InstanceCollage: A Tool for the Particularization of Collaborative IMS-LD Scripts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Villasclaras-Fernandez, Eloy D.; Hernandez-Gonzalo, Julio A.; Hernandez-Leo, Davinia; Asensio-Perez, Juan I.; Dimitriadis, Yannis; Martinez-Mones, Alejandra

2009-01-01

Current research work in e-learning and more specifically in the field of CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) deals with design of collaborative activities, according to computer-interpretable specifications, such as IMS Learning Design, and their posterior enactment using LMSs (Learning Management Systems). A script that describes…

Towards Effective Partnerships in a Collaborative Problem-Solving Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmitz, Megan J.; Winskel, Heather

2008-01-01

Background: Collaborative learning is recognized as an effective learning tool in the classroom. In order to optimize the collaborative learning experience for children within a collaborative partnership, it is important to understand how to match the children by ability level, and whether assigning roles within these dyads is beneficial or not.…

Comparing Learning Performance of Students Using Algorithm Visualizations Collaboratively on Different Engagement Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laakso, Mikko-Jussi; Myller, Niko; Korhonen, Ari

2009-01-01

In this paper, two emerging learning and teaching methods have been studied: collaboration in concert with algorithm visualization. When visualizations have been employed in collaborative learning, collaboration introduces new challenges for the visualization tools. In addition, new theories are needed to guide the development and research of the…

Fostering Distributed Science Learning through Collaborative Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vazquez-Abad, Jesus; Brousseau, Nancy; Guillermina, Waldegg C.; Vezina, Mylene; Martinez, Alicia D.; de Verjovsky, Janet Paul

2004-01-01

TACTICS (French and Spanish acronym standing for Collaborative Work and Learning in Science with Information and Communications Technologies) is an ongoing project aimed at investigating a distributed community of learning and practice in which information and communications technologies (ICT) take the role of collaborative tools to support social…

The Effect of the Immediate Feedback by the Collaborative Education Tool ViLLE on Learning for Business Mathematics in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuikka, Matti; Laakso, Mikko-Jussi; Joshi, Marjo

2016-01-01

This article outlines the effect of the collaborative educational tool ViLLE when learning business mathematics in higher education. ViLLE validates students' answers during the assessment process and provides immediate feedback, enabling students to receive feedback and guidance about the correctness of their answers. The learning results in the…

Automating Expertise in Collaborative Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaVoie, Noelle; Streeter, Lynn; Lochbaum, Karen; Wroblewski, David; Boyce, Lisa; Krupnick, Charles; Psotka, Joseph

2010-01-01

We have developed a set of tools for improving online collaborative learning including an automated expert that monitors and moderates discussions, and additional tools to evaluate contributions, semantically search all posted comments, access a library of hundreds of digital books and provide reports to instructors. The technology behind these…

Face-to-Face Collaborative Learning Supported by Mobile Phones

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Echeverria, Alejandro; Nussbaum, Miguel; Calderon, Juan Felipe; Bravo, Claudio; Infante, Cristian; Vasquez, Andrea

2011-01-01

The use of handheld computers in educational contexts has increased considerably in recent years and their value as a teaching tool has been confirmed by many positive experiences, particular within collaborative learning systems (Mobile Computer Supported Collaborative Learning [MCSCL]). The cost of the devices has hindered widespread use in…

Culture-Aware Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Economides, Anastasios A.

2008-01-01

Purpose: In a collaborative learning environment there will be many learners with diverse cultures. These learners should be supported to communicate and collaborate among themselves. The variety of the communication and collaboration tools and modes available to each learner would depend on his/her personal cultural background. The purpose of…

Team Collaboration: Lessons Learned Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arterberrie, Rhonda Y.; Eubanks, Steven W.; Kay, Dennis R.; Prahst, Stephen E.; Wenner, David P.

2005-01-01

An Agency team collaboration pilot was conducted from July 2002 until June 2003 and then extended for an additional year. The objective of the pilot was to assess the value of collaboration tools and adoption processes as applied to NASA teams. In an effort to share knowledge and experiences, the lessons that have been learned thus far are documented in this report. Overall, the pilot has been successful. An entire system has been piloted - tools, adoption, and support. The pilot consisted of two collaboration tools, a team space and a virtual team meeting capability. Of the two tools that were evaluated, the team meeting tool has been more widely accepted. Though the team space tool has been met with a lesser degree of acceptance, the need for such a tool in the NASA environment has been evidenced. Both adoption techniques and support were carefully developed and implemented in a way that has been well received by the pilot participant community.

Do medical students watch video clips in eLearning and do these facilitate learning?

PubMed

Romanov, Kalle; Nevgi, Anne

2007-06-01

There is controversial evidence of the impact of individual learning style on students' performance in computer-aided learning. We assessed the association between the use of multimedia materials, such as video clips, and collaborative communication tools with learning outcome among medical students. One hundred and twenty-one third-year medical students attended a course in medical informatics (0.7 credits) consisting of lectures, small group sessions and eLearning material. The eLearning material contained six learning modules with integrated video clips and collaborative learning tools in WebCT. Learning outcome was measured with a course exam. Approximately two-thirds of students (68.6%) viewed two or more videos. Female students were significantly more active video-watchers. No significant associations were found between video-watching and self-test scores or the time used in eLearning. Video-watchers were more active in WebCT; they loaded more pages and more actively participated in discussion forums. Video-watching was associated with a better course grade. Students who watched video clips were more active in using collaborative eLearning tools and achieved higher course grades.

The GLOBAL Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Collaboration System. Building a robust international collaboration environment for teachers, scientists and students.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overoye, D.; Lewis, C.

2016-12-01

The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education program founded on Earth Day 1995. Implemented in 117 countries, GLOBE promotes the teaching and learning of science, supporting students, teachers and scientists worldwide to collaborate with each other on inquiry-based investigations of the Earth system. As an international platform supporting a large number and variety of stakeholders, the GLOBE Data Information System (DIS) was re-built with the goal of providing users the support needed to foster and develop collaboration between teachers, students and scientists while supporting the collection and visualization of over 50 different earth science investigations (protocols). There have been many challenges to consider as we have worked to prototype and build various tools to support collaboration across the GLOBE community - language, security, time zones, user roles and the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) to name a few. During the last 3 years the re-built DIS has been in operation we have supported user to user collaboration, school to school collaboration, project/campaign to user collaboration and scientist to scientist collaboration. We have built search tools to facilitate finding collaboration partners. The tools and direction continue to evolve based on feedback, evolving needs and changes in technology. With this paper we discuss our approach for dealing with some of the collaboration challenges, review tools built to encourage and support collaboration, and analyze which tools have been successful and which have not. We will review new ideas for collaboration in the GLOBE community that are guiding upcoming development.

Adaptive Synchronization of Semantically Compressed Instructional Videos for Collaborative Distance Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phung, Dan; Valetto, Giuseppe; Kaiser, Gail E.; Liu, Tiecheng; Kender, John R.

2007-01-01

The increasing popularity of online courses has highlighted the need for collaborative learning tools for student groups. In this article, we present an e-Learning architecture and adaptation model called AI2TV (Adaptive Interactive Internet Team Video), which allows groups of students to collaboratively view instructional videos in synchrony.…

Enhancing Socially Shared Regulation in Collaborative Learning Groups: Designing for CSCL Regulation Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Järvelä, Sanna; Kirschner, Paul A.; Panadero, Ernesto; Malmberg, Jonna; Phielix, Chris; Jaspers, Jos; Koivuniemi, Marika; Järvenoja, Hanna

2015-01-01

For effective computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL), socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) is necessary. To this end, this article extends the idea first posited by Järvelä and Hadwin ("Educ Psychol" 48(1):25-39, 2013) that successful collaboration in CSCL contexts requires targeted support for promoting individual…

Fostering Collaborative Learning in Second Life: Metaphors and Affordances

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andreas, Konstantinidis; Tsiatsos, Thrasyvoulos; Terzidou, Theodouli; Pomportsis, Andreas

2010-01-01

In this paper we examine the transferability of the Jigsaw and Fishbowl collaborative learning techniques to the Second Life platform. Our aim is to assess the applicability of Second Life for collaborative learning by developing virtual tools and metaphors and exploiting the representational richness of this novel medium. In order to enhance the…

Using Five Stage Model to Design of Collaborative Learning Environments in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orhan, Sevil; Karaman, M. Kemal

2014-01-01

Specifically Second Life (SL) among virtual worlds draws attention of researchers to form collaborative learning environments (Sutcliffe & Alrayes, 2012) since it could be used as a rich platform to simulate a real environment containing many collaborative learning characteristics and interaction tools within itself. Five Stage Model (FSM)…

The Use of Collaboration Tools when Teaching with Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mncube-Barnes, Fatima Maria

2010-01-01

This study was designed to determine whether faculty members utilized collaboration tools within Desire2Learn Inc., in accordance with Chickering and Gamson's (1987) "Seven Principles of Good Practice: A Framework for Evaluating Effective Teaching in Undergraduate Education." The population for this study was faculty members at…

A Comparative Study of Collaborative Learning in "Paper Scribbles" and "Group Scribbles"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hao, Chen Fang

2010-01-01

"Paper Scribbles" (PS) consisting of markers, vanguard sheets and 3M "Post-It" notes, is a pedagogical tool to harness collective intelligence of groups for collaborative learning in the classroom. Borrowing the key features of PS and yet avoiding some of their physical limitations, a computer-based tool called "Group…

A Web-Based Synchronous Collaborative Review Tool: A Case Study of an On-Line Graduate Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serce, Fatma Cemile; Yildirim, Soner

2006-01-01

On-line collaboration is an instructional method that facilitates collaboration in an on-line learning setting. To promote effective collaboration, it is vital to reveal both the student's and the instructor's point of view pertaining to effective on-line collaboration. In this study, the effectiveness of a learning management system in on-line…

An Architecture Combining IMS-LD and Web Services for Flexible Data-Transfer in CSCL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magnisalis, Ioannis; Demetriadis, Stavros

2017-01-01

This article presents evaluation data regarding the MAPIS3 architecture which is proposed as a solution for the data-transfer among various tools to promote flexible collaborative learning designs. We describe the problem that this architecture deals with as "tool orchestration" in collaborative learning settings. This term refers to a…

Using Electronic Communication Tools in Online Group Activities to Develop Collaborative Learning Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khalil, Hanan; Ebner, Martin

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using synchronous and asynchronous communication tools in online group activities to develop collaborative learning skills. An experimental study was implemented on a sample of faculty of education students in Mansoura University. The sample was divided into two groups, a group studied…

Interaction between Tool and Talk: How Instruction and Tools Support Consensus Building in Collaborative Inquiry-Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gijlers, H.; Saab, N.; Van Joolingen, W. R.; De Jong, T.; Van Hout-Wolters, B. H. A. M.

2009-01-01

The process of collaborative inquiry learning requires maintaining a mutual understanding of the task, along with reaching consensus on strategies, plans and domain knowledge. In this study, we explore how different supportive measures affect students' consensus-building process, based on a re-analysis of data from four studies. We distinguish…

Medical students' online learning technology needs.

PubMed

Han, Heeyoung; Nelson, Erica; Wetter, Nathan

2014-02-01

This study investigated medical students' online learning technology needs at a medical school. The study aimed to provide evidence-based guidance for technology selection and online learning design in medical education. The authors developed a 120-item survey in collaboration with the New Technology in Medical Education (NTIME) committee at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIUSOM). Overall, 123 of 290 medical students (42%) at the medical school participated in the survey. The survey focused on five major areas: students' hardware and software use; perception of educational technology (ET) in general; online behaviours; perception of ET use at the school; and demographic information. Students perceived multimedia tools, scheduling tools, communication tools, collaborative authoring tools, learning management systems and electronic health records useful educational technologies for their learning. They did not consider social networking tools useful for their learning, despite their frequent use. Third-year students were less satisfied with current technology integration in the curriculum, information sharing and collaborative learning than other years. Students in clerkships perceived mobile devices as useful for their learning. Students using a mobile device (i.e. a smartphone) go online, text message, visit social networking sites and are online during classes more frequently than non-users. Medical students' ET needs differ between preclinical and clinical years. Technology supporting ubiquitous mobile learning and health information technology (HIT) systems at hospitals and out-patient clinics can be integrated into clerkship curricula. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Using Visualization to Motivate Student Participation in Collaborative Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jin, Sung-Hee

2017-01-01

Online participation in collaborative online learning environments is instrumental in motivating students to learn and promoting their learning satisfaction, but there has been little research on the technical supports for motivating students' online participation. The purpose of this study was to develop a visualization tool to motivate learners…

Developing Instructional Leadership through Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbott, Claire Johnson; McKnight, Katherine

2010-01-01

Collaborative learning teams have emerged as an effective tool for teachers to steadily and continuously improve their instruction. Evidence also suggests that a learning teams model can affect school leadership as well. We explored the impact of learning teams on leadership roles of principals and teachers in secondary schools and found that…

COLLAGE: A Collaborative Learning Design Editor Based on Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez-Leo, Davinia; Villasclaras-Fernandez, Eloy D.; Asensio-Perez, Juan I.; Dimitriadis, Yannis; Jorrin-Abellan, Ivan M.; Ruiz-Requies, Ines; Rubia-Avi, Bartolome

2006-01-01

This paper introduces "Collage", a high-level IMS-LD compliant authoring tool that is specialized for CSCL (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning). Nowadays CSCL is a key trend in e-learning since it highlights the importance of social interactions as an essential element of learning. CSCL is an interdisciplinary domain, which…

The Web Resource Collaboration Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlap, Joanna C.

2004-01-01

The Web Resource Collaboration Center (WRCC) is a web-based tool developed to help software engineers build their own web-based learning and performance support systems. Designed using various online communication and collaboration technologies, the WRCC enables people to: (1) build a learning and professional development resource that provides…

Improving Organizational Learning: Defining Units of Learning from Social Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menolli, André Luís Andrade; Reinehr, Sheila; Malucelli, Andreia

2013-01-01

New technologies, such as social networks, wikis, blogs and other social tools, enable collaborative work and are important facilitators of the social learning process. Many companies are using these types of tools as substitutes for their intranets, especially software development companies. However, the content generated by these tools in many…

Building Collective Leadership Capacity Using Collaborative Twenty-First Century Digital Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Freddy; Figaro-Henry, Sandra

2017-01-01

The current research explores how using collaborative twenty-first century digital tools developed the collective leadership capacity among participants in an educational leadership course. A qualitative interpretive approach was used. The data show how learning within the digital collaborative spaces was multidirectional and enhanced the…

Design Experiments in Japanese Elementary Science Education with Computer Support for Collaborative Learning: Hypothesis Testing and Collaborative Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oshima, Jun; Oshima, Ritsuko; Murayama, Isao; Inagaki, Shigenori; Takenaka, Makiko; Nakayama, Hayashi; Yamaguchi, Etsuji

2004-01-01

This paper reports design experiments on two Japanese elementary science lesson units in a sixth-grade classroom supported by computer support for collaborative learning (CSCL) technology as a collaborative reflection tool. We took different approaches in the experiments depending on their instructional goals. In the unit 'air and how things…

Improving Students' Summary Writing Ability through Collaboration: A Comparison between Online Wiki Group and Conventional Face-To-Face Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wichadee, Saovapa

2013-01-01

Wikis, as one of the Web 2.0 social networking tools, have been increasingly integrated into second language (L2) instruction to promote collaborative writing. The current study examined and compared summary writing abilities between students learning by wiki-based collaboration and students learning by traditional face-to-face collaboration.…

Blended Teaching & Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pape, Liz

2010-01-01

Blended learning is using online tools to communicate, collaborate and publish, to extend the school day or year and to develop the 21st-century skills students need. With blended learning, teachers can use online tools and resources as part of their daily classroom instruction. Using many of the online tools and resources students already are…

A State for Excellence: New Jersey Boosts Learning Power with Online Video Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duff, Victoria; Sauer, Wendy; Gleason, Sonia Caus

2011-01-01

The New Jersey Department of Education supports all districts with a tool kit of valuable resources for planning and creating collaborative learning structures that focus on getting results for all students. This tool kit was the basis for the creation of Learning Forward's "Becoming a Learning School" (2009). The tool kit helps…

Collaborative peer review process as an informal interprofessional learning tool: Findings from an exploratory study.

PubMed

Kwon, Jae Yung; Bulk, Laura Yvonne; Giannone, Zarina; Liva, Sarah; Chakraborty, Bubli; Brown, Helen

2018-01-01

Despite numerous studies on formal interprofessional education programes, less attention has been focused on informal interprofessional learning opportunities. To provide such an opportunity, a collaborative peer review process (CPRP) was created as part of a peer-reviewed journal. Replacing the traditional peer review process wherein two or more reviewers review the manuscript separately, the CPRP brings together students from different professions to collaboratively review a manuscript. The aim of this study was to assess whether the CPRP can be used as an informal interprofessional learning tool using an exploratory qualitative approach. Eight students from Counselling Psychology, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Nursing, and Rehabilitation Sciences were invited to participate in interprofessional focus groups. Data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. Two key themes emerged, revealing that the CPRP created new opportunities for interprofessional learning and gave practice in negotiating feedback. The results reveal that the CPRP has the potential to be a valuable interprofessional learning tool that can also enhance reviewing and constructive feedback skills.

Supporting Collaborative Inquiry during a Biology Field Trip with Mobile Peer-to-Peer Tools for Learning: A Case Study with K-12 Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laru, Jari; Jarvela, Sanna; Clariana, Roy B.

2012-01-01

This study explores how collaborative inquiry learning can be supported with multiple scaffolding agents in a real-life field trip context. In practice, a mobile peer-to-peer messaging tool provided meta-cognitive and procedural support, while tutors and a nature guide provided more dynamic scaffolding in order to support argumentative discussions…

Google Docs in an Out-of-Class Collaborative Writing Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Wenyi; Simpson, Elizabeth; Domizi, Denise Pinette

2012-01-01

Google Docs, an online word processing application, is a promising tool for collaborative learning. However, many college instructors and students lack knowledge to effectively use Google Docs to enhance teaching and learning. Goals of this study include (1) assessing the effectiveness of using Google Docs in an out-of-class collaborative writing…

Exploring the Relationship between Self-Regulated Vocabulary Learning and Web-Based Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Sarah Hsueh-Jui; Lan, Yu-Ju; Ho, Cloudia Ya-Yu

2014-01-01

Collaborative learning has placed an emphasis on co-constructing knowledge by sharing and negotiating meaning for problem-solving activities, and this cannot be accomplished without governing the self-regulatory processes of students. This study employed a Web-based tool, Google Docs, to determine the effects of Web-based collaboration on…

Intelligent Tutoring Systems for Collaborative Learning: Enhancements to Authoring Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsen, Jennifer K.; Belenky, Daniel M.; Aleven, Vincent; Rummel, Nikol

2013-01-01

Collaborative and individual instruction may support different types of knowledge. Optimal instruction for a subject domain may therefore need to combine these two modes of instruction. There has not been much research, however, on combining individual and collaborative learning with Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs). A first step is to expand…

The Design and Development of a Collaborative mLearning Prototype for Malaysian Secondary School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeWitt, Dorothy; Alias, Norlidah; Siraj, Saedah

2014-01-01

Collaborative problem-solving in science instruction allows learners to build their knowledge and understanding through interaction, using the language of science. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools facilitate collaboration and may provide the opportunity for interaction when using the language of science in learning. There seems to be…

The Collaborative Lecture Annotation System (CLAS): A New TOOL for Distributed Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Risko, E. F.; Foulsham, T.; Dawson, S.; Kingstone, A.

2013-01-01

In the context of a lecture, the capacity to readily recognize and synthesize key concepts is crucial for comprehension and overall educational performance. In this paper, we introduce a tool, the Collaborative Lecture Annotation System (CLAS), which has been developed to make the extraction of important information a more collaborative and…

76 FR 45334 - Innovative Techniques for Delivering ITS Learning; Request for Information

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-28

... training opportunities and the desire to use emerging social media tools to better engage and collaborate...; Collaborative--through the use of social media or other `virtual' meeting spaces; Designed for the adult learner... ITS deployers? 6. How might social media collaboration tools be used to engage audiences in ITS...

AMOEBA: Designing for Collaboration in Computer Science Classrooms through Live Learning Analytics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berland, Matthew; Davis, Don; Smith, Carmen Petrick

2015-01-01

AMOEBA is a unique tool to support teachers' orchestration of collaboration among novice programmers in a non-traditional programming environment. The AMOEBA tool was designed and utilized to facilitate collaboration in a classroom setting in real time among novice middle school and high school programmers utilizing the IPRO programming…

The Uses (and Misuses) of Collaborative Distance Education Technologies Implications for the Debate on Transience in Technology: Implications for the Debate on Transience in Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, YunJeong; Hannafin, Michael J.

2015-01-01

Collaborative learning technologies (tools that are used for facilitating or mediating collaborative learning) have been widely incorporated in distance education as well as broadly adopted in higher education. While a range of collaborative technologies has been incorporated, their implementation has often failed to align with well-established…

Learning Bridge Tool to Improve Student Learning, Preceptor Training, and Faculty Teamwork

PubMed Central

Cawley, Pauline; Arendt, Cassandra S.

2011-01-01

Objectives To implement a Learning Bridge tool to improve educational outcomes for pharmacy students as well as for preceptors and faculty members. Design Pharmacy faculty members collaborated to write 9 case-based assignments that first-year pharmacy (P1) students worked with preceptors to complete while at experiential sites. Assessment Students, faculty members, and preceptors were surveyed about their perceptions of the Learning Bridge process. As in our pilot study,1 the Learning Bridge process promoted student learning. Additionally, the Learning Bridge assignments familiarized preceptors with the school's P1 curriculum and its content. Faculty teamwork also was increased through collaborating on the assignments. Conclusions The Learning Bridge assignments provided a compelling learning environment and benefited students, preceptors, and faculty members. PMID:21655400

Learning bridge tool to improve student learning, preceptor training, and faculty teamwork.

PubMed

Karimi, Reza; Cawley, Pauline; Arendt, Cassandra S

2011-04-11

To implement a Learning Bridge tool to improve educational outcomes for pharmacy students as well as for preceptors and faculty members. Pharmacy faculty members collaborated to write 9 case-based assignments that first-year pharmacy (P1) students worked with preceptors to complete while at experiential sites. Students, faculty members, and preceptors were surveyed about their perceptions of the Learning Bridge process. As in our pilot study,(1) the Learning Bridge process promoted student learning. Additionally, the Learning Bridge assignments familiarized preceptors with the school's P1 curriculum and its content. Faculty teamwork also was increased through collaborating on the assignments. The Learning Bridge assignments provided a compelling learning environment and benefited students, preceptors, and faculty members.

Collaborative Data Mining Tool for Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Enrique; Romero, Cristobal; Ventura, Sebastian; Gea, Miguel; de Castro, Carlos

2009-01-01

This paper describes a collaborative educational data mining tool based on association rule mining for the continuous improvement of e-learning courses allowing teachers with similar course's profile sharing and scoring the discovered information. This mining tool is oriented to be used by instructors non experts in data mining such that, its…

Blended Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pape, Liz

2010-01-01

"Blended learning" is using online tools to communicate, collaborate, and publish, to extend the school day or year and to develop the 21st-century skills students need. With blended learning, teachers can use online tools and resources as part of their daily classroom instruction. Using many of the online tools and resources students already are…

Engaged Learning Using the Internet: SURWEB as a Student-Focused Learning Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Bruce O.; Bills, Lynn

The engaged learning model centers on information and communications technologies as tools to assist teachers in helping students take responsibility for their own learning, become knowledge explorers, and collaborate with others to find information and to seek answers to problems. This paper defines engaged learning, and outlines the following…

A Semantic Web-Based Authoring Tool to Facilitate the Planning of Collaborative Learning Scenarios Compliant with Learning Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isotani, Seiji; Mizoguchi, Riichiro; Isotani, Sadao; Capeli, Olimpio M.; Isotani, Naoko; de Albuquerque, Antonio R. P. L.; Bittencourt, Ig. I.; Jaques, Patricia

2013-01-01

When the goal of group activities is to support long-term learning, the task of designing well-thought-out collaborative learning (CL) scenarios is an important key to success. To help students adequately acquire and develop their knowledge and skills, a teacher can plan a scenario that increases the probability for learning to occur. Such a…

The Effects of Social Media Use on Collaborative Learning: A Case of Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozanta, Aysun; Mardikyan, Sona

2017-01-01

The social media usage has penetrated to the many areas in daily lives of today's students. Therefore, social media can be effective tool to support their educational communications and collaborations with their friends and also faculty members. This study aims to determine the effects of social media on collaborative learning. For this purpose, a…

The Disciplinary Literacy Discussion Matrix: A Heuristic Tool for Initiating Collaboration in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Airey, John

2011-01-01

In this paper I address the issue of collaboration between content lecturers and language lecturers or educational researchers. Whilst such collaboration is a desirable goal for disciplinary learning in monolingual settings, I suggest it takes on extra significance when two or more languages are involved in teaching and learning a discipline.…

Intelligent Assistance for Teachers in Collaborative E-Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casamayor, Agustin; Amandi, Analia; Campo, Marcelo

2009-01-01

Collaborative learning environments provide a set of tools for students acting in groups to interact and accomplish an assigned task. In this kind of systems, students are free to express and communicate with each other, which usually lead to collaboration and communication problems that may require the intervention of a teacher. In this article,…

A Collaborative Educational Association Rule Mining Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Enrique; Romero, Cristobal; Ventura, Sebastian; de Castro, Carlos

2011-01-01

This paper describes a collaborative educational data mining tool based on association rule mining for the ongoing improvement of e-learning courses and allowing teachers with similar course profiles to share and score the discovered information. The mining tool is oriented to be used by non-expert instructors in data mining so its internal…

Assessments That Promote Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watanabe, Maika; Evans, Laura

2015-01-01

This article discusses assessments that can be used to help encourage a collaborative classroom community, in which students help one another learn mathematics. The authors describe participation quizzes and explanation quizzes as assessment tools that encourage students to work together, share specific questions on challenging mathematics…

Using multimedia and peer assessment to promote collaborative e-learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barra, Enrique; Aguirre Herrera, Sandra; Ygnacio Pastor Caño, Jose; Quemada Vives, Juan

2014-04-01

Collaborative e-learning is increasingly appealing as a pedagogical approach that can positively affect student learning. We propose a didactical model that integrates multimedia with collaborative tools and peer assessment to foster collaborative e-learning. In this paper, we explain it and present the results of its application to the "International Seminars on Materials Science" online course. The proposed didactical model consists of five educational activities. In the first three, students review the multimedia resources proposed by the teacher in collaboration with their classmates. Then, in the last two activities, they create their own multimedia resources and assess those created by their classmates. These activities foster communication and collaboration among students and their ability to use and create multimedia resources. Our purpose is to encourage the creativity, motivation, and dynamism of the learning process for both teachers and students.

Virtual collaboration in the online educational setting: a concept analysis.

PubMed

Breen, Henny

2013-01-01

This study was designed to explore the concept of virtual collaboration within the context of an online learning environment in an academic setting. Rodgers' method of evolutionary concept analysis was used to provide a contextual view of the concept to identify attributes, antecedents, and consequences of virtual collaboration. Commonly used terms to describe virtual collaboration are collaborative and cooperative learning, group work, group interaction, group learning, and teamwork. A constructivist pedagogy, group-based process with a shared purpose, support, and web-based technology is required for virtual collaboration to take place. Consequences of virtual collaboration are higher order thinking and learning to work with others. A comprehensive definition of virtual collaboration is offered as an outcome of this analysis. Clarification of virtual collaboration prior to using it as a pedagogical tool in the online learning environment will enhance nursing education with the changes in nursing curriculum being implemented today. Further research is recommended to describe the developmental stages of the collaborative process among nursing students in online education and how virtual collaboration facilitates collaboration in practice. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A collaborative framework for Distributed Privacy-Preserving Support Vector Machine learning.

PubMed

Que, Jialan; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

2012-01-01

A Support Vector Machine (SVM) is a popular tool for decision support. The traditional way to build an SVM model is to estimate parameters based on a centralized repository of data. However, in the field of biomedicine, patient data are sometimes stored in local repositories or institutions where they were collected, and may not be easily shared due to privacy concerns. This creates a substantial barrier for researchers to effectively learn from the distributed data using machine learning tools like SVMs. To overcome this difficulty and promote efficient information exchange without sharing sensitive raw data, we developed a Distributed Privacy Preserving Support Vector Machine (DPP-SVM). The DPP-SVM enables privacy-preserving collaborative learning, in which a trusted server integrates "privacy-insensitive" intermediary results. The globally learned model is guaranteed to be exactly the same as learned from combined data. We also provide a free web-service (http://privacy.ucsd.edu:8080/ppsvm/) for multiple participants to collaborate and complete the SVM-learning task in an efficient and privacy-preserving manner.

Measurement Learning Trajectories: A Tool for Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCool, Jenni K.

2009-01-01

This study investigated the ways in which a teacher developed conceptions of measurement teaching and learning as she collaborated with a researcher to learn and implement a measurement learning trajectory with two of her students. Teachers need tools that effectively address the content area of measurement and can be used to improve their…

How to Improve Collaborative Learning with Video Tools in the Classroom? Social vs. Cognitive Guidance for Student Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zahn, Carmen; Krauskopf, Karsten; Hesse, Friedrich W.; Pea, Roy

2012-01-01

Digital video technologies offer a variety of functions for supporting collaborative learning in classrooms. Yet, for novice learners, such as school students, positive learning outcomes also depend centrally on effective social interactions. We present empirical evidence for the positive effects of instructive guidance on performance and on…

A Methodological Approach to Support Collaborative Media Creation in an E-Learning Higher Education Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ornellas, Adriana; Muñoz Carril, Pablo César

2014-01-01

This article outlines a methodological approach to the creation, production and dissemination of online collaborative audio-visual projects, using new social learning technologies and open-source video tools, which can be applied to any e-learning environment in higher education. The methodology was developed and used to design a course in the…

Establishing Time for Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Staff Development, 2013

2013-01-01

Time for collaborative learning is an essential resource for educators working to implement college- and career-ready standards. The pages in this article include tools from the workbook "Establishing Time for Professional Learning." The tools support a complete process to help educators effectively find and use time. The following…

Cloud Collaboration: Cloud-Based Instruction for Business Writing Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Charlie; Yu, Wei-Chieh Wayne; Wang, Jenny

2014-01-01

Cloud computing technologies, such as Google Docs, Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, and Microsoft Windows Live, have become increasingly appreciated to the next generation digital learning tools. Cloud computing technologies encourage students' active engagement, collaboration, and participation in their learning, facilitate group work, and support…

Theory-Led Design of Instruments and Representations in Learning Analytics: Developing a Novel Tool for Orchestration of Online Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Nick; Thompson, Kate; Yeoman, Pippa

2015-01-01

This paper describes theory-led design as a way of developing novel tools for learning analytics (LA). It focuses upon the domain of automated discourse analysis (ADA) of group learning activities to help an instructor to orchestrate online groups in real-time. The paper outlines the literature on the development of LA tools within the domain of…

Continuing Education Course to Attain Collaborative Comprehensive Medication Review Competencies

PubMed Central

Tuomainen, Lea; Ovaskainen, Harri; Peura, Sirpa; Sevón-Vilkman, Nina; Tanskanen, Paavo; Airaksinen, Marja S.A.

2009-01-01

Objective To implement a long-term continuing education course for pharmacy practitioners to acquire competency in and accreditation for conducting collaborative comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs). Design A 1½- year curriculum for practicing pharmacists that combined distance learning (using e-learning tools) and face-to-face learning was created. The training consisted of 5 modules: (1) Multidisciplinary Collaboration; (2) Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacotherapy; (3) Rational Pharmacotherapy; (4) CMR Tools; and (5) Optional Studies. Assessment The curriculum and participants' learning were evaluated using essays and learning diaries. At the end of the course, students submitted portfolios and completed an Internet-based survey instrument. Almost all respondents (92%) indicated their educational needs had been met by the course and 68% indicated they would conduct CMRs in their practice. The most important factors facilitating learning were working with peers and in small groups. Factors preventing learning were mostly related to time constraints. Conclusion Comprehensive medication review competencies were established by a 1½- year continuing education curriculum that combined different teaching methods and experiential learning. Peer support was greatly appreciated as a facilitator of learning by course participants. PMID:19885077

The Right Tools for the Job--Technology Options for Adult Online Learning and Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regional Educational Laboratory, 2014

2014-01-01

Many options exist for using technology as a tool for adult learning, and each day, it becomes easier to share information online than it ever has been. Online learning technology has grown from one-sided communications to numerous options for audience engagement and interactivity. This guide introduces a variety of tools, online platforms, and…

Immersive Environments - A Connectivist Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loureiro, Ana; Bettencourt, Teresa

We are conducting a research project with the aim of achieving better and more efficient ways to facilitate teaching and learning in Higher Level Education. We have chosen virtual environments, with particular emphasis to Second Life® platform augmented by web 2.0 tools, to develop the study. The Second Life® environment has some interesting characteristics that captured our attention, it is immersive; it is a real world simulator; it is a social network; it allows real time communication, cooperation, collaboration and interaction; it is a safe and controlled environment. We specifically chose tools from web 2.0 that enable sharing and collaborative way of learning. Through understanding the characteristics of this learning environment, we believe that immersive learning along with other virtual tools can be integrated in today's pedagogical practices.

Differences That Make A Difference: A Study in Collaborative Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Touchman, Stephanie

Collaborative learning is a common teaching strategy in classrooms across age groups and content areas. It is important to measure and understand the cognitive process involved during collaboration to improve teaching methods involving interactive activities. This research attempted to answer the question: why do students learn more in collaborative settings? Using three measurement tools, 142 participants from seven different biology courses at a community college and at a university were tested before and after collaborating about the biological process of natural selection. Three factors were analyzed to measure their effect on learning at the individual level and the group level. The three factors were: difference in prior knowledge, sex and religious beliefs. Gender and religious beliefs both had a significant effect on post-test scores.

Collaborative Communication in Work Based Learning Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Stephen Allen

2017-01-01

This basic qualitative study, using interviews and document analysis, examined reflections from a Work Based Learning (WBL) program to understand how utilizing digital collaborative communication tools influence the educational experience. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework was used as a theoretical frame promoting the examination of the…

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…

Convenience Matters: A Qualitative Study on the Impact of Use of Social Media and Collaboration Technologies on Learning Experience and Performance in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jang, Yeona

2015-01-01

Social media and collaboration technologies are viewed as valuable tools for creating a new reality of collaborative learning, particularly in higher education facing millennials growing up with various technologies in their daily lives. Using the example of an undergraduate course taught on-campus, this study examines how millennial students in…

The Effects of Mobile-Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: Meta-Analysis and Critical Synthesis.

PubMed

Sung, Yao-Ting; Yang, Je-Ming; Lee, Han-Yueh

2017-08-01

One of the trends in collaborative learning is using mobile devices for supporting the process and products of collaboration, which has been forming the field of mobile-computer-supported collaborative learning (mCSCL). Although mobile devices have become valuable collaborative learning tools, evaluative evidence for their substantial contributions to collaborative learning is still scarce. The present meta-analysis, which included 48 peer-reviewed journal articles and doctoral dissertations written over a 16-year period (2000-2015) involving 5,294 participants, revealed that mCSCL has produced meaningful improvements for collaborative learning, with an overall mean effect size of 0.516. Moderator variables, such as domain subject, group size, teaching method, intervention duration, and reward method were related to different effect sizes. The results provided implications for future research and practice, such as suggestions on how to appropriately use the functionalities of mobile devices, how to best leverage mCSCL through effective group learning mechanisms, and what outcome variables should be included in future studies to fully elucidate the process and products of mCSCL.

The Effects of Mobile-Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: Meta-Analysis and Critical Synthesis

PubMed Central

Sung, Yao-Ting; Yang, Je-Ming; Lee, Han-Yueh

2017-01-01

One of the trends in collaborative learning is using mobile devices for supporting the process and products of collaboration, which has been forming the field of mobile-computer-supported collaborative learning (mCSCL). Although mobile devices have become valuable collaborative learning tools, evaluative evidence for their substantial contributions to collaborative learning is still scarce. The present meta-analysis, which included 48 peer-reviewed journal articles and doctoral dissertations written over a 16-year period (2000–2015) involving 5,294 participants, revealed that mCSCL has produced meaningful improvements for collaborative learning, with an overall mean effect size of 0.516. Moderator variables, such as domain subject, group size, teaching method, intervention duration, and reward method were related to different effect sizes. The results provided implications for future research and practice, such as suggestions on how to appropriately use the functionalities of mobile devices, how to best leverage mCSCL through effective group learning mechanisms, and what outcome variables should be included in future studies to fully elucidate the process and products of mCSCL. PMID:28989193

Transforming narratives into educational tools: the collaborative development of a transformative learning tool based on Nicaraguan adolescents' creative writing about intimate partner violence.

PubMed

Singleton, Robyn; Picado Araúz, María de la Paz; Trocin, Kathleen; Winskell, Kate

2017-01-01

The use of narrative has become increasingly popular in the public health, community development, and education fields. Via emotionally engaging plotlines with authentic, captivating characters, stories provide an opportunity for participants to be carried away imaginatively into the characters' world while connecting the story with their own lived experiences. Stories have been highlighted as valuable tools in transformative learning. However, little published literature exists demonstrating applications of stories in group-based transformative learning curricula. This paper describes the creation of a narrative-based transformative learning tool based on an analysis of Nicaraguan adolescents' meaning-making around intimate partner violence (IPV) in their creative narratives. In collaboration with a Nicaraguan organization, US researchers analyzed a sample of narratives ( n = 55; 16 male-authored, 39 female-authored) on IPV submitted to a 2014 scriptwriting competition by adolescents aged 15-19. The data were particularly timely in that they responded to a new law protecting victims of gender-based violence, Law 779, and contradicted social-conservative claims that the Law 779 destroys family unity. We incorporated results from this analysis into the creation of the transformative learning tool, separated into thematic sections. The tool's sections (which comprise one story and three corresponding activities) aim to facilitate critical reflection, interpersonal dialogue, and self- and collective efficacy for social action around the following themes derived from the analysis: IPV and social support; IPV and romantic love; masculinity; warning signs of IPV; and sexual abuse. As a collaboration between a public health research team based at a US university and a Nicaraguan community-based organization, it demonstrates the potential in the age of increasingly smooth electronic communication for novel community-university partnerships to facilitate the development of narrative-based tools to support transformative learning.

Effects of Feeding Back the Motivation of a Collaboratively Learning Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoor, Cornelia; Kownatzki, Salome; Narciss, Susanne; Körndle, Hermann

2014-01-01

Introduction: Motivation is an important issue in both face-to-face and computer-supported collaborative learning. There are several approaches for enhancing motivation, including group awareness tools that provide feedback on the group's motivation. However, this feedback was rarely unconfounded with other constructs. Additionally, it is…

Successfully Carrying out Complex Learning-Tasks through Guiding Teams' Qualitative and Quantitative Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slof, B.; Erkens, G.; Kirschner, P. A.; Janssen, J.; Jaspers, J. G. M.

2012-01-01

This study investigated whether and how scripting learners' use of representational tools in a computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL)-environment fostered their collaborative performance on a complex business-economics task. Scripting the problem-solving process sequenced and made its phase-related part-task demands explicit, namely…

Computer-Based Interaction Analysis with DEGREE Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barros, B.; Verdejo, M. F.

2016-01-01

We review our research with "DEGREE" and analyse how our work has impacted the collaborative learning community since 2000. Our research is framed within the context of computer-based interaction analysis and the development of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) tools. We identify some aspects of our work which have been…

Education Students' Use of Collaborative Writing Tools in Collectively Reflective Essay Papers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brodahl, Cornelia; Hansen, Nils Kristian

2014-01-01

Google Docs and EtherPad are Web 2.0 tools providing opportunity for multiple users to work online on the same document consecutively or simultaneously. Over the last few years a number of research papers on the use of these collaborative tools in a teaching and learning environment have been published. This work builds on that of Brodahl,…

Wiki Technology: A Virtual, Cooperative Learning Tool Used to Enhance Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrera, Alessandra L.

2015-01-01

This study demonstrates the use of wiki technology (an editable webpage environment) to provide a virtual, asynchronous collaborative-learning environment for students for the purpose of working on course-content-focused study-guide questions. To analyze the effectiveness of this course tool, students' responses to various qualitative and…

The Important Elements of LMS Design That Affect User Engagement with E-Learning Tools within LMSs in the Higher Education Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zanjani, Nastaran; Edwards, Sylvia L.; Nykvist, Shaun; Geva, Shlomo

2017-01-01

In recent years, universities have been under increased pressure to adopt e-learning practices for teaching and learning. In particular, the emphasis has been on learning management systems (LMSs) and associated collaboration tools to provide opportunities for sharing knowledge, building a community of learners, and supporting higher order…

A Collaborative Framework for Distributed Privacy-Preserving Support Vector Machine Learning

PubMed Central

Que, Jialan; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

2012-01-01

A Support Vector Machine (SVM) is a popular tool for decision support. The traditional way to build an SVM model is to estimate parameters based on a centralized repository of data. However, in the field of biomedicine, patient data are sometimes stored in local repositories or institutions where they were collected, and may not be easily shared due to privacy concerns. This creates a substantial barrier for researchers to effectively learn from the distributed data using machine learning tools like SVMs. To overcome this difficulty and promote efficient information exchange without sharing sensitive raw data, we developed a Distributed Privacy Preserving Support Vector Machine (DPP-SVM). The DPP-SVM enables privacy-preserving collaborative learning, in which a trusted server integrates “privacy-insensitive” intermediary results. The globally learned model is guaranteed to be exactly the same as learned from combined data. We also provide a free web-service (http://privacy.ucsd.edu:8080/ppsvm/) for multiple participants to collaborate and complete the SVM-learning task in an efficient and privacy-preserving manner. PMID:23304414

The Design of Modular Web-Based Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Intapong, Ploypailin; Settapat, Sittapong; Kaewkamnerdpong, Boonserm; Achalakul, Tiranee

Online collaborative systems are popular communication channels as the systems allow people from various disciplines to interact and collaborate with ease. The systems provide communication tools and services that can be integrated on the web; consequently, the systems are more convenient to use and easier to install. Nevertheless, most of the currently available systems are designed according to some specific requirements and cannot be straightforwardly integrated into various applications. This paper provides the design of a new collaborative platform, which is component-based and re-configurable. The platform is called the Modular Web-based Collaboration (MWC). MWC shares the same concept as computer supported collaborative work (CSCW) and computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), but it provides configurable tools for online collaboration. Each tool module can be integrated into users' web applications freely and easily. This makes collaborative system flexible, adaptable and suitable for online collaboration.

Using collaborative technologies in remote lab delivery systems for topics in automation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashby, Joe E.

Lab exercises are a pedagogically essential component of engineering and technology education. Distance education remote labs are being developed which enable students to access lab facilities via the Internet. Collaboration, students working in teams, enhances learning activity through the development of communication skills, sharing observations and problem solving. Web meeting communication tools are currently used in remote labs. The problem identified for investigation was that no standards of practice or paradigms exist to guide remote lab designers in the selection of collaboration tools that best support learning achievement. The goal of this work was to add to the body of knowledge involving the selection and use of remote lab collaboration tools. Experimental research was conducted where the participants were randomly assigned to three communication treatments and learning achievement was measured via assessments at the completion of each of six remote lab based lessons. Quantitative instruments used for assessing learning achievement were implemented, along with a survey to correlate user preference with collaboration treatments. A total of 53 undergraduate technology students worked in two-person teams, where each team was assigned one of the treatments, namely (a) text messaging chat, (b) voice chat, or (c) webcam video with voice chat. Each had little experience with the subject matter involving automation, but possessed the necessary technical background. Analysis of the assessment score data included mean and standard deviation, confirmation of the homogeneity of variance, a one-way ANOVA test and post hoc comparisons. The quantitative and qualitative data indicated that text messaging chat negatively impacted learning achievement and that text messaging chat was not preferred. The data also suggested that the subjects were equally divided on preference to voice chat verses webcam video with voice chat. To the end of designing collaborative communication tools for remote labs involving automation equipment, the results of this work points to making voice chat the default method of communication; but the webcam video with voice chat option should be included. Standards are only beginning to be developed for the design of remote lab systems. Research, design and innovation involving collaboration and presence should be included.

Collaborative Learning and Knowledge-Construction through a Knowledge-Based WWW Authoring Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haugsjaa, Erik

This paper outlines hurdles to using the World Wide Web for learning, specifically in a collaborative knowledge-construction environment. Theoretical solutions based directly on existing Web environments, as well as on research and system prototypes in the areas of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) and ITS authoring systems, are suggested. Topics…

Creating a Collaborative Learning Community in the CIS Sandbox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frydenberg, Mark

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of transforming a traditional university computer lab to create a collaborative learning community known as the CIS Sandbox, by remodeling a physical space and supporting it with a virtual presence through the use of social media tools. The discussion applies Selander's "designs for…

Collaborative Learning through Formative Peer Review: Pedagogy, Programs and Potential

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sondergaard, Harald; Mulder, Raoul A.

2012-01-01

We examine student peer review, with an emphasis on formative practice and collaborative learning, rather than peer grading. Opportunities to engage students in such formative peer assessment are growing, as a range of online tools become available to manage and simplify the process of administering student peer review. We consider whether…

Challenges of Teacher Collaboration within a Professional Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seisay, Benson M.

2013-01-01

The professional learning community (PLC) is a powerful tool in education, one that is intended to reform failing schools and improve student achievement. This research gathered data to determine teacher perceptions about challenges of teacher collaboration within a PLC school. The key conceptual framework for this case study originated from work…

EPCAL: ETS Platform for Collaborative Assessment and Learning. Research Report. ETS RR-17-49

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hao, Jiangang; Liu, Lei; von Davier, Alina A.; Lederer, Nathan; Zapata-Rivera, Diego; Jaki, Peter; Bakkenson, Michael

2017-01-01

Most existing software tools for online collaboration are designed to support the collaboration itself instead of the study of collaboration with a systematic team and task management system. In this report, we identify six important features for a platform to facilitate the study of online collaboration. We then introduce the Educational Testing…

German-French Case Study: Using Multi-Online Tools to Collaborate across Borders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brautlacht, Regina; Ducrocq, Csilla

2013-01-01

This paper examines how students learn to collaborate in English by participating in an intercultural project that focuses on teaching students to work together on a digital writing project using various online tools, and documents their reflections working in an intercultural context. Students from Université Paris Sud Orsay and Bonn…

Discussion Tool Effects on Collaborative Learning and Social Network Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomsic, Astrid; Suthers, Daniel D.

2006-01-01

This study investigated the social network structure of booking officers at the Honolulu Police Department and how the introduction of an online discussion tool affected knowledge about operation of a booking module. Baseline data provided evidence for collaboration among officers in the same district using e-mail, telephone and face-to-face media…

Appropriating Geometric Series as a Cultural Tool: A Study of Student Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlsen, Martin

2010-01-01

The aim of this article is to illustrate how students, through collaborative small-group problem solving, appropriate the concept of geometric series. Student appropriation of cultural tools is dependent on five sociocultural aspects: involvement in joint activity, shared focus of attention, shared meanings for utterances, transforming actions and…

Introducing Group-Based Asynchronous Learning to Business Education. Reflections on Effective Course Design and Delivery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Richard; Arnold, Ivo

2004-01-01

This paper explores the contribution of virtual tools to student learning within full-time management programmes. More specifically, the paper focuses on asynchronous communication tools, considering the scope they offer for group-based collaborative learning outside the classroom. We report on the effectiveness of this approach for an economics…

Wiki as a Corporate Learning Tool: Case Study for Software Development Company

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milovanovic, Milos; Minovic, Miroslav; Stavljanin, Velimir; Savkovic, Marko; Starcevic, Dusan

2012-01-01

In our study, we attempted to further investigate how Web 2.0 technologies influence workplace learning. Our particular interest was on using Wiki as a tool for corporate exchange of knowledge with the focus on informal learning. In this study, we collaborated with a multinational software development company that uses Wiki as a corporate tool…

Beneficial Web 2.0 Tools to Engage Learners and Maximize Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiBella, Karen S.; Williams, Kimberly G.

2015-01-01

Technology has certainly altered the landscape in which students learn today. The use of technology in today's classrooms is continually increasing as educators seek ways to engage learners and maximize learning potential. Incorporating Web 2.0 tools into the classroom can not only encourage collaboration among learners, but also provide a way for…

Integrating Learning Services in the Cloud: An Approach That Benefits Both Systems and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutiérrez-Carreón, Gustavo; Daradoumis, Thanasis; Jorba, Josep

2015-01-01

Currently there is an increasing trend to implement functionalities that allow for the development of applications based on Cloud computing. In education there are high expectations for Learning Management Systems since they can be powerful tools to foster more effective collaboration within a virtual classroom. Tools can also be integrated with…

The iPlant collaborative: cyberinfrastructure for enabling data to discovery for the life sciences

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The iPlant Collaborative provides life science research communities access to comprehensive, scalable, and cohesive computational infrastructure for data management; identify management; collaboration tools; and cloud, high-performance, high-throughput computing. iPlant provides training, learning m...

Research and Policy: Can Online Learning Communities Foster Professional Development?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beach, Richard

2012-01-01

This column posits enhancing professional development through uses of digital tools to create professional learning communities (PLCs) designed to support collective inquiry and action research leading to schoolwide improvement. These digital tools include a social networking/discussion forum for teacher collaboration; teachers' individual…

Social media use and educational preferences among first-year pharmacy students.

PubMed

Clauson, Kevin A; Singh-Franco, Devada; Sircar-Ramsewak, Feroza; Joseph, Shine; Sandars, John

2013-01-01

Social media may offer a means to engage students, facilitate collaborative learning, and tailor educational delivery for diverse learning styles. The purpose of this study is to characterize social media awareness among pharmacy students and determine perceptions toward integrating these tools in education. A 23-item survey was administered to 1st-year students at a multicampus college of pharmacy. Students (95% response rate; N = 196) most commonly used wikis (97%), social networking (91%), and videosharing (84%). Tools reported as never used or unknown included social bookmarking (89%), collaborative writing (84%), and RSS readers (73%). Respondents indicated that educational integration of social media would impact their ability to learn in a positive/very positive manner (75%) and make them feel connected/very connected (68%). Selectively targeting social media for educational integration and instructing pharmacy students how to employ a subset of these tools may be useful in engaging them and encouraging lifelong learning.

Effective collaborative learning in biomedical education using a web-based infrastructure.

PubMed

Wu, Yunfeng; Zheng, Fang; Cai, Suxian; Xiang, Ning; Zhong, Zhangting; He, Jia; Xu, Fang

2012-01-01

This paper presents a feature-rich web-based system used for biomedical education at the undergraduate level. With the powerful groupware features provided by the wiki system, the instructors are able to establish a community-centered mentoring environment that capitalizes on local expertise to create a sense of online collaborative learning among students. The web-based infrastructure can help the instructors effectively organize and coordinate student research projects, and the groupware features may support the interactive activities, such as interpersonal communications and data sharing. The groupware features also provide the web-based system with a wide range of additional ways of organizing collaboratively developed materials, which makes it become an effective tool for online active learning. Students are able to learn the ability to work effectively in teams, with an improvement of project management, design collaboration, and technical writing skills. With the fruitful outcomes in recent years, it is positively thought that the web-based collaborative learning environment can perform an excellent shift away from the conventional instructor-centered teaching to community- centered collaborative learning in the undergraduate education.

Beyond Logging of Fingertip Actions: Analysis of Collaborative Learning Using Multiple Sources of Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avouris, N.; Fiotakis, G.; Kahrimanis, G.; Margaritis, M.; Komis, V.

2007-01-01

In this article, we discuss key requirements for collecting behavioural data concerning technology-supported collaborative learning activities. It is argued that the common practice of analysis of computer generated log files of user interactions with software tools is not enough for building a thorough view of the activity. Instead, more…

Principal and Teacher Collaboration: An Exploration of Distributed Leadership in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeMatthews, David

2014-01-01

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) can be powerful tools for school improvement but require principals and teachers to collaborate and work together. This article reports on a qualitative multi-case study focused on six elementary schools in West Texas that had been identified for having effective PLCs. Principals and teachers were observed…

Collaborative Learning and Positive Experiences: Does Letting Students Choose Their Own Groups Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciani, Keith D.; Summers, Jessica J.; Easter, Matthew A.; Sheldon, Kennon M.

2008-01-01

This study used self-determination theory as a framework to examine the relationship between choice regarding group membership and student motivation within classrooms that use collaborative learning as an instructional tool. Data were collected from over 500 students across seven classrooms from a large university in the Midwestern United States.…

Representational Tools in Computer-Supported Collaborative Argumentation-Based Learning: How Dyads Work with Constructed and Inspected Argumentative Diagrams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Amelsvoort, Marije; Andriessen, Jerry; Kanselaar, Gellof

2007-01-01

This article investigates the conditions under which diagrammatic representations support collaborative argumentation-based learning in a computer environment. Thirty dyads of 15- to 18-year-old students participated in a writing task consisting of 3 phases. Students prepared by constructing a representation (text or diagram) individually. Then…

The Foundations of a Theory-Aware Authoring Tool for CSCL Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isotani, Seiji; Mizoguchi, Riichiro; Inaba, Akiko; Ikeda, Mitsuru

2010-01-01

One of the most useful ways to enhance collaboration is to create scenarios where learners are able to interact more effectively. Nevertheless, the design of pedagogically sound and well-thought-out collaborative learning scenarios is a complex issue. This is due to the context of group learning where the synergy among learners' interactions…

Mobile Voting Tools for Creating Collaboration Environment and a New Educational Design of the University Lecture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Titova, Svetlana

2014-01-01

Mobile devices can enhance learning experience in many ways: provide instant feedback and better diagnosis of learning problems; enhance learner autonomy; create mobile networking collaboration; help design enquiry-based activities based on augmented reality, geo-location awareness and video-capture. One of the main objectives of the international…

Evaluating the Use of a Wiki for Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Su, Feng; Beaumont, Chris

2010-01-01

A wiki is able to provide a learning environment which is closely aligned with the social-constructivist approach and is more natural than many tools where open collaboration and the exchange of ideas are important. This case study analyses and evaluates essential aspects for the successful deployment of a wiki in a higher education setting using…

Learning Progressions as Tools for Assessment and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepard, Lorrie A.

2018-01-01

This article addresses the teaching and learning side of the learning progressions literature, calling out for measurement specialists the knowledge most needed when collaborating with subject-matter experts in the development of learning progressions. Learning progressions are one of the strongest instantiations of principles from "Knowing…

Pre-test and post-test evaluation of students' perceptions of a collaborative clinical education model on the learning environment.

PubMed

Henderson, Amanda; Heel, Alison; Twentyman, Michelle; Lloyd, Belinda

2006-01-01

This study investigated the impact of a collaborative clinical education model on students' perception of the psycho-social learning environment. A pre-test and post-test quasi experimental design. A tertiary referral centre. Second and third year undergraduate nursing students were asked to rate their perceptions of the psycho-social learning environment at the completion of the clinical practicum. TOOL: The tool used to measure psycho-social perceptions of the clinical learning environment was the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory previously validated in Australian health care contexts. A collaborative arrangement with the university and ward staff where eight students are placed on a ward and a ward staff member is paid by the university to be 'off-line' from a clinical workload to supervise the students. This is in contrast to the standard facilitation model where students are placed with registered nurses in different localities under the supervision of a 'roving' registered nurse paid by the university. No significant differences were found in pre-test mean scores when comparing wards. Significant differences in post-test scores for the intervention group were identified in the sub scales of Student Involvement, Satisfaction, Personalisation and Task Orientation. The adoption of a collaborative clinical education model where students are integrated into the ward team and the team is responsible for student learning can positively enhance capacity for student learning during their clinical practicum.

Collaborative Writing with Web 2.0 Technologies: Education Students' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brodahl, Cornelia; Hadjerrouit, Said; Hansen, Nils Kristian

2011-01-01

Web 2.0 technologies are becoming popular in teaching and learning environments. Among them several online collaborative writing tools, like wikis and blogs, have been integrated into educational settings. Research has been carried out on a wide range of subjects related to wikis, while other, comparable tools like Google Docs and EtherPad remain…

Global Connections: Web Conferencing Tools Help Educators Collaborate Anytime, Anywhere

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forrester, Dave

2009-01-01

Web conferencing tools help educators from around the world collaborate in real time. Teachers, school counselors, and administrators need only to put on their headsets, check the time zone, and log on to meet and learn from educators across the globe. In this article, the author discusses how educators can use Web conferencing at their schools.…

Leveraging Learning Technologies for Collaborative Writing in an Online Pharmacotherapy Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pittenger, Amy L.; Olson-Kellogg, Becky

2012-01-01

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the development and delivery of a hypertext case scenario document to be used as the capstone assessment tool for doctoral-level physical therapy students. The integration of Web-based collaborative tools (PBworks[TM] and Google Sites[TM]) allowed students in this all-online course to apply their…

Users' Attitudes towards Web 2.0 Communication Tools in Collaborative Settings: A Case Study with Early Childhood Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bratitsis, Tharrenos

2012-01-01

This paper examines the utilization of Computer Mediated Communication tools within collaborative learning activities. By examining the participants' attitudes and behavior, issues related to performance improvement are being discussed. Through a comparative study using a Blog, a Wiki and a Discussion Forum, students' perception of collaboration…

Tweets from the forest: using Twitter to increase student engagement in an undergraduate field biology course

PubMed Central

Soluk, Lauren; Buddle, Christopher M.

2015-01-01

Twitter is a cold medium that allows users to deliver content-rich but small packets of information to other users, and provides an opportunity for active and collaborative communication. In an education setting, this social media tool has potential to increase active learning opportunities, and increase student engagement with course content. The effects of Twitter on learning dynamics was tested in a field biology course offered by a large Canadian University: 29 students agreed to take part in the Twitter project and quantitative and qualitative data were collected, including survey data from 18 students. Students published 200% more public Tweets than what was required, and interacted frequently with the instructor and teaching assistant, their peers, and users external to the course. Almost 80% of students stated that Twitter increased opportunities for among-group communication, and 94% of students felt this kind of collaborative communication was beneficial to their learning. Although students did not think they would use Twitter after the course was over, 77% of the students still felt it was a good learning tool, and 67% of students felt Twitter had a positive impact on how they engaged with course content. These results suggest social media tools such as Twitter can help achieve active and collaborative learning in higher education. PMID:26594328

Tweets from the forest: using Twitter to increase student engagement in an undergraduate field biology course.

PubMed

Soluk, Lauren; Buddle, Christopher M

2015-01-01

Twitter is a cold medium that allows users to deliver content-rich but small packets of information to other users, and provides an opportunity for active and collaborative communication. In an education setting, this social media tool has potential to increase active learning opportunities, and increase student engagement with course content. The effects of Twitter on learning dynamics was tested in a field biology course offered by a large Canadian University: 29 students agreed to take part in the Twitter project and quantitative and qualitative data were collected, including survey data from 18 students. Students published 200% more public Tweets than what was required, and interacted frequently with the instructor and teaching assistant, their peers, and users external to the course. Almost 80% of students stated that Twitter increased opportunities for among-group communication, and 94% of students felt this kind of collaborative communication was beneficial to their learning. Although students did not think they would use Twitter after the course was over, 77% of the students still felt it was a good learning tool, and 67% of students felt Twitter had a positive impact on how they engaged with course content. These results suggest social media tools such as Twitter can help achieve active and collaborative learning in higher education.

English for Business: Student Responses to Language Learning through Social Networking Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

García Laborda, Jesús; Litzler, Mary Frances

2017-01-01

This action research based case study addresses the situation of a first year class of Business English students at Universidad de Alcalá and their attitudes towards using Web 2.0 tools and social media for language learning. During the semester, the students were asked to collaborate in the creation and use of some tools such as blogs, video…

Incorporating Collaborative Technologies into University Curricula: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, C. Steven; Smith, Lola B.; Chen, Minder

2010-01-01

Web-based collaboration tools and groupware are uniquely qualified to address the emerging business opportunities heretofore hindered by location barriers, constraints of time, and expensive travel costs. Global business enterprises are implementing online collaboration software to augment their face-to-face meetings and group decision making in…

Online Reading Informs Classroom Instruction and Promotes Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, L. Kate; Zyto, Sacha; Karger, David R.; Newman, Dina L.

2013-01-01

Web-based collaborative annotation tools can facilitate communication among students and their instructors through online reading and communication. Collaborative reading fosters peer interaction and is an innovative way to facilitate discussion and participation in larger enrollment courses. It can be especially powerful as it creates an…

Collaborative Writing Support Tools on the Cloud

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calvo, R. A.; O'Rourke, S. T.; Jones, J.; Yacef, K.; Reimann, P.

2011-01-01

Academic writing, individual or collaborative, is an essential skill for today's graduates. Unfortunately, managing writing activities and providing feedback to students is very labor intensive and academics often opt out of including such learning experiences in their teaching. We describe the architecture for a new collaborative writing support…

A Flashlight and Compass: A Collection of Tools To Promote Instructional Coherence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Copeland, Glenda; Finley, Sandra; Ferguson, Chris; Aldarette, Karen

This publication presents a collection of tools that promote instructional coherence. It focuses on the importance of teachers collaborating to develop a deeper understanding of how children learn and exploring relationships between teaching and learning. Coherence leads to improved educational experiences for learners as teachers make their…

Leveraging the Talent-Driven Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adler, Richard

2010-01-01

This report details how a number of firms are using social networking tools to open up communication, collaboration and learning across boundaries, leveraging these tools to develop new products and real-time solutions for customers. It discusses the qualities of leadership throughout an organization that fosters innovation and learning. And it…

Investigating Pedagogical Value of Wiki Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazari, Sunil; North, Alexa; Moreland, Deborah

2009-01-01

This exploratory study investigates the potential of Wiki technology as a tool for teaching and learning. Wikis are a component of Web 2.0 technology tools that provide collaborative features and active learning opportunities in a web-based environment. This research study sought to empirically determine the pedagogical value of using Wiki…

The School Buddy System: The Practice of Collaboration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bush, Gail

This book explains how to create a collaborative learning environment involving librarians, teachers, administrators, and all team players in K-12 education. Building on existing educational standards, the book features such proven tools as a ready-to-use framework for establishing a collaborative relationship, 40 discussion prompts to help…

Everyone Learns from Everyone: Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Professional Development in Digital Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hobbs, Renee; Coiro, Julie

2016-01-01

Hobbs and Coiro describe a new approach to the professional development of educators, librarians, and media professionals that emphasizes the value of collaborative, interdisciplinary relationships. The authors explore why creative collaboration using digital media texts, tools, and technologies is vital to support the professional development of…

Two Screens and an Ocean: Collaborating across Continents and Cultures with Web-Based Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frydenberg, Mark; Andone, Diana

2010-01-01

This paper describes the implementation and results of a cross-cultural pairing between college students in the United States and Romania who worked together over the period of one month to create a multimedia presentation that shared their learning about topics of multimedia and culture. Students could use any web-based collaboration tools of…

Learner Dashboards a Double-Edged Sword? Students' Sense-Making of a Collaborative Critical Reading and Learning Analytics Environment for Fostering 21st-Century Literacies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pei-Ling Tan, Jennifer; Koh, Elizabeth; Jonathan, Christin; Yang, Simon

2017-01-01

The affordances of learning analytics (LA) tools and solutions are being increasingly harnessed for enhancing 21st century pedagogical and learning strategies and outcomes. However, use cases and empirical understandings of students' experiences with LA tools and environments aimed at fostering 21st century literacies, especially in the K-12…

Commentary on "Theory-Led Design of Instruments and Representations in Learning Analytics: Developing a Novel Tool for Orchestration of Online Collaborative Learning"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teplovs, Chris

2015-01-01

This commentary reflects on the contributions to learning analytics and theory by a paper that describes how multiple theoretical frameworks were woven together to inform the creation of a new, automated discourse analysis tool. The commentary highlights the contributions of the original paper, provides some alternative approaches, and touches on…

Agent-Based Learning Environments as a Research Tool for Investigating Teaching and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baylor, Amy L.

2002-01-01

Discusses intelligent learning environments for computer-based learning, such as agent-based learning environments, and their advantages over human-based instruction. Considers the effects of multiple agents; agents and research design; the use of Multiple Intelligent Mentors Instructing Collaboratively (MIMIC) for instructional design for…

Finite Element Learning Modules as Active Learning Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Ashland O.; Jensen, Daniel; Rencis, Joseph; Wood, Kristin; Wood, John; White, Christina; Raaberg, Kristen Kaufman; Coffman, Josh

2012-01-01

The purpose of active learning is to solicit participation by students beyond the passive mode of traditional classroom lectures. Reading, writing, participating in discussions, hands-on activities, engaging in active problem solving, and collaborative learning can all be involved. The skills acquired during active learning tend to go above and…

Interprofessional training: Start with the youngest! A program for undergraduate healthcare students in Geneva, Switzerland.

PubMed

van Gessel, Elisabeth; Picchiottino, Patricia; Doureradjam, Robert; Nendaz, Mathieu; Mèche, Petra

2018-03-08

Demography of patients and complexity in the management of multimorbid conditions has made collaborative practice a necessity for the future, also in Switzerland. Since 2012, the University of Applied Sciences (UAS) and its Healthcare School as well as the University of Geneva (UG) with its Medical Faculty have joined forces to implement a training program in collaborative practice, using simulation as one of the main learning/teaching process. The actual program consists of three sequential modules and totalizes 300 h of teaching and learning for approximately 1400-1500 students from six tracks (nutritionists, physiotherapists, midwives, nurses, technologists in medical radiology, physicians); in 2019 another hundred pharmacists will also be included. The main issues addressed by the modules are Module 1: the Swiss healthcare system and collaborative tools. Module 2: roles and responsibilities of the different health professionals, basic tools acquisition in team working (situation monitoring, mutual support, communication). Module 3: the axis of quality and safety of care through different contexts and cases. A very first evaluation of the teaching and learning and particularly on the aspects of acquisition of collaborative tools shows positive attitudes of students towards the implementation of this new training program. Furthermore, a pre-post questionnaire on teamwork aspects reveals significant modifications.

Interdisciplinary Facilities that Support Collaborative Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asoodeh, Mike; Bonnette, Roy

2006-01-01

It has become widely accepted that the computer is an indispensable tool in the study of science and technology. Thus, in recent years curricular programs such as Industrial Technology and associated scientific disciplines have been adopting and adapting the computer as a tool in new and innovative ways to support teaching, learning, and research.…

RoboResource Technology Learning Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keck, Tom, Comp.; Frye, Ellen, Ed.

Preparing students to be successful in a rapidly changing world means showing them how to use the tools of technology and how to integrate those tools into all areas of learning. This booklet is divided into three sections: Design Activities, Experiments, and Resources. The design activities ask students to collaborate on design projects. In these…

Building Internet-Based Electronic Performance Support for Teaching and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laffey, James M.; Musser, Dale

The College of Education, University of Missouri-Columbia is developing and testing a suite of tools that utilize the Internet and work as a system to support learning from field experiences. These tools are built to support preservice teachers, field-based mentors, and college faculty as they collaborate, engage in practice, document their…

Program Evaluation: The Board Game--An Interactive Learning Tool for Evaluators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Febey, Karen; Coyne, Molly

2007-01-01

The field of program evaluation lacks interactive teaching tools. To address this pedagogical issue, the authors developed a collaborative learning technique called Program Evaluation: The Board Game. The authors present the game and its development in this practitioner-oriented article. The evaluation board game is an adaptable teaching tool…

Do quality improvement collaboratives' educational components match the dominant learning style preferences of the participants?

PubMed

Weggelaar-Jansen, Anne Marie; van Wijngaarden, Jeroen; Slaghuis, Sarah-Sue

2015-06-20

Quality improvement collaboratives are used to improve healthcare by various organizations. Despite their popularity literature shows mixed results on their effectiveness. A quality improvement collaborative can be seen as a temporary learning organization in which knowledge about improvement themes and methods is exchanged. In this research we studied: Does the learning approach of a quality improvement collaborative match the learning styles preferences of the individual participants and how does that affect the learning process of participants? This research used a mixed methods design combining a validated learning style questionnaire with data collected in the tradition of action research methodology to study two Dutch quality improvement collaboratives. The questionnaire is based on the learning style model of Ruijters and Simons, distinguishing five learning style preferences: Acquisition of knowledge, Apperception from others, Discovery of new insights, Exercising in fictitious situations and Participation with others. The most preferred learning styles of the participants were Discovery and Participation. The learning style Acquisition was moderately preferred and Apperception and Exercising were least preferred. The educational components of the quality improvement collaboratives studied (national conferences, half-day learning sessions, faculty site visits and use of an online tool) were predominantly associated with the learning styles Acquisition and Apperception. We observed a decrease in attendance to the learning activities and non-conformance with the standardized set goals and approaches. We conclude that the participants' satisfaction with the offered learning approach changed over time. The lacking match between these learning style preferences and the learning approach in the educational components of the quality improvement collaboratives studied might be the reason why the participants felt they did not gain new insights and therefore ceased their participation in the collaborative. This study provides guidance for future organisers and participants of quality improvement collaboratives about which learning approaches will best suit the participants and enhance improvement work.

DooSo6: Easy Collaboration over Shared Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ignat, Claudia-Lavinia; Oster, Gérald; Molli, Pascal

Existing tools for supporting parallel work feature some disadvantages that prevent them to be widely used. Very often they require a complex installation and creation of accounts for all group members. Users need to learn and deal with complex commands for efficiently using these collaborative tools. Some tools require users to abandon their favourite editors and impose them to use a certain co-authorship application. In this paper, we propose the DooSo6 collaboration tool that offers support for parallel work, requires no installation, no creation of accounts and that is easy to use, users being able to continue working with their favourite editors. User authentication is achieved by means of a capability-based mechanism.

Learning Tools for Knowledge Nomads: Using Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in Web-based Learning Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loh, Christian Sebastian

2001-01-01

Examines how mobile computers, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), can be used in a Web-based learning environment. Topics include wireless networks on college campuses; online learning; Web-based learning technologies; synchronous and asynchronous communication via the Web; content resources; Web connections; and collaborative learning. (LRW)

Multimodal Learning Clubs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casey, Heather

2012-01-01

Multimodal learning clubs link principles of motivation and engagement with 21st century technological tools and texts to support content area learning. The author describes how a sixth grade health teacher and his class incorporated multimodal learning clubs into a unit of study on human body systems. The students worked collaboratively online…

Modules as Learning Tools in Linear Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooley, Laurel; Vidakovic, Draga; Martin, William O.; Dexter, Scott; Suzuki, Jeff; Loch, Sergio

2014-01-01

This paper reports on the experience of STEM and mathematics faculty at four different institutions working collaboratively to integrate learning theory with curriculum development in a core undergraduate linear algebra context. The faculty formed a Professional Learning Community (PLC) with a focus on learning theories in mathematics and…

Building an open academic environment – a new approach to empowering students in their learning of anatomy through ‘Shadow Modules’

PubMed Central

Scott, Jonathan L; Moxham, Bernard J; Rutherford, Stephen M

2014-01-01

Teaching and learning in anatomy is undertaken by a variety of methodologies, yet all of these pedagogies benefit from students discussing and reflecting upon their learning activities. An approach of particular potency is peer-mediated learning, through either peer-teaching or collaborative peer-learning. Collaborative, peer-mediated, learning activities help promote deep learning approaches and foster communities of practice in learning. Students generally flourish in collaborative learning settings but there are limitations to the benefits of collaborative learning undertaken solely within the confines of modular curricula. We describe the development of peer-mediated learning through student-focused and student-led study groups we have termed ‘Shadow Modules’. The ‘Shadow Module’ takes place parallel to the formal academically taught module and facilitates collaboration between students to support their learning for that module. In ‘Shadow Module’ activities, students collaborate towards curating existing online open resources as well as developing learning resources of their own to support their study. Through the use of communication technologies and web 2.0 tools these resources are able to be shared with their peers, thus enhancing the learning experience of all students following the module. The Shadow Module activities have the potential to lead to participants feeling a greater sense of engagement with the subject material, as well as improving their study and group-working skills and developing digital literacy. The outputs from Shadow Module collaborative work are open-source and may be utilised by subsequent student cohorts, thus building up a repository of learning resources designed by and for students. Shadow Module activities would benefit all pedagogies in the study of anatomy, and support students moving from being passive consumers to active participants in learning. PMID:24117249

Building an open academic environment - a new approach to empowering students in their learning of anatomy through 'Shadow Modules'.

PubMed

Scott, Jonathan L; Moxham, Bernard J; Rutherford, Stephen M

2014-03-01

Teaching and learning in anatomy is undertaken by a variety of methodologies, yet all of these pedagogies benefit from students discussing and reflecting upon their learning activities. An approach of particular potency is peer-mediated learning, through either peer-teaching or collaborative peer-learning. Collaborative, peer-mediated, learning activities help promote deep learning approaches and foster communities of practice in learning. Students generally flourish in collaborative learning settings but there are limitations to the benefits of collaborative learning undertaken solely within the confines of modular curricula. We describe the development of peer-mediated learning through student-focused and student-led study groups we have termed 'Shadow Modules'. The 'Shadow Module' takes place parallel to the formal academically taught module and facilitates collaboration between students to support their learning for that module. In 'Shadow Module' activities, students collaborate towards curating existing online open resources as well as developing learning resources of their own to support their study. Through the use of communication technologies and Web 2.0 tools these resources are able to be shared with their peers, thus enhancing the learning experience of all students following the module. The Shadow Module activities have the potential to lead to participants feeling a greater sense of engagement with the subject material, as well as improving their study and group-working skills and developing digital literacy. The outputs from Shadow Module collaborative work are open-source and may be utilised by subsequent student cohorts, thus building up a repository of learning resources designed by and for students. Shadow Module activities would benefit all pedagogies in the study of anatomy, and support students moving from being passive consumers to active participants in learning. © 2013 Anatomical Society.

Learning Management Systems: Practical Considerations for the Selection and Implementation of an E-learning Platform for the Navy

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-28

is interested in B2B and B2C e-commerce, enterprise resource planning, e-procurement, supply-chain management, data mining, and knowledge discovery... social networking tools, collaborative spaces, knowledge management, “connecting-enabling” protocols like RSS, and other tools. The intent of the ILE...delivered to them, what learning pedagogy is appropriate for them, the optimal level of social interaction for learning, and available resources

Readerbench: Automated Evaluation of Collaboration Based on Cohesion and Dialogism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dascalu, Mihai; Trausan-Matu, Stefan; McNamara, Danielle S.; Dessus, Philippe

2015-01-01

As Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) gains a broader usage, the need for automated tools capable of supporting tutors in the time-consuming process of analyzing conversations becomes more pressing. Moreover, collaboration, which presumes the intertwining of ideas or points of view among participants, is a central element of dialogue…

The Effectiveness of Using Learning Management Systems and Collaborative Tool in Web-Based Teaching of Programming Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavus, Nadire; Uzunboylu, Huseyin; Ibrahim, Dogan

2006-01-01

This paper is about a pilot study which has been carried out at the Near East University during the 2004/5 Fall Semester using the Moodle LMS [learning management system] together with GREWPtool collaborative editor. The system has been tested with 36 students taking the Java and the Pascal programming courses. The results of the pilot study…

Google Tools in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albee, E. M.; Koons, P. O.; Schauffler, M.; Zhu, Y.; Segee, B. E.

2009-12-01

The Maine Learning Technology Initiative provides every seventh and eighth grade student in the state with MacBook laptop computers. Limitless education possibilities exist with the inclusion of Google Tools and laptops as learning tools in our modern classrooms. Google Applications allow students to create documents, spreadsheets, charts, graphs, forms, and presentations and easily allows the sharing of information with their fellow classmates and teachers. These applications invite the use of inquiry and critical thinking skills, collaboration among peers, and subject integration to teach students crucial concepts. The benefits for teachers extend into the realm of using Google sites to easily create a teacher website and blog to upload classroom information and create a communication connection for parents and students as well as collaborations between the teachers and University researchers and educators. Google Applications further enhances the possibilities for learning, sharing a wealth of information, and enhancing communication inside and outside of the classroom.

A novel collaborative e-learning platform for medical students - ALERT STUDENT

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The increasing complexity of medical curricula would benefit from adaptive computer supported collaborative learning systems that support study management using instructional design and learning object principles. However, to our knowledge, there are scarce reports regarding applications developed to meet this goal and encompass the complete medical curriculum. The aim of ths study was to develop and assess the usability of an adaptive computer supported collaborative learning system for medical students to manage study sessions. Results A study platform named ALERT STUDENT was built as a free web application. Content chunks are represented as Flashcards that hold knowledge and open ended questions. These can be created in a collaborative fashion. Multiple Flashcards can be combined into custom stacks called Notebooks that can be accessed in study Groups that belong to the user institution. The system provides a Study Mode that features text markers, text notes, timers and color-coded content prioritization based on self-assessment of open ended questions presented in a Quiz Mode. Time spent studying and Perception of knowledge are displayed for each student and peers using charts. Computer supported collaborative learning is achieved by allowing for simultaneous creation of Notebooks and self-assessment questions by many users in a pre-defined Group. Past personal performance data is retrieved when studying new Notebooks containing previously studied Flashcards. Self-report surveys showed that students highly agreed that the system was useful and were willing to use it as a reference tool. Conclusions The platform employs various instructional design and learning object principles in a computer supported collaborative learning platform for medical students that allows for study management. The application broadens student insight over learning results and supports informed decisions based on past learning performance. It serves as a potential educational model for the medical education setting that has gathered strong positive feedback from students at our school. This platform provides a case study on how effective blending of instructional design and learning object principles can be brought together to manage study, and takes an important step towards bringing information management tools to support study decisions and improving learning outcomes. PMID:25017028

A novel collaborative e-learning platform for medical students - ALERT STUDENT.

PubMed

Taveira-Gomes, Tiago; Saffarzadeh, Areo; Severo, Milton; Guimarães, M Jorge; Ferreira, Maria Amélia

2014-07-14

The increasing complexity of medical curricula would benefit from adaptive computer supported collaborative learning systems that support study management using instructional design and learning object principles. However, to our knowledge, there are scarce reports regarding applications developed to meet this goal and encompass the complete medical curriculum. The aim of ths study was to develop and assess the usability of an adaptive computer supported collaborative learning system for medical students to manage study sessions. A study platform named ALERT STUDENT was built as a free web application. Content chunks are represented as Flashcards that hold knowledge and open ended questions. These can be created in a collaborative fashion. Multiple Flashcards can be combined into custom stacks called Notebooks that can be accessed in study Groups that belong to the user institution. The system provides a Study Mode that features text markers, text notes, timers and color-coded content prioritization based on self-assessment of open ended questions presented in a Quiz Mode. Time spent studying and Perception of knowledge are displayed for each student and peers using charts. Computer supported collaborative learning is achieved by allowing for simultaneous creation of Notebooks and self-assessment questions by many users in a pre-defined Group. Past personal performance data is retrieved when studying new Notebooks containing previously studied Flashcards. Self-report surveys showed that students highly agreed that the system was useful and were willing to use it as a reference tool. The platform employs various instructional design and learning object principles in a computer supported collaborative learning platform for medical students that allows for study management. The application broadens student insight over learning results and supports informed decisions based on past learning performance. It serves as a potential educational model for the medical education setting that has gathered strong positive feedback from students at our school.This platform provides a case study on how effective blending of instructional design and learning object principles can be brought together to manage study, and takes an important step towards bringing information management tools to support study decisions and improving learning outcomes.

Use of social media in graduate-level medical humanities education: two pilot studies from Penn State College of Medicine.

PubMed

George, Daniel R; Dellasega, Cheryl

2011-01-01

Social media strategies in education have gained attention for undergraduate students, but there has been relatively little application with graduate populations in medicine. To use and evaluate the integration of new social media tools into the curricula of two graduate-level medical humanities electives offered to 4th-year students at Penn State College of Medicine. Instructors selected five social media tools--Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, blogging and Skype--to promote student learning. At the conclusion of each course, students provided quantitative and qualitative course evaluation. Students gave high favourability ratings to both courses, and expressed that the integration of social media into coursework augmented learning and collaboration. Others identified challenges including: demands on time, concerns about privacy and lack of facility with technology. Integrating social media tools into class activities appeared to offer manifold benefits over traditional classroom methods, including real-time communication outside of the classroom, connecting with medical experts, collaborative opportunities and enhanced creativity. Social media can augment learning opportunities within humanities curriculum in medical schools, and help students acquire tools and skill-sets for problem solving, networking, and collaboration. Command of technologies will be increasingly important to the practice of medicine in the twenty-first century.

The Effects of Integrating Social Learning Environment with Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raspopovic, Miroslava; Cvetanovic, Svetlana; Medan, Ivana; Ljubojevic, Danijela

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present the learning and teaching styles using the Social Learning Environment (SLE), which was developed based on the computer supported collaborative learning approach. To avoid burdening learners with multiple platforms and tools, SLE was designed and developed in order to integrate existing systems, institutional…

Factors Affecting Selection of Learning Management Systems in Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spelke, Kenneth A.

2011-01-01

Learning Management Systems, or LMSs, are widely used throughout higher education to deliver a range of instructional services including content delivery, discussion boards and collaborative work space, testing tools, and gradebook functions. LMSs can be used asynchronously or synchronously in support of online learning, classroom-based learning,…

The Pedagogical Application of Alternate Reality Games: Using Game-Based Learning to Revisit History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Ronan; Mallon, Bride; Connolly, Cornelia

2015-01-01

The advent of the Internet has been instrumental in producing new Game Based Learning (GBL) tools where education and games converge. Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) are one such GBL tool. Interactive narrative games that use the Internet as a central communications platform, ARGs challenge players to collaboratively collate a fragmented story.…

Development and Assessment of a Chemistry-Based Computer Video Game as a Learning Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez-Hernandez, Kermin Joel

2010-01-01

The chemistry-based computer video game is a multidisciplinary collaboration between chemistry and computer graphics and technology fields developed to explore the use of video games as a possible learning tool. This innovative approach aims to integrate elements of commercial video game and authentic chemistry context environments into a learning…

Potentials of E-Learning as a Study Tool in Business Education in Nigerian Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojeaga, I. J.; Igbinedion, V. I.

2012-01-01

With advancement in information technology in the 21st century, e-learning has become an invaluable technology for teaching, learning and research in education. E-learning involves the use of technology to enhance learning including digital collaboration, satellite broadcasting, CD-ROMs amongst others. E-learning has so many advantages over the…

Teaching 2.0: Teams Keep Teachers and Students Plugged into Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourgeois, Michelle; Hunt, Bud

2011-01-01

A Colorado district develops a two-year program that gives teacher teams an opportunity to learn how to use digital tools in the classroom. Called the Digital Learning Collaborative, it is built on three things about professional learning: (1) Learning takes time; (2) Learning is a social process; and (3) Learning about technology should be…

TELMA: Technology-enhanced learning environment for minimally invasive surgery.

PubMed

Sánchez-González, Patricia; Burgos, Daniel; Oropesa, Ignacio; Romero, Vicente; Albacete, Antonio; Sánchez-Peralta, Luisa F; Noguera, José F; Sánchez-Margallo, Francisco M; Gómez, Enrique J

2013-06-01

Cognitive skills training for minimally invasive surgery has traditionally relied upon diverse tools, such as seminars or lectures. Web technologies for e-learning have been adopted to provide ubiquitous training and serve as structured repositories for the vast amount of laparoscopic video sources available. However, these technologies fail to offer such features as formative and summative evaluation, guided learning, or collaborative interaction between users. The "TELMA" environment is presented as a new technology-enhanced learning platform that increases the user's experience using a four-pillared architecture: (1) an authoring tool for the creation of didactic contents; (2) a learning content and knowledge management system that incorporates a modular and scalable system to capture, catalogue, search, and retrieve multimedia content; (3) an evaluation module that provides learning feedback to users; and (4) a professional network for collaborative learning between users. Face validation of the environment and the authoring tool are presented. Face validation of TELMA reveals the positive perception of surgeons regarding the implementation of TELMA and their willingness to use it as a cognitive skills training tool. Preliminary validation data also reflect the importance of providing an easy-to-use, functional authoring tool to create didactic content. The TELMA environment is currently installed and used at the Jesús Usón Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre and several other Spanish hospitals. Face validation results ascertain the acceptance and usefulness of this new minimally invasive surgery training environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design of Scalable and Effective Earth Science Collaboration Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maskey, M.; Ramachandran, R.; Kuo, K. S.; Lynnes, C.; Niamsuwan, N.; Chidambaram, C.

2014-12-01

Collaborative research is growing rapidly. Many tools including IDEs are now beginning to incorporate new collaborative features. Software engineering research has shown the effectiveness of collaborative programming and analysis. In particular, drastic reduction in software development time resulting in reduced cost has been highlighted. Recently, we have witnessed the rise of applications that allow users to share their content. Most of these applications scale such collaboration using cloud technologies. Earth science research needs to adopt collaboration technologies to reduce redundancy, cut cost, expand knowledgebase, and scale research experiments. To address these needs, we developed the Earth science collaboration workbench (CWB). CWB provides researchers with various collaboration features by augmenting their existing analysis tools to minimize learning curve. During the development of the CWB, we understood that Earth science collaboration tasks are varied and we concluded that it is not possible to design a tool that serves all collaboration purposes. We adopted a mix of synchronous and asynchronous sharing methods that can be used to perform collaboration across time and location dimensions. We have used cloud technology for scaling the collaboration. Cloud has been highly utilized and valuable tool for Earth science researchers. Among other usages, cloud is used for sharing research results, Earth science data, and virtual machine images; allowing CWB to create and maintain research environments and networks to enhance collaboration between researchers. Furthermore, collaborative versioning tool, Git, is integrated into CWB for versioning of science artifacts. In this paper, we present our experience in designing and implementing the CWB. We will also discuss the integration of collaborative code development use cases for data search and discovery using NASA DAAC and simulation of satellite observations using NASA Earth Observing System Simulation Suite (NEOS3).

Making practice transparent through e-portfolio.

PubMed

Stewart, Sarah M

2013-12-01

Midwives are required to maintain a professional portfolio as part of their statutory requirements. Some midwives are using open social networking tools and processes to develop an e-portfolio. However, confidentiality of patient and client data and professional reputation have to be taken into consideration when using online public spaces for reflection. There is little evidence about how midwives use social networking tools for ongoing learning. It is uncertain how reflecting in an e-portfolio with an audience impacts on learning outcomes. This paper investigates ways in which reflective midwifery practice be carried out using e-portfolio in open, social networking platforms using collaborative processes. Using an auto-ethnographic approach I explored my e-portfolio and selected posts that had attracted six or more comments. I used thematic analysis to identify themes within the textual conversations in the posts and responses posted by readers. The analysis identified that my collaborative e-portfolio had four themes: to provide commentary and discuss issues; to reflect and process learning; to seek advice, brainstorm and process ideas for practice, projects and research, and provide evidence of professional development. E-portfolio using open social networking tools and processes is a viable option for midwives because it facilitates collaborative reflection and shared learning. However, my experience shows that concerns about what people think, and client confidentiality does impact on the nature of open reflection and learning outcomes. I conclude this paper with a framework for managing midwifery statutory obligations using online public spaces and social networking tools. Copyright © 2013 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Mendeley to Support Collaborative Learning in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khwaja, Tehmina; Eddy, Pamela L.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of Mendeley, a free online reference management and academic networking software, as a collaborative tool in the college classroom. Students in two iterations of a Graduate class used Mendeley to collaborate on a policy research project over the course of a semester. The project involved…

Using the UTAUT Model to Examine the Acceptance Behavior of Synchronous Collaboration to Support Peer Translation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Yi Chun; Huang, Yong-Ming

2015-01-01

The teaching of translation has received considerable attention in recent years. Research on translation in collaborative learning contexts, however, has been less studied. In this study, we use a tool of synchronous collaboration to assist students in experiencing a peer translation process. Afterward, the unified theory of acceptance and use of…

Visualization Forms in the Cross-Cultural Collaborative Activities of Design and Development of a Digital Resource for Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quan, Guolong; Gu, Xiaoqing

2018-01-01

Recent studies have demonstrated the integration of visualization technology to support collaboration and stimulate learning performance. The use of visualization tools during the collaborative activities of international students is a worthy topic for further exploration. Based on grounded and activity theories, this research uses observation and…

An instructional intervention to encourage effective deep collaborative learning in undergraduate veterinary students.

PubMed

Khosa, Deep K; Volet, Simone E; Bolton, John R

2010-01-01

In recent years, veterinary education has received an increased amount of attention directed at the value and application of collaborative case-based learning. The benefit of instilling deep learning practices in undergraduate veterinary students has also emerged as a powerful tool in encouraging continued professional education. However, research into the design and application of instructional strategies to encourage deep, collaborative case-based learning in veterinary undergraduates has been limited. This study focused on delivering an instructional intervention (via a 20-minute presentation and student handout) to foster productive, collaborative case-based learning in veterinary education. The aim was to instigate and encourage deep learning practices in a collaborative case-based assignment and to assess the impact of the intervention on students' group learning. Two cohorts of veterinary students were involved in the study. One cohort was exposed to an instructional intervention, and the other provided the control for the study. The instructional strategy was grounded in the collaborative learning literature and prior empirical studies with veterinary students. Results showed that the intervention cohort spent proportionally more time on understanding case content material than did the control cohort and rated their face-to-face discussions as more useful in achieving their learning outcomes than did their control counterparts. In addition, the perceived difficulty of the assignment evolved differently for the control and intervention students from start to end of the assignment. This study provides encouraging evidence that veterinary students can change and enhance the way they interact in a group setting to effectively engage in collaborative learning practices.

Cooperative Learning as a Tool To Teach Vertebrate Anatomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koprowski, John L.; Perigo, Nan

2000-01-01

Describes a method for teaching biology that includes more investigative exercises that foster an environment for cooperative learning in introductory laboratories that focus on vertebrates. Fosters collaborative learning by facilitating interaction between students as they become experts on their representative vertebrate structures. (SAH)

Blended learning in health education: three case studies.

PubMed

de Jong, Nynke; Savin-Baden, Maggi; Cunningham, Anne Marie; Verstegen, Daniëlle M L

2014-09-01

Blended learning in which online education is combined with face-to-face education is especially useful for (future) health care professionals who need to keep up-to-date. Blended learning can make learning more efficient, for instance by removing barriers of time and distance. In the past distance-based learning activities have often been associated with traditional delivery-based methods, individual learning and limited contact. The central question in this paper is: can blended learning be active and collaborative? Three cases of blended, active and collaborative learning are presented. In case 1 a virtual classroom is used to realize online problem-based learning (PBL). In case 2 PBL cases are presented in Second Life, a 3D immersive virtual world. In case 3 discussion forums, blogs and wikis were used. In all cases face-to-face meetings were also organized. Evaluation results of the three cases clearly show that active, collaborative learning at a distance is possible. Blended learning enables the use of novel instructional methods and student-centred education. The three cases employ different educational methods, thus illustrating diverse possibilities and a variety of learning activities in blended learning. Interaction and communication rules, the role of the teacher, careful selection of collaboration tools and technical preparation should be considered when designing and implementing blended learning.

The Effects of Digital Learning Material on Students' Mathematics Learning in Vocational Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zwart, Diana P.; Van Luit, Johannes E. H.; Noroozi, Omid; Goei, Sui Lin

2017-01-01

This study investigates the effects of Digital Learning Material (DLM) including instructional clips, online guidance, structuring of content, and a collaboration tool on students' mathematics learning in Dutch vocational education. A pretest-posttest design was used. Apprenticeship students were asked to complete assignments and to discuss them…

Sustaining Learning Design and Pedagogical Planning in CSCL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pozzi, Francesca; Francesca, Donatella

2013-01-01

This paper tackles the issue of learning design and pedagogical planning in the context of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). In this sector, we witness the same variety of approaches and tools that we find in the technology-enhanced learning (TEL) research field. In particular, in the CSCL context, notions such as…

Preservice Teachers' Perception and Use of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Sami; Uluyol, Çelebi

2016-01-01

Personal learning environments (PLEs) are Web 2.0 tools and services by which users' access, construct, manage, and share educational contents in order to meet their learning needs. These environments enable users to manage their learning according to their own personal preferences. They further promote socialization and collaboration with their…

Worksheet: Federal Funding and Other Funding Sources for Early Childhood. State TA Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Early Learning Challenge Technical Assistance, 2017

2017-01-01

This tool was prepared for the Early Learning Challenge (ELC) States that attended the Peer Learning Exchange, "Financing and Sustaining Quality Programs and Systems," in October 2017. This Peer Learning Exchange was a collaborative effort by Early Learning Challenge Technical Assistance (ELC TA,) Center on Enhancing Early Learning…

Wikis, blogs and podcasts: a new generation of Web-based tools for virtual collaborative clinical practice and education.

PubMed

Boulos, Maged N Kamel; Maramba, Inocencio; Wheeler, Steve

2006-08-15

We have witnessed a rapid increase in the use of Web-based 'collaborationware' in recent years. These Web 2.0 applications, particularly wikis, blogs and podcasts, have been increasingly adopted by many online health-related professional and educational services. Because of their ease of use and rapidity of deployment, they offer the opportunity for powerful information sharing and ease of collaboration. Wikis are Web sites that can be edited by anyone who has access to them. The word 'blog' is a contraction of 'Web Log' - an online Web journal that can offer a resource rich multimedia environment. Podcasts are repositories of audio and video materials that can be "pushed" to subscribers, even without user intervention. These audio and video files can be downloaded to portable media players that can be taken anywhere, providing the potential for "anytime, anywhere" learning experiences (mobile learning). Wikis, blogs and podcasts are all relatively easy to use, which partly accounts for their proliferation. The fact that there are many free and Open Source versions of these tools may also be responsible for their explosive growth. Thus it would be relatively easy to implement any or all within a Health Professions' Educational Environment. Paradoxically, some of their disadvantages also relate to their openness and ease of use. With virtually anybody able to alter, edit or otherwise contribute to the collaborative Web pages, it can be problematic to gauge the reliability and accuracy of such resources. While arguably, the very process of collaboration leads to a Darwinian type 'survival of the fittest' content within a Web page, the veracity of these resources can be assured through careful monitoring, moderation, and operation of the collaborationware in a closed and secure digital environment. Empirical research is still needed to build our pedagogic evidence base about the different aspects of these tools in the context of medical/health education. If effectively deployed, wikis, blogs and podcasts could offer a way to enhance students', clinicians' and patients' learning experiences, and deepen levels of learners' engagement and collaboration within digital learning environments. Therefore, research should be conducted to determine the best ways to integrate these tools into existing e-Learning programmes for students, health professionals and patients, taking into account the different, but also overlapping, needs of these three audience classes and the opportunities of virtual collaboration between them. Of particular importance is research into novel integrative applications, to serve as the "glue" to bind the different forms of Web-based collaborationware synergistically in order to provide a coherent wholesome learning experience.

Using Blogs to Support Learning during Internship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chu, Samuel K. W.; Chan, Carol K. K.; Tiwari, Agnes F. Y.

2012-01-01

Blogging has been recommended as a suitable tool for learning during internship due to its associated usefulness in collaborative learning, reflection, communication, and social support. In this study, blogging was incorporated into the internship activities of two discipline-specific groups of interns: information management (n = 53) and nursing…

Practice and Evaluation of Ability Grouping Lecture on Information Literacy Using a Chat Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujinaga, Kiyohisa

A teaching methodology on information literacy that skilled and inexperienced students learn through different specific contents in a class is proposed. Skilled students collaboratively work using an e-Learning environment while a conventional projector-based lecture on how to use a computer is given for inexperienced students. The methodology had been put into practice for two years. Skilled students were divided into a few groups and members in a group collaboratively made a PowerPoint slide show using a chat tool as the communication media. The slide shows were evaluated by means of questionnaire to the inexperienced students. The results were nearly the same as those of teachers. The practice of the methodology resulted in that the concentration of the skilled students was promoted and the learning attitude of the inexperienced students was improved, compared with the case that the both skilled and inexperienced students learned through the same contents.

Learning Communities in Teacher Education: The impact of e-competence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elster, Doris

2010-11-01

The present article reports on the results of a three-year German-wide program Biology in Context (bik). In this program teachers and researchers worked together in 10 learning communities with the goal of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in biology classrooms as mandated by the recently passed National Educational Standards for the lower secondary level. In addition to face-to-face meetings, computers were used as the tools for communication and collaboration. Computers enabled the mutual sharing of information among the participants, as well as the planning and documenting of tasks and teaching units. Furthermore, they promoted the reflection of the process and the refinement of the products. Data were collected from questionnaires and structured interviews with teachers, researchers, and coordinators. The analysis identified teacher profiles with regard to their attitudes towards implementing the bik concept, their use of computers, and the change of classroom activities. The results exposed several main tendencies. (1) The participant teachers largely utilized Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools for the construction of tasks and units and for collaboration with each other. (2) These tools were, however, less useful for instructional purposes, learning, and knowledge creation. (3) ICT tools were hardly used for reflection of professional experiences. (4) Teacher use of ICT tools increased from the first to the third year. The study concludes that information literacy skills have a strong impact on the persistence of learning communities. Further research should be conducted to adopt a mixed form (blended form) of learning.

Learning to Learn Together with CSCL Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwarz, Baruch B.; de Groot, Reuma; Mavrikis, Manolis; Dragon, Toby

2015-01-01

In this paper, we identify "Learning to Learn Together" (L2L2) as a new and important educational goal. Our view of L2L2 is a substantial extension of "Learning to Learn" (L2L): L2L2 consists of learning to collaborate to successfully face L2L challenges. It is inseparable from L2L, as it emerges when individuals face problems…

A Single-Display Groupware Collaborative Language Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calderón, Juan Felipe; Nussbaum, Miguel; Carmach, Ignacio; Díaz, Juan Jaime; Villalta, Marco

2016-01-01

Language learning tools have evolved to take into consideration new teaching models of collaboration and communication. While second language acquisition tasks have been taken online, the traditional language laboratory has remained unchanged. By continuing to follow its original configuration based on individual work, the language laboratory…

University Students' Conceptions and Practice of Collaborative Work on Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mutwarasibo, Faustin

2013-01-01

Collaborative work is widely regarded as a valuable tool in the development of student-centred learning. Its importance can be viewed in two ways: First of all, when students are regularly exposed to collaborative work (i.e. pair work or group work) they are likely to develop or improve a range of communication and interpersonal skills. It is also…

Student Interactions and the Development of Ideas in Multi-Touch and Paper-Based Collaborative Mathematical Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercier, Emma; Vourloumi, Georgia; Higgins, Steven

2017-01-01

Multi-touch technology is increasingly being used to support collaborative learning activities. However, to know how this technology can be used most effectively, we need to understand if collaborative interactions differ when groups are using multi-touch technology compared with other tools. In this paper, we compare the interactions of groups of…

Tapping into Graduate Students' Collaborative Technology Experience in a Research Methods Class: Insights on Teaching Research Methods in a Malaysian and American Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vasquez-Colina, Maria D.; Maslin-Ostrowski, Pat; Baba, Suria

2017-01-01

This case study used qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate challenges of learning and teaching research methods by examining graduate students' use of collaborative technology (i.e., digital tools that enable collaboration and information seeking such as software and social media) and students' computer self-efficacy. We conducted…

Synchronous E-Learning: Reflections and Design Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tabak, Filiz; Rampal, Rohit

2014-01-01

This paper is a personal reflection on the design, development, and delivery of online synchronous conferencing as a pedagogical tool complementing traditional, face-to-face content delivery and learning. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate how instructors can combine collaborative and virtual learning principles in course design. In…

Teaching Biochemistry at a Minority-Serving Institution: An Evaluation of the Role of Collaborative Learning as a Tool for Science Mastery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Angela W.

2005-04-01

Teaching chemistry particularly at a historically black college and university (HBCU) involves understanding and being aware of the cultural and intellectual diversity of the class. Therefore, it is imperative that instructional methodologies include creative and alternative pedagogical approaches that enhance student performance. Collaborative learning strategies were used to transform a failing biochemistry class into motivated, critical thinkers whose interest in research careers were enhanced through this process. Through collaborative learning we have decreased failing rates by 50% on biochemistry examinations. Attrition rates have dropped drastically and there has been a remarkable improvement on the final examination, which includes the ACS biochemistry examination, by 18% over two years. This collaborative approach has changed the way that students study chemistry and the way that instruction is delivered.

E-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buzzi, Marina, Ed.

2010-01-01

E-Learning is a vast and complex research topic that poses many challenges in every aspect: educational and pedagogical strategies and techniques and the tools for achieving them; usability, accessibility and user interface design; knowledge sharing and collaborative environments; technologies, architectures, and protocols; user activity…

Wearable Learning Tools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowskill, Jerry; Dyer, Nick

1999-01-01

Describes wearable computers, or information and communication technology devices that are designed to be mobile. Discusses how such technologies can enhance computer-mediated communications, focusing on collaborative working for learning. Describes an experimental system, MetaPark, which explores communications, data retrieval and recording, and…

Why Increased Social Presence through Web Videoconferencing Does Not Automatically Lead to Improved Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giesbers, Bas; Rienties, Bart; Tempelaar, Dirk T.; Gijselaers, Wim

2014-01-01

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) model provides a well-researched theoretical framework to understand how learners and teachers interact and learn together in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). Most CoI research focuses on asynchronous learning. However, with the arrival of easy-to-use synchronous communication tools the relevance of…

A Novel Wiki-Based Remote Laboratory Platform for Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Ning; Chen, Xuemin; Lan, Qianlong; Song, Gangbing; Parsaei, Hamid R.; Ho, Siu-Chun

2017-01-01

With the unprecedented growth of e-learning, more and more new IT technologies are used to develop e-learning tools. As one of the most common forms of social computing, Wiki technology has been used to develop the collaborative and cooperative learning platform to support multiple users learning online effectively. In this paper, we propose a new…

Investigating the Affective Learning in a 3D Virtual Learning Environment: The Case Study of the Chatterdale Mystery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molka-Danielsen, Judith; Hadjistassou, Stella; Messl-Egghart, Gerhilde

2016-01-01

This research is motivated by the emergence of virtual technologies and their potential as engaging pedagogical tools for facilitating comprehension, interactions and collaborations for learning; and in particular as applied to learning second languages (L2). This paper provides a descriptive analysis of a case study that examines affective…

The Job Is the Learning Environment: Performance-Centered Learning To Support Knowledge Worker Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickover, Noel T.

2002-01-01

Explains performance-centered learning (PCL), an approach to optimize support for performance on the job by making corporate assets available to knowledge workers so they can solve actual problems. Illustrates PCL with a Web site that provides just-in-time learning, collaboration, and performance support tools to improve performance at the…

Shades of Pink: Preschoolers Make Meaning in a Reggio-Inspired Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Bo Sun

2012-01-01

Shades of Pink study describes how six preschoolers and their teacher engaged in a collaborative learning project through which they learned about the shades of a color--in this case, pink. As the children learned through experimenting and discussing their theories, they represented ideas using art as a tool for discovery and learning. The study…

Involving Users to Improve the Collaborative Logical Framework

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

In order to support collaboration in web-based learning, there is a need for an intelligent support that facilitates its management during the design, development, and analysis of the collaborative learning experience and supports both students and instructors. At aDeNu research group we have proposed the Collaborative Logical Framework (CLF) to create effective scenarios that support learning through interaction, exploration, discussion, and collaborative knowledge construction. This approach draws on artificial intelligence techniques to support and foster an effective involvement of students to collaborate. At the same time, the instructors' workload is reduced as some of their tasks—especially those related to the monitoring of the students behavior—are automated. After introducing the CLF approach, in this paper, we present two formative evaluations with users carried out to improve the design of this collaborative tool and thus enrich the personalized support provided. In the first one, we analyze, following the layered evaluation approach, the results of an observational study with 56 participants. In the second one, we tested the infrastructure to gather emotional data when carrying out another observational study with 17 participants. PMID:24592196

After Action Review Tools For Team Training with Chat Communications

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-01

collaborative learning environments. The most relevant work is being done by the CALO ( Cognitive Agent that Learns and Organizes) project, a joint...emoticons, and other common stylistic practices. To a lesser degree, some research has yielded methods and tools to analyze or visualize chat...information sources, and overall cognitive effort. AAR Challenges The most significant challenge to conducting an effective after action review of

Incidence of Group Awareness Information on Students' Collaborative Learning Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pifarré, M.; Cobos, R.; Argelagós, E.

2014-01-01

This paper studies how the integration of group awareness tools in the knowledge management system called KnowCat (Knowledge Catalyser), which promotes collaborative knowledge construction, may both foster the students' perception about the meaningfulness of visualization of group awareness information and promote better collaborative…

Whose Place Is This Anyway? Reflecting upon Hospitality and Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loewen, Nathan

2016-01-01

In this essay I propose that using online tools to connect geographically-separated classrooms for real-time collaborative learning experiences may effectively develop intercultural competency in the religious studies classroom. I explore personal examples from several international and inter-institutional collaborations with Jacques Derrida's…

Asynchronous Learning Forums for Business Acculturation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pence, Christine Cope; Wulf, Catharina

2009-01-01

The use of IT as a facilitator for student collaboration in higher business education has grown rapidly since 2000. Asynchronous discussion forums are used abundantly for collaborative training purposes and for teaching students business-relevant tools for their future careers. This article presents an analysis of the asynchronous discussion forum…

Collaborative and Multilingual Approach to Learn Database Topics Using Concept Maps

PubMed Central

Calvo, Iñaki

2014-01-01

Authors report on a study using the concept mapping technique in computer engineering education for learning theoretical introductory database topics. In addition, the learning of multilingual technical terminology by means of the collaborative drawing of a concept map is also pursued in this experiment. The main characteristics of a study carried out in the database subject at the University of the Basque Country during the 2011/2012 course are described. This study contributes to the field of concept mapping as these kinds of cognitive tools have proved to be valid to support learning in computer engineering education. It contributes to the field of computer engineering education, providing a technique that can be incorporated with several educational purposes within the discipline. Results reveal the potential that a collaborative concept map editor offers to fulfil the above mentioned objectives. PMID:25538957

Mapping Pedagogy and Tools for Effective Learning Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conole, G.; Dyke, M.; Oliver, M.; Seale, J.

2004-01-01

A number of pedagogies and approaches are often quoted in the e-learning literature--constructivism, communities of practice, collaboration--but we suggest that much of what is described could more easily be explained in terms of didactic and behaviourist approaches to learning. In this paper we propose a model that supports the development of…

Weather, Climate, Web 2.0: 21st Century Students Speak Climate Science Well

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sundberg, Cheryl White; Kennedy, Teresa; Odell, Michael R. L.

2013-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) and inquiry learning (IL) employ extensive scaffolding that results in cognitive load reduction and allows students to learn in complex domains. Hybrid teacher professional development models (PDM) using 21st century social collaboration tools embedding PBL and IL shows promise as a systemic approach for increasing…

Supporting Social Constructivist Learning through the KEEP SLS ePortfolio System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Xuesong; Olfman, Lorne; Firpo, Daniel

2010-01-01

Traditional ePortfolio systems are usually used as an individual learning unit, or an assessment tool in education. However, these systems often lack social constructivist learning features such as sharing, peer review, and group collaboration. This paper describes a new ePortfolio system that supports both personal and social constructivist…

Understanding Collaborative Learning Behavior from Moodle Log Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Jingyan; Law, Nancy Wai Ying

2012-01-01

Although course management systems (CMSs) were originally designed for teachers to manage their teaching, little interest has been directed at students' learning. Moodle is usually regarded as a CMS. However, how to make full use of its powerful features and design them into learning tools has rarely been investigated. This study investigates two…

Using Teacher Learning Walks to Build Capacity in a Rural Elementary School: Repurposing a Supervisory Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Ann Sundstrom; Topolka-Jorissen, Kathleen

2014-01-01

This qualitative methods study examined a rural North Carolina elementary school that implemented teacher learning walks as a method of professional development. Adapted from the practice of principal walkthroughs, teachers followed a protocol for collaboratively observing colleagues' classrooms and reflecting on teaching and learning. The…

Using Service-Learning as a Tool to Develop Intercultural Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, April A. Mattix; Cunningham, Heather B.; Wrightsman, Karen R.

2015-01-01

Service-learning provides a wide range of opportunities for students to develop intercultural understanding. As a practice, service-learning has the potential to strengthen the development of student attitudes that support collaboration between people of different cultural groups. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the ways in…

Effects of Group Reflection Variations in Project-Based Learning Integrated in a Web 2.0 Learning Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Paul; Hong, Ji-Seong; Bonk, Curtis; Lim, Gloria

2011-01-01

A Web 2.0 environment that is coupled with emerging multimodal interaction tools can have considerable influence on team learning outcomes. Today, technologies supporting social networking, collective intelligence, emotional interaction, and virtual communication are introducing new forms of collaboration that are profoundly impacting education.…

Knotworking and the Visibilization of Learning in Building Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerosuo, Hannele; Mäki, Tarja; Korpela, Jenni

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to study the visibilization of learning in the context of developing a new collaborative practice, knotworking, in building design. The case under study describes the process of learning from the initiation of knotworking to its experimentation. The implementation of new building information modeling tools acted as an…

Student Interaction and Community Building: An Evaluation of Social Networking in Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardona-Divale, Maria Victoria

2012-01-01

Learners often report difficulty maintaining social connectivity in online courses. Technology is quickly changing how people communicate, collaborate and learn using online social networking sites (SNSs). These sites have transformed education in a way that provides new learning opportunities when integrated with web 2.0 tools. Little research is…

Social and Emotional Learning around Technology in a Cross-Cultural, Elementary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iaosanurak, Chuanpob; Chanchalor, Sumalee; Murphy, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study reported on in this paper was to design and test an intervention with elementary-aged children to promote social and emotional learning around technology. The intervention structured learning around technology as a catalyst and scaffolding tool that engages learners in cross-cultural, collaborative interaction, dialogue,…

Back-to-School Guide: Jump-Start Learning with New Media. Updated with New Tools and Resources for 2010-11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2010

2010-01-01

To help teachers get off to a good start, this paper presents the updated "Back-to-School Guide" that is brimming with new-media ideas and resources. It outlines ten tips, along with easy-to-use tools, that will help teachers build their classroom community, survey students to bring out their ideas, and make learning more collaborative. Links to…

Wiki as a tool for microbiology teaching, learning and assessment.

PubMed

Sampaio-Maia, B; Maia, J S; Leitão, S; Amaral, M; Vieira-Marques, P

2014-05-01

Evidence suggests that cooperative learning and peer-assessment fosters students' ability to work with others and may lead to better cognitive outcomes and higher achievement. This work aimed to assess the use of an online collaborative tool for the teaching/learning and assessment of Microbiology. A total of 144 students were grouped and assigned to create wiki entries as well as to peer review wikis created by colleagues (peer-assessment process) using the Wiki module from Moodle Virtual Learning Environment (MVLE). MVLE actions log was used for tracking students' activity. The number of student's actions within wiki did not present a strong correlation with wiki scores, so it should not be used as a heavy evaluation parameter. The amount of work developed between members of the same group differed significantly, suggesting that final scores should be attributed individually. When peer-assessment process was implemented, the number of editing actions increased, suggesting that the peer-assessment strategy encourages the development of a better work. The vast majority of students execute the work in the last 10% of the period assigned for task development, which can be counter-productive for a truly collaborative work. Wiki revealed to be a useful tool for Microbiology teaching/learning and assessment, promoting collaborative work, promoting virtual mobility and facilitating the real-time monitoring of the students' work. This pedagogical project promoted also the involvement of students in their assessment process, encouraging their critical sense and quest for Excellency. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in science education: The views and experiences of three high school teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barreto-Marrero, Luz N.

This case study presents the experiences of three public school chemistry teachers in the transformation of their teaching processes with the use of ICT. The processes' characteristics are documented, what knowledge and skills were learned, and how it changed their organization, planning and teaching. D. H. Jonassen's (1999) ideas on learning strategies for the integration of ICT, from a constructivism and critical thinking perspective guide this study. MacFarlane and Sakellariou's (2002) ideas on the use of ICT in science teaching are also considered. The relationship between ICT, mind tools, learning strategies and teaching methods is studied. The information was collected by semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. The results were analyzed according to Wolcott's qualitative analysis model (1994), along with the QRS NVivo (2002) computer program. The teachers learned to use several new ICT equipment and materials that facilitated their teaching and evaluation processes. Among these are the use of lab simulators, various software, CBL sensors, graphic calculators, electronic blackboards, and the Internet. They used teaching strategies for active, authentic, collaborative, constructive and reflective learning according to Jonassen. Their science teaching methods corresponds to the three types, according to MacFarlane and Sakellariou, which fosters scientific method skills and scientific reasoning for science literacy. The teachers, as facilitators and mediators, were inquirers of their students needs; investigators of their curricula, strategists as they organize their teaching skills and methods; experimenters with what they had learned; and collaborators as they fostered cooperative learning. Teachers' developed better lessons, lab exercises and assessment tools, such as rubrics, concept maps, comic strips, and others. They also affirmed that their students demonstrated more motivation, participation, collaboration and learning; developed scientific and technological skills; worked real situations in a collaborative way guided by science standards; and that parents participated in their children's learning. The conditions that facilitated these processes were the availability of technological resources, practical and continuous professional development, colleague communication and collaboration, the paradigmatic change towards constructivism with changes in assessment, school texts, curriculum and educational software, and a new generation of students and teachers open towards ICT, and pre-service teachers with technological skills.

Wikis, blogs and podcasts: a new generation of Web-based tools for virtual collaborative clinical practice and education

PubMed Central

Boulos, Maged N Kamel; Maramba, Inocencio; Wheeler, Steve

2006-01-01

Background We have witnessed a rapid increase in the use of Web-based 'collaborationware' in recent years. These Web 2.0 applications, particularly wikis, blogs and podcasts, have been increasingly adopted by many online health-related professional and educational services. Because of their ease of use and rapidity of deployment, they offer the opportunity for powerful information sharing and ease of collaboration. Wikis are Web sites that can be edited by anyone who has access to them. The word 'blog' is a contraction of 'Web Log' – an online Web journal that can offer a resource rich multimedia environment. Podcasts are repositories of audio and video materials that can be "pushed" to subscribers, even without user intervention. These audio and video files can be downloaded to portable media players that can be taken anywhere, providing the potential for "anytime, anywhere" learning experiences (mobile learning). Discussion Wikis, blogs and podcasts are all relatively easy to use, which partly accounts for their proliferation. The fact that there are many free and Open Source versions of these tools may also be responsible for their explosive growth. Thus it would be relatively easy to implement any or all within a Health Professions' Educational Environment. Paradoxically, some of their disadvantages also relate to their openness and ease of use. With virtually anybody able to alter, edit or otherwise contribute to the collaborative Web pages, it can be problematic to gauge the reliability and accuracy of such resources. While arguably, the very process of collaboration leads to a Darwinian type 'survival of the fittest' content within a Web page, the veracity of these resources can be assured through careful monitoring, moderation, and operation of the collaborationware in a closed and secure digital environment. Empirical research is still needed to build our pedagogic evidence base about the different aspects of these tools in the context of medical/health education. Summary and conclusion If effectively deployed, wikis, blogs and podcasts could offer a way to enhance students', clinicians' and patients' learning experiences, and deepen levels of learners' engagement and collaboration within digital learning environments. Therefore, research should be conducted to determine the best ways to integrate these tools into existing e-Learning programmes for students, health professionals and patients, taking into account the different, but also overlapping, needs of these three audience classes and the opportunities of virtual collaboration between them. Of particular importance is research into novel integrative applications, to serve as the "glue" to bind the different forms of Web-based collaborationware synergistically in order to provide a coherent wholesome learning experience. PMID:16911779

Advanced engineering environment collaboration project.

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

Lamph, Jane Ann; Pomplun, Alan R.; Kiba, Grant W.

2008-12-01

The Advanced Engineering Environment (AEE) is a model for an engineering design and communications system that will enhance project collaboration throughout the nuclear weapons complex (NWC). Sandia National Laboratories and Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) worked together on a prototype project to evaluate the suitability of a portion of PTC's Windchill 9.0 suite of data management, design and collaboration tools as the basis for an AEE. The AEE project team implemented Windchill 9.0 development servers in both classified and unclassified domains and used them to test and evaluate the Windchill tool suite relative to the needs of the NWC using weaponsmore » project use cases. A primary deliverable was the development of a new real time collaborative desktop design and engineering process using PDMLink (data management tool), Pro/Engineer (mechanical computer aided design tool) and ProductView Lite (visualization tool). Additional project activities included evaluations of PTC's electrical computer aided design, visualization, and engineering calculations applications. This report documents the AEE project work to share information and lessons learned with other NWC sites. It also provides PTC with recommendations for improving their products for NWC applications.« less

The iPlant Collaborative: Cyberinfrastructure for Enabling Data to Discovery for the Life Sciences.

PubMed

Merchant, Nirav; Lyons, Eric; Goff, Stephen; Vaughn, Matthew; Ware, Doreen; Micklos, David; Antin, Parker

2016-01-01

The iPlant Collaborative provides life science research communities access to comprehensive, scalable, and cohesive computational infrastructure for data management; identity management; collaboration tools; and cloud, high-performance, high-throughput computing. iPlant provides training, learning material, and best practice resources to help all researchers make the best use of their data, expand their computational skill set, and effectively manage their data and computation when working as distributed teams. iPlant's platform permits researchers to easily deposit and share their data and deploy new computational tools and analysis workflows, allowing the broader community to easily use and reuse those data and computational analyses.

Using Electronic Portfolios

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Deb

2012-01-01

The digitized collections of artifacts known as electronic portfolios are creating solutions to a variety of performance improvement needs in ways that are cost-effective and improve both individual and group learning and performance. When social media functionality is embedded in e-portfolios, the tools support collaboration, social learning,…

Support for High-Impact Practices: A New Tool for Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kezar, Adrianna; Holcombe, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

Certain widely tested educational practices have been shown to have a significantly beneficial impact on student learning and success in college. These "high-impact practices" include first-year experiences, common intellectual experiences, learning communities, writing-intensive courses, collaborative assignments and projects,…

Social Interaction Strategies and Techniques for Today's Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saurino, Dan R.; Saurino, Penelope; Clemente, Robert

2009-01-01

An emerging research tool used in recent years to better understand and improve teacher thinking has been the use of collaboration and collaborative action research. In our study, we were interested in whether teachers could enhance the learning of their subjects through the use of teaching techniques and strategies involving social interaction.…

Tools of the Trade: Effective Strategies To Support the Collaboration of Educators in Rural Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salyer, B. Keith; Thyfault, Alberta; Curran, Christina

This paper discusses strategies with the potential to enhance student learning, teacher collaboration, building management, and joy within the rural school setting. With the goal of fostering education that makes sense to students, three general categories of strategies are considered: curriculum, classroom management, and building management.…

Socials Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raths, David

2013-01-01

Eric Sheninger, the principal at New Milford High School in Bergen County, NJ, is well-known in ed tech circles as an evangelist for the use of web 2.0 tools in K-12 education. New Milford has made collaboration a pillar of its educational platform, and Sheninger believes that social media helps students learn how to collaborate. In fact, he…

Ideas for Practice: A Collaborative Look to the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osterholt, Dorothy A.; Barratt, Katherine

2012-01-01

Many developmental students begin college ill-equipped in the social and emotional competencies to be successful. Thus, it is essential that institutions of higher education address the broader needs of these students. The purpose of this article is to present collaborative learning as a tool for addressing the social and emotional inhibitors that…

Ideas for Practice: A Collaborative Look to the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osterholt, Dorothy A.; Barratt, Katherine

2010-01-01

Many developmental students begin college ill-equipped in the social and emotional competencies to be successful. Thus, it is essential that institutions of higher education address the broader needs of these students. The purpose of this article is to present collaborative learning as a tool for addressing the social and emotional inhibitors that…

A Collaborative Multimedia Annotation Tool for Enhancing Knowledge Sharing in CSCL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Stephen J. H.; Zhang, Jia; Su, Addison Y. S.; Tsai, Jeffrey J. P.

2011-01-01

Knowledge sharing in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) requires intensive social interactions among participants, typically in the form of annotations. An annotation refers to an explicit expression of knowledge that is attached to a document to reveal the conceptual meanings of an annotator's implicit thoughts. In this research, we…

Bringing nursing science to the classroom: a collaborative project.

PubMed

Reams, Susan; Bashford, Carol

2009-01-01

This project resulted as a collaborative effort on the part of a public school system and nursing faculty. The fifth grade student population utilized in this study focused on the skeletal, muscular, digestive, circulatory, respiratory, and nervous systems as part of their school system's existing science and health curriculum. The intent of the study was to evaluate the impact on student learning outcomes as a result of nursing-focused, science-based, hands-on experiential activities provided by nursing faculty in the public school setting. An assessment tool was created for pretesting and posttesting to evaluate learning outcomes resulting from the intervention. Over a two day period, six classes consisting of 25 to 30 students each were divided into three equal small groups and rotated among three interactive stations. Students explored the normal function of the digestive system, heart, lungs, and skin. Improvement in learning using the pretest and posttest assessment tools were documented.

The World in the Classroom: Using Film as a Pedagogical Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mishra, Samina

2018-01-01

Using the experience of teaching film in the International Baccalaureate programme, this article presents the intellectual and emotional learning that film can enable as well as the possibilities of using film as a pedagogic tool for the collaborative construction of knowledge.

Cognitive Curations of Collaborative Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ackerman, Amy S.

2015-01-01

Assuming the role of learning curators, 22 graduate students (in-service teachers) addressed authentic problems (challenges) within their respective classrooms by selecting digital tools as part of implementation of interdisciplinary lesson plans. Students focused on formative assessment tools as a means to gather evidence to make improvements in…

Apoc Social: A Mobile Interactive and Social Learning Platform for Collaborative Solving of Advanced Problems in Organic Chemistry.

PubMed

Sievertsen, Niels; Carreira, Erick M

2018-02-01

Mobile devices such as smartphones are carried in the pockets of university students around the globe and are increasingly cheap to come by. These portable devices have evolved into powerful and interconnected handheld computers, which, among other applications, can be used as advanced learning tools and providers of targeted, curated content. Herein, we describe Apoc Social (Advanced Problems in Organic Chemistry Social), a mobile application that assists both learning and teaching college-level organic chemistry both in the classroom and on the go. With more than 750 chemistry exercises available, Apoc Social facilitates collaborative learning through discussion boards and fosters enthusiasm for complex organic chemistry.

Application of ICTS in Teaching and Learning at University Level: The Case of Shahid Beheshti University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vajargah, Kourosh Fathi; Jahani, Sheida; Azadmanesh, Nahid

2010-01-01

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are a diverse set of technological tools and resources used for creating, storing, managing and communicating information. For educational purposes, ICTs can be used to support teaching and learning as well as research activities including collaborative learning and inquiring. One of the main…

Can Facebook or Wikis Hook Learners Instead of the Schoolbook?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brahmi, Fakhreddine

2016-01-01

In this paper I will report on a personal experimentation with Facebook and wikis as collaborative learning tools. The aims of implementing these strategies were to develop students' writing skills and to change their attitudes towards learning in the digital age. I delved into this research because I do believe that learning in the new millennium…

Learning to Learn: Lessons from a Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadha, Anita

2017-01-01

E-learning has become one of the primary ways to deliver education around the globe. Research is keeping pace with the use of various techno-aids as educators evaluate how to effectively use these aids in an ever-changing e-classroom. Adding to this body of work, and in assessing the effectiveness of techno-tools, this study evaluates meaningful…

Changing the Instructional Model: Utilizing Blended Learning as a Tool of Inquiry Instruction in Middle School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longo, Christopher M.

2016-01-01

Educators need to delve further into effective ways to spark student interest, motivation, and curiosity both in the middle school classroom and in the online environment. A thoughtfully crafted blended learning process, infused with inquiry learning, can provide students with opportunities to collaborate, think critically, and pose questions,…

Collaborative Action Research on Technology Integration for Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Chien-hsing; Ke, Yi-Ting; Wu, Jin-Tong; Hsu, Wen-Hua

2012-01-01

This paper briefly reports the outcomes of an action research inquiry on the use of blogs, MS PowerPoint [PPT], and the Internet as learning tools with a science class of sixth graders for project-based learning. Multiple sources of data were essential to triangulate the key findings articulated in this paper. Corresponding to previous studies,…

Web 2.0 and Marketing Education: Explanations and Experiential Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granitz, Neil; Koernig, Stephen K.

2011-01-01

Although both experiential learning and Web 2.0 tools focus on creativity, sharing, and collaboration, sparse research has been published integrating a Web 2.0 paradigm with experiential learning in marketing. In this article, Web 2.0 concepts are explained. Web 2.0 is then positioned as a philosophy that can advance experiential learning through…

mLearning: Anytime, Anywhere Learning Transcending the Boundaries of the Educational Box

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shippee, Micah; Keengwe, Jared

2014-01-01

In the age of our mobile learning, an impending onus is placed on educational institutions to embrace this technological innovation that is widely accepted, used, and available globally. The clear societal value of mobile technology as a productivity tool for engagement, creation, and collaboration has generated a new need for education to revisit…

LdShake: Learning Design Solutions Sharing and Co-Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez-Leo, Davinia; Romeo, Lauren; Carralero, Miguel A.; Chacon, Jonathan; Carrio, Mar; Moreno, Pau; Blat, Josep

2011-01-01

Two important challenges that teachers are currently facing are the sharing and the collaborative authoring of their learning design solutions, such as didactical units and learning materials. On the one hand, there are tools that can be used for the creation of design solutions and only some of them facilitate the co-edition. However, they do not…

Designing Interactive and Collaborative Learning Tasks in a 3-D Virtual Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berns, Anke; Palomo-Duarte, Manuel; Fernández, David Camacho

2012-01-01

The aim of our study is to explore several possibilities to use virtual worlds (VWs) and game-applications with learners of the A1 level (CEFR) of German as a foreign language. Our interest focuses especially on designing those learning tools which increase firstly, learner motivation towards online-learning and secondly, enhance autonomous…

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) and the Forum: A Tool for Writers in Distance Education Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terryberry, Karl

2002-01-01

Demonstrates how to integrate static web pages with the dynamic forum for an effective learning experience on the online writing lab (OWL). Explains why asynchronous feedback provides effective, individualized writing instruction to students with various learning styles and how collaborative learning is fostered through threaded discussion groups.…

Exploring Writing Individually and Collaboratively Using Google Docs in EFL Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsubaie, Jawaher; Ashuraidah, Ali

2017-01-01

Online teaching and learning became popular with the evolution of the World Wide Web now days. Implementing online learning tools within EFL contexts will help better address the multitude of teaching and learning styles. Difficulty in academic writing can be considered one of the common problems that students face in and outside their classrooms.…

Global Learning Partnerships in "the Café": Peer Feedback as a Formative Assessment Tool for Animation Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Josh

2016-01-01

This paper reports on a global learning partnership using "the Café: the collaborative application for education" as an e-learning environment within the Facebook framework, for first-year animation students at the University of South Australia (USA) in Australia and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. "The Café" has…

How social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning and guide an informed intervention

PubMed Central

Fors, Uno; Tedre, Matti; Nouri, Jalal

2018-01-01

To ensure online collaborative learning meets the intended pedagogical goals (is actually collaborative and stimulates learning), mechanisms are needed for monitoring the efficiency of online collaboration. Various studies have indicated that social network analysis can be particularly effective in studying students’ interactions in online collaboration. However, research in education has only focused on the theoretical potential of using SNA, not on the actual benefits they achieved. This study investigated how social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning, find aspects in need of improvement, guide an informed intervention, and assess the efficacy of intervention using an experimental, observational repeated-measurement design in three courses over a full-term duration. Using a combination of SNA-based visual and quantitative analysis, we monitored three SNA constructs for each participant: the level of interactivity, the role, and position in information exchange, and the role played by each participant in the collaboration. On the group level, we monitored interactivity and group cohesion indicators. Our monitoring uncovered a non-collaborative teacher-centered pattern of interactions in the three studied courses as well as very few interactions among students, limited information exchange or negotiation, and very limited student networks dominated by the teacher. An intervention based on SNA-generated insights was designed. The intervention was structured into five actions: increasing awareness, promoting collaboration, improving the content, preparing teachers, and finally practicing with feedback. Evaluation of the intervention revealed that it has significantly enhanced student-student interactions and teacher-student interactions, as well as produced a collaborative pattern of interactions among most students and teachers. Since efficient and communicative activities are essential prerequisites for successful content discussion and for realizing the goals of collaboration, we suggest that our SNA-based approach will positively affect teaching and learning in many educational domains. Our study offers a proof-of-concept of what SNA can add to the current tools for monitoring and supporting teaching and learning in higher education. PMID:29566058

How social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning and guide an informed intervention.

PubMed

Saqr, Mohammed; Fors, Uno; Tedre, Matti; Nouri, Jalal

2018-01-01

To ensure online collaborative learning meets the intended pedagogical goals (is actually collaborative and stimulates learning), mechanisms are needed for monitoring the efficiency of online collaboration. Various studies have indicated that social network analysis can be particularly effective in studying students' interactions in online collaboration. However, research in education has only focused on the theoretical potential of using SNA, not on the actual benefits they achieved. This study investigated how social network analysis can be used to monitor online collaborative learning, find aspects in need of improvement, guide an informed intervention, and assess the efficacy of intervention using an experimental, observational repeated-measurement design in three courses over a full-term duration. Using a combination of SNA-based visual and quantitative analysis, we monitored three SNA constructs for each participant: the level of interactivity, the role, and position in information exchange, and the role played by each participant in the collaboration. On the group level, we monitored interactivity and group cohesion indicators. Our monitoring uncovered a non-collaborative teacher-centered pattern of interactions in the three studied courses as well as very few interactions among students, limited information exchange or negotiation, and very limited student networks dominated by the teacher. An intervention based on SNA-generated insights was designed. The intervention was structured into five actions: increasing awareness, promoting collaboration, improving the content, preparing teachers, and finally practicing with feedback. Evaluation of the intervention revealed that it has significantly enhanced student-student interactions and teacher-student interactions, as well as produced a collaborative pattern of interactions among most students and teachers. Since efficient and communicative activities are essential prerequisites for successful content discussion and for realizing the goals of collaboration, we suggest that our SNA-based approach will positively affect teaching and learning in many educational domains. Our study offers a proof-of-concept of what SNA can add to the current tools for monitoring and supporting teaching and learning in higher education.

A Learning Analytics Methodology for Detecting Sentiment in Student Fora: A Case Study in Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kagklis, Vasileios; Karatrantou, Anthi; Tantoula, Maria; Panagiotakopoulos, Chris T.; Verykios, Vassilios S.

2015-01-01

Online fora have become not only one of the most popular communication tools in e-learning environments, but also one of the key factors of the learning process, especially in distance learning, as they can provide to the students involved, motivation for collaboration in order to achieve a common goal. The purpose of this study is to analyse data…

Determinants of College Students' Use of Online Collaborative Help-Seeking Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ding, Lu; Er, Erkan

2018-01-01

Research has noted the effectiveness of online tools (e.g., discussion boards) for supporting help seeking among class members. However, help seeking is not necessarily warranted via online learning tools because some factors (e.g., low Internet self-efficacy) may influence students' intention to use them. This study aims to identify the…

Ed Tech Experts Choose Top Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demski, Jennifer

2010-01-01

Ten years into the new century, people are still trying to find the web 2.0 tools that best facilitate collaboration--one of the fundamentals of 21st century learning. As the number of tools continues to grow, and fuzzy terms like "cloud computing," "hashtags," and "synchronous live platforms" are introduced into the lexicon daily, even the most…

Designing Tools for Reflection on Problem-Based Instruction and Problem-Based Instructional Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keefer, Matthew W.; Hui, Diane; RuffusDoerr, Amy Marie

2009-01-01

The objective of this research project into teacher education was to document the collaborative development and refection on teachers' tools in a problem-based learning (PBL) program. These results were then used to design materials and formats for the transmission of this teaching knowledge to less-experienced PBL teachers. The tools were…

Learning pathology using collaborative vs. individual annotation of whole slide images: a mixed methods trial.

PubMed

Sahota, Michael; Leung, Betty; Dowdell, Stephanie; Velan, Gary M

2016-12-12

Students in biomedical disciplines require understanding of normal and abnormal microscopic appearances of human tissues (histology and histopathology). For this purpose, practical classes in these disciplines typically use virtual microscopy, viewing digitised whole slide images in web browsers. To enhance engagement, tools have been developed to enable individual or collaborative annotation of whole slide images within web browsers. To date, there have been no studies that have critically compared the impact on learning of individual and collaborative annotations on whole slide images. Junior and senior students engaged in Pathology practical classes within Medical Science and Medicine programs participated in cross-over trials of individual and collaborative annotation activities. Students' understanding of microscopic morphology was compared using timed online quizzes, while students' perceptions of learning were evaluated using an online questionnaire. For senior medical students, collaborative annotation of whole slide images was superior for understanding key microscopic features when compared to individual annotation; whilst being at least equivalent to individual annotation for junior medical science students. Across cohorts, students agreed that the annotation activities provided a user-friendly learning environment that met their flexible learning needs, improved efficiency, provided useful feedback, and helped them to set learning priorities. Importantly, these activities were also perceived to enhance motivation and improve understanding. Collaborative annotation improves understanding of microscopic morphology for students with sufficient background understanding of the discipline. These findings have implications for the deployment of annotation activities in biomedical curricula, and potentially for postgraduate training in Anatomical Pathology.

Constraint-Referenced Analytics of Algebra Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Scot M.; White, Tobin F.

2016-01-01

The development of the constraint-referenced analytics tool for monitoring algebra learning activities presented here came from the desire to firstly, take a more quantitative look at student responses in collaborative algebra activities, and secondly, to situate those activities in a more traditional introductory algebra setting focusing on…

Collaborative Common Assessments: Teamwork. Instruction. Results.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erkens, Cassandra

2015-01-01

Explore the practical steps teacher teams must take to establish clear, comprehensive assessment systems that guide instruction and strengthen PLCs. This book has the capacity to reignite passion and energy assessment practices bring as tools to guide teaching and learning. Strengthen instructional agility in professional learning communities with…

Implementation of treat-to-target in rheumatoid arthritis through a Learning Collaborative: Rationale and design of the TRACTION trial.

PubMed

Solomon, Daniel H; Lee, Sara B; Zak, Agnes; Corrigan, Cassandra; Agosti, Jenifer; Bitton, Asaf; Harrold, Leslie; Losina, Elena; Lu, Bing; Pincus, Ted; Radner, Helga; Smolen, Josef; Katz, Jeffrey N; Fraenkel, Liana

2016-08-01

Treat-to-target (TTT) is a recommended strategy in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but various data sources suggest that its uptake in routine care in the US is suboptimal. Herein, we describe the design of a randomized controlled trial of a Learning Collaborative to facilitate implementation of TTT. We recruited 11 rheumatology sites from across the US and randomized them into the following two groups: one received the Learning Collaborative intervention in Phase 1 (month 1-9) and the second formed a wait-list control group to receive the intervention in Phase 2 (months 10-18). The Learning Collaborative intervention was designed using the Model for Improvement, consisting of a Change Package with corresponding principles and action phases. Phase 1 intervention practices had nine learning sessions, collaborated using a web-based tool, and shared results of plan-do-study-act cycles and monthly improvement metrics collected at each practice. The wait-list control group sites had no intervention during Phase 1. The primary trial outcome is the implementation of TTT as measured by chart review, comparing the differences from baseline to end of Phase 1, between intervention and control sites. All intervention sites remained engaged in the Learning Collaborative throughout Phase 1, with a total of 38 providers participating. The primary trial outcome measures are currently being collected by the study team through medical record review. If the Learning Collaborative is an effective means for improving implementation of TTT, this strategy could serve as a way of implementing disseminating TTT more widely. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using VoiceThread to Promote Collaborative Learning in On-Line Clinical Nurse Leader Courses.

PubMed

Fox, Ola H

The movement to advance the clinical nurse leader (CNL) as an innovative new role for meeting higher health care quality standards continues with CNL programs offered on-line at colleges and universities nationwide. Collaborative learning activities offer the opportunity for CNL students to gain experience in working together in small groups to negotiate and solve care process problems. The challenge for nurse educators is to provide collaborative learning activities in an asynchronous learning environment that can be considered isolating by default. This article reports on the experiences of 17 CNL students who used VoiceThread, a cloud-based tool that allowed them to communicate asynchronously with one another through voice comments for collaboration and sharing knowledge. Participants identified benefits and drawbacks to using VoiceThread for collaboration as compared to text-based discussion boards. Students reported that the ability to hear the voice of their peers and the instructor helped them feel like they were in a classroom communicating with "real" instructor and peers. Students indicated a preference for on-line classes that used VoiceThread discussions to on-line classes that used only text-based discussion boards. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrating the hospital library with patient care, teaching and research: model and Web 2.0 tools to create a social and collaborative community of clinical research in a hospital setting.

PubMed

Montano, Blanca San José; Garcia Carretero, Rafael; Varela Entrecanales, Manuel; Pozuelo, Paz Martin

2010-09-01

Research in hospital settings faces several difficulties. Information technologies and certain Web 2.0 tools may provide new models to tackle these problems, allowing for a collaborative approach and bridging the gap between clinical practice, teaching and research. We aim to gather a community of researchers involved in the development of a network of learning and investigation resources in a hospital setting. A multi-disciplinary work group analysed the needs of the research community. We studied the opportunities provided by Web 2.0 tools and finally we defined the spaces that would be developed, describing their elements, members and different access levels. WIKINVESTIGACION is a collaborative web space with the aim of integrating the management of all the hospital's teaching and research resources. It is composed of five spaces, with different access privileges. The spaces are: Research Group Space 'wiki for each individual research group', Learning Resources Centre devoted to the Library, News Space, Forum and Repositories. The Internet, and most notably the Web 2.0 movement, is introducing some overwhelming changes in our society. Research and teaching in the hospital setting will join this current and take advantage of these tools to socialise and improve knowledge management.

Learning motion concepts using real-time microcomputer-based laboratory tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornton, Ronald K.; Sokoloff, David R.

1990-09-01

Microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) tools have been developed which interface to Apple II and Macintosh computers. Students use these tools to collect physical data that are graphed in real time and then can be manipulated and analyzed. The MBL tools have made possible discovery-based laboratory curricula that embody results from educational research. These curricula allow students to take an active role in their learning and encourage them to construct physical knowledge from observation of the physical world. The curricula encourage collaborative learning by taking advantage of the fact that MBL tools present data in an immediately understandable graphical form. This article describes one of the tools—the motion detector (hardware and software)—and the kinematics curriculum. The effectiveness of this curriculum compared to traditional college and university methods for helping students learn basic kinematics concepts has been evaluated by pre- and post-testing and by observation. There is strong evidence for significantly improved learning and retention by students who used the MBL materials, compared to those taught in lecture.

LeaRN: A Collaborative Learning-Research Network for a WLCG Tier-3 Centre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez Calle, Elio

2011-12-01

The Department of Modern Physics of the University of Science and Technology of China is hosting a Tier-3 centre for the ATLAS experiment. A interdisciplinary team of researchers, engineers and students are devoted to the task of receiving, storing and analysing the scientific data produced by the LHC. In order to achieve the highest performance and to develop a knowledge base shared by all members of the team, the research activities and their coordination are being supported by an array of computing systems. These systems have been designed to foster communication, collaboration and coordination among the members of the team, both face-to-face and remotely, and both in synchronous and asynchronous ways. The result is a collaborative learning-research network whose main objectives are awareness (to get shared knowledge about other's activities and therefore obtain synergies), articulation (to allow a project to be divided, work units to be assigned and then reintegrated) and adaptation (to adapt information technologies to the needs of the group). The main technologies involved are Communication Tools such as web publishing, revision control and wikis, Conferencing Tools such as forums, instant messaging and video conferencing and Coordination Tools, such as time management, project management and social networks. The software toolkit has been deployed by the members of the team and it has been based on free and open source software.

Adaptation Patterns as a Conceptual Tool for Designing the Adaptive Operation of CSCL Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karakostas, Anastasios; Demetriadis, Stavros

2011-01-01

While adaptive collaboration support has become the focus of increasingly intense research efforts in the CSCL domain, scarce, however, remain the research-based evidence on pedagogically useful ideas on what and how to adapt during the collaborative learning activity. Based principally on two studies, this work presents a compilation of…

Using a Semantic Diagram to Structure a Collaborative Problem Solving Process in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cai, Huiying; Lin, Lin; Gu, Xiaoqing

2016-01-01

This study provides an in-depth look into the implementation process of visualization-based tools for structuring collaborative problem solving (CPS) in the classroom. A visualization-based learning platform--the semantic diagram for structuring CPS in a real classroom was designed and implemented. Metafora, the preliminary vehicle of the semantic…

Learning from Listservs: Collaboration, Knowledge Exchange, and the Formation of Distributed Leadership for Farmers' Markets and the Food Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quintana, Maclovia; Morales, Alfonso

2015-01-01

Computer-mediated communications, in particular listservs, can be powerful tools for creating social change--namely, shifting our food system to a more healthy, just, and localised model. They do this by creating the conditions--collaborations, interaction, self-reflection, and personal empowerment--that cultivate distributed leadership. In this…

Project RAILS: Lessons Learned about Rubric Assessment of Information Literacy Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belanger, Jackie; Zou, Ning; Mills, Jenny Rushing; Holmes, Claire; Oakleaf, Megan

2015-01-01

Rubric assessment of information literacy is an important tool for librarians seeking to show evidence of student learning. The authors, who collaborated on the Rubric Assessment of Informational Literacy Skills (RAILS) research project, draw from their shared experience to present practical recommendations for implementing rubric assessment in a…

Teacher Perceptions towards ICT Integration: Professional Development through Blended Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qasem, Arwa Ahmed Abdo; Viswanathappa, G.

2016-01-01

Integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into teaching and learning is a growing area that has attracted many educators' attention in recent years. Teachers need to be involved in collaborative projects and development of intervention change strategies, which include teaching partnerships with ICT as a tool. Teacher perceptions…

Integrating Social Media Technologies in Higher Education: Costs-Benefits Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okoro, Ephraim

2012-01-01

Social networking and electronic channels of communication are effective tools in the process of teaching and learning and have increasingly improved the quality of students' learning outcomes in higher education in recent years. The process encourages students' active engagement, collaboration, and participation in class activities and group…

Memory in the Information Age: New Tools for Second Language Acquisition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapin, Alex

2003-01-01

Describes a Middlebury College second language vocabulary learning database that goes well beyond flashcards, because it keeps track of what students learn. Discusses further expansion of the system through collaborative filtering software to establish learner profiles. A learner profile could then be used to create instructional materials just…

Whose Classroom Is It, Anyway? Improvisation as a Teaching Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berk, Ronald A.; Trieber, Rosalind H.

2009-01-01

Improvisational techniques derived from the experiences in improvisational theatre can be adapted for the college classroom to leverage the characteristics of the Net Generation, their multiple intelligences and learning styles, and the variety of collaborative learning activities already in place in a learner-centered environment. When…

The Building as the Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Craig

2009-01-01

Teachers educate. Architects design. Students learn. Each serves a specific, unique purpose. But what happens when the three collaborate to achieve a greater good? In the state of Washington, a school building that is, in itself, a learning tool for students, teachers and the community happened. A school building that inspires students and…

Wiki Laboratory Notebooks: Supporting Student Learning in Collaborative Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrie, Gwendolyn Angela; Grøndahl, Lisbeth; Boman, Simon; Andrews, Trish

2016-01-01

Recent examples of high-impact teaching practices in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory that include course-based undergraduate research experiences and inquiry-based experiments require new approaches to assessing individual student learning outcomes. Instructors require tools and strategies that can provide them with insight into individual…

Collaborating and Creating on Music Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dillon, Teresa

2003-01-01

Across all UK secondary school subject areas the proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has changed the nature of learning. Music education now includes the use of digital tools, such as programmable keyboards and computers, as key learning and music making instruments. Despite such usage there is relatively little…

Cybermentoring: Evolving High-End Video Conferencing Practices to Support Preservice Teacher Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Todd E.; Maring, Gerald H.; Doty, John H.; Fickle, Michelle

2006-01-01

This article is a descriptive study of an evolving cybermentoring videoconferencing practice and tool developed to support preservice teacher training. Cybermentoring projects are synchronous distance learning collaborations using high-end video conferencing to foster interactive learning and tutoring among preservice teachers and K-12 students,…

Using Cognitive Maps to Promote Self-Managed Learning in Online Communities of Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peacock, Susi; Cowan, John

2016-01-01

As online learners become more diverse and less well-prepared individually, particular help is required when transitioning into new, online learning environments, requiring engagement in collaborative, community-based educational activities. Cognitive maps provide one tool for tutors to support individuals in navigating the unfamiliar maze of…

Multiliteracies in Practice: Integrating Multimodal Production across the Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thibaut, Patricia; Curwood, Jen Scott

2018-01-01

Supported by ever-evolving digital tools and online spaces, we argue that multiliteracies can be used to close the gap between teacher-directed, individual, and assessment-driven learning, and authentic, shared, and purpose-driven learning. This is particularly evident through multimodal composition and collaboration in primary classrooms. Over…

Wiki Mass Authoring for Experiential Learning: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pardue, Harold; Landry, Jeffrey; Sweeney, Bob

2013-01-01

Web 2.0 services include sharing and collaborative technologies such as blogs, social networking sites, online office productivity tools, and wikis. Wikis are increasingly used for the design and implementation of pedagogy, for example to facilitate experiential learning. A U.S. government-funded project for system security risk assessment was…

Scaffolding Collaborative Reflective Writing in a VET Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boldrini, Elena; Cattaneo, Alberto

2014-01-01

Learning journal writing is an effective tool to foster the development of reflective capacity in the context of Vocational Education and Training (VET) if conceived as a collection of descriptions and reflections on real professional experiences. Reporting professional situations in a learning journal outside the workplace in turn fosters the…

An Insight into E-Collections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albert, Angeline Sheba; Navaraj, A. Johnson

2006-01-01

The present paper gives a brief introduction about E-collections. It discusses the e-books, e-journals, utility, features, advantages and issues for the development of e-collections. E-books will offer a rich learning experience, reinforced with audio, video, 3D animation and collaborative learning tools. E-journals on the other hand are…

Cheater or Collaborator?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakes, David

2009-01-01

As more social technologies and processes enter the classroom, new questions arise about how these tools and processes serve teaching and learning. Many have the potential to create dynamic learning environments. They also have the potential to cause distraction. In this article, the author describes one scenario that relates only to the social…

A Standard-Based Model for Adaptive E-Learning Platform for Mauritian Academic Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanaksabee, P.; Odit, M. P.; Ramdoyal, A.

2011-01-01

The key aim of this paper is to introduce a standard-based model for adaptive e-learning platform for Mauritian academic institutions and to investigate the conditions and tools required to implement this model. The main forces of the system are that it allows collaborative learning, communication among user, and reduce considerable paper work.…

The Use of a Wiki at a College in Hungary as a Tool to Enhance Personal Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asztalos, Réka

2014-01-01

Wikis have been extensively used in language teaching for collaborative writing. However, there are very few studies about wikis as holistic learning environments. To fill this niche, the present research project aimed to explore the potential of the wiki as a platform for knowledge building and personalized learning that may enhance lifelong…

Low Latency Audio Video: Potentials for Collaborative Music Making through Distance Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riley, Holly; MacLeod, Rebecca B.; Libera, Matthew

2016-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the potential of LOw LAtency (LOLA), a low latency audio visual technology designed to allow simultaneous music performance, as a distance learning tool for musical styles in which synchronous playing is an integral aspect of the learning process (e.g., jazz, folk styles). The secondary purpose was…

Supporting and structuring "contributing student pedagogy" in Computer Science curricula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falkner, Katrina; Falkner, Nickolas J. G.

2012-12-01

Contributing student pedagogy (CSP) builds upon social constructivist and community-based learning principles to create engaging and productive learning experiences. What makes CSP different from other, related, learning approaches is that it involves students both learning from and also explicitly valuing the contributions of other students. The creation of such a learning community builds upon established educational psychology that encourages deep learning, reflection and engagement. Our school has recently completed a review and update of its curriculum, incorporating student content-creation and collaboration into the design of key courses across the curriculum. Our experiences, based on several years of experimentation and development, support CSP-based curriculum design to reinforce the value of the student perspective, the clear description of their own transformative pathway to knowledge and the importance of establishing student-to-student networks in which students are active and willing participants. In this paper, we discuss the tools and approaches that we have employed to guide, support and structure student collaboration across a range of courses and year levels. By providing an account of our intentions, our approaches and tools, we hope to provide useful and transferrable knowledge that can be readily used by other academics who are considering this approach.

Development and Trialling of a Graduated Descriptors Tool for Australian Pharmacy Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stupans, Ieva; Owen, Susanne; McKauge, Leigh; Pont, Lisa; Ryan, Greg; Woulfe, Jim

2012-01-01

Profession-derived competency standards are key determinants for curriculum and assessment in many professional university programmes. An Australian Learning and Teaching Council funded project used a participatory action research approach to enable the collaborative development of a graduated (or incremental) descriptors tool related to…

Analyzing Online Teacher Networks: Cyber Networks Require Cyber Research Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlager, Mark S.; Farooq, Umer; Fusco, Judith; Schank, Patricia; Dwyer, Nathan

2009-01-01

The authors argue that conceptual and methodological limitations in existing research approaches severely hamper theory building and empirical exploration of teacher learning and collaboration through cyber-enabled networks. They conclude that new frameworks, tools, and techniques are needed to understand and maximize the benefits of teacher…

Identifying Information Behavior in Information Search and Retrieval through Learning Activities Using an E-learning Platform Case: Interamerican School of Library and Information Science at the University of Antioquia (Medellin-Colombia)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tirado, Alejandro Uribe; Munoz, Wilson Castano

2011-01-01

This text presents the future of librarian education as exemplified by the Interamerican School of Library and Information Science at the University of Antioquia (Medellin-Colombia), using an online learning platform-LMS (Moodle) and through different personalized and collaborative learning activities and tools that help students identify their…

Interweaving Meaning Generation in Science with Learning to Learn Together Processes Using Web 2.0 Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smyrnaiou, Zacharoula; Moustaki, Foteini; Yiannoutsou, Nikoleta; Kynigos, Chronis

2012-01-01

The literature of the science education does not offer much data concerning meaning generation (MG) and learning to learn together (L2L2) processes. The objective of this paper is the study of how a group of students working with an on-line Platform, interact, collaborate and express themselves to generate meanings with regard to moving in 3d…

The use of technology enhanced learning in health research capacity development: lessons from a cross country research partnership.

PubMed

Byrne, E; Donaldson, L; Manda-Taylor, L; Brugha, R; Matthews, A; MacDonald, S; Mwapasa, V; Petersen, M; Walsh, A

2016-05-10

With the recognition of the need for research capacity strengthening for advancing health and development, this research capacity article explores the use of technology enhanced learning in the delivery of a collaborative postgraduate blended Master's degree in Malawi. Two research questions are addressed: (i) Can technology enhanced learning be used to develop health research capacity?, and: (ii) How can learning content be designed that is transferrable across different contexts? An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was adopted for the evaluation of technology enhanced learning in the Masters programme. A number of online surveys were administered, student participation in online activities monitored and an independent evaluation of the programme conducted. Remote collaboration and engagement are paramount in the design of a blended learning programme and support was needed for selecting the most appropriate technical tools. Internet access proved problematic despite developing the content around low bandwidth availability and training was required for students and teachers/trainers on the tools used. Varying degrees of engagement with the tools used was recorded, and the support of a learning technologist was needed to navigate through challenges faced. Capacity can be built in health research through blended learning programmes. In relation to transferability, the support required institutionally for technology enhanced learning needs to be conceptualised differently from support for face-to-face teaching. Additionally, differences in pedagogical approaches and styles between institutions, as well as existing social norms and values around communication, need to be embedded in the content development if the material is to be used beyond the pilot resource-intensive phase of a project.

Using "get with the guidelines" to improve cardiovascular secondary prevention.

PubMed

LaBresh, Kenneth A; Gliklich, Richard; Liljestrand, James; Peto, Randolph; Ellrodt, A Gray

2003-10-01

"Get With The Guidelines (GWTG)" was developed and piloted by the American Heart Association (AHA), New England Affiliate; MassPRO, Inc.; and other organizations to reduce the gap in the application of secondary prevention guidelines in hospitalized cardiovascular disease patients. Collaborative learning programs and technology solutions were created for the project. The interactive Web-based patient management tool (PMT) was developed using quality measures derived from the AHA/American College of Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines. It provided data entry, embedded reminders and guideline summaries, and online reports of quality measure performance, including comparisons with the aggregate performance of all hospitals. Multidisciplinary teams from 24 hospitals participated in the 2000-2001 pilot. Four collaborative learning sessions and monthly conference calls supported team interaction. Best-practices sharing and the use of an Internet tool enabled hospitals to change systems and collect data on 1,738 patients. The GWTG program, a template of learning sessions with didactic presentations, best-practices sharing, and collaborative multidisciplinary team meetings supported by the Internet-based data collection and reporting system, can be extended to multiple regions without requiring additional development. Following the completion of the pilot, the AHA adopted GWTG as a national program.

The iPlant Collaborative: Cyberinfrastructure for Enabling Data to Discovery for the Life Sciences

PubMed Central

Merchant, Nirav; Lyons, Eric; Goff, Stephen; Vaughn, Matthew; Ware, Doreen; Micklos, David; Antin, Parker

2016-01-01

The iPlant Collaborative provides life science research communities access to comprehensive, scalable, and cohesive computational infrastructure for data management; identity management; collaboration tools; and cloud, high-performance, high-throughput computing. iPlant provides training, learning material, and best practice resources to help all researchers make the best use of their data, expand their computational skill set, and effectively manage their data and computation when working as distributed teams. iPlant’s platform permits researchers to easily deposit and share their data and deploy new computational tools and analysis workflows, allowing the broader community to easily use and reuse those data and computational analyses. PMID:26752627

Understanding social collaboration between actors and technology in an automated and digitised deep mining environment.

PubMed

Sanda, M-A; Johansson, J; Johansson, B; Abrahamsson, L

2011-10-01

The purpose of this article is to develop knowledge and learning on the best way to automate organisational activities in deep mines that could lead to the creation of harmony between the human, technical and the social system, towards increased productivity. The findings showed that though the introduction of high-level technological tools in the work environment disrupted the social relations developed over time amongst the employees in most situations, the technological tools themselves became substitute social collaborative partners to the employees. It is concluded that, in developing a digitised mining production system, knowledge of the social collaboration between the humans (miners) and the technology they use for their work must be developed. By implication, knowledge of the human's subject-oriented and object-oriented activities should be considered as an important integral resource for developing a better technological, organisational and human interactive subsystem when designing the intelligent automation and digitisation systems for deep mines. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: This study focused on understanding the social collaboration between humans and the technologies they use to work in underground mines. The learning provides an added knowledge in designing technologies and work organisations that could better enhance the human-technology interactive and collaborative system in the automation and digitisation of underground mines.

Collaborative mining of graph patterns from multiple sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levchuk, Georgiy; Colonna-Romanoa, John

2016-05-01

Intelligence analysts require automated tools to mine multi-source data, including answering queries, learning patterns of life, and discovering malicious or anomalous activities. Graph mining algorithms have recently attracted significant attention in intelligence community, because the text-derived knowledge can be efficiently represented as graphs of entities and relationships. However, graph mining models are limited to use-cases involving collocated data, and often make restrictive assumptions about the types of patterns that need to be discovered, the relationships between individual sources, and availability of accurate data segmentation. In this paper we present a model to learn the graph patterns from multiple relational data sources, when each source might have only a fragment (or subgraph) of the knowledge that needs to be discovered, and segmentation of data into training or testing instances is not available. Our model is based on distributed collaborative graph learning, and is effective in situations when the data is kept locally and cannot be moved to a centralized location. Our experiments show that proposed collaborative learning achieves learning quality better than aggregated centralized graph learning, and has learning time comparable to traditional distributed learning in which a knowledge of data segmentation is needed.

Using a collaborative Mobile Augmented Reality learning application (CoMARLA) to improve Improve Student Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanafi, Hafizul Fahri bin; Soh Said, Che; Hanee Ariffin, Asma; Azlan Zainuddin, Nur; Samsuddin, Khairulanuar

2016-11-01

This study was carried out to improve student learning in ICT course using a collaborative mobile augmented reality learning application (CoMARLA). This learning application was developed based on the constructivist framework that would engender collaborative learning environment, in which students could learn collaboratively using their mobile phones. The research design was based on the pretest posttest control group design. The dependent variable was students’ learning performance after learning, and the independent variables were learning method and gender. Students’ learning performance before learning was treated as the covariate. The sample of the study comprised 120 non-IT (non-technical) undergraduates, with the mean age of 19.5. They were randomized into two groups, namely the experimental and control group. The experimental group used CoMARLA to learn one of the topics of the ICT Literacy course, namely Computer System; whereas the control group learned using the conventional approach. The research instrument used was a set of multiple-choice questions pertaining to the above topic. Pretesting was carried out before the learning sessions, and posttesting was performed after 6 hours of learning. Using the SPSS, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was performed on the data. The analysis showed that there were main effects attributed to the learning method and gender. The experimental group outperformed the control group by almost 9%, and male students outstripped their opposite counterparts by as much as 3%. Furthermore, an interaction effect was also observed showing differential performances of male students based on the learning methods, which did not occur among female students. Hence, the tool can be used to help undergraduates learn with greater efficacy when contextualized in an appropriate setting.

A Multi-Collaborative Ambient Assisted Living Service Description Tool

PubMed Central

Falcó, Jorge L.; Vaquerizo, Esteban; Artigas, José Ignacio

2014-01-01

Collaboration among different stakeholders is a key factor in the design of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) environments and services. Throughout several AAL projects we have found repeated difficulties in this collaboration and have learned lessons by the experience of solving real situations. This paper highlights identified critical items for collaboration among technicians, users, company and institutional stakeholders and proposes as a communication tool for a project steering committee a service description tool which includes information from the different fields in comprehensible format for the others. It was first generated in the MonAMI project to promote understanding among different workgroups, proven useful there, and further tested later in some other smaller AAL projects. The concept of scalable service description has proven useful for understanding of different disciplines and for participatory decision making throughout the projects to adapt to singularities and partial successes or faults of each action. This paper introduces such tool, relates with existing methodologies in cooperation in AAL and describes it with a example to offer to AAL community. Further work on this tool will significantly improve results in user-centered design of sustainable services in AAL. PMID:24897409

Interactive Learning Modules: Enabling Near Real-Time Oceanographic Data Use In Undergraduate Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilb, D. L.; Fundis, A. T.; Risien, C. M.

2012-12-01

The focus of the Education and Public Engagement (EPE) component of the NSF's Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) is to provide a new layer of cyber-interactivity for undergraduate educators to bring near real-time data from the global ocean into learning environments. To accomplish this, we are designing six online services including: 1) visualization tools, 2) a lesson builder, 3) a concept map builder, 4) educational web services (middleware), 5) collaboration tools and 6) an educational resource database. Here, we report on our Fall 2012 release that includes the first four of these services: 1) Interactive visualization tools allow users to interactively select data of interest, display the data in various views (e.g., maps, time-series and scatter plots) and obtain statistical measures such as mean, standard deviation and a regression line fit to select data. Specific visualization tools include a tool to compare different months of data, a time series explorer tool to investigate the temporal evolution of select data parameters (e.g., sea water temperature or salinity), a glider profile tool that displays ocean glider tracks and associated transects, and a data comparison tool that allows users to view the data either in scatter plot view comparing one parameter with another, or in time series view. 2) Our interactive lesson builder tool allows users to develop a library of online lesson units, which are collaboratively editable and sharable and provides starter templates designed from learning theory knowledge. 3) Our interactive concept map tool allows the user to build and use concept maps, a graphical interface to map the connection between concepts and ideas. This tool also provides semantic-based recommendations, and allows for embedding of associated resources such as movies, images and blogs. 4) Education web services (middleware) will provide an educational resource database API.

The Effectiveness of Using Teacher-Teacher Wikis in Collaborative Lesson Planning and Its Impact on Teacher's Classroom Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Shareef, Samar Yahya; Al-Qarni, Reem Ali

2016-01-01

The paper highlights the main aspects and characteristic features of teacher-teacher Wikis, which are considered to be the most effective teaching and learning tools. The research studies the effectiveness of using Wikis by teachers during collaborative lesson planning. It also traces the impact of teacher-teacher Wikis on the teachers'…

Teaching with technology: free Web resources for teaching and learning.

PubMed

Wink, Diane M; Smith-Stoner, Marilyn

2011-01-01

In this bimonthly series, the department editor examines how nurse educators can use Internet and Web-based computer technologies such as search, communication, collaborative writing tools; social networking, and social bookmarking sites; virtual worlds; and Web-based teaching and learning programs. In this article, the department editor and her coauthor describe free Web-based resources that can be used to support teaching and learning.

Collaborative Learning with Web 2.0 Tools: Analysing Malaysian Students' Perceptions and Peer Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leow, Fui Theng; Neo, Mai

2015-01-01

Today, ICT, web resources and multimedia contents have become prevalent in Malaysian university classrooms; hence, the learning approaches need to be redesigned for enabling students to use these technologies in co-constructing new meaning. This study analyses student's perception and their peer interaction in the constructivist-collaborative…

The Virtual Campus: Trends for Higher Education and Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verdejo, Felisa, Ed.; Davies, Gordon, Ed.

This volume presents 27 papers given at a conference on the virtual campus. Papers are grouped into five parts: (1) keynote presentations, (2) global approaches, (3) evaluation studies, (4) collaborative learning and group activities, and (5) web tools and web applications. The papers are: "New Wine and Old Bottles? Tele-learning, Telematics,…

Engage, Enhance, and Extend Learning!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keren-Kolb, Liz

2013-01-01

Educators often say that technology is more than a gimmick or add-on, and that it should engage, enhance, or extend learning in ways that traditional tools do not. Yet they seldom stop to define these terms, and they can be confusing, especially for teachers and preservice teachers. Recently, while collaborating on an English language arts and…

The Benefits & Drawbacks of Integrating Cloud Computing and Interactive Whiteboards in Teacher Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blue, Elfreda; Tirotta, Rose

2011-01-01

Twenty-first century technology has changed the way tools are used to support and enhance learning and instruction. Cloud computing and interactive white boards, make it possible for learners to interact, simulate, collaborate, and document learning experiences and real world problem-solving. This article discusses how various technologies (blogs,…

Social Networking: A Collaborative Open Educational Resource

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toetenel, Lisette

2014-01-01

Studies undertaken since the introduction of Web 2.0 have focussed mainly on open educational resources (OERs) such as email, blogging and virtual learning environments. No consistent efforts have been undertaken to study the use of social networking sites as a tool for learning in the second language classroom. This study examined the use of…

Development of Interactive and Reflective Learning among Malaysian Online Distant Learners: An ESL Instructor's Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murugaiah, Puvaneswary; Thang, Siew Ming

2010-01-01

Technology has brought tremendous advancements in online education, spurring transformations in online pedagogical practices. Online learning in the past was passive, using the traditional teacher-centred approach. However, with the tools available today, it can be active, collaborative, and meaningful. A well-developed task can impel learners to…

Strategic Tooling: Technology for Constructing a Community of Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Penny; Vogler, Jane S.; Xiu, Ying

2017-01-01

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework describes online learning as a collaborative process supported by social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence, which work together to facilitate critical thinking and learning. The technology used in an online class can facilitate a CoI when its features support, rather than constrain,…

Tools for School: Student Fluency and Perception of Cell Phones Used for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humble-Thaden, Mary Beth

2012-01-01

Technology is changing the way society interacts, communicates, collaborates, and learns. Improved cell phone capabilities and an ever increasing amount of cell phone applications allow individuals to connect globally and afford almost instantaneous access to information inside and outside the classroom. The majority of students today possesses…

Pre-Teens' Informal Learning with ICT and Web 2.0

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Rebecca; Faulkner, Dorothy; Whitelock, Denise; Sheehy, Kieron

2015-01-01

Information and communication technology (ICT) and Web 2.0 have the potential to impact on learning by supporting inquiry, literacies, collaboration and publication. Restrictions on the use of these tools within schools, primarily due to concerns about discipline and child safety, make it difficult to make full use of this potential in formal…

Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning: An Online Wiki Experience in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biasutti, Michele; EL-Deghaidy, Heba

2015-01-01

In the current research study the use of Wikis as an online didactic tool to apply project-based learning in higher education was reported. The study was conducted in university teacher education programmes. During the online activities, participants developed interdisciplinary projects for the primary school working collaboratively in small…

A Better Way to Measure: New Survey Tool Gives Educators a Clear Picture of Professional Learning's Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blank, Rolf K.

2010-01-01

Just when educators are learning more about what constitutes effective professional development, a collaborative team of education researchers and practitioners have developed, tested, and implemented a cost-effective method of measuring and reporting on the quality of teacher professional development. The teacher professional development analysis…

An Embedded Systems Course for Engineering Students Using Open-Source Platforms in Wireless Scenarios

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez-Sanchez, M. C.; Torrado-Carvajal, Angel; Vaquero, Joaquin; Borromeo, Susana; Hernandez-Tamames, Juan A.

2016-01-01

This paper presents a case study analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of using project-based learning (PBL) combined with collaborative learning (CL) and industry best practices, integrated with information communication technologies, open-source software, and open-source hardware tools, in a specialized microcontroller and embedded systems…

Transforming the Classroom for Collaborative Learning in the 21st Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christen, Amy

2009-01-01

Today's hyper-connected students live in a world of instant interpersonal communications and virtually infinite access to information and educational resources. But this networked world, and the powerful learning tools it offers, has yet to penetrate the typical classroom. In many ways educational institutions are spinning their curricular wheels,…

Scratch Nights and Hash-Tag Chats: Creative Tools to Enhance Choreography in the Higher Education Dance Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelsey, Louise; Uytterhoeven, Lise

2017-01-01

This paper reports on a focused collaborative learning and teaching research project between the Dance Department at Middlesex University and partner institution London Studio Centre. Informed by Belinda Allen's research on creative curriculum design, dance students and lecturers shared innovative learning opportunities to enhance the development…

Promoting Active Learning in Technology-Infused TILE Classrooms at the University of Iowa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Horne, Sam; Murniati, Cecilia; Gaffney, Jon D. H.; Jesse, Maggie

2012-01-01

In this case study, the authors describe the successful implementation of technology-infused TILE classrooms at the University of Iowa. A successful collaboration among campus units devoted to instructional technologies and teacher development, the TILE Initiative has provided instructors with a new set of tools to support active learning. The…

Developing Classroom Web Sites for 21st Century Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tingen, Jennifer; Philbeck, Lauren; Holcomb, Lori B.

2011-01-01

Classroom Web sites have the potential to support and enhance student learning by targeting 21st century skills, such as collaboration among teachers, students, parents, and other teachers, media literacy, and interpersonal and self-directional skills, as well as thinking and problem-solving skills. Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, vokis, and podcasts…

Investigating 6th graders' use of a tablet-based app supporting synchronous use of multiple tools designed to promote collaborative knowledge building in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherwood, Carrie-Anne

At this pivotal moment in time, when the proliferation of mobile technologies in our daily lives is influencing the relatively fast integration of these technologies into classrooms, there is little known about the process of student learning, and the role of collaboration, with app-based learning environments on mobile devices. To address this gap, this dissertation, comprised of three manuscripts, investigated three pairs of sixth grade students' synchronous collaborative use of a tablet-based science app called WeInvestigate . The first paper illustrated the methodological decisions necessary to conduct the study of student synchronous and face-to-face collaboration and knowledge building within the complex WeInvestigate and classroom learning environments. The second paper provided the theory of collaboration that guided the design of supports in WeInvestigate, and described its subsequent development. The third paper detailed the interactions between pairs of students as they engaged collaboratively in model construction and explanation tasks using WeInvestigate, hypothesizing connections between these interactions and the designed supports for collaboration. Together, these manuscripts provide encouraging evidence regarding the potential of teaching and learning with WeInvestigate. Findings demonstrated that the students in this study learned science through WeInvestigate , and were supported by the app - particularly the collabrification - to engage in collaborative modeling of phenomena. The findings also highlight the potential of the multiple methods used in this study to understand students' face-to-face and technology-based interactions within the "messy" context of an app-based learning environment and a traditional K-12 classroom. However, as the third manuscript most clearly illustrates, there are still a number of modifications to be made to the WeInvestigate technology before it can be optimally used in classrooms to support students' collaborative science endeavors. The findings presented in this dissertation contribute in theoretical, methodological, and applied ways to the fields of science education, educational technology, and the learning sciences, and point to exciting possibilities for future research on students' collaborations using future iterations of WeInvestigate with more embedded supports; comparative studies of students' use of synchronous collaboration; and studies focused on elucidating the role of the teacher using WeInvestigate - and similar mobile platforms - for teaching and learning.

Promoting information literacy through collaborative service learning in an undergraduate research course.

PubMed

Janke, Robert; Pesut, Barbara; Erbacker, Lynnelle

2012-11-01

Information literacy is an important foundation for evidence-based nursing practice. Librarians, the experts in information literacy, are important collaborators in the process of teaching nursing students information literacy skills. In this article we describe a service learning project, offered in a third year nursing research course, designed to teach information literacy and to enhance students' appreciation of the role of evidence in nursing practice. Students worked in groups, and under the guidance of a nursing instructor and librarian, to answer a question posed by practice-based partners. Through the project students learned essential skills of refining a question, identifying systematic search strategies, gleaning essential information from a study and using a bibliographic management tool. Evaluation of the project indicated that although the project was challenging and labour intensive students felt they learned important skills for their future practice. Several recommendations for further enhancing the collaboration are made. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Belle2VR: A Virtual-Reality Visualization of Subatomic Particle Physics in the Belle II Experiment.

PubMed

Duer, Zach; Piilonen, Leo; Glasson, George

2018-05-01

Belle2VR is an interactive virtual-reality visualization of subatomic particle physics, designed by an interdisciplinary team as an educational tool for learning about and exploring subatomic particle collisions. This article describes the tool, discusses visualization design decisions, and outlines our process for collaborative development.

Creating collaborative learning environments for transforming primary care practices now.

PubMed

Miller, William L; Cohen-Katz, Joanne

2010-12-01

The renewal of primary care waits just ahead. The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) movement and a refreshing breeze of collaboration signal its arrival with demonstration projects and pilots appearing across the country. An early message from this work suggests that the development of collaborative, cross-disciplinary teams may be essential for the success of the PCMH. Our focus in this article is on training existing health care professionals toward being thriving members of this transformed clinical care team in a relationship-centered PCMH. Our description of the optimal conditions for collaborative training begins with delineating three types of teams and how they relate to levels of collaboration. We then describe how to create a supportive, safe learning environment for this type of training, using a different model of professional socialization, and tools for building culture. Critical skills related to practice development and the cross-disciplinary collaborative processes are also included. Despite significant obstacles in readying current clinicians to be members of thriving collaborative teams, a few next steps toward implementing collaborative training programs for existing professionals are possible using competency-based and adult learning approaches. Grasping the long awaited arrival of collaborative primary health care will also require delivery system and payment reform. Until that happens, there is an abundance of work to be done envisioning new collaborative training programs and initiating a nation-wide effort to motivate and reeducate our colleagues. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Multiagent cooperation and competition with deep reinforcement learning.

PubMed

Tampuu, Ardi; Matiisen, Tambet; Kodelja, Dorian; Kuzovkin, Ilya; Korjus, Kristjan; Aru, Juhan; Aru, Jaan; Vicente, Raul

2017-01-01

Evolution of cooperation and competition can appear when multiple adaptive agents share a biological, social, or technological niche. In the present work we study how cooperation and competition emerge between autonomous agents that learn by reinforcement while using only their raw visual input as the state representation. In particular, we extend the Deep Q-Learning framework to multiagent environments to investigate the interaction between two learning agents in the well-known video game Pong. By manipulating the classical rewarding scheme of Pong we show how competitive and collaborative behaviors emerge. We also describe the progression from competitive to collaborative behavior when the incentive to cooperate is increased. Finally we show how learning by playing against another adaptive agent, instead of against a hard-wired algorithm, results in more robust strategies. The present work shows that Deep Q-Networks can become a useful tool for studying decentralized learning of multiagent systems coping with high-dimensional environments.

Multiagent cooperation and competition with deep reinforcement learning

PubMed Central

Kodelja, Dorian; Kuzovkin, Ilya; Korjus, Kristjan; Aru, Juhan; Aru, Jaan; Vicente, Raul

2017-01-01

Evolution of cooperation and competition can appear when multiple adaptive agents share a biological, social, or technological niche. In the present work we study how cooperation and competition emerge between autonomous agents that learn by reinforcement while using only their raw visual input as the state representation. In particular, we extend the Deep Q-Learning framework to multiagent environments to investigate the interaction between two learning agents in the well-known video game Pong. By manipulating the classical rewarding scheme of Pong we show how competitive and collaborative behaviors emerge. We also describe the progression from competitive to collaborative behavior when the incentive to cooperate is increased. Finally we show how learning by playing against another adaptive agent, instead of against a hard-wired algorithm, results in more robust strategies. The present work shows that Deep Q-Networks can become a useful tool for studying decentralized learning of multiagent systems coping with high-dimensional environments. PMID:28380078

Algorithm Building and Learning Programming Languages Using a New Educational Paradigm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Anshul K.; Singhal, Manik; Gupta, Manu Sheel

2011-08-01

This research paper presents a new concept of using a single tool to associate syntax of various programming languages, algorithms and basic coding techniques. A simple framework has been programmed in Python that helps students learn skills to develop algorithms, and implement them in various programming languages. The tool provides an innovative and a unified graphical user interface for development of multimedia objects, educational games and applications. It also aids collaborative learning amongst students and teachers through an integrated mechanism based on Remote Procedure Calls. The paper also elucidates an innovative method for code generation to enable students to learn the basics of programming languages using drag-n-drop methods for image objects.

Using the Social Web to Supplement Classical Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trausan-Matu, Stefan; Posea, Vlad; Rebedea, Traian; Chiru, Costin

The paper describes a complex e-learning experiment that has involved over 700 students that attended the Human-Computer Interaction course at the “Politehnica” University of Bucharest during the last 4 years. The experiment consisted in using social web technologies like blogs and chat conferences to engage students in collaborative learning. The paper presents the learning scenario, the problems encountered and the tools developed for solving these problems and assisting tutors in evaluating the activity of the students. The results of the experiment and of using the blog and chat analysis tools are also covered. Moreover, we show the benefits of using such a scenario for the learning community formed by the students that attended this course in order to supplement the classical teaching and learning paradigm.

Blending problem-based learning with Web technology positively impacts student learning outcomes in acid-base physiology.

PubMed

Taradi, Suncana Kukolja; Taradi, Milan; Radic, Kresimir; Pokrajac, Niksa

2005-03-01

World Wide Web (Web)-based learning (WBL), problem-based learning (PBL), and collaborative learning are at present the most powerful educational options in higher education. A blended (hybrid) course combines traditional face-to-face and WBL approaches in an educational environment that is nonspecific as to time and place. To provide educational services for an undergraduate second-year elective course in acid-base physiology, a rich, student-centered educational Web-environment designed to support PBL was created by using Web Course Tools courseware. The course is designed to require students to work in small collaborative groups using problem solving activities to develop topic understanding. The aim of the study was to identify the impact of the blended WBL-PBL-collaborative learning environment on student learning outcomes. Student test scores and satisfaction survey results from a blended WBL-PBL-based test group (n = 37) were compared with a control group whose instructional opportunities were from a traditional in-class PBL model (n = 84). WBL students scored significantly (t = 3.3952; P = 0.0009) better on the final acid-base physiology examination and expressed a positive attitude to the new learning environment in the satisfaction survey. Expressed in terms of a difference effect, the mean of the treated group (WBL) is at the 76th percentile of the untreated (face-to-face) group, which stands for a "medium" effect size. Thus student progress in the blended WBL-PBL collaborative environment was positively affected by the use of technology.

Utilising a Collaborative Macro-Script to Enhance Student Engagement: A Mixed Method Study in a 3D Virtual Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouta, Hara; Retalis, Symeon; Paraskeva, Fotini

2012-01-01

This study examines the effect of using an online 3D virtual environment in teaching Mathematics in Primary Education. In particular, it explores the extent to which student engagement--behavioral, affective and cognitive--is fostered by such tools in order to enhance collaborative learning. For the study we used a purpose-created 3D virtual…

Current Capabilities, Issues, and Trends in LMSs and Authoring Tools

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-18

architecture  Embedded best-practice design principles  Support for immersive learning technologies  Support for social media 8 LMSs LMS Functionality is... Learning System Multimedia content Application demos VOIP Real-time Collaboration technologies from Adobe Connect Pro, WebEx, LiveMeeting, & Centra...ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Advanced Decision Learning (ADL),ADL Co-Lab,1901 N. Beauregard Street Suite 600,Alexandria,VA,22311 8

Social Networking and Pedagogical Variations: An Integrated Approach for Effective Interpersonal and Group Communications Skills Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okoro, Ephraim

2012-01-01

Electronic communication and social networking are effective and useful tools in the process of teaching and learning and have increasingly improved the quality of students' learning outcomes in higher education in recent years. The system encourages and supports students' active engagement, collaboration, and participation in class activities and…

Using a Corporate Partnership to Enhance Learning in a Sourcing Negotiation Role-play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartley, Janet L.; Eboch, Karen; Gilberg, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Although role-plays can be effective teaching tools for buyer-supplier negotiation, learning can be somewhat limited because typically novices are negotiating with each other. We describe how we collaborated with a corporate partner, CACI International, to develop and implement a repeatable sourcing and negotiation role-play that helps to address…

The Analysis of the Blogs Created in a Blended Course through the Reflective Thinking Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dos, Bulent; Demir, Servet

2013-01-01

Blogs have evolved from simple online diaries to communication tools with the capacity to engage people in collaboration, knowledge sharing, reflection and debate. Blog archives can be a source of information about student learning, providing a basis for ongoing feedback and redesign of learning activities. Previous studies show that blogs can…

NEEDS (The National Engineering Education Delivery System): If We Build It (According to Standards) They Will Come!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saylor, John M.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is providing funds for coalitions of engineering educational institutions to improve the quality of undergraduate engineering education. A hypothesis that is being tested is that people can learn better in environments that allow self-paced and/or collaborative learning. The main tools for providing this…

Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts--Collaborative Knowledge Building Tools in a Design and Technology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandra, Vinesh; Chalmers, Christina

2010-01-01

Design and Technology has become an important part of the school curriculum. In Queensland, Australia, Technology (which encompasses Design) is one of the Key Learning Areas (KLAs) for students in the first ten years of schooling. This KLA adopts a student-centred, hands-on constructivist approach to teaching and learning. The ability to…

Knowledge-Building Quality in Online Communities of Practice: Focusing on Learning Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sorensen, Elsebeth K.; Takle, Eugene S.; Moser, Heather M.

2006-01-01

This paper reports on a case study on the implementation of "language games" as a pedagogical tool for analyzing, assessing and promoting the quality and the level of collaborative knowledge building in online learning dialogues. Part of the overall objective is to explore the use, strength, weaknesses, and limitations of using the…

Smartphone Apps in Education: Students Create Videos to Teach Smartphone Use as Tool for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, Kara; Murphy, Amanda

2016-01-01

Smartphones are regular classroom accessories. Educators should work with children to understand the capacity of smartphones for learning and civic engagement, rather than being a classroom distraction. This research supports a collaborative project the authors engaged in with students in two states to discover what the perception of smartphone…

Collaborating with Digital Tools and Peers in Medical Education: Cases and Simulations as Interventions in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helle, Laura; Saljo, Roger

2012-01-01

Medical education has pioneered educational innovation in higher education as exemplified by the problem-based learning (PBL) movement. A multitude of reviews and meta-analyses indicate that the PBL movement has been successful in many ways. Innovations in medical education, however, are not limited to curricular reform and interactive…

"Can You Hear Me, Hanoi?" Compensatory Mechanisms Employed in Synchronous Net-Based English Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Una; Fagersten, Kristy Beers; Holmsten, Elin

2010-01-01

At Dalarna University, Sweden, modes of communication are offered at many points of Kenning's continuum with a web-based learning platform, including asynchronous document exchange and collaborative writing tools, e-mail, recorded lectures in various formats, live streamed lectures with the possibility of text questions to the lecturer in real…

Online Problem-Based Learning in Postgraduate Medical Education--Content Analysis of Reflection Comments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Maria L.; Salmoni, Alan J.

2008-01-01

We developed the Med-e-Conference, an online tool to teach clinical skills to medical students, which integrated problem-based learning with collaborative group tasks. The final task asked students to consider what they had done (reflection). These comments were analysed using content analysis, and 10 themes were elicited. The number of agreements…

A Formative Evaluation of WIKI's as a Learning Tool in a Face to Face Juvenile Justice Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Scott Wm.

2013-01-01

Current literature indicates an increased pedagogical value of technology integration in university coursework. One form of technology that encourages collaborative, online teaching and learning is a "wiki," an online application that allows participants to partner and direct a website. This article describes the design and formative evaluation of…

Designing a Self-Contained Group Area Network for Ubiquitous Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Nian-Shing; Kinshuk; Wei, Chun-Wang; Yang, Stephen J. H.

2008-01-01

A number of studies have evidenced that handheld devices are appropriate tools to facilitate face-to-face collaborative learning effectively because of the possibility of ample social interactions. Group Area Network, or GroupNet, proposed in this paper, uses handheld devices to fill the gap between Local Area Network and Body Area Network.…

Information Infrastructure, Information Environments, and Long-Term Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, K. S.; Pennington, D. D.

2009-12-01

Information infrastructure that supports collaborative science is a complex system of people, organizational arrangements, and tools that require co-management. Contemporary studies are exploring how to establish and characterize effective collaborative information environments. Collaboration depends on the flow of information across the human and technical system components through mechanisms that create linkages, both conceptual and technical. This transcends the need for requirements solicitation and usability studies, highlighting synergistic interactions between humans and technology that can lead to emergence of group level cognitive properties. We consider the ramifications of placing priority on establishing new metaphors and new types of learning environments located near-to-data-origin for the field sciences. In addition to changes in terms of participant engagement, there are implications in terms of innovative contributions to the design of information systems and data exchange. While data integration occurs in the minds of individual participants, it may be facilitated by collaborative thinking and community infrastructure. Existing learning frameworks - from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to organizational learning - require modification and extension if effective approaches to decentralized information management and systems design are to emerge. Case studies relating to data integration include ecological community projects: development of cross-disciplinary conceptual maps and of a community unit registry.

An Ambient Awareness Tool for Supporting Supervised Collaborative Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alavi, H. S.; Dillenbourg, P.

2012-01-01

We describe an ambient awareness tool, named "Lantern", designed for supporting the learning process in recitation sections, (i.e., when students work in small teams on the exercise sets with the help of tutors). Each team is provided with an interactive lamp that displays their work status: the exercise they are working on, if they have…

Supporting Collaborative Learning and E-Discussions Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaren, Bruce M.; Scheuer, Oliver; Miksatko, Jan

2010-01-01

An emerging trend in classrooms is the use of networked visual argumentation tools that allow students to discuss, debate, and argue with one another in a synchronous fashion about topics presented by a teacher. These tools are aimed at teaching students how to discuss and argue, important skills not often taught in traditional classrooms. But how…

The Effects of the Coordination Support on Shared Mental Models and Coordinated Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hyunsong; Kim, Dongsik

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of coordination support (tool support and tutor support) on the development of shared mental models (SMMs) and coordinated action in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment. Eighteen students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, including the tool condition, the…

Making clinical case-based learning in veterinary medicine visible: analysis of collaborative concept-mapping processes and reflections.

PubMed

Khosa, Deep K; Volet, Simone E; Bolton, John R

2014-01-01

The value of collaborative concept mapping in assisting students to develop an understanding of complex concepts across a broad range of basic and applied science subjects is well documented. Less is known about students' learning processes that occur during the construction of a concept map, especially in the context of clinical cases in veterinary medicine. This study investigated the unfolding collaborative learning processes that took place in real-time concept mapping of a clinical case by veterinary medical students and explored students' and their teacher's reflections on the value of this activity. This study had two parts. The first part investigated the cognitive and metacognitive learning processes of two groups of students who displayed divergent learning outcomes in a concept mapping task. Meaningful group differences were found in their level of learning engagement in terms of the extent to which they spent time understanding and co-constructing knowledge along with completing the task at hand. The second part explored students' and their teacher's views on the value of concept mapping as a learning and teaching tool. The students' and their teacher's perceptions revealed congruent and contrasting notions about the usefulness of concept mapping. The relevance of concept mapping to clinical case-based learning in veterinary medicine is discussed, along with directions for future research.

Using wikis to investigate communication, collaboration and engagement in Capstone engineering design projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berthoud, L.; Gliddon, J.

2018-03-01

In today's global Aerospace industry, virtual workspaces are commonly used for collaboration between geographically distributed multidisciplinary teams. This study investigated the use of wikis to look at communication, collaboration and engagement in 'Capstone' team design projects at the end of an engineering degree. Wikis were set up for teams of engineering students from different disciplinary backgrounds and years. The students' perception of the usefulness of the tool were surveyed and the user contribution statistics and content categorisation were analysed for a case study wiki. Recommendations and lessons learned for the deployment of wikis are provided for interested academic staff from other institutions. Wikis were found to be of limited use to investigate levels of communication and collaboration in this study, but may be of interest in other contexts. Wikis were considered a potentially useful tool to track engagement for Capstone design projects in engineering subjects.

Envisioning the future of wildlife in a changing climate: Collaborative learning for adaptation planning

USGS Publications Warehouse

LeDee, Olivia E.; Karasov, W.H.; Martin, Karl J.; Meyer, Michael W.; Ribic, Christine; Van Deelen, Timothy R.

2011-01-01

Natural resource managers are tasked with assessing the impacts of climate change on conservation targets and developing adaptation strategies to meet agency goals. The complex, transboundary nature of climate change demands the collaboration of scientists, managers, and stakeholders in this effort. To share, integrate, and apply knowledge from these diverse perspectives, we must engage in social learning. In 2009, we initiated a process to engage university researchers and agency scientists and managers in collaborative learning to assess the impacts of climate change on terrestrial fauna in the state of Wisconsin, USA. We constructed conceptual Bayesian networks to depict the influence of climate change, key biotic and abiotic factors, and existing stressors on the distribution and abundance of 3 species: greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus), and Karner blue butterfly (Plebejus melissa samuelis). For each species, we completed a 2-stage expert review that elicited dialogue on information gaps, management opportunities, and research priorities. From our experience, collaborative network modeling proved to be a powerful tool to develop a common vision of the potential impacts of climate change on conservation targets.

Inter-institutional Development of a Poster-Based Cancer Biology Learning Tool

PubMed Central

Andraos-Selim, Cecile; Modzelewski, Ruth A.; Steinman, Richard A.

2010-01-01

There is a paucity of African-American Cancer researchers. To help address this, an educational collaboration was developed between a Comprehensive Cancer Center and a distant undergraduate biology department at a minority institution that sought to teach students introductory cancer biology while modeling research culture. A student-centered active learning curriculum was established that incorporated scientific poster presentations and simulated research exercises to foster learning of cancer biology. Students successfully mined primary literature for supportive data to test cancer-related hypotheses. Student feedback indicated that the poster project substantially enhanced depth of understanding of cancer biology and laid the groundwork for subsequent laboratory work. This inter-institutional collaboration modeled the research process while conveying facts and concepts about cancer. PMID:20237886

Perceptions of the roles of social networking in simulation augmented medical education and training.

PubMed

Martin, Rob; Rojas, David; Cheung, Jeffrey J H; Weber, Bryce; Kapralos, Bill; Dubrowski, Adam

2013-01-01

Simulation-augmented education and training (SAET) is an expensive educational tool that may be facilitated through social networking technologies or Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). This study examined the perceptions of medical undergraduates participating in SAET for knot tying skills to identify perceptions and barriers to implementation of social networking technologies within a broader medical education curriculum. The majority of participants (89%) found CSCL aided their learning of the technical skill and identified privacy and accessibility as major barriers to the tools implementation.

I Learnt a Whole Lot More than Churning out an Essay: Using Online Tools to Support Critical Collaborative Inquiry in a Blended Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khoo, Elaine; Johnson, E. Marcia; Zahra, Anne

2012-01-01

This paper reports on a qualitative case study of a teacher and her students in a postgraduate Tourism course in New Zealand in which a learning management system, discussion forums, and wikis were used to facilitate student engagement and deeper learning of course content. Although the teacher was experienced in face-to-face teaching contexts,…

Creativity and Collaboration: Using CALL to Facilitate International Collaboration for Online Journalism at a Model United Nations Event

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheehan, Mark D.; Thorpe, Todd; Dunn, Robert

2015-01-01

Much has been gained over the years in various educational fields that have taken advantage of CALL. In many cases, CALL has facilitated learning and provided teachers and students access to materials and tools that would have remained out of reach were it not for technology. Nonetheless, there are still cases where a lack of funding or access to…

Tools and collaborative environments for bioinformatics research

PubMed Central

Giugno, Rosalba; Pulvirenti, Alfredo

2011-01-01

Advanced research requires intensive interaction among a multitude of actors, often possessing different expertise and usually working at a distance from each other. The field of collaborative research aims to establish suitable models and technologies to properly support these interactions. In this article, we first present the reasons for an interest of Bioinformatics in this context by also suggesting some research domains that could benefit from collaborative research. We then review the principles and some of the most relevant applications of social networking, with a special attention to networks supporting scientific collaboration, by also highlighting some critical issues, such as identification of users and standardization of formats. We then introduce some systems for collaborative document creation, including wiki systems and tools for ontology development, and review some of the most interesting biological wikis. We also review the principles of Collaborative Development Environments for software and show some examples in Bioinformatics. Finally, we present the principles and some examples of Learning Management Systems. In conclusion, we try to devise some of the goals to be achieved in the short term for the exploitation of these technologies. PMID:21984743

Encrypted Objects and Decryption Processes: Problem-Solving with Functions in a Learning Environment Based on Cryptography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Tobin

2009-01-01

This paper introduces an applied problem-solving task, set in the context of cryptography and embedded in a network of computer-based tools. This designed learning environment engaged students in a series of collaborative problem-solving activities intended to introduce the topic of functions through a set of linked representations. In a…

An e-Learning Collaborative Filtering Approach to Suggest Problems to Solve in Programming Online Judges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toledo, Raciel Yera; Mota, Yailé Caballero

2014-01-01

The paper proposes a recommender system approach to cover online judge's domains. Online judges are e-learning tools that support the automatic evaluation of programming tasks done by individual users, and for this reason they are usually used for training students in programming contest and for supporting basic programming teachings. The…

Teaching Knowledge Management by Combining Wikis and Screen Capture Videos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makkonen, Pekka; Siakas, Kerstin; Vaidya, Shakespeare

2011-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to report on the design and creation of a knowledge management course aimed at facilitating student creation and use of social interactive learning tools for enhanced learning. Design/methodology/approach: The era of social media and web 2.0 has enabled a bottom-up collaborative approach and new ways to publish work on the…

Video Self-Modeling Technique That Can Be Used in Improving the Abilities of Fluent Reading and Fluent Speaking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sen, Ülker

2016-01-01

The use of technology in the field of education makes the educational process more efficient and motivating. Technological tools are used for developing the communication skills of students and teachers in the learning process increasing the participation, supporting the peer, the realization of collaborative learning. The use of technology is…

Approximating the Practice of Mathematics Teaching: What Learning Can Web-Based, Multimedia Storyboarding Software Enable?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herbst, Patricio; Chieu, Vu-Minh; Rougée, Annick

2014-01-01

This paper builds on Grossman's notion of approximations of practice as scaled-down opportunities for preservice teachers to learn to teach by doing. The authors propose the use of media rich, collaborative web-authoring tools for preservice teachers to create, complete, or edit scenarios in which they practice particular activities of teaching,…

Learning the Language of School History: The Role of Linguistics in Mapping the Writing Demands of the Secondary School Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coffin, Caroline

2006-01-01

This study uses the tools of functional linguistics to illuminate the writing requirements of the history curriculum in the context of Australian secondary schools. It shows how the resulting linguistic description was integrated into a sequence of teaching and learning activities through collaboration between linguists and content/pedagogic…

Effects of Competitive E-Learning Tools on Higher Education Students: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regueras, L. M.; Verdu, E.; Munoz, M. F.; Perez, M. A.; de Castro, J. P.; Verdu, M. J.

2009-01-01

Over the last few years, most of the attempts to introduce active learning methodologies in the classroom have made use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Many of these efforts have been directed to collaborative scenarios used in remote, blended or face-to-face experiences, in order to take advantage of the flexibility provided by…

Mobile Voting Systems for Creating Collaboration Environments and Getting Immediate Feedback: A New Curriculum Model of a University Lecture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Titova, Svetlana; Talmo, Tord

2014-01-01

Mobile devices can enhance learning and teaching by providing instant feedback and better diagnosis of learning problems, helping design new assessment models, enhancing learner autonomy and creating new formats of enquiry-based activities. The objective of this paper is to investigate the pedagogical impact of mobile voting tools. The authors'…

Personalised and Self Regulated Learning in the Web 2.0 Era: International Exemplars of Innovative Pedagogy Using Social Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLoughlin, Catherine; Lee, Mark J. W.

2010-01-01

Research findings in recent years provide compelling evidence of the importance of encouraging student control over the learning process as a whole. The socially based tools and technologies of the Web 2.0 movement are capable of supporting informal conversation, reflexive dialogue and collaborative content generation, enabling access to a wide…

Integration of Problem-Based Learning and Web-Based Multimedia to Enhance Soil Management Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strivelli, R.; Krzic, M.; Crowley, C.; Dyanatkar, S.; Bomke, A.; Simard, S.; Grand, S.

2012-04-01

In an attempt to address declining enrolment in soil science programs and the changing learning needs of 21st century students, several universities in North America and around the world have re-organized their soil science curriculum and adopted innovative educational approaches and web-based teaching resources. At the University of British Columbia, Canada, an interdisciplinary team set out to integrate teaching approaches to address this trend. The objective of this project was to develop an interactive web-based teaching resource, which combined a face-to-face problem-based learning (PBL) case study with multimedia to illustrate the impacts of three land-uses on soil transformation and quality. The Land Use Impacts (LUI) tool (http://soilweb.landfood.ubc.ca/luitool/) was a collaborative and concentrated effort to maximize the advantages of two educational approaches: (1) the web's interactivity, flexibility, adaptability and accessibility, and (2) PBL's ability to foster an authentic learning environment, encourage group work and promote the application of core concepts. The design of the LUI case study was guided by Herrington's development principles for web-based authentic learning. The LUI tool presented students with rich multimedia (streaming videos, text, data, photographs, maps, and weblinks) and real world tasks (site assessment and soil analysis) to encourage students to utilize knowledge of soil science in collaborative problem-solving. Preliminary student feedback indicated that the LUI tool effectively conveyed case study objectives and was appealing to students. The resource is intended primarily for students enrolled in an upper level undergraduate/graduate university course titled Sustainable Soil Management but it is flexible enough to be adapted to other natural resource courses. Project planning and an interactive overview of the tool will be given during the presentation.

Developing resources to facilitate culturally-sensitive service planning and delivery - doing research inclusively with people with learning disabilities.

PubMed

Unwin, Gemma; Larkin, Michael; Rose, John; Kroese, Biza Stenfert; Malcolm, Stephen

2016-01-01

(Please see www.Toolsfortalking.co.uk for an easy read summary of the project.) The Tools for Talking are a set of resources that were developed through collaboration between Black, Asian and minority ethnic people with learning disabilities and researchers at the University of Birmingham. The resources were designed to be used by people with learning disabilities and service providers to facilitate culturally-sensitive communication and information sharing, service planning and delivery. They comprise illustrative videos and exploratory activities relating to five topics, namely, culture, activities, support from staff, important people, choices and independence. These topics emerged as important to people with learning disabilities during the 'Access to Social Care-Learning Disabilities' (ASC-LD) study which involved interviews with 32 adults with learning disabilities from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. The results of the ASC-LD study were used to develop a set of draft resources which were then co-developed through collaboration with people with learning disabilities and service providers. A 'Partnership event' was convened to involve stakeholders in the development of the resources. This paper describes the refinement of these materials by people with learning disabilities from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds in cooperation with a range of other stakeholders. Background Black, Asian and minority ethnic people with learning disabilities face inequities in health and social care provision. Lower levels of service uptake and satisfaction with services have been reported, however, this is largely based on the views of carers. The 'Access to Social Care: Learning Disabilities (ASC-LD)' study sought to explore the views and experiences of social support services among adults with learning disabilities from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. Interviews with 32 Black, Asian and minority ethnic adults with learning disabilities were conducted to explore participants' cultural identities, their understanding and experience of 'support'. The views and experiences expressed in the ASC-LD study were used in the 'Tools for Talking project' to develop a suite of resources designed to facilitate culturally-sensitive communication and information-sharing, service planning and delivery through improved mutual understanding between providers and users of services. This paper describes the Tools for Talking project which sought to co-develop the resources through a partnership event. Methods An inclusive approach was adopted to address issues that are important to people with learning disabilities, to represent their views and experiences, and to involve Black, Asian and minority ethnic people with learning disabilities in the research process. Partnerships were developed with provider organisations and service users who were invited to a 'Partnership Event'. Collaborators at the partnership event were asked to comment on and evaluate draft resources which included a series of videos and activities to explore topics that emerged as important in the ASC-LD study. Their comments were collated and the tools developed as they suggested. Results Using the results from the ASC-LD study helped to ensure that the draft resources were relevant to service users, addressing topics that were important to them. The partnership event was an effective method to collaborate with a relatively large number of stakeholders. However, the event was resource intensive and required substantial planning to ensure active and meaningful participation. Considerations, such as inviting stakeholders, developing the programme and selecting a venue are discussed. Conclusions The partnership approach has led to the development of a set of five illustrative videos and accompanying activities that address issues that emerged from the collaborative process including: culture, activities, support from staff, important people, choices and independence. These resources are freely available at: www.Toolsfortalking.co.uk. They are designed to be used by users and providers of services, but may also be useful in other settings.

Teaching with technology: automatically receiving information from the internet and web.

PubMed

Wink, Diane M

2010-01-01

In this bimonthly series, the author examines how nurse educators can use the Internet and Web-based computer technologies such as search, communication, and collaborative writing tools, social networking and social bookmarking sites, virtual worlds, and Web-based teaching and learning programs. This article presents information and tools related to automatically receiving information from the Internet and Web.

Web-Based Learning Information System for Web 3.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rego, Hugo; Moreira, Tiago; García-Peñalvo, Francisco Jose

With the emergence of Web/eLearning 3.0 we have been developing/adjusting AHKME in order to face this great challenge. One of our goals is to allow the instructional designer and teacher to access standardized resources and evaluate the possibility of integration and reuse in eLearning systems, not only content but also the learning strategy. We have also integrated some collaborative tools for the adaptation of resources, as well as the collection of feedback from users to provide feedback to the system. We also provide tools for the instructional designer to create/customize specifications/ontologies to give structure and meaning to resources, manual and automatic search with recommendation of resources and instructional design based on the context, as well as recommendation of adaptations in learning resources. We also consider the concept of mobility and mobile technology applied to eLearning, allowing access by teachers and students to learning resources, regardless of time and space.

Top Ten Technology Breakthroughs for Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bateman, Bill; Crystal, Jerry; Davidson, Hall; Holzberg, Carol S.; McIntire, Todd; McLester, Susan; Ohler, Jason; Rose, Ray; Shields, Jean; Warlick, David

2001-01-01

Contributors discuss the top ten technologies that allow for thinking in new and innovative ways about the concept of "school": virtual learning; wireless networking; collaboration tools; digital video; Application Service Providers; handheld devices; optical networking; videoconferencing; XML; and simulations. (AEF)

Collaboration between infection control and occupational health in three continents: a success story with international impact.

PubMed

Yassi, Annalee; Bryce, Elizabeth A; Breilh, Jaime; Lavoie, Marie-Claude; Ndelu, Lindiwe; Lockhart, Karen; Spiegel, Jerry

2011-11-08

Globalization has been accompanied by the rapid spread of infectious diseases, and further strain on working conditions for health workers globally. Post-SARS, Canadian occupational health and infection control researchers got together to study how to better protect health workers, and found that training was indeed perceived as key to a positive safety culture. This led to developing information and communication technology (ICT) tools. The research conducted also showed the need for better workplace inspections, so a workplace audit tool was also developed to supplement worker questionnaires and the ICT. When invited to join Ecuadorean colleagues to promote occupational health and infection control, these tools were collectively adapted and improved, including face-to-face as well as on-line problem-based learning scenarios. The South African government then invited the team to work with local colleagues to improve occupational health and infection control, resulting in an improved web-based health information system to track incidents, exposures, and occupational injury and diseases. As the H1N1 pandemic struck, the online infection control course was adapted and translated into Spanish, as was a novel skill-building learning tool that permits health workers to practice selecting personal protective equipment. This tool was originally developed in collaboration with the countries from the Caribbean region and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Research from these experiences led to strengthened focus on building capacity of health and safety committees, and new modules are thus being created, informed by that work.The products developed have been widely heralded as innovative and interactive, leading to their inclusion into "toolkits" used internationally. The tools used in Canada were substantially improved from the collaborative adaptation process for South and Central America and South Africa. This international collaboration between occupational health and infection control researchers led to the improvement of the research framework and development of tools, guidelines and information systems. Furthermore, the research and knowledge-transfer experience highlighted the value of partnership amongst Northern and Southern researchers in terms of sharing resources, experiences and knowledge.

Collaboration between infection control and occupational health in three continents: a success story with international impact

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Globalization has been accompanied by the rapid spread of infectious diseases, and further strain on working conditions for health workers globally. Post-SARS, Canadian occupational health and infection control researchers got together to study how to better protect health workers, and found that training was indeed perceived as key to a positive safety culture. This led to developing information and communication technology (ICT) tools. The research conducted also showed the need for better workplace inspections, so a workplace audit tool was also developed to supplement worker questionnaires and the ICT. When invited to join Ecuadorean colleagues to promote occupational health and infection control, these tools were collectively adapted and improved, including face-to-face as well as on-line problem-based learning scenarios. The South African government then invited the team to work with local colleagues to improve occupational health and infection control, resulting in an improved web-based health information system to track incidents, exposures, and occupational injury and diseases. As the H1N1 pandemic struck, the online infection control course was adapted and translated into Spanish, as was a novel skill-building learning tool that permits health workers to practice selecting personal protective equipment. This tool was originally developed in collaboration with the countries from the Caribbean region and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Research from these experiences led to strengthened focus on building capacity of health and safety committees, and new modules are thus being created, informed by that work. The products developed have been widely heralded as innovative and interactive, leading to their inclusion into “toolkits” used internationally. The tools used in Canada were substantially improved from the collaborative adaptation process for South and Central America and South Africa. This international collaboration between occupational health and infection control researchers led to the improvement of the research framework and development of tools, guidelines and information systems. Furthermore, the research and knowledge-transfer experience highlighted the value of partnership amongst Northern and Southern researchers in terms of sharing resources, experiences and knowledge. PMID:22166059

Evaluate Wiki Technology as e-Learning Tool from the Point View of Al-Baha University Students: A Pilot Study with Undergraduate Students in Both Faculties of Science and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alzahrani, Ibraheem

2012-01-01

Wikis technologies are one of Web 2.0 applications that can be used to improve the learning method and to engage students in learning with others in a collaborative environment. This paper investigates the potential use of wiki technology in Al-Baha University through students' perceptions; the study seeks to answer the main question. How to…

Electronic toolkit for nursing education.

PubMed

Trangenstein, Patricia A

2008-12-01

In an ever-increasing hectic and mobile society, Web-based instructional tools can enhance and supplement student learning and improve communication and collaboration among participants, give rapid feedback on one's progress, and address diverse ways of learning. Web-based formats offer distinct advantages by allowing the learner to view course materials when they choose, from any Internet connection, and as often as they want. The challenge for nurse educators is to assimilate the knowledge and expertise to understand and appropriately use these tools. A variety of Web-based instructional tools are described in this article. As nurse educators increase their awareness of these potential adjuncts they can select appropriate applications that are supported by their institution to construct their own "toolkit."

A regional fight against Chagas disease: lessons learned from a successful collaborative partnership.

PubMed

Salerno, Rosina; Salvatella, Roberto; Issa, Julie; Anzola, Maria Carolina

2015-01-01

To identify the intangible elements that characterize the successful effort to fight Chagas disease in the Americas, determine how they contributed to the overall success of the partnership, and learn lessons from the experience that could be applied to other programs. This study was based on the Partnership Assessment Tool (PAT) developed by the Nuffield Institute for Health ("the Institute") at the University of Leeds (London). The PAT draws heavily on scientific literature and the extensive experience of sociologists and health experts working for the Institute. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) modified the tool slightly to adapt it to its needs and provide a general structure for the study. The six key principles of the PAT framework were applied in the design of the research questionnaires. The findings show that a successful collaboration requires a clear objective; a good-quality pool of data; and comprehensive qualitative and quantitative knowledge of the problem, its dimensions, and its impact. The collaboration was elaborated from a common idea and a shared, quantified plan based on data gathered by independent scientists plus a strategy with explicit milestones. The clarity of purpose allowed for an improved synergy of efforts and made it possible to resolve differences in opinions and approaches. PAHO's experience with effective collaborations such as the joint initiative to fight Chagas disease provides a rich knowledge base for analysis of the advantages, limitations, and paradigms of community involvement, collaborative practices, and partnerships.

Digital books.

PubMed

Wink, Diane M

2011-01-01

In this bimonthly series, the author examines how nurse educators can use the Internet and Web-based computer technologies such as search, communication, and collaborative writing tools; social networking and social bookmarking sites; virtual worlds; and Web-based teaching and learning programs. This article describes digital books.

The collaboratory for MS3D: a new cyberinfrastructure for the structural elucidation of biological macromolecules and their assemblies using mass spectrometry-based approaches.

PubMed

Yu, Eizadora T; Hawkins, Arie; Kuntz, Irwin D; Rahn, Larry A; Rothfuss, Andrew; Sale, Kenneth; Young, Malin M; Yang, Christine L; Pancerella, Carmen M; Fabris, Daniele

2008-11-01

Modern biomedical research is evolving with the rapid growth of diverse data types, biophysical characterization methods, computational tools and extensive collaboration among researchers spanning various communities and having complementary backgrounds and expertise. Collaborating researchers are increasingly dependent on shared data and tools made available by other investigators with common interests, thus forming communities that transcend the traditional boundaries of the single research laboratory or institution. Barriers, however, remain to the formation of these virtual communities, usually due to the steep learning curve associated with becoming familiar with new tools, or with the difficulties associated with transferring data between tools. Recognizing the need for shared reference data and analysis tools, we are developing an integrated knowledge environment that supports productive interactions among researchers. Here we report on our current collaborative environment, which focuses on bringing together structural biologists working in the area of mass spectrometric based methods for the analysis of tertiary and quaternary macromolecular structures (MS3D) called the Collaboratory for MS3D (C-MS3D). C-MS3D is a Web-portal designed to provide collaborators with a shared work environment that integrates data storage and management with data analysis tools. Files are stored and archived along with pertinent meta data in such a way as to allow file handling to be tracked (data provenance) and data files to be searched using keywords and modification dates. While at this time the portal is designed around a specific application, the shared work environment is a general approach to building collaborative work groups. The goal of this is to not only provide a common data sharing and archiving system, but also to assist in the building of new collaborations and to spur the development of new tools and technologies.

Creating Collaborative and Convenient Learning Environment Using Cloud-Based Moodle LMS: An Instructor and Administrator Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Vikas; Sharma, Deepika

2016-01-01

Students in the digital era are habitual of using digital devices not only for playing and interacting with their friends and peers, but also as a tool for education and learning. These digital natives are highly obsessed with the internet driven portable devices and always demand for a multimedia rich content. This specific demand needs to be…

Teacher collaboration and elementary science teaching: Using action research as a tool for instructional leadership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Sara Hayes

The primary purpose of this action research study was to explore an elementary science program and find ways to support science education as an administrator of an elementary school. The study took place in a large suburban school system in the southeastern United States. Seven teachers at a small rural school volunteered to participate in the study. Each participant became an active member of the research by determining what changes needed to take place and implementing the lessons in science. The study was also focused on teacher collaboration and how it influenced the science instruction. The data collected included two interviews, ten observations of science lessons, the implementation of four science units, and informal notes from planning sessions over a five month period. The questions that guided this study focused on how teachers prepare to teach science through active learning and how instruction shifts due to teacher collaboration. Teachers were interviewed at the beginning of the study to gain the perceptions of the participants in the areas of (a) planning, (b) active learning, (c) collaboration, and (d) teaching science lessons. The teachers and principal then formed a research team that determined the barriers to teaching science according to the Standards, designed units of study using active learning strategies, and worked collaboratively to implement the units of study. The action research project reviewed the National Science Education Standards, the theory of constructivism, active learning and teacher collaboration as they relate to the actions taken by a group of teachers in an elementary school. The evidence from this study showed that by working together collaboratively and overcoming the barriers to teaching science actively, teachers feel more confident and knowledgeable about teaching the concepts.

Machine learning for micro-tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkinson, Dilworth Y.; Pelt, Daniël. M.; Perciano, Talita; Ushizima, Daniela; Krishnan, Harinarayan; Barnard, Harold S.; MacDowell, Alastair A.; Sethian, James

2017-09-01

Machine learning has revolutionized a number of fields, but many micro-tomography users have never used it for their work. The micro-tomography beamline at the Advanced Light Source (ALS), in collaboration with the Center for Applied Mathematics for Energy Research Applications (CAMERA) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has now deployed a series of tools to automate data processing for ALS users using machine learning. This includes new reconstruction algorithms, feature extraction tools, and image classification and recommen- dation systems for scientific image. Some of these tools are either in automated pipelines that operate on data as it is collected or as stand-alone software. Others are deployed on computing resources at Berkeley Lab-from workstations to supercomputers-and made accessible to users through either scripting or easy-to-use graphical interfaces. This paper presents a progress report on this work.

The 3 "C" Design Model for Networked Collaborative E-Learning: A Tool for Novice Designers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bird, Len

2007-01-01

This paper outlines a model for online course design aimed at the mainstream majority of university academics rather than at the early adopters of technology. It has been developed from work at Coventry Business School where tutors have been called upon to design online modules for the first time. Like many good tools, the model's key strength is…

Using social media to support small group learning.

PubMed

Cole, Duncan; Rengasamy, Emma; Batchelor, Shafqat; Pope, Charles; Riley, Stephen; Cunningham, Anne Marie

2017-11-10

Medical curricula are increasingly using small group learning and less didactic lecture-based teaching. This creates new challenges and opportunities in how students are best supported with information technology. We explored how university-supported and external social media could support collaborative small group working on our new undergraduate medical curriculum. We made available a curation platform (Scoop.it) and a wiki within our virtual learning environment as part of year 1 Case-Based Learning, and did not discourage the use of other tools such as Facebook. We undertook student surveys to capture perceptions of the tools and information on how they were used, and employed software user metrics to explore the extent to which they were used during the year. Student groups developed a preferred way of working early in the course. Most groups used Facebook to facilitate communication within the group, and to host documents and notes. There were more barriers to using the wiki and curation platform, although some groups did make extensive use of them. Staff engagement was variable, with some tutors reviewing the content posted on the wiki and curation platform in face-to-face sessions, but not outside these times. A small number of staff posted resources and reviewed student posts on the curation platform. Optimum use of these tools depends on sufficient training of both staff and students, and an opportunity to practice using them, with ongoing support. The platforms can all support collaborative learning, and may help develop digital literacy, critical appraisal skills, and awareness of wider health issues in society.

Preparing for disasters: education and management strategies explored.

PubMed

Alfred, Danita; Chilton, Jenifer; Connor, Della; Deal, Belinda; Fountain, Rebecca; Hensarling, Janice; Klotz, Linda

2015-01-01

During the last half of the 20th century, the focus of nursing changed from home and field to high-tech clinics and hospitals. Nursing in the absence of technology due to man-made or natural disasters almost disappeared from the curriculum of many nursing schools. Numerous disaster events and threats in the early 21st century caused educators and practitioners to increase the emphasis on disaster nursing and those principles that guide the nurse's practice in response to disasters. This article chronicles tools used by nurse educators to integrate disaster nursing into the didactic and clinical experiences of baccalaureate nursing students. We represent two nursing schools about 90 miles apart that collaborated to provide students with practical application of disaster nursing concepts. Part 1: An educational journey toward disaster nursing competencies: A curriculum in action provides an overview of the curricular tools used to insure adequate coverage of disaster nursing concepts across the curriculum. Part 2: Collaborative learning in Community Health Nursing for emergency preparedness relates the steps taken to plan, implement, and evaluate two different collaborative disaster simulation events. In this manuscript we have attempted transparency so that others can learn from our successes and our failures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fun, collaboration and formative assessment: skinquizition, a class wide gaming competition in a medical school with a large class.

PubMed

Schlegel, Elisabeth F M; Selfridge, Nancy J

2014-05-01

Formative assessments are tools for assessing content retention, providing valuable feedback to students and teachers. In medical education, information technology-supported games can accommodate large classes divided into student teams while fostering active engagement. To establish an innovative stimulating approach to formative assessments for large classes furthering collaborative skills that promotes learning and student engagement linked to improvement of academic performance. Using audience response technology, a fast-paced, competitive, interactive quiz game involving dermatology was developed. This stimulating setting, provided on the last day of class, prepares students for high-stakes exams to continue their medical education while training collaborative skills as supported by survey outcomes and average class scores. Educational game competitions provide formative assessments and feedback for students and faculty alike, enhancing learning and teaching processes. In this study, we show an innovative approach to accommodate a large class divided into competing teams furthering collaborative skills reflected by academic performance.

Geoscience Through the Lens of Art: a collaborative course of science and art for undergraduates of various disciplines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellins, K. K.; Eriksson, S. C.; Samsel, F.; Lavier, L.

2017-12-01

A new undergraduate, upper level geoscience course was developed and taught by faculty and staff of the UT Austin Jackson School of Geosciences, the Center for Agile Technology, and the Texas Advanced Computational Center. The course examined the role of the visual arts in placing the scientific process and knowledge in a broader context and introduced students to innovations in the visual arts that promote scientific investigation through collaboration between geoscientists and artists. The course addressed (1) the role of the visual arts in teaching geoscience concepts and promoting geoscience learning; (2) the application of innovative visualization and artistic techniques to large volumes of geoscience data to enhance scientific understanding and to move scientific investigation forward; and (3) the illustrative power of art to communicate geoscience to the public. In-class activities and discussions, computer lab instruction on the application of Paraview software, reading assignments, lectures, and group projects with presentations comprised the two-credit, semester-long "special topics" course, which was taken by geoscience, computer science, and engineering students. Assessment of student learning was carried out by the instructors and course evaluation was done by an external evaluator using rubrics, likert-scale surveys and focus goups. The course achieved its goals of students' learning the concepts and techniques of the visual arts. The final projects demonstrated this, along with the communication of geologic concepts using what they had learned in the course. The basic skill of sketching for learning and using best practices in visual communication were used extensively and, in most cases, very effectively. The use of an advanced visualization tool, Paraview, was received with mixed reviews because of the lack of time to really learn the tool and the fact that it is not a tool used routinely in geoscience. Those senior students with advanced computer skills saw the importance of this tool. Students worked in teams, more or less effectively, and made suggestions for improving future offerings of the course.

Building critical reflection skills for lifelong learning in the emergent landscape of a national registration and accreditation scheme.

PubMed

McKauge, Leigh; Stupans, Ieva; Owen, Susanne M; Ryan, Greg; Woulfe, Jim

2011-04-01

In 2010 many of the health disciplines in Australia will be involved in national registration and accreditation, to ensure a more sustainable and flexible health workforce for the future. To this end, in each of the health professions, there is an increasing emphasis on reflective practice and lifelong learning to maintain practice competency. This research focuses on academic teaching and learning in the Pharmacy undergraduate curriculum to develop an indicator tool of graduate practice skills before the student enters the practice internship year. The Graduated Descriptors Competency Tool was developed by means of state, territory, and national stakeholder collaboration. The aim of the project was to assist the scaffolding processes around undergraduate practice teaching and learning. Students on experiential placements have used the tool to demonstrate their current practice skills and the learning required to attain competency during their internship year. Students are guided to develop critical reflection skills for deep understanding and insight into the continued learning and professional development required to maintain long-term health care expertise.

Experience in the use of social media in medical and health education. Contribution of the IMIA Social Media Working Group.

PubMed

Paton, C; Bamidis, P D; Eysenbach, G; Hansen, M; Cabrer, M

2011-01-01

Social media are online tools that allow collaboration and community building. Succinctly, they can be described as applications where "users add value". This paper aims to show how five educators have used social media tools in medical and health education to attempt to add value to the education they provide. We conducted a review of the literature about the use of social media tools in medical and health education. Each of the authors reported on their use of social media in their educational projects and collaborated on a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of this approach to delivering educational projects. We found little empirical evidence to support the use of social media tools in medical and health education. Social media are, however, a rapidly evolving range of tools, websites and online experiences and it is likely that the topic is too broad to draw definitive conclusions from any particular study. As practitioners in the use of social media, we have recognised how difficult it is to create evidence of effectiveness and have therefore presented only our anecdotal opinions based on our personal experiences of using social media in our educational projects. The authors feel confident in recommending that other educators use social media in their educational projects. Social media appear to have unique advantages over non-social educational tools. The learning experience appears to be enhanced by the ability of students to virtually build connections, make friends and find mentors. Creating a scientific analysis of why these connections enhance learning is difficult, but anecdotal and preliminary survey evidence appears to be positive and our experience reflects the hypothesis that learning is, at heart, a social activity.

Improving interprofessional collaboration: The effect of training in nonviolent communication.

PubMed

Museux, Anne-Claire; Dumont, Serge; Careau, Emmanuelle; Milot, Élise

2016-07-01

This article examines the effects of nonviolent communication (NVC) training on the interprofessional collaboration (IPC) of two health and social services sector care teams. The study was conducted in 2013 with two interprofessional teams (N = 9) using a mixed method research design to measure the effects of the training. Individual IPC competency was measured using the Team Observed Structured Clinical Encounter tool, and group competency using the Observed Interprofessional Collaboration tool. A focus group was held to collect participant perceptions of what they learned in the training. Results revealed improvements in individual competency in client/family-centered collaboration and role clarification. Improvements in group competency were also found with respect to teams' ability to develop a shared plan of action. Data suggests that participants accepted and adopted training content. After the training, they appeared better able to identify the effects of spontaneous communication, more understanding of the mechanisms of empathy, and in a better position to foster collective leadership.

Different Reward Structures to Motivate Student Interaction with Electronic Response Systems in Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Len, Patrick M.

Electronic response systems ("clickers") are used in introductory astronomy classes as a real-time assessment tool. Different reward structures for student responses to clicker questions are used to motivate individual participation or group collaboration before responding. The impact of two reward structures on student behavior and learning is investigated. This study finds that a success-bonus incentive (in which individual participation points are doubled when the class attains a threshold success rate) strongly motivated students to collaborate, whereas a participation-only credit (no success-bonus) incentive resulted in one-third of the students answering individually without collaboration. With a participation-only incentive, students who answered individually ("self-testers") were found to have more positive attitudes toward astronomy and science, and higher self-confidence in their learning than students who interacted before answering without a success-bonus incentive ("collaborators"). These collaborators experienced downward shifts in attitudes and self-confidence, in contrast to the static attitudes and self-confidence of self-testers. The implication is that students with little or no background in science prefer to answer collaboratively rather than independently and that these students are also negatively impacted by a one-semester introductory astronomy course.

Jazz Up Your Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Janine

2010-01-01

In this article, the author describes the Jazz Workshop, a unique blend of collaboration and constructivist learning using videoconferencing and Web 2.0 tools. Each summer it draws about 400 participants--mostly teachers, technology facilitators, teacher librarians, and videoconferencing coordinators--who convene in 20 locations across three…

The implementation of an elementary STEM learning team and the effect on teacher self-efficacy: An action research study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, Jennifer F.

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is part of a national movement to prepare students for the demands of a 21st century workforce. STEM uses an integrated, real-world problem solving approach to increase the levels of collaboration, communication, critical, and creative thinking in students. If expectations for students have increased to stay competitive in a global market, teachers must be equipped to meet the needs of the new 21st century learners in their classrooms. To that end, professional learning for educators is essential to ensure they are equipped with the tools necessary for success. While there are many approaches to teacher development, professional learning teams, based on the work of Garmston and Wellman, focus on teachers' instructional delivery, targeted student learning needs, planning, implementing new strategies, collaboration, and reflective dialogue. The purpose of the study is to improve instructional practice providing quality STEM instruction to students and increase teacher self-efficacy---a teachers' perception of his or her ability to instruct students in the STEM disciplines. Theoretical implications of a study on an elementary STEM learning team could affect the way schools deliver STEM professional learning opportunities to teachers and the way students are delivered a quality STEM education. Research has shown that Model I behavior would limit the change process of professional learning through a surface inspection of the issues; however model II behaviors would benefit the teachers, students and organization because teachers would be collaborating on specific objectives to develop a knowledge base and skill set to meet students' needs. Extending professional development by engaging stakeholders in a collaborative process to build model II behaviors will create an organizational structure that facilitates learning.

A cellular automata model for social-learning processes in a classroom context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordogna, C. M.; Albano, E. V.

2002-02-01

A model for teaching-learning processes that take place in the classroom is proposed and simulated numerically. Recent ideas taken from the fields of sociology, educational psychology, statistical physics and computational science are key ingredients of the model. Results of simulations are consistent with well-established empirical results obtained in classrooms by means of different evaluation tools. It is shown that students engaged in collaborative groupwork reach higher achievements than those attending traditional lectures only. However, in many cases, this difference is subtle and consequently very difficult to be detected using tests. The influence of the number of students forming the collaborative groups on the average knowledge achieved is also studied and discussed.

Evaluating the Impact of Wikis on Student Learning Outcomes: An Integrative Review.

PubMed

Trocky, Nina M; Buckley, Kathleen M

2016-01-01

Although wikis appear to have been reported as effective tools for educators, uncertainty exists as to their effectiveness in achieving student learning outcomes. The aim of this integrative review was to examine the current evidence on the impact of wikis on student learning in courses requiring collaborative or co-developed assignments or activities. The authors searched several electronic databases for relevant articles and used R. Whittemore and K. Knafl's (2005) integrative review method to analyze and synthesize the evidence. Twenty-five articles met the selection criteria for this review, and four major themes for wiki use were identified: (a) writing skills, (b) collaboration, (c) knowledge acquisition, and (d) centralized repository. Although wikis have been found useful in improving student learning outcomes and hold great potential as an instructional strategy to aid students in learning various skills and gaining new knowledge, more research is needed on their effectiveness, especially in the area of nursing education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tools for discovering and accessing Great Lakes scientific data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lucido, Jessica M.; Bruce, Jennifer L.

2015-01-01

The USGS strives to develop data products that are easy to find, easy to understand, and easy to use through Web-accessible tools that allow users to learn about the breadth and scope of GLRI activities being undertaken by the USGS and its partners. By creating tools that enable data to be shared and reused more easily, the USGS can encourage collaboration and assist the GL community in finding, interpreting, and understanding the information created during GLRI science activities.

Learning Collaboratively with Technology: Students' Social Interactions Demand New Applications of Digital Learning Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirsch, Jim

2005-01-01

A recent study published by the Kaiser Family Foundation titled "Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year Olds" finds that young people today spend an average 6 1/2 hours per day with one or more forms of media. Given that a majority of media available today is in digital format, students are increasingly expecting to use the same or similar…

Collaborative Cultural Studies over The Internet: Learning Cultures with Virtual Partners. A Project between Baylor University and Tokyo Institute of Polytechnics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okubo, Masamichi; Kumahata, Hajime

Since the fall semester of 1995, students at Baylor University (Waco, Texas) taking Japanese and students at Tokyo Institute of Polytechnics have had opportunities to communicate with each other and learn together in a real-world situation. Until the fall of 2000, the format limited them to e-mail communication; however other Internet tools are…

Excellence in Physics Education Award Talk: Curriculum Development for Active Learning using Real Time Graphing and Data Collection Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laws, Priscilla

2010-02-01

In June 1986 Ronald Thornton (at the Tufts University Center for Science and Mathematics Teaching) and Priscilla Laws (at Dickinson College) applied independently for grants to develop curricular materials based on both the outcomes of Physics Education Research and the use of Microcomputer Based Laboratory Tools (MBL) developed by Robert Tinker, Ron Thornton and others at Technical Education Research Centers (TERC). Thornton proposed to develop a series of Tools for Scientific Thinking (TST) laboratory exercises to address known learning difficulties using carefully sequenced MBL observations. These TST laboratories were to be beta tested at several types of institutions. Laws proposed to develop a Workshop Physics Activity Guide for a 2 semester calculus-based introductory course sequence centering on MBL-based guided inquiry. Workshop Physics was to be designed to replace traditional lectures and separate labs in relatively small classes and was to be tested at Dickinson College. In September 1986 a project officer at the Fund for Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) awarded grants to Laws and Thornton provided that they would collaborate. David Sokoloff (at the University of Oregon) joined Thornton to develop and test the TST laboratories. This talk will describe the 23 year collaboration between Thornton, Laws, and Sokoloff that led to the development of a suite of Activity Based Physics curricular materials, new apparatus and enhanced computer tools for real time graphing, data collection and mathematical modeling. The Suite includes TST Labs, the Workshop Physics Activity Guide, RealTime Physics Laboratory Modules, and a series of Interactive Lecture Demonstrations. A textbook and a guide to using the Suite were also developed. The vital importance of obtaining continued grant support, doing continuous research on student learning, collaborating with instructors at other institutions, and forging relationships with vendors and publishers will be described. )

A Distributed Multi-Agent System for Collaborative Information Management and Learning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, James R.; Wolfe, Shawn R.; Wragg, Stephen D.; Koga, Dennis (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

In this paper, we present DIAMS, a system of distributed, collaborative agents to help users access, manage, share and exchange information. A DIAMS personal agent helps its owner find information most relevant to current needs. It provides tools and utilities for users to manage their information repositories with dynamic organization and virtual views. Flexible hierarchical display is integrated with indexed query search-to support effective information access. Automatic indexing methods are employed to support user queries and communication between agents. Contents of a repository are kept in object-oriented storage to facilitate information sharing. Collaboration between users is aided by easy sharing utilities as well as automated information exchange. Matchmaker agents are designed to establish connections between users with similar interests and expertise. DIAMS agents provide needed services for users to share and learn information from one another on the World Wide Web.

Distance Learning for Teacher Professional Development in Statistics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meletiou-Mavrotheris, Maria; Mavrotheris, Efstathios; Paparistodemou, Efi

2011-01-01

We provide an overview of "EarlyStatistics," an online professional development course in statistics education targeting European elementary and middle school teachers. The course facilitates intercultural collaboration of teachers using contemporary technological and educational tools. An online information base offers access to all of…

Healthy eating design guidelines for school architecture.

PubMed

Huang, Terry T-K; Sorensen, Dina; Davis, Steven; Frerichs, Leah; Brittin, Jeri; Celentano, Joseph; Callahan, Kelly; Trowbridge, Matthew J

2013-01-01

We developed a new tool, Healthy Eating Design Guidelines for School Architecture, to provide practitioners in architecture and public health with a practical set of spatially organized and theory-based strategies for making school environments more conducive to learning about and practicing healthy eating by optimizing physical resources and learning spaces. The design guidelines, developed through multidisciplinary collaboration, cover 10 domains of the school food environment (eg, cafeteria, kitchen, garden) and 5 core healthy eating design principles. A school redesign project in Dillwyn, Virginia, used the tool to improve the schools' ability to adopt a healthy nutrition curriculum and promote healthy eating. The new tool, now in a pilot version, is expected to evolve as its components are tested and evaluated through public health and design research.

Virtual Power Electronics: Novel Software Tools for Design, Modeling and Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamar, Janos; Nagy, István; Funato, Hirohito; Ogasawara, Satoshi; Dranga, Octavian; Nishida, Yasuyuki

The current paper is dedicated to present browser-based multimedia-rich software tools and e-learning curriculum to support the design and modeling process of power electronics circuits and to explain sometimes rather sophisticated phenomena. Two projects will be discussed. The so-called Inetele project is financed by the Leonardo da Vinci program of the European Union (EU). It is a collaborative project between numerous EU universities and institutes to develop state-of-the art curriculum in Electrical Engineering. Another cooperative project with participation of Japanese, European and Australian institutes focuses especially on developing e-learning curriculum, interactive design and modeling tools, furthermore on development of a virtual laboratory. Snapshots from these two projects will be presented.

Concept maps: A tool for knowledge management and synthesis in web-based conversational learning.

PubMed

Joshi, Ankur; Singh, Satendra; Jaswal, Shivani; Badyal, Dinesh Kumar; Singh, Tejinder

2016-01-01

Web-based conversational learning provides an opportunity for shared knowledge base creation through collaboration and collective wisdom extraction. Usually, the amount of generated information in such forums is very huge, multidimensional (in alignment with the desirable preconditions for constructivist knowledge creation), and sometimes, the nature of expected new information may not be anticipated in advance. Thus, concept maps (crafted from constructed data) as "process summary" tools may be a solution to improve critical thinking and learning by making connections between the facts or knowledge shared by the participants during online discussion This exploratory paper begins with the description of this innovation tried on a web-based interacting platform (email list management software), FAIMER-Listserv, and generated qualitative evidence through peer-feedback. This process description is further supported by a theoretical construct which shows how social constructivism (inclusive of autonomy and complexity) affects the conversational learning. The paper rationalizes the use of concept map as mid-summary tool for extracting information and further sense making out of this apparent intricacy.

AuthorSynth: a collaboration network and behaviorally-based visualization tool of activation reports from the neuroscience literature.

PubMed

Sochat, Vanessa V

2015-01-01

Targeted collaboration is becoming more challenging with the ever-increasing number of publications, conferences, and academic responsibilities that the modern-day researcher must synthesize. Specifically, the field of neuroimaging had roughly 10,000 new papers in PubMed for the year 2013, presenting tens of thousands of international authors, each a potential collaborator working on some sub-domain in the field. To remove the burden of synthesizing an entire corpus of publications, talks, and conference interactions to find and assess collaborations, we combine meta-analytical neuroimaging informatics methods with machine learning and network analysis toward this goal. We present "AuthorSynth," a novel application prototype that includes (1) a collaboration network to identify researchers with similar results reported in the literature; and (2) a 2D plot-"brain lattice"-to visually summarize a single author's contribution to the field, and allow for searching of authors based on behavioral terms. This method capitalizes on intelligent synthesis of the neuroimaging literature, and demonstrates that data-driven approaches can be used to confirm existing collaborations, reveal potential ones, and identify gaps in published knowledge. We believe this tool exemplifies how methods from neuroimaging informatics can better inform researchers about progress and knowledge in the field, and enhance the modern workflow of finding collaborations.

Tying knots: an activity theory analysis of student learning goals in clinical education.

PubMed

Larsen, Douglas P; Wesevich, Austin; Lichtenfeld, Jana; Artino, Antony R; Brydges, Ryan; Varpio, Lara

2017-07-01

Learning goal programmes are often created to help students develop self-regulated learning skills; however, these programmes do not necessarily consider the social contexts surrounding learning goals or how they fit into daily educational practice. We investigated a high-frequency learning goal programme in which students generated and shared weekly learning goals with their clinical teams in core Year 3 clerkships. Our study explores: (i) how learning goals were incorporated into the clinical work, and (ii) the factors that influenced the use of students' learning goals in work-based learning. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 students and 14 supervisors (attending physicians and residents) sampled from all participating core clerkships. Interviews were coded for emerging themes. Using cultural historical activity theory and knotworking as theoretical lenses, we developed a model of the factors that influenced students' learning goal usage in a work-based learning context. Students and supervisors often faced the challenge of reconciling contradictions that arose when the desired outcomes of student skill development, grading and patient care were not aligned. Learning goals could function as tools for developing new ways of acting that overcame those contradictions by facilitating collaborative effort between students and their supervisors. However, for new collaborations to take place, both students and supervisors had to engage with the goals, and the necessary patients needed to be present. When any one part of the system did not converge around the learning goals, the impact of the learning goals programme was limited. Learning goals are potentially powerful tools to mediate interactions between students, supervisors and patients, and to reconcile contradictions in work-based learning environments. Learning goals provide a means to develop not only learners, but also learning systems. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Telementoring Physics: University-Community After-school Collaborations and the Mediation of the Formal/Informal Divide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lecusay, Robert A.

For several decades improvement of science education has been a major concern of policy makers concerned that the U.S. is a "nation at risk" owing to the dearth of students pursing careers in science. Recent policy proposals have argued that provision of broadband digital connectivity to organizations in the informal sector would increase the reach of the formal, academic sector to raise the overall level of science literacy in the country. This dissertation reports on a longitudinal study of a physics telementoring activity jointly run by a university-community collaborative at a community learning center. The activity implemented a digital infrastructure that exceeds the technical and social-institutional arrangements promoted by policy makers. In addition to broadband internet access (for tele-conferencing between students at the community center and physicists at a university), supplemented by digital software designed to promote physics education, the activity included the presence of a collaborating researcher/tutor at the community learning center to coordinate and document the instructional activities. The current research revealed a fundamental contradiction between the logic, goals, and practices of the physics instructors, and the corresponding logic, goals, and practices of the participants at the community learning center. This contradiction revolves around a contrast between the physicists' formal, logocentric ways of understanding expressed in the ability to explain the scientific rules underlying physical phenomena and the informal, pragmatic orientation of the youth and adults at the learning center. The observations in this dissertation should remind techno-enthusiasts, especially in the arena of public education policy, that there are no turnkey solutions in "distance" science education. Technically "connecting" people is not equivalent to creating conditions that expand opportunities to learn and a functioning socio-technical system that supports learning. Secondly, for designers and practitioners of informal learning in community-university collaborative settings, it is critically important to understand distance learning activities as developing "cross-cultural, " collaborative encounters, the results of which are more likely to be hybrids of different ways of learning and knowing than the conversion of informal learning into a tool for instruction that will allow youth to "think like physicists."

Scientists + Artists: An Introduction to Mutually Beneficial Partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, A.

2017-12-01

As world leaders, climate and energy scientists, and others examine our future climate, new ways of collaborating and communicating across different social sectors are becoming more crucial. What images and stories are evoked when you think about the future of the planet? Storytelling and images are basic tools for artists, and are increasingly recognized as critical tools for scientists, educators, and people interested in communicating science to broader public audiences. Science/arts collaborations have numerous benefits and can be challenging when partners have different lexicons for making sense of the world. This participatory session will explore the benefits and role of science/arts partnerships when communicating and engaging with stakeholders from varying backgrounds. Attendees will develop shared vocabulary and examine collaborative tools that can help both non-artists and non-scientists better communicate about climate change, energy policies, and other topics. For newcomers, this will be a 101 primer to community engagement and using the arts and/or collaborating with artists to reach broader audiences with your work. Experienced attendees will examine their own previous partnerships to reflect on the successes and learn from the challenges. Topics to be covered include: 1) understanding shared values between artists/scientists; 2) clarifying target audiences; and 3) identifying factors and components critical for healthy partnerships across sectors. Theater director and engagement strategist Ashley Sparks leads this interactive session and reflects on learnings from her partnership with the Energy Foundation, the Network for Energy, Water, and Health in Affordable Buildings, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. In partnership with engineers and technical experts she has been leading efforts to create a story bank focused on increasing energy efficiency in affordable multifamily housing.

Collaborating with Youth to Inform and Develop Tools for Psychotropic Decision Making

PubMed Central

Murphy, Andrea; Gardner, David; Kutcher, Stan; Davidson, Simon; Manion, Ian

2010-01-01

Introduction: Youth oriented and informed resources designed to support psychopharmacotherapeutic decision-making are essentially unavailable. This article outlines the approach taken to design such resources, the product that resulted from the approach taken, and the lessons learned from the process. Methods: A project team with psychopharmacology expertise was assembled. The project team reviewed best practices regarding medication educational materials and related tools to support decisions. Collaboration with key stakeholders who were thought of as primary end-users and target groups occurred. A graphic designer and a plain language consultant were also retained. Results: Through an iterative and collaborative process over approximately 6 months, Med Ed and Med Ed Passport were developed. Literature and input from key stakeholders, in particular youth, was instrumental to the development of the tools and materials within Med Ed. A training program utilizing a train-the-trainer model was developed to facilitate the implementation of Med Ed in Ontario, which is currently ongoing. Conclusion: An evidence-informed process that includes youth and key stakeholder engagement is required for developing tools to support in psychopharmacotherapeutic decision-making. The development process fostered an environment of reciprocity between the project team and key stakeholders. PMID:21037916

Towards effective partnerships in a collaborative problem-solving task.

PubMed

Schmitz, Megan J; Winskel, Heather

2008-12-01

Collaborative learning is recognized as an effective learning tool in the classroom. In order to optimize the collaborative learning experience for children within a collaborative partnership, it is important to understand how to match the children by ability level, and whether assigning roles within these dyads is beneficial or not. The current study investigated the effect of partnering children with different task-specific abilities and assigning or not assigning helping roles within the dyads on the quality of talk used in a collaborative learning task. The participants in this study comprised 54 year 6 pupils from a Western Sydney government primary school (boys=26, girls=28). The ages ranged from 10 years 10 months to 12 years 4 months with a mean age of 11 years 4 months. The children were formed into 27 single sex dyads of low-middle- and low-high-ability partnerships. In half of each of these dyads the higher ability partner was asked to help the lower ability partner, which was compared with just asking partners to work together. The quality of talk used by the dyads while working collaboratively on the problem-solving task was analysed using a language analysis framework developed by Mercer and colleagues (e.g. Littleton et al., 2005; Mercer, 1994, 1996). Results of this study found that children who worked collaboratively in the low-middle-ability dyad condition demonstrated significantly more high-quality exploratory talk than those in the low-high-ability dyad condition. Although there was no significant difference between dyads who were assigned roles and those who were asked to work together, there was an interaction trend which suggests that low-high-ability dyads, who were given the roles of helper and learner, showed more exploratory talk than dyads who were asked just to work together. Mercer's re-conceptualization of Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in terms of the Intermental Development Zone (IDZ), which is reliant on constructive challenging discourse, can potentially provide a platform upon which all learners in the classroom can benefit from collaborative learning experiences.

Science Teaching Orientations and Technology-Enhanced Tools for Student Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Todd; Longhurst, Max; Duffy, Aaron M.; Wolf, Paul G.; Shelton, Brett E.

2013-10-01

This qualitative study examines teacher orientations and technology-enhanced tools for student learning within a science literacy framework. Data for this study came from a group of 10 eighth grade science teachers. Each of these teachers was a participant in a professional development (PD) project focused on reformed and technology-enhanced science instruction shaped by national standards documents. The research is focused on identifying teacher orientations and use of technology-enhanced tools prior to or unaffected by PD. The primary data sources for this study are drawn from learning journals and classroom observations. Qualitative methods were used to analyze learning journals, while descriptive statistics were used from classroom observations to further explore and triangulate the emergent qualitative findings. Two teacher orientation teacher profiles were developed to reveal the emergent teacher orientation dimensions and technology-enhanced tool categories found: "more traditional teacher orientation profile" and "toward a reformed-based teacher orientation profile." Both profiles were founded on "knowledge of" beliefs about the goals and purposes for science education, while neither profile revealed sophisticated beliefs about the nature of science. The "traditional" profile revealed more teacher-centered beliefs about science teaching and learning, and the "towards reformed-based" profile revealed student-centered beliefs. Finally, only technology-enhanced tools supportive of collaborative construction of science knowledge were found connected to the "towards reformed-based" profile. This research is concluded with a proposed "reformed-based teacher orientation profile" as a future target for science teaching and learning with technology-enhanced tools in a science literacy framework.

Exploring Teacher Intervention in the Intersection of Digital Resources, Peer Collaboration, and Instructional Design.

PubMed

Strømme, Torunn Aa; Furberg, Anniken

2015-09-01

This paper reports on a case study of the teacher's role as facilitator in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) settings in science. In naturalistic classroom settings, the teacher most often acts as an important resource and provides various forms of guidance during students' learning activities. Few studies, however, have focused on the role of teacher intervention in CSCL settings. By analyzing the interactions between secondary school students and their teacher during a science project, the current study provides insight into the concerns that teachers might encounter when facilitating students' learning processes in these types of settings. The analyses show that one main concern was creating a balance between providing the requested information and supporting students in utilizing each other's knowledge and understanding. Another concern was balancing support on an individual versus group level, and a third concern was directing the students' attention to coexisting conceptual perspectives. Most importantly, however, the analyses show how teacher intervention constitutes the pivotal "glue" that aids students in linking and using coexisting aspects of support such as peer collaboration, digital tools, and instructional design.

Exploring Teacher Intervention in the Intersection of Digital Resources, Peer Collaboration, and Instructional Design

PubMed Central

FURBERG, ANNIKEN

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT This paper reports on a case study of the teacher's role as facilitator in computer‐supported collaborative learning (CSCL) settings in science. In naturalistic classroom settings, the teacher most often acts as an important resource and provides various forms of guidance during students’ learning activities. Few studies, however, have focused on the role of teacher intervention in CSCL settings. By analyzing the interactions between secondary school students and their teacher during a science project, the current study provides insight into the concerns that teachers might encounter when facilitating students’ learning processes in these types of settings. The analyses show that one main concern was creating a balance between providing the requested information and supporting students in utilizing each other's knowledge and understanding. Another concern was balancing support on an individual versus group level, and a third concern was directing the students’ attention to coexisting conceptual perspectives. Most importantly, however, the analyses show how teacher intervention constitutes the pivotal “glue” that aids students in linking and using coexisting aspects of support such as peer collaboration, digital tools, and instructional design. PMID:26900182

Code Sharing and Collaboration: Experiences from the Scientist's Expert Assistant Project and their Relevance to the Virtual Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Jeremy; Grosvenor, Sandy; Wolf, Karl; Li, Connie; Koratkar, Anuradha; Powers, Edward I. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

In the Virtual Observatory (VO), software tools will perform the functions that have traditionally been performed by physical observatories and their instruments. These tools will not be adjuncts to VO functionality but will make up the very core of the VO. Consequently, the tradition of observatory and system independent tools serving a small user base is not valid for the VO. For the VO to succeed, we must improve software collaboration and code sharing between projects and groups. A significant goal of the Scientist's Expert Assistant (SEA) project has been promoting effective collaboration and code sharing between groups. During the past three years, the SEA project has been developing prototypes for new observation planning software tools and strategies. Initially funded by the Next Generation Space Telescope, parts of the SEA code have since been adopted by the Space Telescope Science Institute. SEA has also supplied code for SOFIA, the SIRTF planning tools, and the JSky Open Source Java library. The potential benefits of sharing code are clear. The recipient gains functionality for considerably less cost. The provider gains additional developers working with their code. If enough users groups adopt a set of common code and tools, defacto standards can emerge (as demonstrated by the success of the FITS standard). Code sharing also raises a number of challenges related to the management of the code. In this talk, we will review our experiences with SEA - both successes and failures - and offer some lessons learned that may promote further successes in collaboration and re-use.

Code Sharing and Collaboration: Experiences From the Scientist's Expert Assistant Project and Their Relevance to the Virtual Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korathkar, Anuradha; Grosvenor, Sandy; Jones, Jeremy; Li, Connie; Mackey, Jennifer; Neher, Ken; Obenschain, Arthur F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

In the Virtual Observatory (VO), software tools will perform the functions that have traditionally been performed by physical observatories and their instruments. These tools will not be adjuncts to VO functionality but will make up the very core of the VO. Consequently, the tradition of observatory and system independent tools serving a small user base is not valid for the VO. For the VO to succeed, we must improve software collaboration and code sharing between projects and groups. A significant goal of the Scientist's Expert Assistant (SEA) project has been promoting effective collaboration and code sharing among groups. During the past three years, the SEA project has been developing prototypes for new observation planning software tools and strategies. Initially funded by the Next Generation Space Telescope, parts of the SEA code have since been adopted by the Space Telescope Science Institute. SEA has also supplied code for the SIRTF (Space Infrared Telescope Facility) planning tools, and the JSky Open Source Java library. The potential benefits of sharing code are clear. The recipient gains functionality for considerably less cost. The provider gains additional developers working with their code. If enough users groups adopt a set of common code and tools, de facto standards can emerge (as demonstrated by the success of the FITS standard). Code sharing also raises a number of challenges related to the management of the code. In this talk, we will review our experiences with SEA--both successes and failures, and offer some lessons learned that might promote further successes in collaboration and re-use.

Using Mobile Devices in Field Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huffling, Lacey; Tomasek, Terry; Matthews, Catherine; Benavides, Aerin; Carlone, Heidi; Hegedus, Tess

2014-01-01

Students today need advanced tools and competencies to succeed in the global economy. Technology can provide students with critical learning experiences but is often affordable only to affluent students. All students, regardless of socioeconomic status, deserve to use technology to create and innovate, communicate and collaborate, and gain the…

Collaboration with Community Partners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sterling, Donna R.; Frazier, Wendy M.

2006-01-01

For eight years, relationships with community partners have been the mainstay of a science enrichment program for secondary students. Through the use of problem-based learning, science classes use, the techniques and tools of scientists to solve authentic problems directly related to students' interests and needs. In this article, the author…

Designing Effective Curricula with an Interactive Collaborative Curriculum Design Tool (CCDT)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khadimally, Seda

2015-01-01

Guided by the principles of the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) instructional design (ID) model, this creative instructional product presents a learning/teaching approach that is fundamentally constructivist. For the purposes of designing effective instruction in an academic preparation course, a…

Cloud computing.

PubMed

Wink, Diane M

2012-01-01

In this bimonthly series, the author examines how nurse educators can use Internet and Web-based technologies such as search, communication, and collaborative writing tools; social networking and social bookmarking sites; virtual worlds; and Web-based teaching and learning programs. This article describes how cloud computing can be used in nursing education.

Semantic Social Scaffolding for Capturing and Sharing Dissertation Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimitrova, V.; Lau, L.; O'Rourke, R.

2011-01-01

This paper presents a novel collaborative tool--AWESOME Dissertation Environment (ADE)--which facilitates student learning through semantic social scaffolding: a new approach to dissertation writing challenges. These challenges revolve around three issues: timing of support; collective intelligence, and sense making strategies in tension with the…

Optimizing use of library technology.

PubMed

Wink, Diane M; Killingsworth, Elizabeth K

2011-01-01

In this bimonthly series, the author examines how nurse educators can use the Internet and Web-based computer technologies such as search, communication, collaborative writing tools; social networking and social bookmarking sites; virtual worlds; and Web-based teaching and learning programs. This article describes optimizing the use of library technology.

Creating a Classroom Makerspace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rivas, Luz

2014-01-01

What is a makerspace? Makerspaces are community-operated physical spaces where people (makers) create do-it-yourself projects together. These membership spaces serve as community labs where people learn together and collaborate on projects. Makerspaces often have tools and equipment like 3-D printers, laser cutters, and soldering irons.…

Academic Web Authoring Mulitmedia Development and Course Management Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halloran, Margaret E.

2005-01-01

Course management software enables faculty members to learn one software package for web-based curriculum, assessment, synchronous and asynchronous discussions, collaborative work, multimedia and interactive resource development. There are as many as 109 different course management software packages on the market and several studies have evaluated…

Trajectories of collaborative scientific conceptual change: Middle school students learning about ecosystems in a CSCL environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lei

The dissertation aims to achieve two goals. First, it attempts to establish a new theoretical framework---the collaborative scientific conceptual change model, which explicitly attends to social factor and epistemic practices of science, to understand conceptual change. Second, it report the findings of a classroom study to investigate how to apply this theoretical framework to examine the trajectories of collaborative scientific conceptual change in a CSCL environment and provide pedagogical implications. Two simulations were designed to help students make connections between the macroscopic substances and the aperceptual microscopic entities and underlying processes. The reported study was focused on analyzing the aggregated data from all participants and the video and audio data from twenty focal groups' collaborative activities and the process of their conceptual development in two classroom settings. Mixed quantitative and qualitative analyses were applied to analyze the video/audio data. The results found that, overall participants showed significant improvements from pretest to posttest on system understanding. Group and teacher effect as well as group variability were detected in both students' posttest performance and their collaborative activities, and variability emerged in group interaction. Multiple data analyses found that attributes of collaborative discourse and epistemic practices made a difference in student learning. Generating warranted claims in discourse as well as the predicting, coordinating theory-evidence, and modifying knowledge in epistemic practices had an impact on student's conceptual understanding. However, modifying knowledge was found negatively related to students' learning effect. The case studies show how groups differed in using the computer tools as a medium to conduct collaborative discourse and epistemic practices. Only with certain combination of discourse features and epistemic practices can the group interaction lead to successful convergent understanding. The results of the study imply that the collaborative scientific conceptual change model is an effective framework to study conceptual change and the simulation environment may mediate the development of successful collaborative interactions (including collaborative discourse and epistemic practices) that lead to collaborative scientific conceptual change.

A Balanced Scorecard for Open Innovation: Measuring the Impact of Industry-University Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, Myrna; Al-Ashaab, Ahmed; Magyar, Andrea

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) can be considered as a strategic measurement tool. Since its first publication by Norton and Kaplan in the early 1990’s, many companies have applied it to measure four key aspects of their organisations’ performance: Financial, Customer, Internal Business Process, Learning and Growth. Although it is widely used in the business arena, this original BSC was not developed to assess the impact of collaborative research projects under an open innovation strategy, where the outputs of research and development (R&D) developed by collaborative projects undertaken by industry and universities should be measured in a different way. In fact, many companies are losing important opportunities to spur their R&D results by not being able to quantify the results of such collaborations. Therefore, this paper will propose a Scorecard to measure the outcomes of collaborative research. It is important to recall that this scorecard has been developed during a collaborative research project by CEMEX Research Group AG (Switzerland) and Cranfield University (UK). During such project, a survey was developed to carry out eleven face-to-face interviews in a sample of ten companies in UK, which provided important inputs to design such strategic scorecard. It was confirmed that a collaborative balanced scorecard is a very useful tool to measure, track and improve the impact of conducting collaborative projects with universities.

Online learning in dentistry: an overview of the future direction for dental education.

PubMed

Schönwetter, D J; Reynolds, P A; Eaton, K A; De Vries, J

2010-12-01

This paper provides an overview of the diversity of tools available for online learning and identifies the drivers of online learning and directives for future research relating to online learning in dentistry. After an introduction and definitions of online learning, this paper considers the democracy of knowledge and tools and systems that have democratized knowledge. It identifies assessment systems and the challenges of online learning. This paper also identifies the drivers for online learning, including those for instructors, administrators and leaders, technology innovators, information and communications technology personnel, global dental associations and government. A consideration of the attitudes of the stakeholders and how they might work together follows, using the example of the unique achievement of the successful collaboration between the Universities of Adelaide, Australia and Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The importance of the interaction of educational principles and research on online learning is discussed. The paper ends with final reflections and conclusions, advocating readers to move forward in adopting online learning as a solution to the increasing worldwide shortage of clinical academics to teach dental clinicians of the future. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The role of collaborative ontology development in the knowledge negotiation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera, Norma

Interdisciplinary research (IDR) collaboration can be defined as the process of integrating experts' knowledge, perspectives, and resources to advance scientific discovery. The flourishing of more complex research problems, together with the growth of scientific and technical knowledge has resulted in the need for researchers from diverse fields to provide different expertise and points of view to tackle these problems. These collaborations, however, introduce a new set of "culture" barriers as participating experts are trained to communicate in discipline-specific languages, theories, and research practices. We propose that building a common knowledge base for research using ontology development techniques can provide a starting point for interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, negotiation, and integration. The goal of this work is to extend ontology development techniques to support the knowledge negotiation process in IDR groups. Towards this goal, this work presents a methodology that extends previous work in collaborative ontology development and integrates learning strategies and tools to enhance interdisciplinary research practices. We evaluate the effectiveness of applying such methodology in three different scenarios that cover educational and research settings. The results of this evaluation confirm that integrating learning strategies can, in fact, be advantageous to overall collaborative practices in IDR groups.

Wikis and Collaborative Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zheng, Binbin; Niiya, Melissa; Warschauer, Mark

2015-01-01

While collaborative learning and collaborative writing can be of great value to student learning, the implementation of a technology-supported collaborative learning environment is a challenge. With their built-in features for supporting collaborative writing and social communication, wikis are a promising platform for collaborative learning;…

Participant Observation, Anthropology Methodology and Design Anthropology Research Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunn, Wendy; Løgstrup, Louise B.

2014-01-01

Within the design studio, and across multiple field sites, the authors compare involvement of research tools and materials during collaborative processes of designing. Their aim is to trace temporal dimensions (shifts/ movements) of where and when learning takes place along different sites of practice. They do so by combining participant…

Interactive Simulated Patient: Experiences with Collaborative E-Learning in Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergin, Rolf; Youngblood, Patricia; Ayers, Mary K.; Boberg, Jonas; Bolander, Klara; Courteille, Olivier; Dev, Parvati; Hindbeck, Hans; Edward, Leonard E., II; Stringer, Jennifer R.; Thalme, Anders; Fors, Uno G. H.

2003-01-01

Interactive Simulated Patient (ISP) is a computer-based simulation tool designed to provide medical students with the opportunity to practice their clinical problem solving skills. The ISP system allows students to perform most clinical decision-making procedures in a simulated environment, including history taking in natural language, many…

Agent Supported Serious Game Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terzidou, Theodouli; Tsiatsos, Thrasyvoulos; Miliou, Christina; Sourvinou, Athanasia

2016-01-01

This study proposes and applies a novel concept for an AI enhanced serious game collaborative environment as a supplementary learning tool in tertiary education. It is based on previous research that investigated pedagogical agents for a serious game in the OpenSim environment. The proposed AI features to support the serious game are the…

Improving Language Production Using Subtitled Similar Task Videos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arslanyilmaz, Abdurrahman; Pedersen, Susan

2010-01-01

This study examines the effects of subtitled similar task videos on language production by nonnative speakers (NNSs) in an online task-based language learning (TBLL) environment. Ten NNS-NNS dyads collaboratively completed four communicative tasks, using an online TBLL environment specifically designed for this study and a chat tool in…

Approaches to Assessment in CLIL Classrooms: Two Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Dwyer, Fergus; de Boer, Mark

2015-01-01

This article presents two case studies that show how learner involvement and collaboration in assessment are valid pedagogic tools to encourage learner reflection and engagement, particularly where a very traditional approach to language learning is the norm. The authors, who teach in universities in Japan, discuss different but related approaches…

Cultural Memory Banking in Preservice Science Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Handa, Vicente C.; Tippins, Deborah J.

2012-01-01

This study focused on the exemplification of cultural memory banking as an ethnographic tool to understand cultural practices relevant to science teaching and learning in a rural coastal village in a central island of the Philippine archipelago. Using the collaborative action ethnography as a research methodology, 10 prospective science teachers…

Health Impact Assessment as a Student Service Learning Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Cynthia; Greene, Marion S.

2012-01-01

Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) incorporate a combination of tools, methods, and procedures to evaluate the potential health effects of a proposed program, project, or policy. The university public health department, in collaboration with the county health department, and the local planning organization, developed a curriculum for a…

Rethinking the Library Game: Creating an Alternate Reality with Social Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Battles, Jason; Glenn, Valerie; Shedd, Lindley

2011-01-01

In recent years, libraries have made efforts to create games, often for the purpose of information literacy instruction. Games can provide an interactive alternative to traditional instruction by introducing research tools and resources while also teaching problem solving skills within a collaborative learning environment. Despite the benefits,…

Comparing the Effects of Representational Tools in Collaborative and Individual Inquiry Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolloffel, Bas; Eysink, Tessa H. S.; de Jong, Ton

2011-01-01

Constructing a representation in which students express their domain understanding can help them improve their knowledge. Many different representational formats can be used to express one's domain understanding (e.g., concept maps, textual summaries, mathematical equations). The format can direct students' attention to specific aspects of the…

From Web 2.0 to Teacher 2.0

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, David A.; Li, Qing

2008-01-01

The World Wide Web is evolving in response to users who demand faster and more efficient access to information, portability, and reusability of digital objects between Web-based and computer-based applications and powerful communication, publication, collaboration, and teaching and learning tools. This article reviews current uses of Web-based…

Productive Academic Talk during Inquiry-Based Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillies, Robyn M.

2013-01-01

This study reports on the types of academic talk that contribute to enhanced explanatory responses, reasoning, problem-solving and learning. The study involved 10 groups of 3-4 students who were provided with one of three linguistic tools (i.e. Cognitive Questioning, Philosophy for Children and Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR)) to scaffold…

Perspective Taking and Synchronous Argumentation for Learning the Day/Night Cycle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwarz, Baruch B.; Schur, Yaron; Pensso, Haim; Tayer, Naama

2011-01-01

Changing practices in schools is a very complex endeavor. This paper is about new practices we prompted to foster collaboration and critical reasoning in science classrooms: the presentation of pictures representing different perspectives, small group synchronous argumentation, and moderation of synchronous argumentation. A CSCL tool helped in…

Telework 96: An International Collaborative Learning Package for Information Entrepreneurs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davenport, Elisabeth; Wormell, Irene

1997-01-01

Describes the implementation of an international joint course developed by Queen Margaret College in Scotland and the Royal School of Librarianship in Denmark introducing undergraduate students to tools and issues relevant to teleworking, or working at home. Discusses course objectives, class assignments, student assessment, and program…

A Study of the Predictive Relationship between Online Social Presence and ONLE Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tu, Chih-Hsiung; Yen, Cherng-Jyh; Blocher, J. Michael; Chan, Junn-Yih

2012-01-01

Open Network Learning Environments (ONLE) are online networks that afford learners the opportunity to participate in creative content endeavors, personalized identity projections, networked mechanism management, and effective collaborative community integration by applying Web 2.0 tools in open environments. It supports social interaction by…

Muggles in the Media World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Nancy; Hanks, Ruth

2003-01-01

Considers the roles of teachers and school librarians in comparison to J. K. Rowling's muggles and wizards in the Harry Potter books. Presents a technology assessment tool that asks teachers what skills they would like the library to provide to support curriculum, including reference, technology, literacy, and collaborative learning, and provides…

Generations at School: Building an Age-Friendly Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovely, Suzette; Buffum, Austin G.; Barth, Roland S.

2007-01-01

Today's workforce comprises distinct generational cohorts-Veterans, Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials. "Generations at School" provides educators with the knowledge and tools to create and sustain true collaboration, teamwork, and consensus. Suzette Lovely and Austin G. Buffum introduce the traits and tipping points of these diverse age…

Building a Shared Virtual Learning Culture: An International Classroom Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starke-Meyerring, Doreen; Andrews, Deborah

2006-01-01

Business professionals increasingly use digital tools to collaborate across multiple cultures, locations, and time zones. Success in this complex environment depends on a shared culture that facilitates the making of knowledge and the best contributions of all team members. To prepare managers for such communication, the authors designed and…

Communicating Effectively with All Colleagues, Even "Difficult" Ones

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacDonald, Heidi H.

2011-01-01

To help create a supportive learning environment for students, school psychologists must collaborate daily with parents, teachers, and other professionals. Effective communication is an indispensable tool for helping to ensure that all parties understand how they play an essential role in a student's development. The ability to communicate…

Strategic Teaching: Student Learning through Working the Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spanbroek, Nancy

2010-01-01

The designers of our future built environment must possess intellectual tools which will allow them to be disciplined, flexible and analytical thinkers, able to address and resolve new and complex problems. In response, an experimental and collaborative design studio was designed to inspire and build on students' knowledge and their creative…

English Teachers' Moderating and Participating in OCPs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pino-Silva, Juan; Mayora, Carlos A.

2010-01-01

Online Communities of Practice (OCPs) are among the most accessible tools for EFL/ESL teachers' co-construction of knowledge and self-directed learning. Despite the welcomed proliferation of EFL/ESL teachers' OCPs, concomitant research on collaboration is noticeably lagging behind. The present paper is just a preliminary look at moderation and…

How Virtual Team Leaders Cope with Creativity Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Soo Jeoung; Chae, Chungil; Macko, Patricia; Park, Woongbae; Beyerlein, Michael

2017-01-01

Purpose: As technology-mediated communication improves, many organizations increasingly use new types of collaborative online tools to promote team-based learning and performance. The purpose of this study is to explore how virtual team leaders cope with process challenges in developing a context for team creativity. Design/methodology/approach:…

Photovoice as Methodology, Pedagogy, and Partnership-Building Tool: A Graduate and Community College Student Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latz, Amanda O.; Phelps-Ward, Robin; Royer, Dan; Peters, Tiffany

2016-01-01

Participatory action research, photovoice, diversity, and immersive learning comprised the most important aspects of the Community Colleges and Diversity graduate course taught during the 2014 spring semester. This project involved eight graduate students, five community college students, three community college administrators, and one university…

Assessing for Learning: Building a Sustainable Commitment Across the Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maki, Peggy L.

2004-01-01

This book offers colleges and universities a framework and tools to design an effective and collaborative assessment process appropriate for their culture and institution. It encapsulates the approach that Peggy Maki has developed and refined through the hundreds of successful workshops she has presented nationally and internationally. Maki starts…

Assessment of learning powered mobility use--applying grounded theory to occupational performance.

PubMed

Nilsson, Lisbeth; Durkin, Josephine

2014-01-01

Collaboration by two grounded theory researchers, who each had developed a learning continuum instrument, led to the emergence of a new tool for assessment of learning powered mobility use. We undertook a rigorous process of comparative reanalysis that included merging, modifying, and expanding our previous research findings. A new instrument together with its facilitating strategies emerged in the course of revisits to our existing rich account of data taken from real environment powered mobility practice over an extensive time period. Instrument descriptors, categories, phases, and stages allow a facilitator to assess actual phase and plot actual occupational performance and provide a learner with the just right challenge through the learning process. Facilitating strategies are described for each of the phases and provide directions for involvement during learner performance. The learning approach is led by a belief system that the intervention is user-led, working in partnership and empowering the learner. The new assessment tool is inclusive of every potential powered mobility user because it focuses on the whole continuum of the learning process of powered mobility use from novice to expert. The new tool was appraised by clinicians and has been used successfully in clinical practice in the United Kingdom and Sweden.

Learning in Authentic Earth and Planetary Contexts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fergusson, J. A.; Oliver, C. A.

2006-12-01

A Virtual Field Trip project has been developed in collaboration with NASA Learning Technologies to allow students, internationally, to accompany scientists on a field trip to the Pilbara region of Western Australia to debate the relevance of ancient structures called stromatolites, to the origins of life on Earth and the search for life on Mars. The project was planned with the aim of exposing high school students to `science in the making', including exposure to the ongoing debate and uncertainties involved in scientific research. The development of the project stemmed from both research-based and anecdotal evidence that current science education programs are not providing secondary students with a good understanding of the processes of science. This study seeks to examine the effectiveness of student use of the tools to increase awareness of the processes of science and to evaluate the effectiveness of the tools in terms of student learning. The literature reports that there is a need for learning activities to be conducted within meaningful contexts. The virtual field trip tools create an environment that simulates key elements in the scientific process. Such an approach allows students to learn by doing, to work like scientists and apply their learning in an authentic context.

Collaboration as a Strategy to Transform the Impact of EPO Efforts in the New York Center for Astrobiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svirsky, A.; Rogers, K. L.; Meissner, M.; Busby, G.; Roberge, W.

2014-12-01

The New York Center for Astrobiology (NYCA) EPO effort is a collaboration combining expertise in evaluation and assessment of STEM educational modules with disciplinary expertise in astrobiology. In practice, the NYCA partners with external experts in professional development, informal education and evaluation to assist in developing and implementing certain programs of the NYCA EPO activities. Two specific program initiatives of the NYCA EPO effort offer excellent examples of programs with strong science content knowledge as well as using effective tools to address the NSF impact categories. These are the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp (EMBHSSC, in conjunction with RPI's STEM Pipeline Initiative) and the Astrobiology Teachers Academy (ATA). The EMBHSSC for middle school students focuses on NASA astrobiology initiatives around the "Quest for Life" theme. The Camp has a comprehensive evaluation component and uses pre-and post- assessment of student knowledge and interest in STEM. Recent data suggest that every student has shown a measurable gain in these areas. The ATA is a weeklong summer intensive professional development program for P-12 STEM teachers that combines discipline scientists in the NYCA with an external evaluation organization, the Association for the Cooperative Advancement of Science and Education (ACASE). The goal is for teachers to develop a new learning module for a course they teach that uses astrobiology as a content focus to engage students. The Academy has scientists collaborating with teachers in this effort, providing content and assistance in designing instructional activities. Assessments are woven into the fabric of the work in a few ways: 1. There is a purposeful focus on assessment as part of the learning module, and the content of the ATA; 2. ACASE offers teachers a tool for tracking their students' attainment of the learning goals identified in their learning module; 3. There are daily evaluations of the teachers' experiences to enable mid-course corrections, and a final evaluation of the ATA at the end of the experience. NYCA scientists support the approach of working collaboratively with external experts in evaluation as a paradigm for EPO activities sponsored by NASA. Our presentation will highlight the myriad of tools used to measure outcomes of these activities.

[The informatics: a remarkable tool for teaching general internal medicine].

PubMed

Ombelli, Julien; Pasche, Olivier; Sohrmann, Marc; Monti, Matteo

2015-05-13

INTERMED training implies a three week course, integrated in the "primary care module" for medical students in the first master year at the school of medicine in Lausanne. INTERMED uses an innovative teaching method based on repetitive sequences of e-learning-based individual learning followed by collaborative learning activities in teams, named Team-based learning (TBL). The e-learning takes place in a web-based virtual learning environment using a series of interactive multimedia virtual patients. By using INTERMED students go through a complete medical encounter applying clinical reasoning and choosing the diagnostic and therapeutic approach. INTERMED offers an authentic experience in an engaging and safe environment where errors are allowed and without consequences.

Anthropology and Epidemiology: learning epistemological lessons through a collaborative venture

PubMed Central

Béhague, Dominique Pareja; Gonçalves, Helen; Victora, Cesar Gomes

2009-01-01

Collaboration between anthropology and epidemiology has a long and tumultuous history. Based on empirical examples, this paper describes a number of epistemological lessons we have learned through our experience of cross-disciplinary collaboration. Although critical of both mainstream epidemiology and medical anthropology, our analysis focuses on the implications of addressing each discipline’s main epistemological differences, while addressing the goal of adopting a broader social approach to health improvement. We believe it is important to push the boundaries of research collaborations from the more standard forms of “multidisciplinarity,” to the adoption of theoretically imbued “interdisciplinarity.” The more we challenge epistemological limitations and modify ways of knowing, the more we will be able to provide in-depth explanations for the emergence of disease-patterns and thus, to problem-solve. In our experience, both institutional support and the adoption of a relativistic attitude are necessary conditions for sustained theoretical interdisciplinarity. Until researchers acknowledge that methodology is merely a human-designed tool to interpret reality, unnecessary methodological hyper-specialization will continue to alienate one field of knowledge from the other. PMID:18833344

Healthy Eating Design Guidelines for School Architecture

PubMed Central

Huang, Terry T-K; Sorensen, Dina; Davis, Steven; Frerichs, Leah; Brittin, Jeri; Celentano, Joseph; Callahan, Kelly

2013-01-01

We developed a new tool, Healthy Eating Design Guidelines for School Architecture, to provide practitioners in architecture and public health with a practical set of spatially organized and theory-based strategies for making school environments more conducive to learning about and practicing healthy eating by optimizing physical resources and learning spaces. The design guidelines, developed through multidisciplinary collaboration, cover 10 domains of the school food environment (eg, cafeteria, kitchen, garden) and 5 core healthy eating design principles. A school redesign project in Dillwyn, Virginia, used the tool to improve the schools’ ability to adopt a healthy nutrition curriculum and promote healthy eating. The new tool, now in a pilot version, is expected to evolve as its components are tested and evaluated through public health and design research. PMID:23449281

Designing a Hydro-Economic Collaborative Computer Decision Support System: Approaches, Best Practices, Lessons Learned, and Future Trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, D. E.

2008-12-01

Designing and implementing a hydro-economic computer model to support or facilitate collaborative decision making among multiple stakeholders or users can be challenging and daunting. Collaborative modeling is distinguished and more difficult than non-collaborative efforts because of a large number of users with different backgrounds, disagreement or conflict among stakeholders regarding problem definitions, modeling roles, and analysis methods, plus evolving ideas of model scope and scale and needs for information and analysis as stakeholders interact, use the model, and learn about the underlying water system. This presentation reviews the lifecycle for collaborative model making and identifies some key design decisions that stakeholders and model developers must make to develop robust and trusted, verifiable and transparent, integrated and flexible, and ultimately useful models. It advances some best practices to implement and program these decisions. Among these best practices are 1) modular development of data- aware input, storage, manipulation, results recording and presentation components plus ways to couple and link to other models and tools, 2) explicitly structure both input data and the meta data that describes data sources, who acquired it, gaps, and modifications or translations made to put the data in a form usable by the model, 3) provide in-line documentation on model inputs, assumptions, calculations, and results plus ways for stakeholders to document their own model use and share results with others, and 4) flexibly program with graphical object-oriented properties and elements that allow users or the model maintainers to easily see and modify the spatial, temporal, or analysis scope as the collaborative process moves forward. We draw on examples of these best practices from the existing literature, the author's prior work, and some new applications just underway. The presentation concludes by identifying some future directions for collaborative modeling including geo-spatial display and analysis, real-time operations, and internet-based tools plus the design and programming needed to implement these capabilities.

Seven Affordances of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: How to Support Collaborative Learning? How Can Technologies Help?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeong, Heisawn; Hmelo-Silver, Cindy E.

2016-01-01

This article proposes 7 core affordances of technology for collaborative learning based on theories of collaborative learning and CSCL (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning) practices. Technology affords learner opportunities to (1) engage in a joint task, (2) communicate, (3) share resources, (4) engage in productive collaborative learning…

Collaborative Action Research on Technology Integration for Science Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chien-Hsing; Ke, Yi-Ting; Wu, Jin-Tong; Hsu, Wen-Hua

2012-02-01

This paper briefly reports the outcomes of an action research inquiry on the use of blogs, MS PowerPoint [PPT], and the Internet as learning tools with a science class of sixth graders for project-based learning. Multiple sources of data were essential to triangulate the key findings articulated in this paper. Corresponding to previous studies, the incorporation of technology and project-based learning could motivate students in self-directed exploration. The students were excited about the autonomy over what to learn and the use of PPT to express what they learned. Differing from previous studies, the findings pointed to the lack information literacy among students. The students lacked information evaluation skills, note-taking and information synthesis. All these findings imply the importance of teaching students about information literacy and visual literacy when introducing information technology into the classroom. The authors suggest that further research should focus on how to break the culture of "copy-and-paste" by teaching the skills of note-taking and synthesis through inquiry projects for science learning. Also, further research on teacher professional development should focus on using collaboration action research as a framework for re-designing graduate courses for science teachers in order to enhance classroom technology integration.

Creating and sustaining an academic-practice Partnership Engagement Model.

PubMed

Schaffer, Marjorie A; Schoon, Patricia M; Brueshoff, Bonnie L

2017-11-01

Public health clinical educators and practicing public health nurses (PHNs) are experiencing challenges in creating meaningful clinical learning experiences for nursing students due to an increase in nursing programs and greater workload responsibilities for both nursing faculty and PHNs. The Henry Street Consortium (HSC), a collaborative group of PHNs and nursing faculty, conducted a project to identify best practices for public health nursing student clinical learning experiences. Project leaders surveyed HSC members about preferences for teaching-learning strategies, facilitated development of resources and tools to guide learning, organized faculty/PHN pilot teams to test resources and tools with students, and evaluated the pilot team experiences through two focus groups. The analysis of the outcomes of the partnership engagement project led to the development of the Partnership Engagement Model (PEM), which may be used by nursing faculty and their public health practice partners to guide building relationships and sustainable partnerships for educating nursing students. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Teachers' and students' perspectives on teaching and learning through virtual learning environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limniou, M.; Smith, M.

2010-12-01

The aim of this investigation was to get an insight into how teachers and students responded to the use of virtual learning environments (VLE) in engineering education and what their expectations were from online courses. Teachers designed their online courses with the assistance of a support e-learning team and questionnaires were used for teachers and students to express their views on the online courses. Teachers pointed out that the online courses by themselves would be able to tackle limited lecture time and strengthen the students' background knowledge. Students, on the other hand, stated that their difficulties regarding the courses could be facilitated by using a more interactive teaching approach with the use of collaboration tools and receiving individual feedback. Thus, students suggested that teachers adopt a more student-centred approach by using VLE. Teachers' and students' perspectives were related to their personal characteristics, as students were more familiar with everyday e-communication tools.

The Virtual Learning Commons (VLC): Enabling Co-Innovation Across Disciplines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennington, D. D.; Gandara, A.; Del Rio, N.

2014-12-01

A key challenge for scientists addressing grand-challenge problems is identifying, understanding, and integrating potentially relevant methods, models and tools that that are rapidly evolving in the informatics community. Such tools are essential for effectively integrating data and models in complex research projects, yet it is often difficult to know what tools are available and it is not easy to understand or evaluate how they might be used in a given research context. The goal of the National Science Foundation-funded Virtual Learning Commons (VLC) is to improve awareness and understanding of emerging methodologies and technologies, facilitate individual and group evaluation of these, and trace the impact of innovations within and across teams, disciplines, and communities. The VLC is a Web-based social bookmarking site designed specifically to support knowledge exchange in research communities. It is founded on well-developed models of technology adoption, diffusion of innovation, and experiential learning. The VLC makes use of Web 2.0 (Social Web) and Web 3.0 (Semantic Web) approaches. Semantic Web approaches enable discovery of potentially relevant methods, models, and tools, while Social Web approaches enable collaborative learning about their function. The VLC is under development and the first release is expected Fall 2014.

A Cyber Enabled Collaborative Environment for Creating, Sharing and Using Data and Modeling Driven Curriculum Modules for Hydrology Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merwade, V.; Ruddell, B. L.; Fox, S.; Iverson, E. A. R.

2014-12-01

With the access to emerging datasets and computational tools, there is a need to bring these capabilities into hydrology classrooms. However, developing curriculum modules using data and models to augment classroom teaching is hindered by a steep technology learning curve, rapid technology turnover, and lack of an organized community cyberinfrastructure (CI) for the dissemination, publication, and sharing of the latest tools and curriculum material for hydrology and geoscience education. The objective of this project is to overcome some of these limitations by developing a cyber enabled collaborative environment for publishing, sharing and adoption of data and modeling driven curriculum modules in hydrology and geosciences classroom. The CI is based on Carleton College's Science Education Resource Center (SERC) Content Management System. Building on its existing community authoring capabilities the system is being extended to allow assembly of new teaching activities by drawing on a collection of interchangeable building blocks; each of which represents a step in the modeling process. Currently the system hosts more than 30 modules or steps, which can be combined to create multiple learning units. Two specific units: Unit Hydrograph and Rational Method, have been used in undergraduate hydrology class-rooms at Purdue University and Arizona State University. The structure of the CI and the lessons learned from its implementation, including preliminary results from student assessments of learning will be presented.

Integrating cultures: a tool for mission leaders and others in collaborating organizations.

PubMed

Bradel, W T; Gillis, V; Harkness, J; McGuire, T P; Nehring, T

1999-01-01

This resource, Integrating Cultures, is a direct response to numerous requests received last fall from mission leaders in CHA-member organizations struggling with the cultural realities of strategic alliances. This tool presents the learnings of five authors who shared their significant experience of collaborative activities in ministry organizations, ranging from joint operating agreements to full mergers of assets and expenses. This resource specifically addresses the challenges facing organizations in the first 18 to 24 months follow the finalization of a collaboration. Strategies are presented here for bringing together previously distinct communities of people into positive, healthy new cultures that reflect the visions and purposes of the collaborative activities. Future articles will recommend culture integration strategies appropriate at other points along the collaboration timeline: the period of initial investigation, the stage of due diligence, and the ongoing life of collaborating entities two years and more after signing the final papers. Integrating Cultures and a resource from CHA collaboration with other-than-Catholic organizations (set for publication later this spring) were developed in response to members' requests for the accurate information they need as they proceed with integration strategies in today's healthcare environment. These resources are examples of the powerful knowledge e transfer and wisdom sharing that is possible when ministry leaders work with and for one another to make Christ's healing presence more evident in our world.

Productivity, part 2: cloud storage, remote meeting tools, screencasting, speech recognition software, password managers, and online data backup.

PubMed

Lackey, Amanda E; Pandey, Tarun; Moshiri, Mariam; Lalwani, Neeraj; Lall, Chandana; Bhargava, Puneet

2014-06-01

It is an opportune time for radiologists to focus on personal productivity. The ever increasing reliance on computers and the Internet has significantly changed the way we work. Myriad software applications are available to help us improve our personal efficiency. In this article, the authors discuss some tools that help improve collaboration and personal productivity, maximize e-learning, and protect valuable digital data. Published by Elsevier Inc.

New Tools for a New Age: Evolution or Revolution?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleadow, R.; Honeydew, M.

2015-12-01

The massive change in communication and information technology in the past ten years raises questions about how, or even should, we harness this to teach our students. Lectures did not disappear after the invention of the printing press, but they did evolve. As a teaching and research academics in a research-intensive university we are keen to engage students in discipline knowledge but what is an appropriate way to do that? We teach a large course in scientific practice and communication that is compulsory for all science students studying at our Melbourne and Malaysian campuses, or by distance education. Work is structured around the learning management system making it a teaching space, rather than a filing system. To ensure focus, topics are clustered into themes with a 'question of the week'. Collaboration tools are used to promote peer-2-peer learning, knowledge building and communication. For one assignment, students analyse a media article and compare it to the original scientific paper. On-campus students do this collaboratively using electron whiteboards while Distance Education students create blog. All online activity is monitored and inappropriate behaviour dealt with quickly. The ranking of the unit by students has increased significantly with the incorporation of the new approaches. While there is inherent value in exposing students to the latest digital tools, technologies come and go. The fundamentals, however, remain the same: find out where the students are at, have specific learning objectives, provide some structure, be clear how they will be assessed, and above all inspire!

SDH-NET: a South-North-South collaboration to build sustainable research capacities on social determinants of health in low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Cash-Gibson, Lucinda; Guerra, German; Salgado-de-Snyder, V Nelly

2015-10-22

It is desirable that health researchers have the ability to conduct research on health equity and contribute to the development of their national health system and policymaking processes. However, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a limited capacity to conduct this type of research due to reasons mostly associated with the status of national (health) research systems. Building sustainable research capacity in LMICs through the triangulation of South-North-South (S-N-S) collaborative networks seems to be an effective way to maximize limited national resources to strengthen these capacities. This article describes how a collaborative project (SDH-Net), funded by the European Commission, has successfully designed a study protocol and a S-N-S collaborative network to effectively support research capacity building in LMICs, specifically in the area of social determinants of health (SDH); this project seeks to elaborate on the vital role of global collaborative networks in strengthening this practice. The implementation of SDH-Net comprised diverse activities developed in three phases. Phase 1: national level mapping exercises were conducted to assess the needs for SDH capacity building or strengthening in local research systems. Four strategic areas were defined, namely research implementation and system performance, social appropriation of knowledge, institutional and national research infrastructure, and research skills and training/networks. Phase 2: development of tools to address the identified capacity building needs, as well as knowledge management and network strengthening activities. Phase 3: identifying lessons learned in terms of research ethics, and how policies can support the capacity building process in SDH research. The implementation of the protocol has led the network to design innovative tools for strengthening SDH research capacities, under a successful S-N-S collaboration that included national mapping reports, a global open-access learning platform with tools and resources, ethical guidelines for research, policy recommendations, and academic contributions to the global SDH discourse. The effective triangulation of S-N-S partnerships can be of high value in building sustainable research capacity in LMICs. If designed appropriately, these multicultural, multi-institutional, and multidisciplinary collaborations can enable southern and northern academics to contextualize global research according to their national realities.

Impact of network aided platforms as educational tools on academic performance and attitude of pharmacology students.

PubMed

Khan, Aftab Ahmed; Siddiqui, Adel Zia; Mohsin, Syed Fareed; Momani, Mohammed Mahmoud Al; Mirza, Eraj Humayun

2017-01-01

This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the impact of learning management system and WhatsApp application as educational tools on students' academic achievement and attitude. The sample population was the students of six medical colleges of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia attending Medical Pharmacology's semester course in Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program from September 2016 to January 2017. An exploratory approach was adopted based on a comparison between students exposed to only in-class lectures (Group-N), in-class lectures together with WhatsApp platform to disseminate the lecture slides (Group-W) and students group with in-class lectures facility blended with Learning Management System (LMS) and WhatsApp platform (Group-WL). The students' grades were assessed using unified multiple choice questions at the end of the semester. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation (p<0.01). Using learning management system (LMS) and/or WhatsApp messenger tool showed a significant positive correlation in improving students' grades. Additionally, use of WhatsApp enhances students' in-class attendance though statistically insignificant. The results are pivotal for a paradigm shift of in-class lectures and discussion to mobile learning (M-learning). M-learning through WhatsApp may be as an alternative, innovative, and collaborative tool in achieving the required goals in medical education.

Impact of network aided platforms as educational tools on academic performance and attitude of pharmacology students

PubMed Central

Khan, Aftab Ahmed; Siddiqui, Adel Zia; Mohsin, Syed Fareed; Momani, Mohammed Mahmoud Al; Mirza, Eraj Humayun

2017-01-01

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the impact of learning management system and WhatsApp application as educational tools on students’ academic achievement and attitude. Methods: The sample population was the students of six medical colleges of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia attending Medical Pharmacology’s semester course in Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program from September 2016 to January 2017. An exploratory approach was adopted based on a comparison between students exposed to only in-class lectures (Group-N), in-class lectures together with WhatsApp platform to disseminate the lecture slides (Group-W) and students group with in-class lectures facility blended with Learning Management System (LMS) and WhatsApp platform (Group-WL). The students’ grades were assessed using unified multiple choice questions at the end of the semester. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation (p<0.01). Results: Using learning management system (LMS) and/or WhatsApp messenger tool showed a significant positive correlation in improving students’ grades. Additionally, use of WhatsApp enhances students’ in-class attendance though statistically insignificant. Conclusion: The results are pivotal for a paradigm shift of in-class lectures and discussion to mobile learning (M-learning). M-learning through WhatsApp may be as an alternative, innovative, and collaborative tool in achieving the required goals in medical education. PMID:29492081

Perception of collaborative learning in associate degree students in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Shek, Daniel T L; Shek, Moses M W

2013-01-01

Although collaborative learning has been widely researched in Western contexts, no study has been carried out to understand how associate degree students look at collaborative learning in Hong Kong. In this study, perceptions of and attitudes to collaborative learning among associate degree students were studied. A total of 44 associate degree students completed an online questionnaire including measures of perceived benefits and attitudes to collaborative learning, and social-emotional competence. Results showed that there were no significant differences between male and female students on perceived benefits of and attitudes towards collaborative learning. Social-emotional competence was related to perceived benefits of and attitudes to collaborative learning. Attitudes were also related to perceived benefits of collaborative learning. This paper is the first known study looking at the relationships among perceived benefits and attitudes to collaborative learning and social-emotional competence in Chinese associate degree students in different Chinese contexts.

Effects of Collaborative Learning Styles on Performance of Students in a Ubiquitous Collaborative Mobile Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fakomogbon, Michael Ayodele; Bolaji, Hameed Olalekan

2017-01-01

Collaborative learning is an approach employed by instructors to facilitate learning and improve learner's performance. Mobile learning can accommodate a variety of learning approaches. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of collaborative learning styles on performance of students in a mobile learning environment. The specific purposes…

Web-Based Instruction and Learning: Analysis and Needs Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grabowski, Barbara; McCarthy, Marianne; Koszalka, Tiffany

1998-01-01

An analysis and needs assessment was conducted to identify kindergarten through grade 14 (K-14) customer needs with regard to using the World Wide Web (WWW) for instruction and to identify obstacles K-14 teachers face in utilizing NASA Learning Technologies products in the classroom. The needs assessment was conducted as part of the Dryden Learning Technologies Project which is a collaboration between Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), Edwards, California and Tne Pennsylvania State University (PSU), University Park, Pennsylvania. The overall project is a multiyear effort to conduct research in the development of teacher training and tools for Web-based science, mathematics and technology instruction and learning.

Assessing Student Peer Dialogue in Collaborative Settings: A Window into Student Reasoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stone, Antoinette

The use of science classroom discourse analysis as a way to gain a better understanding of various student cognitive outcomes has a rich history in Science Education in general and Physics Education Research (PER) in particular. When students talk to each other in a collaborative peer instruction environment, such as in the CLASP classes (Collaborative Learning and Sense-making in Physics) at UC Davis, they get to practice and enhance their reasoning and sense-making skills, develop collaborative approaches to problem solving, and participate in co-construction of knowledge and shared thinking. To better understand these important cognitive processes, an analysis tool for monitoring, assessing and categorizing the peer talk arising in this environment is needed as a first step in teasing out evidence for these processes inherent in such talk. In order to meaningfully contribute to the extensive body of knowledge that currently exists, deeper, more insightful answers to the question of what happens linguistically when students struggle to "make sense" and how students use language to mediate these important cognitive outcomes is needed. To this end, a new tool for interpreting particularly qualitative linguistic data is needed, and the first part of the dissertation expounds on the development of a discourse analysis tool that has as its underpinnings a framework for coding borrowed extensively from Systemic Functional Linguistics Theory (SFL). The second part of this dissertation illustrates multiple ways in which the tool is used and how it can be utilized to address many current research questions.

Dentistry students' perceptions of learning management systems.

PubMed

Handal, B; Groenlund, C; Gerzina, T

2010-02-01

This paper reports an exploratory survey study about students' perceptions of learning management systems (LMS) at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney. Two hundred and fifty-four students enrolled in the Bachelor of Dentistry and the Bachelor of Oral Health programmes participated in an online survey aimed at exploring their beliefs and attitudes as well as their preferences for eLearning tools. Results indicated a strong preference of students for using LMSs as resource repositories rather than for higher-order learning activities such as online discussion forums. This finding holds importance for consideration of the development of the educational resources modalities that support development of essential graduate attributes such as information literacy and collaborative learning.

A crowdsourcing model for creating preclinical medical education study tools.

PubMed

Bow, Hansen C; Dattilo, Jonathan R; Jonas, Andrea M; Lehmann, Christoph U

2013-06-01

During their preclinical course work, medical students must memorize and recall substantial amounts of information. Recent trends in medical education emphasize collaboration through team-based learning. In the technology world, the trend toward collaboration has been characterized by the crowdsourcing movement. In 2011, the authors developed an innovative approach to team-based learning that combined students' use of flashcards to master large volumes of content with a crowdsourcing model, using a simple informatics system to enable those students to share in the effort of generating concise, high-yield study materials. The authors used Google Drive and developed a simple Java software program that enabled students to simultaneously access and edit sets of questions and answers in the form of flashcards. Through this crowdsourcing model, medical students in the class of 2014 at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine created a database of over 16,000 questions that corresponded to the Genes to Society basic science curriculum. An analysis of exam scores revealed that students in the class of 2014 outperformed those in the class of 2013, who did not have access to the flashcard system, and a survey of students demonstrated that users were generally satisfied with the system and found it a valuable study tool. In this article, the authors describe the development and implementation of their crowdsourcing model for creating study materials, emphasize its simplicity and user-friendliness, describe its impact on students' exam performance, and discuss how students in any educational discipline could implement a similar model of collaborative learning.

E-Labs - Learning with Authentic Data

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

Bardeen, Marjorie G.; Wayne, Mitchell

the success teachers have had providing an opportunity for students to: • Organize and conduct authentic research. • Experience the environment of scientific collaborations. • Possibly make real contributions to a burgeoning scientific field. We've created projects that are problem-based, student driven and technology dependent. Students reach beyond classroom walls to explore data with other students and experts and share results, publishing original work to a worldwide audience. Students can discover and extend the research of other students, modeling the processes of modern, large-scale research projects. From start to finish e-Labs are student-led, teacher-guided projects. Students need only a Webmore » browser to access computing techniques employed by professional researchers. A Project Map with milestones allows students to set the research plan rather than follow a step-by-step process common in other online projects. Most importantly, e-Labs build the learning experience around the students' own questions and let them use the very tools that scientists use. Students contribute to and access shared data, most derived from professional research databases. They use common analysis tools, store their work and use metadata to discover, replicate and confirm the research of others. This is where real scientific collaboration begins. Using online tools, students correspond with other research groups, post comments and questions, prepare summary reports, and in general participate in the part of scientific research that is often left out of classroom experiments. Teaching tools such as student and teacher logbooks, pre- and post-tests and an assessment rubric aligned with learner outcomes help teachers guide student work. Constraints on interface designs and administrative tools such as registration databases give teachers the "one-stop-shopping" they seek for multiple e-Labs. Teaching and administrative tools also allow us to track usage and assess the impact on student learning.« less

Assisting Tutors to Utilize Web 2.0 Tools in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perikos, Isidoros; Grivokostopoulou, Foteini; Kovas, Konstantinos; Hatzilygeroudis, Ioannis

2015-01-01

Over the last decade, web has changed the way that educational procedures are delivered to students and has brought innovative learning technologies and possibilities that were not available before. The Web has evolved to a worldwide platform for collaboration, sharing and innovation, constituting what is called Web 2.0. Social media are an…

EvalCOMIX®: A Web-Based Programme to Support Collaboration in Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibarra-Sáiz, María Soledad; Rodríguez-Gómez, Gregorio

2016-01-01

For many years assessment strategies and practices have emphasized on the one hand the importance of integrating assessment and learning and, secondly, the need to develop technological tools that facilitate this relationship and integration. In this paper, firstly we describe the EvalCOMIX® web service and then we present the opinions of…

Collaborative Scaffolding in Online Task-Based Voice Interactions between Advanced Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenning, Marie-Madeleine

2010-01-01

This paper reports some of the findings of a distinctive innovative use of audio-conferencing involving a population (campus-based advanced learners) and a type of application (task-based language learning) that have received little attention to date: the use of Wimba Voice Tools to provide additional opportunities for spoken interactions between…

Temoa: An Open Educational Resources Portal to Seek, Investigate and Inquire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gómez-Zermeño, Marcela Georgina; de la Garza, Lorena Yadira Alemán

2015-01-01

Temoa is a distributor of knowledge that provides a multilingual public catalog of collections of Open Educational Resources (OER). Temoa seeks to support the educational community to find the resources and materials that meet their needs for teaching and learning, through a specialized search system and collaborative social tools. Temoa was…

Social Media as Collaborative Media in Workplace Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Kristopher J.; Akdere, Mesut

2013-01-01

As a result of rapid changes in technology, much is discussed about the use of social media in branding, marketing, and in general corporate communications. The intensity with which social media tools--blogs, wikis, Twitter, instant messaging (IM) and Facebook, among others--have proliferated is staggering. Increasingly important is the role of…

A Framework for Semantic Group Formation in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ounnas, Asma; Davis, Hugh C.; Millard, David E.

2009-01-01

Collaboration has long been considered an effective approach to learning. However, forming optimal groups can be a time consuming and complex task. Different approaches have been developed to assist teachers allocate students to groups based on a set of constraints. However, existing tools often fail to assign some students to groups creating a…

Remix Literacy: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohnke, Lucas

2017-01-01

This lesson will introduce the website "Photofunia" (http://photofunia.com/) as an excellent tool in terms of incorporating the 4Cc of 21st century learning. By using remix literacy, we are able to help our students become critical thinkers, communicators, collaborators and creators in a fun, engaging and motivating approach.…

Changing School Culture: Using Documentation to Support Collaborative Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Given, Heidi; Kuh, Lisa; LeeKeenan, Debbie; Mardell, Ben; Redditt, Susan; Twombly, Susan

2010-01-01

This article considers how documentation as a professional development tool acts as a change agent for teachers and how collective engagement in the documentation process mediates the inherent tensions of working and learning in a group. Three groups of educators, at three distinct schools, used Reggio Emilia-inspired documentation as the…

Developing Critical Thinking Skills Using the Science Writing Heuristic in the Chemistry Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephenson, N. S.; Sadler-McKnight, N. P.

2016-01-01

The Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) laboratory approach is a teaching and learning tool which combines writing, inquiry, collaboration and reflection, and provides scaffolding for the development of critical thinking skills. In this study, the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) was used to measure the critical thinking skills of…

Situated Learning through Social Networking Communities: The Development of Joint Enterprise, Mutual Engagement, and a Shared Repertoire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Nicole

2011-01-01

Scholars praise social networking tools for their ability to engage and motivate iGeneration students in meaningful communicative practice, content exchange, and collaboration (Greenhow, Robelia, & Hughes, 2009; Ziegler, 2007). To gain further insight about the nature of student participation, knowledge acquisition, and relationship development…

Collaborative Leadership Development with ICT: Experiences from Three Exemplary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hauge, Trond Eiliv; Norenes, Svein Olav

2015-01-01

This study utilized a tool-oriented perspective on the uptake and use of digital technology in three exemplary upper secondary schools, to determine how the school leaders viewed leadership in the development of information and communication technology (ICT)-enriched environments for teaching and learning, and how they utilized technology in their…

Are Digital Natives a Myth or Reality? University Students' Use of Digital Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margaryan, Anoush; Littlejohn, Allison; Vojt, Gabrielle

2011-01-01

This study investigated the extent and nature of university students' use of digital technologies for learning and socialising. The findings show that students use a limited range of mainly established technologies. Use of collaborative knowledge creation tools, virtual worlds, and social networking sites was low. "Digital natives" and students of…

Links to Learning: Recommended Websites for Your World History Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wangerin, Laura

2012-01-01

Technology offers three major benefits to world history teachers: an online supply of supplemental resources; access to creative tools; and the opportunity for students to collaborate. These three positive contributions vary in the degree of involvement they require of students. Supplemental resources offer or display information, but often lack a…

Teaching in the Cloud: Leveraging Online Collaboration Tools to Enhance Student Engagement. CRLT Occasional Paper No. 31

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hershock, Chad; LaVaque-Manty, Mika

2012-01-01

The rapid proliferation of technology can have profound effects on the evolution of teaching, learning, scholarship, and governance in higher education (Katz, 2008). However, instructors report that simply "keeping up" with new instructional technologies, let alone integrating them productively into one's teaching, can be a significant…

Developing Visualization Tools for Geographic Literacy in a Museum Exhibit: An Interdisciplinary Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloodworth, Gina; Petersen, Naomi Jeffery

2011-01-01

As a result of reduced formal instruction and reduced direct experience in the natural environment, students suffer from a deficiency in geographic literacy. Informal learning environments, such as a model railroad exhibit at a history museum, can be exploited to introduce key geographic concepts (e.g., scalar compression, landscape…

Integrating Literacy, Math, and Science to Make Learning Come Alive

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bintz, William P.; Moore, Sara D.; Hayhurst, Elaine; Jones, Rubin; Tuttle, Sherry

2006-01-01

In this article, the authors who are an interdisciplinary team of middle school educators collaboratively developed and implemented an interdisciplinary unit designed to help middle school students: (1) think like mathematicians and scientists; (2) develop specific areas of expertise in math and science; and (3) use literature as a tool to learn…

Using Online Tools for Communication and Collaboration: Understanding Educators' Experiences in an Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boling, Erica C.; Holan, Erica; Horbatt, Brent; Hough, Mary; Jean-Louis, Jennifer; Khurana, Chesta; Krinsky, Hindi; Spiezio, Christina

2011-01-01

This designed-based research study explored educators' experiences in an online course to better understand how course design and pedagogical delivery can best support student learning. Using the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model (Collins et al., 1987) as a theoretical lens, researchers investigated the following: 1) What methods of instruction, as…

Applications of Technology, Currently Being Used in Business and Industry, to Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Satterlee, Brian

Most educational institutions lag far behind business and industry in the adoption and use of technology. This paper explores the applications of technologies that are currently being used in business and industry, to education. The following technologies are reviewed: virtual learning, wireless networking, collaboration tools, digital video,…

An App for the Cathedral in Freiberg--An Interdisciplinary Project Seminar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kröber, Cindy; Münster, Sander

2014-01-01

This project seminar aims at creating and evaluating a manual for interdisciplinary projects as part of a learning process. Working together, pedagogies and students from different disciplines assess tools and recommendations for successful collaborations while developing an app for the cathedral in Freiberg. As part of the project the students…

Refocusing the Lens: Enhancing Elementary Special Education Reading Instruction through Video Self-Reflection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osipova, Anna; Prichard, Brooke; Boardman, Alison Gould; Kiely, Mary Theresa; Carroll, Patricia E.

2011-01-01

This article presents the findings from a pilot study exploring the use of video as a self-reflection tool combined with high-quality, collaborative professional development (PD). Participants were in-service, upper-elementary, special education instructors teaching word study and fluency to students with learning disabilities. Participants…

Problem Scoping Design Thinking and Close Reading: Makerspaces in the School Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blakemore, Megan

2018-01-01

Makerspaces, collaborative workspaces stocked with materials and tools for creating, building, designing, and learning, are becoming more and more common in schools and, in particular, in school libraries. Makerspaces in the school library allow for connections between making and literacy. Indeed, such connections are authentic and natural as…

Sociograms as a Tool for Teaching and Learning: Discoveries from a Teacher Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobieski, Cindy; Dell'Angelo, Tabitha

2016-01-01

This collaborative article by a middle school teacher and her college faculty mentor explores the use of visual representations of data--specifically, using sociograms to explore peer relationships in an eighth-grade setting. The sociograms revealed the complexity and changing nature of relationships among students and informed classroom-based…

PBL and beyond: trends in collaborative learning.

PubMed

Pluta, William J; Richards, Boyd F; Mutnick, Andrew

2013-01-01

Building upon the disruption to lecture-based methods triggered by the introduction of problem-based learning, approaches to promote collaborative learning are becoming increasingly diverse, widespread and generally well accepted within medical education. Examples of relatively new, structured collaborative learning methods include team-based learning and just-in-time teaching. Examples of less structured approaches include think-pair share, case discussions, and the flipped classroom. It is now common practice in medical education to employ a range of instructional approaches to support collaborative learning. We believe that the adoption of such approaches is entering a new and challenging era. We define collaborate learning by drawing on the broader literature, including Chi's ICAP framework that emphasizes the importance of sustained, interactive explanation and elaboration by learners. We distinguish collaborate learning from constructive, active, and passive learning and provide preliminary evidence documenting the growth of methods that support collaborative learning. We argue that the rate of adoption of collaborative learning methods will accelerate due to a growing emphasis on the development of team competencies and the increasing availability of digital media. At the same time, the adoption collaborative learning strategies face persistent challenges, stemming from an overdependence on comparative-effectiveness research and a lack of useful guidelines about how best to adapt collaborative learning methods to given learning contexts. The medical education community has struggled to consistently demonstrate superior outcomes when using collaborative learning methods and strategies. Despite this, support for their use will continue to expand. To select approaches with the greatest utility, instructors must carefully align conditions of the learning context with the learning approaches under consideration. Further, it is critical that modifications are made with caution and that instructors verify that modifications do not impede the desired cognitive activities needed to support meaningful collaborative learning.

[Learning together for working together: interprofessionalism in simulation training for collaborative skills development].

PubMed

Policard, Florence

2014-06-01

The use of simulation as an educational tool is becoming more widespread in healthcare. Such training gathers doctors and nurses together, which is a rare opportunity in such a sector. The present research focuses on the contribution of inter-professional training to the development of collaborative skills when managing an emergency situation in the context of anesthesia or intensive care. From direct observations of post-simulation debriefing sessions and interviews held with learners in post graduate or in-service training, either in single or multi-professional groups, this study shows that these sessions, based on experiential learning and reflective practice, help to build a shared vision of the problem and of common operative patterns, supporting better communication and the "ability to work in a team".

Interdisciplinary development of manual and automated product usability assessments for older adults with dementia: lessons learned.

PubMed

Boger, Jennifer; Taati, Babak; Mihailidis, Alex

2016-10-01

The changes in cognitive abilities that accompany dementia can make it difficult to use everyday products that are required to complete activities of daily living. Products that are inherently more usable for people with dementia could facilitate independent activity completion, thus reducing the need for caregiver assistance. The objectives of this research were to: (1) gain an understanding of how water tap design impacted tap usability and (2) create an automated computerized tool that could assess tap usability. 27 older adults, who ranged from cognitively intact to advanced dementia, completed 1309 trials on five tap designs. Data were manually analyzed to investigate tap usability as well as used to develop an automated usability analysis tool. Researchers collaborated to modify existing techniques and to create novel ones to accomplish both goals. This paper presents lessons learned through the course of this research, which could be applicable in the development of other usability studies, automated vision-based assessments and the development of assistive technologies for cognitively impaired older adults. Collaborative interdisciplinary teamwork, which included older adult with dementia participants, was key to enabling innovative advances that achieved the projects' research goals. Implications for Rehabilitation Products that are implicitly familiar and usable by older adults could foster independent activity completion, potentially reducing reliance on a caregiver. The computer-based automated tool can significantly reduce the time and effort required to perform product usability analysis, making this type of analysis more feasible. Interdisciplinary collaboration can result in a more holistic understanding of assistive technology research challenges and enable innovative solutions.

Developing affordable multi-touch technologies for use in physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potter, Mark; Ilie, Carolina; Schofield, Damian; Vampola, David

2012-02-01

Physics is one of many areas which has the ability to benefit from a number of different teaching styles and sophisticated instructional tools due to it having both theoretical and practical applications which can be explored. The purpose of this research is to develop affordable large scale multi-touch interfaces which can be used within and outside of the classroom as both an instruction technology and a computer supported collaborative learning tool. Not only can this technology be implemented at university levels, but also at the K-12 level of education. Pedagogical research indicates that kinesthetic learning is a fundamental, powerful, and ubiquitous learning style [1]. Through the use of these types of multi-touch tools and teaching methods which incorporate them, the classroom can be enriched to allow for better comprehension and retention of information. This is due in part to a wider range of learning styles, such as kinesthetic learning, which are being catered to within the classroom. [4pt] [1] Wieman, C.E, Perkins, K.K., Adams, W.K., ``Oersted Medal Lecture 2007: Interactive Simulations for teaching physics: What works, what doesn't and why,'' American Journal of Physics. 76 393-99.

When Collaborative Is Not Collaborative: Supporting Student Learning through Self-Surveillance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotsopoulos, Donna

2010-01-01

Collaborative learning has been widely endorsed in education. This qualitative research examines instances of collaborative learning during mathematics that were seen to be predominantly non-collaborative despite the pedagogical efforts and intentions of the teacher and the task. In an effort to disrupt the non-collaborative learning, small groups…

Collaborative testing as a learning strategy in nursing education: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Sandahl, Sheryl S

2009-01-01

Nurses are important members of a patient's interprofessional health care team. A primary goal of nursing education is to prepare nursing professionals who can work collaboratively with other team members for the benefit of the patient. Collaborative learning strategies provide students with opportunities to learn and practice collaboration. Collaborative testing is a collaborative learning strategy used to foster knowledge development, critical thinking in decision-making, and group processing skills. This article reviews the theoretical basis for collaborative learning and research on collaborative testing in nursing education.

Project-Based Learning as a Vehicle for Teaching Science at the University Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courtney, A. R.; Wade, P.

2012-12-01

In a typical science course learning is teacher directed. Students are presented with knowledge and concepts via textbooks and lecture and then given the opportunity to apply them. Project-based learning (PBL) creates a context and reason to learn information and concepts. In PBL, learning is student directed and teacher facilitated. Students take ownership of their learning by finding, evaluating and synthesizing information from a variety of resources and via interaction between each other. In PBL, the project is central rather than peripheral to the curriculum. It is not just an activity that provides examples, additional practice or applications of the course content, but rather, the vehicle through which major concepts are discovered. The PBL process requires students to do revision and reflection encouraging them to think about what and how they are learning. PBL projects also allow students to develop important life-work skills such as collaboration, communication and critical thinking within the discipline. We have employed PBL in both Liberal Arts courses for non-science majors and upper division courses for science students. Three examples will be discussed. The first will be the production of video documentaries in a non-science major course; the second, a student generated electronic textbook in a 300-level energy course for science students; and lastly, a student designed analysis project in a chemistry major capstone laboratory course. The product in each of these examples was used to deliver knowledge to others in the class as well as members of the public providing motivation for students to do high-quality work. In our examples, student documentaries are publicly screened as part of a university-wide Academic Excellence Showcase; the student generated electronic textbook is available for public use on the internet; and the results of the student designed analysis were communicated to the real-world clients via letters and reports. We will discuss various technology tools employed in these projects such as the internet, wikis for collaborative writing, bookmarking management tools for sharing literature resources, photo sharing sites, and electronic literature searching tools. Also described will be assessment methods to gauge how the projects affected student learning.

Biomedical Big Data Training Collaborative (BBDTC): An effort to bridge the talent gap in biomedical science and research.

PubMed

Purawat, Shweta; Cowart, Charles; Amaro, Rommie E; Altintas, Ilkay

2016-06-01

The BBDTC (https://biobigdata.ucsd.edu) is a community-oriented platform to encourage high-quality knowledge dissemination with the aim of growing a well-informed biomedical big data community through collaborative efforts on training and education. The BBDTC collaborative is an e-learning platform that supports the biomedical community to access, develop and deploy open training materials. The BBDTC supports Big Data skill training for biomedical scientists at all levels, and from varied backgrounds. The natural hierarchy of courses allows them to be broken into and handled as modules . Modules can be reused in the context of multiple courses and reshuffled, producing a new and different, dynamic course called a playlist . Users may create playlists to suit their learning requirements and share it with individual users or the wider public. BBDTC leverages the maturity and design of the HUBzero content-management platform for delivering educational content. To facilitate the migration of existing content, the BBDTC supports importing and exporting course material from the edX platform. Migration tools will be extended in the future to support other platforms. Hands-on training software packages, i.e., toolboxes , are supported through Amazon EC2 and Virtualbox virtualization technologies, and they are available as: ( i ) downloadable lightweight Virtualbox Images providing a standardized software tool environment with software packages and test data on their personal machines, and ( ii ) remotely accessible Amazon EC2 Virtual Machines for accessing biomedical big data tools and scalable big data experiments. At the moment, the BBDTC site contains three open Biomedical big data training courses with lecture contents, videos and hands-on training utilizing VM toolboxes, covering diverse topics. The courses have enhanced the hands-on learning environment by providing structured content that users can use at their own pace. A four course biomedical big data series is planned for development in 2016.

Collaborative Learning in Higher Education: Lecturers' Practices and Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Hei, Miranda Suzanna Angelique; Strijbos, Jan-Willem; Sjoer, Ellen; Admiraal, Wilfried

2015-01-01

Collaborative learning can, if designed and implemented properly, contribute to student learning outcomes and prepare them for teamwork. However, the design and implementation of collaborative learning in practice depend on beliefs of lecturers about teaching and learning in general, and collaborative learning in particular. One hundred and…

Collaborative Learning: Sourcebook for Collaborative Learning in the Arts and Sciences at Indiana University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Sharon J., Ed.; Hansen, Edmund J., Ed.

This sourcebook, prepared by the Intercampus Group on Collaborative Learning of Indiana University, offers suggestions to those who are already familiar with collaborative learning, but want to know how others are responding to the same or similar challenges. Papers are presented that examine general issues of collaborative learning in the Arts…