English as a foreign language; and, highlight them when planning a curriculum and adapting classroom activities. This study,…
An Analysis of Learners' Intentions toward Virtual Reality Learning Based on Constructivist and Technology Acceptance Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Hsiu-Mei; Liaw, Shu-Sheng

2018-01-01

Within a constructivist paradigm, the virtual reality technology focuses on the learner's actively interactive learning processes and attempts to reduce the gap between the learner's knowledge and a real-life experience. Recently, virtual reality technologies have been developed for a wide range of applications in education, but further research…
Effectiveness of a Learner-Directed Model for e-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Stella; Barker, Trevor; Kumar, Vivekanandan Suresh

2016-01-01

It is a hard task to strike a balance between extents of control a learner exercises and the amount of guidance, active or passive, afforded by the learning environment to guide, support, and motivate the learner. Adaptive systems strive to find the right balance in a spectrum that spans between self-control and system-guidance. They also concern…
Practices and Prospects of Learner Autonomy: Teachers' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Asmari, AbdulRahman

2013-01-01

Language learning process works through the learners' own reflection on how they learn and it makes learners active in the sense that they learn to analyze their learning strategies. So they start making decisions, e.g., whether to improve them or not, and in which way. Generally, this trait is missing in traditional language teaching process and…
Digging Deeper into Learners' Experiences in MOOCs: Participation in Social Networks outside of MOOCs, Notetaking and Contexts Surrounding Content Consumption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veletsianos, George; Collier, Amy; Schneider, Emily

2015-01-01

Researchers describe with increasing confidence "what" they observe participants doing in massive open online courses (MOOCs). However, our understanding of learner activities in open courses is limited by researchers' extensive dependence on log file analyses and clickstream data to make inferences about learner behaviors. Further, the…
Toward a Unified Modeling of Learner's Growth Process and Flow Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Challco, Geiser C.; Andrade, Fernando R. H.; Borges, Simone S.; Bittencourt, Ig I.; Isotani, Seiji

2016-01-01

Flow is the affective state in which a learner is so engaged and involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. In this sense, to help students in the skill development and knowledge acquisition (referred to as learners' growth process) under optimal conditions, the instructional designers should create learning scenarios that favor…
Chinese Learners of English See Chinese Words When Reading English Words.

PubMed

Ma, Fengyang; Ai, Haiyang

2018-06-01

The present study examines when second language (L2) learners read words in the L2, whether the orthography and/or phonology of the translation words in the first language (L1) is activated and whether the patterns would be modulated by the proficiency in the L2. In two experiments, two groups of Chinese learners of English immersed in the L1 environment, one less proficient and the other more proficient in English, performed a translation recognition task. In this task, participants judged whether pairs of words, with an L2 word preceding an L1 word, were translation words or not. The critical conditions compared the performance of learners to reject distractors that were related to the translation word (e.g., , pronounced as /bei 1/) of an L2 word (e.g., cup) in orthography (e.g., , bad in Chinese, pronounced as /huai 4/) or phonology (e.g., , sad in Chinese, pronounced as /bei 1/). Results of Experiment 1 showed less proficient learners were slower and less accurate to reject translation orthography distractors, as compared to unrelated controls, demonstrating a robust translation orthography interference effect. In contrast, their performance was not significantly different when rejecting translation phonology distractors, relative to unrelated controls, showing no translation phonology interference. The same patterns were observed in more proficient learners in Experiment 2. Together, these results suggest that when Chinese learners of English read English words, the orthographic information, but not the phonological information of the Chinese translation words is activated. In addition, this activation is not modulated by L2 proficiency.
A conceptual change analysis of nature of science conceptions: The deep roots and entangled vines of a conceptual ecology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, Adam Thomas

This research used theories of conceptual change to analyze learners' understandings of the nature of science (NOS). Ideas regarding the NOS have been advocated as vital aspects of science literacy, yet learners at many levels (students and teachers) have difficulty in understanding these aspects in the way that science literacy reforms advocate. Although previous research has shown the inadequacies in learners' NOS understandings and have documented ways by which to improve some of these understandings, little has been done to show how these ideas develop and why learners' preexisting conceptions of NOS are so resistant to conceptual change. The premise of this study, then, was to describe the nature of NOS conceptions and of the conceptual change process itself by deeply analyzing the conceptions of individual learners. Toward this end, 4 individuals enrolled in a physical science course designed for preservice elementary teachers were selected to participate in a qualitative research study. These individuals answered questionnaires, surveys, direct interview questions, and a variety of interview probes (e.g., critical incidents, responses to readings/videos, reflections on coursework, card sorting tasks, etc.) which were administered throughout the duration of a semester. By utilizing these in-depth, qualitative probes, learners' conceptions were not only assessed but also described in great detail, revealing the source of their conceptions as well as identifying many instances in which a learner's directly stated conception was contradictory to that which was reflected by more indirect probes. As a result of this research, implications regarding NOS conceptions and their development have been described. In addition, various descriptions of conceptual change have been further refined and informed. Especially notable, the influence of a learner's conceptual ecology and its extrarational influences on conceptual change have been highlighted. It is argued that conceptual change theory must continue to look at the nature and importance of learners' conceptual ecologies and that the learning of NOS concepts cannot be viewed as purely rational constructions.
Exploring Lifelong Learners Engaged in an Astronomy-Related Massively Open Online Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Impey, Chris David; Wenger, Matthew; Formanek, Martin; Romine, James M.

2016-01-01

Massively open online courses (MOOCs) are becoming increasingly popular ways to reach diverse lifelong learners all over the world. Although MOOCs resemble more formal classes (e.g. videos of content, quizzes, activities), they are often used by informal audiences from home. Recently, MOOCs have become more utilized by universities to conduct outreach as they explore how to use MOOCs to reach new potential learners. Despite the rapid adaption of MOOCs, little is known about individuals who choose to take a MOOC, how they interact with the course materials, and what motivates them to finish the course.We present results of a study of lifelong learners engaged in an astronomy "101" MOOC. Through analysis of registered learners' behaviors as well as self-reported responses to a survey about science, we were able to characterize a subset of the learners engaged in the MOOC during its first offering. Overall, 25363 learners from over 100 countries registered for the MOOC. Of those, 14900 accessed at least one part of the course. Learners were recruited to complete a survey of their knowledge and attitudes towards science. Of the learner group who opened the course, 2889 individuals completed the survey, 2465 of those were able to be linked to their usage of the MOOC through a unique identifier.Learners represented a wide-range of ages, professions, and previous science experience. The best predictors for MOOC completion were engagement in the first activity and first writing assignment and engagement in the online forum. Learners were very interested in science prior to their registration, had higher basic science knowledge that most undergraduate students enrolled in a parallel astronomy course, and used online searches and science sites to get their information about science. As we reach out to a worldwide audience to learners in these massively open online courses, understanding their motivations and behaviors will be essential. This work is helping us understand and characterize lifelong learners who are interested in engaging in these types of free-choice learning environments and better serve their needs.
Incremental Implicit Learning of Bundles of Statistical Patterns

PubMed Central

Qian, Ting; Jaeger, T. Florian; Aslin, Richard N.

2016-01-01

Forming an accurate representation of a task environment often takes place incrementally as the information relevant to learning the representation only unfolds over time. This incremental nature of learning poses an important problem: it is usually unclear whether a sequence of stimuli consists of only a single pattern, or multiple patterns that are spliced together. In the former case, the learner can directly use each observed stimulus to continuously revise its representation of the task environment. In the latter case, however, the learner must first parse the sequence of stimuli into different bundles, so as to not conflate the multiple patterns. We created a video-game statistical learning paradigm and investigated 1) whether learners without prior knowledge of the existence of multiple “stimulus bundles” — subsequences of stimuli that define locally coherent statistical patterns — could detect their presence in the input, and 2) whether learners are capable of constructing a rich representation that encodes the various statistical patterns associated with bundles. By comparing human learning behavior to the predictions of three computational models, we find evidence that learners can handle both tasks successfully. In addition, we discuss the underlying reasons for why the learning of stimulus bundles occurs even when such behavior may seem irrational. PMID:27639552
Can Japanese students embrace learner-centered methods for teaching medical interviewing skills? Focus groups.

PubMed

Saiki, Takuya; Mukohara, Kei; Otani, Takashi; Ban, Nobutaro

2011-01-01

Students' perceptions of learner-centered methods for teaching medical interviewing skills have not been fully explored. To explore Japanese students' perceptions of learner-centered methods for teaching medical interviewing skills such as role play with student-created scenarios, peer-assisted video reviews, and student-led small group debriefing. We conducted three focus groups with a total of 15 students who participated in the learner-centered seminars on medical interviewing skills at the Nagoya University School of Medicine. The transcripts were analyzed by two authors independently. Keywords and concepts were identified and a thematic framework was developed. Overall, students valued the experience of writing their own scenarios for role play, but some questioned their realism. Many students commented that peer-assisted video reviews provided them with more objective perspectives on their performance. However, some students expressed concerns about competitiveness during the video reviews. While students appreciated teachers' minimum involvement in the group debriefing, some criticized that teachers did not explain the objectives of the seminar clearly. Many students had difficulties in exchanging constructive feedback. We were able to gain new insights into positive and negative perceptions of students about learner-centered methods for teaching medical interviewing skills at one medical school in Japan.
Conceptualisation of knowledge construction in community service-learning programmes in nursing education.

PubMed

Mthembu, Sindi Z; Mtshali, Fikile G

2013-01-01

Practices in higher education have been criticised for not developing and preparing students for the expertise required in real environments. Literature reports that educational programmes tend to favour knowledge conformation rather than knowledge construction; however, community service learning (CSL) is a powerful pedagogical strategy that encourages students to make meaningful connections between the content in the classroom and real-life experiences as manifested by the communities. Through CSL, learning is achieved by the active construction of knowledge supported by multiple perspectives within meaningful real contexts, and the social interactions amongst students are seen to play a critical role in the processes of learning and cognition. This article reflects facilitators’ perspective of the knowledge construction process as used with students doing community service learning in basic nursing programmes. The aim of this article was to conceptualise the phenomenon of knowledge construction and thereby provide educators with a shared meaning and common understanding, and to analyse the interaction strategies utilised by nurse educators in the process of knowledge construction in community service-learning programmes in basic nursing education. A qualitative research approach based on a grounded theory research design was used in this article. Two nursing education institutions were purposively selected. Structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants. The results revealed that the knowledge construction in community service-learning programmes is conceptualised as having specific determinants, including the use of authentic health-related problems, academic coaching through scaffolding, academic discourse-dialogue, interactive learning in communities of learners, active learning, continuous reflection as well as collaborative and inquiry-based learning. Upon completion of an experience, students create and test generated knowledge in different contextual health settings. It was concluded that knowledge is constructed by students as a result of their interaction with the communities in their socio-cultural context and is mediated by their prior concrete experiences. The implication of this is that students construct knowledge that can be applied in their future work places.
Twelve tips on writing a discussion case that facilitates teaching and engages learners.

PubMed

Cohen, David A; Newman, Lori R; Fishman, Laurie N

2017-02-01

The authors share twelve practical tips on writing a case that engages learners in active learning and discussion. They first advise that, during the initial preparation of the case, authors should (1) identify the case goals and objectives, and (2) identify the level of the learners. When writing the case, authors should (3) use active and colorful language; (4) use patients' own descriptions rather than medical language; (5) allow the learners to interpret data themselves; (6) allow for natural discovery rather than presenting information chronologically; and (7) be realistic about interruptions in patient care. In addition, case authors should pay attention to methods that enhance discussion by (8) creating barriers to diagnostic or treatment options; (9) promoting questions and discussion over answers; (10) using cues to assure discussion flow and knowledge exploration; and (11) omitting details or inserting informational distractors. Finally, well-crafted questions are essential during the case presentation to engage learners in higher-order thinking; and to (12) stimulate curiosity and reflection.

RITES: Online (Reaching In-service Teachers with Earth Sciences Online)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baptiste, H.

2003-12-01

The RITES: Online project team (Drs. H. Prentice Baptiste, Susan Brown, Jennifer Villa) believed that the power of technology could not be effectively utilized unless it was grounded in new models of teaching and learning based on a student centered and project based curriculum, that increased opportunities for active, hands-on learning and respect for multiculturalism. We subscribe to an inquiry approach to learning. Specifically, science teaching should actively engage the learners in activities that draw on multiple abilities and learning styles. Recent brain-based research has shown that human beings construct knowledge through actions and interactions within their environment. Learning occurs in communities, and new ideas are linked to previous knowledge and constructed by the learner. Knowledge is acquired by making connections. We believed the aforementioned ideas and points to be equally true for the teacher candidates and inservice teachers participating in the RITES: Online project as well as for their students. The ESSEA science courses were delivered by distance learning via the university WebCt distance education system to teacher candidates (preservice teachers) and inservice teachers. Teacher candidates and inservice teachers were encouraged to use technology when involving their students in science inquiry activities and to record their students' involvement in science activities with digital cameras. Teacher candidates and inservice teachers involve in the ESSEA courses are engaged in earth science inquiry activities relevant to the four spheres (atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere) with the students in their classes. This presentation will highlight teacher candidates and inservice teachers in the roles of designer, researcher, and collaborator. Examples of student works will also be a part of the Power point presentation. As a result of our courses our teachers have attained the following positive outcomes: 1) Teacher candidates and inservice teachers are experiencing the inquiry approach to learning about the spheres of our earth. 2) Teacher candidates and inservice teachers are becoming confident in using technology. 3) Teacher candidates and inservice teachers are learning to work cooperatively in-groups and understand what their own students must feel. 4) Teacher candidates and inservice teachers are finding ways to obtain dynamic professional development and not leave their classrooms or homes. 5) Teacher candidates and inservice teachers are developing relationships with other teachers that have an interest in teaching science and a learning community is evolving.
Inquiry-based Science Activities Using The Infrared Zoo and Infrared Yellowstone Resources at Cool Cosmos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daou, D.; Gauthier, A.

2003-12-01

Inquiry-based activities that utilize the Cool Cosmos image galleries have been designed and developed by K12 teachers enrolled in The Invisible Universe Online for Teachers course. The exploration activities integrate the Our Infrared World Gallery (http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/image_galleries/our_ir_world_gallery.html) with either the Infrared Zoo gallery (http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/image_galleries/ir_zoo/index.html) or the Infrared Yellowstone image http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/image_galleries/ir_yellowstone/index.html) and video (http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/videos/ir_yellowstone/index.html) galleries. Complete instructor guides have been developed for the activities and will be presented by the authors in poster and CD form. Although the activities are written for middle and highschool learners, they can easily be adapted for college audiences. The Our Infrared World Gallery exploration helps learners think critically about visible light and infrared light as they compare sets of images (IR and visible light) of known objects. For example: by taking a regular photograph of a running faucet, can you tell if it is running hot or cold water? What new information does the IR image give you? The Infrared Zoo activities encourage learners to investigate the differences between warm and cold blooded animals by comparing sets of IR and visible images. In one activity, learners take on the role of a pit viper seeking prey in various desert and woodland settings. The main activities are extended into the real world by discussing and researching industrial, medical, and societal applications of infrared technologies. The Infrared Yellowstone lessons give learners a unique perspective on Yellowstone National Park and it's spectacular geologic and geothermal features. Infrared video technology is highlighted as learners make detailed observations about the visible and infrared views of the natural phenomena. The "Cool Cosmos" EPO activities are coordinated and managed by the SIRTF Science Center, based at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center on the campus of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. You can find Cool Cosmos at http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/
Facebook Activities and the Investment of L2 Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shafie, Latisha Asmaak; Yaacob, Aizan; Singh, Paramjit Kaur Karpal

2016-01-01

The article discusses the investment of L2 learners in the English language on Facebook that they portrayed through their Facebook activities. It studied four informants consisted of diploma students in a Malaysian university. The study consisted of 14 weeks of online observation and semi-structured interviews. Data were collected from online…
Using Telephone Conversations to Develop Awareness of Pragmatic Skills: An Activity-Theory-Driven Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xia, Saihua

2009-01-01

This paper investigates ESL learners' awareness of pragmatic skills utilizing an activity-theory driven approach to perform an inquiry task into problem-solving service call conversations (PSSCs) between native speakers (NS) and non-native speakers of English (NNSs). Eight high-intermediate ESL learners, from five different language backgrounds,…
The Effects of Pre-Reading Activities on Reading Comprehension of Iranian EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moghaddam, Nahid Nemati; Mahmoudi, Asgar

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effects of three types of pre-reading activities (movie-watching, vocabulary presentation, and pre-reading summarization) on the reading comprehension of 76 elementary-level EFL Iranian learners. The participants were randomly assigned to one control and three experimental conditions and then a pretest was given to…
Clinical staff development: planning and teaching for desired outcomes.

PubMed

Harton, Brenda B

2007-01-01

Nursing staff development educators facilitate learning activities to promote learner retention of knowledge: factual, conceptual, procedural, and meta-cognitive. The Revised Bloom's Taxonomy provides a modern framework for the cognitive process dimension of knowledge and guides the nursing educator in planning activities that will assure learner progress along the learning continuum.
Usage of Mother Tongue in Learning English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tosuncuoglu, Irfan

2012-01-01

In Turkey, where English is a foreign language and where learners share the same native language, teachers are often reluctant to use small group speaking activities because the learners do the ranking, bridge the information gap, or find an answer activities using their first (native) language. This article studies the problem and suggests a…
The Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning Activities in Enhancing EFL Learners' Fluency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alrayah, Hassan

2018-01-01

This research-paper aims at examining the effectiveness of cooperative learning activities in enhancing EFL learners' fluency. The researcher has used the descriptive approach, recorded interviews for testing fluency as tools of data collection and the software program SPSS as a tool for the statistical treatment of data. Research sample consists…
Role- and Relationship-Based Identity Management for Privacy-Enhanced E-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anwar, Mohd; Greer, Jim

2012-01-01

An e-learning discussion forum, an essential component of today's e-learning systems, offers a platform for social learning activities. However, as learners participate in the discussion forum, privacy emerges as a major concern. Privacy concerns in social learning activities originate from one learner's inability to convey a desired presentation…
Do Specific Classroom Reading Activities Predict English Language Learners' Later Reading Achievement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, H. Lee; Orosco, Michael J.; Kudo, Milagros Fatima

2017-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between elementary classroom (N = 50) reading activities in Year 1 and reading performance (i.e., passage comprehension, letter-word identification, and word attack) 1 year later for English language learners (ELLs; N = 270). A cross-classification hierarchical model indicated that compared to other reading…
Seeking the General Explanation: A Test of Inductive Activities for Learning and Transfer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shemwell, Jonathan T.; Chase, Catherine C.; Schwartz, Daniel L.

2015-01-01

Evaluating the relation between evidence and theory should be a central activity for science learners. Evaluation comprises both hypothetico-deductive analysis, where theory precedes evidence, and inductive synthesis, where theory emerges from evidence. There is mounting evidence that induction is an especially good way to help learners grasp the…
Authentic Assessment: Reducing the Fear and Trembling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terry, C. Ann; Pantle, Tonya T.

1994-01-01

This discussion of authentic assessment stresses that such assessment should be contextual (based on the context of meaning), collaborative (involves learners), and constructive (supports risk-taking). It compares tools designed for formative assessment including criteria checklists, "kidwatching," profiles, conferences, and portfolios. (DB)
Is nursing ready for WebQuests?

PubMed

Lahaie, Ulysses David

2008-12-01

Based on an inquiry-oriented framework, WebQuests facilitate the construction of effective learning activities. Developed by Bernie Dodge and Tom March in 1995 at the San Diego State University, WebQuests have gained worldwide popularity among educators in the kindergarten through grade 12 educational sector. However, their application at the college and university levels is not well documented. WebQuests enhance and promote higher order-thinking skills, are consistent with Bloom's Taxonomy, and reflect a learner-centered instructional methodology (constructivism). They are based on solid theoretical foundations and promote critical thinking, inquiry, and problem solving. There is a role for WebQuests in nursing education. A WebQuest example is described in this article.
Fostering learners' reflection and self-assessment.

PubMed

Westberg, J; Jason, H

1994-05-01

In most medical schools and residency programs, little or no attention is given to fostering learners' reflection or self-assessment. Yet learners who do not value or who are not effective at these skills are unlikely to extract the maximum benefit from their education. They are at risk of becoming unsafe physicians. To be optimally helpful, teachers need access to the diagnostic information about learners that is provided by their reflections and self-assessments. There are major barriers to learners being reflective and self-assessing. Medicine is dominated by unreflective doing. In the fiercely competitive environment of many teaching programs, many learners correctly perceive that it is unsafe to reveal their fears and deficiencies. Learners often retain this cautious posture even after moving to programs where it is unnecessary. Many learners and teachers have grown accustomed to authoritarian educational approaches in which teachers decide what the learners need and unilaterally evaluate their performance. In this review of the available literature, we summarize the compelling reasons for fostering reflection and self-assessment and for helping learners become their own coaches. Specific strategies and tools for creating programs that foster these values and activities are presented.
The Relationship between Reading Proficiency and Reading Strategy Use: A Study of Adult ESL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Jiuhan; Nisbet, Deanna

2014-01-01

This article explores the relationship between reading strategy use and reading proficiency among 121 adult ESL learners. Reading strategy use was measured by the SORS, and reading proficiency was determined by the CASAS Reading Test and BEST Literacy Test. Findings of the study reveal that (a) adult ESL learners are active strategies users; (b)…
Creative, Kinesthetic Activities to Motivate Young Learners to Communicate: A Conversation with Paula Garrett-Rucks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devall, Kelly Davidson

2015-01-01

This article presents a question and answer session in which Paula Garrett-Rucks discusses how creativity and kinesthetics motivate young language learners, the type of characteristics she might consider for different age groups in planning lessons, her views on the goals of world language teachers of young learners, and what a typical lesson…
A Comparative Study between Iranian and Japanese Students' Conceptions of "Ideal English Lesson"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jafari, Sakineh; Ketabi, Saeed

2014-01-01

With the shift in language teaching towards a more learner-centered approach, there is now an emphasis on considering learners' views on what goes on in the classroom. Involving learners in selecting and evaluating classroom activities as well as listening to their voices and preferences can be helpful for teachers in planning lesson and designing…
Constructivist Pedagogy in Strategic Reading Instruction: Exploring Pathways to Learner Development in the English as a Second Language (ESL) Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Lawrence Jun

2008-01-01

The study explored English as a Second Language (ESL) learner development. In particular, it focused on investigating learners' understanding of reading and their willingness to be engaged in strategic reading in participatory classroom activities. It also examined possible effects of such pedagogy on reading performance. The context was a…
Is Collaborative Learners' Adoption of Metacognitive Regulation Related to Students' Content Processing Strategies and the Level of Transactivity in Their Peer Discussions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Backer, Liesje; Van Keer, Hilde; Valcke, Martin

2017-01-01

The present study investigates collaborative learners' adoption of key regulation activities (i.e., orienting, planning, monitoring, and evaluating) and a deep-level regulation approach in relation to characteristics of their collaboration on the cognitive and communicative level. More specifically, the correlation of collaborative learners'…
PETALL in Action: Latest Developments and Future Directions of the EU-Funded Project Pan-European Task Activities for Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopes, António

2016-01-01

The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) proposes Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) as an important strategy to develop the learners' linguistic competences along with their communicative skills. Since it is learner-centred and relies mostly on engaging learners in meaningful communicative interchanges in a foreign language, it allows…

Choosing to Interact: Exploring the Relationship between Learner Personality, Attitudes, and Tutorial Dialogue Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ezen-Can, Aysu; Boyer, Kristy Elizabeth

2015-01-01

The tremendous effectiveness of intelligent tutoring systems is due in large part to their interactivity. However, when learners are free to choose the extent to which they interact with a tutoring system, not all learners do so actively. This paper examines a study with a natural language tutorial dialogue system for computer science, in which…
Comparing Core-Image-Based Basic Verb Learning in an EFL Junior High School: Learner-Centered and Teacher-Centered Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamagata, Satoshi

2018-01-01

The present study investigated the effects of two types of core-image-based basic verb learning approaches: the learner-centered and the teacher-centered approaches. The learner-centered approach was an activity in which participants found semantic relationships among several definitions of each basic target verb through a picture-elucidated card…
Critical thinking and creativity in nursing: learners' perspectives.

PubMed

Chan, Zenobia C Y

2013-05-01

Although the development of critical thinking and the development of creativity are major areas in nursing programme, little has been explored about learners' perspectives towards these two concepts, especially in Chinese contexts. This study aimed to reveal nursing learners' perspectives on creativity and critical thinking. Qualitative data collection methods were adopted, namely group interviews and concept map drawings. The process of data collection was conducted in private rooms at a University. 36 nursing students from two problem-based learning classes were recruited in two groups for the study. After data collection, content analysis with axial coding approach was conducted to explore the narrative themes, to summarise the main ideas, and to make valid inferences from the connections among critical thinking, creativity, and other exogenous variables. Based on the findings, six major themes were identified: "revisiting the meanings of critical thinking"; "critical thinking and knowledge: partners or rivals?"; "is critical thinking criticising?"; "revising the meanings of creativity"; "creativity and experience: partners or rivals?"; and "should creativity be practical?". This study showed that learners had diverse perspectives towards critical thinking and creativity, and their debate on these two domains provided implications on nursing education, since the voices of learners are crucial in teaching. By closing the gap between learners and educators, this study offered some insights on nursing education in the new curriculum, in particular to co-construct nursing knowledge which is student-driven, and to consider students' voices towards understanding and applying creativity and critical thinking in nursing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Can You Hear Me Now? Marketing Essentials for Audiologists in a Noisy Health Care World

PubMed Central

Rudden, DAnne

2016-01-01

Audiologists, even those with a strong acumen for business, are not traditionally taught the basics of creating a robust practice identity and dynamic marketing plan. This activity will teach learners how to create a distinct brand that separates them from others in a competitive and distracted marketplace. Additionally, learners will gain an understanding for how to blend traditional marketing tools with more modern online options and social media. Upon completion, learners will be familiar with the skills necessary to actively create, implement, and track the effectiveness of their marketing strategy using proven methodologies. PMID:28028325
Can You Hear Me Now? Marketing Essentials for Audiologists in a Noisy Health Care World.

PubMed

Rudden, DAnne

2016-11-01

Audiologists, even those with a strong acumen for business, are not traditionally taught the basics of creating a robust practice identity and dynamic marketing plan. This activity will teach learners how to create a distinct brand that separates them from others in a competitive and distracted marketplace. Additionally, learners will gain an understanding for how to blend traditional marketing tools with more modern online options and social media. Upon completion, learners will be familiar with the skills necessary to actively create, implement, and track the effectiveness of their marketing strategy using proven methodologies.
The effect of curricular activities on learner autonomy: the perspective of undergraduate mechanical engineering students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duarte, M.; Leite, C.; Mouraz, A.

2016-01-01

This study researches how first-year engineering students perceived the influence of curricular activities on their own learning autonomy, measured with an adaptation of the Personal Responsibility Orientation to Self-direction in Learning Scale (PRO-SDLS). Participants were questioned to assess the influence of the teacher's role. The results indicate that learners' characteristics (motivation and self-efficacy) contribute more to learner autonomy (LA) than the teaching-learning transaction (control and initiative), as in the original PRO-SDLS validation. The most autonomous learners presented higher values in all LA components and dimensions, but the differences were greater in motivation and initiative. The participants with higher LA were not as dependent on the teacher, regarding assessment, the completion of classroom tasks and deadlines. Regardless of the degree of autonomy in learning, all participants viewed teachers as the main source of information. Therefore, LA plays an important role in teaching activities planning. Suggestions for adjustments and more flexible learning scenarios are formulated.
A Longitudinal Examination of Middle School Science Learners' Use of Scaffolding In and Around a Dynamic Modeling Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fretz, Eric Bruce

Scaffolding is a term rooted in multiple research communities over decades of development. Customized, contingent support can be provided to learners to enable performances beyond what they can do alone. This dissertation seeks to examine how effectively scaffolds designed to promote articulation (written expressions of learner understanding) actually work, and if this effectiveness and/or the quality of the resulting models changes over time. It longitudinally examines the use of scaffolds designed into a dynamic modeling tool, as it is used by middle school science learners to create, test, and revise models of complex science phenomena like stream ecosystems. This dissertation also reviews the origins of the scaffolding construct, and summarizes conceptions of scaffolding from various lines of research. Scaffolding can be provided by both human and non-human agents, such as computers, which require specialized interface design to ensure maximum effectiveness. In the study, learners created models in four curriculum units over the seventh and eighth grade school years. Additionally, this dissertation examines the nature of the discussion learners have while using these scaffolds and the frequency and types of interpersonal scaffolds employed during the creation of models. Model quality is also examined using a rubric developed through review of prior research on assessing models and concept maps. Learner pairs' model creation sessions on a computer are captured with screen video and learner audio, and then distilled to transcripts for subsequent coding and analysis, supported by qualitative analysis software. Articulation scaffolds were found to succeed in promoting articulations and the quality of those articulations improved over time. Learner dialog associated with these written articulations is of reasonable quality but did not improve over time. Quality of model artifacts did improve over time. The overall use of scaffolding by each learner pair was contrasted with that pairs model quality, but no relationship was found. Software design and classroom implementation implications of these findings are discussed. The frequency of interpersonal scaffolding provided by teachers highlights the need to consider scaffolding holistically and synergistically, with design decisions for software tools made in light of careful analysis as to what human and non-human agents can and should each provide.
The Discursive Construction of Gender in Physical Education in Sweden, 1945-2003: Is Meeting the Learner's Needs Tantamount to Meeting the Market's Needs?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olofsson, Eva

2005-01-01

This study focuses on the subject of PE in state texts and how the PE teacher and gender are constructed. The study is based on discourse analysis of state reports and curricula. Three teacher positions are identified: the body, the character and the lifestyle constructor. At the beginning of the studied period the state explicitly designed the PE…
Gender agreement violations modulate beta oscillatory dynamics during sentence comprehension: A comparison of second language learners and native speakers.

PubMed

Lewis, Ashley Glen; Lemhӧfer, Kristin; Schoffelen, Jan-Mathijs; Schriefers, Herbert

2016-08-01

For native speakers, many studies suggest a link between oscillatory neural activity in the beta frequency range and syntactic processing. For late second language (L2) learners on the other hand, the extent to which the neural architecture supporting syntactic processing is similar to or different from that of native speakers is still unclear. In a series of four experiments, we used electroencephalography to investigate the link between beta oscillatory activity and the processing of grammatical gender agreement in Dutch determiner-noun pairs, for Dutch native speakers, and for German L2 learners of Dutch. In Experiment 1 we show that for native speakers, grammatical gender agreement violations are yet another among many syntactic factors that modulate beta oscillatory activity during sentence comprehension. Beta power is higher for grammatically acceptable target words than for those that mismatch in grammatical gender with their preceding determiner. In Experiment 2 we observed no such beta modulations for L2 learners, irrespective of whether trials were sorted according to objective or subjective syntactic correctness. Experiment 3 ruled out that the absence of a beta effect for the L2 learners in Experiment 2 was due to repetition of the target nouns in objectively correct and incorrect determiner-noun pairs. Finally, Experiment 4 showed that when L2 learners are required to explicitly focus on grammatical information, they show modulations of beta oscillatory activity, comparable to those of native speakers, but only when trials are sorted according to participants' idiosyncratic lexical representations of the grammatical gender of target nouns. Together, these findings suggest that beta power in L2 learners is sensitive to violations of grammatical gender agreement, but only when the importance of grammatical information is highlighted, and only when participants' subjective lexical representations are taken into account. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Learners' perspectives on the provision of condoms in South African public schools.

PubMed

de Bruin, W E; Panday-Soobrayan, S

2017-12-01

A stubborn health challenge for learners in South African public schools concerns sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). In 2015, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) proposed the provision of condoms and SRHR-services to learners in schools. This study aimed to contribute to the finalisation and implementation of DBE's policy by exploring learners' perspectives on the provision of condoms and SRHR-services in schools. Sixteen focus group discussions were conducted with learners (n = 116) from 33 public schools, to assess their attitudes, social influences, and needs and desires regarding condom provision and SRHR-services in schools. The majority of learners did not support condom provision in schools as they feared that it may increase sexual activity. Contrarily, they supported the provision of other SRHR-services as clinics fail to offer youth-friendly services. Learners' sexual behaviour and access to SRHR-services are strongly determined by their social environment, including traditional norms and values, and social-pressure from peers and adults. Learners' most pressing needs and desires to access condoms and SRHR-services in school concerned respect, privacy and confidentiality of such service provision. Implementation of DBE's policy must be preceded by an evidence-informed advocacy campaign to debunk myths about the risk of increased sexual activity, to advocate for why such services are needed, to shift societal norms towards open discussion of adolescent SRHR and to grapple with the juxtaposition of being legally empowered but socially inhibited to protect oneself from HIV, STIs and early pregnancy. Provision of condoms and other SRHR-services in schools must be sensitive to learners' privacy and confidentiality to minimise stigma and discrimination.
An efficient and effective teaching model for ambulatory education.

PubMed

Regan-Smith, Martha; Young, William W; Keller, Adam M

2002-07-01

Teaching and learning in the ambulatory setting have been described as inefficient, variable, and unpredictable. A model of ambulatory teaching that was piloted in three settings (1973-1981 in a university-affiliated outpatient clinic in Portland, Oregon, 1996-2000 in a community outpatient clinic, and 2000-2001 in an outpatient clinic serving Dartmouth Medical School's teaching hospital) that combines a system of education and a system of patient care is presented. Fully integrating learners into the office practice using creative scheduling, pre-rotation learning, and learner competence certification enabled the learners to provide care in roles traditionally fulfilled by physicians and nurses. Practice redesign made learners active members of the patient care team by involving them in such tasks as patient intake, histories and physicals, patient education, and monitoring of patient progress between visits. So that learners can be active members of the patient care team on the first day of clinic, pre-training is provided by the clerkship or residency so that they are able to competently provide care in the time available. To assure effective education, teaching and learning times are explicitly scheduled by parallel booking of patients for the learner and the preceptor at the same time. In the pilot settings this teaching model maintained or improved preceptor productivity and on-time efficiency compared with these outcomes of traditional scheduling. The time spent alone with patients, in direct observation by preceptors, and for scheduled case discussion was appreciated by learners. Increased satisfaction was enjoyed by learners, teachers, clinic staff, and patients. Barriers to implementation include too few examining rooms, inability to manipulate patient appointment schedules, and learners' not being present in a teaching clinic all the time.
An Analysis of Activities in Saudi Arabian Middle School Science Textbooks and Workbooks for the Inclusion of Essential Features of Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldahmash, Abdulwali H.; Mansour, Nasser S.; Alshamrani, Saeed M.; Almohi, Saeed

2016-12-01

This study examines Saudi Arabian middle school science textbooks' coverage of the essential features of scientific inquiry. All activities in the middle school science textbooks and workbooks were analyzed by using the scientific inquiry `essential features' rubric. The results indicated that the essential features are included in about 59 % of the analyzed science activities. However, feature 2, `making learner give priority to evidence in responding to questions' and feature 3, `allowing learner to formulate explanations from evidence' appeared more frequently than the other three features (feature 1: engaging learner in scientifically oriented questions, feature 4: helping learner connect explanations to scientific knowledge, and feature 5: helping learner communicate and justify explanations to others), whether in the activities as a whole, or in the activities included in each of the four science domains (physical science, Earth science, life science and chemistry). These features are represented in almost all activities. This means that almost all activities in the middle school science textbooks and the workbooks include features 2 and 3. Meanwhile, the mean level of inclusion of the five essential features of scientific inquiry found in the middle school science textbooks and workbooks as a whole is 2.55. However, results found for features 1, 4, 5 and for in-level inclusion of the inquiry features in each of the science domains indicate that the inclusion of the essential inquiry features is teacher-centred. As a result, neither science textbooks nor workbooks provide students with the opportunity or encouragement to develop their inquiry skills. Consequently, the results suggest important directions for educational administrators and policy-makers in the preparation and use of science educational content.
Development of geometry materials based on scientific approach for junior high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurafni; Siswanto, R. D.; Azhar, E.

2018-01-01

A scientific approach is a learning process designed so that learners can actively construct concepts, encourage learners to find out from various sources through observation, and not just be told. Therefore, learning by scientific approach offers a solution, because the goals, principles, and stages of the scientific approach allow for a good understanding of the students. Because of the absence of teaching materials “polyhedron geometry based on scientific approach” which is widely published in Indonesia, then we need to develop the teaching materials. The results obtained in this study are the tasks presented on teaching materials with a scientific approach both in defining the cube and the beam, identify and solve problems related to the properties and elements of cubes and beams, making cube and beam nets, solving problems related to cube and beam nets, solving problems related to cube and beam surface area. Beginning with the difficulties students face. Then, based on the results of interviews with teachers and analysis of student difficulties on each indicator, researchers revise the teaching materials as needed. Teaching materials that have not found any more student difficulties then the teaching materials are considered valid and ready for use by teachers and students.
Effect of Physics Problem Solving on Structures Schemes and Knowledge Associations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setyowidodo, I.; Jatmiko, B.; Susantini, E.; Widodo, S.; Shofwan, A.

2017-09-01

This study aims to develop learners’ thinking structures through associations, case based, and schematic method so that different knowledge structures have a role in influencing the structure of creative thinking. The learners have low mastery of physics materials since they are not given sufficient opportunity to build their own knowledge. They should be directed to approach each new problem or task with their prior knowledge, assimilate new information, and construct their own understanding. The design of this research was a quasi-experiment using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using variance analysis. The design of this research was a quasi-experiment using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using variance analysis. The learning process of problemsolving consists of: 1) identifying problems, 2) planning projects, 3) creating projects, 4) presenting projects, and 5) evaluating projects. From the results of this research, it can be concluded that problem-solving method can provide strong supports in developing the learners’ creative thinking skills as they can share their knowledge and interact with their friends and the environment. This learning activity also constitutes an appropriate technique to help the learners to develop problem solving knowledge and skills.
Reducing Annotation Effort Using Generalized Expectation Criteria

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-30

constraints additionally consider input variables. Active learning is a related problem in which the learner can choose the particular instances to be...labeled. In pool-based active learning [Cohn et al., 1994], the learner has access to a set of unlabeled instances, and can choose the instance that...has the highest expected utility according to some metric. A standard pool- based active learning method is uncertainty sampling [Lewis and Catlett
Science education reform in Confucian learning cultures: teachers' perspectives on policy and practice in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ying-Syuan; Asghar, Anila

2018-03-01

This empirical study investigates secondary science teachers' perspectives on science education reform in Taiwan and reflects how these teachers have been negotiating constructivist and learner-centered pedagogical approaches in contemporary science education. It also explores the challenges that teachers encounter while shifting their pedagogical focus from traditional approaches to teaching science to an active engagement in students' learning. Multiple sources of qualitative data were obtained, including individual interviews with science teachers and teachers' reflective journals about Confucianism in relation to their educational philosophies. Thematic analysis and constant comparative method were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that Confucian traditions play a significant role in shaping educational practices in Taiwan and profoundly influence teachers' epistemological beliefs and their actual classroom practice. Indeed, science teachers' perspectives on Confucian learning traditions played a key role in supporting or obstructing their pedagogical commitments to inquiry-based and learner-centered approaches. This study draws on the literature concerning teachers' professional struggles and identity construction during educational reform. Specifically, we explore the ways in which teachers respond to educational changes and negotiate their professional identities. We employed various theories of identity construction to understand teachers' struggles and challenges while wrestling with competing traditional and reform-based pedagogical approaches. Attending to these struggles and the ways in which they inform the development of a teacher's professional identity is vital for sustaining current and future educational reform in Taiwan as well as in other Eastern cultures. These findings have important implications for teachers' professional development programs in East Asian cultures.
The Role of Pictures in Learning Biology: Part 1, Perception and Observation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, David

1990-01-01

The concept of a "picture superiority effect" is discussed. Examined are a number of perceptual considerations that need to be given to picture construction. Parameters which appear to attract the learner's attention to a picture are considered. (CW)
Leaner, More Effective Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fielding, Randall

2012-01-01

School districts across North America are facing a crushing dilemma: invest millions of dollars to maintain outdated, educationally ineffective buildings or seek funding for expensive renovations, additions, and new construction to meet the evolving needs of today's learners. Compounding the issue is deferred facility maintenance. Educational…
Lurking and L2 Learners on a Facebook Group: The Voices of the Invisibles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shafie, Latisha Asmaak; Yaacob, Aizan; Singh, Paramjit Kaur Karpal

2016-01-01

This qualitative research investigates the practice of lurking among English as a second language (ESL) learners in a Facebook group discussion. Lurking is a term used to describe the activity of following and observing any online discussions or activities without contributing to the discussions. Lurkers are often accused of being invisible and…
Impacts of the Problem-Based Learning Pedagogy on English Learners' Reading Comprehension, Strategy Use, and Active Learning Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Lu-Fang

2017-01-01

This study investigated whether an English reading course integrated with the problem-based learning approach could foster foreign language learners' reading comprehension ability, strategy use, and their active learning attitudes. The pedagogy was featured with the small group scaffolding. Two intact English classes in a Taiwanese university were…

How Object, Situation and Personality Shape Human Attitude in Learning: An Activity Perspective and a Multilevel Modeling Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Jun

2009-01-01

Based on Activity Theory, this article examines attitude formation in human learning as shaped by the experiences of individual learners with various learning objects in particular learning contexts. It hypothesizes that a learner's object-related perceptions, personality traits and situational perceptions may have different relationships with the…
The Impact of Vocabulary Enhancement Activities on Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention among Male and Female EFL Learners in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharafi-Nejad, Maryam; Raftari, Shohreh; Bijami, Maryam; Khavari, Zahra; Ismail, Shaik Abdul Malik Mohamed; Eng, Lin Siew

2014-01-01

In general, incidental vocabulary acquisition is represented as the "picking up" of new vocabularies when students are engaged in a variety of reading, listening, speaking, or writing activities. Research has shown when learners read extensively incidental vocabulary acquisition happens. Many EFL students cannot be involved in reading…
Turkish Foreign Language Learners' Roles and Outputs: Introducing an Innovation and Role-Playing in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozbek, Cigdem; Comoglu, Irem; Baran, Bahar

2017-01-01

This study aims to design of the two activities "introducing an innovation" and "role playing" in Second Life (SL) and to evaluate qualitatively Turkish foreign language learner's roles and outputs before, while, and after the implementation of the activities. The study used community of inquiry model consisting of cognitive…
Language Teacher Candidates' Self-Assessment Process for Teaching to Young Learners in EFL Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genç Ilter, Binnur

2017-01-01

Teaching a foreign language to young learners have some differences from teaching adults. Young children have concentration problems and they tend to change their mood every ten minutes and need more creative activities than adults. Therefore, foreign language teachers have to choose interesting activities for them and foreign language teacher…
Identifying and Enhancing the Strengths of Gifted Learners, K-8: Easy-to-Use Activities and Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maccagnano, Ann Marie

2007-01-01

Educators can identify children's strengths early on and gain insight into each student's unique abilities by using the numerous ideas and informal assessments in this exciting guide. Gifted and talented specialist Ann Maccagnano offers K-8 teachers challenging activities and engaging lessons to develop and nurture gifted learners' talents.…
Active Learning for Discovery and Innovation in Criminology with Chinese Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jessica C. M.; Wu, Joseph

2015-01-01

Whereas a great deal of literature based upon the context of Western societies has concluded criminology is an ideal discipline for active learning approach, it remains uncertain if this learning approach is applicable to Chinese learners in the discipline of criminology. This article describes and provides evidence of the benefits of using active…
Informal Learning Activities for Learners of English and for Learners of Dutch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Marsenille, Anne

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the informal learning activities which French-speaking higher education students in Brussels engage in while learning English and Dutch. The informal learning of English was investigated in 2012, while the informal learning of Dutch was studied in 2015 and then compared to the informal…
Separating "Inquiry Questions" and "Techniques" to Help Learners Move between the How and the Why of Biology Practical Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philip, Judith M. D.; Taber, Keith S.

2016-01-01

School science practical activities have been criticised for exposing learners to a series of phenomena disconnected from the conceptual frameworks needed to understand them. Such activities are successful in the "domain of observables" but not the "domain of ideas". Few resources exist for classroom teachers wishing to improve…
Pedagogical Values of Mobile-Assisted Task-Based Activities to Enhance Speaking Skill

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohammadi, Mojtaba; Safdari, Nastaran

2015-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of online mobile-assisted task-based activities on improving Iranian intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' speaking skills. To achieve the purpose of the study, 90 intermediate language learners were selected ranging between 13 to 16 years old and divided into three…
Cross-Language Activation in Children's Speech Production: Evidence from Second Language Learners, Bilinguals, and Trilinguals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poarch, Gregory J.; van Hell, Janet G.

2012-01-01

In five experiments, we examined cross-language activation during speech production in various groups of bilinguals and trilinguals who differed in nonnative language proficiency, language learning background, and age. In Experiments 1, 2, 3, and 5, German 5- to 8-year-old second language learners of English, German-English bilinguals,…
Language-Related Computer Use: Focus on Young L2 English Learners in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sundqvist, Pia; Sylvén, Liss Kerstin

2014-01-01

This paper presents findings from a study investigating young English language learners (YELLs) in Sweden in 4th grade (N = 76, aged 10-11). Data were collected with the help of a questionnaire and a one-week language diary. The main purpose was to examine the learners' L2 English language-related activities outside of school in general, and their…
The Role of Private Speech in Cognitive Regulation of Learners: The Case of English as a Foreign Language Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarab, Mohamad Reza Anani; Gordani, Yahya

2015-01-01

Investigations into the use of private speech by adult English foreign language (EFL) learners in regulating their mental activities have been an interesting area of research with a sociocultural framework. Following this line of research, 30 advanced adult EFL learners were selected via the administration of Oxford quick placement test and took a…
A Case Study of Peer Review Practices of Four Adolescent English Language Learners in Face-to-Face and Online Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vorobel, Oksana

2013-01-01

Peer review is a complex collaborative activity, which may engage English language learners in reading, writing, listening, and speaking and carry many potential benefits for their language learning (Hu, 2005). While many research studies focused on peer review practices of adult language learners in academic settings in the USA or abroad in…
"Can We Do That Again?" Engaging Learners and Developing beyond the "Wow" Factor in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Astall, Chris; Bruce, Warren

2010-01-01

Adding Mentos to an open bottle of Diet Coke can produce a fountain of liquid and froth extending several metres high. This activity can engage a wide audience of learners in a relevant and meaningful way, provide a model for creative science teaching, and help to develop learners' attitudes towards school science as a subject. In this paper, the…
Chinese Learners of English See Chinese Words When Reading English Words

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Fengyang; Ai, Haiyang

2018-01-01

The present study examines when second language (L2) learners read words in the L2, whether the orthography and/or phonology of the translation words in the first language (L1) is activated and whether the patterns would be modulated by the proficiency in the L2. In two experiments, two groups of Chinese learners of English immersed in the L1…
Aprendizes da Solidao (Learners of Solitude).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meneghetti, Rosa Gitana Krob

2000-01-01

Reflects on the elderly within the perspective of solitude, emphasizing questions of existence and human uniqueness as elements of analysis. Does not discuss abandonment during old age, but centers on the process of learning, which the person realizes through the years of constructing an individual maturity. (BT)
Characterizing Representational Learning: A Combined Simulation and Tutorial on Perturbation Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohnle, Antje; Passante, Gina

2017-01-01

Analyzing, constructing, and translating between graphical, pictorial, and mathematical representations of physics ideas and reasoning flexibly through them ("representational competence") is a key characteristic of expertise in physics but is a challenge for learners to develop. Interactive computer simulations and University of…
Rethinking the Argumentative Essay

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneer, David

2014-01-01

This article investigates the construction of the argumentative essay as it is commonly presented in academic writing textbooks and classrooms for English language learners. The author first examines the traditional three-stage structure (thesis-argument-conclusion) and then problematizes it within a genre-based approach to academic writing. He…
Invitational Education: Theory, Research and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haigh, Martin

2011-01-01

Invitational Theory argues that learning is enhanced when learners are positively encouraged or "invited" into the educational experience. Arising from perceptual and self-concept theory, Invitational Pedagogy is constructed on four principles: respect for people, trust, optimism and intentionality, and upon five pillars: people, places, policies,…
When big brother is watching: goal orientation shapes reactions to electronic monitoring during online training.

PubMed

Watson, Aaron M; Foster Thompson, Lori; Rudolph, Jane V; Whelan, Thomas J; Behrend, Tara S; Gissel, Amanda L

2013-07-01

Web-based training is frequently used by organizations as a convenient and low-cost way to teach employees new knowledge and skills. As web-based training is typically unproctored, employees may be held accountable to the organization by computer software that monitors their behaviors. The current study examines how the introduction of electronic performance monitoring may provoke negative emotional reactions and decrease learning among certain types of e-learners. Through motivated action theory and trait activation theory, we examine the role of performance goal orientation when e-learners are exposed to asynchronous and synchronous monitoring. We show that some e-learners are more susceptible than others to evaluation apprehension when they perceive their activities are being monitored electronically. Specifically, e-learners higher in avoid performance goal orientation exhibited increased evaluation apprehension if they believed asynchronous monitoring was present, and they showed decreased skill attainment as a result. E-learners higher on prove performance goal orientation showed greater evaluation apprehension if they believed real-time monitoring was occurring, resulting in decreased skill attainment. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Can Learning a Foreign Language Foster Analytic Thinking?-Evidence from Chinese EFL Learners' Writings.

PubMed

Jiang, Jingyang; Ouyang, Jinghui; Liu, Haitao

2016-01-01

Language is not only the representation of thinking, but also shapes thinking. Studies on bilinguals suggest that a foreign language plays an important and unconscious role in thinking. In this study, a software-Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count 2007-was used to investigate whether the learning of English as a foreign language (EFL) can foster Chinese high school students' English analytic thinking (EAT) through the analysis of their English writings with our self-built corpus. It was found that: (1) learning English can foster Chinese learners' EAT. Chinese EFL learners' ability of making distinctions, degree of cognitive complexity and degree of thinking activeness have all improved along with the increase of their English proficiency and their age; (2) there exist differences in Chinese EFL learners' EAT and that of English native speakers, i. e. English native speakers are better in the ability of making distinctions and degree of thinking activeness. These findings suggest that the best EFL learners in high schools have gained native-like analytic thinking through six years' English learning and are able to switch their cognitive styles as needed.
Beliefs and Out-of-Class Language Learning of Chinese-Speaking ESL Learners in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Manfred Man-fat

2012-01-01

Background: There has been a lack of research on exploring how beliefs about language learning (BALLs) and out-of-class language-learning activities are related. BALLs and out-of-class language-learning activities play an important role in influencing the learning behaviours of learners and learning outcomes. Findings of this study provide useful…
Activity Theory in Spanish Mixed Classrooms: Exploring Corrective Feedback as an Artifact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valentín-Rivera, Laura

2016-01-01

This study draws upon activity theory to better understand the implications of corrective feedback (CF) as an artifact on (1) the coconstruction of knowledge and (2) the action-oriented decisions of 10 mixed pairs comprising a foreign language learner (FLL) and a heritage language learner (HLL) of Spanish. To this end, the dyads were divided into…
When Are Powerful Learning Environments Effective? The Role of Learner Activities and of Students' Conceptions of Educational Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerjets, Peter H.; Hesse, Friedrich W.

2004-01-01

The goal of this chapter is to outline a theoretical and empirical perspective on how learners' conceptions of educational technology might influence their learning activities and thereby determine the power of computer-based learning environments. Starting with an introduction to the concept of powerful learning environments we outline how recent…
Fashion Design: Designing a Learner-Active, Multi-Level High School Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Diane

2009-01-01

A high school fashion design teacher has much in common with the ringmaster of a three-ring circus. The challenges of teaching a hands-on course are to facilitate the entire class and to meet the needs of individual students. When teaching family and consumer sciences, the goal is to have a learner-active classroom. Revamping the high school's…
Aspects of the Reading Motivation and Reading Activity of Namibian Primary School Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirchner, Emmarentia; Mostert, Maria Louise

2017-01-01

This paper reports on the reading motivation and reading activity of 402, urban, Namibian learners in 6 schools in the central region of Namibia. From the fourth grade these Grade 7 learners received their instruction through the medium of English, and offered English as Second Language in addition to another Namibian language. They were enrolled…
The Formation of Learners' Motivation to Study Physics in Terms of Sustainable Development of Education in Ukraine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korsun, Igor

2017-01-01

This study is aimed at creating a general technique for the formation of learners' interest in physics in the context of sustainable development of education. The active means of training and active learning methods are the components of this technique. The sequence of interest formation for physics in the context of sustainable development of…
"Disadvantaged Learners": Who Are We Targeting? Understanding the Targeting of Widening Participation Activity in the United Kingdom Using Geo-Demographic Data from Southwest England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Neil; Hatt, Sue

2010-01-01

This paper analyses the definition of the appropriate target group for widening participation activities advanced by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in their "Targeting Disadvantaged Learners" advice to Aimhigher and higher education providers. This definition includes components of area deprivation and higher education…
Spoken Language Activation Alters Subsequent Sign Language Activation in L2 Learners of American Sign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Joshua T.; Newman, Sharlene D.

2017-01-01

A large body of literature has characterized unimodal monolingual and bilingual lexicons and how neighborhood density affects lexical access; however there have been relatively fewer studies that generalize these findings to bimodal (M2) second language (L2) learners of sign languages. The goal of the current study was to investigate parallel…
QR Codes in Education and Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durak, Gurhan; Ozkeskin, E. Emre; Ataizi, Murat

2016-01-01

Technological advances brought applications of innovations to education. Conventional education increasingly flourishes with new technologies accompanied by more learner active environments. In this continuum, there are learners preferring self-learning. Traditional learning materials yield attractive, motivating and technologically enhanced…
An autoethnographic exploration of the use of goal oriented feedback to enhance brief clinical teaching encounters.

PubMed

Farrell, Laura; Bourgeois-Law, Gisele; Ajjawi, Rola; Regehr, Glenn

2017-03-01

Supervision in the outpatient context is increasingly in the form of single day interactions between students and preceptors. This creates difficulties for effective feedback, which often depends on a strong relationship of trust between preceptor and student. Building on feedback theories focusing on the relational and dialogic aspects of feedback, this study explored the use of goal-oriented feedback in brief encounters with learners. This study used autoethnography to explore one preceptor's feedback interactions over an eight-month period both in the ambulatory setting and on the wards. Data included written narrative reflections on feedback interactions with twenty-three learners informed by discussions with colleagues and repeated reading of feedback literature. Thematic and narrative analyses of data were performed iteratively. Data analysis emphasized four recurrent themes. (1) Goal discussions were most effective when initiated early and integrated throughout the learning experience. (2) Both learner and preceptor goals were multiple and varied, and feedback needed to reflect this complexity. (3) Negotiation or co-construction of goals was important when considering the focus of feedback discussions in order to create safer, more effective interactions. (4) Goal oriented interactions offer potential benefits to the learner and preceptor. Goal oriented feedback promotes dialogue as it requires both preceptor and learner to acknowledge and negotiate learning goals throughout their interaction. In doing so, feedback becomes an explicit component of the preceptor-learner relationship. This enhances feedback interactions even in relatively brief encounters, and may begin an early educational alliance that can be elaborated with longer interactions.
Agoraphobia and the Modern Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dron, Jon; Anderson, Terry

2014-01-01

Read/write social technologies enable rich pedagogies that centre on sharing and constructing content but have two notable weaknesses. Firstly, beyond the safe, nurturing environment of closed groups, students participating in more or less public network- or set-oriented communities may be insecure in their knowledge and skills, leading to…
Supporting Students' Knowledge Construction and Self-Regulation through the Use of Elaborative Processing Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sperling, Rayne A.; Ramsay, Crystal M.; Reeves, Philip M.; Follmer, D. Jake; Richmond, Aaron S.

2016-01-01

Theoretical and empirical support for the benefits of elaborative strategy instruction for middle level students is highlighted. Consistent with the "Keys of Educating Young Adolescents," teaching elaborative strategies enhances academic achievement, engages learners, and empowers students' future independent learning. A transactional…
It Does Matter How We Teach Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodrigues, Kathleen J.

2012-01-01

This paper describes application of innovative practice and procedures in relationship to recognized principles and theory of adult education used in college math instruction. Adult learning principles provide the theoretical constructs and foundation of the practice supporting a learner-centered approach to learning. The purpose was to explore…
Using Art to Assess Environmental Education Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flowers, Ami A.; Carroll, John P.; Green, Gary T.; Larson, Lincoln R.

2015-01-01

Construction of developmentally appropriate tools for assessing the environmental attitudes and awareness of young learners has proven to be challenging. Art-based assessments that encourage creativity and accommodate different modes of expression may be a particularly useful complement to conventional tools (e.g. surveys), but their efficacy and…
Communication Way

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atwood, Margaret

1976-01-01

Basic to Library-College thought is the Communication Way. Such a construct is theoretical in the sense it combines the structure of a discipline and the structure of a literature into a system which enables the learner to see that finding and thinking about given subject matter is a unified process. (Author)
Integrated Arts Curriculum in Hong Kong Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Marina Wai-yee

2012-01-01

This longitudinal study (2001-09) of two Hong Kong secondary schools highlights six issues with an integrated arts curriculum: first, integration of knowledge and skills negatively precedes the integration of learners' construction of meaning; second, integration is perceived as challenging the profession's status; third, teachers are unaccustomed…
Constructing Virtual Worlds: Tracing the Historical Development of Learner Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barab, Sasha A.; Hay, Kenneth E.; Barnett, Michael; Squire, Kurt

2001-01-01

Explored learning and instruction within a technology-rich, collaborative, participatory learning environment by tracking the emergence of shared understanding and products through student and teacher practices. Found that becoming knowledgeably skillful with respect to a particular practice or concept is a multigenerational process, evolving in…
Backward Design: Targeting Depth of Understanding for All Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Childre, Amy; Sands, Jennifer R.; Pope, Saundra Tanner

2009-01-01

Curriculum design is at the center of developing student ability to construct understanding. Without appropriately designed curriculum, instruction can be ineffective at scaffolding understanding. Often students with disabilities need more explicit instruction or guidance in applying their schema to new information. Thus, instruction must not only…
Constructing Scientific Literacy in Inquiry-Based Communities of Science Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Kristen Adair

2010-01-01

English Language Learners and socioeconomically disadvantaged students were studied from an ethnographic perspective in this research study. These high school students were engaged in the study of local fresh water ecology with their teacher, the researcher. Transcribed audiotapes of students' discourse, their illustrated guides to…

Emergent Bilinguals: Framing Students as Statistical Data?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koyama, Jill; Menken, Kate

2013-01-01

Immigrant youth who are designated as English language learners in American schools--whom we refer to as "emergent bilinguals"--are increasingly framed by numerical calculations. Utilizing the notion of assemblage from actor-network theory (ANT), we trace how emergent bilinguals are discursively constructed by officials, administrators,…
Critical Place as a Fluid Margin in Post-Critical Environmental Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakagawa, Yoshifumi; Payne, Phillip G.

2015-01-01

Positive claims about place pedagogy in education are problematized through this small-scale interpretive study of internationally mobile students' experiences of outdoor environmental education. Of specific interest in this empirical study of learners' pedagogically constructed experiences of place are the fluid subjectivities, cultural…
Education for ECMO providers: Using education science to bridge the gap between clinical and educational expertise.

PubMed

Johnston, Lindsay; Williams, Susan B; Ades, Anne

2018-03-01

A well-organized educational curriculum for the training of both novice and experienced ECMO providers is critical for the continued function of an institutional ECMO program. ELSO provides guidance for the education for ECMO specialists, physicians and staff, which incorporates "traditional" instructor-centered educational methods, such as didactic lectures and technical skill training. Novel research suggests utilization of strategies that align with principles of adult learning to promote active learner involvement and reflection on how the material can be applied to understand existing and new constructs may be more effective. Some examples include the "flipped classroom," e-learning, simulation, and interprofessional education. These methodologies have been shown to improve active participation, which can be related to improvements in understanding and long-term retention. A novel framework for ECMO training is considered. Challenges in assessment and credentialing are also discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
More than a "Basic Skill": Breaking down the Complexities of Summarizing for ABE/ESL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ouellette-Schramm, Jennifer

2015-01-01

This article describes the complex cognitive and linguistic challenges of summarizing expository text at vocabulary, syntactic, and rhetorical levels. It then outlines activities to help ABE/ESL learners develop corresponding skills.
MAI (Multi-Dimensional Activity Based Integrated Approach): A Strategy for Cognitive Development of the Learners at the Elementary Stage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basantia, Tapan Kumar; Panda, B. N.; Sahoo, Dukhabandhu

2012-01-01

Cognitive development of the learners is the prime task of each and every stage of our school education and its importance especially in elementary state is quite worth mentioning. Present study investigated the effectiveness of a new and innovative strategy (i.e., MAI (multi-dimensional activity based integrated approach)) for the development of…
Exploring Work-Based Foundation Skills in the ABLE Classroom. Instructional Activities and Resources for the Adult Learner [and] Supplemental Handouts for Modules. Version 1.2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carman, Priscilla; Van Horn, Barbara; Hamilton, KayLynn; Williams, Mary Kay

This guide contains activities and resources to help adult learners develop the work-based foundation skills and knowledge areas included on the Foundation Skills Framework wheel (Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy 2000). Its four sections (basic employability skills, basic workplace knowledge, basic workplace skills, and lifelong learning…
The Development and Evaluation of an Achievement Test for Measuring the Efficacy of Task-Based Writing Activities to Enhance Iranian EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nejad, Ferdows Mohsen; Khosravian, Fereshteh

2014-01-01

The present study examined the reliability of an achievement test to measure the efficacy of task-based writing activities to improve Iranian EFL learners' reading comprehension at the intermediate level in a private language institute in Ilam, Iran, namely Alefba language institute. To achieve the goal, the techniques for evaluating reliability…
From Passive to Active Learners: The "Lived Experience" of Nurses in a Specialist Nephrology Nursing Education Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridger, Jane

2007-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to explore the lived experience of learning for a group of staff nurses in the Middle East, who undertook a post-registration nursing education programme in the speciality of nephrology nursing (the NNP) between 2001 and 2002. The broad-based curriculum seeks to develop the staff nurses into active learners, able to…
A Learner-led, Discussion-based Elective on Emerging Infectious Disease

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Objective. To implement a learner-led, discussion-based course aimed at exposing second-year pharmacy learners to the study of emerging infectious diseases from a global health perspective and to assess the role and importance of pharmacists in the management of disease outbreaks. Design. Learners examined literature pertinent to an emerging infectious disease in a 3-credit, discussion-based course and participated in peer discussion led by a designated learner. Instructional materials included journal articles, audio-visual presentations, documentaries, book chapters, movies, newspaper/magazine articles, and other materials. Learning outcomes were measured based on the ability of learners to perform critical thinking and analysis, communicate with their peers, and participate in class discussions. Assessment. The course was offered to 2 consecutive cohorts consisting of 14 and 16 learners, respectively. Overall, every learner in the first cohort achieved a final grade of A for the course. In the second cohort, the overall grade distribution consisted of grades of A, B, and C for the course. Learner evaluations indicated that the active-learning, discussion-based environment significantly enhanced interest in the topic and overall performance in the course. Conclusion. The elective course on emerging infectious diseases provided in-depth exposure to disease topics normally not encountered in the pharmacy curriculum. Learners found the material and format valuable, and the course enhanced their appreciation of infectious diseases, research methodology, critical thinking and analysis, and their roles as pharmacists. PMID:26430268
A Learner-led, Discussion-based Elective on Emerging Infectious Disease.

PubMed

Mathias, Clinton

2015-08-25

Objective. To implement a learner-led, discussion-based course aimed at exposing second-year pharmacy learners to the study of emerging infectious diseases from a global health perspective and to assess the role and importance of pharmacists in the management of disease outbreaks. Design. Learners examined literature pertinent to an emerging infectious disease in a 3-credit, discussion-based course and participated in peer discussion led by a designated learner. Instructional materials included journal articles, audio-visual presentations, documentaries, book chapters, movies, newspaper/magazine articles, and other materials. Learning outcomes were measured based on the ability of learners to perform critical thinking and analysis, communicate with their peers, and participate in class discussions. Assessment. The course was offered to 2 consecutive cohorts consisting of 14 and 16 learners, respectively. Overall, every learner in the first cohort achieved a final grade of A for the course. In the second cohort, the overall grade distribution consisted of grades of A, B, and C for the course. Learner evaluations indicated that the active-learning, discussion-based environment significantly enhanced interest in the topic and overall performance in the course. Conclusion. The elective course on emerging infectious diseases provided in-depth exposure to disease topics normally not encountered in the pharmacy curriculum. Learners found the material and format valuable, and the course enhanced their appreciation of infectious diseases, research methodology, critical thinking and analysis, and their roles as pharmacists.
How Students Combine Resources to Make Conceptual Breakthroughs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, A. J.; Jones, Darrick C.; Etkina, Eugenia

2018-04-01

We use the framework of cognitive resources to investigate how students construct understanding of a complex physics topic, namely, a photovoltaic cell. By observing students as they learn about how a solar cell functions, we identified over 60 distinct resources that learners may activate while thinking about photovoltaic cells. We classify these resources into three main types: phenomenological primitives, conceptual resources, and epistemological resources. Furthermore, we found a pattern that suggests that when students make conceptual breakthroughs they may be more likely to activate combinations of resources of different types in concert, especially if a resource from each of the three categories is used. This pattern suggests that physics instructors should encourage students to activate multiple types of prior knowledge during the learning process. This can result from instructors deliberately and explicitly connecting new knowledge to students' prior experience both in and outside the formal physics classroom, as well as allowing students to reflect metacognitively on how the new knowledge fits into their existing understanding of the natural world.
Learning Science Using AR Book: A Preliminary Study on Visual Needs of Deaf Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Megat Mohd. Zainuddin, Norziha; Badioze Zaman, Halimah; Ahmad, Azlina

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that is projected to have more significant role in teaching and learning, particularly in visualising abstract concepts in the learning process. AR is a technology is based on visually oriented technique. Thus, it is suitable for deaf learners since they are generally classified as visual learners. Realising the importance of visual learning style for deaf learners in learning Science, this paper reports on a preliminary study of on an ongoing research on problems faced by deaf learners in learning the topic on Microorganisms. Being visual learners, they have problems with current text books that are more text-based that graphic based. In this preliminary study, a qualitative approach using the ethnographic observational technique was used so that interaction with three deaf learners who are participants throughout this study (they are also involved actively in the design and development of the AR Book). An interview with their teacher and doctor were also conducted to identify their learning and medical problems respectively. Preliminary findings have confirmed the need to design and develop a special Augmented Reality Book called AR-Science for Deaf Learners (AR-SiD).
Task-Oriented Language Acquisition and the Advanced Learner of French.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rolin-Ianziti, Jeanne; McCarthy, Brian

A new third-year French textbook, in its introduction, describes its rationale and construction. The book's main objective is to provide authentic material for developing students' linguistic skills, focusing on language learning rather than civilization but including a cultural component. The textbook's organization is based on 20 recorded…
Educational Measurement and Knowledge of Other Minds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curren, Randall R.

2004-01-01

This article addresses the capacity of high stakes tests to measure the most significant kinds of learning. It begins by examining a set of philosophical arguments pertaining to construct validity and alleged conceptual obstacles to attributing specific knowledge and skills to learners. The arguments invoke philosophical doctrines of holism and…
Mediating Language Learning: Teacher Interactions with ESL Students in a Content-Based Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbons, Pauline

2003-01-01

Draws on constructs of "mediation" from sociocultural theory and "mode continuum" from systemic functional linguistics to investigate how student-teacher talk in a content-based classroom contributes to learners' language development. Shows how teachers mediate between students' linguistic levels in English and their…
The Use of Portfolios for Teacher Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lengeling, M. Martha

A discussion of the use of portfolios for teacher evaluation reviews common uses of portfolios in higher education and offers suggestions for portfolio construction. It is noted that portfolios are frequently used for evaluation of both learner and teacher performance, as a means of documenting an individual's capabilities and skills. Some…
Introduction to a New Approach to Experiential Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Lewis; MacIsaac, Doug

1994-01-01

A process model for experiential learning (EL) in adult education begins with the characteristics and needs of adult learners and conceptual foundations of EL. It includes methods and techniques for in-class and field-based experiences, building a folio (point-in-time performance assessment), and portfolio construction (assessing transitional…
Reliability Analysis of the Adult Mentoring Assessment for Extension Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denny, Marina D'Abreau

2017-01-01

The Adult Mentoring Assessment for Extension Professionals will help mentors develop an accurate profile of their mentoring style with adult learners and identify areas of proficiency and deficiency based on six constructs--relationship, information, facilitation, confrontation, modeling, and vision. This article reports on the reliability of this…
The Dynamics of Social Interaction in Telecollaborative Tandem Exchanges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janssen Sanchez, Brianna

2015-01-01

Using both quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry, this dissertation study undertakes an exploration of the dynamics of the social interaction in discourse co-constructed by pairs of college students in telecollaborative tandem exchanges. Two groups of participants, Mexican learners of English as a foreign language and American learners…
Scaffolding Java Programming on a Mobile Phone for Novice Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mbogo, Chao; Blake, Edwin; Suleman, Hussein

2015-01-01

The ubiquity of mobile phones provides an opportunity to use them as a resource for construction of programs beyond the classroom. However, limitations of mobile phones impede their use as typical programming environments. This research proposes that programming environments on mobile phones should include scaffolding techniques specifically…

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.