Sample records for computer-based learning environment

  1. Co-Regulation of Learning in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments: A Discussion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Carol K. K.

    2012-01-01

    This discussion paper for this special issue examines co-regulation of learning in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments extending research on self-regulated learning in computer-based environments. The discussion employs a socio-cognitive perspective focusing on social and collective views of learning to examine how…

  2. Students' Perceptions of Computer-Based Learning Environments, Their Attitude towards Business Statistics, and Their Academic Achievement: Implications from a UK University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nguyen, ThuyUyen H.; Charity, Ian; Robson, Andrew

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates students' perceptions of computer-based learning environments, their attitude towards business statistics, and their academic achievement in higher education. Guided by learning environments concepts and attitudinal theory, a theoretical model was proposed with two instruments, one for measuring the learning environment and…

  3. Conducting and Supporting a Goal-Based Scenario Learning Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montgomery, Joel; And Others

    1994-01-01

    Discussion of goal-based scenario (GBS) learning environments focuses on a training module designed to prepare consultants with new skills in managing clients, designing user-friendly graphical computer interfaces, and working in a client/server computing environment. Transforming the environment from teaching focused to learning focused is…

  4. ComputerTown: A Do-It-Yourself Community Computer Project. [Computer Town, USA and Other Microcomputer Based Alternatives to Traditional Learning Environments].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zamora, Ramon M.

    Alternative learning environments offering computer-related instruction are developing around the world. Storefront learning centers, museum-based computer facilities, and special theme parks are some of the new concepts. ComputerTown, USA! is a public access computer literacy project begun in 1979 to serve both adults and children in Menlo Park…

  5. The Effects of Study Tasks in a Computer-Based Chemistry Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Urhahne, Detlef; Nick, Sabine; Poepping, Anna Christin; Schulz , Sarah Jayne

    2013-01-01

    The present study examines the effects of different study tasks on the acquisition of knowledge about acids and bases in a computer-based learning environment. Three different task formats were selected to create three treatment conditions: learning with gap-fill and matching tasks, learning with multiple-choice tasks, and learning only from text…

  6. Learners' Perceptions and Illusions of Adaptivity in Computer-Based Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vandewaetere, Mieke; Vandercruysse, Sylke; Clarebout, Geraldine

    2012-01-01

    Research on computer-based adaptive learning environments has shown exemplary growth. Although the mechanisms of effective adaptive instruction are unraveled systematically, little is known about the relative effect of learners' perceptions of adaptivity in adaptive learning environments. As previous research has demonstrated that the learners'…

  7. Using Wikis as a Support and Assessment Tool in Collaborative Digital Game-Based Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samur, Yavuz

    2011-01-01

    In computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments, there are many researches done on collaborative learning activities; however, in game-based learning environments, more research and literature on collaborative learning activities are required. Actually, both game-based learning environments and wikis enable us to use new chances…

  8. Examining Metacognitive Processes in Exploratory Computer-Based Learning Environments Using Activity Log Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Yoo Kyung

    2010-01-01

    Metacognition is widely studied for its influence on the effectiveness of learning. With Exploratory Computer-Based Learning Environments (ECBLE), metacognition is found to be especially important because these environments require adaptive metacognitive control by the learners due to their open-ended structure that allows for multiple learning…

  9. A Drawing and Multi-Representational Computer Environment for Beginners' Learning of Programming Using C: Design and Pilot Formative Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kordaki, Maria

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents both the design and the pilot formative evaluation study of a computer-based problem-solving environment (named LECGO: Learning Environment for programming using C using Geometrical Objects) for the learning of computer programming using C by beginners. In its design, constructivist and social learning theories were taken into…

  10. 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…

  11. Dynamic Scaffolding of Socially Regulated Learning in a Computer-Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molenaar, Inge; Roda, Claudia; van Boxtel, Carla; Sleegers, Peter

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study is to test the effects of dynamically scaffolding social regulation of middle school students working in a computer-based learning environment. Dyads in the scaffolding condition (N=56) are supported with computer-generated scaffolds and students in the control condition (N=54) do not receive scaffolds. The scaffolds are…

  12. A Two-Tier Test-Based Approach to Improving Students' Computer-Programming Skills in a Web-Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Tzu-Chi; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Yang, Stephen J. H.; Hwang, Gwo-Haur

    2015-01-01

    Computer programming is an important skill for engineering and computer science students. However, teaching and learning programming concepts and skills has been recognized as a great challenge to both teachers and students. Therefore, the development of effective learning strategies and environments for programming courses has become an important…

  13. Computer Support of Operator Training: Constructing and Testing a Prototype of a CAL (Computer Aided Learning) Supported Simulation Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zillesen, P. G. van Schaick; And Others

    Instructional feedback given to the learners during computer simulation sessions may be greatly improved by integrating educational computer simulation programs with hypermedia-based computer-assisted learning (CAL) materials. A prototype of a learning environment of this type called BRINE PURIFICATION was developed for use in corporate training…

  14. The Influence of Self-Regulated Learning and Prior Knowledge on Knowledge Acquisition in Computer-Based Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernacki, Matthew

    2010-01-01

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

  15. Supporting Self-Regulated Learning in Computer-Based Learning Environments: Systematic Review of Effects of Scaffolding in the Domain of Science Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Devolder, A.; van Braak, J.; Tondeur, J.

    2012-01-01

    Despite the widespread assumption that students require scaffolding support for self-regulated learning (SRL) processes in computer-based learning environments (CBLEs), there is little clarity as to which types of scaffolds are most effective. This study offers a literature review covering the various scaffolds that support SRL processes in the…

  16. The Effectiveness of Self-Regulated Learning Scaffolds on Academic Performance in Computer-Based Learning Environments: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zheng, Lanqin

    2016-01-01

    This meta-analysis examined research on the effects of self-regulated learning scaffolds on academic performance in computer-based learning environments from 2004 to 2015. A total of 29 articles met inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis with a total sample size of 2,648 students. Moderator analyses were performed using a…

  17. Developing an Efficient Computational Method that Estimates the Ability of Students in a Web-Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Young-Jin

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a computational method that can efficiently estimate the ability of students from the log files of a Web-based learning environment capturing their problem solving processes. The computational method developed in this study approximates the posterior distribution of the student's ability obtained from the conventional Bayes…

  18. Smart learning services based on smart cloud computing.

    PubMed

    Kim, Svetlana; Song, Su-Mi; Yoon, Yong-Ik

    2011-01-01

    Context-aware technologies can make e-learning services smarter and more efficient since context-aware services are based on the user's behavior. To add those technologies into existing e-learning services, a service architecture model is needed to transform the existing e-learning environment, which is situation-aware, into the environment that understands context as well. The context-awareness in e-learning may include the awareness of user profile and terminal context. In this paper, we propose a new notion of service that provides context-awareness to smart learning content in a cloud computing environment. We suggest the elastic four smarts (E4S)--smart pull, smart prospect, smart content, and smart push--concept to the cloud services so smart learning services are possible. The E4S focuses on meeting the users' needs by collecting and analyzing users' behavior, prospecting future services, building corresponding contents, and delivering the contents through cloud computing environment. Users' behavior can be collected through mobile devices such as smart phones that have built-in sensors. As results, the proposed smart e-learning model in cloud computing environment provides personalized and customized learning services to its users.

  19. Smart Learning Services Based on Smart Cloud Computing

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Svetlana; Song, Su-Mi; Yoon, Yong-Ik

    2011-01-01

    Context-aware technologies can make e-learning services smarter and more efficient since context-aware services are based on the user’s behavior. To add those technologies into existing e-learning services, a service architecture model is needed to transform the existing e-learning environment, which is situation-aware, into the environment that understands context as well. The context-awareness in e-learning may include the awareness of user profile and terminal context. In this paper, we propose a new notion of service that provides context-awareness to smart learning content in a cloud computing environment. We suggest the elastic four smarts (E4S)—smart pull, smart prospect, smart content, and smart push—concept to the cloud services so smart learning services are possible. The E4S focuses on meeting the users’ needs by collecting and analyzing users’ behavior, prospecting future services, building corresponding contents, and delivering the contents through cloud computing environment. Users’ behavior can be collected through mobile devices such as smart phones that have built-in sensors. As results, the proposed smart e-learning model in cloud computing environment provides personalized and customized learning services to its users. PMID:22164048

  20. The Effects of Cross-Modality and Level of Self-Regulated Learning on Knowledge Acquisition with Smartpads

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Hye Yeon; Lee, Hyeon Woo

    2018-01-01

    Recently, there has been a transition from traditional paper or computer-based learning environments to smartpad-based learning environments, which are based on touch and involve various cognitive strategies such as touch operation and note taking. Accordingly, the use of smartpads can provide an effective learning environment through…

  1. The Effects of Study Tasks in a Computer-Based Chemistry Learning Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Urhahne, Detlef; Nick, Sabine; Poepping, Anna Christin; Schulz, Sarah Jayne

    2013-12-01

    The present study examines the effects of different study tasks on the acquisition of knowledge about acids and bases in a computer-based learning environment. Three different task formats were selected to create three treatment conditions: learning with gap-fill and matching tasks, learning with multiple-choice tasks, and learning only from text and figures without any additional tasks. Participants were 196 ninth-grade students who learned with a self-developed multimedia program in a pretest-posttest control group design. Research results reveal that gap-fill and matching tasks were most effective in promoting knowledge acquisition, followed by multiple-choice tasks, and no tasks at all. The findings are in line with previous research on this topic. The effects can possibly be explained by the generation-recognition model, which predicts that gap-fill and matching tasks trigger more encompassing learning processes than multiple-choice tasks. It is concluded that instructional designers should incorporate more challenging study tasks for enhancing the effectiveness of computer-based learning environments.

  2. 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)

  3. Understanding the Effects of Databases as Cognitive Tools in a Problem-Based Multimedia Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Rui; Liu, Min

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the potential of using computer databases as cognitive tools to share learners' cognitive load and facilitate learning in a multimedia problem-based learning (PBL) environment designed for sixth graders. Two research questions were: (a) can the computer database tool share sixth-graders' cognitive load? and…

  4. The Development of a Learning Dashboard for Lecturers: A Case Study on a Student-Centered E-Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santoso, Harry B.; Batuparan, Alivia Khaira; Isal, R. Yugo K.; Goodridge, Wade H.

    2018-01-01

    Student Centered e-Learning Environment (SCELE) is a Moodle-based learning management system (LMS) that has been modified to enhance learning within a computer science department curriculum offered by the Faculty of Computer Science of large public university in Indonesia. This Moodle provided a mechanism to record students' activities when…

  5. Construction of a Digital Learning Environment Based on Cloud Computing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ding, Jihong; Xiong, Caiping; Liu, Huazhong

    2015-01-01

    Constructing the digital learning environment for ubiquitous learning and asynchronous distributed learning has opened up immense amounts of concrete research. However, current digital learning environments do not fully fulfill the expectations on supporting interactive group learning, shared understanding and social construction of knowledge.…

  6. What Can Technology Offer to Linguistically Diverse Classrooms? Using Multilingual Content in a Computer-Based Learning Environment for Primary Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Laere, Evelien; Rosiers, Kirsten; Van Avermaet, Piet; Slembrouck, Stef; van Braak, Johan

    2017-01-01

    Computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) have the potential to integrate the linguistic diversity present in classrooms as a resourceful tool in pupils' learning process. Particularly for pupils who speak a language at home other than the language which is used at school, more understanding is needed on how CBLEs offering multilingual content…

  7. Using Scenarios to Design Complex Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Jong, Ton; Weinberger, Armin; Girault, Isabelle; Kluge, Anders; Lazonder, Ard W.; Pedaste, Margus; Ludvigsen, Sten; Ney, Muriel; Wasson, Barbara; Wichmann, Astrid; Geraedts, Caspar; Giemza, Adam; Hovardas, Tasos; Julien, Rachel; van Joolingen, Wouter R.; Lejeune, Anne; Manoli, Constantinos C.; Matteman, Yuri; Sarapuu, Tago; Verkade, Alex; Vold, Vibeke; Zacharia, Zacharias C.

    2012-01-01

    Science Created by You (SCY) learning environments are computer-based environments in which students learn about science topics in the context of addressing a socio-scientific problem. Along their way to a solution for this problem students produce many types of intermediate products or learning objects. SCY learning environments center the entire…

  8. Benefits of computer screen-based simulation in learning cardiac arrest procedures.

    PubMed

    Bonnetain, Elodie; Boucheix, Jean-Michel; Hamet, Maël; Freysz, Marc

    2010-07-01

    What is the best way to train medical students early so that they acquire basic skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation as effectively as possible? Studies have shown the benefits of high-fidelity patient simulators, but have also demonstrated their limits. New computer screen-based multimedia simulators have fewer constraints than high-fidelity patient simulators. In this area, as yet, there has been no research on the effectiveness of transfer of learning from a computer screen-based simulator to more realistic situations such as those encountered with high-fidelity patient simulators. We tested the benefits of learning cardiac arrest procedures using a multimedia computer screen-based simulator in 28 Year 2 medical students. Just before the end of the traditional resuscitation course, we compared two groups. An experiment group (EG) was first asked to learn to perform the appropriate procedures in a cardiac arrest scenario (CA1) in the computer screen-based learning environment and was then tested on a high-fidelity patient simulator in another cardiac arrest simulation (CA2). While the EG was learning to perform CA1 procedures in the computer screen-based learning environment, a control group (CG) actively continued to learn cardiac arrest procedures using practical exercises in a traditional class environment. Both groups were given the same amount of practice, exercises and trials. The CG was then also tested on the high-fidelity patient simulator for CA2, after which it was asked to perform CA1 using the computer screen-based simulator. Performances with both simulators were scored on a precise 23-point scale. On the test on a high-fidelity patient simulator, the EG trained with a multimedia computer screen-based simulator performed significantly better than the CG trained with traditional exercises and practice (16.21 versus 11.13 of 23 possible points, respectively; p<0.001). Computer screen-based simulation appears to be effective in preparing learners to use high-fidelity patient simulators, which present simulations that are closer to real-life situations.

  9. A Computer Environment for Beginners' Learning of Sorting Algorithms: Design and Pilot Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kordaki, M.; Miatidis, M.; Kapsampelis, G.

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents the design, features and pilot evaluation study of a web-based environment--the SORTING environment--for the learning of sorting algorithms by secondary level education students. The design of this environment is based on modeling methodology, taking into account modern constructivist and social theories of learning while at…

  10. Modeling Students' Problem Solving Performance in the Computer-Based Mathematics Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Young-Jin

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a quantitative model of problem solving performance of students in the computer-based mathematics learning environment. Design/methodology/approach: Regularized logistic regression was used to create a quantitative model of problem solving performance of students that predicts whether students can…

  11. Impact of Blended Learning Environments Based on Algo-Heuristic Theory on Some Variables

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aygün, Mustafa; Korkmaz, Özgen

    2012-01-01

    In this study, the effects of Algo-Heuristic Theory based blended learning environments on students' computer skills in their preparation of presentations, levels of attitudes towards computers, and levels of motivation regarding the information technology course were investigated. The research sample was composed of 71 students. A semi-empirical…

  12. The Teaching Voice on the Learning Platform: Seeking Classroom Climates within a Virtual Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crook, Charles; Cluley, Robert

    2009-01-01

    University staff are now encouraged to supplement their classroom activity with computer-based tools and resources accessible through virtual learning environments (VLEs). Meanwhile, university students increasingly make recreational use of computer networks in the form of various social software applications. This paper explores tensions of…

  13. Understanding and Predicting Student Self-Regulated Learning Strategies in Game-Based Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sabourin, Jennifer L.; Shores, Lucy R.; Mott, Bradford W.; Lester, James C.

    2013-01-01

    Self-regulated learning behaviors such as goal setting and monitoring have been found to be crucial to students' success in computer-based learning environments. Consequently, understanding students' self-regulated learning behavior has been the subject of increasing attention. Unfortunately, monitoring these behaviors in real-time has…

  14. Cognitive Tools for Assessment and Learning in a High Information Flow Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lajoie, Susanne P.; Azevedo, Roger; Fleiszer, David M.

    1998-01-01

    Describes the development of a simulation-based intelligent tutoring system for nurses working in a surgical intensive care unit. Highlights include situative learning theories and models of instruction, modeling expertise, complex decision making, linking theories of learning to the design of computer-based learning environments, cognitive task…

  15. Assessment of Situated Learning Using Computer Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Michael

    1995-01-01

    Suggests that, based on a theory of situated learning, assessment must emphasize process as much as product. Several assessment examples are given, including a computer-based planning assistant for a mathematics and science video, suggestions for computer-based portfolio assessment, and speculations about embedded assessment of virtual situations.…

  16. Learning Oceanography from a Computer Simulation Compared with Direct Experience at Sea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winn, William; Stahr, Frederick; Sarason, Christian; Fruland, Ruth; Oppenheimer, Peter; Lee, Yen-Ling

    2006-01-01

    Considerable research has compared how students learn science from computer simulations with how they learn from "traditional" classes. Little research has compared how students learn science from computer simulations with how they learn from direct experience in the real environment on which the simulations are based. This study compared two…

  17. Compute-to-Learn: Authentic Learning via Development of Interactive Computer Demonstrations within a Peer-Led Studio Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jafari, Mina; Welden, Alicia Rae; Williams, Kyle L.; Winograd, Blair; Mulvihill, Ellen; Hendrickson, Heidi P.; Lenard, Michael; Gottfried, Amy; Geva, Eitan

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we report on the implementation of a novel compute-to-learn pedagogy, which is based upon the theories of situated cognition and meaningful learning. The "compute-to-learn" pedagogy is designed to simulate an authentic research experience as part of the undergraduate curriculum, including project development, teamwork,…

  18. The Effect of a Graph-Oriented Computer-Assisted Project-Based Learning Environment on Argumentation Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, P. -S.; Van Dyke, M.; Chen, Y.; Smith, T. J.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to explore how seventh graders in a suburban school in the United States developed argumentation skills and science knowledge in a project-based learning environment that incorporated a graph-oriented, computer-assisted application. A total of 54 students (three classes) comprised this treatment…

  19. Integrating Model-Driven and Data-Driven Techniques for Analyzing Learning Behaviors in Open-Ended Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kinnebrew, John S.; Segedy, James R.; Biswas, Gautam

    2017-01-01

    Research in computer-based learning environments has long recognized the vital role of adaptivity in promoting effective, individualized learning among students. Adaptive scaffolding capabilities are particularly important in open-ended learning environments, which provide students with opportunities for solving authentic and complex problems, and…

  20. Effects of Self-Regulatory Status and Practice Type on Student Performance in the Mobile Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tutty, Jeremy Ian

    2013-01-01

    The next generation of computer-based learning environments has arrived. This generation of technology is characterized by mobile and portable devices such as smartphones and tablet computers with wireless broadband access. With these devices comes the promise of extending the online learning revolution. The purpose of this study was to…

  1. Integrating Computers into the Problem-Solving Process.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lowther, Deborah L.; Morrison, Gary R.

    2003-01-01

    Asserts that within the context of problem-based learning environments, professors can encourage students to use computers as problem-solving tools. The ten-step Integrating Technology for InQuiry (NteQ) model guides professors through the process of integrating computers into problem-based learning activities. (SWM)

  2. Problem-Based Learning Environment in Basic Computer Course: Pre-Service Teachers' Achievement and Key Factors for Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Efendioglu, Akin

    2015-01-01

    This experimental study aims to determine pre-service teachers' achievements and key factors that affect the learning process with regard to problem-based learning (PBL) and lecture-based computer course (LBCC) conditions. The research results showed that the pre-service teachers in the PBL group had significantly higher achievement scores than…

  3. Learners' Use of Communication Strategies in Text-Based and Video-Based Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication Environments: Opportunities for Language Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hung, Yu-Wan; Higgins, Steve

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the different learning opportunities enabled by text-based and video-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) from an interactionist perspective. Six Chinese-speaking learners of English and six English-speaking learners of Chinese were paired up as tandem (reciprocal) learning dyads. Each dyad participated…

  4. Tool Use of Experienced Learners in Computer-Based Learning Environments: Can Tools Be Beneficial?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Juarez Collazo, Norma A.; Corradi, David; Elen, Jan; Clarebout, Geraldine

    2014-01-01

    Research has documented the use of tools in computer-based learning environments as problematic, that is, learners do not use the tools and when they do, they tend to do it suboptimally. This study attempts to disentangle cause and effect of this suboptimal tool use for experienced learners. More specifically, learner variables (metacognitive and…

  5. Instructional Designers' Media Selection Practices for Distributed Problem-Based Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fells, Stephanie

    2012-01-01

    The design of online or distributed problem-based learning (dPBL) is a nascent, complex design problem. Instructional designers are challenged to effectively unite the constructivist principles of problem-based learning (PBL) with appropriate media in order to create quality dPBL environments. While computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools and…

  6. Web-Based Learning in the Computer-Aided Design Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sung, Wen-Tsai; Ou, S. C.

    2002-01-01

    Applies principles of constructivism and virtual reality (VR) to computer-aided design (CAD) curriculum, particularly engineering, by integrating network, VR and CAD technologies into a Web-based learning environment that expands traditional two-dimensional computer graphics into a three-dimensional real-time simulation that enhances user…

  7. Models of Educational Computing @ Home: New Frontiers for Research on Technology in Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kafai, Yasmin B.; Fishman, Barry J.; Bruckman, Amy S.; Rockman, Saul

    2002-01-01

    Discusses models of home educational computing that are linked to learning in school and recommends the need for research that addresses the home as a computer-based learning environment. Topics include a history of research on educational computing at home; technological infrastructure, including software and compatibility; Internet access;…

  8. Emerging Technologies, ISD, and Learning Environments: Critical Perspectives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hannafin, Michael J.

    1992-01-01

    Reviews the evolution of instructional systems design and computer-based learning environments, focusing on the effects of technological advances. Classification of learning environments is discussed in the context of the dimensions of scope (macrolevel or microlevel), user activity (generative or mathemagenic), educational activity (goal-directed…

  9. Strategies, Challenges and Prospects for Active Learning in the Computer-Based Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holbert, K. E.; Karady, G. G.

    2009-01-01

    The introduction of computer-equipped classrooms into engineering education has brought with it a host of opportunities and issues. Herein, some of the challenges and successes for creating an environment for active learning within computer-based classrooms are described. The particular teaching approach developed for undergraduate electrical…

  10. Synchronized Pair Configuration in Virtualization-Based Lab for Learning Computer Networks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kongcharoen, Chaknarin; Hwang, Wu-Yuin; Ghinea, Gheorghita

    2017-01-01

    More studies are concentrating on using virtualization-based labs to facilitate computer or network learning concepts. Some benefits are lower hardware costs and greater flexibility in reconfiguring computer and network environments. However, few studies have investigated effective mechanisms for using virtualization fully for collaboration.…

  11. Using Coherence Analysis to Characterize Self-Regulated Learning Behaviours in Open-Ended Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Segedy, James R.; Kinnebrew, John S.; Biswas, Gautam

    2015-01-01

    Researchers have long recognized the potential benefits of open-ended computer- based learning environments (OELEs) to help students develop self-regulated learning (SRL) behaviours. However, measuring self-regulation in these environments is a difficult task. In this paper, we present our work in developing and evaluating "coherence…

  12. jAMVLE, a New Integrated Molecular Visualization Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bottomley, Steven; Chandler, David; Morgan, Eleanor; Helmerhorst, Erik

    2006-01-01

    A new computer-based molecular visualization tool has been developed for teaching, and learning, molecular structure. This java-based jmol Amalgamated Molecular Visualization Learning Environment (jAMVLE) is platform-independent, integrated, and interactive. It has an overall graphical user interface that is intuitive and easy to use. The…

  13. Creating Electronic Learning Environments: Games, Flow, and the User Interface.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Marshall G.

    A difficult task in creating rich, exploratory interactive learning environments is building an environment that is truly engaging. Engagement can be defined as the nexus of intrinsic knowledge and/or interest and external stimuli that promote the initial interest in, and continued use of a computer-based learning environment. Complete and total…

  14. Undergraduate College Students, Laptop Computers, and Lifelong Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tan, Chong Leng; Morris, John S.

    2006-01-01

    Many universities and colleges list the development of lifelong learning skills as a curriculum objective and have adopted laptop programs that may enable lifelong learning. The purpose of this research is to address the effectiveness of a technology-based and computer-mediated learning environment in achieving lifelong learning skills from the…

  15. Procrastinating Behavior in Computer-Based Learning Environments to Predict Performance: A Case Study in Moodle

    PubMed Central

    Cerezo, Rebeca; Esteban, María; Sánchez-Santillán, Miguel; Núñez, José C.

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Research about student performance has traditionally considered academic procrastination as a behavior that has negative effects on academic achievement. Although there is much evidence for this in class-based environments, there is a lack of research on Computer-Based Learning Environments (CBLEs). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate student behavior in a blended learning program and specifically procrastination behavior in relation to performance through Data Mining techniques. Materials and Methods: A sample of 140 undergraduate students participated in a blended learning experience implemented in a Moodle (Modular Object Oriented Developmental Learning Environment) Management System. Relevant interaction variables were selected for the study, taking into account student achievement and analyzing data by means of association rules, a mining technique. The association rules were arrived at and filtered through two selection criteria: 1, rules must have an accuracy over 0.8 and 2, they must be present in both sub-samples. Results: The findings of our study highlight the influence of time management in online learning environments, particularly on academic achievement, as there is an association between procrastination variables and student performance. Conclusion: Negative impact of procrastination in learning outcomes has been observed again but in virtual learning environments where practical implications, prevention of, and intervention in, are different from class-based learning. These aspects are discussed to help resolve student difficulties at various ages. PMID:28883801

  16. Procrastinating Behavior in Computer-Based Learning Environments to Predict Performance: A Case Study in Moodle.

    PubMed

    Cerezo, Rebeca; Esteban, María; Sánchez-Santillán, Miguel; Núñez, José C

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Research about student performance has traditionally considered academic procrastination as a behavior that has negative effects on academic achievement. Although there is much evidence for this in class-based environments, there is a lack of research on Computer-Based Learning Environments (CBLEs) . Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate student behavior in a blended learning program and specifically procrastination behavior in relation to performance through Data Mining techniques. Materials and Methods: A sample of 140 undergraduate students participated in a blended learning experience implemented in a Moodle (Modular Object Oriented Developmental Learning Environment) Management System. Relevant interaction variables were selected for the study, taking into account student achievement and analyzing data by means of association rules, a mining technique. The association rules were arrived at and filtered through two selection criteria: 1, rules must have an accuracy over 0.8 and 2, they must be present in both sub-samples. Results: The findings of our study highlight the influence of time management in online learning environments, particularly on academic achievement, as there is an association between procrastination variables and student performance. Conclusion: Negative impact of procrastination in learning outcomes has been observed again but in virtual learning environments where practical implications, prevention of, and intervention in, are different from class-based learning. These aspects are discussed to help resolve student difficulties at various ages.

  17. The Construction of an Ontology-Based Ubiquitous Learning Grid

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liao, Ching-Jung; Chou, Chien-Chih; Yang, Jin-Tan David

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to incorporate adaptive ontology into ubiquitous learning grid to achieve seamless learning environment. Ubiquitous learning grid uses ubiquitous computing environment to infer and determine the most adaptive learning contents and procedures in anytime, any place and with any device. To achieve the goal, an…

  18. Measuring the Effectiveness of Blended Learning Environment: A Case Study in Malaysia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wai, Cho Cho; Seng, Ernest Lim Kok

    2015-01-01

    Learning environment has always been traditionally associated with the physical presence of classrooms, textbooks, pen-and-paper examinations and teachers. However, today's evolving technology has rapidly changed the face of education. Online learning, teleconferencing, internet, Computer Assisted Learning (CAL), Web-Based Distance Learning (WBDL)…

  19. The Effects of Embedded Generative Learning Strategies and Collaboration on Knowledge Acquisition in a Cognitive Flexibility-Based Computer Learning Environment

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-08-07

    cognitive flexibility theory and generative learning theory which focus primarily on the individual student’s cognitive development , collaborative... develop "Handling Transfusion Hazards," a computer program based upon cognitive flexibility theory principles. The Program: Handling Transfusion Hazards...computer program was developed according to cognitive flexibility theory principles. A generative version was then developed by embedding

  20. Developing Simulations in Multi-User Virtual Environments to Enhance Healthcare Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Luke

    2011-01-01

    Computer-based clinical simulations are a powerful teaching and learning tool because of their ability to expand healthcare students' clinical experience by providing practice-based learning. Despite the benefits of traditional computer-based clinical simulations, there are significant issues that arise when incorporating them into a flexible,…

  1. Emerging Approach of Natural Language Processing in Opinion Mining: A Review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Tai-Hoon

    Natural language processing (NLP) is a subfield of artificial intelligence and computational linguistics. It studies the problems of automated generation and understanding of natural human languages. This paper outlines a framework to use computer and natural language techniques for various levels of learners to learn foreign languages in Computer-based Learning environment. We propose some ideas for using the computer as a practical tool for learning foreign language where the most of courseware is generated automatically. We then describe how to build Computer Based Learning tools, discuss its effectiveness, and conclude with some possibilities using on-line resources.

  2. Ethical Issues Associated with the Use of Interactive Technology in Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bork, Alfred

    1988-01-01

    Discusses general social, moral, and ethical issues connected with computers in education; considers ethical issues related to the development of computer-based learning materials; and examines the use of the computer as a medium for ethical and moral education. Highlights include equity of access, games and learning, and cultural bias. (seven…

  3. Pupil Science Learning in Resource-Based e-Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    So, Wing-mui Winnie; Ching, Ngai-ying Fiona

    2011-01-01

    With the rapid expansion of broadband Internet connection and availability of high performance yet low priced computers, many countries around the world are advocating the adoption of e-learning, the use of computer technology to improve learning and teaching. The trend of e-learning has urged many teachers to incorporate online resources in their…

  4. The Goal Specificity Effect on Strategy Use and Instructional Efficiency during Computer-Based Scientific Discovery Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kunsting, Josef; Wirth, Joachim; Paas, Fred

    2011-01-01

    Using a computer-based scientific discovery learning environment on buoyancy in fluids we investigated the "effects of goal specificity" (nonspecific goals vs. specific goals) for two goal types (problem solving goals vs. learning goals) on "strategy use" and "instructional efficiency". Our empirical findings close an important research gap,…

  5. A New Approach toward Digital Storytelling: An Activity Focused on Writing Self-Efficacy in a Virtual Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xu, Yan; Park, Hyungsung; Baek, Youngkyun

    2011-01-01

    Recently, computer technology and multimedia elements have been developed and integrated into teaching and learning. Entertainment-based learning environments can make learning contents more attractive, and thus can lead to learners' active participation and facilitate learning. A significant amount of research examines using video editing…

  6. Utilizing Formative Assessments to Guide Student Learning in an Interactive Physics Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Young-Jin

    2011-01-01

    In the last decades, many education researchers have been trying to use computerized learning environments to enhance student learning. Without proper instructional supports and guidance, however, students often failed to acquire knowledge from computer-based learning activities. The objective of this study was to demonstrate how research-based…

  7. 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…

  8. When Are Powerful Learning Environments Effective? The Role of Learner Activities and of Students' Conceptions of Educational Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerjets, Peter H.; Hesse, Friedrich W.

    2004-01-01

    The goal of this chapter is to outline a theoretical and empirical perspective on how learners' conceptions of educational technology might influence their learning activities and thereby determine the power of computer-based learning environments. Starting with an introduction to the concept of powerful learning environments we outline how recent…

  9. 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…

  10. Development and Evaluation of an E-Learning Course for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Based on the Advanced Adapted Pedagogical Index Method

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Debevc, Matjaž; Stjepanovic, Zoran; Holzinger, Andreas

    2014-01-01

    Web-based and adapted e-learning materials provide alternative methods of learning to those used in a traditional classroom. Within the study described in this article, deaf and hard of hearing people used an adaptive e-learning environment to improve their computer literacy. This environment included streaming video with sign language interpreter…

  11. Reinforcement learning in computer vision

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernstein, A. V.; Burnaev, E. V.

    2018-04-01

    Nowadays, machine learning has become one of the basic technologies used in solving various computer vision tasks such as feature detection, image segmentation, object recognition and tracking. In many applications, various complex systems such as robots are equipped with visual sensors from which they learn state of surrounding environment by solving corresponding computer vision tasks. Solutions of these tasks are used for making decisions about possible future actions. It is not surprising that when solving computer vision tasks we should take into account special aspects of their subsequent application in model-based predictive control. Reinforcement learning is one of modern machine learning technologies in which learning is carried out through interaction with the environment. In recent years, Reinforcement learning has been used both for solving such applied tasks as processing and analysis of visual information, and for solving specific computer vision problems such as filtering, extracting image features, localizing objects in scenes, and many others. The paper describes shortly the Reinforcement learning technology and its use for solving computer vision problems.

  12. A Cross-Cultural Study of the Effect of a Graph-Oriented Computer-Assisted Project-Based Learning Environment on Middle School Students' Science Knowledge and Argumentation Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, P.-S.; Van Dyke, M.; Chen, Y.; Smith, T. J.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how seventh graders in a suburban school in the United States and sixth graders in an urban school in Taiwan developed argumentation skills and science knowledge in a project-based learning environment that incorporated a graph-oriented, computer-assisted application (GOCAA). A total of 42…

  13. A service based adaptive U-learning system using UX.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Hwa-Young; Yi, Gangman

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, traditional development techniques for e-learning systems have been changing to become more convenient and efficient. One new technology in the development of application systems includes both cloud and ubiquitous computing. Cloud computing can support learning system processes by using services while ubiquitous computing can provide system operation and management via a high performance technical process and network. In the cloud computing environment, a learning service application can provide a business module or process to the user via the internet. This research focuses on providing the learning material and processes of courses by learning units using the services in a ubiquitous computing environment. And we also investigate functions that support users' tailored materials according to their learning style. That is, we analyzed the user's data and their characteristics in accordance with their user experience. We subsequently applied the learning process to fit on their learning performance and preferences. Finally, we demonstrate how the proposed system outperforms learning effects to learners better than existing techniques.

  14. A Service Based Adaptive U-Learning System Using UX

    PubMed Central

    Jeong, Hwa-Young

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, traditional development techniques for e-learning systems have been changing to become more convenient and efficient. One new technology in the development of application systems includes both cloud and ubiquitous computing. Cloud computing can support learning system processes by using services while ubiquitous computing can provide system operation and management via a high performance technical process and network. In the cloud computing environment, a learning service application can provide a business module or process to the user via the internet. This research focuses on providing the learning material and processes of courses by learning units using the services in a ubiquitous computing environment. And we also investigate functions that support users' tailored materials according to their learning style. That is, we analyzed the user's data and their characteristics in accordance with their user experience. We subsequently applied the learning process to fit on their learning performance and preferences. Finally, we demonstrate how the proposed system outperforms learning effects to learners better than existing techniques. PMID:25147832

  15. ICCE/ICCAI 2000 Full & Short Papers (Creative Learning).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    2000

    This document contains the following full and short papers on creative learning from ICCE/ICCAI 2000 (International Conference on Computers in Education/International Conference on Computer-Assisted Instruction): (1) "A Collaborative Learning Support System Based on Virtual Environment Server for Multiple Agents" (Takashi Ohno, Kenji…

  16. An E-learning System based on Affective Computing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duo, Sun; Song, Lu Xue

    In recent years, e-learning as a learning system is very popular. But the current e-learning systems cannot instruct students effectively since they do not consider the emotional state in the context of instruction. The emergence of the theory about "Affective computing" can solve this question. It can make the computer's intelligence no longer be a pure cognitive one. In this paper, we construct an emotional intelligent e-learning system based on "Affective computing". A dimensional model is put forward to recognize and analyze the student's emotion state and a virtual teacher's avatar is offered to regulate student's learning psychology with consideration of teaching style based on his personality trait. A "man-to-man" learning environment is built to simulate the traditional classroom's pedagogy in the system.

  17. Surgical skill acquisition with self-directed practice using computer-based video training.

    PubMed

    Jowett, Nathan; LeBlanc, Vicki; Xeroulis, George; MacRae, Helen; Dubrowski, Adam

    2007-02-01

    Computer-based video training (CBVT) provides flexible opportunities for surgical trainees to learn fundamental technical skills, but may be ineffective in self-directed practice settings because of poor trainee self-assessment. This study examined whether CBVT is effective in a self-directed learning environment among novice trainees. Thirty novice trainees used CBVT to learn the 1-handed square knot while self-assessing their proficiency every 3 minutes. On reaching self-assessed skill proficiency, trainees were randomized to either cease practice or to complete additional practice. Performance was evaluated with computer and expert-based measures during practice and on pretests, posttests, and 1-week retention tests. Analyses revealed performance improvements for both groups (all P < .05), but no differences between the 2 groups (all P > .05) on all tests. CBVT for the 1-handed square knot is effective in a self-directed learning environment among novices. This lends support to the implementation of self-directed digital media-based learning within surgical curricula.

  18. The Influences of the 2D Image-Based Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality on Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liou, Hsin-Hun; Yang, Stephen J. H.; Chen, Sherry Y.; Tarng, Wernhuar

    2017-01-01

    Virtual reality (VR) learning environments can provide students with concepts of the simulated phenomena, but users are not allowed to interact with real elements. Conversely, augmented reality (AR) learning environments blend real-world environments so AR could enhance the effects of computer simulation and promote students' realistic experience.…

  19. An Auto-Scoring Mechanism for Evaluating Problem-Solving Ability in a Web-Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chiou, Chuang-Kai; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Tseng, Judy C. R.

    2009-01-01

    The rapid development of computer and network technologies has attracted researchers to investigate strategies for and the effects of applying information technologies in learning activities; simultaneously, learning environments have been developed to record the learning portfolios of students seeking web information for problem-solving. Although…

  20. Impacts and Characteristics of Computer-Based Science Inquiry Learning Environments for Precollege Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donnelly, Dermot F.; Linn, Marcia C.; Ludvigsen, Sten

    2014-01-01

    The National Science Foundation-sponsored report "Fostering Learning in the Networked World" called for "a common, open platform to support communities of developers and learners in ways that enable both to take advantage of advances in the learning sciences." We review research on science inquiry learning environments (ILEs)…

  1. Effects of Static Visuals and Computer-Generated Animations in Facilitating Immediate and Delayed Achievement in the EFL Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Huifen; Chen, Tsuiping; Dwyer, Francis M.

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this experimental study was to compare the effects of using static visuals versus computer-generated animation to enhance learners' comprehension and retention of a content-based lesson in a computer-based learning environment for learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Fifty-eight students from two EFL reading sections were…

  2. State-of-the-Art Model Driven Game Development: A Survey of Technological Solutions for Game-Based Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, Stephen; Hanneghan, Martin

    2011-01-01

    Game-based learning harnesses the advantages of computer games technology to create a fun, motivating and interactive virtual learning environment that promotes problem-based experiential learning. Such an approach is advocated by many commentators to provide an enhanced learning experience than those based on traditional didactic methods.…

  3. Student Sensemaking with Science Diagrams in a Computer-Based Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Furberg, Anniken; Kluge, Anders; Ludvigsen, Sten

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports on a study of students' conceptual sensemaking with science diagrams within a computer-based learning environment aimed at supporting collaborative learning. Through the microanalysis of students' interactions in a project about energy and heat transfer, we demonstrate "how" representations become productive social and cognitive…

  4. A Study of Building a Resource-Based Learning Environment with the Inquiry Learning Approach: Knowledge of Family Trees

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kong, Siu Cheung; So, Wing Mui Winnie

    2008-01-01

    This study aims to provide teachers with ways and means to facilitate learners to develop nomenclature knowledge of family trees through the establishment of resource-based learning environments (RBLEs). It discusses the design of an RBLE in the classroom by selecting an appropriate context with the assistance of computer-mediated learning…

  5. Combining Learning and Assessment in Assessment-Based Gaming Environments: A Case Study from a New York City School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zapata-Rivera, Diego; VanWinkle, Waverely; Doyle, Bryan; Buteux, Alyssa; Bauer, Malcolm

    2009-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose and demonstrate an evidence-based scenario design framework for assessment-based computer games. Design/methodology/approach: The evidence-based scenario design framework is presented and demonstrated by using BELLA, a new assessment-based gaming environment aimed at supporting student learning of…

  6. Computers as Cognitive Tools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lajoie, Susanne P., Ed.; Derry, Sharon J., Ed.

    This book provides exemplars of the types of computer-based learning environments represented by the theoretical camps within the field and the practical applications of the theories. The contributors discuss a variety of computer applications to learning, ranging from school-related topics such as geometry, algebra, biology, history, physics, and…

  7. Using Learning Analytics for Preserving Academic Integrity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amigud, Alexander; Arnedo-Moreno, Joan; Daradoumis, Thanasis; Guerrero-Roldan, Ana-Elena

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents the results of integrating learning analytics into the assessment process to enhance academic integrity in the e-learning environment. The goal of this research is to evaluate the computational-based approach to academic integrity. The machine-learning based framework learns students' patterns of language use from data,…

  8. Designing a Structured and Interactive Learning Environment Based on GIS for Secondary Geography Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Suxia; Zhu, Xuan

    2008-01-01

    Geographic information systems (GIS) are computer-based tools for geographic data analysis and spatial visualization. They have become one of the information and communications technologies for education at all levels. This article reviews the current status of GIS in schools, analyzes the requirements of a GIS-based learning environment from…

  9. An Evaluation of an Inquiry-Based Computer-Assisted Learning Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maor, Dorit; Fraser, Barry

    1994-01-01

    This study focused on students' development of inquiry skills in a computerized learning environment. Seven Year-11 classes (n=120) interacted with a computerized database, "Birds of Antarctica," and curriculum materials while the teacher used an inquiry approach to learning. Students perceived their classes as more investigative and…

  10. Benefits of Cooperative Learning in a Multimedia Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webb, James

    This paper reviews the research on cooperative learning combined with technology and presents a formative report of those findings. The review focused on these questions: What are the benefits of cooperative learning in a multimedia environment? What benefits do computer-based training offer? What are the benefits of cooperative learning…

  11. Cloud-Based versus Local-Based Web Development Education: An Experimental Study in Learning Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pike, Ronald E.; Pittman, Jason M.; Hwang, Drew

    2017-01-01

    This paper investigates the use of a cloud computing environment to facilitate the teaching of web development at a university in the Southwestern United States. A between-subjects study of students in a web development course was conducted to assess the merits of a cloud computing environment instead of personal computers for developing websites.…

  12. A Web-Based Blended Learning Environment for Programming Languages: Students' Opinions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yagci, Mustafa

    2017-01-01

    A learning environment which increases the desire and efforts of students to attain learning goals leads to greater motivation and success. This study examines the negative and positive opinions of students regarding the effectiveness of the learning process and students' success in a computer programming course in which face-to-face and web-based…

  13. Finnish Upper Secondary Students' Collaborative Processes in Learning Statistics in a CSCL Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oikarinen, Juho Kaleva; Järvelä, Sanna; Kaasila, Raimo

    2014-01-01

    This design-based research project focuses on documenting statistical learning among 16-17-year-old Finnish upper secondary school students (N = 78) in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. One novel value of this study is in reporting the shift from teacher-led mathematical teaching to autonomous small-group learning in…

  14. The Role of Guidance in Computer-Based Problem Solving for the Development of Concepts of Logic.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eysink, Tessa H. S.; Dijkstra, Sanne; Kuper, Jan

    2002-01-01

    Describes a study at the University of Twente (Netherlands) that investigated the effect of two instructional variables, manipulation of objects and guidance, in learning to use the logical connective, conditional with a computer-based learning environment, Tarski's World, designed to teach first-order logic. Discusses results of…

  15. Learning Mathematics with Interactive Whiteboards and Computer-Based Graphing Utility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erbas, Ayhan Kursat; Ince, Muge; Kaya, Sukru

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of a technology-supported learning environment utilizing an interactive whiteboard (IWB) and NuCalc graphing software compared to a traditional direct instruction-based environment on student achievement in graphs of quadratic functions and attitudes towards mathematics and technology. Sixty-five…

  16. Corpora Processing and Computational Scaffolding for a Web-Based English Learning Environment: The CANDLE Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liou, Hsien-Chin; Chang, Jason S; Chen, Hao-Jan; Lin, Chih-Cheng; Liaw, Meei-Ling; Gao, Zhao-Ming; Jang, Jyh-Shing Roger; Yeh, Yuli; Chuang, Thomas C.; You, Geeng-Neng

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes the development of an innovative web-based environment for English language learning with advanced data-driven and statistical approaches. The project uses various corpora, including a Chinese-English parallel corpus ("Sinorama") and various natural language processing (NLP) tools to construct effective English…

  17. Analysing a Web-Based E-Commerce Learning Community: A Case Study in Brazil.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Joia, Luiz Antonio

    2002-01-01

    Demonstrates the use of a Web-based participative virtual learning environment for graduate students in Brazil enrolled in an electronic commerce course in a Masters in Business Administration program. Discusses learning communities; computer-supported collaborative work and collaborative learning; influences on student participation; the role of…

  18. Correcting Misconceptions on Electronics: Effects of a Simulation-Based Learning Environment Backed by a Conceptual Change Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Yu-Lung; Pan, Pei-Rong; Sung, Yao-Ting; Chang, Kuo-En

    2013-01-01

    Computer simulation has significant potential as a supplementary tool for effective conceptual-change learning based on the integration of technology and appropriate instructional strategies. This study elucidates misconceptions in learning on diodes and constructs a conceptual-change learning system that incorporates…

  19. 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…

  20. Creating a Supportive Environment to Enhance Computer Based Learning for Underrepresented Minorities in College Algebra Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kendricks, Kimberly D.

    2011-01-01

    Significant research in K-12 education has shown that computer based learning in mathematics positively impacts students' attitudes toward mathematics and greatly increases academic performance. Little research has shown, however, how this success can be replicated in a postsecondary classroom for minority students. This paper is a case study that…

  1. The Use of Mobile Technologies in Multimedia-Supported Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duygu Eristi, Suzan; Haseski, Halil Ibrahim; Uluuysal, Betul; Karakoyun, Ferit

    2011-01-01

    The aim of the study is to reveal the students' opinions about the use of PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) in learning environment within the context of multimedia based applications. Through purposeful sampling, 17 undergraduate students attending the elective course of BTO 323 Character Design in Computer Environment in the Department of…

  2. Creative Multimodal Learning Environments and Blended Interaction for Problem-Based Activity in HCI Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ioannou, Andri; Vasiliou, Christina; Zaphiris, Panayiotis; Arh, Tanja; Klobucar, Tomaž; Pipan, Matija

    2015-01-01

    This exploratory case study aims to examine how students benefit from a multimodal learning environment while they engage in collaborative problem-based activity in a Human Computer Interaction (HCI) university course. For 12 weeks, 30 students, in groups of 5-7 each, participated in weekly face-to-face meetings and online interactions.…

  3. Physics Learning with a Computer Algebra System: Towards a Learning Environment That Promotes Enhanced Problem Representations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savelsbergh, Elwin R.; Ferguson-Hessler, Monica G. M.; de Jong, Ton

    An approach to teaching problem-solving based on using the computer software Mathematica is applied to the study of electrostatics and is compared with the normal approach to the module. Learning outcomes for both approaches were not significantly different. The experimental course successfully addressed a number of misconceptions. Students in the…

  4. Policy Issues in Computer Education. Assessing the Cognitive Consequences of Computer Environments for Learning (ACCCEL).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Linn, Marcia

    This paper analyzes the capabilities of the computer learning environment identified by the Assessing the Cognitive Consequences of Computer Environments for Learning (ACCCEL) Project, augments the analysis with experimental work, and discusses how schools can implement policies which provide for the maximum potential of computers. The ACCCEL…

  5. The Role of Computer Simulation in an Inquiry-Based Learning Environment: Reconstructing Geological Events as Geologists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Li-Fen; Hsu, Ying-Shao; Yeh, Yi-Fen

    2012-01-01

    Several researchers have investigated the effects of computer simulations on students' learning. However, few have focused on how simulations with authentic contexts influences students' inquiry skills. Therefore, for the purposes of this study, we developed a computer simulation (FossilSim) embedded in an authentic inquiry lesson. FossilSim…

  6. Dataset of Scientific Inquiry Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ting, Choo-Yee; Ho, Chiung Ching

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents the dataset collected from student interactions with INQPRO, a computer-based scientific inquiry learning environment. The dataset contains records of 100 students and is divided into two portions. The first portion comprises (1) "raw log data", capturing the student's name, interfaces visited, the interface…

  7. Shallow Strategy Development in a Teachable Agent Environment Designed to Support Self-Regulated Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roscoe, Rod D.; Segedy, James R.; Sulcer, Brian; Jeong, Hogyeong; Biswas, Gautam

    2013-01-01

    To support self-regulated learning (SRL), computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) are often designed to be open-ended and multidimensional. These systems incorporate diverse features that allow students to enact and reveal their SRL strategies via the choices they make. However, research shows that students' use of such features is limited;…

  8. Virtual Environments for Social Skills Training: Comments from Two Adolescents with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parsons, Sarah; Leonard, Anne; Mitchell, Peter

    2006-01-01

    Previous research has shown that computer-based tasks can motivate people with autism and encourage learning. As a computer-based medium, Virtual Environments (VEs) offer a potentially useful tool for social skills training for people with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, there are some concerns over whether people with ASDs can…

  9. Learning from Multiple Collaborating Intelligent Tutors: An Agent-based Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Solomos, Konstantinos; Avouris, Nikolaos

    1999-01-01

    Describes an open distributed multi-agent tutoring system (MATS) and discusses issues related to learning in such open environments. Topics include modeling a one student-many teachers approach in a computer-based learning context; distributed artificial intelligence; implementation issues; collaboration; and user interaction. (Author/LRW)

  10. From boring to scoring - a collaborative serious game for learning and practicing mathematical logic for computer science education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schäfer, Andreas; Holz, Jan; Leonhardt, Thiemo; Schroeder, Ulrik; Brauner, Philipp; Ziefle, Martina

    2013-06-01

    In this study, we address the problem of low retention and high dropout rates of computer science university students in early semesters of the studies. Complex and high abstract mathematical learning materials have been identified as one reason for the dropout rate. In order to support the understanding and practicing of core mathematical concepts, we developed a game-based multitouch learning environment in which the need for a suitable learning environment for mathematical logic was combined with the ability to train cooperation and collaboration in a learning scenario. As application domain, the field of mathematical logic had been chosen. The development process was accomplished along three steps: First, ethnographic interviews were run with 12 students of computer science revealing typical problems with mathematical logic. Second, a multitouch learning environment was developed. The game consists of multiple learning and playing modes in which teams of students can collaborate or compete against each other. Finally, a twofold evaluation of the environment was carried out (user study and cognitive walk-through). Overall, the evaluation showed that the game environment was easy to use and rated as helpful: The chosen approach of a multiplayer game supporting competition, collaboration, and cooperation is perceived as motivating and "fun."

  11. Glitch game testers: The design and study of a learning environment for computational production with young African American males

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    DiSalvo, Elizabeth Betsy

    The implementation of a learning environment for young African American males, called the Glitch Game Testers, was launched in 2009. The development of this program was based on formative work that looked at the contrasting use of digital games between young African American males and individuals who chose to become computer science majors. Through analysis of cultural values and digital game play practices, the program was designed to intertwine authentic game development practices and computer science learning. The resulting program employed 25 African American male high school students to test pre-release digital games full-time in the summer and part-time in the school year, with an hour of each day dedicated to learning introductory computer science. Outcomes for persisting in computer science education are remarkable; of the 16 participants who had graduated from high school as of 2012, 12 have gone on to school in computing-related majors. These outcomes, and the participants' enthusiasm for engaging in computing, are in sharp contrast to the crisis in African American male education and learning motivation. The research presented in this dissertation discusses the formative research that shaped the design of Glitch, the evaluation of the implementation of Glitch, and a theoretical investigation of the way in which participants navigated conflicting motivations in learning environments.

  12. Should Computing Be Taught in Single-Sex Environments? An Analysis of the Computing Learning Environment of Upper Secondary Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Logan, Keri

    2007-01-01

    It has been well established in the literature that girls are turning their backs on computing courses at all levels of the education system. One reason given for this is that the computer learning environment is not conducive to girls, and it is often suggested that they would benefit from learning computing in a single-sex environment. The…

  13. Cooperation, Technology, and Performance: A Case Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cavanagh, Thomas; Dickenson, Sabrina; Brandt, Suzanne

    1999-01-01

    Describes the CTP (Cooperation, Technology, and Performance) model and explains how it is used by the Department of Veterans Affairs-Veteran's Benefit Administration (VBA) for training. Discusses task analysis; computer-based training; cooperative-based learning environments; technology-based learning; performance-assessment methods; courseware…

  14. Moving beyond the White Cane: Building an Online Learning Environment for the Visually Impaired Professional.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Donald P.; Scigliano, John A.

    2000-01-01

    Describes the development of an online learning environment for a visually impaired professional. Topics include physical barriers, intellectual barriers, psychological barriers, and technological barriers; selecting appropriate hardware and software; and combining technologies that include personal computers, Web-based resources, network…

  15. Integrating on campus problem based learning and practice based learning: issues and challenges in using computer mediated communication.

    PubMed

    Conway, J; Sharkey, R

    2002-10-01

    The Faculty of Nursing, University of Newcastle, Australia, has been keen to initiate strategies that enhance student learning and nursing practice. Two strategies are problem based learning (PBL) and clinical practice. The Faculty has maintained a comparatively high proportion of the undergraduate hours in the clinical setting in times when financial constraints suggest that simulations and on campus laboratory experiences may be less expensive.Increasingly, computer based technologies are becoming sufficiently refined to support the exploration of nursing practice in a non-traditional lecture/tutorial environment. In 1998, a group of faculty members proposed that computer mediated instruction would provide an opportunity for partnership between students, academics and clinicians that would promote more positive outcomes for all and maintain the integrity of the PBL approach. This paper discusses the similarities between problem based and practice based learning and presents the findings of an evaluative study of the implementation of a practice based learning model that uses computer mediated communication to promote integration of practice experiences with the broader goals of the undergraduate curriculum.

  16. Facilitating 3D Virtual World Learning Environments Creation by Non-Technical End Users through Template-Based Virtual World Instantiation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Chang; Zhong, Ying; Ozercan, Sertac; Zhu, Qing

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents a template-based solution to overcome technical barriers non-technical computer end users face when developing functional learning environments in three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVW). "iVirtualWorld," a prototype of a platform-independent 3DVW creation tool that implements the proposed solution, facilitates 3DVW…

  17. 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…

  18. Collaboration, Reflection and Selective Neglect: Campus-Based Marketing Students' Experiences of Using a Virtual Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molesworth, Mike

    2004-01-01

    Previous studies have suggested significant benefits to using computer-mediated communication in higher education and the development of the relevant skills may also be important for preparing students for their working careers. This study is a review of the introduction of a virtual learning environment to support a group of 60 campus-based,…

  19. Emerging CAE technologies and their role in Future Ambient Intelligence Environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noor, Ahmed K.

    2011-03-01

    Dramatic improvements are on the horizon in Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) and various simulation technologies. The improvements are due, in part, to the developments in a number of leading-edge technologies and their synergistic combinations/convergence. The technologies include ubiquitous, cloud, and petascale computing; ultra high-bandwidth networks, pervasive wireless communication; knowledge based engineering; networked immersive virtual environments and virtual worlds; novel human-computer interfaces; and powerful game engines and facilities. This paper describes the frontiers and emerging simulation technologies, and their role in the future virtual product creation and learning/training environments. The environments will be ambient intelligence environments, incorporating a synergistic combination of novel agent-supported visual simulations (with cognitive learning and understanding abilities); immersive 3D virtual world facilities; development chain management systems and facilities (incorporating a synergistic combination of intelligent engineering and management tools); nontraditional methods; intelligent, multimodal and human-like interfaces; and mobile wireless devices. The Virtual product creation environment will significantly enhance the productivity and will stimulate creativity and innovation in future global virtual collaborative enterprises. The facilities in the learning/training environment will provide timely, engaging, personalized/collaborative and tailored visual learning.

  20. Remote Labs and Game-Based Learning for Process Control

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zualkernan, Imran A.; Husseini, Ghaleb A.; Loughlin, Kevin F.; Mohebzada, Jamshaid G.; El Gaml, Moataz

    2013-01-01

    Social networking platforms and computer games represent a natural informal learning environment for the current generation of learners in higher education. This paper explores the use of game-based learning in the context of an undergraduate chemical engineering remote laboratory. Specifically, students are allowed to manipulate chemical…

  1. Design Rationale for a Complex Performance Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williamson, David M.; Bauer, Malcolm; Steinberg, Linda S.; Mislevy, Robert J.; Behrens, John T.; DeMark, Sarah F.

    2004-01-01

    In computer-based interactive environments meant to support learning, students must bring a wide range of relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities to bear jointly as they solve meaningful problems in a learning domain. To function effectively as an assessment, a computer system must additionally be able to evoke and interpret observable evidence…

  2. Learning about Locomotion Patterns from Visualizations: Effects of Presentation Format and Realism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Imhof, Birgit; Scheiter, Katharina; Gerjets, Peter

    2011-01-01

    The rapid development of computer graphics technology has made possible an easy integration of dynamic visualizations into computer-based learning environments. This study examines the relative effectiveness of dynamic visualizations, compared either to sequentially or simultaneously presented static visualizations. Moreover, the degree of realism…

  3. Learning with Interactive Computer Graphics in the Undergraduate Neuroscience Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pani, John R.; Chariker, Julia H.; Naaz, Farah; Mattingly, William; Roberts, Joshua; Sephton, Sandra E.

    2014-01-01

    Instruction of neuroanatomy depends on graphical representation and extended self-study. As a consequence, computer-based learning environments that incorporate interactive graphics should facilitate instruction in this area. The present study evaluated such a system in the undergraduate neuroscience classroom. The system used the method of…

  4. Connecting Expectations and Values: Students' Perceptions of Developmental Mathematics in a Computer-Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Karen Latrice Terrell

    2014-01-01

    Students' perceptions influence their expectations and values. According to Expectations and Values Theory of Achievement Motivation (EVT-AM), students' expectations and values impact their behaviors (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002). This study seeks to find students' perceptions of developmental mathematics in a mastery learning computer-based…

  5. Teachable Agents and the Protege Effect: Increasing the Effort towards Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chase, Catherine C.; Chin, Doris B.; Oppezzo, Marily A.; Schwartz, Daniel L.

    2009-01-01

    Betty's Brain is a computer-based learning environment that capitalizes on the social aspects of learning. In Betty's Brain, students instruct a character called a Teachable Agent (TA) which can reason based on how it is taught. Two studies demonstrate the "protege effect": students make greater effort to learn for their TAs than they do…

  6. From Play to Thoughtful Learning: A Design Strategy to Engage Children with Mathematical Representations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sedig, Kamran

    2008-01-01

    Many children do not like learning mathematics. They do not find mathematics fun, motivating, and engaging, and they think it is difficult to learn. Computer-based games have the potential and possibility of addressing this problem. This paper proposes a strategy for designing game-based learning environments that takes advantage of the…

  7. The Tragedy of the Commons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Short, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    The tragedy of the commons is one of the principal tenets of ecology. Recent developments in experiential computer-based simulation of the tragedy of the commons are described. A virtual learning environment is developed using the popular video game "Minecraft". The virtual learning environment is used to experience first-hand depletion…

  8. Scientific Inquiry, Digital Literacy, and Mobile Computing in Informal Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marty, Paul F.; Alemanne, Nicole D.; Mendenhall, Anne; Maurya, Manisha; Southerland, Sherry A.; Sampson, Victor; Douglas, Ian; Kazmer, Michelle M.; Clark, Amanda; Schellinger, Jennifer

    2013-01-01

    Understanding the connections between scientific inquiry and digital literacy in informal learning environments is essential to furthering students' critical thinking and technology skills. The Habitat Tracker project combines a standards-based curriculum focused on the nature of science with an integrated system of online and mobile computing…

  9. Learning with Interactive Computer Graphics in the Undergraduate Neuroscience Classroom

    PubMed Central

    Pani, John R.; Chariker, Julia H.; Naaz, Farah; Mattingly, William; Roberts, Joshua; Sephton, Sandra E.

    2014-01-01

    Instruction of neuroanatomy depends on graphical representation and extended self-study. As a consequence, computer-based learning environments that incorporate interactive graphics should facilitate instruction in this area. The present study evaluated such a system in the undergraduate neuroscience classroom. The system used the method of adaptive exploration, in which exploration in a high fidelity graphical environment is integrated with immediate testing and feedback in repeated cycles of learning. The results of this study were that students considered the graphical learning environment to be superior to typical classroom materials used for learning neuroanatomy. Students managed the frequency and duration of study, test, and feedback in an efficient and adaptive manner. For example, the number of tests taken before reaching a minimum test performance of 90% correct closely approximated the values seen in more regimented experimental studies. There was a wide range of student opinion regarding the choice between a simpler and a more graphically compelling program for learning sectional anatomy. Course outcomes were predicted by individual differences in the use of the software that reflected general work habits of the students, such as the amount of time committed to testing. The results of this introduction into the classroom are highly encouraging for development of computer-based instruction in biomedical disciplines. PMID:24449123

  10. Promoting CLT within a Computer Assisted Learning Environment: A Survey of the Communicative English Course of FLTC

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haider, Md. Zulfeqar; Chowdhury, Takad Ahmed

    2012-01-01

    This study is based on a survey of the Communicative English Language Certificate (CELC) course run by the Foreign Language Training Center (FLTC), a Project under the Ministry of Education, Bangladesh. FLTC is working to promote the teaching and learning of English through its eleven computer-based and state of the art language laboratories. As…

  11. The Effects of Participation, Performance, and Interest in a Game-Based Writing Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liao, Calvin C. Y.; Chang, Wan-Chen; Chan, Tak-Wai

    2018-01-01

    We have observed that many computer-supported writing environments based on pedagogical strategies have only been designed to incorporate the cognitive aspects, but motivational aspects should also be included. Hence, we theorize that integrating game-based learning into the writing environment may be a practical approach that can facilitate…

  12. Multi-Agent Framework for Virtual Learning Spaces.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheremetov, Leonid; Nunez, Gustavo

    1999-01-01

    Discussion of computer-supported collaborative learning, distributed artificial intelligence, and intelligent tutoring systems focuses on the concept of agents, and describes a virtual learning environment that has a multi-agent system. Describes a model of interactions in collaborative learning and discusses agents for Web-based virtual…

  13. Netlearning and Learning through Networks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiberg, Mikael

    2007-01-01

    Traditional non-computerized learning environments are typically founded on an understanding of learning as acquiring silence for an effective "individual learning process". Recently, it has also been reported that the high expectations for the impact of computer-based technology on educational practice have not been realized. This paper…

  14. Employing a Structured Interface to Advance Primary Students' Communicative Competence in a Text-Based Computer Mediated Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chiu, Chiung-Hui; Wu, Chiu-Yi; Hsieh, Sheng-Jieh; Cheng, Hsiao-Wei; Huang, Chung-Kai

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated whether a structured communication interface fosters primary students' communicative competence in a synchronous typewritten computer-mediated collaborative learning environment. The structured interface provided a set of predetermined utterance patterns for elementary students to use or imitate to develop communicative…

  15. The Use of an Online Learning and Teaching System for Monitoring Computer Aided Design Student Participation and Predicting Student Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akhtar, S.; Warburton, S.; Xu, W.

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we report on the use of a purpose built Computer Support Collaborative learning environment designed to support lab-based CAD teaching through the monitoring of student participation and identified predictors of success. This was carried out by analysing data from the interactive learning system and correlating student behaviour with…

  16. Scaffolding in Problem-Based Learning for Low-Achieving Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haruehansawasin, Sanit; Kiattikomol, Paiboon

    2018-01-01

    This research investigates scaffolding approaches for supporting low-achieving learners in a problem-based learning environment. The study was conducted in a vocational school with 3 different approaches to scaffolding using 3 groups in addition to a control group. The area of focus was a learning module using computer spreadsheets. The results…

  17. Subgroup Discovery with User Interaction Data: An Empirically Guided Approach to Improving Intelligent Tutoring Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poitras, Eric G.; Lajoie, Susanne P.; Doleck, Tenzin; Jarrell, Amanda

    2016-01-01

    Learner modeling, a challenging and complex endeavor, is an important and oft-studied research theme in computer-supported education. From this perspective, Educational Data Mining (EDM) research has focused on modeling and comprehending various dimensions of learning in computer-based learning environments (CBLE). Researchers and designers are…

  18. Design Issues Related to the Evaluation of Learner--Computer Interaction in a Web-Based Environment: Activities v. Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hemard, Dominique

    2006-01-01

    If web-based technology is increasingly becoming the central plank of contemporary teaching and learning processes, there is still too little evidence to suggest that it is delivering purposeful learning activities beyond its widely perceived potential as a learning resource providing content and learning objects. This is due in part to the…

  19. Wiki-Based Rapid Prototyping for Teaching-Material Design in E-Learning Grids

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shih, Wen-Chung; Tseng, Shian-Shyong; Yang, Chao-Tung

    2008-01-01

    Grid computing environments with abundant resources can support innovative e-Learning applications, and are promising platforms for e-Learning. To support individualized and adaptive learning, teachers are encouraged to develop various teaching materials according to different requirements. However, traditional methodologies for designing teaching…

  20. Exploring the Complex Computer-Mediated Communication Needs of Learners in a Multilingual, Multicultural Online Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burger, William Peter

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to understand student perceptions of social presence that resulted from communicating and collaborating via different forms of Internet-based communication technologies in a diverse, multicultural, multilingual online learning environment. In that it describes how non-native English speaking students from different…

  1. Pre-Service Teachers Designing Virtual World Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacka, Lisa; Booth, Kate

    2012-01-01

    Integrating Information Technology Communications in the classroom has been an important part of pre-service teacher education for over a decade. The advent of virtual worlds provides the pre-service teacher with an opportunity to study teaching and learning in a highly immersive 3D computer-based environment. Virtual worlds also provide a place…

  2. Statistical Model for Predicting Roles and Effects in Learning Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Chih-Kai; Chen, Gwo-Dong; Wang, Chin-Yeh

    2011-01-01

    Functional roles may explain the learning performance of groups. Detecting a functional role is critical for promoting group learning performance in computer-supported collaborative learning environments. However, it is not easy for teachers to identify the functional roles played by students in a web-based learning group, or the relationship…

  3. A Contextualized, Differential Sequence Mining Method to Derive Students' Learning Behavior Patterns

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kinnebrew, John S.; Loretz, Kirk M.; Biswas, Gautam

    2013-01-01

    Computer-based learning environments can produce a wealth of data on student learning interactions. This paper presents an exploratory data mining methodology for assessing and comparing students' learning behaviors from these interaction traces. The core algorithm employs a novel combination of sequence mining techniques to identify deferentially…

  4. Developing Educational Computer Animation Based on Human Personality Types

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Musa, Sajid; Ziatdinov, Rushan; Sozcu, Omer Faruk; Griffiths, Carol

    2015-01-01

    Computer animation in the past decade has become one of the most noticeable features of technology-based learning environments. By its definition, it refers to simulated motion pictures showing movement of drawn objects, and is often defined as the art in movement. Its educational application known as educational computer animation is considered…

  5. Computer Ethics: A Slow Fade from Black and White to Shades of Gray

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kraft, Theresa A.; Carlisle, Judith

    2011-01-01

    The expanded use of teaching case based analysis based on current events and news stories relating to computer ethics improves student engagement, encourages creativity and fosters an active learning environment. Professional ethics standards, accreditation standards for computer curriculum, ethics theories, resources for ethics on the internet,…

  6. Leveraging Scratch4SL and Second Life to motivate high school students' participation in introductory programming courses: findings from a case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pellas, Nikolaos; Peroutseas, Efstratios

    2017-01-01

    Students in secondary education strive hard enough to understand basic programming concepts. With all that is known regarding the benefits of programming, little is the published evidence showing how high school students can learn basic programming concepts following innovative instructional formats correctly with the respect to gain/enhance their computational thinking skills. This distinction has caused lack of their motivation and interest in Computer Science courses. This case study presents the opinions of twenty-eight (n = 28) high school students who participated voluntarily in a 3D-game-like environment created in Second Life. This environment was combined with the 2D programming environment of Scratch4SL for the implementation of programming concepts (i.e. sequence and concurrent programming commands) in a blended instructional format. An instructional framework based on Papert's theory of Constructionism to assist students how to coordinate or manage better the learning material in collaborative practice-based learning activities is also proposed. By conducting a mixed-method research, before and after finishing several learning tasks, students' participation in focus group (qualitative data) and their motivation based on their experiences (quantitative data) are measured. Findings indicated that an instructional design framework based on Constructionism for acquiring or empowering students' social, cognitive, higher order and computational thinking skills is meaningful. Educational implications and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

  7. Commentary on: "Toward Computer-Based Support of Metacognitive Skills: A Computational Framework to Coach Self Explanation"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conati, Cristina

    2016-01-01

    This paper is a commentary on "Toward Computer-Based Support of Meta-Cognitive Skills: a Computational Framework to Coach Self-Explanation", by Cristina Conati and Kurt Vanlehn, published in the "IJAED" in 2000 (Conati and VanLehn 2010). This work was one of the first examples of Intelligent Learning Environments (ILE) that…

  8. Content-based VLE designs improve learning efficiency in constructivist statistics education.

    PubMed

    Wessa, Patrick; De Rycker, Antoon; Holliday, Ian Edward

    2011-01-01

    We introduced a series of computer-supported workshops in our undergraduate statistics courses, in the hope that it would help students to gain a deeper understanding of statistical concepts. This raised questions about the appropriate design of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in which such an approach had to be implemented. Therefore, we investigated two competing software design models for VLEs. In the first system, all learning features were a function of the classical VLE. The second system was designed from the perspective that learning features should be a function of the course's core content (statistical analyses), which required us to develop a specific-purpose Statistical Learning Environment (SLE) based on Reproducible Computing and newly developed Peer Review (PR) technology. The main research question is whether the second VLE design improved learning efficiency as compared to the standard type of VLE design that is commonly used in education. As a secondary objective we provide empirical evidence about the usefulness of PR as a constructivist learning activity which supports non-rote learning. Finally, this paper illustrates that it is possible to introduce a constructivist learning approach in large student populations, based on adequately designed educational technology, without subsuming educational content to technological convenience. Both VLE systems were tested within a two-year quasi-experiment based on a Reliable Nonequivalent Group Design. This approach allowed us to draw valid conclusions about the treatment effect of the changed VLE design, even though the systems were implemented in successive years. The methodological aspects about the experiment's internal validity are explained extensively. The effect of the design change is shown to have substantially increased the efficiency of constructivist, computer-assisted learning activities for all cohorts of the student population under investigation. The findings demonstrate that a content-based design outperforms the traditional VLE-based design.

  9. The Effect of Computer-Assisted Cooperative Learning Methods and Group Size on the EFL Learners' Achievement in Communication Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    AbuSeileek, Ali Farhan

    2012-01-01

    This study explored the effect of cooperative learning small group size and two different instructional modes (positive interdependence vs. individual accountability) on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) undergraduate learners' communication skills (speaking and writing) achievement in computer-based environments. The study also examined the…

  10. Computer-Assisted Culture Learning in an Online Augmented Reality Environment Based on Free-Hand Gesture Interaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Mau-Tsuen; Liao, Wan-Che

    2014-01-01

    The physical-virtual immersion and real-time interaction play an essential role in cultural and language learning. Augmented reality (AR) technology can be used to seamlessly merge virtual objects with real-world images to realize immersions. Additionally, computer vision (CV) technology can recognize free-hand gestures from live images to enable…

  11. Automatic Sound Generation for Spherical Objects Hitting Straight Beams Based on Physical Models.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rauterberg, M.; And Others

    Sounds are the result of one or several interactions between one or several objects at a certain place and in a certain environment; the attributes of every interaction influence the generated sound. The following factors influence users in human/computer interaction: the organization of the learning environment, the content of the learning tasks,…

  12. Brave New (Virtual) World: Transforming Language Learning into Cultural Studies through Online Learning Environments (MOOs).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schneider, Jeffrey; von der Emde, Silke

    2000-01-01

    Describes an online approach through using a MOO, a computer program that allows students to share text-based virtual reality. The goal of the program was to build an environment that both enabled practice in the target language and sustained reflection on the processes of cultural production and reception. (Author/VWL)

  13. Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, Instructional Design Principles, and Students with Learning Disabilities in Computer-Based and Online Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greer, Diana L.; Crutchfield, Stephen A.; Woods, Kari L.

    2013-01-01

    Struggling learners and students with Learning Disabilities often exhibit unique cognitive processing and working memory characteristics that may not align with instructional design principles developed with typically developing learners. This paper explains the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and underlying Cognitive Load Theory, and…

  14. The Effects of Different Computer-Supported Collaboration Scripts on Students' Learning Processes and Outcome in a Simulation-Based Collaborative Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wieland, Kristina

    2010-01-01

    Students benefit from collaborative learning activities, but they do not automatically reach desired learning outcomes when working together (Fischer, Kollar, Mandl, & Haake, 2007; King, 2007). Learners need instructional support to increase the quality of collaborative processes and individual learning outcomes. The core challenge is to find…

  15. Learning from graphically integrated 2D and 3D representations improves retention of neuroanatomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naaz, Farah

    Visualizations in the form of computer-based learning environments are highly encouraged in science education, especially for teaching spatial material. Some spatial material, such as sectional neuroanatomy, is very challenging to learn. It involves learning the two dimensional (2D) representations that are sampled from the three dimensional (3D) object. In this study, a computer-based learning environment was used to explore the hypothesis that learning sectional neuroanatomy from a graphically integrated 2D and 3D representation will lead to better learning outcomes than learning from a sequential presentation. The integrated representation explicitly demonstrates the 2D-3D transformation and should lead to effective learning. This study was conducted using a computer graphical model of the human brain. There were two learning groups: Whole then Sections, and Integrated 2D3D. Both groups learned whole anatomy (3D neuroanatomy) before learning sectional anatomy (2D neuroanatomy). The Whole then Sections group then learned sectional anatomy using 2D representations only. The Integrated 2D3D group learned sectional anatomy from a graphically integrated 3D and 2D model. A set of tests for generalization of knowledge to interpreting biomedical images was conducted immediately after learning was completed. The order of presentation of the tests of generalization of knowledge was counterbalanced across participants to explore a secondary hypothesis of the study: preparation for future learning. If the computer-based instruction programs used in this study are effective tools for teaching anatomy, the participants should continue learning neuroanatomy with exposure to new representations. A test of long-term retention of sectional anatomy was conducted 4-8 weeks after learning was completed. The Integrated 2D3D group was better than the Whole then Sections group in retaining knowledge of difficult instances of sectional anatomy after the retention interval. The benefit of learning from an integrated 2D3D representation suggests that there are some spatial transformations which are better retained if they are learned through an explicit demonstration. Participants also showed evidence of continued learning on the tests of generalization with the help of cues and practice, even without feedback. This finding suggests that the computer-based learning programs used in this study were good tools for instruction of neuroanatomy.

  16. Making Distance Learning E.R.O.T.I.C.: Applying Interpretation Principles to Distance Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ross, Anne; Siepen, Greg; O'Connor, Sue

    2003-01-01

    Distance learners are self-directed learners traditionally taught via study books, collections of readings, and exercises to test understanding of learning packages. Despite advances in e-Learning environments and computer-based teaching interfaces, distance learners still lack opportunities to participate in exercises and debates available to…

  17. Achieving Complex Learning Outcomes through Adoption of a Pedagogical Perspective: A Model for Computer Technology Delivered Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bellard, Breshanica

    2018-01-01

    Professionals responsible for the delivery of education and training using technology systems and platforms can facilitate complex learning through application of relevant strategies, principles and theories that support how learners learn and that support how curriculum should be designed in a technology based learning environment. Technological…

  18. Memristive device based learning for navigation in robots.

    PubMed

    Sarim, Mohammad; Kumar, Manish; Jha, Rashmi; Minai, Ali A

    2017-11-08

    Biomimetic robots have gained attention recently for various applications ranging from resource hunting to search and rescue operations during disasters. Biological species are known to intuitively learn from the environment, gather and process data, and make appropriate decisions. Such sophisticated computing capabilities in robots are difficult to achieve, especially if done in real-time with ultra-low energy consumption. Here, we present a novel memristive device based learning architecture for robots. Two terminal memristive devices with resistive switching of oxide layer are modeled in a crossbar array to develop a neuromorphic platform that can impart active real-time learning capabilities in a robot. This approach is validated by navigating a robot vehicle in an unknown environment with randomly placed obstacles. Further, the proposed scheme is compared with reinforcement learning based algorithms using local and global knowledge of the environment. The simulation as well as experimental results corroborate the validity and potential of the proposed learning scheme for robots. The results also show that our learning scheme approaches an optimal solution for some environment layouts in robot navigation.

  19. Deriving Empirically-Based Design Guidelines for Advanced Learning Technologies that Foster Disciplinary Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poitras, Eric; Trevors, Gregory

    2012-01-01

    Planning, conducting, and reporting leading-edge research requires professionals who are capable of highly skilled reading. This study reports the development of an empirically informed computer-based learning environment designed to foster the acquisition of reading comprehension strategies that mediate expertise in the social sciences. Empirical…

  20. Determinants of Computer Self-Efficacy--An Examination of Learning Motivations and Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, Wen-Kai K.; Huang, Show-Hui S.

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to discuss determinants of computer self-efficacy from the perspective of participant internal learning motivations and external learning environments. The former consisted of three motivations--interest, trend, and employment--while the latter comprised two environments--home and school. Through an intermediate…

  1. The use of deep and surface learning strategies among students learning English as a foreign language in an Internet environment.

    PubMed

    Aharony, Noa

    2006-12-01

    The learning context is learning English in an Internet environment. The examination of this learning process was based on the Biggs and Moore's teaching-learning model (Biggs & Moore, 1993). The research aims to explore the use of the deep and surface strategies in an Internet environment among EFL students who come from different socio-economic backgrounds. The results of the research may add an additional level to the understanding of students' functioning in the Internet environment. One hundred fourty-eight Israeli junior and high school students participated in this research. The methodology was based on special computer software: Screen Cam, which recorded the students' learning process. In addition, expert judges completed a questionnaire which examined and categorized the students' learning strategies. The research findings show a clear preference of participants from all socio-economic backgrounds towards the surface learning strategy. The findings also showed that students from the medium to high socio-economic background used both learning strategies more frequently than low socio-economic students. The results reflect the habits that students acquire during their adjustment process throughout their education careers. A brief encounter with the Internet learning environment apparently cannot change norms or habits, which were acquired in the non-Internet learning environment.

  2. Learning by Doing Approach in the Internet Environment to Improve the Teaching Efficiency of Information Technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, X.-S.; Xie, Hua

    This paper presents a learning-by-doing method in the Internet environment to enhance the results of information technology education by experimental work in the classroom of colleges. In this research, an practical approach to apply the "learning by doing" paradigm in Internet-based learning, both for higher educational environments and life-long training systems, taking into account available computer and network resources, such as blogging, podcasting, social networks, wiki etc. We first introduce the different phases in the learning process, which aimed at showing to the readers that the importance of the learning by doing paradigm, which is not implemented in many Internet-based educational environments. Secondly, we give the concept of learning by doing in the different perfective. Then, we identify the most important trends in this field, and give a real practical case for the application of this approach. The results show that the attempt methods are much better than traditional teaching methods.

  3. An Examination of the Impact of Computer-Based Animations and Visualization Sequence on Student Understanding of Hadley Cells in Atmospheric Circulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, Daniel Wyatt

    2012-01-01

    Research examining animation use for student learning has been conducted in the last two decades across a multitude of instructional environments and content areas. The extensive construction and implementation of animations in learning resulted from the availability of powerful computing systems and the perceived advantages the novel medium…

  4. Model-Based and Model-Free Pavlovian Reward Learning: Revaluation, Revision and Revelation

    PubMed Central

    Dayan, Peter; Berridge, Kent C.

    2014-01-01

    Evidence supports at least two methods for learning about reward and punishment and making predictions for guiding actions. One method, called model-free, progressively acquires cached estimates of the long-run values of circumstances and actions from retrospective experience. The other method, called model-based, uses representations of the environment, expectations and prospective calculations to make cognitive predictions of future value. Extensive attention has been paid to both methods in computational analyses of instrumental learning. By contrast, although a full computational analysis has been lacking, Pavlovian learning and prediction has typically been presumed to be solely model-free. Here, we revise that presumption and review compelling evidence from Pavlovian revaluation experiments showing that Pavlovian predictions can involve their own form of model-based evaluation. In model-based Pavlovian evaluation, prevailing states of the body and brain influence value computations, and thereby produce powerful incentive motivations that can sometimes be quite new. We consider the consequences of this revised Pavlovian view for the computational landscape of prediction, response and choice. We also revisit differences between Pavlovian and instrumental learning in the control of incentive motivation. PMID:24647659

  5. Model-based and model-free Pavlovian reward learning: revaluation, revision, and revelation.

    PubMed

    Dayan, Peter; Berridge, Kent C

    2014-06-01

    Evidence supports at least two methods for learning about reward and punishment and making predictions for guiding actions. One method, called model-free, progressively acquires cached estimates of the long-run values of circumstances and actions from retrospective experience. The other method, called model-based, uses representations of the environment, expectations, and prospective calculations to make cognitive predictions of future value. Extensive attention has been paid to both methods in computational analyses of instrumental learning. By contrast, although a full computational analysis has been lacking, Pavlovian learning and prediction has typically been presumed to be solely model-free. Here, we revise that presumption and review compelling evidence from Pavlovian revaluation experiments showing that Pavlovian predictions can involve their own form of model-based evaluation. In model-based Pavlovian evaluation, prevailing states of the body and brain influence value computations, and thereby produce powerful incentive motivations that can sometimes be quite new. We consider the consequences of this revised Pavlovian view for the computational landscape of prediction, response, and choice. We also revisit differences between Pavlovian and instrumental learning in the control of incentive motivation.

  6. Early Prediction of Student Self-Regulation Strategies by Combining Multiple Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sabourin, Jennifer L.; Mott, Bradford W.; Lester, James C.

    2012-01-01

    Self-regulated learning behaviors such as goal setting and monitoring have been found to be crucial to students' success in computer-based learning environments. Consequently, understanding students' self-regulated learning behavior has been the subject of increasing interest. Unfortunately, monitoring these behaviors in real-time has proven…

  7. A Review of Research on Intercultural Learning through Computer-Based Digital Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Çiftçi, Emrullah Yasin

    2016-01-01

    Intercultural communication is now a crucial part of our globalizing lives; however, not everyone has an opportunity to engage in an intercultural interaction with people from different cultures. Computer-based technologies are promising in creating environments for people to communicate with people from diverse cultures. This qualitative…

  8. Networked Instructional Chemistry: Using Technology To Teach Chemistry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Stanley; Stovall, Iris

    1996-10-01

    Networked multimedia microcomputers provide new ways to help students learn chemistry and to help instructors manage the learning environment. This technology is used to replace some traditional laboratory work, collect on-line experimental data, enhance lectures and quiz sections with multimedia presentations, provide prelaboratory training for beginning nonchemistry- major organic laboratory, provide electronic homework for organic chemistry students, give graduate students access to real NMR data for analysis, and provide access to molecular modeling tools. The integration of all of these activities into an active learning environment is made possible by a client-server network of hundreds of computers. This requires not only instructional software but also classroom and course management software, computers, networking, and room management. Combining computer-based work with traditional course material is made possible with software management tools that allow the instructor to monitor the progress of each student and make available an on-line gradebook so students can see their grades and class standing. This client-server based system extends the capabilities of the earlier mainframe-based PLATO system, which was used for instructional computing. This paper outlines the components of a technology center used to support over 5,000 students per semester.

  9. An E-Learning Collaborative Environment: Learning within a Masters in Education Programme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hendricks, Natheem

    2012-01-01

    This article contributes to the debate about e-learning as a form of adult education. It is based on the experiences of South African students, describes and analyses group interaction in an intercontinental Masters in Adult Education Programme which uses a computer electronic platform as the primary medium for learning and teaching. The article…

  10. A Case Study for Comparing the Effectiveness of a Computer Simulation and a Hands-on Activity on Learning Electric Circuits

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ekmekci, Adem; Gulacar, Ozcan

    2015-01-01

    Science education reform emphasizes innovative and constructivist views of science teaching and learning that promotes active learning environments, dynamic instructions, and authentic science experiments. Technology-based and hands-on instructional designs are among innovative science teaching and learning methods. Research shows that these two…

  11. Mental Time Travel, Memory and the Social Learning Strategies Tournament

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fogarty, L.; Rendell, L.; Laland, K. N.

    2012-01-01

    The social learning strategies tournament was an open computer-based tournament investigating the best way to learn in a changing environment. Here we present an analysis of the impact of memory on the ability of strategies entered into the social learning strategies tournament (Rendell, Boyd, et al., 2010) to modify their own behavior to suit a…

  12. Bridging the Gap between Students and Computers: Supporting Activity Awareness for Network Collaborative Learning with GSM Network

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, C.-C.; Tao, S.-Y.; Nee, J.-N.

    2008-01-01

    The internet has been widely used to promote collaborative learning among students. However, students do not always have access to the system, leading to doubt in the interaction among the students, and reducing the effectiveness of collaborative learning, since the web-based collaborative learning environment relies entirely on the availability…

  13. Student perceptions of a virtual learning environment for a problem-based learning undergraduate medical curriculum.

    PubMed

    de Leng, Bas A; Dolmans, Diana H J M; Muijtjens, Arno M M; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

    2006-06-01

    To investigate the effects of a virtual learning environment (VLE) on group interaction and consultation of information resources during the preliminary phase, self-study phase and reporting phase of the problem-based learning process in an undergraduate medical curriculum. A questionnaire was administered to 355 medical students in Years 1 and 2 to ask them about the perceived usefulness of a virtual learning environment that was created with Blackboard for group interaction and the use of learning resources. The students indicated that the VLE supported face-to-face interaction in the preliminary discussion and in the reporting phase but did not stimulate computer-mediated distance interaction during the self-study phase. They perceived that the use of multimedia in case presentations led to a better quality of group discussion than if case presentations were exclusively text-based. They also indicated that the information resources that were hyperlinked in the VLE stimulated the consultation of these resources during self-study, but not during the reporting phase. Students indicated that the use of a VLE in the tutorial room and the inclusion of multimedia in case presentations supported processes of active learning in the tutorial groups. However, if we want to exploit the full potential of asynchronous computer-mediated communication to initiate in-depth discussion during the self-study phase, its application will have to be selective and deliberate. Students indicated that the links in the VLE to selected information in library repositories supported their learning.

  14. The Contribution of Visualization to Learning Computer Architecture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yehezkel, Cecile; Ben-Ari, Mordechai; Dreyfus, Tommy

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes a visualization environment and associated learning activities designed to improve learning of computer architecture. The environment, EasyCPU, displays a model of the components of a computer and the dynamic processes involved in program execution. We present the results of a research program that analysed the contribution of…

  15. Scaffolding and Integrated Assessment in Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) for Children with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beale, Ivan L.

    2005-01-01

    Computer assisted learning (CAL) can involve a computerised intelligent learning environment, defined as an environment capable of automatically, dynamically and continuously adapting to the learning context. One aspect of this adaptive capability involves automatic adjustment of instructional procedures in response to each learner's performance,…

  16. Instructional Approaches on Science Performance, Attitude and Inquiry Ability in a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Ching-Huei; Chen, Chia-Ying

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the effects of an inquiry-based learning (IBL) approach compared to that of a problem-based learning (PBL) approach on learner performance, attitude toward science and inquiry ability. Ninety-six students from three 7th-grade classes at a public school were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. All…

  17. A Study of the Design and Implementation of the ASR-Based iCASL System with Corrective Feedback to Facilitate English Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Yi-Hsuan; Young, Shelley Shwu-Ching

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the study is to explore and describe how to implement a pedagogical ASR-based intelligent computer-assisted speaking learning (iCASL) system to support adult learners with a private, flexible and individual learning environment to practice English pronunciation. The iCASL system integrates multiple levels of corrective feedback and…

  18. Blocking of Goal-Location Learning Based on Shape

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexander, Tim; Wilson, Stuart P.; Wilson, Paul N.

    2009-01-01

    Using desktop, computer-simulated virtual environments (VEs), the authors conducted 5 experiments to investigate blocking of learning about a goal location based on Shape B as a consequence of preliminary training to locate that goal using Shape A. The shapes were large 2-dimensional horizontal figures on the ground. Blocking of spatial learning…

  19. Predictors of College Student Achievement in Undergraduate Asynchronous Web-Based Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Paul D.

    2007-01-01

    This study examined the effects of self-regulated learning (SRL) and epistemological beliefs (EB) on individual learner levels of academic achievement in Web-based learning environments while holding constant the effect of computer self-efficacy, reason for taking an online course, prior college academic achievement, and parental level of…

  20. Holy COW: Scaffolding Case Based Conferencing on the Web with Preservice Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bonk, Curtis J.; Angeli, Charoula; Malikowski, Steve R.; Supplee, Lauren

    2001-01-01

    This study on the effects of scaffolding electronic case-based learning on preservice teacher education explored the use of an asynchronous computer conferencing tool called COW (Conferencing on the Web) to determine whether open-ended learning environments that encouraged critical thinking could foster a greater degree of course connections and…

  1. Validation of learning style measures: implications for medical education practice.

    PubMed

    Chapman, Dane M; Calhoun, Judith G

    2006-06-01

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

  2. Effective Student Learning of Fractions with an Interactive Simulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hensberry, Karina K. R.; Moore, Emily B.; Perkins, Katherine K.

    2015-01-01

    Computer technology, when coupled with reform-based teaching practices, has been shown to be an effective way to support student learning of mathematics. The quality of the technology itself, as well as how it is used, impacts how much students learn. Interactive simulations are dynamic virtual environments similar to virtual manipulatives that…

  3. Supporting Multimedia Learning with Visual Signalling and Animated Pedagogical Agent: Moderating Effects of Prior Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, A. M.; Ozogul, G.; Reisslein, M.

    2015-01-01

    An experiment examined the effects of visual signalling to relevant information in multiple external representations and the visual presence of an animated pedagogical agent (APA). Students learned electric circuit analysis using a computer-based learning environment that included Cartesian graphs, equations and electric circuit diagrams. The…

  4. Possibilities and Challenges of Learning German in a Multimodal Environment: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abrams, Zsuzsanna Ittzes

    2016-01-01

    Despite a growing body of research on task-based language learning (TBLT) (Samuda & Bygate, 2008; Ellis, 2003), there is still little information available regarding the pedagogical design behind tasks and how they are implemented (Samuda & Bygate, 2008). Scholars in computer-mediated second language (L2) learning have called for research…

  5. From Design to Implementation to Practice a Learning by Teaching System: Betty's Brain

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biswas, Gautam; Segedy, James R.; Bunchongchit, Kritya

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of 10 years of research with the "Betty's Brain" computer-based learning environment. We discuss the theoretical basis for "Betty's Brain" and the learning-by-teaching paradigm. We also highlight our key research findings, and discuss how these findings have shaped subsequent research. Throughout…

  6. Fostering Multimedia Learning of Science: Exploring the Role of an Animated Agent's Image

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunsworth, Qi; Atkinson, Robert K.

    2007-01-01

    Research suggests that students learn better when studying a picture coupled with narration rather than on-screen text in a computer-based multimedia learning environment. Moreover, combining narration with the visual presence of an animated pedagogical agent may also encourage students to process information deeper than narration or on-screen…

  7. Psychological Factors Affecting Medical Students' Learning with Erroneous Worked Examples

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klopp, Eric; Stark, Robin; Kopp, Veronika; Fischer, Martin R.

    2013-01-01

    The acquisition of diagnostic competence is seen as a major goal during the course of study in medicine. One innovative method to foster this goal is problem-based learning with erroneous worked examples provided in a computer learning environment. The present study explores the relationship of attitudinal, emotional and cognitive factors for…

  8. Monitoring and Depth of Strategy Use in Computer-Based Learning Environments for Science and History

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deekens, Victor M.; Greene, Jeffrey A.; Lobczowski, Nikki G.

    2018-01-01

    Background: Self-regulated learning (SRL) models position metacognitive monitoring as central to SRL processing and predictive of student learning outcomes (Winne & Hadwin, 2008; Zimmerman, 2000). A body of research evidence also indicates that depth of strategy use, ranging from surface to deep processing, is predictive of learning…

  9. Virtual Learning Environments on the Go: CALL Meets MALL

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arús Hita, Jorge

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents "Eating out," a Moodle-based digital learning resource for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching that can be run both on computers and mobile devices. It is argued that Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) resources do not necessarily need to be specifically designed for such platforms. Rather, a carefully…

  10. Integrating Computer- and Teacher-Based Scaffolds in Science Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Hui-Ling; Pedersen, Susan

    2011-01-01

    Because scaffolding is a crucial form of support for students engaging in complex learning environments, it is important that researchers determine which of the numerous kinds of scaffolding will allow them to educate students most effectively. The existing literature tends to focus on computer-based scaffolding by itself rather than integrating…

  11. Computers and Individualized Instruction: Moving to Alternative Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robbat, Richard J.

    The overall focus of this booklet is on planning for change that allows for integration of computers into articulated learning environments that will enhance the learning goal of students. The first chapter presents four major themes to increase the likelihood of combining computers and individualized instruction in schools: (1) a revitalized form…

  12. Software Application for Computer Aided Vocabulary Learning in a Blended Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Essam, Rasha

    2010-01-01

    This study focuses on the effect of computer-aided vocabulary learning software called "ArabCAVL" on students' vocabulary acquisition. It was hypothesized that students who use the ArabCAVL software in blended learning environment will surpass students who use traditional vocabulary learning strategies in face-to-face learning…

  13. New Trends in Computer Assisted Language Learning and Teaching.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perez-Paredes, Pascual, Ed.; Cantos-Gomez, Pascual, Ed.

    2002-01-01

    Articles in this special issue include the following: "ICT and Modern Foreign Languages: Learning Opportunities and Training Needs" (Graham Davies); "Authoring, Pedagogy and the Web: Expectations Versus Reality" (Paul Bangs); "Web-based Instructional Environments: Tools and Techniques for Effective Second Language…

  14. The role of physicality in rich programming environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Allison S.; Schunn, Christian D.; Flot, Jesse; Shoop, Robin

    2013-12-01

    Computer science proficiency continues to grow in importance, while the number of students entering computer science-related fields declines. Many rich programming environments have been created to motivate student interest and expertise in computer science. In the current study, we investigated whether a recently created environment, Robot Virtual Worlds (RVWs), can be used to teach computer science principles within a robotics context by examining its use in high-school classrooms. We also investigated whether the lack of physicality in these environments impacts student learning by comparing classrooms that used either virtual or physical robots for the RVW curriculum. Results suggest that the RVW environment leads to significant gains in computer science knowledge, that virtual robots lead to faster learning, and that physical robots may have some influence on algorithmic thinking. We discuss the implications of physicality in these programming environments for learning computer science.

  15. Students' Learning with the Connected Chemistry (CC1) Curriculum: Navigating the Complexities of the Particulate World

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levy, Sharona T.; Wilensky, Uri

    2009-01-01

    The focus of this study is students' learning with a Connected Chemistry unit, CC1 (denotes Connected Chemistry, chapter 1), a computer-based environment for learning the topics of gas laws and kinetic molecular theory in chemistry (Levy and Wilensky 2009). An investigation was conducted into high-school students' learning with Connected…

  16. Collaborative Spaces for GIS-Based Multimedia Cartography in Blended Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balram, Shivanand; Dragicevic, Suzana

    2008-01-01

    The interaction spaces between instructors and learners in the traditional face-to-face classroom environment are being changed by the diffusion and adoption of many forms of computer-based pedagogy. An integrated understanding of these evolving interaction spaces together with how they interconnect and leverage learning are needed to develop…

  17. Content-Based VLE Designs Improve Learning Efficiency in Constructivist Statistics Education

    PubMed Central

    Wessa, Patrick; De Rycker, Antoon; Holliday, Ian Edward

    2011-01-01

    Background We introduced a series of computer-supported workshops in our undergraduate statistics courses, in the hope that it would help students to gain a deeper understanding of statistical concepts. This raised questions about the appropriate design of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in which such an approach had to be implemented. Therefore, we investigated two competing software design models for VLEs. In the first system, all learning features were a function of the classical VLE. The second system was designed from the perspective that learning features should be a function of the course's core content (statistical analyses), which required us to develop a specific–purpose Statistical Learning Environment (SLE) based on Reproducible Computing and newly developed Peer Review (PR) technology. Objectives The main research question is whether the second VLE design improved learning efficiency as compared to the standard type of VLE design that is commonly used in education. As a secondary objective we provide empirical evidence about the usefulness of PR as a constructivist learning activity which supports non-rote learning. Finally, this paper illustrates that it is possible to introduce a constructivist learning approach in large student populations, based on adequately designed educational technology, without subsuming educational content to technological convenience. Methods Both VLE systems were tested within a two-year quasi-experiment based on a Reliable Nonequivalent Group Design. This approach allowed us to draw valid conclusions about the treatment effect of the changed VLE design, even though the systems were implemented in successive years. The methodological aspects about the experiment's internal validity are explained extensively. Results The effect of the design change is shown to have substantially increased the efficiency of constructivist, computer-assisted learning activities for all cohorts of the student population under investigation. The findings demonstrate that a content–based design outperforms the traditional VLE–based design. PMID:21998652

  18. Machine learning based Intelligent cognitive network using fog computing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Jingyang; Li, Lun; Chen, Genshe; Shen, Dan; Pham, Khanh; Blasch, Erik

    2017-05-01

    In this paper, a Cognitive Radio Network (CRN) based on artificial intelligence is proposed to distribute the limited radio spectrum resources more efficiently. The CRN framework can analyze the time-sensitive signal data close to the signal source using fog computing with different types of machine learning techniques. Depending on the computational capabilities of the fog nodes, different features and machine learning techniques are chosen to optimize spectrum allocation. Also, the computing nodes send the periodic signal summary which is much smaller than the original signal to the cloud so that the overall system spectrum source allocation strategies are dynamically updated. Applying fog computing, the system is more adaptive to the local environment and robust to spectrum changes. As most of the signal data is processed at the fog level, it further strengthens the system security by reducing the communication burden of the communications network.

  19. Monitoring Collaborative Activities in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Persico, Donatella; Pozzi, Francesca; Sarti, Luigi

    2010-01-01

    Monitoring the learning process in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments is a key element for supporting the efficacy of tutor actions. This article proposes an approach for analysing learning processes in a CSCL environment to support tutors in their monitoring tasks. The approach entails tracking the interactions within…

  20. Learning in Transformational Computer Games: Exploring Design Principles for a Nanotechnology Game

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Masek, Martin; Murcia, Karen; Morrison, Jason; Newhouse, Paul; Hackling, Mark

    2012-01-01

    Transformational games are digital computer and video applications purposefully designed to create engaging and immersive learning environments for delivering specified learning goals, outcomes and experiences. The virtual world of a transformational game becomes the social environment within which learning occurs as an outcome of the complex…

  1. Evaluating CSL/CFL Website Usability: A User-Centered Design Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Chung-Kai; Hsin, Ching-O; Chiu, Chiung-Hui

    2010-01-01

    With the widespread availability of Internet and computer technology, on-line web-based learning has become prevalent in the field of teaching Chinese as a second/foreign language (CSL/CFL). This study examined the concepts of usability and types of design elements that help construct an effective web-based learning environment, as well as their…

  2. Dopamine selectively remediates ‘model-based’ reward learning: a computational approach

    PubMed Central

    Sharp, Madeleine E.; Foerde, Karin; Daw, Nathaniel D.

    2016-01-01

    Patients with loss of dopamine due to Parkinson’s disease are impaired at learning from reward. However, it remains unknown precisely which aspect of learning is impaired. In particular, learning from reward, or reinforcement learning, can be driven by two distinct computational processes. One involves habitual stamping-in of stimulus-response associations, hypothesized to arise computationally from ‘model-free’ learning. The other, ‘model-based’ learning, involves learning a model of the world that is believed to support goal-directed behaviour. Much work has pointed to a role for dopamine in model-free learning. But recent work suggests model-based learning may also involve dopamine modulation, raising the possibility that model-based learning may contribute to the learning impairment in Parkinson’s disease. To directly test this, we used a two-step reward-learning task which dissociates model-free versus model-based learning. We evaluated learning in patients with Parkinson’s disease tested ON versus OFF their dopamine replacement medication and in healthy controls. Surprisingly, we found no effect of disease or medication on model-free learning. Instead, we found that patients tested OFF medication showed a marked impairment in model-based learning, and that this impairment was remediated by dopaminergic medication. Moreover, model-based learning was positively correlated with a separate measure of working memory performance, raising the possibility of common neural substrates. Our results suggest that some learning deficits in Parkinson’s disease may be related to an inability to pursue reward based on complete representations of the environment. PMID:26685155

  3. Dopamine selectively remediates 'model-based' reward learning: a computational approach.

    PubMed

    Sharp, Madeleine E; Foerde, Karin; Daw, Nathaniel D; Shohamy, Daphna

    2016-02-01

    Patients with loss of dopamine due to Parkinson's disease are impaired at learning from reward. However, it remains unknown precisely which aspect of learning is impaired. In particular, learning from reward, or reinforcement learning, can be driven by two distinct computational processes. One involves habitual stamping-in of stimulus-response associations, hypothesized to arise computationally from 'model-free' learning. The other, 'model-based' learning, involves learning a model of the world that is believed to support goal-directed behaviour. Much work has pointed to a role for dopamine in model-free learning. But recent work suggests model-based learning may also involve dopamine modulation, raising the possibility that model-based learning may contribute to the learning impairment in Parkinson's disease. To directly test this, we used a two-step reward-learning task which dissociates model-free versus model-based learning. We evaluated learning in patients with Parkinson's disease tested ON versus OFF their dopamine replacement medication and in healthy controls. Surprisingly, we found no effect of disease or medication on model-free learning. Instead, we found that patients tested OFF medication showed a marked impairment in model-based learning, and that this impairment was remediated by dopaminergic medication. Moreover, model-based learning was positively correlated with a separate measure of working memory performance, raising the possibility of common neural substrates. Our results suggest that some learning deficits in Parkinson's disease may be related to an inability to pursue reward based on complete representations of the environment. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. Measuring the Impact of Haptic Feedback Using the SOLO Taxonomy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minogue, James; Jones, Gail

    2009-01-01

    The application of Biggs' and Collis' Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes taxonomy in the evaluation of student learning about cell membrane transport via a computer-based learning environment is described in this study. Pre-test-post-test comparisons of student outcome data (n = 80) were made across two groups of randomly assigned students:…

  5. Modelling Mathematics Teachers' Intention to Use the Dynamic Geometry Environments in Macau: An SEM Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhou, Mingming; Chan, Kan Kan; Teo, Timothy

    2016-01-01

    Dynamic geometry environments (DGEs) provide computer-based environments to construct and manipulate geometric figures with great ease. Research has shown that DGEs has positive impact on student motivation, engagement, and achievement in mathematics learning. However, the adoption of DGEs by mathematics teachers varies substantially worldwide.…

  6. Home Learning, Technology, and Tomorrow's Workplace.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rieseberg, Rhonda L.

    1995-01-01

    Discusses characteristics and trends of home schools and workplaces. Use of computers and computer applications (CD-ROMS, interactive software, and networking) in home schooling provides a compatible environment for future home-based businesses and telecommuting trends. Sidebars include information on home schools on line; standardized test…

  7. Internal and External Scripts in Computer-Supported Collaborative Inquiry Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kollar, Ingo; Fischer, Frank; Slotta, James D.

    2007-01-01

    We investigated how differently structured external scripts interact with learners' internal scripts with respect to individual knowledge acquisition in a Web-based collaborative inquiry learning environment. Ninety students from two secondary schools participated. Two versions of an external collaboration script (high vs. low structured)…

  8. Embellishing Problem-Solving Examples with Deep Structure Information Facilitates Transfer

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Hee Seung; Betts, Shawn; Anderson, John R.

    2017-01-01

    Appreciation of problem structure is critical to successful learning. Two experiments investigated effective ways of communicating problem structure in a computer-based learning environment and tested whether verbal instruction is necessary to specify solution steps, when deep structure is already embellished by instructional examples.…

  9. Presence and Learning in a Community of Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maddrell, Jennifer A.; Morrison, Gary R.; Watson, Ginger S.

    2017-01-01

    The community of inquiry (CoI) framework suggests social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence are essential elements to foster successful educational experiences in computer-mediated distance learning environments. Although thousands of CoI-based articles have been published, those critical of the framework and related research…

  10. Examining the Roles of Blended Learning Approaches in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) Environments: A Delphi Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    So, Hyo-Jeong; Bonk, Curtis J.

    2010-01-01

    In this study, a Delphi method was used to identify and predict the roles of blended learning approaches in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments. The Delphi panel consisted of experts in online learning from different geographic regions of the world. This study discusses findings related to (a) pros and cons of blended…

  11. Tool Mediation in Focus on Form Activities: Case Studies in a Grammar-Exploring Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karlstrom, Petter; Cerratto-Pargman, Teresa; Lindstrom, Henrik; Knutsson, Ola

    2007-01-01

    We present two case studies of two different pedagogical tasks in a Computer Assisted Language Learning environment called Grim. The main design principle in Grim is to support "Focus on Form" in second language pedagogy. Grim contains several language technology-based features for exploring linguistic forms (static, rule-based and statistical),…

  12. Cognitive state monitoring and the design of adaptive instruction in digital environments: lessons learned from cognitive workload assessment using a passive brain-computer interface approach

    PubMed Central

    Gerjets, Peter; Walter, Carina; Rosenstiel, Wolfgang; Bogdan, Martin; Zander, Thorsten O.

    2014-01-01

    According to Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), one of the crucial factors for successful learning is the type and amount of working-memory load (WML) learners experience while studying instructional materials. Optimal learning conditions are characterized by providing challenges for learners without inducing cognitive over- or underload. Thus, presenting instruction in a way that WML is constantly held within an optimal range with regard to learners' working-memory capacity might be a good method to provide these optimal conditions. The current paper elaborates how digital learning environments, which achieve this goal can be developed by combining approaches from Cognitive Psychology, Neuroscience, and Computer Science. One of the biggest obstacles that needs to be overcome is the lack of an unobtrusive method of continuously assessing learners' WML in real-time. We propose to solve this problem by applying passive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) approaches to realistic learning scenarios in digital environments. In this paper we discuss the methodological and theoretical prospects and pitfalls of this approach based on results from the literature and from our own research. We present a strategy on how several inherent challenges of applying BCIs to WML and learning can be met by refining the psychological constructs behind WML, by exploring their neural signatures, by using these insights for sophisticated task designs, and by optimizing algorithms for analyzing electroencephalography (EEG) data. Based on this strategy we applied machine-learning algorithms for cross-task classifications of different levels of WML to tasks that involve studying realistic instructional materials. We obtained very promising results that yield several recommendations for future work. PMID:25538544

  13. Scratch: Multimedia Programming Environment for Young Gifted Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Young-Jin

    2011-01-01

    Despite the educational benefits, computer programming has not been adopted in the current K-12 education as much as it could have been. One of the reasons for the low adoption of computer programming in K-12 education is the time it takes for (especially young) students to learn computer programming using a text-based programming language, which…

  14. A Mixed-Methods Exploration of an Environment for Learning Computer Programming

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mather, Richard

    2015-01-01

    A mixed-methods approach is evaluated for exploring collaborative behaviour, acceptance and progress surrounding an interactive technology for learning computer programming. A review of literature reveals a compelling case for using mixed-methods approaches when evaluating technology-enhanced-learning environments. Here, ethnographic approaches…

  15. ICCE/ICCAI 2000 Full & Short Papers (Virtual Lab/Classroom/School).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    2000

    This document contains the following full and short papers on virtual laboratories, classrooms, and schools from ICCE/ICCAI 2000 (International Conference on Computers in Education/International Conference on Computer-Assisted Instruction): (1) "A Collaborative Learning Support System Based on Virtual Environment Server for Multiple…

  16. Experiences of Student Mathematics-Teachers in Computer-Based Mathematics Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karatas, Ilhan

    2011-01-01

    Computer technology in mathematics education enabled the students find many opportunities for investigating mathematical relationships, hypothesizing, and making generalizations. These opportunities were provided to pre-service teachers through a faculty course. At the end of the course, the teachers were assigned project tasks involving…

  17. Asymptotically Optimal Motion Planning for Learned Tasks Using Time-Dependent Cost Maps

    PubMed Central

    Bowen, Chris; Ye, Gu; Alterovitz, Ron

    2015-01-01

    In unstructured environments in people’s homes and workspaces, robots executing a task may need to avoid obstacles while satisfying task motion constraints, e.g., keeping a plate of food level to avoid spills or properly orienting a finger to push a button. We introduce a sampling-based method for computing motion plans that are collision-free and minimize a cost metric that encodes task motion constraints. Our time-dependent cost metric, learned from a set of demonstrations, encodes features of a task’s motion that are consistent across the demonstrations and, hence, are likely required to successfully execute the task. Our sampling-based motion planner uses the learned cost metric to compute plans that simultaneously avoid obstacles and satisfy task constraints. The motion planner is asymptotically optimal and minimizes the Mahalanobis distance between the planned trajectory and the distribution of demonstrations in a feature space parameterized by the locations of task-relevant objects. The motion planner also leverages the distribution of the demonstrations to significantly reduce plan computation time. We demonstrate the method’s effectiveness and speed using a small humanoid robot performing tasks requiring both obstacle avoidance and satisfaction of learned task constraints. Note to Practitioners Motivated by the desire to enable robots to autonomously operate in cluttered home and workplace environments, this paper presents an approach for intuitively training a robot in a manner that enables it to repeat the task in novel scenarios and in the presence of unforeseen obstacles in the environment. Based on user-provided demonstrations of the task, our method learns features of the task that are consistent across the demonstrations and that we expect should be repeated by the robot when performing the task. We next present an efficient algorithm for planning robot motions to perform the task based on the learned features while avoiding obstacles. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our motion planner for scenarios requiring transferring a powder and pushing a button in environments with obstacles, and we plan to extend our results to more complex tasks in the future. PMID:26279642

  18. Using Interprofessional Learning for Continuing Education: Development and Evaluation of the Graduate Certificate Program in Health Professional Education for Clinicians.

    PubMed

    Henderson, Saras; Dalton, Megan; Cartmel, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    Health professionals may be expert clinicians but do not automatically make effective teachers and need educational development. In response, a team of health academics at an Australian university developed and evaluated the continuing education Graduate Certificate in Health Professional Education Program using an interprofessional learning model. The model was informed by Collins interactional expertise and Knowles adult learning theories. The team collaboratively developed and taught four courses in the program. Blended learning methods such as web-based learning, face-to-face workshops, and online discussion forums were used. Twenty-seven multidisciplinary participants enrolled in the inaugural program. Focus group interview, self-report questionnaires, and teacher observations were used to evaluate the program. Online learning motivated participants to learn in a collaborative virtual environment. The workshops conducted in an interprofessional environment promoted knowledge sharing and helped participants to better understand other discipline roles, so they could conduct clinical education within a broader health care team context. Work-integrated assessments supported learning relevance. The teachers, however, observed that some participants struggled because of lack of computer skills. Although the interprofessional learning model promoted collaboration and flexibility, it is important to note that consideration be given to participants who are not computer literate. We therefore conducted a library and computer literacy workshop in orientation week which helped. An interprofessional learning environment can assist health professionals to operate outside their "traditional silos" leading to a more collaborative approach to the provision of care. Our experience may assist other organizations in developing similar programs.

  19. Group Work in a Technology-Rich Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Penner, Nikolai; Schulze, Mathias

    2010-01-01

    This paper addresses several components of successful language-learning methodologies--group work, task-based instruction, and wireless computer technologies--and examines how the interplay of these three was perceived by students in a second-year university foreign-language course. The technology component of our learning design plays a central…

  20. Laboratory Control System's Effects on Student Achievement and Attitudes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cicek, Fatma Gozalan; Taspinar, Mehmet

    2016-01-01

    Problem Statement: The current study investigates whether the learning environment designed based on the laboratory control system affects the academic achievement, the attitude toward the learning-teaching process and the retention of the students in computer education. Purpose of Study: The study aims to identify the laboratory control system…

  1. Teaching and Learning in the Mixed-Reality Science Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tolentino, Lisa; Birchfield, David; Megowan-Romanowicz, Colleen; Johnson-Glenberg, Mina C.; Kelliher, Aisling; Martinez, Christopher

    2009-01-01

    As emerging technologies become increasingly inexpensive and robust, there is an exciting opportunity to move beyond general purpose computing platforms to realize a new generation of K-12 technology-based learning environments. Mixed-reality technologies integrate real world components with interactive digital media to offer new potential to…

  2. A Group Intelligence-Based Asynchronous Argumentation Learning-Assistance Platform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Chenn-Jung; Chang, Shun-Chih; Chen, Heng-Ming; Tseng, Jhe-Hao; Chien, Sheng-Yuan

    2016-01-01

    Structured argumentation support environments have been built and used in scientific discourse in the literature. However, to the best our knowledge, there is no research work in the literature examining whether student's knowledge has grown during learning activities with asynchronous argumentation. In this work, an intelligent computer-supported…

  3. Promoting Critical, Elaborative Discussions through a Collaboration Script and Argument Diagrams

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scheuer, Oliver; McLaren, Bruce M.; Weinberger, Armin; Niebuhr, Sabine

    2014-01-01

    During the past two decades a variety of approaches to support argumentation learning in computer-based learning environments have been investigated. We present an approach that combines argumentation diagramming and collaboration scripts, two methods successfully used in the past individually. The rationale for combining the methods is to…

  4. Individualized Teaching and Autonomous Learning: Developing EFL Learners' CLA in a Web-Based Language Skills Training System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lu, Zhihong; Wen, Fuan; Li, Ping

    2012-01-01

    Teaching listening and speaking in English in China has been given top priority on the post-secondary level. This has lead to the question of how learners develop communicative language ability (CLA) effectively in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) environments. The authors demonstrate a self-developed language skill learning system with…

  5. The New Learning Ecology of One-to-One Computing Environments: Preparing Teachers for Shifting Dynamics and Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spires, Hiller A.; Oliver, Kevin; Corn, Jenifer

    2012-01-01

    Despite growing research and evaluation results on one-to-one computing environments, how these environments affect learning in schools remains underexamined. The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to use a theoretical lens, namely a new learning ecology, to frame the dynamic changes as well as challenges that are introduced by a one-to-one…

  6. Exploring Quadrilaterals in a Small Group Computing Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lai, Kevin; White, Tobin

    2012-01-01

    Though cooperative learning has been a topic of considerable interest in educational research, there has been little study specific to learning in the mathematics content area of geometry. This paper seeks to address that gap through a design experiment featuring a novel small-group computing environment for supporting student learning about…

  7. Testing the effectiveness of problem-based learning with learning-disabled students in biology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guerrera, Claudia Patrizia

    The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of problem-based learning (PBL) with learning-disabled (LD) students. Twenty-four students (12 dyads) classified as LD and attending a school for the learning-disabled participated in the study. Students engaged in either a computer-based environment involving BioWorld, a hospital simulation designed to teach biology students problem-solving skills, or a paper-and-pencil version based on the computer program. A hybrid model of learning was adopted whereby students were provided with direct instruction on the digestive system prior to participating in a problem-solving activity. Students worked in dyads and solved three problems involving the digestive system in either a computerized or a paper-and-pencil condition. The experimenter acted as a coach to assist students throughout the problem-solving process. A follow-up study was conducted, one month later, to measure the long-term learning gains. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze three types of data: process data, outcome data, and follow-up data. Results from the process data showed that all students engaged in effective collaboration and became more systematic in their problem solving over time. Findings from the outcome and follow-up data showed that students in both treatment conditions, made both learning and motivational gains and that these benefits were still evident one month later. Overall, results demonstrated that the computer facilitated students' problem solving and scientific reasoning skills. Some differences were noted in students' collaboration and the amount of assistance required from the coach in both conditions. Thus, PBL is an effective learning approach with LD students in science, regardless of the type of learning environment. These results have implications for teaching science to LD students, as well as for future designs of educational software for this population.

  8. Implementing and Assessing Computational Modeling in Introductory Mechanics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caballero, Marcos D.; Kohlmyer, Matthew A.; Schatz, Michael F.

    2012-01-01

    Students taking introductory physics are rarely exposed to computational modeling. In a one-semester large lecture introductory calculus-based mechanics course at Georgia Tech, students learned to solve physics problems using the VPython programming environment. During the term, 1357 students in this course solved a suite of 14 computational…

  9. Computer-Assisted Instruction to Avert Teen Pregnancy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Starn, Jane Ryburn; Paperny, David M.

    Teenage pregnancy has become a major public health problem in the United States. A study was conducted to assess an intervention based upon computer-assisted instruction (CAI) to avert teenage pregnancy. Social learning and decision theory were applied to mediate the adolescent environment through CAI so that adolescent development would be…

  10. Interpersonal Presence in Computer-Mediated Conferencing Courses.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herod, L.

    Interpersonal presence refers to the cues individuals use to form impressions of one another and form/maintain relationships. The physical cues used to convey interpersonal presence in face-to-face learning environments are absent in text-based computer-mediated conferencing (CMC) courses. Learners' perceptions of interpersonal presence in CMC…

  11. Computer Programming Games and Gender Oriented Cultural Forms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    AlSulaiman, Sarah Abdulmalik

    I present the design and evaluation of two games designed to help elementary and middle school students learn computer programming concepts. The first game was designed to be "gender neutral", aligning with might be described as a consensus opinion on best practices for computational learning environments. The second game, based on the cultural form of dress up dolls was deliberately designed to appeal to females. I recruited 70 participants in an international two-phase study to investigate the relationship between games, gender, attitudes towards computer programming, and learning. My findings suggest that while the two games were equally effective in terms of learning outcomes, I saw differences in motivation between players of the two games. Specifically, participants who reported a preference for female- oriented games were more motivated to learn about computer programming when they played a game that they perceived as designed for females. In addition, I describe how the two games seemed to encourage different types of social activity between players in a classroom setting. Based on these results, I reflect on the strategy of exclusively designing games and activities as "gender neutral", and suggest that employing cultural forms, including gendered ones, may help create a more productive experience for learners.

  12. Comparison of Expert-Based and Empirical Evaluation Methodologies in the Case of a CBL Environment: The ''Orestis'' Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karoulis, Athanasis; Demetriadis, Stavros; Pombortsis, Andreas

    2006-01-01

    This paper compares several interface evaluation methods applied in the case of a computer based learning (CBL) environment, during a longitudinal study performed in three European countries, Greece, Germany, and Holland, and within the framework of an EC funded Leonardo da Vinci program. The paper firstly considers the particularities of the CBL…

  13. The Use of Engineering Design Concept for Computer Programming Course: A Model of Blended Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tritrakan, Kasame; Kidrakarn, Pachoen; Asanok, Manit

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this research is to develop a learning model which blends factors from learning environment and engineering design concept for learning in computer programming course. The usage of the model was also analyzed. This study presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of the model. The research methodology is divided into three…

  14. Attitudes toward Web-based distance learning among public health nurses in Taiwan: a questionnaire survey.

    PubMed

    Yu, Shu; Yang, Kuei-Feng

    2006-08-01

    Public health nurses (PHNs) often cannot receive in-service education due to limitations of time and space. Learning through the Internet has been a widely used technique in many professional and clinical nursing fields. The learner's attitude is the most important indicator that promotes learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate PHNs' attitude toward web-based learning and its determinants. This study conducted a cross-sectional research design. 369 health centers in Taiwan. The population involved this study was 2398 PHNs, and we used random sampling from this population. Finally, 329 PHNs completed the questionnaire, with a response rate of 84.0%. Data were collected by mailing the questionnaire. Most PHNs revealed a positive attitude toward web-based learning (mean+/-SD=55.02+/-6.39). PHNs who worked at village health centers, a service population less than 10,000, PHNs who had access to computer facility and on-line hardware in health centers and with better computer competence revealed more positive attitudes (p<0.01). Web-based learning is an important new way of in-service education; however, its success and hindering factors require further investigation. Individual computer competence is the main target for improvement, and educators should also consider how to establish a user-friendly learning environment on the Internet.

  15. Integration of advanced technologies to enhance problem-based learning over distance: Project TOUCH.

    PubMed

    Jacobs, Joshua; Caudell, Thomas; Wilks, David; Keep, Marcus F; Mitchell, Steven; Buchanan, Holly; Saland, Linda; Rosenheimer, Julie; Lozanoff, Beth K; Lozanoff, Scott; Saiki, Stanley; Alverson, Dale

    2003-01-01

    Distance education delivery has increased dramatically in recent years as a result of the rapid advancement of communication technology. The National Computational Science Alliance's Access Grid represents a significant advancement in communication technology with potential for distance medical education. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the TOUCH project (Telehealth Outreach for Unified Community Health; http://hsc.unm.edu/touch) with special emphasis on the process of problem-based learning case development for distribution over the Access Grid. The objective of the TOUCH project is to use emerging Internet-based technology to overcome geographic barriers for delivery of tutorial sessions to medical students pursuing rotations at remote sites. The TOUCH project also is aimed at developing a patient simulation engine and an immersive virtual reality environment to achieve a realistic health care scenario enhancing the learning experience. A traumatic head injury case is developed and distributed over the Access Grid as a demonstration of the TOUCH system. Project TOUCH serves as an example of a computer-based learning system for developing and implementing problem-based learning cases within the medical curriculum, but this system should be easily applied to other educational environments and disciplines involving functional and clinical anatomy. Future phases will explore PC versions of the TOUCH cases for increased distribution. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  16. A Development of Game-Based Learning Environment to Activate Interaction among Learners

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takaoka, Ryo; Shimokawa, Masayuki; Okamoto, Toshio

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

  17. ICCE/ICCAI 2000 Full & Short Papers (Computer-Assisted Language Learning).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    2000

    This document contains the following full and short papers on computer-assisted language learning (CALL) from ICCE/ICCAI 2000 (International Conference on Computers in Education/International Conference on Computer-Assisted Instruction): (1) "A Computer-Assisted English Abstract Words Learning Environment on the Web" (Wenli Tsou and…

  18. Visual Perspectives within Educational Computer Games: Effects on Presence and Flow within Virtual Immersive Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scoresby, Jon; Shelton, Brett E.

    2011-01-01

    The mis-categorizing of cognitive states involved in learning within virtual environments has complicated instructional technology research. Further, most educational computer game research does not account for how learning activity is influenced by factors of game content and differences in viewing perspectives. This study is a qualitative…

  19. Coordinating Formal and Informal Aspects of Mathematics in a Computer Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skouras, A. S.

    2006-01-01

    The introduction of educational technology to school classes promises--through the students' active engagement with mathematical concepts--the creation of teaching and learning opportunities in mathematics. However, the way technological tools are used in the teaching practice as a means of human thought and action remains an unsettled matter as…

  20. Modeling Peer Assessment as Agent Negotiation in a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lai, K. Robert; Lan, Chung Hsien

    2006-01-01

    This work presents a novel method for modeling collaborative learning as multi-issue agent negotiation using fuzzy constraints. Agent negotiation is an iterative process, through which, the proposed method aggregates student marks to reduce personal bias. In the framework, students define individual fuzzy membership functions based on their…

  1. The Effect of Formative Assessments on Language Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Radford, Brian W.

    2014-01-01

    This study sought to improve the language learning outcomes at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. Young men and women between the ages of 19-24 are taught a foreign language in an accelerated environment. In an effort to improve learning outcomes, computer-based practice and teaching of language performance criteria were provided to…

  2. Reading Authentic EFL Text Using Visualization and Advance Organizers in a Multimedia Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Huifen; Chen, Tsuiping

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this experimental study was to compare the effects of different types of computer-generated visuals (static versus animated) and advance organizers (descriptive versus question) in enhancing comprehension and retention of a content-based lesson for learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Additionally, the study investigated…

  3. Activity Theory and Technology Mediated Interaction: Cognitive Scaffolding Using Question-Based Consultation on "Facebook"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rambe, Patient

    2012-01-01

    Studies that employed activity theory as a theoretical lens for exploring computer-mediated interaction have not adopted social media as their object of study. However, social media provides lecturers with personalised learning environments for diagnostic and prognostic assessments of student mastery of content and deep learning. The integration…

  4. The Effects of Pedagogical Agents on Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wei, Quan

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the mathematics anxiety treatment messages in a computer-based environment on ninth-grade students' mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. The study also examined whether the impact of the treatment messages would be differentiated by learner's gender and by learner's prior…

  5. Applying Technology to Inquiry-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Feng; Kinzie, Mable B.; McGuire, Patrick; Pan, Edward

    2009-01-01

    Children naturally explore and learn about their environments through inquiry, and computer technologies offer an accessible vehicle for extending the domain and range of this inquiry. Over the past decade, a growing number of interactive games and educational software packages have been implemented in early childhood education and addressed a…

  6. Effects of Thinking Style on Design Strategies: Using Bridge Construction Simulation Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Chuen-Tsai; Wang, Dai-Yi; Chang, Yu-Yeh

    2013-01-01

    Computer simulation users can freely control operational factors and simulation results, repeat processes, make changes, and learn from simulation environment feedback. The focus of this paper is on simulation-based design tools and their effects on student learning processes in a group of 101 Taiwanese senior high school students. Participants…

  7. Success, Failure and Emotions: Examining the Relationship between Performance Feedback and Emotions in Diagnostic Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jarrell, Amanda; Harley, Jason M.; Lajoie, Susanne; Naismith, Laura

    2017-01-01

    Students experience a variety of emotions following achievement outcomes which stand to influence how they learn and perform in academic settings. However, little is known about the link between student outcome emotions and dimensions of performance feedback in computer-based learning environments (CBLEs). Understanding the dynamics of this…

  8. Designing a Web-Based Multimedia Learning Environment with Laurillard's Conversational Framework: An Investigation on Instructional Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neo, Mai; Neo, Ken Tse-Kian; Lim, Sally Thian-Li

    2013-01-01

    Classrooms today have received a significant overhaul with the inclusion of ICT and new learning pedagogies. Advancements in computing and multimedia technologies in education have resulted in an emerging breed of technologically proficient learners. Today's students are "digital natives" and very influenced by current digital…

  9. The Role of Agent Age and Gender for Middle-Grade Girls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Yanghee

    2016-01-01

    Compared to boys, many girls are more aware of a social context in the learning process and perform better when the environment supports frequent interactions and social relationships. For these girls, embodied agents (animated on-screen characters acting as tutors) could afford simulated social interactions in computer-based learning and thereby…

  10. A Virtual Learning Environment for Part-Time MASW Students: An Evaluation of the WebCT

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Charles C.; Tsui, Ming-sum; Chan, Mandy Y. C.; Hong, Joe H.

    2008-01-01

    This study aims to evaluate the perception of a cohort of social workers studying for a part-time master's program in social work in using the popular Web-based learning platform--World Wide Web Course Tools (WebCT) as a complimentary method of teaching and learning. It was noted that social work profession began incorporating computer technology…

  11. The evolution of continuous learning of the structure of the environment

    PubMed Central

    Kolodny, Oren; Edelman, Shimon; Lotem, Arnon

    2014-01-01

    Continuous, ‘always on’, learning of structure from a stream of data is studied mainly in the fields of machine learning or language acquisition, but its evolutionary roots may go back to the first organisms that were internally motivated to learn and represent their environment. Here, we study under what conditions such continuous learning (CL) may be more adaptive than simple reinforcement learning and examine how it could have evolved from the same basic associative elements. We use agent-based computer simulations to compare three learning strategies: simple reinforcement learning; reinforcement learning with chaining (RL-chain) and CL that applies the same associative mechanisms used by the other strategies, but also seeks statistical regularities in the relations among all items in the environment, regardless of the initial association with food. We show that a sufficiently structured environment favours the evolution of both RL-chain and CL and that CL outperforms the other strategies when food is relatively rare and the time for learning is limited. This advantage of internally motivated CL stems from its ability to capture statistical patterns in the environment even before they are associated with food, at which point they immediately become useful for planning. PMID:24402920

  12. A Road to Understanding: A Qualitative Study into Why Learners Drop out of a Blended Language Learning (BLL) Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stracke, Elke

    2007-01-01

    This paper addresses the views of students of blended language learning (BLL)--a particular learning and teaching environment, that combines face-to-face (f2f) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL). In this instance, the "blend" consisted of learners' independent self-study phases at a computer, with a CD-ROM, and traditional f2f…

  13. Interaction with Machine Improvisation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Assayag, Gerard; Bloch, George; Cont, Arshia; Dubnov, Shlomo

    We describe two multi-agent architectures for an improvisation oriented musician-machine interaction systems that learn in real time from human performers. The improvisation kernel is based on sequence modeling and statistical learning. We present two frameworks of interaction with this kernel. In the first, the stylistic interaction is guided by a human operator in front of an interactive computer environment. In the second framework, the stylistic interaction is delegated to machine intelligence and therefore, knowledge propagation and decision are taken care of by the computer alone. The first framework involves a hybrid architecture using two popular composition/performance environments, Max and OpenMusic, that are put to work and communicate together, each one handling the process at a different time/memory scale. The second framework shares the same representational schemes with the first but uses an Active Learning architecture based on collaborative, competitive and memory-based learning to handle stylistic interactions. Both systems are capable of processing real-time audio/video as well as MIDI. After discussing the general cognitive background of improvisation practices, the statistical modelling tools and the concurrent agent architecture are presented. Then, an Active Learning scheme is described and considered in terms of using different improvisation regimes for improvisation planning. Finally, we provide more details about the different system implementations and describe several performances with the system.

  14. On-line integration of computer controlled diagnostic devices and medical information systems in undergraduate medical physics education for physicians.

    PubMed

    Hanus, Josef; Nosek, Tomas; Zahora, Jiri; Bezrouk, Ales; Masin, Vladimir

    2013-01-01

    We designed and evaluated an innovative computer-aided-learning environment based on the on-line integration of computer controlled medical diagnostic devices and a medical information system for use in the preclinical medical physics education of medical students. Our learning system simulates the actual clinical environment in a hospital or primary care unit. It uses a commercial medical information system for on-line storage and processing of clinical type data acquired during physics laboratory classes. Every student adopts two roles, the role of 'patient' and the role of 'physician'. As a 'physician' the student operates the medical devices to clinically assess 'patient' colleagues and records all results in an electronic 'patient' record. We also introduced an innovative approach to the use of supportive education materials, based on the methods of adaptive e-learning. A survey of student feedback is included and statistically evaluated. The results from the student feedback confirm the positive response of the latter to this novel implementation of medical physics and informatics in preclinical education. This approach not only significantly improves learning of medical physics and informatics skills but has the added advantage that it facilitates students' transition from preclinical to clinical subjects. Copyright © 2011 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. A Study of the Use of Ontologies for Building Computer-Aided Control Engineering Self-Learning Educational Software

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    García, Isaías; Benavides, Carmen; Alaiz, Héctor; Alonso, Angel

    2013-08-01

    This paper describes research on the use of knowledge models (ontologies) for building computer-aided educational software in the field of control engineering. Ontologies are able to represent in the computer a very rich conceptual model of a given domain. This model can be used later for a number of purposes in different software applications. In this study, domain ontology about the field of lead-lag compensator design has been built and used for automatic exercise generation, graphical user interface population and interaction with the user at any level of detail, including explanations about why things occur. An application called Onto-CELE (ontology-based control engineering learning environment) uses the ontology for implementing a learning environment that can be used for self and lifelong learning purposes. The experience has shown that the use of knowledge models as the basis for educational software applications is capable of showing students the whole complexity of the analysis and design processes at any level of detail. A practical experience with postgraduate students has shown the mentioned benefits and possibilities of the approach.

  16. From Virtual Environments to Physical Environments: Exploring Interactivity in Ubiquitous-Learning Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peng, Hsinyi; Chou, Chien; Chang, Chun-Yu

    2008-01-01

    Computing devices and applications are now used beyond the desktop, in diverse environments, and this trend toward ubiquitous computing is evolving. In this study, we re-visit the interactivity concept and its applications for interactive function design in a ubiquitous-learning system (ULS). Further, we compare interactivity dimensions and…

  17. Mathematical Language Development and Talk Types in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Symons, Duncan; Pierce, Robyn

    2015-01-01

    In this study we examine the use of cumulative and exploratory talk types in a year 5 computer supported collaborative learning environment. The focus for students in this environment was to participate in mathematical problem solving, with the intention of developing the proficiencies of problem solving and reasoning. Findings suggest that…

  18. The "proactive" model of learning: Integrative framework for model-free and model-based reinforcement learning utilizing the associative learning-based proactive brain concept.

    PubMed

    Zsuga, Judit; Biro, Klara; Papp, Csaba; Tajti, Gabor; Gesztelyi, Rudolf

    2016-02-01

    Reinforcement learning (RL) is a powerful concept underlying forms of associative learning governed by the use of a scalar reward signal, with learning taking place if expectations are violated. RL may be assessed using model-based and model-free approaches. Model-based reinforcement learning involves the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). The model-free system involves the pedunculopontine-tegmental nucleus (PPTgN), the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the ventral striatum (VS). Based on the functional connectivity of VS, model-free and model based RL systems center on the VS that by integrating model-free signals (received as reward prediction error) and model-based reward related input computes value. Using the concept of reinforcement learning agent we propose that the VS serves as the value function component of the RL agent. Regarding the model utilized for model-based computations we turned to the proactive brain concept, which offers an ubiquitous function for the default network based on its great functional overlap with contextual associative areas. Hence, by means of the default network the brain continuously organizes its environment into context frames enabling the formulation of analogy-based association that are turned into predictions of what to expect. The OFC integrates reward-related information into context frames upon computing reward expectation by compiling stimulus-reward and context-reward information offered by the amygdala and hippocampus, respectively. Furthermore we suggest that the integration of model-based expectations regarding reward into the value signal is further supported by the efferent of the OFC that reach structures canonical for model-free learning (e.g., the PPTgN, VTA, and VS). (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. COMETT-CALLIOPE: The Implementation of Call Materials for Business and Industrial Purposes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Elsen, Edwig; And Others

    The development of a Computer Assisted Language Learning for Information Organization and Production in Europe (CALLIOPE) program is discussed. CALLIOPE is a program launched by the European Community that is intended to provide computer-based foreign language instruction for the business and industrial environment. Program goals are two-fold: (1)…

  20. Effect of Worked Examples on Mental Model Progression in a Computer-Based Simulation Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Darabi, Aubteen; Nelson, David W.; Meeker, Richard; Liang, Xinya; Boulware, Wilma

    2010-01-01

    In a diagnostic problem solving operation of a computer-simulated chemical plant, chemical engineering students were randomly assigned to two groups: one studying product-oriented worked examples, the other practicing conventional problem solving. Effects of these instructional strategies on the progression of learners' mental models were examined…

  1. The Impact of Computer-Mediated Communication Environments on Foreign Language Learning: A Review of the Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mahdi, Hassan Saleh

    2014-01-01

    This article reviews the literature on the implementation of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in language learning, aiming at understanding how CMC environments have been implemented to foster language learning. The paper draws on 40 recent research articles selected from 10 peer-reviewed journals, 2 book chapters and one conference…

  2. Detecting and Understanding the Impact of Cognitive and Interpersonal Conflict in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prata, David Nadler; Baker, Ryan S. J. d.; Costa, Evandro d. B.; Rose, Carolyn P.; Cui, Yue; de Carvalho, Adriana M. J. B.

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a model which can automatically detect a variety of student speech acts as students collaborate within a computer supported collaborative learning environment. In addition, an analysis is presented which gives substantial insight as to how students' learning is associated with students' speech acts, knowledge that will…

  3. Using E-Learning and ICT Courses in Educational Environment: A Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salehi, Hadi; Shojaee, Mohammad; Sattar, Susan

    2015-01-01

    With the quick emergence of computers and related technology, Electronic-learning (E-learning) and Information Communication and Technology (ICT) have been extensively utilized in the education and training field. Miscellaneous methods of integrating computer technology and the context in which computers are used have affected student learning in…

  4. Exploring the Effects of the Computational Experiment Approach to the Epistemic Beliefs, the Motivation, the Use of Modeling Indicators and Conceptual Understanding in Three Different Computational Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Psycharis, Sarantos

    2013-01-01

    Contemporary teaching and learning approaches expect students--at any level of education--to be active producers of knowledge. This leads to the need for creation of instructional strategies, learning environments and tasks that can offer students opportunities for active learning. Research argues that one of the most meaningful and engaging forms…

  5. Computers in medical education 2. Use of a computer package to supplement the clinical experience in a surgical clerkship: an objective evaluation.

    PubMed

    Devitt, P; Cehic, D; Palmer, E

    1998-06-01

    Student teaching of surgery has been devolved from the university in an effort to increase and broaden undergraduate clinical experience. In order to ensure uniformity of learning we have defined learning objectives and provided a computer-based package to supplement clinical teaching. A study was undertaken to evaluate the place of computer-based learning in a clinical environment. Twelve modules were provided for study during a 6-week attachment. These covered clinical problems related to cardiology, neurosurgery and gastrointestinal haemorrhage. Eighty-four fourth-year students undertook a pre- and post-test assessment on these three topics as well as acute abdominal pain. No extra learning material on the latter topic was provided during the attachment. While all students showed significant improvement in performance in the post-test assessment, those who had access to the computer material performed significantly better than did the controls. Within the topics, students in both groups performed equally well on the post-test assessment of acute abdominal pain but the control group's performance was significantly lacking on the topic of gastrointestinal haemorrhage, suggesting that the bulk of learning on this subject came from the computer material and little from the clinical attachment. This type of learning resource can be used to supplement the student's clinical experience and at the same time monitor what they learn during clinical clerkships and identify areas of weakness.

  6. Making Visible the Behaviors that Influence Learning Environment: A Qualitative Exploration of Computer Science Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barker, Lecia J.; Garvin-Doxas, Kathy

    2004-01-01

    The authors conducted ethnographic research to provide deep understanding of the learning environment of a selection of computer science classrooms at a large, research university in the United States. Categories emerging from data analysis included (1) impersonal environment and guarded behavior; and (2) the creation and maintenance of informal…

  7. Redesigning Instruction through Web-based Course Authoring Tools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dabbagh, Nada H.; Schmitt, Jeff

    1998-01-01

    Examines the pedagogical implications of redesigning instruction for Web-based delivery through a case study of an undergraduate computer science course. Initially designed for a traditional learning environment, this course transformed to a Web-based course using WebCT, a Web-based course authoring tool. Discusses the specific features of WebCT.…

  8. Habituation based synaptic plasticity and organismic learning in a quantum perovskite.

    PubMed

    Zuo, Fan; Panda, Priyadarshini; Kotiuga, Michele; Li, Jiarui; Kang, Mingu; Mazzoli, Claudio; Zhou, Hua; Barbour, Andi; Wilkins, Stuart; Narayanan, Badri; Cherukara, Mathew; Zhang, Zhen; Sankaranarayanan, Subramanian K R S; Comin, Riccardo; Rabe, Karin M; Roy, Kaushik; Ramanathan, Shriram

    2017-08-14

    A central characteristic of living beings is the ability to learn from and respond to their environment leading to habit formation and decision making. This behavior, known as habituation, is universal among all forms of life with a central nervous system, and is also observed in single-cell organisms that do not possess a brain. Here, we report the discovery of habituation-based plasticity utilizing a perovskite quantum system by dynamical modulation of electron localization. Microscopic mechanisms and pathways that enable this organismic collective charge-lattice interaction are elucidated by first-principles theory, synchrotron investigations, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and in situ environmental breathing studies. We implement a learning algorithm inspired by the conductance relaxation behavior of perovskites that naturally incorporates habituation, and demonstrate learning to forget: a key feature of animal and human brains. Incorporating this elementary skill in learning boosts the capability of neural computing in a sequential, dynamic environment.Habituation is a learning mechanism that enables control over forgetting and learning. Zuo, Panda et al., demonstrate adaptive synaptic plasticity in SmNiO 3 perovskites to address catastrophic forgetting in a dynamic learning environment via hydrogen-induced electron localization.

  9. The Application of Modeling and Simulation to the Behavioral Deficit of Autism

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anton, John J.

    2010-01-01

    This abstract describes a research effort to apply technological advances in virtual reality simulation and computer-based games to create behavioral modification programs for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The research investigates virtual social skills training within a 3D game environment to diminish the impact of ASD social impairments and to increase learning capacity for optimal intellectual capability. Individuals with autism will encounter prototypical social contexts via computer interface and will interact with 3D avatars with predefined roles within a game-like environment. Incremental learning objectives will combine to form a collaborative social environment. A secondary goal of the effort is to begin the research and development of virtual reality exercises aimed at triggering the release of neurotransmitters to promote critical aspects of synaptic maturation at an early age to change the course of the disease.

  10. Law of Large Numbers: The Theory, Applications and Technology-Based Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dinov, Ivo D.; Christou, Nicolas; Gould, Robert

    2009-01-01

    Modern approaches for technology-based blended education utilize a variety of recently developed novel pedagogical, computational and network resources. Such attempts employ technology to deliver integrated, dynamically-linked, interactive-content and heterogeneous learning environments, which may improve student comprehension and information…

  11. Metacognitive Support Promotes an Effective Use of Instructional Resources in Intelligent Tutoring

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwonke, Rolf; Ertelt, Anna; Otieno, Christine; Renkl, Alexander; Aleven, Vincent; Salden, Ron J. C. M.

    2013-01-01

    We tested whether the provision of metacognitive knowledge on how to cope with the complexity of a learning environment improved learning. In an experimental setting, high-school students (N = 60) worked through a computer-based geometry lesson either with or without metacognitive support in the form of a cue card. This cue card encouraged…

  12. Evaluation of the Development of Metacognitive Knowledge Supported by the KnowCat System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pifarre, Manoli; Cobos, Ruth

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the development of the metacognitive knowledge of a group of higher education students who participated actively in an experiment based on a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning environment called KnowCat. Eighteen university students participated in a 12-month learning project during which the KnowCat…

  13. Using Virtual Worlds to Identify Multidimensional Student Engagement in High School Foreign Language Learning Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacob, Laura Beth

    2012-01-01

    Virtual world environments have evolved from object-oriented, text-based online games to complex three-dimensional immersive social spaces where the lines between reality and computer-generated begin to blur. Educators use virtual worlds to create engaging three-dimensional learning spaces for students, but the impact of virtual worlds in…

  14. Supporting Concrete Visual Thinking in Multiplicative Reasoning: Difficulties and Opportunities. Technical Report 88-16.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaput, James J.

    The Educational Technology Center has attempted to develop a series of computer based learning environments to support the learning and application of multiplicative reasoning. The work and software described in this paper, including the teaching experiment that generated the error phenomena examined, is part of a larger ongoing research project.…

  15. Assessing the Roles of Student Engagement and Academic Emotions within Middle School Computer- Based Learning in College-Going Pathways

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    San Pedro, Maria Ofelia Z.

    2015-01-01

    This dissertation research focuses on assessing student behavior, academic emotions, and knowledge from a middle school online learning environment, and analyzing their potential effects on decisions about going to college. Using students' longitudinal data ranging from their middle school, to high school, to postsecondary years, I leverage…

  16. Using Web-Based Tools for Teaching Embryology

    EPA Science Inventory

    Computers, imaging technologies, and the worldwide web have assumed an important role in augmenting traditional learning. Resources to disseminate multimedia information across platforms, and the emergence of communal knowledge environments, facilitate the visualization of diffi...

  17. How copying affects the amount, evenness and persistence of cultural knowledge: insights from the social learning strategies tournament

    PubMed Central

    Rendell, L.; Boyd, R.; Enquist, M.; Feldman, M. W.; Fogarty, L.; Laland, K. N.

    2011-01-01

    Darwinian processes should favour those individuals that deploy the most effective strategies for acquiring information about their environment. We organized a computer-based tournament to investigate which learning strategies would perform well in a changing environment. The most successful strategies relied almost exclusively on social learning (here, learning a behaviour performed by another individual) rather than asocial learning, even when environments were changing rapidly; moreover, successful strategies focused learning effort on periods of environmental change. Here, we use data from tournament simulations to examine how these strategies might affect cultural evolution, as reflected in the amount of culture (i.e. number of cultural traits) in the population, the distribution of cultural traits across individuals, and their persistence through time. We found that high levels of social learning are associated with a larger amount of more persistent knowledge, but a smaller amount of less persistent expressed behaviour, as well as more uneven distributions of behaviour, as individuals concentrated on exploiting a smaller subset of behaviour patterns. Increased rates of environmental change generated increases in the amount and evenness of behaviour. These observations suggest that copying confers on cultural populations an adaptive plasticity, allowing them to respond to changing environments rapidly by drawing on a wider knowledge base. PMID:21357234

  18. How copying affects the amount, evenness and persistence of cultural knowledge: insights from the social learning strategies tournament.

    PubMed

    Rendell, L; Boyd, R; Enquist, M; Feldman, M W; Fogarty, L; Laland, K N

    2011-04-12

    Darwinian processes should favour those individuals that deploy the most effective strategies for acquiring information about their environment. We organized a computer-based tournament to investigate which learning strategies would perform well in a changing environment. The most successful strategies relied almost exclusively on social learning (here, learning a behaviour performed by another individual) rather than asocial learning, even when environments were changing rapidly; moreover, successful strategies focused learning effort on periods of environmental change. Here, we use data from tournament simulations to examine how these strategies might affect cultural evolution, as reflected in the amount of culture (i.e. number of cultural traits) in the population, the distribution of cultural traits across individuals, and their persistence through time. We found that high levels of social learning are associated with a larger amount of more persistent knowledge, but a smaller amount of less persistent expressed behaviour, as well as more uneven distributions of behaviour, as individuals concentrated on exploiting a smaller subset of behaviour patterns. Increased rates of environmental change generated increases in the amount and evenness of behaviour. These observations suggest that copying confers on cultural populations an adaptive plasticity, allowing them to respond to changing environments rapidly by drawing on a wider knowledge base.

  19. Why Virtual, Why Environments? Implementing Virtual Reality Concepts in Computer-Assisted Language Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwienhorst, Klaus

    2002-01-01

    Discussion of computer-assisted language learning focuses on the benefits of virtual reality environments, particularly for foreign language contexts. Topics include three approaches to learner autonomy; supporting reflection, including self-awareness; supporting interaction, including collaboration; and supporting experimentation, including…

  20. On Mediation in Virtual Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davies, Larry; Hassan, W. Shukry

    2001-01-01

    Discusses concepts of mediation and focuses on the importance of implementing comprehensive virtual learning environments. Topics include education and technology as they relate to cultural change, social institutions, the Internet and computer-mediated communication, software design and human-computer interaction, the use of MOOs, and language.…

  1. Self-Regulated Learning in Technology Enhanced Learning Environments: An Investigation with University Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lenne, Dominique; Abel, Marie-Helene; Trigano, Philippe; Leblanc, Adeline

    2008-01-01

    In Technology Enhanced Learning Environments, self-regulated learning (SRL) partly relies on the features of the technological tools. The authors present two environments they designed in order to facilitate SRL: the first one (e-Dalgo) is a website dedicated to the learning of algorithms and computer programming. It is structured as a classical…

  2. With you or against you: social orientation dependent learning signals guide actions made for others.

    PubMed

    Christopoulos, George I; King-Casas, Brooks

    2015-01-01

    In social environments, it is crucial that decision-makers take account of the impact of their actions not only for oneself, but also on other social agents. Previous work has identified neural signals in the striatum encoding value-based prediction errors for outcomes to oneself; also, recent work suggests that neural activity in prefrontal cortex may similarly encode value-based prediction errors related to outcomes to others. However, prior work also indicates that social valuations are not isomorphic, with social value orientations of decision-makers ranging on a cooperative to competitive continuum; this variation has not been examined within social learning environments. Here, we combine a computational model of learning with functional neuroimaging to examine how individual differences in orientation impact neural mechanisms underlying 'other-value' learning. Across four experimental conditions, reinforcement learning signals for other-value were identified in medial prefrontal cortex, and were distinct from self-value learning signals identified in striatum. Critically, the magnitude and direction of the other-value learning signal depended strongly on an individual's cooperative or competitive orientation toward others. These data indicate that social decisions are guided by a social orientation-dependent learning system that is computationally similar but anatomically distinct from self-value learning. The sensitivity of the medial prefrontal learning signal to social preferences suggests a mechanism linking such preferences to biases in social actions and highlights the importance of incorporating heterogeneous social predispositions in neurocomputational models of social behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  3. With you or against you: Social orientation dependent learning signals guide actions made for others

    PubMed Central

    Christopoulos, George I.; King-Casas, Brooks

    2014-01-01

    In social environments, it is crucial that decision-makers take account of the impact of their actions not only for oneself, but also on other social agents. Previous work has identified neural signals in the striatum encoding value-based prediction errors for outcomes to oneself; also, recent work suggests neural activity in prefrontal cortex may similarly encode value-based prediction errors related to outcomes to others. However, prior work also indicates that social valuations are not isomorphic, with social value orientations of decision-makers ranging on a cooperative to competitive continuum; this variation has not been examined within social learning environments. Here, we combine a computational model of learning with functional neuroimaging to examine how individual differences in orientation impact neural mechanisms underlying ‘other-value’ learning. Across four experimental conditions, reinforcement learning signals for other-value were identified in medial prefrontal cortex, and were distinct from self-value learning signals identified in striatum. Critically, the magnitude and direction of the other-value learning signal depended strongly on an individual’s cooperative or competitive orientation towards others. These data indicate that social decisions are guided by a social orientation-dependent learning system that is computationally similar but anatomically distinct from self-value learning. The sensitivity of the medial prefrontal learning signal to social preferences suggests a mechanism linking such preferences to biases in social actions and highlights the importance of incorporating heterogeneous social predispositions in neurocomputational models of social behavior. PMID:25224998

  4. Successful Implementation of a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning System in Teaching E-Commerce

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ngai, E. W. T.; Lam, S. S.; Poon, J. K. L.

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes the successful application of a computer-supported collaborative learning system in teaching e-commerce. The authors created a teaching and learning environment for 39 local secondary schools to introduce e-commerce using a computer-supported collaborative learning system. This system is designed to equip students with…

  5. Computer-Assisted Language Learning: Diversity in Research and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stockwell, Glenn, Ed.

    2012-01-01

    Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is an approach to teaching and learning languages that uses computers and other technologies to present, reinforce, and assess material to be learned, or to create environments where teachers and learners can interact with one another and the outside world. This book provides a much-needed overview of the…

  6. Effect of reinforcement learning on coordination of multiangent systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bukkapatnam, Satish T. S.; Gao, Greg

    2000-12-01

    For effective coordination of distributed environments involving multiagent systems, learning ability of each agent in the environment plays a crucial role. In this paper, we develop a simple group learning method based on reinforcement, and study its effect on coordination through application to a supply chain procurement scenario involving a computer manufacturer. Here, all parties are represented by self-interested, autonomous agents, each capable of performing specific simple tasks. They negotiate with each other to perform complex tasks and thus coordinate supply chain procurement. Reinforcement learning is intended to enable each agent to reach a best negotiable price within a shortest possible time. Our simulations of the application scenario under different learning strategies reveals the positive effects of reinforcement learning on an agent's as well as the system's performance.

  7. The Use of a Relational Database in Qualitative Research on Educational Computing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winer, Laura R.; Carriere, Mario

    1990-01-01

    Discusses the use of a relational database as a data management and analysis tool for nonexperimental qualitative research, and describes the use of the Reflex Plus database in the Vitrine 2001 project in Quebec to study computer-based learning environments. Information systems are also discussed, and the use of a conceptual model is explained.…

  8. The Influence of Trainee Gaming Experience and Computer Self-Efficacy on Learner Outcomes of Videogame-Based Learning Environments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-06-01

    videogame-based training environment. In this research, 413 participants played a first-person-perspective videogame that began with a single- player ...section to introduce game-specific tasks, followed by a multi- player section where participants formed small teams to conduct several collaborative...with over four million registered players . In Janurary 2004, America’s Army was used during a four-day inter-semester game- based training exercise at

  9. Supervised learning of tools for content-based search of image databases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delanoy, Richard L.

    1996-03-01

    A computer environment, called the Toolkit for Image Mining (TIM), is being developed with the goal of enabling users with diverse interests and varied computer skills to create search tools for content-based image retrieval and other pattern matching tasks. Search tools are generated using a simple paradigm of supervised learning that is based on the user pointing at mistakes of classification made by the current search tool. As mistakes are identified, a learning algorithm uses the identified mistakes to build up a model of the user's intentions, construct a new search tool, apply the search tool to a test image, display the match results as feedback to the user, and accept new inputs from the user. Search tools are constructed in the form of functional templates, which are generalized matched filters capable of knowledge- based image processing. The ability of this system to learn the user's intentions from experience contrasts with other existing approaches to content-based image retrieval that base searches on the characteristics of a single input example or on a predefined and semantically- constrained textual query. Currently, TIM is capable of learning spectral and textural patterns, but should be adaptable to the learning of shapes, as well. Possible applications of TIM include not only content-based image retrieval, but also quantitative image analysis, the generation of metadata for annotating images, data prioritization or data reduction in bandwidth-limited situations, and the construction of components for larger, more complex computer vision algorithms.

  10. 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…

  11. Past, Present, and Future Trends in Teaching Clinical Skills through Web-Based Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coe Regan, Jo Ann R.; Youn, Eric J.

    2008-01-01

    Distance education in social work has grown significantly due to the use of interactive television and computer networks. Given the recent developments in delivering distance education utilizing Web-based technology, this article presents a literature review focused on identifying generational trends in the development of Web-based learning…

  12. Characterizing and Supporting Change in Algebra Students' Representational Fluency in a CAS/Paper-and-Pencil Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fonger, Nicole L.

    2012-01-01

    Representational fluency (RF) includes an ability to interpret, create, move within and among, and connect tool-based representations of mathematical objects. Taken as an indicator of conceptual understanding, there is a need to better support school algebra students' RF in learning environments that utilize both computer algebra systems…

  13. A BDI Approach to Infer Student's Emotions in an Intelligent Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaques, Patricia Augustin; Vicari, Rosa Maria

    2007-01-01

    In this article we describe the use of mental states approach, more specifically the belief-desire-intention (BDI) model, to implement the process of affective diagnosis in an educational environment. We use the psychological OCC model, which is based on the cognitive theory of emotions and is possible to be implemented computationally, in order…

  14. Effects of Visual Cues and Self-Explanation Prompts: Empirical Evidence in a Multimedia Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Lijia; Atkinson, Robert K.; Savenye, Wilhelmina C.; Nelson, Brian C.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of visual cues and different types of self-explanation prompts on learning, cognitive load, and intrinsic motivation in an interactive multimedia environment that was designed to deliver a computer-based lesson about the human cardiovascular system. A total of 126 college students were…

  15. Integrating History of Science in Science Education through Historical Microworlds to Promote Conceptual Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Masson, Steve; Vazquez-Abad, Jesus

    2006-01-01

    This paper proposes a new way to integrate history of science in science education to promote conceptual change by introducing the notion of historical microworld, which is a computer-based interactive learning environment respecting historic conceptions. In this definition, "interactive" means that the user can act upon the virtual environment by…

  16. C3Conflict a Simulation Environment for Studying Teamwork in Command and Control

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-06-01

    the Sciences (pp. 173- 217). Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi. Kolb , D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning – Experience as a source of learning and...increases dramatically when the students can see a replay and discuss their collaboration. Kolb has expressed a generally accepted model of experiential ... learning ( Kolb , 1998). The model can be adapted for research and team training performed with computer-based simulations (Granlund, 2008). The main

  17. User-Centered Computer Aided Language Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zaphiris, Panayiotis, Ed.; Zacharia, Giorgos, Ed.

    2006-01-01

    In the field of computer aided language learning (CALL), there is a need for emphasizing the importance of the user. "User-Centered Computer Aided Language Learning" presents methodologies, strategies, and design approaches for building interfaces for a user-centered CALL environment, creating a deeper understanding of the opportunities and…

  18. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Tim, Ed.

    2005-01-01

    "Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning in Higher Education" provides a resource for researchers and practitioners in the area of computer-supported collaborative learning (also known as CSCL); particularly those working within a tertiary education environment. It includes articles of relevance to those interested in both theory and practice in…

  19. Teaching and Learning in the Mixed-Reality Science Classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tolentino, Lisa; Birchfield, David; Megowan-Romanowicz, Colleen; Johnson-Glenberg, Mina C.; Kelliher, Aisling; Martinez, Christopher

    2009-12-01

    As emerging technologies become increasingly inexpensive and robust, there is an exciting opportunity to move beyond general purpose computing platforms to realize a new generation of K-12 technology-based learning environments. Mixed-reality technologies integrate real world components with interactive digital media to offer new potential to combine best practices in traditional science learning with the powerful affordances of audio/visual simulations. This paper introduces the realization of a learning environment called SMALLab, the Situated Multimedia Arts Learning Laboratory. We present a recent teaching experiment for high school chemistry students. A mix of qualitative and quantitative research documents the efficacy of this approach for students and teachers. We conclude that mixed-reality learning is viable in mainstream high school classrooms and that students can achieve significant learning gains when this technology is co-designed with educators.

  20. ICCE/ICCAI 2000 Full & Short Papers (Interactive Learning Environments).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    2000

    This document contains the full and short papers on interactive learning environments from ICCE/ICCAI 2000 (International Conference on Computers in Education/International Conference on Computer-Assisted Instruction) covering the following topics: a CAL system for appreciation of 3D shapes by surface development; a constructivist virtual physics…

  1. Developing and Assessing E-Learning Techniques for Teaching Forecasting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gel, Yulia R.; O'Hara Hines, R. Jeanette; Chen, He; Noguchi, Kimihiro; Schoner, Vivian

    2014-01-01

    In the modern business environment, managers are increasingly required to perform decision making and evaluate related risks based on quantitative information in the face of uncertainty, which in turn increases demand for business professionals with sound skills and hands-on experience with statistical data analysis. Computer-based training…

  2. A Suggested Model for a Working Cyberschool.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Javid, Mahnaz A.

    2000-01-01

    Suggests a model for a working cyberschool based on a case study of Kamiak Cyberschool (Washington), a technology-driven public high school. Topics include flexible hours; one-to-one interaction with teachers; a supportive school environment; use of computers, interactive media, and online resources; and self-paced, project-based learning.…

  3. Using Cross-Sectional Imaging to Convey Organ Relationships: An Integrated Learning Environment for Students of Gross Anatomy

    PubMed Central

    Forman, Bruce H.; Eccles, Randy; Piggins, Judith; Raila, Wayne; Estey, Greg; Barnett, G. Octo

    1990-01-01

    We have developed a visually oriented, computer-controlled learning environment designed for use by students of gross anatomy. The goals of this module are to reinforce the concepts of organ relationships and topography by using computed axial tomographic (CAT) images accessed from a videodisc integrated with color graphics and to introduce students to cross-sectional radiographic anatomy. We chose to build the program around CAT scan images because they not only provide excellent structural detail but also offer an anatomic orientation (transverse) that complements that used in the dissection laboratory (basically a layer-by-layer, anterior-to-posterior, or coronal approach). Our system, built using a Microsoft Windows-386 based authoring environment which we designed and implemented, integrates text, video images, and graphics into a single screen display. The program allows both user browsing of information, facilitated by hypertext links, and didactic sessions including mini-quizzes for self-assessment.

  4. Conceptual model of iCAL4LA: Proposing the components using comparative analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmad, Siti Zulaiha; Mutalib, Ariffin Abdul

    2016-08-01

    This paper discusses an on-going study that initiates an initial process in determining the common components for a conceptual model of interactive computer-assisted learning that is specifically designed for low achieving children. This group of children needs a specific learning support that can be used as an alternative learning material in their learning environment. In order to develop the conceptual model, this study extracts the common components from 15 strongly justified computer assisted learning studies. A comparative analysis has been conducted to determine the most appropriate components by using a set of specific indication classification to prioritize the applicability. The results of the extraction process reveal 17 common components for consideration. Later, based on scientific justifications, 16 of them were selected as the proposed components for the model.

  5. Cooperation Support in Computer-Aided Authoring and Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muhlhauser, Max; Rudebusch, Tom

    This paper discusses the use of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) techniques for computer-aided learning (CAL); the work was started in the context of project Nestor, a joint effort of German universities about cooperative multimedia authoring/learning environments. There are four major categories of cooperation for CAL: author/author,…

  6. Cosmic Concepts: A Video Series for Scaffolded Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eisenhamer, Bonnie; Summers, Frank; Maple, John

    2016-01-01

    Scaffolding is widely considered to be an essential element of effective teaching and is used to help bridge knowledge gaps for learners. Scaffolding is especially important for distance-learning programs and computer-based learning environments. Preliminary studies are showing that when students learn about complex topics within computer-based learning environments without scaffolding, they fail to gain a conceptual understanding of the topic. As a result, researchers have begun to emphasize the importance of scaffolding for web-based as well as in-person instruction.To support scaffolded teaching practices and techniques, while addressing the needs of life-long learners, we have created the Cosmic Concepts video series. The series consists of short, one-topic videos that address scientific concepts with a special emphasis on those that traditionally cause confusion or are layered with misconceptions. Each video focuses on one idea at a time and provides a clear explanation of phenomena that is succinct enough for on-demand reference usage by all types of learners. Likewise, the videos can be used by educators to scaffold the scientific concepts behind astronomical images, or can be sequenced together to create well-structured pathways for presenting deeper and more layered ideas. This approach is critical for communicating information about astronomical discoveries that are often dense with unfamiliar concepts, complex ideas, and highly technical details. Additionally, learning tools in video formats support multi-sensory presentation approaches that can make astronomy more accessible to a variety of learners.

  7. Statistically optimal perception and learning: from behavior to neural representations

    PubMed Central

    Fiser, József; Berkes, Pietro; Orbán, Gergő; Lengyel, Máté

    2010-01-01

    Human perception has recently been characterized as statistical inference based on noisy and ambiguous sensory inputs. Moreover, suitable neural representations of uncertainty have been identified that could underlie such probabilistic computations. In this review, we argue that learning an internal model of the sensory environment is another key aspect of the same statistical inference procedure and thus perception and learning need to be treated jointly. We review evidence for statistically optimal learning in humans and animals, and reevaluate possible neural representations of uncertainty based on their potential to support statistically optimal learning. We propose that spontaneous activity can have a functional role in such representations leading to a new, sampling-based, framework of how the cortex represents information and uncertainty. PMID:20153683

  8. A Peer-Assisted Learning Experience in Computer Programming Language Learning and Developing Computer Programming Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Altintas, Tugba; Gunes, Ali; Sayan, Hamiyet

    2016-01-01

    Peer learning or, as commonly expressed, peer-assisted learning (PAL) involves school students who actively assist others to learn and in turn benefit from an effective learning environment. This research was designed to support students in becoming more autonomous in their learning, help them enhance their confidence level in tackling computer…

  9. Simulating Technology Processes to Foster Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krumholtz, Nira

    1998-01-01

    Based on a spiral model of technology evolution, elementary students used LOGO computer software to become both developers and users of technology. The computerized environment enabled 87% to reach intuitive understanding of physical concepts; 24% expressed more formal scientific understanding. (SK)

  10. Knowledge base for v-Embryo: Information Infrastructure for in silico modeling

    EPA Science Inventory

    Computers, imaging technologies, and the worldwide web have assumed an important role in augmenting traditional learning. Resources to disseminate multimedia information across platforms, and the emergence of communal knowledge environments, facilitate the visualization of diffi...

  11. Bio-robots automatic navigation with graded electric reward stimulation based on Reinforcement Learning.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Chen; Sun, Chao; Gao, Liqiang; Zheng, Nenggan; Chen, Weidong; Zheng, Xiaoxiang

    2013-01-01

    Bio-robots based on brain computer interface (BCI) suffer from the lack of considering the characteristic of the animals in navigation. This paper proposed a new method for bio-robots' automatic navigation combining the reward generating algorithm base on Reinforcement Learning (RL) with the learning intelligence of animals together. Given the graded electrical reward, the animal e.g. the rat, intends to seek the maximum reward while exploring an unknown environment. Since the rat has excellent spatial recognition, the rat-robot and the RL algorithm can convergent to an optimal route by co-learning. This work has significant inspiration for the practical development of bio-robots' navigation with hybrid intelligence.

  12. A comparison of traditional textbook and interactive computer learning of neuromuscular block.

    PubMed

    Ohrn, M A; van Oostrom, J H; van Meurs, W L

    1997-03-01

    We designed an educational software package, RELAX, for teaching first-year anesthesiology residents about the pharmacology and clinical management of neuromuscular blockade. The software uses an interactive, problem-based approach and moves the user through cases in an operating room environment. It can be run on personal computers with Microsoft Windows (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA) and combines video, graphics, and text with mouse-driven user input. We utilized test scores 1) to determine whether our software was beneficial to be the educational progress of anesthesiology residents and 2) to compare computer-based learning with textbook learning. Twenty-three residents were divided into two groups matched for age and sex, and a pretest was administered to all 23 residents. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the pretest scores of the two groups. Three weeks later, both groups were subjected to an educational intervention; one with our computer software and the other with selected textbooks. Both groups took a posttest immediately after the intervention. The test scores of the computer group improved significantly more (P < 0.05) than those of the textbook group. Although prior to the study the two groups showed no statistical difference in their familiarity with computers, the computer group reported much higher satisfaction with their learning experience than did the textbook group (P < 0.0001).

  13. An Assistive Computerized Learning Environment for Distance Learning Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klemes, Joel; Epstein, Alit; Zuker, Michal; Grinberg, Nira; Ilovitch, Tamar

    2006-01-01

    The current study examines how a computerized learning environment assists students with learning disabilities (LD) enrolled in a distance learning course at the Open University of Israel. The technology provides computer display of the text, synchronized with auditory output and accompanied by additional computerized study skill tools which…

  14. Another Program For Generating Interactive Graphics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Costenbader, Jay; Moleski, Walt; Szczur, Martha; Howell, David; Engelberg, Norm; Li, Tin P.; Misra, Dharitri; Miller, Philip; Neve, Leif; Wolf, Karl; hide

    1991-01-01

    VAX/Ultrix version of Transportable Applications Environment Plus (TAE+) computer program provides integrated, portable software environment for developing and running interactive window, text, and graphical-object-based application software systems. Enables programmer or nonprogrammer to construct easily custom software interface between user and application program and to move resulting interface program and its application program to different computers. When used throughout company for wide range of applications, makes both application program and computer seem transparent, with noticeable improvements in learning curve. Available in form suitable for following six different groups of computers: DEC VAX station and other VMS VAX computers, Macintosh II computers running AUX, Apollo Domain Series 3000, DEC VAX and reduced-instruction-set-computer workstations running Ultrix, Sun 3- and 4-series workstations running Sun OS and IBM RT/PC's and PS/2 computers running AIX, and HP 9000 S

  15. Exploring the Effects of Web-Mediated Computational Thinking on Developing Students' Computing Skills in a Ubiquitous Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsai, Chia-Wen; Shen, Pei-Di; Tsai, Meng-Chuan; Chen, Wen-Yu

    2017-01-01

    Much application software education in Taiwan can hardly be regarded as practical. The researchers in this study provided a flexible means of ubiquitous learning (u-learning) with a mobile app for students to access the learning material. In addition, the authors also adopted computational thinking (CT) to help students develop practical computing…

  16. Motivation and emotion predict medical students' attention to computer-based feedback.

    PubMed

    Naismith, Laura M; Lajoie, Susanne P

    2017-12-14

    Students cannot learn from feedback unless they pay attention to it. This study investigated relationships between the personal factors of achievement goal orientations, achievement emotions, and attention to feedback in BioWorld, a computer environment for learning clinical reasoning. Novice medical students (N = 28) completed questionnaires to measure their achievement goal orientations and then thought aloud while solving three endocrinology patient cases and reviewing corresponding expert solutions. Questionnaires administered after each case measured participants' experiences of five feedback emotions: pride, relief, joy, shame, and anger. Attention to individual text segments of the expert solutions was modelled using logistic regression and the method of generalized estimating equations. Participants did not attend to all of the feedback that was available to them. Performance-avoidance goals and shame positively predicted attention to feedback, and performance-approach goals and relief negatively predicted attention to feedback. Aspects of how the feedback was displayed also influenced participants' attention. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for educational theory as well as the design and use of computer learning environments in medical education.

  17. Learning Relative Motion Concepts in Immersive and Non-Immersive Virtual Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kozhevnikov, Michael; Gurlitt, Johannes; Kozhevnikov, Maria

    2013-01-01

    The focus of the current study is to understand which unique features of an immersive virtual reality environment have the potential to improve learning relative motion concepts. Thirty-seven undergraduate students learned relative motion concepts using computer simulation either in immersive virtual environment (IVE) or non-immersive desktop…

  18. Student Achievement in Computer Programming: Lecture vs Computer-Aided Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsai, San-Yun W.; Pohl, Norval F.

    1978-01-01

    This paper discusses a study of the differences in student learning achievement, as measured by four different types of common performance evaluation techniques, in a college-level computer programming course under three teaching/learning environments: lecture, computer-aided instruction, and lecture supplemented with computer-aided instruction.…

  19. Students using visual thinking to learn science in a Web-based environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plough, Jean Margaret

    United States students' science test scores are low, especially in problem solving, and traditional science instruction could be improved. Consequently, visual thinking, constructing science structures, and problem solving in a web-based environment may be valuable strategies for improving science learning. This ethnographic study examined the science learning of fifteen fourth grade students in an after school computer club involving diverse students at an inner city school. The investigation was done from the perspective of the students, and it described the processes of visual thinking, web page construction, and problem solving in a web-based environment. The study utilized informal group interviews, field notes, Visual Learning Logs, and student web pages, and incorporated a Standards-Based Rubric which evaluated students' performance on eight science and technology standards. The Visual Learning Logs were drawings done on the computer to represent science concepts related to the Food Chain. Students used the internet to search for information on a plant or animal of their choice. Next, students used this internet information, with the information from their Visual Learning Logs, to make web pages on their plant or animal. Later, students linked their web pages to form Science Structures. Finally, students linked their Science Structures with the structures of other students, and used these linked structures as models for solving problems. Further, during informal group interviews, students answered questions about visual thinking, problem solving, and science concepts. The results of this study showed clearly that (1) making visual representations helped students understand science knowledge, (2) making links between web pages helped students construct Science Knowledge Structures, and (3) students themselves said that visual thinking helped them learn science. In addition, this study found that when using Visual Learning Logs, the main overall ideas of the science concepts were usually represented accurately. Further, looking for information on the internet may cause new problems in learning. Likewise, being absent, starting late, and/or dropping out all may negatively influence students' proficiency on the standards. Finally, the way Science Structures are constructed and linked may provide insights into the way individual students think and process information.

  20. Effects of Online Mentoring in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments: Mentor Presence and Cognitive Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dorner, Helga

    2012-01-01

    This study examines online mentor roles and effects with the online mentoring process in computer-supported collaborative learning environments in communities of in-service teachers. Interest in the online mentors' activity encompassed their participation in the online interactions, the influence of their activity on participants' patterns of…

  1. Designing Collaborative Learning Environments Mediated by Computer Conferencing: Issues and Challenges in the Asian Socio-Cultural Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gunawardena, Charlotte N.

    1998-01-01

    Explores issues related to the design of collaborative-learning environments mediated by computer conferencing from the perspective of challenges faced in the sociocultural context of the Indian sub-continent. Examines the impact of online features on social cohesiveness, group dynamics, interaction, communication anxiety, and participation.…

  2. Examining the Effect of Problem Type in a Synchronous Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kapur, Manu; Kinzer, Charles K.

    2007-01-01

    This study investigated the effect of well- vs. ill-structured problem types on: (a) group interactional activity, (b) evolution of group participation inequities, (c) group discussion quality, and (d) group performance in a synchronous, computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. Participants were 60 11th-grade science students…

  3. Animated Pedagogical Agents: A Review of Agent Technology Software in Electronic Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Govindasamy, Malliga K.

    2014-01-01

    Agent technology has become one of the dynamic and most interesting areas of computer science in recent years. The dynamism of this technology has resulted in computer generated characters, known as pedagogical agent, entering the digital learning environments in increasing numbers. Commonly deployed in implementing tutoring strategies, these…

  4. Pattern of Non-Task Interactions in Asynchronous Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abedin, Babak; Daneshgar, Farhad; D'Ambra, John

    2014-01-01

    Despite the importance of the non-task interactions in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments as emphasized in the literature, few studies have investigated online behavior of people in the CSCL environments. This paper studies the pattern of non-task interactions among postgraduate students in an Australian university. The…

  5. Learning Probabilistic Features for Robotic Navigation Using Laser Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Aznar, Fidel; Pujol, Francisco A.; Pujol, Mar; Rizo, Ramón; Pujol, María-José

    2014-01-01

    SLAM is a popular task used by robots and autonomous vehicles to build a map of an unknown environment and, at the same time, to determine their location within the map. This paper describes a SLAM-based, probabilistic robotic system able to learn the essential features of different parts of its environment. Some previous SLAM implementations had computational complexities ranging from O(Nlog(N)) to O(N 2), where N is the number of map features. Unlike these methods, our approach reduces the computational complexity to O(N) by using a model to fuse the information from the sensors after applying the Bayesian paradigm. Once the training process is completed, the robot identifies and locates those areas that potentially match the sections that have been previously learned. After the training, the robot navigates and extracts a three-dimensional map of the environment using a single laser sensor. Thus, it perceives different sections of its world. In addition, in order to make our system able to be used in a low-cost robot, low-complexity algorithms that can be easily implemented on embedded processors or microcontrollers are used. PMID:25415377

  6. Learning probabilistic features for robotic navigation using laser sensors.

    PubMed

    Aznar, Fidel; Pujol, Francisco A; Pujol, Mar; Rizo, Ramón; Pujol, María-José

    2014-01-01

    SLAM is a popular task used by robots and autonomous vehicles to build a map of an unknown environment and, at the same time, to determine their location within the map. This paper describes a SLAM-based, probabilistic robotic system able to learn the essential features of different parts of its environment. Some previous SLAM implementations had computational complexities ranging from O(Nlog(N)) to O(N(2)), where N is the number of map features. Unlike these methods, our approach reduces the computational complexity to O(N) by using a model to fuse the information from the sensors after applying the Bayesian paradigm. Once the training process is completed, the robot identifies and locates those areas that potentially match the sections that have been previously learned. After the training, the robot navigates and extracts a three-dimensional map of the environment using a single laser sensor. Thus, it perceives different sections of its world. In addition, in order to make our system able to be used in a low-cost robot, low-complexity algorithms that can be easily implemented on embedded processors or microcontrollers are used.

  7. Bridging Inquiry-Based Science and Constructionism: Exploring the Alignment between Students Tinkering with Code of Computational Models and Goals of Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagh, Aditi; Cook-Whitt, Kate; Wilensky, Uri

    2017-01-01

    Research on the design of learning environments for K-12 science education has been informed by two bodies of literature: inquiry-based science and Constructionism. Inquiry-based science has emphasized engagement in activities that reflect authentic scientific practices. Constructionism has focused on designing intuitively accessible authoring…

  8. Is Learner Self-Assessment Reliable and Valid in a Web-Based Portfolio Environment for High School Students?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Chi-Cheng; Liang, Chaoyun; Chen, Yi-Hui

    2013-01-01

    This study explored the reliability and validity of Web-based portfolio self-assessment. Participants were 72 senior high school students enrolled in a computer application course. The students created learning portfolios, viewed peers' work, and performed self-assessment on the Web-based portfolio assessment system. The results indicated: 1)…

  9. Science Education Using a Computer Model-Virtual Puget Sound

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fruland, R.; Winn, W.; Oppenheimer, P.; Stahr, F.; Sarason, C.

    2002-12-01

    We created an interactive learning environment based on an oceanographic computer model of Puget Sound-Virtual Puget Sound (VPS)-as an alternative to traditional teaching methods. Students immersed in this navigable 3-D virtual environment observed tidal movements and salinity changes, and performed tracer and buoyancy experiments. Scientific concepts were embedded in a goal-based scenario to locate a new sewage outfall in Puget Sound. Traditional science teaching methods focus on distilled representations of agreed-upon knowledge removed from real-world context and scientific debate. Our strategy leverages students' natural interest in their environment, provides meaningful context and engages students in scientific debate and knowledge creation. Results show that VPS provides a powerful learning environment, but highlights the need for research on how to most effectively represent concepts and organize interactions to support scientific inquiry and understanding. Research is also needed to ensure that new technologies and visualizations do not foster misconceptions, including the impression that the model represents reality rather than being a useful tool. In this presentation we review results from prior work with VPS and outline new work for a modeling partnership recently formed with funding from the National Ocean Partnership Program (NOPP).

  10. Evidence Accumulation and Change Rate Inference in Dynamic Environments.

    PubMed

    Radillo, Adrian E; Veliz-Cuba, Alan; Josić, Krešimir; Kilpatrick, Zachary P

    2017-06-01

    In a constantly changing world, animals must account for environmental volatility when making decisions. To appropriately discount older, irrelevant information, they need to learn the rate at which the environment changes. We develop an ideal observer model capable of inferring the present state of the environment along with its rate of change. Key to this computation is an update of the posterior probability of all possible change point counts. This computation can be challenging, as the number of possibilities grows rapidly with time. However, we show how the computations can be simplified in the continuum limit by a moment closure approximation. The resulting low-dimensional system can be used to infer the environmental state and change rate with accuracy comparable to the ideal observer. The approximate computations can be performed by a neural network model via a rate-correlation-based plasticity rule. We thus show how optimal observers accumulate evidence in changing environments and map this computation to reduced models that perform inference using plausible neural mechanisms.

  11. AHaH computing-from metastable switches to attractors to machine learning.

    PubMed

    Nugent, Michael Alexander; Molter, Timothy Wesley

    2014-01-01

    Modern computing architecture based on the separation of memory and processing leads to a well known problem called the von Neumann bottleneck, a restrictive limit on the data bandwidth between CPU and RAM. This paper introduces a new approach to computing we call AHaH computing where memory and processing are combined. The idea is based on the attractor dynamics of volatile dissipative electronics inspired by biological systems, presenting an attractive alternative architecture that is able to adapt, self-repair, and learn from interactions with the environment. We envision that both von Neumann and AHaH computing architectures will operate together on the same machine, but that the AHaH computing processor may reduce the power consumption and processing time for certain adaptive learning tasks by orders of magnitude. The paper begins by drawing a connection between the properties of volatility, thermodynamics, and Anti-Hebbian and Hebbian (AHaH) plasticity. We show how AHaH synaptic plasticity leads to attractor states that extract the independent components of applied data streams and how they form a computationally complete set of logic functions. After introducing a general memristive device model based on collections of metastable switches, we show how adaptive synaptic weights can be formed from differential pairs of incremental memristors. We also disclose how arrays of synaptic weights can be used to build a neural node circuit operating AHaH plasticity. By configuring the attractor states of the AHaH node in different ways, high level machine learning functions are demonstrated. This includes unsupervised clustering, supervised and unsupervised classification, complex signal prediction, unsupervised robotic actuation and combinatorial optimization of procedures-all key capabilities of biological nervous systems and modern machine learning algorithms with real world application.

  12. Computer-Aided College Algebra: Learning Components that Students Find Beneficial

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aichele, Douglas B.; Francisco, Cynthia; Utley, Juliana; Wescoatt, Benjamin

    2011-01-01

    A mixed-method study was conducted during the Fall 2008 semester to better understand the experiences of students participating in computer-aided instruction of College Algebra using the software MyMathLab. The learning environment included a computer learning system for the majority of the instruction, a support system via focus groups (weekly…

  13. 'Ain't nothin' like the real thing'. Motivation and study processes on a work-based project course in information systems design.

    PubMed

    Helle, Laura; Tynjälä, Päivi; Olkinuora, Erkki; Lonka, Kirsti

    2007-06-01

    Advocates of the project method claim that project-based learning inspires student learning. However, it has been claimed that project-based learning environments demand quite a bit of self-regulation on the part of the learner. Consequently, it was tested whether students scoring low in self-regulation of learning experienced 'friction', an incompatibility between student self-regulation and the demands posed by the learning environment. This would be manifest in cognitive processing and motivation. The target group consisted of 58 mainly third-year Finnish university students taking a mandatory project course in information systems design. During the project course, student teams completed a commissioned assignment. The study also included a matched nonequivalent comparison group composed of computer science students attending study programmes without a project-based component. Data were gathered by means of a questionnaire administered at the beginning and end of the project course and it was analysed by between-groups repeated measures ANOVA. In addition, the students on the course were interviewed. Results suggest that the work-based project model in question may indeed have a substantial motivational impact, interestingly benefitting especially those students who scored low in self-regulation. It is argued that we tend to view learning environments too simplistically. In particular, a basic distinction should be made between individual and collaborative learning contexts, since peer scaffolding, group grading and choice of group roles may explain why students scoring low in self-regulation of learning did not encounter friction as expected.

  14. Designing Communication and Learning Environments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gayeski, Diane M., Ed.

    Designing and remodeling educational facilities are becoming more complex with options that include computer-based collaboration, classrooms with multimedia podiums, conference centers, and workplaces with desktop communication systems. This book provides a collection of articles that address educational facility design categorized in the…

  15. Designing Computer Learning Environments for Engineering and Computer Science: The Scaffolded Knowledge Integration Framework.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Linn, Marcia C.

    1995-01-01

    Describes a framework called scaffolded knowledge integration and illustrates how it guided the design of two successful course enhancements in the field of computer science and engineering: the LISP Knowledge Integration Environment and the spatial reasoning environment. (101 references) (Author/MKR)

  16. Integrating labview into a distributed computing environment.

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

    Kasemir, K. U.; Pieck, M.; Dalesio, L. R.

    2001-01-01

    Being easy to learn and well suited for a selfcontained desktop laboratory setup, many casual programmers prefer to use the National Instruments Lab-VIEW environment to develop their logic. An ActiveX interface is presented that allows integration into a plant-wide distributed environment based on the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS). This paper discusses the design decisions and provides performance information, especially considering requirements for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) diagnostics system.

  17. Language Learning in Virtual Reality Environments: Past, Present, and Future

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Tsun-Ju; Lan, Yu-Ju

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the research trends in language learning in a virtual reality environment by conducting a content analysis of findings published in the literature from 2004 to 2013 in four top ranked computer-assisted language learning journals: "Language Learning & Technology," "CALICO Journal," "Computer…

  18. Peer Collaboration: The Relation of Regulatory Behaviors to Learning with Hypermedia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winters, Fielding I.; Alexander, Patricia A.

    2011-01-01

    Peer collaboration is a pedagogical method currently used to facilitate learning in classrooms. Similarly, computer-learning environments (CLEs) are often used to promote student learning in science classrooms, in particular. However, students often have difficulty utilizing these environments effectively. Does peer collaboration help students…

  19. Infant Statistical Learning

    PubMed Central

    Saffran, Jenny R.; Kirkham, Natasha Z.

    2017-01-01

    Perception involves making sense of a dynamic, multimodal environment. In the absence of mechanisms capable of exploiting the statistical patterns in the natural world, infants would face an insurmountable computational problem. Infant statistical learning mechanisms facilitate the detection of structure. These abilities allow the infant to compute across elements in their environmental input, extracting patterns for further processing and subsequent learning. In this selective review, we summarize findings that show that statistical learning is both a broad and flexible mechanism (supporting learning from different modalities across many different content areas) and input specific (shifting computations depending on the type of input and goal of learning). We suggest that statistical learning not only provides a framework for studying language development and object knowledge in constrained laboratory settings, but also allows researchers to tackle real-world problems, such as multilingualism, the role of ever-changing learning environments, and differential developmental trajectories. PMID:28793812

  20. Collaborative Practice of Science Construction in a Computer-Based Multimedia Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kumpulainen, Kristiina; Mutanen, Mika

    1998-01-01

    Examines the ways in which the collaborative use of a multimedia-based CD-ROM encyclopedia in a sixth-grade Finnish classroom fosters science learning. Results show that students' activities during task-processing were highly procedural and product-oriented. Students had inefficient skills in accessing and retrieving information from the…

  1. A DGS Gesture Dictionary for Modelling on Mobile Devices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Isotani, Seiji; Reis, Helena M.; Alvares, Danilo; Brandão, Anarosa A. F.; Brandão, Leônidas O.

    2018-01-01

    Interactive or Dynamic Geometry System (DGS) is a tool that help to teach and learn geometry using a computer-based interactive environment. Traditionally, the interaction with DGS is based on keyboard and mouse events where the functionalities are accessed using a menu of icons. Nevertheless, recent findings suggest that such a traditional model…

  2. Neuromodulatory adaptive combination of correlation-based learning in cerebellum and reward-based learning in basal ganglia for goal-directed behavior control

    PubMed Central

    Dasgupta, Sakyasingha; Wörgötter, Florentin; Manoonpong, Poramate

    2014-01-01

    Goal-directed decision making in biological systems is broadly based on associations between conditional and unconditional stimuli. This can be further classified as classical conditioning (correlation-based learning) and operant conditioning (reward-based learning). A number of computational and experimental studies have well established the role of the basal ganglia in reward-based learning, where as the cerebellum plays an important role in developing specific conditioned responses. Although viewed as distinct learning systems, recent animal experiments point toward their complementary role in behavioral learning, and also show the existence of substantial two-way communication between these two brain structures. Based on this notion of co-operative learning, in this paper we hypothesize that the basal ganglia and cerebellar learning systems work in parallel and interact with each other. We envision that such an interaction is influenced by reward modulated heterosynaptic plasticity (RMHP) rule at the thalamus, guiding the overall goal directed behavior. Using a recurrent neural network actor-critic model of the basal ganglia and a feed-forward correlation-based learning model of the cerebellum, we demonstrate that the RMHP rule can effectively balance the outcomes of the two learning systems. This is tested using simulated environments of increasing complexity with a four-wheeled robot in a foraging task in both static and dynamic configurations. Although modeled with a simplified level of biological abstraction, we clearly demonstrate that such a RMHP induced combinatorial learning mechanism, leads to stabler and faster learning of goal-directed behaviors, in comparison to the individual systems. Thus, in this paper we provide a computational model for adaptive combination of the basal ganglia and cerebellum learning systems by way of neuromodulated plasticity for goal-directed decision making in biological and bio-mimetic organisms. PMID:25389391

  3. Neuromodulatory adaptive combination of correlation-based learning in cerebellum and reward-based learning in basal ganglia for goal-directed behavior control.

    PubMed

    Dasgupta, Sakyasingha; Wörgötter, Florentin; Manoonpong, Poramate

    2014-01-01

    Goal-directed decision making in biological systems is broadly based on associations between conditional and unconditional stimuli. This can be further classified as classical conditioning (correlation-based learning) and operant conditioning (reward-based learning). A number of computational and experimental studies have well established the role of the basal ganglia in reward-based learning, where as the cerebellum plays an important role in developing specific conditioned responses. Although viewed as distinct learning systems, recent animal experiments point toward their complementary role in behavioral learning, and also show the existence of substantial two-way communication between these two brain structures. Based on this notion of co-operative learning, in this paper we hypothesize that the basal ganglia and cerebellar learning systems work in parallel and interact with each other. We envision that such an interaction is influenced by reward modulated heterosynaptic plasticity (RMHP) rule at the thalamus, guiding the overall goal directed behavior. Using a recurrent neural network actor-critic model of the basal ganglia and a feed-forward correlation-based learning model of the cerebellum, we demonstrate that the RMHP rule can effectively balance the outcomes of the two learning systems. This is tested using simulated environments of increasing complexity with a four-wheeled robot in a foraging task in both static and dynamic configurations. Although modeled with a simplified level of biological abstraction, we clearly demonstrate that such a RMHP induced combinatorial learning mechanism, leads to stabler and faster learning of goal-directed behaviors, in comparison to the individual systems. Thus, in this paper we provide a computational model for adaptive combination of the basal ganglia and cerebellum learning systems by way of neuromodulated plasticity for goal-directed decision making in biological and bio-mimetic organisms.

  4. Collaboration and Computer-Assisted Acquisition of a Second Language.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Renie, Delphine; Chanier, Thierry

    1995-01-01

    Discusses how collaborative learning (CL) can be used in a computer-assisted learning (CAL) environment for language learning, reviewing research in the fields of applied linguistics, educational psychology, and artificial intelligence. An application of CL and CAL in the learning of French as a Second Language, focusing on interrogative…

  5. Enhancing reading abilities of learners with intellectual impairments through computer technology

    PubMed Central

    Warnick, Albert M.

    2017-01-01

    Background Developments in the teaching of children with disabilities support pedagogy that emphasises learners’ strengths as opposed to their assumed deficiencies. Educators and mediators who advocate this view continually strive for tools and methodologies that enhance learner participation in academic environments. Computer technology is one of the tools recognised for its potential to enrich learning experiences of learners with an intellectual impairment. Objectives We sought to assess the influence of text-to-speech stories on the reading ability of intellectually challenged learners. Method A qualitative action research study that involves learners at a special school in Cape Town, South Africa. Pre- and post-test data of the reading performance of learners are analysed with a focus on how they demonstrate change. Results Although no claims can be made about the explicit influence on reading performance, computer-assisted learning has the potential in isolating reading processes that classroom-based interventions can address. In addition, computers enhance motivation and enthusiasm to learn. Conclusion A need for education based on inclusion and positive differentiation remains the key driver in any educational interventions. PMID:28951849

  6. Approaches to Studying and Students' Use of a Computer Supported Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, Jonathan; Lin, Angela

    2007-01-01

    Although studies of students' study approaches in face to face learning environments are commonplace, studies investigating the role of students' study approaches in online learning environments is currently a less explored area. This paper presents the findings of a survey aimed at investigating the relationship between students' approaches to…

  7. Adaptive 3D Virtual Learning Environments--A Review of the Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, Ezequiel; Soria, Alvaro; Campo, Marcelo

    2017-01-01

    New ways of learning have emerged in the last years by using computers in education. For instance, many Virtual Learning Environments have been widely adopted by educators, obtaining promising outcomes. Recently, these environments have evolved into more advanced ones using 3D technologies and taking into account the individual learner needs and…

  8. Habituation based synaptic plasticity and organismic learning in a quantum perovskite

    DOE PAGES

    Zuo, Fan; Panda, Priyadarshini; Kotiuga, Michele; ...

    2017-08-14

    A central characteristic of living beings is the ability to learn from and respond to their environment leading to habit formation and decision making. This behavior, known as habituation, is universal among all forms of life with a central nervous system, and is also observed in single-cell organisms that do not possess a brain. Here, we report the discovery of habituation-based plasticity utilizing a perovskite quantum system by dynamical modulation of electron localization. Microscopic mechanisms and pathways that enable this organismic collective charge-lattice interaction are elucidated by first-principles theory, synchrotron investigations, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and in situ environmentalmore » breathing studies. In conclusion, we implement a learning algorithm inspired by the conductance relaxation behavior of perovskites that naturally incorporates habituation, and demonstrate learning to forget: a key feature of animal and human brains. Incorporating this elementary skill in learning boosts the capability of neural computing in a sequential, dynamic environment.« less

  9. Habituation based synaptic plasticity and organismic learning in a quantum perovskite

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

    Zuo, Fan; Panda, Priyadarshini; Kotiuga, Michele

    A central characteristic of living beings is the ability to learn from and respond to their environment leading to habit formation and decision making. This behavior, known as habituation, is universal among all forms of life with a central nervous system, and is also observed in single-cell organisms that do not possess a brain. Here, we report the discovery of habituation-based plasticity utilizing a perovskite quantum system by dynamical modulation of electron localization. Microscopic mechanisms and pathways that enable this organismic collective charge-lattice interaction are elucidated by first-principles theory, synchrotron investigations, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and in situ environmentalmore » breathing studies. In conclusion, we implement a learning algorithm inspired by the conductance relaxation behavior of perovskites that naturally incorporates habituation, and demonstrate learning to forget: a key feature of animal and human brains. Incorporating this elementary skill in learning boosts the capability of neural computing in a sequential, dynamic environment.« less

  10. CyberPsychological Computation on Social Community of Ubiquitous Learning.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Xuan; Dai, Genghui; Huang, Shuang; Sun, Xuemin; Hu, Feng; Hu, Hongzhi; Ivanović, Mirjana

    2015-01-01

    Under the modern network environment, ubiquitous learning has been a popular way for people to study knowledge, exchange ideas, and share skills in the cyberspace. Existing research findings indicate that the learners' initiative and community cohesion play vital roles in the social communities of ubiquitous learning, and therefore how to stimulate the learners' interest and participation willingness so as to improve their enjoyable experiences in the learning process should be the primary consideration on this issue. This paper aims to explore an effective method to monitor the learners' psychological reactions based on their behavioral features in cyberspace and therefore provide useful references for adjusting the strategies in the learning process. In doing so, this paper firstly analyzes the psychological assessment of the learners' situations as well as their typical behavioral patterns and then discusses the relationship between the learners' psychological reactions and their observable features in cyberspace. Finally, this paper puts forward a CyberPsychological computation method to estimate the learners' psychological states online. Considering the diversity of learners' habitual behaviors in the reactions to their psychological changes, a BP-GA neural network is proposed for the computation based on their personalized behavioral patterns.

  11. CyberPsychological Computation on Social Community of Ubiquitous Learning

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Xuan; Dai, Genghui; Huang, Shuang; Sun, Xuemin; Hu, Feng; Hu, Hongzhi; Ivanović, Mirjana

    2015-01-01

    Under the modern network environment, ubiquitous learning has been a popular way for people to study knowledge, exchange ideas, and share skills in the cyberspace. Existing research findings indicate that the learners' initiative and community cohesion play vital roles in the social communities of ubiquitous learning, and therefore how to stimulate the learners' interest and participation willingness so as to improve their enjoyable experiences in the learning process should be the primary consideration on this issue. This paper aims to explore an effective method to monitor the learners' psychological reactions based on their behavioral features in cyberspace and therefore provide useful references for adjusting the strategies in the learning process. In doing so, this paper firstly analyzes the psychological assessment of the learners' situations as well as their typical behavioral patterns and then discusses the relationship between the learners' psychological reactions and their observable features in cyberspace. Finally, this paper puts forward a CyberPsychological computation method to estimate the learners' psychological states online. Considering the diversity of learners' habitual behaviors in the reactions to their psychological changes, a BP-GA neural network is proposed for the computation based on their personalized behavioral patterns. PMID:26557846

  12. Projective simulation for artificial intelligence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Briegel, Hans J.; de Las Cuevas, Gemma

    2012-05-01

    We propose a model of a learning agent whose interaction with the environment is governed by a simulation-based projection, which allows the agent to project itself into future situations before it takes real action. Projective simulation is based on a random walk through a network of clips, which are elementary patches of episodic memory. The network of clips changes dynamically, both due to new perceptual input and due to certain compositional principles of the simulation process. During simulation, the clips are screened for specific features which trigger factual action of the agent. The scheme is different from other, computational, notions of simulation, and it provides a new element in an embodied cognitive science approach to intelligent action and learning. Our model provides a natural route for generalization to quantum-mechanical operation and connects the fields of reinforcement learning and quantum computation.

  13. Projective simulation for artificial intelligence

    PubMed Central

    Briegel, Hans J.; De las Cuevas, Gemma

    2012-01-01

    We propose a model of a learning agent whose interaction with the environment is governed by a simulation-based projection, which allows the agent to project itself into future situations before it takes real action. Projective simulation is based on a random walk through a network of clips, which are elementary patches of episodic memory. The network of clips changes dynamically, both due to new perceptual input and due to certain compositional principles of the simulation process. During simulation, the clips are screened for specific features which trigger factual action of the agent. The scheme is different from other, computational, notions of simulation, and it provides a new element in an embodied cognitive science approach to intelligent action and learning. Our model provides a natural route for generalization to quantum-mechanical operation and connects the fields of reinforcement learning and quantum computation. PMID:22590690

  14. Preservice Science Teachers' Collaborative Knowledge Building through Argumentation on Healthy Eating in a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Namdar, Bahadir

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice science teachers' collaborative knowledge building through socioscientific argumentation on healthy eating in a multiple representation-rich computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. This study was conducted with a group of preservice science teachers (n = 18) enrolled in…

  15. An Interactive Learning Environment for Information and Communication Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamada, Mohamed; Hassan, Mohammed

    2017-01-01

    Interactive learning tools are emerging as effective educational materials in the area of computer science and engineering. It is a research domain that is rapidly expanding because of its positive impacts on motivating and improving students' performance during the learning process. This paper introduces an interactive learning environment for…

  16. A Collaborative Model for Ubiquitous Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barbosa, Jorge; Barbosa, Debora; Rabello, Solon

    2016-01-01

    Use of mobile devices and widespread adoption of wireless networks have enabled the emergence of Ubiquitous Computing. Application of this technology to improving education strategies gave rise to Ubiquitous e-Learning, also known as Ubiquitous Learning. There are several approaches to organizing ubiquitous learning environments, but most of them…

  17. Central Limit Theorem: New SOCR Applet and Demonstration Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dinov, Ivo D.; Christou, Nicholas; Sanchez, Juana

    2008-01-01

    Modern approaches for information technology based blended education utilize a variety of novel instructional, computational and network resources. Such attempts employ technology to deliver integrated, dynamically linked, interactive content and multi-faceted learning environments, which may facilitate student comprehension and information…

  18. Teaching the blind to find their way by playing video games.

    PubMed

    Merabet, Lotfi B; Connors, Erin C; Halko, Mark A; Sánchez, Jaime

    2012-01-01

    Computer based video games are receiving great interest as a means to learn and acquire new skills. As a novel approach to teaching navigation skills in the blind, we have developed Audio-based Environment Simulator (AbES); a virtual reality environment set within the context of a video game metaphor. Despite the fact that participants were naïve to the overall purpose of the software, we found that early blind users were able to acquire relevant information regarding the spatial layout of a previously unfamiliar building using audio based cues alone. This was confirmed by a series of behavioral performance tests designed to assess the transfer of acquired spatial information to a large-scale, real-world indoor navigation task. Furthermore, learning the spatial layout through a goal directed gaming strategy allowed for the mental manipulation of spatial information as evidenced by enhanced navigation performance when compared to an explicit route learning strategy. We conclude that the immersive and highly interactive nature of the software greatly engages the blind user to actively explore the virtual environment. This in turn generates an accurate sense of a large-scale three-dimensional space and facilitates the learning and transfer of navigation skills to the physical world.

  19. Development of a Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsuei, Mengping

    2011-01-01

    This study explores the effects of Electronic Peer-Assisted Learning for Kids (EPK), on the quality and development of reading skills, peer interaction and self-concept in elementary students. The EPK methodology uses a well-developed, synchronous computer-supported, collaborative learning system to facilitate students' learning in Chinese. We…

  20. Effects of Online Interaction via Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) Tools on an E-Mathematics Learning Outcome

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Okonta, Olomeruom

    2010-01-01

    Recent research studies in open and distance learning have focused on the differences between traditional learning versus online learning, the benefits of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools in an e-learning environment, and the relationship between online discussion posts and students' achievement. In fact, there is an extant…

  1. On learning navigation behaviors for small mobile robots with reservoir computing architectures.

    PubMed

    Antonelo, Eric Aislan; Schrauwen, Benjamin

    2015-04-01

    This paper proposes a general reservoir computing (RC) learning framework that can be used to learn navigation behaviors for mobile robots in simple and complex unknown partially observable environments. RC provides an efficient way to train recurrent neural networks by letting the recurrent part of the network (called reservoir) be fixed while only a linear readout output layer is trained. The proposed RC framework builds upon the notion of navigation attractor or behavior that can be embedded in the high-dimensional space of the reservoir after learning. The learning of multiple behaviors is possible because the dynamic robot behavior, consisting of a sensory-motor sequence, can be linearly discriminated in the high-dimensional nonlinear space of the dynamic reservoir. Three learning approaches for navigation behaviors are shown in this paper. The first approach learns multiple behaviors based on the examples of navigation behaviors generated by a supervisor, while the second approach learns goal-directed navigation behaviors based only on rewards. The third approach learns complex goal-directed behaviors, in a supervised way, using a hierarchical architecture whose internal predictions of contextual switches guide the sequence of basic navigation behaviors toward the goal.

  2. A Community-Based Participatory Approach to Personalized, Computer-Generated Nutrition Feedback Reports: The Healthy Environments Partnership

    PubMed Central

    Kannan, Srimathi; Schulz, Amy; Israel, Barbara; Ayra, Indira; Weir, Sheryl; Dvonch, Timothy J.; Rowe, Zachary; Miller, Patricia; Benjamin, Alison

    2008-01-01

    Background Computer tailoring and personalizing recommendations for dietary health-promoting behaviors are in accordance with community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles, which emphasizes research that benefits the participants and community involved. Objective To describe the CBPR process utilized to computer-generate and disseminate personalized nutrition feedback reports (NFRs) for Detroit Healthy Environments Partnership (HEP) study participants. METHODS The CBPR process included discussion and feedback from HEP partners on several draft personalized reports. The nutrition feedback process included defining the feedback objectives; prioritizing the nutrients; customizing the report design; reviewing and revising the NFR template and readability; producing and disseminating the report; and participant follow-up. Lessons Learned Application of CBPR principles in designing the NFR resulted in a reader-friendly product with useful recommendations to promote heart health. Conclusions A CBPR process can enhance computer tailoring of personalized NFRs to address racial and socioeconomic disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD). PMID:19337572

  3. Concept Mapping Using Cmap Tools to Enhance Meaningful Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cañas, Alberto J.; Novak, Joseph D.

    Concept maps are graphical tools that have been used in all facets of education and training for organizing and representing knowledge. When learners build concept maps, meaningful learning is facilitated. Computer-based concept mapping software such as CmapTools have further extended the use of concept mapping and greatly enhanced the potential of the tool, facilitating the implementation of a concept map-centered learning environment. In this chapter, we briefly present concept mapping and its theoretical foundation, and illustrate how it can lead to an improved learning environment when it is combined with CmapTools and the Internet. We present the nationwide “Proyecto Conéctate al Conocimiento” in Panama as an example of how concept mapping, together with technology, can be adopted by hundreds of schools as a means to enhance meaningful learning.

  4. An In-Depth Analysis of Teaching Themes and the Quality of Teaching in Higher Education: Evidence from the Programming Education Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xia, Belle Selene

    2017-01-01

    Education research in computer science has emphasized the research of web-based learning environments as a result of the latest technological advancement in higher education. Our research aim is to offer new insights on the different teaching strategies in programming education both from a theoretical and empirical point of view as a response to…

  5. Intelligent Image Based Computer Aided Education (IICAE)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    1989-03-01

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

  6. Motor-Skill Learning in an Insect Inspired Neuro-Computational Control System

    PubMed Central

    Arena, Eleonora; Arena, Paolo; Strauss, Roland; Patané, Luca

    2017-01-01

    In nature, insects show impressive adaptation and learning capabilities. The proposed computational model takes inspiration from specific structures of the insect brain: after proposing key hypotheses on the direct involvement of the mushroom bodies (MBs) and on their neural organization, we developed a new architecture for motor learning to be applied in insect-like walking robots. The proposed model is a nonlinear control system based on spiking neurons. MBs are modeled as a nonlinear recurrent spiking neural network (SNN) with novel characteristics, able to memorize time evolutions of key parameters of the neural motor controller, so that existing motor primitives can be improved. The adopted control scheme enables the structure to efficiently cope with goal-oriented behavioral motor tasks. Here, a six-legged structure, showing a steady-state exponentially stable locomotion pattern, is exposed to the need of learning new motor skills: moving through the environment, the structure is able to modulate motor commands and implements an obstacle climbing procedure. Experimental results on a simulated hexapod robot are reported; they are obtained in a dynamic simulation environment and the robot mimicks the structures of Drosophila melanogaster. PMID:28337138

  7. AHaH Computing–From Metastable Switches to Attractors to Machine Learning

    PubMed Central

    Nugent, Michael Alexander; Molter, Timothy Wesley

    2014-01-01

    Modern computing architecture based on the separation of memory and processing leads to a well known problem called the von Neumann bottleneck, a restrictive limit on the data bandwidth between CPU and RAM. This paper introduces a new approach to computing we call AHaH computing where memory and processing are combined. The idea is based on the attractor dynamics of volatile dissipative electronics inspired by biological systems, presenting an attractive alternative architecture that is able to adapt, self-repair, and learn from interactions with the environment. We envision that both von Neumann and AHaH computing architectures will operate together on the same machine, but that the AHaH computing processor may reduce the power consumption and processing time for certain adaptive learning tasks by orders of magnitude. The paper begins by drawing a connection between the properties of volatility, thermodynamics, and Anti-Hebbian and Hebbian (AHaH) plasticity. We show how AHaH synaptic plasticity leads to attractor states that extract the independent components of applied data streams and how they form a computationally complete set of logic functions. After introducing a general memristive device model based on collections of metastable switches, we show how adaptive synaptic weights can be formed from differential pairs of incremental memristors. We also disclose how arrays of synaptic weights can be used to build a neural node circuit operating AHaH plasticity. By configuring the attractor states of the AHaH node in different ways, high level machine learning functions are demonstrated. This includes unsupervised clustering, supervised and unsupervised classification, complex signal prediction, unsupervised robotic actuation and combinatorial optimization of procedures–all key capabilities of biological nervous systems and modern machine learning algorithms with real world application. PMID:24520315

  8. Advanced LabVIEW Labs

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

    Jones, Eric D.

    1999-06-17

    In the world of computer-based data acquisition and control, the graphical interface program LabVIEW from National Instruments is so ubiquitous that in many ways it has almost become the laboratory standard. To date, there have been approximately fifteen books concerning LabVIEW, but Professor Essick's treatise takes on a completely different tack than all of the previous discussions. In the more standard treatments of the ways and wherefores of LabVIEW such as LabVIEW Graphical Programming: Practical Applications in Instrumentation and Control by Gary W. Johnson (McGraw Hill, NY 1997), the emphasis has been instructing the reader how to program LabVIEW tomore » create a Virtual Instrument (VI) on the computer for interfacing to a particular instruments. LabVIEW is written in G a graphical programming language developed by National Instruments. In the past the emphasis has been on training the experimenter to learn G . Without going into details here, G incorporates the usual loops, arithmetic expressions, etc., found in many programming languages, but in an icon (graphical) environment. The net result being that LabVIEW contains all of the standard methods needed for interfacing to instruments, data acquisition, data analysis, graphics, and also methodology to incorporate programs written in other languages into LabVIEW. Historically, according to Professor Essick, he developed a series of experiments for an upper division laboratory course for computer-based instrumentation. His observation was that while many students had the necessary background in computer programming languages, there were students who had virtually no concept about writing a computer program let alone a computer- based interfacing program. Thus the beginnings of a concept for not only teaching computer- based instrumentation techniques, but aiso a method for the beginner to experience writing a com- puter program. Professor Essick saw LabVIEW as the perfect environment in which to teach computer-based research skills. With this goal in mind, he has succeeded admirably. Advanced LabVIEW Labs presents a series of chapters devoted to not only introducing the reader to LabVIEW, but also to the concepts necessary for writing a successful computer pro- gram. Each chapter is an assignment for the student and is suitable for a ten week course. The first topic introduces the while loop and waveform chart VI'S. After learning how to launch LabVIEW, the student then leans how to use LabVIEW functions such as sine and cosine. The beauty of thk and subsequent chapters, the student is introduced immediately to computer-based instruction by learning how to display the results in graph form on the screen. At each point along the way, the student is not only introduced to another LabVIEW operation, but also to such subjects as spread sheets for data storage, numerical integration, Fourier transformations', curve fitting algorithms, etc. The last few chapters conclude with the purpose of the learning module, and that is, com- puter-based instrumentation. Computer-based laboratory projects such as analog-to-digital con- version, digitizing oscilloscopes treated. Advanced Lab VIEW Labs finishes with a treatment on GPIB interfacing and finally, the student is asked to create an operating VI for temperature con- trol. This is an excellent text, not only as an treatise on LabVIEW but also as an introduction to computer programming logic. All programmers, who are struggling to not only learning how interface computers to instruments, but also trying understand top down programming and other programming language techniques, should add Advanced Lab-VIEW Labs to their computer library.« less

  9. Advanced LabVIEW Labs

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

    Jones, Eric D.

    1999-06-17

    In the world of computer-based data acquisition and control, the graphical interface program LabVIEW from National Instruments is so ubiquitous that in many ways it has almost become the laboratory standard. To date, there have been approximately fifteen books concerning LabVIEW, but Professor Essick's treatise takes on a completely different tack than all of the previous discussions. In the more standard treatments of the ways and wherefores of LabVIEW such as LabVIEW Graphical Programming: Practical Applications in Instrumentation and Control by Gary W. Johnson (McGraw Hill, NY 1997), the emphasis has been instructing the reader how to program LabVIEW tomore » create a Virtual Instrument (VI) on the computer for interfacing to a particular instruments. LabVIEW is written in "G" a graphical programming language developed by National Instruments. In the past the emphasis has been on training the experimenter to learn "G". Without going into details here, "G" incorporates the usual loops, arithmetic expressions, etc., found in many programming languages, but in an icon (graphical) environment. The net result being that LabVIEW contains all of the standard methods needed for interfacing to instruments, data acquisition, data analysis, graphics, and also methodology to incorporate programs written in other languages into LabVIEW. Historically, according to Professor Essick, he developed a series of experiments for an upper division laboratory course for computer-based instrumentation. His observation was that while many students had the necessary background in computer programming languages, there were students who had virtually no concept about writing a computer program let alone a computer- based interfacing program. Thus the beginnings of a concept for not only teaching computer- based instrumentation techniques, but aiso a method for the beginner to experience writing a com- puter program. Professor Essick saw LabVIEW as the "perfect environment in which to teach computer-based research skills." With this goal in mind, he has succeeded admirably. Advanced LabVIEW Labs presents a series of chapters devoted to not only introducing the reader to LabVIEW, but also to the concepts necessary for writing a successful computer pro- gram. Each chapter is an assignment for the student and is suitable for a ten week course. The first topic introduces the while loop and waveform chart VI'S. After learning how to launch LabVIEW, the student then leans how to use LabVIEW functions such as sine and cosine. The beauty of thk and subsequent chapters, the student is introduced immediately to computer-based instruction by learning how to display the results in graph form on the screen. At each point along the way, the student is not only introduced to another LabVIEW operation, but also to such subjects as spread sheets for data storage, numerical integration, Fourier transformations', curve fitting algorithms, etc. The last few chapters conclude with the purpose of the learning module, and that is, com- puter-based instrumentation. Computer-based laboratory projects such as analog-to-digital con- version, digitizing oscilloscopes treated. Advanced Lab VIEW Labs finishes with a treatment on GPIB interfacing and finally, the student is asked to create an operating VI for temperature con- trol. This is an excellent text, not only as an treatise on LabVIEW but also as an introduction to computer programming logic. All programmers, who are struggling to not only learning how interface computers to instruments, but also trying understand top down programming and other programming language techniques, should add Advanced Lab-VIEW Labs to their computer library.« less

  10. Animated pedagogical agents: How the presence and nonverbal communication of a virtual instructor affect perceptions and learning outcomes in a computer-based environment about basic physics concepts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frechette, M. Casey

    One important but under-researched area of instructional technology concerns the effects of animated pedagogical agents (APAs), or lifelike characters designed to enhance learning in computer-based environments. This research sought to broaden what is currently known about APAs' instructional value by investigating the effects of agents' visual presence and nonverbal communication. A theoretical framework based on APA literature published in the past decade guided the design of the study. This framework sets forth that APAs impact learning through their presence and communication. The communication displayed by an APA involves two distinct kinds of nonverbal cues: cognitive (hand and arm gestures) and affective (facial expressions). It was predicted that the presence of an agent would enhance learning and that nonverbal communication would amplify these effects. The research utilized a between-subjects experimental design. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment conditions in a controlled lab setting, and group means were compared with a MANCOVA. Participants received (1) a non-animated agent, (2) an agent with hand and arm gestures, (3) an agent with facial expressions, or (4) a fully animated agent. The agent appeared in a virtual learning environment focused on Kepler's laws of planetary motion. A control group did not receive the visual presence of an agent. Two effects were studied: participants' perceptions and their learning outcomes. Perceptions were measured with an attitudinal survey with five subscales. Learning outcomes were measured with an open-ended recall test, a multiple choice comprehension test, and an open-ended transfer test. Learners presented with an agent with affective nonverbal communication comprehended less than learners exposed to a non-animated agent. No significant differences were observed when a group exposed to a fully animated agent was compared to a group with a non-animated agent. Adding both nonverbal communication channels mitigated the disadvantages of adding just one kind of nonverbal cue. No statistically significant differences were observed on measures of recall or transfer, or on the attitudinal survey. The research supports the notion that invoking a human-like presence in a virtual learning environment prompts strong expectations about the character's realism. When these expectations are not met, learning is hindered.

  11. A Framework for Collaborative and Convenient Learning on Cloud Computing Platforms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharma, Deepika; Kumar, Vikas

    2017-01-01

    The depth of learning resides in collaborative work with more engagement and fun. Technology can enhance collaboration with a higher level of convenience and cloud computing can facilitate this in a cost effective and scalable manner. However, to deploy a successful online learning environment, elementary components of learning pedagogy must be…

  12. Scaling Up and Zooming In: Big Data and Personalization in Language Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Godwin-Jones, Robert

    2017-01-01

    From its earliest days, practitioners of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) have collected data from computer-mediated learning environments. Indeed, that has been a central aspect of the field from the beginning. Usage logs provided valuable insights into how systems were used and how effective they were for language learning. That…

  13. Postgraduate Students' Knowledge Construction during Asynchronous Computer Conferences in a Blended Learning Environment: A Malaysian Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kian-Sam, Hong; Lee, Julia Ai Cheng

    2008-01-01

    Blended learning, using e-learning tools to supplement existing on campus learning, often incorporates asynchronous computer conferencing as a means of augmenting knowledge construction among students. This case study reports findings about levels of knowledge construction amongst adult postgraduate students in six asynchronous computer…

  14. Influences of Gender and Computer Gaming Experience in Occupational Desktop Virtual Environments: A Cross-Case Analysis Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ausburn, Lynna J.; Ausburn, Floyd B.; Kroutter, Paul J.

    2013-01-01

    This study used a cross-case analysis methodology to compare four line-of-inquiry studies of desktop virtual environments (DVEs) to examine the relationships of gender and computer gaming experience to learning performance and perceptions. Comparison was made of learning patterns in a general non-technical DVE with patterns in technically complex,…

  15. An Assessment of Feedback Procedures and Information Provided to Instructors within Computer Managed Learning Environments--Implications for Instruction and Software Redesign.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kotesky, Arturo A.

    Feedback procedures and information provided to instructors within computer managed learning environments were assessed to determine current usefulness and meaningfulness to users, and to present the design of a different instructor feedback instrument. Kaufman's system model was applied to accomplish the needs assessment phase of the study; and…

  16. Investigating the Potential of Computer Environments for the Teaching and Learning of Functions: A Double Analysis from Two Research Traditions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lagrange, Jean-Baptiste; Psycharis, Giorgos

    2014-01-01

    The general goal of this paper is to explore the potential of computer environments for the teaching and learning of functions. To address this, different theoretical frameworks and corresponding research traditions are available. In this study, we aim to network different frameworks by following a "double analysis" method to analyse two…

  17. Effects of Explicit and Implicit Prompts on Students' Inquiry Practices in Computer-Supported Learning Environments in High School Earth Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fang, Su-Chi; Hsu, Ying-Shao; Hsu, Wei Hsiu

    2016-01-01

    The study explored how to best use scaffolds for supporting students' inquiry practices in computer-supported learning environments. We designed a series of inquiry units assisted with three versions of written inquiry prompts (generic and context-specific); that is, three scaffold-fading conditions: implicit, explicit, and fading. We then…

  18. On Automatic Assessment and Conceptual Understanding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rasila, Antti; Malinen, Jarmo; Tiitu, Hannu

    2015-01-01

    We consider two complementary aspects of mathematical skills, i.e. "procedural fluency" and "conceptual understanding," from a point of view that is related to modern e-learning environments and computer-based assessment. Pedagogical background of teaching mathematics is discussed, and it is proposed that the traditional book…

  19. The Use of 3D Virtual Learning Environments in Training Foreign Language Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Can, Tuncer; Simsek, Irfan

    2015-01-01

    The recent developments in computer and Internet technologies and in three dimensional modelling necessitates the new approaches and methods in the education field and brings new opportunities to the higher education. The Internet and virtual learning environments have changed the learning opportunities by diversifying the learning options not…

  20. Intelligent Fuzzy Spelling Evaluator for e-Learning Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chakraborty, Udit Kr.; Konar, Debanjan; Roy, Samir; Choudhury, Sankhayan

    2016-01-01

    Evaluating Learners' Response in an e-Learning environment has been the topic of current research in areas of Human Computer Interaction, e-Learning, Education Technology and even Natural Language Processing. The current paper presents a twofold strategy to evaluate single word response of a learner in an e-Learning environment. The response of…

  1. Computer Algebra, Virtual Learning Environment and Meaningful Learning: Is It Possible?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abar, Celina A. A. P.; Barbosa, Lisbete Madsen

    2011-01-01

    A major challenge faced by teachers nowadays relates to the usage of proper educational technology to achieve a true and meaningful learning experience involving time for reflection. Teachers constantly seek new ways to improve instruction, but in virtual learning environments they often find themselves in a new role, interacting in a dynamic…

  2. Active Learning Environments with Robotic Tangibles: Children's Physical and Virtual Spatial Programming Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burleson, Winslow S.; Harlow, Danielle B.; Nilsen, Katherine J.; Perlin, Ken; Freed, Natalie; Jensen, Camilla Nørgaard; Lahey, Byron; Lu, Patrick; Muldner, Kasia

    2018-01-01

    As computational thinking becomes increasingly important for children to learn, we must develop interfaces that leverage the ways that young children learn to provide opportunities for them to develop these skills. Active Learning Environments with Robotic Tangibles (ALERT) and Robopad, an analogous on-screen virtual spatial programming…

  3. Development of Mechanistic Reasoning and Multilevel Explanations of Ecology in Third Grade Using Agent-Based Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dickes, Amanda Catherine; Sengupta, Pratim; Farris, Amy Voss; Satabdi, Basu

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we present a third-grade ecology learning environment that integrates two forms of modeling--embodied modeling and agent-based modeling (ABMs)--through the generation of mathematical representations that are common to both forms of modeling. The term "agent" in the context of ABMs indicates individual computational objects…

  4. Investigating the Role of Multibiometric Authentication on Professional Certification E-Examination

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smiley, Garrett

    2013-01-01

    E-learning has grown to such an extent that paper-based testing is being replaced by computer-based testing otherwise known as e-exams. Because these e-exams can be delivered outside of the traditional proctored environment, additional authentication measures must be employed in order to offer similar authentication assurance as found in…

  5. Designing Ubiquitous Computing to Enhance Children's Learning in Museums

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, T.; Bannon, L.

    2006-01-01

    In recent years, novel paradigms of computing have emerged, which enable computational power to be embedded in artefacts and in environments in novel ways. These developments may create new possibilities for using computing to enhance learning. This paper presents the results of a design process that set out to explore interactive techniques,…

  6. Design Patterns for Learning and Assessment: Facilitating the Introduction of a Complex Simulation-Based Learning Environment into a Community of Instructors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frezzo, Dennis C.; Behrens, John T.; Mislevy, Robert J.

    2010-04-01

    Simulation environments make it possible for science and engineering students to learn to interact with complex systems. Putting these capabilities to effective use for learning, and assessing learning, requires more than a simulation environment alone. It requires a conceptual framework for the knowledge, skills, and ways of thinking that are meant to be developed, in order to design activities that target these capabilities. The challenges of using simulation environments effectively are especially daunting in dispersed social systems. This article describes how these challenges were addressed in the context of the Cisco Networking Academies with a simulation tool for computer networks called Packet Tracer. The focus is on a conceptual support framework for instructors in over 9,000 institutions around the world for using Packet Tracer in instruction and assessment, by learning to create problem-solving scenarios that are at once tuned to the local needs of their students and consistent with the epistemic frame of "thinking like a network engineer." We describe a layered framework of tools and interfaces above the network simulator that supports the use of Packet Tracer in the distributed community of instructors and students.

  7. Pragmatically Framed Cross-Situational Noun Learning Using Computational Reinforcement Models

    PubMed Central

    Najnin, Shamima; Banerjee, Bonny

    2018-01-01

    Cross-situational learning and social pragmatic theories are prominent mechanisms for learning word meanings (i.e., word-object pairs). In this paper, the role of reinforcement is investigated for early word-learning by an artificial agent. When exposed to a group of speakers, the agent comes to understand an initial set of vocabulary items belonging to the language used by the group. Both cross-situational learning and social pragmatic theory are taken into account. As social cues, joint attention and prosodic cues in caregiver's speech are considered. During agent-caregiver interaction, the agent selects a word from the caregiver's utterance and learns the relations between that word and the objects in its visual environment. The “novel words to novel objects” language-specific constraint is assumed for computing rewards. The models are learned by maximizing the expected reward using reinforcement learning algorithms [i.e., table-based algorithms: Q-learning, SARSA, SARSA-λ, and neural network-based algorithms: Q-learning for neural network (Q-NN), neural-fitted Q-network (NFQ), and deep Q-network (DQN)]. Neural network-based reinforcement learning models are chosen over table-based models for better generalization and quicker convergence. Simulations are carried out using mother-infant interaction CHILDES dataset for learning word-object pairings. Reinforcement is modeled in two cross-situational learning cases: (1) with joint attention (Attentional models), and (2) with joint attention and prosodic cues (Attentional-prosodic models). Attentional-prosodic models manifest superior performance to Attentional ones for the task of word-learning. The Attentional-prosodic DQN outperforms existing word-learning models for the same task. PMID:29441027

  8. Finnish upper secondary students' collaborative processes in learning statistics in a CSCL environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaleva Oikarinen, Juho; Järvelä, Sanna; Kaasila, Raimo

    2014-04-01

    This design-based research project focuses on documenting statistical learning among 16-17-year-old Finnish upper secondary school students (N = 78) in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. One novel value of this study is in reporting the shift from teacher-led mathematical teaching to autonomous small-group learning in statistics. The main aim of this study is to examine how student collaboration occurs in learning statistics in a CSCL environment. The data include material from videotaped classroom observations and the researcher's notes. In this paper, the inter-subjective phenomena of students' interactions in a CSCL environment are analysed by using a contact summary sheet (CSS). The development of the multi-dimensional coding procedure of the CSS instrument is presented. Aptly selected video episodes were transcribed and coded in terms of conversational acts, which were divided into non-task-related and task-related categories to depict students' levels of collaboration. The results show that collaborative learning (CL) can facilitate cohesion and responsibility and reduce students' feelings of detachment in our classless, periodic school system. The interactive .pdf material and collaboration in small groups enable statistical learning. It is concluded that CSCL is one possible method of promoting statistical teaching. CL using interactive materials seems to foster and facilitate statistical learning processes.

  9. eLearning in the Cloud

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sclater, Niall

    2010-01-01

    Elearning has grown rapidly in importance for institutions and has been largely facilitated through the "walled garden" of the virtual learning environment. Meanwhile many students are creating their own personal learning environments by combining the various Web 2.0 services they find most useful. Cloud computing offers new…

  10. Transportable Applications Environment Plus, Version 5.1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    Transportable Applications Environment Plus (TAE+) computer program providing integrated, portable programming environment for developing and running application programs based on interactive windows, text, and graphical objects. Enables both programmers and nonprogrammers to construct own custom application interfaces easily and to move interfaces and application programs to different computers. Used to define corporate user interface, with noticeable improvements in application developer's and end user's learning curves. Main components are; WorkBench, What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) software tool for design and layout of user interface; and WPT (Window Programming Tools) Package, set of callable subroutines controlling user interface of application program. WorkBench and WPT's written in C++, and remaining code written in C.

  11. The Effects of Computer-Mediated Communication Anxiety on Student Perceptions of Instructor Behaviors, Perceived Learning, and Quiz Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wombacher, Kevin A.; Harris, Christina J.; Buckner, Marjorie M.; Frisby, Brandi; Limperos, Anthony M.

    2017-01-01

    Online environments increasingly serve as contexts for learning. Hence, it is important to understand how student characteristics, such as student computer-mediated communication anxiety (CMCA) affects learning outcomes in mediated classrooms. To better understand how student CMCA may influence student online learning experiences, we tested a…

  12. Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in Support of (Re)-Learning Native Languages: The Case of Runyakitara

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katushemererwe, Fridah; Nerbonne, John

    2015-01-01

    This study presents the results from a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) system of Runyakitara (RU_CALL). The major objective was to provide an electronic language learning environment that can enable learners with mother tongue deficiencies to enhance their knowledge of grammar and acquire writing skills in Runyakitara. The system…

  13. Self-Regulated Learning in Learning Environments with Pedagogical Agents that Interact in Natural Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graesser, Arthur; McNamara, Danielle

    2010-01-01

    This article discusses the occurrence and measurement of self-regulated learning (SRL) both in human tutoring and in computer tutors with agents that hold conversations with students in natural language and help them learn at deeper levels. One challenge in building these computer tutors is to accommodate, encourage, and scaffold SRL because these…

  14. The Construction of Knowledge through Social Interaction via Computer-Mediated Communication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saritas, Tuncay

    2008-01-01

    With the advance in information and communication technologies, computer-mediated communication--more specifically computer conferencing systems (CCS)--has captured the interest of educators as an ideal tool to create a learning environment featuring active, participative, and reflective learning. Educators are increasingly adapting the features…

  15. Learning of embodied interaction dynamics with recurrent neural networks: some exploratory experiments.

    PubMed

    Oubbati, Mohamed; Kord, Bahram; Koprinkova-Hristova, Petia; Palm, Günther

    2014-04-01

    The new tendency of artificial intelligence suggests that intelligence must be seen as a result of the interaction between brains, bodies and environments. This view implies that designing sophisticated behaviour requires a primary focus on how agents are functionally coupled to their environments. Under this perspective, we present early results with the application of reservoir computing as an efficient tool to understand how behaviour emerges from interaction. Specifically, we present reservoir computing models, that are inspired by imitation learning designs, to extract the essential components of behaviour that results from agent-environment interaction dynamics. Experimental results using a mobile robot are reported to validate the learning architectures.

  16. Learning of embodied interaction dynamics with recurrent neural networks: some exploratory experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oubbati, Mohamed; Kord, Bahram; Koprinkova-Hristova, Petia; Palm, Günther

    2014-04-01

    The new tendency of artificial intelligence suggests that intelligence must be seen as a result of the interaction between brains, bodies and environments. This view implies that designing sophisticated behaviour requires a primary focus on how agents are functionally coupled to their environments. Under this perspective, we present early results with the application of reservoir computing as an efficient tool to understand how behaviour emerges from interaction. Specifically, we present reservoir computing models, that are inspired by imitation learning designs, to extract the essential components of behaviour that results from agent-environment interaction dynamics. Experimental results using a mobile robot are reported to validate the learning architectures.

  17. Designing Electronic Books.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barker, Philip; Manji, Karim

    1991-01-01

    Discussion of the design of interactive environments focuses on three types of electronic book metaphors that use optical discs and can facilitate computer-based learning: (1) static picture books, (2) moving picture books, and (3) multimedia books. Guidelines for designing electronic books are presented, and future directions are discussed. (17…

  18. Computer-aided auscultation learning system for nursing technique instruction.

    PubMed

    Hou, Chun-Ju; Chen, Yen-Ting; Hu, Ling-Chen; Chuang, Chih-Chieh; Chiu, Yu-Hsien; Tsai, Ming-Shih

    2008-01-01

    Pulmonary auscultation is a physical assessment skill learned by nursing students for examining the respiratory system. Generally, a sound simulator equipped mannequin is used to group teach auscultation techniques via classroom demonstration. However, nursing students cannot readily duplicate this learning environment for self-study. The advancement of electronic and digital signal processing technologies facilitates simulating this learning environment. This study aims to develop a computer-aided auscultation learning system for assisting teachers and nursing students in auscultation teaching and learning. This system provides teachers with signal recording and processing of lung sounds and immediate playback of lung sounds for students. A graphical user interface allows teachers to control the measuring device, draw lung sound waveforms, highlight lung sound segments of interest, and include descriptive text. Effects on learning lung sound auscultation were evaluated for verifying the feasibility of the system. Fifteen nursing students voluntarily participated in the repeated experiment. The results of a paired t test showed that auscultative abilities of the students were significantly improved by using the computer-aided auscultation learning system.

  19. SLAM algorithm applied to robotics assistance for navigation in unknown environments.

    PubMed

    Cheein, Fernando A Auat; Lopez, Natalia; Soria, Carlos M; di Sciascio, Fernando A; Pereira, Fernando Lobo; Carelli, Ricardo

    2010-02-17

    The combination of robotic tools with assistance technology determines a slightly explored area of applications and advantages for disability or elder people in their daily tasks. Autonomous motorized wheelchair navigation inside an environment, behaviour based control of orthopaedic arms or user's preference learning from a friendly interface are some examples of this new field. In this paper, a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm is implemented to allow the environmental learning by a mobile robot while its navigation is governed by electromyographic signals. The entire system is part autonomous and part user-decision dependent (semi-autonomous). The environmental learning executed by the SLAM algorithm and the low level behaviour-based reactions of the mobile robot are robotic autonomous tasks, whereas the mobile robot navigation inside an environment is commanded by a Muscle-Computer Interface (MCI). In this paper, a sequential Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) feature-based SLAM algorithm is implemented. The features correspond to lines and corners -concave and convex- of the environment. From the SLAM architecture, a global metric map of the environment is derived. The electromyographic signals that command the robot's movements can be adapted to the patient's disabilities. For mobile robot navigation purposes, five commands were obtained from the MCI: turn to the left, turn to the right, stop, start and exit. A kinematic controller to control the mobile robot was implemented. A low level behavior strategy was also implemented to avoid robot's collisions with the environment and moving agents. The entire system was tested in a population of seven volunteers: three elder, two below-elbow amputees and two young normally limbed patients. The experiments were performed within a closed low dynamic environment. Subjects took an average time of 35 minutes to navigate the environment and to learn how to use the MCI. The SLAM results have shown a consistent reconstruction of the environment. The obtained map was stored inside the Muscle-Computer Interface. The integration of a highly demanding processing algorithm (SLAM) with a MCI and the communication between both in real time have shown to be consistent and successful. The metric map generated by the mobile robot would allow possible future autonomous navigation without direct control of the user, whose function could be relegated to choose robot destinations. Also, the mobile robot shares the same kinematic model of a motorized wheelchair. This advantage can be exploited for wheelchair autonomous navigation.

  20. Group Formation in Mobile Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Contexts: A Systematic Literature Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amara, Sofiane; Macedo, Joaquim; Bendella, Fatima; Santos, Alexandre

    2016-01-01

    Learners are becoming increasingly divers. They may have much personal, social, cultural, psychological, and cognitive diversity. Forming suitable learning groups represents, therefore, a hard and time-consuming task. In Mobile Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (MCSCL) environments, this task is more difficult. Instructors need to consider…

  1. Learner-Interface Interaction for Technology-Enhanced Active Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sinha, Neelu; Khreisat, Laila; Sharma, Kiron

    2009-01-01

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

  2. Exploring the changing learning environment of the gross anatomy lab.

    PubMed

    Hopkins, Robin; Regehr, Glenn; Wilson, Timothy D

    2011-07-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the impact of virtual models and prosected specimens in the context of the gross anatomy lab. In 2009, student volunteers from an undergraduate anatomy class were randomly assigned to study groups in one of three learning conditions. All groups studied the muscles of mastication and completed identical learning objectives during a 45-minute lab. All groups were provided with two reference atlases. Groups were distinguished by the type of primary tools they were provided: gross prosections, three-dimensional stereoscopic computer model, or both resources. The facilitator kept observational field notes. A prepost multiple-choice knowledge test was administered to evaluate students' learning. No significant effect of the laboratory models was demonstrated between groups on the prepost assessment of knowledge. Recurring observations included students' tendency to revert to individual memorization prior to the posttest, rotation of models to match views in the provided atlas, and dissemination of groups into smaller working units. The use of virtual lab resources seemed to influence the social context and learning environment of the anatomy lab. As computer-based learning methods are implemented and studied, they must be evaluated beyond their impact on knowledge gain to consider the effect technology has on students' social development.

  3. Immune systems are not just for making you feel better: they are for controlling autonomous robots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenblum, Mark

    2005-05-01

    The typical algorithm for robot autonomous navigation in off-road complex environments involves building a 3D map of the robot's surrounding environment using a 3D sensing modality such as stereo vision or active laser scanning, and generating an instantaneous plan to navigate around hazards. Although there has been steady progress using these methods, these systems suffer from several limitations that cannot be overcome with 3D sensing and planning alone. Geometric sensing alone has no ability to distinguish between compressible and non-compressible materials. As a result, these systems have difficulty in heavily vegetated environments and require sensitivity adjustments across different terrain types. On the planning side, these systems have no ability to learn from their mistakes and avoid problematic environmental situations on subsequent encounters. We have implemented an adaptive terrain classification system based on the Artificial Immune System (AIS) computational model, which is loosely based on the biological immune system, that combines various forms of imaging sensor inputs to produce a "feature labeled" image of the scene categorizing areas as benign or detrimental for autonomous robot navigation. Because of the qualities of the AIS computation model, the resulting system will be able to learn and adapt on its own through interaction with the environment by modifying its interpretation of the sensor data. The feature labeled results from the AIS analysis are inserted into a map and can then be used by a planner to generate a safe route to a goal point. The coupling of diverse visual cues with the malleable AIS computational model will lead to autonomous robotic ground vehicles that require less human intervention for deployment in novel environments and more robust operation as a result of the system's ability to improve its performance through interaction with the environment.

  4. Concept Mapping Assessment of Media Assisted Learning in Interdisciplinary Science Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schaal, Steffen; Bogner, Franz X.; Girwidz, Raimund

    2010-05-01

    Acquisition of conceptual knowledge is a central aim in science education. In this study we monitored an interdisciplinary hypermedia assisted learning unit on hibernation and thermodynamics based on cooperative learning. We used concept mapping for the assessment, applying a pre-test/post-test design. In our study, 106 9th graders cooperated by working in pairs ( n = 53) for six lessons. As an interdisciplinary learning activity in such complex knowledge domains has to combine many different aspects, we focused on long-term knowledge. Learners working cooperatively in dyads constructed computer-supported concept maps which were analysed by specific software. The data analysis encompassed structural aspects of the knowledge corresponding to a target reference map. After the learning unit, the results showed the acquisition of higher-order domain-specific knowledge structures which indicates successful interdisciplinary learning through the hypermedia learning environment. The benefit of using a computer-assisted concept mapping assessment for research in science education, and in science classrooms is considered.

  5. Usability Evaluation of the Student Centered e-Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Junus, Inas Sofiyah; Santoso, Harry Budi; Isal, R. Yugo K.; Utomo, Andika Yudha

    2015-01-01

    Student Centered e-Learning Environment (SCeLE) has substantial roles to support learning activities at Faculty of Computer Science, Universitas Indonesia (Fasilkom UI). Although it has been utilized for about 10 years, the usability aspect of SCeLE as an e-Learning system has not been evaluated. Therefore, the usability aspects of SCeLE Fasilkom…

  6. Relationships among Individual Task Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulated Learning Strategy Use and Academic Performance in a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Kimberly; Narayan, Anupama

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates relationships between self-efficacy, self-regulated learning strategy use and academic performance. Participants were 96 undergraduate students working on projects with three subtasks (idea generation task, methodical task and data collection) in a blended learning environment. Task self-efficacy was measured with…

  7. Experience in Education Environment Virtualization within the Automated Information System "Platonus" (Kazakhstan)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abeldina, Zhaidary; Moldumarova, Zhibek; Abeldina, Rauza; Makysh, Gulmira; Moldumarova, Zhuldyz Ilibaevna

    2016-01-01

    This work reports on the use of virtual tools as means of learning process activation. A good result can be achieved by combining the classical learning with modern computer technology. By creating a virtual learning environment and using multimedia learning tools one can obtain a significant result while facilitating the development of students'…

  8. In-Factory Learning - Qualification For The Factory Of The Future

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quint, Fabian; Mura, Katharina; Gorecky, Dominic

    2015-07-01

    The Industry 4.0 vision anticipates that internet technologies will find their way into future factories replacing traditional components by dynamic and intelligent cyber-physical systems (CPS) that combine the physical objects with their digital representation. Reducing the gap between the real and digital world makes the factory environment more flexible, more adaptive, but also more complex for the human workers. Future workers require interdisciplinary competencies from engineering, information technology, and computer science in order to understand and manage the diverse interrelations between physical objects and their digital counterpart. This paper proposes a mixed-reality based learning environment, which combines physical objects and visualisation of digital content via Augmented Reality. It uses reality-based interaction in order to make the dynamic interrelations between real and digital factory visible and tangible. We argue that our learning system does not work as a stand-alone solution, but should fit into existing academic and advanced training curricula.

  9. A Large-Scale Multi-Hop Localization Algorithm Based on Regularized Extreme Learning for Wireless Networks.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Wei; Yan, Xiaoyong; Zhao, Wei; Qian, Chengshan

    2017-12-20

    A novel large-scale multi-hop localization algorithm based on regularized extreme learning is proposed in this paper. The large-scale multi-hop localization problem is formulated as a learning problem. Unlike other similar localization algorithms, the proposed algorithm overcomes the shortcoming of the traditional algorithms which are only applicable to an isotropic network, therefore has a strong adaptability to the complex deployment environment. The proposed algorithm is composed of three stages: data acquisition, modeling and location estimation. In data acquisition stage, the training information between nodes of the given network is collected. In modeling stage, the model among the hop-counts and the physical distances between nodes is constructed using regularized extreme learning. In location estimation stage, each node finds its specific location in a distributed manner. Theoretical analysis and several experiments show that the proposed algorithm can adapt to the different topological environments with low computational cost. Furthermore, high accuracy can be achieved by this method without setting complex parameters.

  10. Reshaping Computer Literacy Teaching in Higher Education: Identification of Critical Success Factors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Estelle; Goede, Roelien; Steyn, Tjaart

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: Acquiring computer skills is more important today than ever before, especially in a developing country. Teaching of computer skills, however, has to adapt to new technology. This paper aims to model factors influencing the success of the learning of computer literacy by means of an e-learning environment. The research question for this…

  11. Improving Communicative Competence through Synchronous Communication in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments: A Systematic Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Xi

    2018-01-01

    Computer-supported collaborative learning facilitates the extension of second language acquisition into social practice. Studies on its achievement effects speak directly to the pedagogical notion of treating communicative practice in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC): real-time communication that takes place between human beings…

  12. Computer Games: Increase Learning in an Interactive Multidisciplinary Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Betz, Joseph A.

    1996-01-01

    Discusses the educational uses of computer games and simulations and describes a study conducted at the State University of New York College at Farmingdale that used the computer game "Sim City 2000." Highlights include whole systems learning, problem solving, student performance, nonparametric statistics, and treatment of experimental…

  13. Encouraging Innovativeness through Computer-Assisted Collaborative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thorsteinsson, Gisli; Page, Tom

    2012-01-01

    This article puts forward a three related case study series, using a Virtual Reality Learning Environment (VRLE) with a view to supporting the development of students' ideation skills in conventional primary and secondary education. This learning environment is fairly new and therefore it is necessary to examine its educational uses and determine…

  14. Social Knowledge Awareness Map for Computer Supported Ubiquitous Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    El-Bishouty, Moushir M.; Ogata, Hiroaki; Rahman, Samia; Yano, Yoneo

    2010-01-01

    Social networks are helpful for people to solve problems by providing useful information. Therefore, the importance of mobile social software for learning has been supported by many researches. In this research, a model of personalized collaborative ubiquitous learning environment is designed and implemented in order to support learners doing…

  15. Enhancing Students' Language Skills through Blended Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Banditvilai, Choosri

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a case study of using blended learning to enhance students' language skills and learner autonomy in an Asian university environment. Blended learning represents an educational environment for much of the world where computers and the Internet are readily available. It combines self-study with valuable face-to-face interaction…

  16. The Relative Merits of Transparency: Investigating Situations that Support the Use of Robotics in Developing Student Learning Adaptability across Virtual and Physical Computing Platforms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Okita, Sandra Y.

    2014-01-01

    This study examined whether developing earlier forms of knowledge in specific learning environments prepares students better for future learning when they are placed in an unfamiliar learning environment. Forty-one students in the fifth and sixth grades learned to program robot movements using abstract concepts of speed, distance and direction.…

  17. Development and assessment of a chemistry-based computer video game as a learning tool

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinez-Hernandez, Kermin Joel

    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 experience through gameplay. The project consists of three areas: development, assessment, and implementation. However, the foci of this study were the development and assessment of the computer video game including possible learning outcomes and game design elements. A chemistry-based game using a mixed genre of a single player first-person game embedded with action-adventure and puzzle components was developed to determine if students' level of understanding of chemistry concepts change after gameplay intervention. Three phases have been completed to assess students' understanding of chemistry concepts prior and after gameplay intervention. Two main assessment instruments (pre/post open-ended content survey and individual semi-structured interviews) were used to assess student understanding of concepts. In addition, game design elements were evaluated for future development phases. Preliminary analyses of the interview data suggest that students were able to understand most of the chemistry challenges presented in the game and the game served as a review for previously learned concepts as well as a way to apply such previous knowledge. To guarantee a better understanding of the chemistry concepts, additions such as debriefing and feedback about the content presented in the game seem to be needed. The use of visuals in the game to represent chemical processes, game genre, and game idea appear to be the game design elements that students like the most about the current computer video game.

  18. 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…

  19. Students' Critical Thinking Skills in a Thai ICT Schools Pilot Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rumpagaporn, Methinee Wongwanich; Darmawan, I. Gusti Ngurah

    2007-01-01

    This study is exploratory, examining to what extent the Thai ICT (information and communication technology) schools have classroom learning environments that are associated with certain teacher characteristics using questionnaires, interview surveys, and computer-based classroom observations in order to collect data from 13 Thai ICT model schools.…

  20. Information Prosthetics for the Handicapped. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Papert, Seymour A.

    The paper describes the successful use of the LOGO System (an interactive graphics, computer based learning environment) with 12 severely physically handicapped adolescents with cerebral palsy. Five goals were set forth concerning the opportunity to work with microcomputers in interesting ways, the assessment of the students' spatial competence,…

  1. Effects of Virtual Manipulatives with Different Approaches on Students' Knowledge of Slope

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Demir, Mustafa

    2018-01-01

    Virtual Manipulatives (VMs) are computer-based, dynamic, and visual representations of mathematical concepts, provide interactive learning environments to advance mathematics instruction (Moyer et al., 2002). Despite their broad use, few research explored the integration of VMs into mathematics instruction (Moyer-Packenham & Westenskow, 2013).…

  2. Teachers' Implementation of a Game-Based Biotechnology Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eastwood, Jennifer L.; Sadler, Troy D.

    2013-01-01

    Research in education suggests that computer games can serve as powerful learning environments, however, teachers perceive many obstacles to using games as teaching tools. In this study, we examine three science teachers' implementation and perceptions of a curriculum unit incorporating the game, Mission Biotech (MBt) and a set of supporting…

  3. Effects of Using Historical Microworlds on Conceptual Change: A P-Prim Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Masson, Steve; Legendre, Marie-Francoise

    2008-01-01

    This study examines the effects of using historical microworlds on conceptual change in mechanics. Historical microworlds combine history of science and microworld through a computer based interactive learning environment that respects and represents historic conceptions or theories. Six grade 5 elementary students participated individually to…

  4. Evaluation of a Health Education Programme about Traumatic Brain Injury

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garcia, Jane Mertz; Sellers, Debra M.; Hilgendorf, Amy E.; Burnett, Debra L.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: Our aim was to evaluate a health education programme (TBIoptions: Promoting Knowledge) designed to increase public awareness and understanding about traumatic brain injury (TBI) through in-person (classroom) and computer-based (electronic) learning environments. Design: We used a pre-post survey design with randomization of participants…

  5. Reinforcement Learning with Autonomous Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Cluttered Environments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tran, Loc; Cross, Charles; Montague, Gilbert; Motter, Mark; Neilan, James; Qualls, Garry; Rothhaar, Paul; Trujillo, Anna; Allen, B. Danette

    2015-01-01

    We present ongoing work in the Autonomy Incubator at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) exploring the efficacy of a data set aggregation approach to reinforcement learning for small unmanned aerial vehicle (sUAV) flight in dense and cluttered environments with reactive obstacle avoidance. The goal is to learn an autonomous flight model using training experiences from a human piloting a sUAV around static obstacles. The training approach uses video data from a forward-facing camera that records the human pilot's flight. Various computer vision based features are extracted from the video relating to edge and gradient information. The recorded human-controlled inputs are used to train an autonomous control model that correlates the extracted feature vector to a yaw command. As part of the reinforcement learning approach, the autonomous control model is iteratively updated with feedback from a human agent who corrects undesired model output. This data driven approach to autonomous obstacle avoidance is explored for simulated forest environments furthering autonomous flight under the tree canopy research. This enables flight in previously inaccessible environments which are of interest to NASA researchers in Earth and Atmospheric sciences.

  6. Computer Assisted Learning for Biomedical Engineering Education: Tools

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-10-25

    COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION : TOOLS Ayhan ÝSTANBULLU1 Ýnan GÜLER2 1 Department of Electronic...of Technical Education , Gazi University, 06500 Ankara, Türkiye Abstract- Interactive multimedia learning environment is being proposed...Assisted Learning (CAL) are given and some tools used in this area are explained. Together with the developments in the area of distance education

  7. Teaching the Blind to Find Their Way by Playing Video Games

    PubMed Central

    Merabet, Lotfi B.; Connors, Erin C.; Halko, Mark A.; Sánchez, Jaime

    2012-01-01

    Computer based video games are receiving great interest as a means to learn and acquire new skills. As a novel approach to teaching navigation skills in the blind, we have developed Audio-based Environment Simulator (AbES); a virtual reality environment set within the context of a video game metaphor. Despite the fact that participants were naïve to the overall purpose of the software, we found that early blind users were able to acquire relevant information regarding the spatial layout of a previously unfamiliar building using audio based cues alone. This was confirmed by a series of behavioral performance tests designed to assess the transfer of acquired spatial information to a large-scale, real-world indoor navigation task. Furthermore, learning the spatial layout through a goal directed gaming strategy allowed for the mental manipulation of spatial information as evidenced by enhanced navigation performance when compared to an explicit route learning strategy. We conclude that the immersive and highly interactive nature of the software greatly engages the blind user to actively explore the virtual environment. This in turn generates an accurate sense of a large-scale three-dimensional space and facilitates the learning and transfer of navigation skills to the physical world. PMID:23028703

  8. The Effects of a Robot Game Environment on Computer Programming Education for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shim, Jaekwoun; Kwon, Daiyoung; Lee, Wongyu

    2017-01-01

    In the past, computer programming was perceived as a task only carried out by computer scientists; in the 21st century, however, computer programming is viewed as a critical and necessary skill that everyone should learn. In order to improve teaching of problem-solving abilities in a computing environment, extensive research is being done on…

  9. Didactical determinants use of information and communication technology in process of training of future specialists.

    PubMed

    Palamar, Borys I; Vaskivska, Halyna O; Palamar, Svitlana P

    In the article the author touches upon the subject of significance of computer equipment for organization of cooperation of professor and future specialists. Such subject-subject interaction may be directed to forming of professional skills of future specialists. By using information and communication technologies in education system range of didactic tasks can be solved. Improving of process of teaching of subjects in high school, self-learning future specialists, motivating to learning and self-learning, the development of reflection in the learning process. The authors considers computer equipment as instrument for development of intellectual skills, potential and willingness of future specialists to solve communicative and communication tasks and problems on the creative basis. Based on results of researches the author comes to certain conclusions about the effectiveness of usage of computer technologies in process of teaching future specialists and their self-learning. Improper supplying of high schools with computer equipment, lack of appropriate educational programs, professors' teachers' poor knowledge and usage of computers have negative impact on organization of process of teaching disciplines in high schools. Computer equipment and ICT in general are the instruments of development of intellectual skills, potential and willingness of future specialists to solve communicative and communication tasks and problems. So, the formation of psychosocial environment of development of future specialist is multifaceted, complex and didactically important issue.

  10. Peer Assessment among Secondary School Students: Introducing a Peer Feedback Tool in the Context of a Computer Supported Inquiry Learning Environment in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsivitanidou, Olia; Zacharia, Zacharias C.; Hovardas, Tasos; Nicolaou, Aphrodite

    2012-01-01

    In this study we introduced a peer feedback tool to secondary school students while aiming at investigating whether this tool leads to a feedback dialogue when using a computer supported inquiry learning environment in science. Moreover, we aimed at examining what type of feedback students ask for and receive and whether the students use the…

  11. A knowledge-based system with learning for computer communication network design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pierre, Samuel; Hoang, Hai Hoc; Tropper-Hausen, Evelyne

    1990-01-01

    Computer communication network design is well-known as complex and hard. For that reason, the most effective methods used to solve it are heuristic. Weaknesses of these techniques are listed and a new approach based on artificial intelligence for solving this problem is presented. This approach is particularly recommended for large packet switched communication networks, in the sense that it permits a high degree of reliability and offers a very flexible environment dealing with many relevant design parameters such as link cost, link capacity, and message delay.

  12. Designing for Ab Initio Blended Learning Environments: Identifying Systemic Contradictions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ó Doinn, Oisín

    2017-01-01

    In recent years, Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) has become more accessible than ever before. This is largely due to the proliferation of mobile computing devices and the growth of open online language-learning resources. Additionally, since the beginning of the millennium there has been massive growth in the number of students studying…

  13. Leveraging Computer-Mediated Communication Technologies to Enhance Interactions in Online Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wright, Linda J.

    2011-01-01

    Computer-mediated communication (CMC) technologies have been an integral part of distance education for many years. They are found in both synchronous and asynchronous platforms and are intended to enhance the learning experience for students. CMC technologies add an interactive element to the online learning environment. The findings from this…

  14. Toward Effective Group Formation in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadeghi, Hamid; Kardan, Ahmad A.

    2016-01-01

    Group formation task as a starting point for computer-supported collaborative learning plays a key role in achieving pedagogical goals. Various approaches have been reported in the literature to address this problem, but none have offered an optimal solution. In this research, an online learning environment was modeled as a weighted undirected…

  15. Learning English with "The Sims": Exploiting Authentic Computer Simulation Games for L2 Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ranalli, Jim

    2008-01-01

    With their realistic animation, complex scenarios and impressive interactivity, computer simulation games might be able to provide context-rich, cognitively engaging virtual environments for language learning. However, simulation games designed for L2 learners are in short supply. As an alternative, could games designed for the mass-market be…

  16. The Effectiveness of Computers on Vocabulary Learning among Preschool Children: A Semiotic Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Basoz, Tutku; Can, Dilek Tüfekci

    2016-01-01

    Semiotics has recently achieved some prominence as a theoretical foundation for foreign language learning/teaching. Though there have been a number of research on the semiotics in foreign language learning, the practical use of semiotics in preschool classroom environment still remains unanswered. What is more, the effectiveness of computers on…

  17. Use of an Interculturally Enriched Collaboration Script in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Popov, Vitaliy; Biemans, Harm J. A.; Kuznetsov, Andrei N.; Mulder, Martin

    2014-01-01

    In this exploratory study, the authors introduced an interculturally enriched collaboration script (IECS) for working in culturally diverse groups within a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment and then assessed student online collaborative behaviour, learning performance and experiences. The question was if and how these…

  18. The Affective Experience of Novice Computer Programmers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bosch, Nigel; D'Mello, Sidney

    2017-01-01

    Novice students (N = 99) participated in a lab study in which they learned the fundamentals of computer programming in Python using a self-paced computerized learning environment involving a 25-min scaffolded learning phase and a 10-min unscaffolded fadeout phase. Students provided affect judgments at approximately 100 points (every 15 s) over the…

  19. Pedagogical Agents as Learning Companions: The Impact of Agent Emotion and Gender

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Yanghee; Baylor, A. L.; Shen, E.

    2007-01-01

    The potential of emotional interaction between human and computer has recently interested researchers in human-computer interaction. The instructional impact of this interaction in learning environments has not been established, however. This study examined the impact of emotion and gender of a pedagogical agent as a learning companion (PAL) on…

  20. Examining the Effects of Learning Styles, Epistemic Beliefs and the Computational Experiment Methodology on Learners' Performance Using the Easy Java Simulator Tool in STEM Disciplines

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Psycharis, Sarantos; Botsari, Evanthia; Chatzarakis, George

    2014-01-01

    Learning styles are increasingly being integrated into computational-enhanced earning environments and a great deal of recent research work is taking place in this area. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the computational experiment approach, learning styles, epistemic beliefs, and engagement with the inquiry process on the…

  1. Nursing students learning the pharmacology of diabetes mellitus with complexity-based computerized models: A quasi-experimental study.

    PubMed

    Dubovi, Ilana; Dagan, Efrat; Sader Mazbar, Ola; Nassar, Laila; Levy, Sharona T

    2018-02-01

    Pharmacology is a crucial component of medications administration in nursing, yet nursing students generally find it difficult and self-rate their pharmacology skills as low. To evaluate nursing students learning pharmacology with the Pharmacology Inter-Leaved Learning-Cells environment, a novel approach to modeling biochemical interactions using a multiscale, computer-based model with a complexity perspective based on a small set of entities and simple rules. This environment represents molecules, organelles and cells to enhance the understanding of cellular processes, and combines these cells at a higher scale to obtain whole-body interactions. Sophomore nursing students who learned the pharmacology of diabetes mellitus with the Pharmacology Inter-Leaved Learning-Cells environment (experimental group; n=94) or via a lecture-based curriculum (comparison group; n=54). A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design was conducted. The Pharmacology-Diabetes-Mellitus questionnaire and the course's final exam were used to evaluate students' knowledge of the pharmacology of diabetes mellitus. Conceptual learning was significantly higher for the experimental than for the comparison group for the course final exam scores (unpaired t=-3.8, p<0.001) and for the Pharmacology-Diabetes-Mellitus questionnaire (U=942, p<0.001). The largest effect size for the Pharmacology-Diabetes-Mellitus questionnaire was for the medication action subscale. Analysis of complex-systems component reasoning revealed a significant difference for micro-macro transitions between the levels (F(1, 82)=6.9, p<0.05). Learning with complexity-based computerized models is highly effective and enhances the understanding of moving between micro and macro levels of the biochemical phenomena, this is then related to better understanding of medication actions. Moreover, the Pharmacology Inter-Leaved Learning-Cells approach provides a more general reasoning scheme for biochemical processes, which enhances pharmacology learning beyond the specific topic learned. The present study implies that deeper understanding of pharmacology will support nursing students' clinical decisions and empower their proficiency in medications administration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Mathematical Teachers' Perception: Mobile Learning and Constructing 21st Century Collaborative Cloud-Computing Environments in Elementary Public Schools in the State of Kuwait

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alqallaf, Nadeyah

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine Kuwaiti mathematical elementary teachers' perceptions about their ability to integrate M-learning (mobile learning) into their current teaching practices and the major barriers hindering teachers' ability to create an M-learning environment. Furthermore, this study sought to understand teachers' perceptions…

  3. Dual learning processes underlying human decision-making in reversal learning tasks: functional significance and evidence from the model fit to human behavior

    PubMed Central

    Bai, Yu; Katahira, Kentaro; Ohira, Hideki

    2014-01-01

    Humans are capable of correcting their actions based on actions performed in the past, and this ability enables them to adapt to a changing environment. The computational field of reinforcement learning (RL) has provided a powerful explanation for understanding such processes. Recently, the dual learning system, modeled as a hybrid model that incorporates value update based on reward-prediction error and learning rate modulation based on the surprise signal, has gained attention as a model for explaining various neural signals. However, the functional significance of the hybrid model has not been established. In the present study, we used computer simulation in a reversal learning task to address functional significance in a probabilistic reversal learning task. The hybrid model was found to perform better than the standard RL model in a large parameter setting. These results suggest that the hybrid model is more robust against the mistuning of parameters compared with the standard RL model when decision-makers continue to learn stimulus-reward contingencies, which can create abrupt changes. The parameter fitting results also indicated that the hybrid model fit better than the standard RL model for more than 50% of the participants, which suggests that the hybrid model has more explanatory power for the behavioral data than the standard RL model. PMID:25161635

  4. The GI Project: a prototype electronic textbook for high school biology.

    PubMed

    Calhoun, P S; Fishman, E K

    1997-01-01

    A prototype electronic science textbook for secondary education was developed to help bridge the gap between state-of-the-art medical technology and the basic science classroom. The prototype combines the latest in radiologic imaging techniques with a user-friendly multimedia computer program to teach the anatomy, physiology, and diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The program includes original text, illustrations, photographs, animations, images from upper GI studies, plain radiographs, computed tomographic images, and three-dimensional reconstructions. These features are intended to create a stimulus-rich environment in which the high school science student can enjoy a variety of interactive experiences that will facilitate the learning process. The computer-based book is a new educational tool that promises to play a prominent role in the coming years. Current research suggests that computer-based books are valuable as an alternative educational medium. Although it is not yet clear what form textbooks will take in the future, computer-based books are already proving valuable as an alternative educational medium. For beginning students, they reinforce the material found in traditional textbooks and class presentations; for advanced students, they provide motivation to learn outside the traditional classroom.

  5. Effects of congruence between preferred and perceived learning environments in nursing education in Taiwan: a cross-sectional study

    PubMed Central

    Yeh, Ting-Kuang; Huang, Hsiu-Mei; Chan, Wing P; Chang, Chun-Yen

    2016-01-01

    Objective To investigate the effects of congruence between preferred and perceived learning environments on learning outcomes of nursing students. Setting A nursing course at a university in central Taiwan. Participants 124 Taiwanese nursing students enrolled in a 13-week problem-based Fundamental Nursing curriculum. Design and methods Students' preferred learning environment, perceptions about the learning environment and learning outcomes (knowledge, self-efficacy and attitudes) were assessed. On the basis of test scores measuring their preferred and perceived learning environments, students were assigned to one of two groups: a ‘preferred environment aligned with perceived learning environment’ group and a ‘preferred environment discordant with perceived learning environment’ group. Learning outcomes were analysed by group. Outcome measures Most participants preferred learning in a classroom environment that combined problem-based and lecture-based instruction. However, a mismatch of problem-based instruction with students' perceptions occurred. Learning outcomes were significantly better when students' perceptions of their instructional activities were congruent with their preferred learning environment. Conclusions As problem-based learning becomes a focus of educational reform in nursing, teachers need to be aware of students' preferences and perceptions of the learning environment. Teachers may also need to improve the match between an individual student's perception and a teacher's intention in the learning environment, and between the student's preferred and actual perceptions of the learning environment. PMID:27207620

  6. Effects of congruence between preferred and perceived learning environments in nursing education in Taiwan: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Yeh, Ting-Kuang; Huang, Hsiu-Mei; Chan, Wing P; Chang, Chun-Yen

    2016-05-20

    To investigate the effects of congruence between preferred and perceived learning environments on learning outcomes of nursing students. A nursing course at a university in central Taiwan. 124 Taiwanese nursing students enrolled in a 13-week problem-based Fundamental Nursing curriculum. Students' preferred learning environment, perceptions about the learning environment and learning outcomes (knowledge, self-efficacy and attitudes) were assessed. On the basis of test scores measuring their preferred and perceived learning environments, students were assigned to one of two groups: a 'preferred environment aligned with perceived learning environment' group and a 'preferred environment discordant with perceived learning environment' group. Learning outcomes were analysed by group. Most participants preferred learning in a classroom environment that combined problem-based and lecture-based instruction. However, a mismatch of problem-based instruction with students' perceptions occurred. Learning outcomes were significantly better when students' perceptions of their instructional activities were congruent with their preferred learning environment. As problem-based learning becomes a focus of educational reform in nursing, teachers need to be aware of students' preferences and perceptions of the learning environment. Teachers may also need to improve the match between an individual student's perception and a teacher's intention in the learning environment, and between the student's preferred and actual perceptions of the learning environment. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  7. Computer-Mediated Glosses in Second Language Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Learning: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abraham, Lee B.

    2008-01-01

    Language learners have unprecedented opportunities for developing second language literacy skills and intercultural understanding by reading authentic texts on the Internet and in multimedia computer-assisted language learning environments. This article presents findings from a meta-analysis of 11 studies of computer-mediated glosses in second…

  8. Review of Research on the Cognitive Effects of Computer-Assisted Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mandinach, E.; And Others

    This review of the research on the cognitive effects of computer-assisted instruction begins with an overview of the ACCCEL (Assessing Cognitive Consequences of Computer Environments for Learning) research program at the University of California at Berkeley, which consists of several interrelated studies examining the acquisition of such higher…

  9. Telepresence: A "Real" Component in a Model to Make Human-Computer Interface Factors Meaningful in the Virtual Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Selverian, Melissa E. Markaridian; Lombard, Matthew

    2009-01-01

    A thorough review of the research relating to Human-Computer Interface (HCI) form and content factors in the education, communication and computer science disciplines reveals strong associations of meaningful perceptual "illusions" with enhanced learning and satisfaction in the evolving classroom. Specifically, associations emerge…

  10. Use of the computational-informational web-GIS system for the development of climatology students' skills in modeling and understanding climate change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gordova, Yulia; Martynova, Yulia; Shulgina, Tamara

    2015-04-01

    The current situation with the training of specialists in environmental sciences is complicated by the fact that the very scientific field is experiencing a period of rapid development. Global change has caused the development of measurement techniques and modeling of environmental characteristics, accompanied by the expansion of the conceptual and mathematical apparatus. Understanding and forecasting processes in the Earth system requires extensive use of mathematical modeling and advanced computing technologies. As a rule, available training programs in the environmental sciences disciplines do not have time to adapt to such rapid changes in the domain content. As a result, graduates of faculties do not understand processes and mechanisms of the global change, have only superficial knowledge of mathematical modeling of processes in the environment. They do not have the required skills in numerical modeling, data processing and analysis of observations and computation outputs and are not prepared to work with the meteorological data. For adequate training of future specialists in environmental sciences we propose the following approach, which reflects the new "research" paradigm in education. We believe that the training of such specialists should be done not in an artificial learning environment, but based on actual operating information-computational systems used in environment studies, in the so-called virtual research environment via development of virtual research and learning laboratories. In the report the results of the use of computational-informational web-GIS system "Climate" (http://climate.scert.ru/) as a prototype of such laboratory are discussed. The approach is realized at Tomsk State University to prepare bachelors in meteorology. Student survey shows that their knowledge has become deeper and more systemic after undergoing training in virtual learning laboratory. The scientific team plans to assist any educators to utilize the system in earth science education. This work is partially supported by SB RAS project VIII.80.2.1, RFBR grants 13-05-12034 and 14-05-00502.

  11. Neurally and ocularly informed graph-based models for searching 3D environments.

    PubMed

    Jangraw, David C; Wang, Jun; Lance, Brent J; Chang, Shih-Fu; Sajda, Paul

    2014-08-01

    As we move through an environment, we are constantly making assessments, judgments and decisions about the things we encounter. Some are acted upon immediately, but many more become mental notes or fleeting impressions-our implicit 'labeling' of the world. In this paper, we use physiological correlates of this labeling to construct a hybrid brain-computer interface (hBCI) system for efficient navigation of a 3D environment. First, we record electroencephalographic (EEG), saccadic and pupillary data from subjects as they move through a small part of a 3D virtual city under free-viewing conditions. Using machine learning, we integrate the neural and ocular signals evoked by the objects they encounter to infer which ones are of subjective interest to them. These inferred labels are propagated through a large computer vision graph of objects in the city, using semi-supervised learning to identify other, unseen objects that are visually similar to the labeled ones. Finally, the system plots an efficient route to help the subjects visit the 'similar' objects it identifies. We show that by exploiting the subjects' implicit labeling to find objects of interest instead of exploring naively, the median search precision is increased from 25% to 97%, and the median subject need only travel 40% of the distance to see 84% of the objects of interest. We also find that the neural and ocular signals contribute in a complementary fashion to the classifiers' inference of subjects' implicit labeling. In summary, we show that neural and ocular signals reflecting subjective assessment of objects in a 3D environment can be used to inform a graph-based learning model of that environment, resulting in an hBCI system that improves navigation and information delivery specific to the user's interests.

  12. Neurally and ocularly informed graph-based models for searching 3D environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jangraw, David C.; Wang, Jun; Lance, Brent J.; Chang, Shih-Fu; Sajda, Paul

    2014-08-01

    Objective. As we move through an environment, we are constantly making assessments, judgments and decisions about the things we encounter. Some are acted upon immediately, but many more become mental notes or fleeting impressions—our implicit ‘labeling’ of the world. In this paper, we use physiological correlates of this labeling to construct a hybrid brain-computer interface (hBCI) system for efficient navigation of a 3D environment. Approach. First, we record electroencephalographic (EEG), saccadic and pupillary data from subjects as they move through a small part of a 3D virtual city under free-viewing conditions. Using machine learning, we integrate the neural and ocular signals evoked by the objects they encounter to infer which ones are of subjective interest to them. These inferred labels are propagated through a large computer vision graph of objects in the city, using semi-supervised learning to identify other, unseen objects that are visually similar to the labeled ones. Finally, the system plots an efficient route to help the subjects visit the ‘similar’ objects it identifies. Main results. We show that by exploiting the subjects’ implicit labeling to find objects of interest instead of exploring naively, the median search precision is increased from 25% to 97%, and the median subject need only travel 40% of the distance to see 84% of the objects of interest. We also find that the neural and ocular signals contribute in a complementary fashion to the classifiers’ inference of subjects’ implicit labeling. Significance. In summary, we show that neural and ocular signals reflecting subjective assessment of objects in a 3D environment can be used to inform a graph-based learning model of that environment, resulting in an hBCI system that improves navigation and information delivery specific to the user’s interests.

  13. Toward Agent Programs with Circuit Semantics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nilsson, Nils J.

    1992-01-01

    New ideas are presented for computing and organizing actions for autonomous agents in dynamic environments-environments in which the agent's current situation cannot always be accurately discerned and in which the effects of actions cannot always be reliably predicted. The notion of 'circuit semantics' for programs based on 'teleo-reactive trees' is introduced. Program execution builds a combinational circuit which receives sensory inputs and controls actions. These formalisms embody a high degree of inherent conditionality and thus yield programs that are suitably reactive to their environments. At the same time, the actions computed by the programs are guided by the overall goals of the agent. The paper also speculates about how programs using these ideas could be automatically generated by artificial intelligence planning systems and adapted by learning methods.

  14. Learning and Teaching in a Synchronous Collaborative Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marjanovic, Olivera

    1999-01-01

    Describes a new synchronous collaborative environment that combines interactive learning and Group Support Systems for computer-mediated collaboration. Illustrates its potential to improve critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills, and describes how teachers' roles are changed. (Author/LRW)

  15. A Model for Integrating New Technologies into Pre-Service Teacher Training Programs Ajman University (A Case Study)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaqour, Ali Zuhdi H.

    2005-01-01

    This study introduces a "Technology Integration Model" for a learning environment utilizing constructivist learning principles and integrating new technologies namely computers and the Internet into pre-service teacher training programs. The technology integrated programs and learning environments may assist learners to gain experiences…

  16. Guided Versus Unguided Learning: Which One To Choose?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Speck, Angela; Ruzhitskaya, L.

    2011-01-01

    We present the results of a study that measures the effectiveness of two types of computer-based tutorials for teaching the concept of stellar parallax to non-science major students in a college-level introductory astronomy course. A number of previous studies on the use of computer technology in education suggested that a method of inquiry-based learning rooted in a discovery method must prevail over direct instruction. At the same time, a number of researchers raised a concern that the discovery approach especially in combination with interactive computer-based environments may present students with additional distractions and thus hinder the educational value of such interactions. This study was set to test the both approaches and to identify the preferable method for engaging students in active and meaningful learning. The study consisted of guided and unguided computer-based tutorials and used a control group in which students were engaged in paper-based exercises. The guided tutorial was an adaptive tutorial that was designed to respond to students’ input and to provide them with the next step: an exercise, an animated visualization, or a set of additional questions. The unguided tutorial allowed students to explore any part of the tutorial in any order. Both tutorials consisted of four parts and reviewed simple geometry, trigonometric parallax, angular sizes in astronomy, resolution and conversion of units, and had a concluding chapter on finding distance to a star. The control group used Lecture-Tutorials (Prather, et al) to learn angular sizes and stellar parallax. The efficacy of each treatment was validated through a 14-question pretest and two posttests to evaluate and contrast students’ immediate recall and their long-term knowledge and corroborated by a number of interviews with selected students. We present our preliminary results based on analyzed work of over 200 participants.

  17. Using deep learning in image hyper spectral segmentation, classification, and detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Xiuying; Su, Zhenyu

    2018-02-01

    Recent years have shown that deep learning neural networks are a valuable tool in the field of computer vision. Deep learning method can be used in applications like remote sensing such as Land cover Classification, Detection of Vehicle in Satellite Images, Hyper spectral Image classification. This paper addresses the use of the deep learning artificial neural network in Satellite image segmentation. Image segmentation plays an important role in image processing. The hue of the remote sensing image often has a large hue difference, which will result in the poor display of the images in the VR environment. Image segmentation is a pre processing technique applied to the original images and splits the image into many parts which have different hue to unify the color. Several computational models based on supervised, unsupervised, parametric, probabilistic region based image segmentation techniques have been proposed. Recently, one of the machine learning technique known as, deep learning with convolution neural network has been widely used for development of efficient and automatic image segmentation models. In this paper, we focus on study of deep neural convolution network and its variants for automatic image segmentation rather than traditional image segmentation strategies.

  18. Using computer simulations to facilitate conceptual understanding of electromagnetic induction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Yu-Fen

    This study investigated the use of computer simulations to facilitate conceptual understanding in physics. The use of computer simulations in the present study was grounded in a conceptual framework drawn from findings related to the use of computer simulations in physics education. To achieve the goal of effective utilization of computers for physics education, I first reviewed studies pertaining to computer simulations in physics education categorized by three different learning frameworks and studies comparing the effects of different simulation environments. My intent was to identify the learning context and factors for successful use of computer simulations in past studies and to learn from the studies which did not obtain a significant result. Based on the analysis of reviewed literature, I proposed effective approaches to integrate computer simulations in physics education. These approaches are consistent with well established education principles such as those suggested by How People Learn (Bransford, Brown, Cocking, Donovan, & Pellegrino, 2000). The research based approaches to integrated computer simulations in physics education form a learning framework called Concept Learning with Computer Simulations (CLCS) in the current study. The second component of this study was to examine the CLCS learning framework empirically. The participants were recruited from a public high school in Beijing, China. All participating students were randomly assigned to two groups, the experimental (CLCS) group and the control (TRAD) group. Research based computer simulations developed by the physics education research group at University of Colorado at Boulder were used to tackle common conceptual difficulties in learning electromagnetic induction. While interacting with computer simulations, CLCS students were asked to answer reflective questions designed to stimulate qualitative reasoning and explanation. After receiving model reasoning online, students were asked to submit their revised answers electronically. Students in the TRAD group were not granted access to the CLCS material and followed their normal classroom routine. At the end of the study, both the CLCS and TRAD students took a post-test. Questions on the post-test were divided into "what" questions, "how" questions, and an open response question. Analysis of students' post-test performance showed mixed results. While the TRAD students scored higher on the "what" questions, the CLCS students scored higher on the "how" questions and the one open response questions. This result suggested that more TRAD students knew what kinds of conditions may or may not cause electromagnetic induction without understanding how electromagnetic induction works. Analysis of the CLCS students' learning also suggested that frequent disruption and technical trouble might pose threats to the effectiveness of the CLCS learning framework. Despite the mixed results of students' post-test performance, the CLCS learning framework revealed some limitations to promote conceptual understanding in physics. Improvement can be made by providing students with background knowledge necessary to understand model reasoning and incorporating the CLCS learning framework with other learning frameworks to promote integration of various physics concepts. In addition, the reflective questions in the CLCS learning framework may be refined to better address students' difficulties. Limitations of the study, as well as suggestions for future research, are also presented in this study.

  19. Examination of the Effects of Dimensionality on Cognitive Processing in Science: A Computational Modeling Experiment Comparing Online Laboratory Simulations and Serious Educational Games

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lamb, Richard L.

    2016-02-01

    Within the last 10 years, new tools for assisting in the teaching and learning of academic skills and content within the context of science have arisen. These new tools include multiple types of computer software and hardware to include (video) games. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the effect of computer learning games in the form of three-dimensional serious educational games, two-dimensional online laboratories, and traditional lecture-based instruction in the context of student content learning in science. In particular, this study examines the impact of dimensionality, or the ability to move along the X-, Y-, and Z-axis in the games. Study subjects ( N = 551) were randomly selected using a stratified sampling technique. Independent strata subsamples were developed based upon the conditions of serious educational games, online laboratories, and lecture. The study also computationally models a potential mechanism of action and compares two- and three-dimensional learning environments. F test results suggest a significant difference for the main effect of condition across the factor of content gain score with large effect. Overall, comparisons using computational models suggest that three-dimensional serious educational games increase the level of success in learning as measured with content examinations through greater recruitment and attributional retraining of cognitive systems. The study supports assertions in the literature that the use of games in higher dimensions (i.e., three-dimensional versus two-dimensional) helps to increase student understanding of science concepts.

  20. Investigating the Language of Engineering Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Variawa, Chirag

    A significant part of professional communication development in engineering is the ability to learn and understand technical vocabulary. Mastering such vocabulary is often a desired learning outcome of engineering education. In promoting this goal, this research investigates the development of a tool that creates wordlists of characteristic discipline-specific vocabulary for a given course. These wordlists explicitly highlight requisite vocabulary learning and, when used as a teaching aid, can promote greater accessibility in the learning environment. Literature, including work in higher education, diversity and language learning, suggest that designing accessible learning environments can increase the quality of instruction and learning for all students. Studying the student/instructor interface using the framework of Universal Instructional Design identified vocabulary learning as an invisible barrier in engineering education. A preliminary investigation of this barrier suggested that students have difficulty assessing their understanding of technical vocabulary. Subsequently, computing word frequency on engineering course material was investigated as an approach for characterizing this barrier. However, it was concluded that a more nuanced method was necessary. This research program was built on previous work in the fields of linguistics and computer science, and lead to the design of an algorithm. The developed algorithm is based on a statistical technique called, Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency. Comparator sets of documents are used to hierarchically identify characteristic terms on a target document, such as course materials from a previous term of study. The approach draws on a standardized artifact of the engineering learning environment as its dataset; a repository of 2254 engineering final exams from the University of Toronto, to process the target material. After producing wordlists for ten courses, with the goal of highlighting characteristic discipline-specific terms, the effectiveness of the approach was evaluated by comparing the computed results to the judgment of subject-matter experts. The overall data show a good correlation between the program and the subject-matter experts. The results indicated a balance between accuracy and feasibility, and suggested that this approach could mimic subject-matter expertise to create a list discipline-specific vocabulary from course materials.

  1. A Discussion of Possibility of Reinforcement Learning Using Event-Related Potential in BCI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamagishi, Yuya; Tsubone, Tadashi; Wada, Yasuhiro

    Recently, Brain computer interface (BCI) which is a direct connecting pathway an external device such as a computer or a robot and a human brain have gotten a lot of attention. Since BCI can control the machines as robots by using the brain activity without using the voluntary muscle, the BCI may become a useful communication tool for handicapped persons, for instance, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. However, in order to realize the BCI system which can perform precise tasks on various environments, it is necessary to design the control rules to adapt to the dynamic environments. Reinforcement learning is one approach of the design of the control rule. If this reinforcement leaning can be performed by the brain activity, it leads to the attainment of BCI that has general versatility. In this research, we paid attention to P300 of event-related potential as an alternative signal of the reward of reinforcement learning. We discriminated between the success and the failure trials from P300 of the EEG of the single trial by using the proposed discrimination algorithm based on Support vector machine. The possibility of reinforcement learning was examined from the viewpoint of the number of discriminated trials. It was shown that there was a possibility to be able to learn in most subjects.

  2. Building adaptive connectionist-based controllers: review of experiments in human-robot interaction, collective robotics, and computational neuroscience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Billard, Aude

    2000-10-01

    This paper summarizes a number of experiments in biologically inspired robotics. The common feature to all experiments is the use of artificial neural networks as the building blocks for the controllers. The experiments speak in favor of using a connectionist approach for designing adaptive and flexible robot controllers, and for modeling neurological processes. I present 1) DRAMA, a novel connectionist architecture, which has general property for learning time series and extracting spatio-temporal regularities in multi-modal and highly noisy data; 2) Robota, a doll-shaped robot, which imitates and learns a proto-language; 3) an experiment in collective robotics, where a group of 4 to 15 Khepera robots learn dynamically the topography of an environment whose features change frequently; 4) an abstract, computational model of primate ability to learn by imitation; 5) a model for the control of locomotor gaits in a quadruped legged robot.

  3. Intelligent path loss prediction engine design using machine learning in the urban outdoor environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ruichen; Lu, Jingyang; Xu, Yiran; Shen, Dan; Chen, Genshe; Pham, Khanh; Blasch, Erik

    2018-05-01

    Due to the progressive expansion of public mobile networks and the dramatic growth of the number of wireless users in recent years, researchers are motivated to study the radio propagation in urban environments and develop reliable and fast path loss prediction models. During last decades, different types of propagation models are developed for urban scenario path loss predictions such as the Hata model and the COST 231 model. In this paper, the path loss prediction model is thoroughly investigated using machine learning approaches. Different non-linear feature selection methods are deployed and investigated to reduce the computational complexity. The simulation results are provided to demonstratethe validity of the machine learning based path loss prediction engine, which can correctly determine the signal propagation in a wireless urban setting.

  4. The Effectiveness of Blended Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eryilmaz, Meltem

    2015-01-01

    The object of this experimental study is to measure the effectiveness of a blended learning environment which is laid out on the basis of features for face to face and online environments. The study was applied to 110 students who attend to Atilim University, Ankara, Turkey and take Introduction to Computers Course. During the application,…

  5. Does the Medium Dictate the Message? Cultivating E-Communication in an Asynchronous Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiernan, Mary; Thomas, Pete; Woodroffe, Mark

    Virtual learning environments (VLEs) are often perceived by education establishments as an opportunity to widen access without traditional overheads. An integral part of most VLEs is asynchronous computer conferencing and on-line moderators must help students migrate quickly to the new virtual environment to minimize learning disruption. This…

  6. The direction of cloud computing for Malaysian education sector in 21st century

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaafar, Jazurainifariza; Rahman, M. Nordin A.; Kadir, M. Fadzil A.; Shamsudin, Syadiah Nor; Saany, Syarilla Iryani A.

    2017-08-01

    In 21st century, technology has turned learning environment into a new way of education to make learning systems more effective and systematic. Nowadays, education institutions are faced many challenges to ensure the teaching and learning process is running smoothly and manageable. Some of challenges in the current education management are lack of integrated systems, high cost of maintenance, difficulty of configuration and deployment as well as complexity of storage provision. Digital learning is an instructional practice that use technology to make learning experience more effective, provides education process more systematic and attractive. Digital learning can be considered as one of the prominent application that implemented under cloud computing environment. Cloud computing is a type of network resources that provides on-demands services where the users can access applications inside it at any location and no time border. It also promises for minimizing the cost of maintenance and provides a flexible of data storage capacity. The aim of this article is to review the definition and types of cloud computing for improving digital learning management as required in the 21st century education. The analysis of digital learning context focused on primary school in Malaysia. Types of cloud applications and services in education sector are also discussed in the article. Finally, gap analysis and direction of cloud computing in education sector for facing the 21st century challenges are suggested.

  7. Spider World: A Robot Language for Learning to Program. Assessing the Cognitive Consequences of Computer Environments for Learning (ACCCEL).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dalbey, John; Linn, Marcia

    Spider World is an interactive program designed to help individuals with no previous computer experience to learn the fundamentals of programming. The program emphasizes cognitive tasks which are central to programming and provides significant problem-solving opportunities. In Spider World, the user commands a hypothetical robot (called the…

  8. El Silencio: A Rural Community of Learners and Media Creators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Urrea, Claudia

    2010-01-01

    A one-to-one learning environment, where each participating student and the teacher use a laptop computer, provides an invaluable opportunity for rethinking learning and studying the ways in which children can program computers and learn to think about their own thinking styles and become epistemologists. This article presents a study done in a…

  9. An application of the TROFLEI in secondary-school science classes in New Zealand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhan Koul, Rekha; Fisher, D. L.; Shaw, Toni

    2011-07-01

    Background and purpose: The present study reports on the findings of a study conducted in New Zealand using the actual and preferred forms of a classroom environment instrument, the Technology-Rich Outcomes-focussed Learning Environment Inventory (TROFLEI) and three affective outcome scales. Main aims of this study were to validate the instrument for use in New Zealand; to investigate differences between students' perceptions of (a) actual and preferred learning environments, (b) year levels and (c) gender; and to investigate associations between science classroom learning environment, attitude and self-efficacy. Sample TROFLEI was administered to 1027 high-school students from 30 classes. Design and method The 80-item TROFLEI assesses 10 classroom environment dimensions: student cohesiveness, teacher support, involvement, investigation, task orientation, cooperation, equity, differentiation, computer usage and young adult ethos. The three affective outcome scales used in the study are attitude to subject, attitude to computers and academic efficacy. Results The validity and reliability of the TROFLEI and three affective outcome scales for use in New Zealand were established. Differences in actual and preferred scores confirmed that students participating in the study sought better learning environments. Female students generally perceived their technology-related learning environment more positively. Year-13 students had consistently higher means for most (8 out of 13) of the learning environment dimensions. Statistically significant associations were found between the scales of TROLFLEI and three affective outcome scales. Conclusions The results of this study assist us in understanding the psychosocial learning environments in New Zealand in a technology-supported classroom and to determine its effectiveness in terms of selected learner outcomes.

  10. Improved Distance Learning Environment For Marine Forces Reserve

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-09-01

    keyboard, to 20 form a desktop computer . Laptop computers share similar components but add mobility to the user. If additional desktop computers ...for stationary computing devices such as desktop PCs and laptops include the Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, and Linux families of OSs 44 (Hopkins...opportunities to all Marines. For active duty Marines, government-provided desktops and laptops (GPDLs) typically support DL T&E or learning resource

  11. Model-based Utility Functions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hibbard, Bill

    2012-05-01

    Orseau and Ring, as well as Dewey, have recently described problems, including self-delusion, with the behavior of agents using various definitions of utility functions. An agent's utility function is defined in terms of the agent's history of interactions with its environment. This paper argues, via two examples, that the behavior problems can be avoided by formulating the utility function in two steps: 1) inferring a model of the environment from interactions, and 2) computing utility as a function of the environment model. Basing a utility function on a model that the agent must learn implies that the utility function must initially be expressed in terms of specifications to be matched to structures in the learned model. These specifications constitute prior assumptions about the environment so this approach will not work with arbitrary environments. But the approach should work for agents designed by humans to act in the physical world. The paper also addresses the issue of self-modifying agents and shows that if provided with the possibility to modify their utility functions agents will not choose to do so, under some usual assumptions.

  12. Enhancing Student Explanations of Evolution: Comparing Elaborating and Competing Theory Prompts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donnelly, Dermot F.; Namdar, Bahadir; Vitale, Jonathan M.; Lai, Kevin; Linn, Marcia C.

    2016-01-01

    In this study, we explore how two different prompt types within an online computer-based inquiry learning environment enhance 392 7th grade students' explanations of evolution with three teachers. In the "elaborating" prompt condition, students are prompted to write explanations that support the accepted theory of evolution. In the…

  13. And So It Grows: Using a Computer-Based Simulation of a Population Growth Model to Integrate Biology & Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Street, Garrett M.; Laubach, Timothy A.

    2013-01-01

    We provide a 5E structured-inquiry lesson so that students can learn more of the mathematics behind the logistic model of population biology. By using models and mathematics, students understand how population dynamics can be influenced by relatively simple changes in the environment.

  14. Dynamic Visualizations: How Attraction, Motivation and Communication Affect Streaming Video Tutorial Implementation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boger, Claire

    2011-01-01

    The rapid advancement in the capabilities of computer technologies has made it easier to design and deploy dynamic visualizations in web-based learning environments; yet, the implementation of these dynamic visuals has been met with mixed results. While many guidelines exist to assist instructional designers in the design and application of…

  15. Examining CEGEP Students' Acceptance of Computer-Based Learning Environments: A Test of Two Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doleck, Tenzin; Bazelais, Paul; Lemay, David John

    2017-01-01

    As the use of technology in education advances and broadens, empirical research around its use assumes increased importance. Yet literature investigating technology acceptance in certain populations remains scarce. We recently argued that technology acceptance investigations should also consider the modality of the antecedent belief, to…

  16. A Computational Model of Learners Achievement Emotions Using Control-Value Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muñoz, Karla; Noguez, Julieta; Neri, Luis; Mc Kevitt, Paul; Lunney, Tom

    2016-01-01

    Game-based Learning (GBL) environments make instruction flexible and interactive. Positive experiences depend on personalization. Student modelling has focused on affect. Three methods are used: (1) recognizing the physiological effects of emotion, (2) reasoning about emotion from its origin and (3) an approach combining 1 and 2. These have proven…

  17. An ANN That Applies Pragmatic Decision on Texts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aretoulaki, Maria; Tsujii, Jun-ichi

    A computer-based artificial neural network (ANN) that learns to classify sentences in a text as important or unimportant is described. The program is designed to select the sentences that are important enough to be included in composition of an abstract of the text. The ANN is embedded in a conventional symbolic environment consisting of…

  18. A Discussion-Based Online Approach to Fostering Deep Cultural Inquiry in an Introductory Language Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garrett-Rucks, Paula

    2013-01-01

    Fostering and assessing language learners' cultural understanding is a daunting task, particularly at the early stages of language learning with target language instruction. The purpose of this study was to explore the development of beginning French language learners' intercultural understanding in a computer-mediated environment where students…

  19. Language Learning in Mindbodyworld: A Sociocognitive Approach to Second Language Acquisition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Atkinson, Dwight

    2014-01-01

    Based on recent research in cognitive science, interaction, and second language acquisition (SLA), I describe a sociocognitive approach to SLA. This approach adopts a "non-cognitivist" view of cognition: Instead of an isolated computational process in which input is extracted from the environment and used to build elaborate internal…

  20. Design of Intelligent Robot as A Tool for Teaching Media Based on Computer Interactive Learning and Computer Assisted Learning to Improve the Skill of University Student

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zuhrie, M. S.; Basuki, I.; Asto B, I. G. P.; Anifah, L.

    2018-01-01

    The focus of the research is the teaching module which incorporates manufacturing, planning mechanical designing, controlling system through microprocessor technology and maneuverability of the robot. Computer interactive and computer-assisted learning is strategies that emphasize the use of computers and learning aids (computer assisted learning) in teaching and learning activity. This research applied the 4-D model research and development. The model is suggested by Thiagarajan, et.al (1974). 4-D Model consists of four stages: Define Stage, Design Stage, Develop Stage, and Disseminate Stage. This research was conducted by applying the research design development with an objective to produce a tool of learning in the form of intelligent robot modules and kit based on Computer Interactive Learning and Computer Assisted Learning. From the data of the Indonesia Robot Contest during the period of 2009-2015, it can be seen that the modules that have been developed confirm the fourth stage of the research methods of development; disseminate method. The modules which have been developed for students guide students to produce Intelligent Robot Tool for Teaching Based on Computer Interactive Learning and Computer Assisted Learning. Results of students’ responses also showed a positive feedback to relate to the module of robotics and computer-based interactive learning.

  1. Teaching an Interdisciplinary Graduate-Level Methods Course in an Openly-Networked Connected Learning Environment: A Glass Half-Full

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Secret, Mary; Bryant, Nita L.; Cummings, Cory R.

    2017-01-01

    Our paper describes the design and delivery of an online interdisciplinary social science research methods course (ISRM) for graduate students in sociology, education, social work, and public administration. Collaborative activities and learning took place in two types of computer-mediated learning environments: a closed Blackboard course…

  2. Analyzing User Interaction to Design an Intelligent e-Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharma, Richa

    2011-01-01

    Building intelligent course designing systems adaptable to the learners' needs is one of the key goals of research in e-learning. This goal is all the more crucial as gaining knowledge in an e-learning environment depends solely on computer mediated interaction within the learner group and among the learners and instructors. The patterns generated…

  3. The effectiveness of simulation activities on the cognitive abilities of undergraduate third-year nursing students: a randomised control trial.

    PubMed

    Secomb, Jacinta; McKenna, Lisa; Smith, Colleen

    2012-12-01

    To provide evidence on the effectiveness of simulation activities on the clinical decision-making abilities of undergraduate nursing students. Based on previous research, it was hypothesised that the higher the cognitive score, the greater the ability a nursing student would have to make informed valid decisions in their clinical practice. Globally, simulation is being espoused as an education method that increases the competence of health professionals. At present, there is very little evidence to support current investment in time and resources. Following ethical approval, fifty-eight third-year undergraduate nursing students were randomised in a pretest-post-test group-parallel controlled trial. The learning environment preferences (LEP) inventory was used to test cognitive abilities in order to refute the null hypothesis that activities in computer-based simulated learning environments have a negative effect on cognitive abilities when compared with activities in skills laboratory simulated learning environments. There was no significant difference in cognitive development following two cycles of simulation activities. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that two simulation tasks, either computer-based or laboratory-based, have no effect on an undergraduate student's ability to make clinical decisions in practice. However, there was a significant finding for non-English first-language students, which requires further investigation. More longitudinal studies that quantify the education effects of simulation on the cognitive, affective and psychomotor attributes of health science students and professionals from both English-speaking and non-English-speaking backgrounds are urgently required. It is also recommended that to achieve increased participant numbers and prevent non-participation owing to absenteeism, further studies need to be imbedded directly into curricula. This investigation confirms the effect of simulation activities on real-life clinical practice, and the comparative learning benefits with traditional clinical practice and university education remain unknown. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  4. A Learning System for Discriminating Variants of Malicious Network Traffic

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

    Beaver, Justin M; Symons, Christopher T; Gillen, Rob

    Modern computer network defense systems rely primarily on signature-based intrusion detection tools, which generate alerts when patterns that are pre-determined to be malicious are encountered in network data streams. Signatures are created reactively, and only after in-depth manual analysis of a network intrusion. There is little ability for signature-based detectors to identify intrusions that are new or even variants of an existing attack, and little ability to adapt the detectors to the patterns unique to a network environment. Due to these limitations, the need exists for network intrusion detection techniques that can more comprehensively address both known unknown networkbased attacksmore » and can be optimized for the target environment. This work describes a system that leverages machine learning to provide a network intrusion detection capability that analyzes behaviors in channels of communication between individual computers. Using examples of malicious and non-malicious traffic in the target environment, the system can be trained to discriminate between traffic types. The machine learning provides insight that would be difficult for a human to explicitly code as a signature because it evaluates many interdependent metrics simultaneously. With this approach, zero day detection is possible by focusing on similarity to known traffic types rather than mining for specific bit patterns or conditions. This also reduces the burden on organizations to account for all possible attack variant combinations through signatures. The approach is presented along with results from a third-party evaluation of its performance.« less

  5. Advanced Training Technologies and Learning Environments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Noor, Ahmed K. (Compiler); Malone, John B. (Compiler)

    1999-01-01

    This document contains the proceedings of the Workshop on Advanced Training Technologies and Learning Environments held at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, March 9-10, 1999. The workshop was jointly sponsored by the University of Virginia's Center for Advanced Computational Technology and NASA. Workshop attendees were from NASA, other government agencies, industry, and universities. The objective of the workshop was to assess the status and effectiveness of different advanced training technologies and learning environments.

  6. Enhancing a Multi-body Mechanism with Learning-Aided Cues in an Augmented Reality Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh Sidhu, Manjit

    2013-06-01

    Augmented Reality (AR) is a potential area of research for education, covering issues such as tracking and calibration, and realistic rendering of virtual objects. The ability to augment real world with virtual information has opened the possibility of using AR technology in areas such as education and training as well. In the domain of Computer Aided Learning (CAL), researchers have long been looking into enhancing the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process by providing cues that could assist learners to better comprehend the materials presented. Although a number of works were done looking into the effectiveness of learning-aided cues, but none has really addressed this issue for AR-based learning solutions. This paper discusses the design and model of an AR based software that uses visual cues to enhance the learning process and the outcome perception results of the cues.

  7. Toward a Unified Sub-symbolic Computational Theory of Cognition

    PubMed Central

    Butz, Martin V.

    2016-01-01

    This paper proposes how various disciplinary theories of cognition may be combined into a unifying, sub-symbolic, computational theory of cognition. The following theories are considered for integration: psychological theories, including the theory of event coding, event segmentation theory, the theory of anticipatory behavioral control, and concept development; artificial intelligence and machine learning theories, including reinforcement learning and generative artificial neural networks; and theories from theoretical and computational neuroscience, including predictive coding and free energy-based inference. In the light of such a potential unification, it is discussed how abstract cognitive, conceptualized knowledge and understanding may be learned from actively gathered sensorimotor experiences. The unification rests on the free energy-based inference principle, which essentially implies that the brain builds a predictive, generative model of its environment. Neural activity-oriented inference causes the continuous adaptation of the currently active predictive encodings. Neural structure-oriented inference causes the longer term adaptation of the developing generative model as a whole. Finally, active inference strives for maintaining internal homeostasis, causing goal-directed motor behavior. To learn abstract, hierarchical encodings, however, it is proposed that free energy-based inference needs to be enhanced with structural priors, which bias cognitive development toward the formation of particular, behaviorally suitable encoding structures. As a result, it is hypothesized how abstract concepts can develop from, and thus how they are structured by and grounded in, sensorimotor experiences. Moreover, it is sketched-out how symbol-like thought can be generated by a temporarily active set of predictive encodings, which constitute a distributed neural attractor in the form of an interactive free-energy minimum. The activated, interactive network attractor essentially characterizes the semantics of a concept or a concept composition, such as an actual or imagined situation in our environment. Temporal successions of attractors then encode unfolding semantics, which may be generated by a behavioral or mental interaction with an actual or imagined situation in our environment. Implications, further predictions, possible verification, and falsifications, as well as potential enhancements into a fully spelled-out unified theory of cognition are discussed at the end of the paper. PMID:27445895

  8. Computer-based learning of spelling skills in children with and without dyslexia.

    PubMed

    Kast, Monika; Baschera, Gian-Marco; Gross, Markus; Jäncke, Lutz; Meyer, Martin

    2011-12-01

    Our spelling training software recodes words into multisensory representations comprising visual and auditory codes. These codes represent information about letters and syllables of a word. An enhanced version, developed for this study, contains an additional phonological code and an improved word selection controller relying on a phoneme-based student model. We investigated the spelling behavior of children by means of learning curves based on log-file data of the previous and the enhanced software version. First, we compared the learning progress of children with dyslexia working either with the previous software (n = 28) or the adapted version (n = 37). Second, we investigated the spelling behavior of children with dyslexia (n = 37) and matched children without dyslexia (n = 25). To gain deeper insight into which factors are relevant for acquiring spelling skills, we analyzed the influence of cognitive abilities, such as attention functions and verbal memory skills, on the learning behavior. All investigations of the learning process are based on learning curve analyses of the collected log-file data. The results evidenced that those children with dyslexia benefit significantly from the additional phonological cue and the corresponding phoneme-based student model. Actually, children with dyslexia improve their spelling skills to the same extent as children without dyslexia and were able to memorize phoneme to grapheme correspondence when given the correct support and adequate training. In addition, children with low attention functions benefit from the structured learning environment. Generally, our data showed that memory sources are supportive cognitive functions for acquiring spelling skills and for using the information cues of a multi-modal learning environment.

  9. VBOT: Motivating computational and complex systems fluencies with constructionist virtual/physical robotics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berland, Matthew W.

    As scientists use the tools of computational and complex systems theory to broaden science perspectives (e.g., Bar-Yam, 1997; Holland, 1995; Wolfram, 2002), so can middle-school students broaden their perspectives using appropriate tools. The goals of this dissertation project are to build, study, evaluate, and compare activities designed to foster both computational and complex systems fluencies through collaborative constructionist virtual and physical robotics. In these activities, each student builds an agent (e.g., a robot-bird) that must interact with fellow students' agents to generate a complex aggregate (e.g., a flock of robot-birds) in a participatory simulation environment (Wilensky & Stroup, 1999a). In a participatory simulation, students collaborate by acting in a common space, teaching each other, and discussing content with one another. As a result, the students improve both their computational fluency and their complex systems fluency, where fluency is defined as the ability to both consume and produce relevant content (DiSessa, 2000). To date, several systems have been designed to foster computational and complex systems fluencies through computer programming and collaborative play (e.g., Hancock, 2003; Wilensky & Stroup, 1999b); this study suggests that, by supporting the relevant fluencies through collaborative play, they become mutually reinforcing. In this work, I will present both the design of the VBOT virtual/physical constructionist robotics learning environment and a comparative study of student interaction with the virtual and physical environments across four middle-school classrooms, focusing on the contrast in systems perspectives differently afforded by the two environments. In particular, I found that while performance gains were similar overall, the physical environment supported agent perspectives on aggregate behavior, and the virtual environment supported aggregate perspectives on agent behavior. The primary research questions are: (1) What are the relative affordances of virtual and physical constructionist robotics systems towards computational and complex systems fluencies? (2) What can middle school students learn using computational/complex systems learning environments in a collaborative setting? (3) In what ways are these environments and activities effective in teaching students computational and complex systems fluencies?

  10. Visual analysis of fluid dynamics at NASA's numerical aerodynamic simulation facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Watson, Velvin R.

    1991-01-01

    A study aimed at describing and illustrating visualization tools used in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and indicating how these tools are likely to change by showing a projected resolution of the human computer interface is presented. The following are outlined using a graphically based test format: the revolution of human computer environments for CFD research; comparison of current environments; current environments with the ideal; predictions for the future CFD environments; what can be done to accelerate the improvements. The following comments are given: when acquiring visualization tools, potential rapid changes must be considered; environmental changes over the next ten years due to human computer interface cannot be fathomed; data flow packages such as AVS, apE, Explorer and Data Explorer are easy to learn and use for small problems, excellent for prototyping, but not so efficient for large problems; the approximation techniques used in visualization software must be appropriate for the data; it has become more cost effective to move jobs that fit on workstations and run only memory intensive jobs on the supercomputer; use of three dimensional skills will be maximized when the three dimensional environment is built in from the start.

  11. Intrinsically motivated action-outcome learning and goal-based action recall: a system-level bio-constrained computational model.

    PubMed

    Baldassarre, Gianluca; Mannella, Francesco; Fiore, Vincenzo G; Redgrave, Peter; Gurney, Kevin; Mirolli, Marco

    2013-05-01

    Reinforcement (trial-and-error) learning in animals is driven by a multitude of processes. Most animals have evolved several sophisticated systems of 'extrinsic motivations' (EMs) that guide them to acquire behaviours allowing them to maintain their bodies, defend against threat, and reproduce. Animals have also evolved various systems of 'intrinsic motivations' (IMs) that allow them to acquire actions in the absence of extrinsic rewards. These actions are used later to pursue such rewards when they become available. Intrinsic motivations have been studied in Psychology for many decades and their biological substrates are now being elucidated by neuroscientists. In the last two decades, investigators in computational modelling, robotics and machine learning have proposed various mechanisms that capture certain aspects of IMs. However, we still lack models of IMs that attempt to integrate all key aspects of intrinsically motivated learning and behaviour while taking into account the relevant neurobiological constraints. This paper proposes a bio-constrained system-level model that contributes a major step towards this integration. The model focusses on three processes related to IMs and on the neural mechanisms underlying them: (a) the acquisition of action-outcome associations (internal models of the agent-environment interaction) driven by phasic dopamine signals caused by sudden, unexpected changes in the environment; (b) the transient focussing of visual gaze and actions on salient portions of the environment; (c) the subsequent recall of actions to pursue extrinsic rewards based on goal-directed reactivation of the representations of their outcomes. The tests of the model, including a series of selective lesions, show how the focussing processes lead to a faster learning of action-outcome associations, and how these associations can be recruited for accomplishing goal-directed behaviours. The model, together with the background knowledge reviewed in the paper, represents a framework that can be used to guide the design and interpretation of empirical experiments on IMs, and to computationally validate and further develop theories on them. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Pre-Service English Teachers in Blended Learning Environment in Respect to Their Learning Approaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yilmaz, M. Betul; Orhan, Feza

    2010-01-01

    Blended learning environment (BLE) is increasingly used in the world, especially in university degrees and it is based on integrating web-based learning and face-to-face (FTF) learning environments. Besides integrating different learning environments, BLE also addresses to students with different learning approaches. The "learning…

  13. The Effective Use of Virtual Environments in the Education and Rehabilitation of Students with Intellectual Disabilities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Standen, P. J.; Brown, D. J.; Cromby, J. J.

    2001-01-01

    Reviews the use of one type of computer software, virtual environments, for its potential in the education and rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities. Topics include virtual environments in special education; transfer of learning; adult learning; the role of the tutor; and future directions, including availability, accessibility,…

  14. More than just a game: the role of simulation in the teaching of product design and entrepreneurship to mechanical engineering students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Costello, Gabriel J.

    2017-11-01

    The purpose of this work is to contribute to the debate on the best pedagogical approach to developing undergraduate mechanical engineering skills to meet the requirements of contemporary complex working environments. The paper provides an example of using student-entrepreneur collaboration in the teaching of modules to Mechanical Engineering final-year students. Problem-based learning (PBL) is one of the most significant recent innovations in the area of education for the professions. This work proposes to make an original contribution by simulating a real-life entrepreneur interaction for the students. The current literature largely confines simulation-based learning to computer applications such as games. However, this paper argues that role playing by students interfacing with technology start-ups can also be regarded as 'simulation' in a wider sense. Consequently, the paper proposes the concept of simulation-action learning as an enhancement of PBL and to distinguish it from computer simulation.

  15. Influence of Learning Style and Learning Flexibility on Clinical Judgment of Prelicensure Nursing Students within a Human Patient Computer Simulation Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robison, Elizabeth Sharon

    2012-01-01

    Nursing education is experiencing a transition in how students are exposed to clinical situations. Technology, specifically human patient computer simulation, is replacing human exposure in clinical education (Nehring, 2010b). Kaakinen and Arwood (2009) discuss the need to apply learning theories to instructional designs involving simulation for…

  16. Conventional Microscopy vs. Computer Imagery in Chiropractic Education.

    PubMed

    Cunningham, Christine M; Larzelere, Elizabeth D; Arar, Ilija

    2008-01-01

    As human tissue pathology slides become increasingly difficult to obtain, other methods of teaching microscopy in educational laboratories must be considered. The purpose of this study was to evaluate our students' satisfaction with newly implemented computer imagery based laboratory instruction and to obtain input from their perspective on the advantages and disadvantages of computerized vs. traditional microscope laboratories. This undertaking involved the creation of a new computer laboratory. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 7(th)ed, was chosen as the required text which gave students access to the Robbins Pathology website, including complete content of text, Interactive Case Study Companion, and Virtual Microscope. Students had experience with traditional microscopes in their histology and microbiology laboratory courses. Student satisfaction with computer based learning was assessed using a 28 question survey which was administered to three successive trimesters of pathology students (n=193) using the computer survey website Zoomerang. Answers were given on a scale of 1-5 and statistically analyzed using weighted averages. The survey data indicated that students were satisfied with computer based learning activities during pathology laboratory instruction. The most favorable aspect to computer imagery was 24-7 availability (weighted avg. 4.16), followed by clarification offered by accompanying text and captions (weighted avg. 4.08). Although advantages and disadvantages exist in using conventional microscopy and computer imagery, current pathology teaching environments warrant investigation of replacing traditional microscope exercises with computer applications. Chiropractic students supported the adoption of computer-assisted instruction in pathology laboratories.

  17. SLAM algorithm applied to robotics assistance for navigation in unknown environments

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background The combination of robotic tools with assistance technology determines a slightly explored area of applications and advantages for disability or elder people in their daily tasks. Autonomous motorized wheelchair navigation inside an environment, behaviour based control of orthopaedic arms or user's preference learning from a friendly interface are some examples of this new field. In this paper, a Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm is implemented to allow the environmental learning by a mobile robot while its navigation is governed by electromyographic signals. The entire system is part autonomous and part user-decision dependent (semi-autonomous). The environmental learning executed by the SLAM algorithm and the low level behaviour-based reactions of the mobile robot are robotic autonomous tasks, whereas the mobile robot navigation inside an environment is commanded by a Muscle-Computer Interface (MCI). Methods In this paper, a sequential Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) feature-based SLAM algorithm is implemented. The features correspond to lines and corners -concave and convex- of the environment. From the SLAM architecture, a global metric map of the environment is derived. The electromyographic signals that command the robot's movements can be adapted to the patient's disabilities. For mobile robot navigation purposes, five commands were obtained from the MCI: turn to the left, turn to the right, stop, start and exit. A kinematic controller to control the mobile robot was implemented. A low level behavior strategy was also implemented to avoid robot's collisions with the environment and moving agents. Results The entire system was tested in a population of seven volunteers: three elder, two below-elbow amputees and two young normally limbed patients. The experiments were performed within a closed low dynamic environment. Subjects took an average time of 35 minutes to navigate the environment and to learn how to use the MCI. The SLAM results have shown a consistent reconstruction of the environment. The obtained map was stored inside the Muscle-Computer Interface. Conclusions The integration of a highly demanding processing algorithm (SLAM) with a MCI and the communication between both in real time have shown to be consistent and successful. The metric map generated by the mobile robot would allow possible future autonomous navigation without direct control of the user, whose function could be relegated to choose robot destinations. Also, the mobile robot shares the same kinematic model of a motorized wheelchair. This advantage can be exploited for wheelchair autonomous navigation. PMID:20163735

  18. Preclinical Medical Student Hematology/Oncology Education Environment.

    PubMed

    Zumberg, Marc S; Broudy, Virginia C; Bengtson, Elizabeth M; Gitlin, Scott D

    2015-12-01

    To better prepare medical students to care for patients in today's changing health-care environment as they transition to continuing their education as residents, many US medical schools have been reviewing and modifying their curricula and are considering integration of newer adult learning techniques, including team-based learning, flipped classrooms, and other active learning approaches (Assoc Am Med Coll. 2014). Directors of hematology/oncology (H/O) courses requested an assessment of today's H/O education environment to help them respond to the ongoing changes in the education content and environment that will be necessary to meet this goal. Several recommendations for the improvement of cancer education resulted from American Association for Cancer Education's (ACCE's) "Cancer Education Survey II" including a call for medical schools to evaluate the effectiveness of current teaching methods in achieving cancer education objectives (Chamberlain et al. J Cancer Educ 7(2):105-114.2014). To understand the current environment and resources used in medical student preclinical H/O courses, an Internet-based, Survey Monkey®-formatted, questionnaire focusing on nine topic areas was distributed to 130 United States Hematology/Oncology Course Directors (HOCDs). HOCDs represent a diverse group of individuals who work in variably supportive environments and who are variably satisfied with their position. Several aspects of these courses remain relatively unchanged from previous assessments, including a predominance of traditional lectures, small group sessions, and examinations that are either written or computer-based. Newer technology, including web-based reproduction of lectures, virtual microscopes, and availability of additional web-based content has been introduced into these courses. A variety of learner evaluation and course assessment approaches are used. The ultimate effectiveness and impact of these changes needs to be determined.

  19. Elearn: A Collaborative Educational Virtual Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Michailidou, Anna; Economides, Anastasios A.

    Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) that support collaboration are one of the new technologies that have attracted great interest. VLEs are learning management software systems composed of computer-mediated communication software and online methods of delivering course material. This paper presents ELearn, a collaborative VLE for teaching…

  20. Introducing Seismic Tomography with Computational Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neves, R.; Neves, M. L.; Teodoro, V.

    2011-12-01

    Learning seismic tomography principles and techniques involves advanced physical and computational knowledge. In depth learning of such computational skills is a difficult cognitive process that requires a strong background in physics, mathematics and computer programming. The corresponding learning environments and pedagogic methodologies should then involve sets of computational modelling activities with computer software systems which allow students the possibility to improve their mathematical or programming knowledge and simultaneously focus on the learning of seismic wave propagation and inverse theory. To reduce the level of cognitive opacity associated with mathematical or programming knowledge, several computer modelling systems have already been developed (Neves & Teodoro, 2010). Among such systems, Modellus is particularly well suited to achieve this goal because it is a domain general environment for explorative and expressive modelling with the following main advantages: 1) an easy and intuitive creation of mathematical models using just standard mathematical notation; 2) the simultaneous exploration of images, tables, graphs and object animations; 3) the attribution of mathematical properties expressed in the models to animated objects; and finally 4) the computation and display of mathematical quantities obtained from the analysis of images and graphs. Here we describe virtual simulations and educational exercises which enable students an easy grasp of the fundamental of seismic tomography. The simulations make the lecture more interactive and allow students the possibility to overcome their lack of advanced mathematical or programming knowledge and focus on the learning of seismological concepts and processes taking advantage of basic scientific computation methods and tools.

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