Sample records for contexts complex instruction

  1. Multimodal versus Unimodal Instruction in a Complex Learning Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gellevij, Mark; van der Meij, Hans; de Jong, Ton; Pieters, Jules

    2002-01-01

    Compared multimodal instruction with text and pictures with unimodal text-only instruction as 44 college students used a visual or textual manual to learn a complex software application. Results initially support dual coding theory and indicate that multimodal instruction led to better performance than unimodal instruction. (SLD)

  2. Transposing reform pedagogy into new contexts: complex instruction in remote Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sullivan, Peter; Jorgensen, Robyn; Boaler, Jo; Lerman, Steve

    2013-03-01

    This article draws on the outcomes of a 4-year project where complex instruction was used as the basis for a reform in mathematics teaching in remote Aboriginal communities in Australia. The article describes the overall project in terms of the goals and aspirations for learning mathematics among remote Indigenous Australians. Knowing that the approach had been successful in a diverse setting in California, the project team sought to implement and evaluate the possibilities of such reform in a context in which the need for a culturally responsive pedagogy was critical. Elements of complex instruction offered considerable possibilities in aligning with the cultures of the remote communities, but with recognition of the possibility that some elements may not be workable in these contexts. Complex instruction also valued deep knowledge of mathematics rather than a tokenistic, impoverished mathematics. The strategies within complex instruction allowed for mathematical and cultural scaffolding to promote deep learning in mathematics. Such an approach was in line with current reforms in Indigenous education in Australia where there are high expectations of learners in order to break away from the deficit thinking that has permeated much education in remote Australia. The overall intent is to demonstrate what pedagogies are possible within the constraints of the remote context.

  3. Instructional Strategy: Administration of Injury Scripts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schilling, Jim

    2016-01-01

    Context: Learning how to form accurate and efficient clinical examinations is a critical factor in becoming a competent athletic training practitioner, and instructional strategies differ for this complex task. Objective: To introduce an instructional strategy consistent with complex learning to encourage improved efficiency by minimizing…

  4. Instructional Context and Student Motivation, Learning, and Development: Commentary and Implications for School Psychologists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pendergast, Laura L.; Kaplan, Avi

    2015-01-01

    From an ecological perspective, learning and development in childhood and throughout the lifespan occur in the context of interactions within complex social networks. Collectively, the articles in this special issue illuminate three important themes related to teacher-student interactions within instructional contexts: relationships, competence,…

  5. Affordance of English-Medium Instruction Contexts in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Yi-Ping; Jhuang, Wun-Ting

    2015-01-01

    The proliferation of English-medium instruction (EMI) in nonnative English-speaking (NNES) contexts has compelled researchers to explore the challenges students face in such environments. Mostly quantitative in nature with foci on language-related difficulties in one type of institution or curriculum, these studies obscure the complexity of NNES…

  6. The Effectiveness of Instruction-Oriented Hypertext Systems Compared to Direct Instruction in E-Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barhoumi, Chokri; Rossi, Pier Giuseppe

    2013-01-01

    The use of hypertext systems for learning and teaching complex and ill-structured domain of knowledge has been attracting attention in design of instruction. In this context, an experimental research has been conducted to explore the effectiveness of instructional design oriented hypertext systems. Cognitive flexibility hypertext theory is…

  7. Executive Functions in the Context of Complex Learning: Malleable Moderators?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwaighofer, Matthias; Bühner, Markus; Fischer, Frank

    2017-01-01

    Executive functions are crucial for complex learning in addition to prior knowledge. In this article, we argue that executive functions can moderate the effectiveness of instructional approaches that vary with respect to the demand on these functions. In addition, we suggest that engagement in complex activity contexts rather than specific…

  8. Oral Fluency, Accuracy, and Complexity in Formal Instruction and Study Abroad Learning Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mora, Joan C.; Valls-Ferrer, Margalida

    2012-01-01

    This study investigates the differential effects of two learning contexts, formal instruction (FI) at home and a study abroad period (SA), on the oral production skills of advanced-level Catalan-Spanish undergraduate learners of English. Speech samples elicited through an interview at three data collection times over a 2-year period were…

  9. Leading for Instructional Improvement in the Context of Accountability: Central Office Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rigby, Jessica Goodman; Corriell, Rebecca; Kuhl, Katie J.

    2018-01-01

    This case was written to help prepare central office leaders who are expected to design systems and lead toward instructional improvement in the context of both educational accountability and implementation of standards with increased rigor. The intent of this case study is to encourage educators to examine the complex and multiple challenges of…

  10. The Optimal Conditions for Form-Focused Instruction: Method, Target Complexity, and Types of Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Jeong-eun

    2012-01-01

    This dissertation investigates optimal conditions for form-focused instruction (FFI) by considering effects of internal (i.e., timing and types of FFI) and external (i.e., complexity and familiarity) variables of FFI when it is offered within a primarily meaning-focused context of adult second language (L2) learning. Ninety-two Korean-speaking…

  11. Language at the Grade Three and Four Interface: The Theory-Policy-Practice Nexus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sibanda, Jabulani

    2017-01-01

    This paper interrogates the complexity of language use at the Grade Three-Four transition, using the South African context as a microcosm of similar educational systems. The paper describes the complex nature of the transition, particularly within a second language (L2) instructional context. It explores the dissonance between and among theory,…

  12. Promoting Task-Based Pragmatics Instruction in EFL Classroom Contexts: The Role of Task Complexity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Youjin; Taguchi, Naoko

    2015-01-01

    Robinson's (2001) Cognition Hypothesis claims that more complex tasks promote interaction and language development. This study examined the effect of task complexity in the learning of request-making expressions. Task complexity was operationalized as [+/- reasoning] following Robinson's framework. The study employed a pretest-posttest research…

  13. Effects of Listening Strategy Instruction on News Videotext Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cross, Jeremy

    2009-01-01

    Developments in broadcast and multimedia technology have generated a readily available and vast supply of videotexts for use in second and foreign language learning contexts. However, without pedagogical direction learners are unlikely to be able to deal with the complexities of this authentic listening resource, and strategy instruction may be…

  14. Case Study of Using Resources about Sonar Operators To Teach Instructional Design.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mclellan, Hilary

    1993-01-01

    Describes a fictional account of the work of a submarine sonar operator ("The Hunt for Red October" by Tom Clancy) that captures the practitioner in a complex real-world work context featuring sophisticated electronic technologies. Describes how fiction can be adapted for and used as a basis for instructional design students to explore…

  15. Changes in the Cognitive Complexity of English Instruction: The Moderating Effects of School and Classroom Characteristics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Polikoff, Morgan S.; Struthers, Kathryn

    2013-01-01

    Background/Context: A central aim of standards-based reform is to close achievement gaps by raising academic standards for all students. Rigorous standards coupled with aligned assessments will purportedly improve student opportunity to learn through high-quality, aligned instruction. After 10 years of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the impact of…

  16. Revisiting Classroom Practices in East Asian Countries: Examination of Within-Country Variations and Effects of Classroom Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Yoonjeon

    2018-01-01

    Background/Context: East Asian schools receive much attention for the comparatively high achievement of their students. To account for this success, scholars and commentators advance broad claims about the rote character of instruction or the complexity of classroom practice, typically generalizing to an entire nation. Yet little is known about…

  17. Exploring Mystery in Fifth Grade: A Journey of Discovery

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharp, Claudia; Martinez, Miriam

    2010-01-01

    An instructional framework that included the use of a touchstone text, literature circles, and independent reading and writing created a rich context for the study of mysteries in a fifth-grade classroom. Key points include a) the complexity of the touchstone text as a key factor in shaping the instructional goals in this genre study, and b) the…

  18. Towards an Evidence Framework for Design-Based Implementation Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Means, Barbara; Harris, Christopher J.

    2013-01-01

    Educational interventions typically are complex combinations of human actions, organizational supports, and instructional resources that play out differently in different contexts and with different kinds of students. The complexity and variability of outcomes undermines the notion that interventions either "work" or "don't…

  19. Mind and Inferiority: Reflections on "English" as a University Discipline in a Black Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aitken, Richard

    1987-01-01

    The social/political issues facing university English departments in South Africa include problems of identity and definition, the need for instruction within the context of social and political history, the problems of cultural relativism, the corrosive implications of Black subordination, and the complex alternatives of private and public…

  20. Applying the Grossman et al. Theoretical Framework: The Case of Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kucan, Linda; Palincsar, Annemarie Sullivan; Busse, Tracy; Heisey, Natalie; Klingelhofer, Rachel; Rimbey, Michelle; Schutz, Kristine

    2011-01-01

    Background/Context: This article describes the application of the theoretical framework proposed by Grossman and her colleagues to a research effort focusing on text-based discussion as a context for comprehension instruction. According to Grossman and her colleagues, a useful way to consider the teaching of complex practices to candidates is to…

  1. Achieving meaningful mathematics literacy for students with learning disabilities. Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt.

    PubMed

    Goldman, S R; Hasselbring, T S

    1997-01-01

    In this article we consider issues relevant to the future of mathematics instruction and achievement for students with learning disabilities. The starting point for envisioning the future is the changing standards for mathematics learning and basic mathematical literacy. We argue that the shift from behaviorist learning theories to constructivist and social constructivist theories (see Rivera, this series) provides an opportunity to develop and implement a hybrid model of mathematics instruction. The hybrid model we propose embeds, or situates, important skill learning in meaningful contexts. We discuss some examples of instructional approaches to complex mathematical problem solving that make use of meaningful contexts. Evaluation data on these approaches have yielded positive and encouraging results for students with learning disabilities as well as general education students. Finally, we discuss various ways in which technology is important for realizing hybrid instructional models in mathematics.

  2. Effects of Direct and Indirect Instruction on Fostering Decision-Making Competence in Socioscientific Issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Böttcher, Florian; Meisert, Anke

    2013-04-01

    In this study the effects of different learning environments on the promotion of decision-making competence for the socioscientific issue of genetically modified crops is investigated. The comparison focuses on direct vs. indirect instructions. Therefore on the one hand a sophisticated decision-making strategy was presented to the directly instructed experimental group (1) and had to be applied correctly. On the other hand indirectly instructed students had to invent an appropriate strategy by themselves (2) based on the given information and the structure of the problem context. Group discussions are analysed qualitatively in order (1) to outline how the given strategy was understood and its results were reflected on by the students and (2) to explore the characteristics of invented strategies and their degree of complexity. Results indicate that the direct instruction of complex decision-making strategies may lead to a lack of understanding of the decision process when the given strategy is applied and therefore may cause rejection of the final decision. Indirectly instructed students were able to invent sophisticated decision-making strategies containing compensatory trade-offs. It is concluded that when directly instructing complex decision-making strategies, essential parts of reflection have to be integrated in order to gain greater transparency. Accordingly, empirical evidence has been found to consider indirect instruction as a possible way to foster decision-making strategies for complex socioscientific issues even if compensatory procedures are considered to be necessary.

  3. The Interplay of Reader Goals, Working Memory, and Text Structure During Reading

    PubMed Central

    Bohn-Gettler, Catherine M.; Kendeou, Panayiota

    2014-01-01

    In the current study we examined the complex interactions of instructional context, text properties, and reader characteristics during comprehension. College students were tasked with the goal of reading for study versus entertainment (instructional context) while thinking-aloud about four different expository text structures (text properties). Working memory also was assessed (reader characteristics). Reading goals and working memory interacted to influence paraphrasing and non-coherence processes when thinking aloud. Reading goals, working memory, and text structure all interacted to influence text-based inferences. Text structure also influenced knowledge-based inferences. Post-reading recall was highest for those with the instructional goal of reading for study (compared to entertainment), as well as for problem-response and compare-contrast texts (compared to descriptive and chronological texts). Implications of the findings are discussed. PMID:25018581

  4. Acquisition Program Lead Systems Integration/Lead Capabilities Integration Decision Support Methodology and Tool

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-04-30

    from the MIT Sloan School that provide a relative complexity score for functions (Product and Context Complexity). The PMA assesses the complexity...collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources...gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or

  5. Supporting students' construction of scientific explanation through curricular scaffolds and teacher instructional practices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McNeill, Katherine Lynch

    An essential goal of classroom science is to help all students become scientifically literate to encourage greater public understanding in a science infused world. This type of literacy requires that students participate in scientific inquiry practices such as construction of arguments or scientific explanations in which they justify their claims with appropriate evidence and reasoning. Although scientific explanations are an important learning goal, this complex inquiry practice is frequently omitted from k-12 science classrooms and students have difficulty creating them. I investigated how two different curricular scaffolds (context-specific vs. generic), teacher instructional practices, and the interaction between these two types of support influence student learning of scientific explanations. This study focuses on an eight-week middle school chemistry curriculum, How can I make new stuff from old stuff?, which was enacted by six teachers with 578 students during the 2004-2005 school year. Overall, students' written scientific explanations improved during the unit in which they were provided with multiple forms of teacher and curricular support. A growth curve model of student learning showed that there was a significant difference in the effect of the two curricular scaffolds towards the end of the unit and on the posttest. The context-specific scaffolds resulted in greater student learning of how to write scientific explanations, but only for three of the six teachers. The case studies created from the videotapes of classroom enactments revealed that teachers varied in which instructional practices they engaged in and the quality of those practices. Analyses suggested that the curricular scaffolds and teacher instructional practices were synergistic in that the supports interacted and the effect of the written curricular scaffolds depended on the teacher's enactment of the curriculum. The context-specific curricular scaffolds were more successful in supporting students in this complex task only when teachers' enactments provided generic support for scientific explanation through instructional practices. For teachers who did not provide their students with generic support, neither curricular scaffold was more effective. Classrooms are complex systems in which multiple factors and the interactions between those factors influence student learning.

  6. Modeling Learning in Doubly Multilevel Binary Longitudinal Data Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models: An Application to Measuring and Explaining Word Learning.

    PubMed

    Cho, Sun-Joo; Goodwin, Amanda P

    2016-04-01

    When word learning is supported by instruction in experimental studies for adolescents, word knowledge outcomes tend to be collected from complex data structure, such as multiple aspects of word knowledge, multilevel reader data, multilevel item data, longitudinal design, and multiple groups. This study illustrates how generalized linear mixed models can be used to measure and explain word learning for data having such complexity. Results from this application provide deeper understanding of word knowledge than could be attained from simpler models and show that word knowledge is multidimensional and depends on word characteristics and instructional contexts.

  7. Integrated Content, Language, and Literacy Instruction in a Canadian French Immersion Context: A Professional Development Journey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cammarata, Laurent; Haley, Corey

    2018-01-01

    Although immersion programs are very popular in Canada, they are complex to implement and not as successful as we would hope them to be when it comes to the development of students' language skills. This article reports on the findings of a case study conducted within the context of an ongoing five-year grant funded project in Western Canada whose…

  8. There are limits to the effects of task instructions: Making the automatic effects of task instructions context-specific takes practice.

    PubMed

    Braem, Senne; Liefooghe, Baptist; De Houwer, Jan; Brass, Marcel; Abrahamse, Elger L

    2017-03-01

    Unlike other animals, humans have the unique ability to share and use verbal instructions to prepare for upcoming tasks. Recent research showed that instructions are sufficient for the automatic, reflex-like activation of responses. However, systematic studies into the limits of these automatic effects of task instructions remain relatively scarce. In this study, the authors set out to investigate whether this instruction-based automatic activation of responses can be context-dependent. Specifically, participants performed a task of which the stimulus-response rules and context (location on the screen) could either coincide or not with those of an instructed to-be-performed task (whose instructions changed every run). In 2 experiments, the authors showed that the instructed task rules had an automatic impact on performance-performance was slowed down when the merely instructed task rules did not coincide, but, importantly, this effect was not context-dependent. Interestingly, a third and fourth experiment suggests that context dependency can actually be observed, but only when practicing the task in its appropriate context for over 60 trials or after a sufficient amount of practice on a fixed context (the context was the same for all instructed tasks). Together, these findings seem to suggest that instructions can establish stimulus-response representations that have a reflexive impact on behavior but are insensitive to the context in which the task is known to be valid. Instead, context-specific task representations seem to require practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. Contextualized Instruction: Teaching Relevant Behaviors in Relevant Contexts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reboy, Lisa M.; Semb, George B.

    In contextualized instruction, the critical features of a context are considered important for the acquisition and transfer of a skill. Examples of contextualized instruction programs are Functional Context Education (FCE) and Anchored Instruction (AI). FCE involves the teaching of reading and mathematics skills in contexts that are relevant to…

  10. Capturing the complexity: Content, type, and amount of instruction and quality of the classroom learning environment synergistically predict third graders’ vocabulary and reading comprehension outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Connor, Carol McDonald; Spencer, Mercedes; Day, Stephanie L.; Giuliani, Sarah; Ingebrand, Sarah W.; McLean, Leigh; Morrison, Frederick J.

    2014-01-01

    We examined classrooms as complex systems that affect students’ literacy learning through interacting effects of content and amount of time individual students spent in literacy instruction along with the global quality of the classroom-learning environment. We observed 27 third grade classrooms serving 315 target students using two different observation systems. The first assessed instruction at a more micro-level; specifically, the amount of time individual students spent in literacy instruction defined by the type of instruction, role of the teacher, and content. The second assessed the quality of the classroom-learning environment at a more macro level focusing on classroom organization, teacher responsiveness, and support for vocabulary and language. Results revealed that both global quality of the classroom learning environment and time individual students spent in specific types of literacy instruction covering specific content interacted to predict students’ comprehension and vocabulary gains whereas neither system alone did. These findings support a dynamic systems model of how individual children learn in the context of classroom literacy instruction and the classroom-learning environment, which can help to improve observations systems, advance research, elevate teacher evaluation and professional development, and enhance student achievement. PMID:25400293

  11. Elementary Schools Where Students Succeed in Reading.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mosenthal, Jim; Lipson, Marjorie; Mekkelsen, Jane; Russ, Barbara; Sortino, Susan

    A number of studies have demonstrated the existence of "effective" schools in comparison to other "ineffective" models. To identify the contexts for success, a study examined "teacher instructional" and "school" variables to characterize the complex of factors that might be needed to achieve high levels of…

  12. Computer Systems for Teaching Complex Concepts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feurzeig, Wallace

    Four Programing systems--Mentor, Stringcomp, Simon, and Logo--were designed and implemented as integral parts of research into the various ways computers may be used for teaching problem-solving concepts and skills. Various instructional contexts, among them medicine, mathematics, physics, and basic problem-solving for elementary school children,…

  13. Early Language Learning: Complexity and Mixed Methods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Enever, Janet, Ed.; Lindgren, Eva, Ed.

    2017-01-01

    This is the first collection of research studies to explore the potential for mixed methods to shed light on foreign or second language learning by young learners in instructed contexts. It brings together recent studies undertaken in Cameroon, China, Croatia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania and…

  14. Atwood's Machine as a Tool to Introduce Variable Mass Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Sousa, Celia A.

    2012-01-01

    This article discusses an instructional strategy which explores eventual similarities and/or analogies between familiar problems and more sophisticated systems. In this context, the Atwood's machine problem is used to introduce students to more complex problems involving ropes and chains. The methodology proposed helps students to develop the…

  15. A systematic approach to engineering ethics education.

    PubMed

    Li, Jessica; Fu, Shengli

    2012-06-01

    Engineering ethics education is a complex field characterized by dynamic topics and diverse students, which results in significant challenges for engineering ethics educators. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a systematic approach to determine what to teach and how to teach in an ethics curriculum. This is a topic that has not been adequately addressed in the engineering ethics literature. This systematic approach provides a method to: (1) develop a context-specific engineering ethics curriculum using the Delphi technique, a process-driven research method; and (2) identify appropriate delivery strategies and instructional strategies using an instructional design model. This approach considers the context-specific needs of different engineering disciplines in ethics education and leverages the collaboration of engineering professors, practicing engineers, engineering graduate students, ethics scholars, and instructional design experts. The proposed approach is most suitable for a department, a discipline/field or a professional society. The approach helps to enhance learning outcomes and to facilitate ethics education curriculum development as part of the regular engineering curriculum.

  16. Instructional Strategy: Didactic Media Presentation to Optimize Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schilling, Jim

    2017-01-01

    Context: Subject matter is presented to athletic training students in the classroom using various modes of media. The specific type of mode and when to use it should be considered to maximize learning effectiveness. Other factors to consider in this process include a student's knowledge base and the complexity of material. Objective: To introduce…

  17. Technology-Mediated Second Language Vocabulary Development: A Review of Trends in Research Methodology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elgort, Irina

    2018-01-01

    Technology-mediated vocabulary development (TMVD) in a second language (L2) covers a wide range of instructional and learning treatments, contexts, and technologies and is situated in a broader field of second language vocabulary learning. Vocabulary knowledge is a complex, multidimensional construct that has been interpreted and categorized in…

  18. Teachers' Epistemic Cognition in the Context of Dialogic Practice: A Question of Calibration?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bråten, Ivar; Muis, Krista R.; Reznitskaya, Alina

    2017-01-01

    In this article, we argue that teachers' epistemic cognition, in particular their thinking about epistemic aims and reliable processes for achieving those aims, may impact students' understanding of complex, controversial issues. This is because teachers' epistemic cognition may facilitate or constrain their implementation of instruction aiming to…

  19. Investigating Instructional Leadership Teams in Action: The Impact of School Context on Team Functioning and Authority

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weiner, Jennie Miles

    2012-01-01

    To meet the increasingly complex challenges associated with school leadership and reform (York-Barr & Duke, 2004; Whitaker, 1996; Hertling, 2001), researchers and practitioners have begun to push schools to move away from traditional, hierarchical leadership models and towards more "distributed" ones (Elmore, 1995; Spillane,…

  20. Differentiation Through Flexible Grouping: Successfully Reaching All Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ford, Michael P.

    2005-01-01

    There always has been a problem with grouping practices in reading programs. The complexity of the interaction between readers, texts, and the contexts in which reading takes place often is ignored by educational decisions that suggest that one program, set of materials, instructional technique, or grouping arrangement can address the needs of all…

  1. Tools for Knowledge Analysis, Synthesis, and Sharing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Medland, Michael B.

    2007-01-01

    Change and complexity are creating a need for increasing levels of literacy in science and technology. Presently, we are beginning to provide students with clear contexts in which to learn, including clearly written text, visual displays and maps, and more effective instruction. We are also beginning to give students tools that promote their own…

  2. Leveraging Cultural Resources through Teacher Pedagogical Reasoning: Elementary Grade Teachers Analyze Second Language Learners' Science Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buxton, Cory A.; Salinas, Alejandra; Mahotiere, Margarette; Lee, Okhee; Secada, Walter G.

    2013-01-01

    Grounded in teacher professional development addressing the intersection of student diversity and content area instruction, this study examined school teachers' pedagogical reasoning complexity as they reflected on their second language learners' science problem solving abilities using both home and school contexts. Teachers responded to interview…

  3. Context Switching with Multiple Register Windows: A RISC Performance Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Konsek, Marion B.; Reed, Daniel A.; Watcharawittayakul, Wittaya

    1987-01-01

    Although previous studies have shown that a large file of overlapping register windows can greatly reduce procedure call/return overhead, the effects of register windows in a multiprogramming environment are poorly understood. This paper investigates the performance of multiprogrammed, reduced instruction set computers (RISCs) as a function of window management strategy. Using an analytic model that reflects context switch and procedure call overheads, we analyze the performance of simple, linearly self-recursive programs. For more complex programs, we present the results of a simulation study. These studies show that a simple strategy that saves all windows prior to a context switch, but restores only a single window following a context switch, performs near optimally.

  4. Context-Model-Based Instruction in Teaching EFL Writing: A Narrative Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Zheng

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to re-story the provision of the context-model-based instruction in teaching EFL writing, focusing especially on students' development of the context model and learning to guide EFL writing with the context model. The research data have been collected from the audio recordings of the classroom instruction, the teacher-researcher's…

  5. An ICAI architecture for troubleshooting in complex, dynamic systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fath, Janet L.; Mitchell, Christine M.; Govindaraj, T.

    1990-01-01

    Ahab, an intelligent computer-aided instruction (ICAI) program, illustrates an architecture for simulator-based ICAI programs to teach troubleshooting in complex, dynamic environments. The architecture posits three elements of a computerized instructor: the task model, the student model, and the instructional module. The task model is a prescriptive model of expert performance that uses symptomatic and topographic search strategies to provide students with directed problem-solving aids. The student model is a descriptive model of student performance in the context of the task model. This student model compares the student and task models, critiques student performance, and provides interactive performance feedback. The instructional module coordinates information presented by the instructional media, the task model, and the student model so that each student receives individualized instruction. Concept and metaconcept knowledge that supports these elements is contained in frames and production rules, respectively. The results of an experimental evaluation are discussed. They support the hypothesis that training with an adaptive online system built using the Ahab architecture produces better performance than training using simulator practice alone, at least with unfamiliar problems. It is not sufficient to develop an expert strategy and present it to students using offline materials. The training is most effective if it adapts to individual student needs.

  6. Using Tracking Software for Writing Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yagi, Sane M.; Al-Salman, Saleh

    2011-01-01

    Writing is a complex skill that is hard to teach. Although the written product is what is often evaluated in the context of language teaching, the process of giving thought to linguistic form is fascinating. For almost forty years, language teachers have found it more effective to help learners in the writing process than in the written product;…

  7. Using Expectancy-Value Theory to Explore Aspects of Motivation and Engagement in Inquiry-Based Learning in Primary Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fielding-Wells, Jill; O'Brien, Mia; Makar, Katie

    2017-01-01

    Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is a pedagogical approach in which students address complex, ill-structured problems set in authentic contexts. While IBL is gaining ground in Australia as an instructional practice, there has been little research that considers implications for student motivation and engagement. Expectancy-value theory (Eccles and…

  8. Theory and Praxis: Reflections and Lessons from a Bilateral Educational Aid Programme in Guinea-Bissau

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santos, Júlio Gonçalves dos; Silva, Rui da

    2017-01-01

    This article examines Portuguese official aid (POA) in Guinea-Bissau, based on the experience of a bilateral educational aid Programme--PASEG (2000-2012). It explores the theory and praxis (understood as instructed action) of PASEG as a complex and transversal intervention in a context of fragility and political uncertainty. It discusses the…

  9. A Learning Progression for Scientific Argumentation: Understanding Student Work and Designing Supportive Instructional Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berland, Leema K.; McNeill, Katherine L.

    2010-01-01

    Argumentation is a central goal of science education because it engages students in a complex scientific practice in which they construct and justify knowledge claims. Although there is a growing body of research around argumentation, there has been little focus on developing a learning progression for this practice. We describe a learning…

  10. Improving Transfer of Learning through Designed Context-Based Instructional Materials

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bahtaji, Michael Allan A.

    2015-01-01

    This study investigates the outcome of designed source-text materials in context-based physics learning using validated test questions in mechanics. Two groups of students received context-based instruction (experimental group) and one group received content-based instruction (control group). These three groups of students are only different with…

  11. Theoretically Grounded Guidelines for Assessing Learning Progress: Cognitive Changes in Ill-Structured Complex Problem-Solving Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Min Kyu

    2012-01-01

    It is generally accepted that the cognitive development for a wide range of students can be improved through adaptive instruction-learning environments optimized to suit individual needs (e.g., Cronbach, Am Psychol 12:671-684, 1957; Lee and Park, in Handbook of research for educational communications and technology, Taylor & Francis Group,…

  12. The Influence of Live- vs. Video-Model Presentation on the Early Acquisition of a New Complex Coordination

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lhuisset, Léna; Margnes, Eric

    2015-01-01

    Background: Demonstration is a widely used method in sports teaching and coaching, based on the assumption that it is more beneficial than verbal instructions or trial-and-error methods for skill acquisition. Although in teaching/coaching situations, the demonstration is usually carried out in front of the learners, in a research context, it is…

  13. Conceptual Representations for Transfer: A Case Study Tracing Back and Looking Forward

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sinha, Suparna; Gray, Steven; Hmelo-Silver, Cindy E.; Jordan, Rebecca; Eberbach, Catherine; Goel, Ashok; Rugaber, Spencer

    2013-01-01

    A primary goal of instruction is to prepare learners to transfer their knowledge and skills to new contexts, but how far this transfer goes is an open question. In the research reported here, we seek to explain a case of transfer through examining the processes by which a conceptual representation used to reason about complex systems was…

  14. Twelve tips for using applied improvisation in medical education.

    PubMed

    Hoffmann-Longtin, Krista; Rossing, Jonathan P; Weinstein, Elizabeth

    2018-04-01

    Future physicians will practice medicine in a more complex environment than ever, where skills of interpersonal communication, collaboration and adaptability to change are critical. Applied improvisation (or AI) is an instructional strategy which adapts the concepts of improvisational theater to teach these types of complex skills in other contexts. Unique to AI is its very active teaching approach, adapting theater games to help learners meet curricular objectives. In medical education, AI is particularly helpful when attempting to build students' comfort with and skills in complex, interpersonal behaviors such as effective listening, person-centeredness, teamwork and communication. This article draws on current evidence and the authors' experiences to present best practices for incorporating AI into teaching medicine. These practical tips help faculty new to AI get started by establishing goals, choosing appropriate games, understanding effective debriefing, considering evaluation strategies and managing resistance within the context of medical education.

  15. Outcomes of Nature of Science Instruction along a Context Continuum: Preservice Secondary Science Teachers' Conceptions and Instructional Intentions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Randy L.; Mulvey, Bridget K.; Maeng, Jennifer L.

    2016-01-01

    This investigation examined outcomes associated with nature of science (NOS) instruction along a science-content context continuum on the development of secondary preservice science teachers' conceptions of and plans to teach NOS, moving beyond the common dichotomy of contextualized versus noncontextualized instruction. Participants comprised six…

  16. Computer-Assisted Instruction in the Context of the Advanced Instructional System: Authoring Support Software. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montgomery, Ann D.; Judd, Wilson A.

    This report details the design, development, and implementation of computer software to support the cost-effective production of computer assisted instruction (CAI) within the context of the Advanced Instructional System (AIS) located at Lowry Air Force Base. The report supplements the computer managed Air Force technical training that is…

  17. Institutional Communication Dynamics in Instructional Effectiveness: Development of a Student Self-Report Measure of FVP, LMX, and TMX in a Pedagogical Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lucas, Aaron D.; Voss, Roger Alan; Krumwiede, Dennis W.

    2015-01-01

    Fractal vertical polarization (FVP) has joined leader-member exchange (LMX) and team member exchange (TMX) as one of the available models of communication dynamics based on complexity theory, which now all benefit from valid scales for use in organizational settings. The purpose of these models is to assess the quality of interpersonal information…

  18. Use of context in emotion perception: The role of top-down control, cue type, and perceiver's age.

    PubMed

    Ngo, Nhi; Isaacowitz, Derek M

    2015-06-01

    Although context is crucial to emotion perception, there are various factors that can modulate contextual influence. The current research investigated how cue type, top-down control, and the perceiver's age influence attention to context in facial emotion perception. In 2 experiments, younger and older adults identified facial expressions contextualized by other faces, isolated objects, and scenes. In the first experiment, participants were instructed to ignore face, object, and scene contexts. Face context was found to influence perception the least, whereas scene context produced the most contextual effect. Older adults were more influenced by context than younger adults, but both age groups were similarly influenced by different types of contextual cues, even when they were instructed to ignore the context. In the second experiment, when explicitly instructed that the context had no meaningful relationship to the target, younger and older adults both were less influenced by context than when they were instructed that the context was relevant to the target. Results from both studies indicate that contextual influence on emotion perception is not constant, but can vary based on the type of contextual cue, cue relevance, and the perceiver's age. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. Modeling the Relationships Among Reading Instruction, Motivation, Engagement, and Achievement for Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Guthrie, John T.; Klauda, Susan Lutz; Ho, Amy N.

    2015-01-01

    This study modeled the interrelationships of reading instruction, motivation, engagement, and achievement in two contexts, employing data from 1,159 seventh graders. In the traditional reading/language arts (R/LA) context, all students participated in traditional R/LA instruction. In the intervention R/LA context, 854 students from the full sample received Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) while the remainder continued to receive traditional R/LA. CORI emphasizes support for reading motivation, reading engagement, and cognitive strategies for reading informational text. Seven motivation constructs were included: four motivations that are usually positively associated with achievement (intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, valuing, and prosocial goals) and three motivations that are usually negatively associated with achievement (perceived difficulty, devaluing, and antisocial goals). Reading engagement was also represented by positive and negative constructs, namely dedication to and avoidance of reading. Gender, ethnicity, and income were statistically controlled in all analyses. In the traditional R/LA context, a total network model prevailed, in which motivation was associated with achievement both directly and indirectly through engagement. In contrast, in the intervention R/LA context, a dual-effects model prevailed, in which engagement and achievement were separate outcomes of instruction and motivation. The intervention R/LA context analyses revealed that CORI was associated with positive changes in motivation, engagement, and achievement relative to traditional R/LA instruction. The discussion explains why there were different relations in the two instructional contexts and demonstrates the importance of simultaneously examining both positive (affirming) and negative (undermining) forms of motivation and engagement. PMID:26412903

  20. The Functioning of Context-Based Physics Instruction in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tural, Guner

    2014-01-01

    The effects of the context-based approach have been discussed in educational settings as one of the innovative instructional approaches. Many countries throughout the world have implemented context-based physics projects or programs to make physics more relevant to students' lives. This paper examined the effects of context-based physics…

  1. Considering the Context and Texts for Fluency: Performance, Readers Theater, and Poetry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Chase; Nageldinger, James

    2014-01-01

    This article describes the importance of teaching reading fluency and all of its components, including automaticity and prosody. The authors explain how teachers can create a context for reading fluency instruction by engaging students in reading performance activities. To support the instructional contexts, the authors suggest particular…

  2. Supporting Scientific Experimentation and Reasoning in Young Elementary School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Varma, Keisha

    2014-06-01

    Researchers from multiple perspectives have shown that young students can engage in the scientific reasoning involved in science experimentation. However, there is little research on how well these young students learn in inquiry-based learning environments that focus on using scientific experimentation strategies to learn new scientific information. This work investigates young children's science concept learning via inquiry-based instruction on the thermodynamics system in a developmentally appropriate, technology-supported learning environment. First- and third-grade students participate in three sets of guided experimentation activities that involve using handheld computers to measure change in temperature given different types of insulation materials. Findings from pre- and post-comparisons show that students at both grade levels are able to learn about the thermodynamics system through engaging in the guided experiment activities. The instruction groups outperformed the control groups on multiple measures of thermodynamics knowledge, and the older children outperform the younger children. Knowledge gains are discussed in the context of mental models of the thermodynamics system that include the individual concepts mentioned above and the relationships between them. This work suggests that young students can benefit from science instruction centered on experimentation activities. It shows the benefits of presenting complex scientific information authentic contexts and the importance of providing the necessary scaffolding for meaningful scientific inquiry and experimentation.

  3. Effects of classification context on categorization in natural categories.

    PubMed

    Hampton, James A; Dubois, Danièle; Yeh, Wenchi

    2006-10-01

    The patterns of classification of borderline instances of eight common taxonomic categories were examined under three different instructional conditions to test two predictions: first, that lack of a specified context contributes to vagueness in categorization, and second, that altering the purpose of classification can lead to greater or lesser dependence on similarity in classification. The instructional conditions contrasted purely pragmatic with more technical/quasi-legal contexts as purposes for classification, and these were compared with a no-context control. The measures of category vagueness were between-subjects disagreement and within-subjects consistency, and the measures of similarity-based categorization were category breadth and the correlation of instance categorization probability with mean rated typicality, independently measured in a neutral context. Contrary to predictions, none of the measures of vagueness, reliability, category breadth, or correlation with typicality were generally affected by the instructional setting as a function of pragmatic versus technical purposes. Only one subcondition, in which a situational context was implied in addition to a purposive context, produced a significant change in categorization. Further experiments demonstrated that the effect of context was not increased when participants talked their way through the task, and that a technical context did not elicit more all-or-none categorization than did a pragmatic context. These findings place an important boundary condition on the effects of instructional context on conceptual categorization.

  4. Refining a Competency Model for Instructional Designers in the Context of Online Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Jae-Young; Luo, Heng

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates the instructional designers (IDs) competencies essential for the context of online higher education, and has selected an instruction design unit in a research university as a case of investigation. To identify and compare IDs competencies at organizational and individual levels, this study employed a mixed method to collect…

  5. An extension of incidental teaching procedures to reading instruction for autistic children.

    PubMed Central

    McGee, G G; Krantz, P J; McClannahan, L E

    1986-01-01

    In an extension of incidental teaching procedures to reading instruction, two autistic children acquired functional sight-word reading skills in the context of a play activity. Children gained access to preferred toys by selecting the label of the toy in tasks requiring increasingly complex visual discriminations. In addition to demonstrating rapid acquisition of 5-choice discriminations, they showed comprehension on probes requiring reading skills to locate toys stored in labeled boxes. Also examined was postteaching transfer across stimulus materials and response modalities. Implications are that extensions of incidental teaching to new response classes may produce the same benefits documented in communication training, in terms of producing generalization concurrent with skill acquisition in the course of child-preferred activities. PMID:3733586

  6. A leader's framework for decision making. A leader's framework for decision making.

    PubMed

    Snowden, David J; Boone, Mary E

    2007-11-01

    Many executives are surprised when previously successful leadership approaches fail in new situations, but different contexts call for different kinds of responses. Before addressing a situation, leaders need to recognize which context governs it -and tailor their actions accordingly. Snowden and Boone have formed a new perspective on leadership and decision making that's based on complexity science. The result is the Cynefin framework, which helps executives sort issues into five contexts: Simple contexts are characterized by stability and cause-and-effect relationships that are clear to everyone. Often, the right answer is self-evident. In this realm of "known knowns," leaders must first assess the facts of a situation -that is, "sense" it -then categorize and respond to it. Complicated contexts may contain multiple right answers, and though there is a clear relationship between cause and effect, not everyone can see it. This is the realm of "known unknowns." Here, leaders must sense, analyze, and respond. In a complex context, right answers can't be ferreted out at all; rather, instructive patterns emerge if the leader conducts experiments that can safely fail. This is the realm of "unknown unknowns," where much of contemporary business operates. Leaders in this context need to probe first, then sense, and then respond. In a chaotic context, searching for right answers is pointless. The relationships between cause and effect are impossible to determine because they shift constantly and no manageable patterns exist. This is the realm of unknowables (the events of September 11, 2001, fall into this category). In this domain, a leader must first act to establish order, sense where stability is present, and then work to transform the situation from chaos to complexity. The fifth context, disorder, applies when it is unclear which of the other four contexts is predominant. The way out is to break the situation into its constituent parts and assign each to one of the other four realms. Leaders can then make decisions and intervene in contextually appropriate ways.

  7. The Resistance of Renewal to Instructions that Devalue the Role of Contextual Cues in a Conditioned Suppression Task with Humans

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neumann, David L.

    2007-01-01

    The renewal of extinguished conditioned behaviour appears to reflect context-dependent learning. The present research used a conditioned suppression task with humans to examine whether instructions concerning the context could influence renewal. Pairings of a conditional stimulus (CS) and unconditional stimulus (US) were made in one context,…

  8. An Adaption of Gagné's Instructional Model to Increase the Teaching Effectiveness in the Classroom: The Impact in Romanian Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ilie, Marian D.

    2014-01-01

    Gagné's instructional events are more focused on the human internal learning process than on the learning context. This study fills this gap because it presents certain instructional events that are focused on the construction of a positive learning context through the teacher-student relationship. Therefore, it's proposing an adaption of Gagné's…

  9. Computer-Based Grammar Instruction in an EFL Context: Improving the Effectiveness of Teaching Adverbial Clauses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiliçkaya, Ferit

    2015-01-01

    This study aims to find out whether there are any statistically significant differences in participants' achievements on three different types of instruction: computer-based instruction, teacher-driven instruction, and teacher-driven grammar supported by computer-based instruction. Each type of instruction follows the deductive approach. The…

  10. Assessment, Autonomy, and Elementary Social Studies Time

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitchett, Paul G.; Heafner, Tina L.; Lambert, Richard

    2014-01-01

    Background/context: In an era of accountability and standardization, elementary social studies is consistently losing its curricular foothold to English/language arts, math, and science instruction. Purpose: This article examines the relationship between elementary teachers' perceptions of instructional autonomy, teaching context, state testing…

  11. Building Context-Based Library Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roldan, Malu; Wu, Yuhfen Diana

    2004-01-01

    Information overload and rapid technology changes are among the most significant challenges to all professions, particularly information technology workers and librarians. Little is known about the effectiveness of partnerships among librarians and faculty members that result in context-based library instruction. In this study, the authors…

  12. Crossing boundaries in interprofessional education: A call for instructional integration of two script concepts.

    PubMed

    Kiesewetter, Jan; Kollar, Ingo; Fernandez, Nicolas; Lubarsky, Stuart; Kiessling, Claudia; Fischer, Martin R; Charlin, Bernard

    2016-09-01

    Clinical work occurs in a context which is heavily influenced by social interactions. The absence of theoretical frameworks underpinning the design of collaborative learning has become a roadblock for interprofessional education (IPE). This article proposes a script-based framework for the design of IPE. This framework provides suggestions for designing learning environments intended to foster competences we feel are fundamental to successful interprofessional care. The current literature describes two script concepts: "illness scripts" and "internal/external collaboration scripts". Illness scripts are specific knowledge structures that link general disease categories and specific examples of diseases. "Internal collaboration scripts" refer to an individual's knowledge about how to interact with others in a social situation. "External collaboration scripts" are instructional scaffolds designed to help groups collaborate. Instructional research relating to illness scripts and internal collaboration scripts supports (a) putting learners in authentic situations in which they need to engage in clinical reasoning, and (b) scaffolding their interaction with others with "external collaboration scripts". Thus, well-established experiential instructional approaches should be combined with more fine-grained script-based scaffolding approaches. The resulting script-based framework offers instructional designers insights into how students can be supported to develop the necessary skills to master complex interprofessional clinical situations.

  13. Physics Teachers' Professional Development in the Project "physics in Context"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mikelskis-Seifert, Silke; Duit, Reinders

    2013-06-01

    Developing teachers' ways of thinking about "good" instruction as well as their views of the teaching and learning process is generally seen as essential for improving teaching behaviour and implementation of more efficient teaching and learning settings. Major deficiencies of German physics instruction as revealed by a nationwide video-study on the practice of physics instruction are addressed. Teachers participating in the project are made familiar with recent views of efficient instruction on the one hand and develop context-based instructional settings on the other. The evaluation resulted in partly encouraging findings. However, it also turned out that a number of teachers' ways of thinking about good instruction did only develop to a somewhat limited degree. The most impressive changes occurred for teachers who enjoyed the most intensive coaching.

  14. Physics Teachers' Professional Development in the Project "physics in Context"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mikelskis-Seifert, Silke; Duit, Reinders

    2012-12-01

    Developing teachers' ways of thinking about "good" instruction as well as their views of the teaching and learning process is generally seen as essential for improving teaching behaviour and implementation of more efficient teaching and learning settings. Major deficiencies of German physics instruction as revealed by a nationwide video-study on the practice of physics instruction are addressed. Teachers participating in the project are made familiar with recent views of efficient instruction on the one hand and develop context-based instructional settings on the other. The evaluation resulted in partly encouraging findings. However, it also turned out that a number of teachers' ways of thinking about good instruction did only develop to a somewhat limited degree. The most impressive changes occurred for teachers who enjoyed the most intensive coaching.

  15. Performance-based classrooms: A case study of two elementary teachers of mathematics and science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Kenneth W.

    This case study depicts how two elementary teachers develop classrooms devoted to performance-based instruction in mathematics and science. The purpose is to develop empirical evidence of classroom practices that leads to a conceptual framework about the nature of performance-based instruction. Performance-based assessment and instruction are defined from the literature to entail involving students in tasks that are complex and engaging, requiring them to apply knowledge and skills in authentic contexts. In elementary mathematics and science, such an approach emphasizes problem solving, exploration, inquiry, and reasoning. The body of the work examines teacher beliefs, curricular orientations, instructional strategies, assessment approaches, management and organizational skills, and interpersonal relationships. The focus throughout is on those aspects that foster student performance in elementary mathematics and science. The resulting framework describes five characteristics that contribute to performance-based classrooms: a caring classroom community, a connectionist learning theory, a thinking and doing curriculum, diverse opportunities for learning, and ongoing assessment, feedback, and adjustment. The conclusion analyzes factors external to the classroom that support or constrain the development of performance-based classrooms and discusses the implications for educational policy and further research.

  16. A high performance data parallel tensor contraction framework: Application to coupled electro-mechanics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poya, Roman; Gil, Antonio J.; Ortigosa, Rogelio

    2017-07-01

    The paper presents aspects of implementation of a new high performance tensor contraction framework for the numerical analysis of coupled and multi-physics problems on streaming architectures. In addition to explicit SIMD instructions and smart expression templates, the framework introduces domain specific constructs for the tensor cross product and its associated algebra recently rediscovered by Bonet et al. (2015, 2016) in the context of solid mechanics. The two key ingredients of the presented expression template engine are as follows. First, the capability to mathematically transform complex chains of operations to simpler equivalent expressions, while potentially avoiding routes with higher levels of computational complexity and, second, to perform a compile time depth-first or breadth-first search to find the optimal contraction indices of a large tensor network in order to minimise the number of floating point operations. For optimisations of tensor contraction such as loop transformation, loop fusion and data locality optimisations, the framework relies heavily on compile time technologies rather than source-to-source translation or JIT techniques. Every aspect of the framework is examined through relevant performance benchmarks, including the impact of data parallelism on the performance of isomorphic and nonisomorphic tensor products, the FLOP and memory I/O optimality in the evaluation of tensor networks, the compilation cost and memory footprint of the framework and the performance of tensor cross product kernels. The framework is then applied to finite element analysis of coupled electro-mechanical problems to assess the speed-ups achieved in kernel-based numerical integration of complex electroelastic energy functionals. In this context, domain-aware expression templates combined with SIMD instructions are shown to provide a significant speed-up over the classical low-level style programming techniques.

  17. Conditional data watchpoint management

    DOEpatents

    Burdick, Dean Joseph; Vaidyanathan, Basu

    2010-08-24

    A method, system and computer program product for managing a conditional data watchpoint in a set of instructions being traced is shown in accordance with illustrative embodiments. In one particular embodiment, the method comprises initializing a conditional data watchpoint and determining the watchpoint has been encountered. Upon that determination, examining a current instruction context associated with the encountered watchpoint prior to completion of the current instruction execution, further determining a first action responsive to a positive context examination; otherwise, determining a second action.

  18. Differences in Kindergartners' Participation and Regulation Strategies across Time and Instructional Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neitzel, Carin; Connor, Lisa

    2017-01-01

    This study addressed questions about the function of children's various participation and regulation strategies in different instructional contexts and at different points in time in school. The developmental trajectories of kindergartners' academic participation and regulation strategy selection and use across the school year in teacher-directed…

  19. Inquiry-Based Instruction: Does School Environmental Context Matter?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pea, Celestine H.

    2012-01-01

    In a larger study on teachers' beliefs about science teaching, one component looks at how school environmental context factors influence inquiry-based science instruction. Research shows that three broad categories of school environmental factors (human, sociocultural, design) impact inquiry-based teaching in some way. A mixed-method, sequential,…

  20. Effective Instruction: A Mathematics Coach's Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nebesniak, Amy L.

    2012-01-01

    Effective instruction is multifaceted, dependent largely on the context and, consequently, on numerous variables. Although "effective instruction" is difficult to define, in the author's experience--and as the work of mathematics education specialists and researchers indicates--three key features of quality instruction stand out: (1) Teaching…

  1. Le contexte du materiel pedagogique dans l'anglais de specialite. Etude sur les themes tires de l'environnement (The Context of Instructional Materials for ESP. A Study of Themes Drawn from the Environment).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Ray

    1981-01-01

    Challenges the idea that ESP courses should be based strictly on instructional materials taken from the relevant professional context. Accordingly recommends a multidisciplinary themes approach as illustrated in the detailed description of the methods and materials used in a course offered by the University of Aston (Birmingham). Societe Nouvelle…

  2. Examining Connections between Teacher Perceptions of Collaboration, Differentiated Instruction, and Teacher Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goddard, Yvonne L.; Kim, Minjung

    2018-01-01

    Background/Context: Teacher collaboration, instructional practices, and efficacy are linked in various ways in the literature. For example, in schools where teachers reported greater use of differentiated instruction, team collaboration and culture were reportedly higher (Smit & Humpert, 2012). Further, teachers' instructional mastery…

  3. Cognitive Complexity of Mathematics Instructional Tasks in a Taiwanese Classroom: An Examination of Task Sources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, Hui-Yu; Silver, Edward A.

    2014-01-01

    We examined geometric calculation with number tasks used within a unit of geometry instruction in a Taiwanese classroom, identifying the source of each task used in classroom instruction and analyzing the cognitive complexity of each task with respect to 2 distinct features: diagram complexity and problem-solving complexity. We found that…

  4. Children's Learning in Scientific Thinking: Instructional Approaches and Roles of Variable Identification and Executive Function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blums, Angela

    The present study examines instructional approaches and cognitive factors involved in elementary school children's thinking and learning the Control of Variables Strategy (CVS), a critical aspect of scientific reasoning. Previous research has identified several features related to effective instruction of CVS, including using a guided learning approach, the use of self-reflective questions, and learning in individual and group contexts. The current study examined the roles of procedural and conceptual instruction in learning CVS and investigated the role of executive function in the learning process. Additionally, this study examined how learning to identify variables is a part of the CVS process. In two studies (individual and classroom experiments), 139 third, fourth, and fifth grade students participated in hands-on and paper and pencil CVS learning activities and, in each study, were assigned to either a procedural instruction, conceptual instruction, or control (no instruction) group. Participants also completed a series of executive function tasks. The study was carried out with two parts--Study 1 used an individual context and Study 2 was carried out in a group setting. Results indicated that procedural and conceptual instruction were more effective than no instruction, and the ability to identify variables was identified as a key piece to the CVS process. Executive function predicted ability to identify variables and predicted success on CVS tasks. Developmental differences were present, in that older children outperformed younger children on CVS tasks, and that conceptual instruction was slightly more effective for older children. Some differences between individual and group instruction were found, with those in the individual context showing some advantage over the those in the group setting in learning CVS concepts. Conceptual implications about scientific thinking and practical implications in science education are discussed.

  5. The Instructional Effects of Matching or Mismatching Lesson and Posttest Screen Color

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clariana, Roy B.

    2004-01-01

    This investigation considers the instructional effects of color as an over-arching context variable when learning from computer displays. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the posttest retrieval effects of color as a local, extra-item non-verbal lesson context variable for constructed-response versus multiple-choice posttest…

  6. Preservice Childhood Education Teachers' Perceptions of Instructional Practices for Developing Young Children's Interest in Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Barakat, Ali Ahmad; Bataineh, Ruba Fahmi

    2011-01-01

    Within the context of the increasing attention to reading in educational contexts around the globe, this study uses a semistructured interview to explore 93 Jordanian preservice teachers' perceptions of instructional practices for developing young children's interest in reading. The participants reported on 7 major teacher practices they perceive…

  7. Learning from Online Modules in Diverse Instructional Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nugent, Gwen; Kohmetscher, Amy; Namuth-Covert, Deana; Guretzky, John; Murphy, Patrick; Lee, DoKyoung

    2016-01-01

    Learning objects originally developed for use in online learning environments can also be used to enhance face-to-face instruction. This study examined the learning impacts of online learning objects packaged into modules and used in different contexts for undergraduate education offered on campus at three institutions. A multi-case study approach…

  8. Self-Regulated Strategic Writing for Academic Studies in an English-Medium-Instruction Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hu, Jingjing; Gao, Xuesong

    2018-01-01

    This study explored the processes of utilization of resources in secondary students' self-regulated strategic writing for academic studies in an English as medium of instruction context in Hong Kong. Drawing on multiple data sources collected through the observation of lessons, stimulated recall and semi-structured interviews, the study examined…

  9. Deconstructing the simplification of jury instructions: How simplifying the features of complexity affects jurors' application of instructions.

    PubMed

    Baguley, Chantelle M; McKimmie, Blake M; Masser, Barbara M

    2017-06-01

    Research consistently shows that techniques currently used to simplify jury instructions do not always improve mock jurors' comprehension. If improvements are observed, these are limited and overall comprehension remains low. It is unclear, however, why this occurs. It is possible that current simplification techniques do not effectively simplify the features of complexity, present in standardized instructions, which have the greatest effect on jurors' comprehension. It is not yet known, however, how much each feature of complexity individually affects jurors' comprehension. To investigate this, the authors used existing data from published empirical studies to examine how simplifying each feature of complexity affects mock jurors' application of instructions, as jurors can only apply instructions to the extent they understand them. The results suggest that reducing the conceptual complexity and proportion of supplementary information was associated with increased application of the instructions; however, reducing both the linguistic complexity and amount of information, and providing the instructions in a written format was not. In addition, results showed an unexpected adverse effect of simplification-reducing the amount of information was associated with an increase in the punitiveness of mock jurors' verdicts, independently of the instruction content. Together, these results suggest a need to make jury instructions comprehensible, highlight the key principles in the decision-process, and identify a way to eliminate the negative effect of reducing the amount of information. Addressing these needs is essential for developing a simplification technique that maximizes jurors' comprehension and application of instructions, while minimizing the previously overlooked negative effects of simplification. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. From Teaching Machines to Microcomputers: Some Milestones in the History of Computer-Based Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Niemiec, Richard P.; Walberg, Herbert J.

    1989-01-01

    Examines the history of computer-based education within the context of psychological theorists of instruction, including Pressey, Thorndike, Skinner, and Crowder. Topics discussed include computer-managed instruction; computer-assisted instruction; the Computer Curriculum Corporation; PLATO; TICCIT; microcomputers; effects on students; and cost…

  11. Principal Instructional Leadership in Taiwan: Lessons from Two Decades of Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pan, Hui-Ling Wendy; Nyeu, Fong-Yee; Chen, June S.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how instructional leadership, a concept imported from Western scholarship, has been conceptualized in the Taiwanese context and how principal instructional leadership is realized in schools. The development trajectory of principal instructional leadership is delineated by examining empirical studies…

  12. Efficacy of Learning Strategies Instruction in Adult Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hock, Michael F.; Mellard, Daryl F.

    2011-01-01

    Results from randomized controlled trials of learning strategies instruction with 375 adult basic education participants are reported. Reading outcomes from whole group strategic instruction in 1 of 4 learning strategies were compared to outcomes of reading instruction delivered in the context of typical adult education units on social studies,…

  13. Alphanumeric and Graphic Facilitation Effects: Instructional Strategies To Improve Intentional Learning Outcomes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagner, Ellen D.

    Two assessment endeavors were undertaken to determine the relative impact of alphanumeric and graphic instructional mediators upon intentional and incidental learning outcomes in applied instructional contexts. The intent of these investigations was to determine the feasibility of embedding strategic organizational cues within instruction to…

  14. Challenging Venerable Assumptions: Literacy Instruction for Linguistically Different Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reyes, Maria de la Luz

    1992-01-01

    "One size fits all" literacy instruction works against the success of limited and non-English speaking students. Process instruction, tailoring literacy education to account for students' linguistic and cultural diversity, must begin with the premise that each learner brings a valid language and culture to the instructional context.…

  15. An Advance toward Instructional Management: Prescriptive Knowledge Base of Learner Control.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chung, Jaesam

    This paper discusses learner control as one of the main issues in instructional management and the importance of effectiveness and efficiency in the context of instructional/learning systems, and develops instructional prescriptions for learner control in a smorgasbord fashion. Strategies from both empirical and theoretical studies related to…

  16. Atwood's machine as a tool to introduce variable mass systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Sousa, Célia A.

    2012-03-01

    This article discusses an instructional strategy which explores eventual similarities and/or analogies between familiar problems and more sophisticated systems. In this context, the Atwood's machine problem is used to introduce students to more complex problems involving ropes and chains. The methodology proposed helps students to develop the ability needed to apply relevant concepts in situations not previously encountered. The pedagogical advantages are relevant for both secondary and high school students, showing that, through adequate examples, the question of the validity of Newton's second law may even be introduced to introductory level students.

  17. The effects of critical thinking instruction on training complex decision making.

    PubMed

    Helsdingen, Anne S; van den Bosch, Karel; van Gog, Tamara; van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G

    2010-08-01

    Two field studies assessed the effects of critical thinking instruction on training and transfer of a complex decision-making skill. Critical thinking instruction is based on studies of how experienced decision makers approach complex problems. Participants conducted scenario-based exercises in both simplified (Study I) and high-fidelity (Study 2) training environments. In both studies, half of the participants received instruction in critical thinking. The other half conducted the same exercises but without critical thinking instruction. After the training, test scenarios were administered to both groups. The first study showed that critical thinking instruction enhanced decision outcomes during both training and the test. In the second study, critical thinking instruction benefited both decision outcomes and processes, specifically on the transfer to untrained problems. The results suggest that critical thinking instruction improves decision strategy and enhances understanding of the general principles of the domain. The results of this study warrant the implementation of critical thinking instruction in training programs for professional decision makers that have to operate in complex and highly interactive, dynamic environments.

  18. The Effect of Spanish Classroom Reading Instruction on Pronunciation Ability during the First Week of Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guymon, Ronald E.

    An innovative classroom-based approach to reading instruction in the context of Spanish instruction was proposed. The effects of this instruction on the pronunciation ability of students were analyzed. The subjects were 30 adult missionary trainees who had no previous exposure to Spanish. The dependent variable was measured using two instruments.…

  19. The relevance of temporal iconicity with instruction manuals for elderly users.

    PubMed

    Mertens, Alexander; Nick, Claudia; Krüger, Stefan; Schlick, Christopher M

    2012-01-01

    Gerontolinguistic obtains a growing importance with the increase of elderly users due to Demographic Change. Since acceptance and ease of use of supportive systems for elderly, such as "E-Nursing-Assistants", are highly dependent on the age suitable design of readable instructions, an age-appropriate linguistic concept is of high value for usability. There has been only little research on the relevance of foreign words, signal words, textual arrangement, optical accentuation of key terms and temporal iconicity concerning older users. Thus, an efficient design of age suitable manual instructions within a medical context still remains to be done. The objective of this research was to evaluate the relevance of the previously mentioned factors in the context of written instructions. For this, an empirical survey was designed which was given to 45 study participants. The subjects of the experiment were given 4x3 instructions after a pretest questionnaire. The aim was to execute these instructions as correctly and quickly as possible. Furthermore the instructions were rated regarding comprehensibility with a retrospective questionnaire.

  20. Complex Instruction and Teaming: The Relationship between School Organization and the Introduction of an Instructional Innovation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Ginny; Filby, Nikola

    This document presents findings of a study that examined the impact of teacher teaming on the implementation of a comprehensive program of curriculum and instruction. The program, Complex Instruction (CI), was implemented in four middle schools in the Riverdale School District (Arizona), each of which utilized some form of teaming instruction. CI…

  1. Multimedia Instruction Presented by Integrated Context to Enhance Understanding of Compass-and- Straightedge Construction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Ming-Jang; Lee, Chun-Yi; Lei, Kin Hang; Tso, Tai-Yih; Lin, Shih-Li

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the effectiveness of an integrated context approach to the instruction of basic compass-and-straightedge construction. The formulation of a perpendicular bisector of a segment was used as a knowledge module to guide students from the pre-attention level to the elaboration level of information processing. The students were…

  2. Mapping the Landscape of Writing Instruction in New Zealand Primary School Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parr, Judy M.; Jesson, Rebecca

    2016-01-01

    Writing instruction in New Zealand occurs in a context with potential for variability in curriculum and delivery. The national curriculum is broad; self governing schools are to interpret and apply as appropriate to their local context. There are no mandated tests, nor external examinations until the last three years of school. Schools report to…

  3. Primary School Pupils' Perceptions of Water in the Context of STS Study Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Havu-Nuutinen, Sari; Karkkainen, Sirpa; Keinonen, Tuula

    2011-01-01

    This paper focuses on pupils' perceptions of water issues. The instructional situations take place in a Finnish primary school and aim at introducing the Science-Technology-Society (STS) study approach. The primary aim of this study is, in the context of STS instruction, to describe issues that pupils associate with water. This paper involves…

  4. Shared Planning Time: A Novel Context for Studying Teachers' Discourse and Beliefs about Learning and Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gill, Michele Gregoire; Hoffman, Bobby

    2009-01-01

    Background/Context: Although teachers' core instructional beliefs are difficult to accurately measure, they provide a framework for understanding the thinking that underlies important curricular and pedagogical decisions made in the classroom. Previous research has primarily used self-report to study teacher beliefs, but self-report is better for…

  5. Moodle: A Way for Blending VLE and Face-to-Face Instruction in the ELT Context?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ilin, Gulden

    2013-01-01

    This classroom research explores the probable consequences of a blended Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYLs) course comprised of Moodle applications and face to face instruction in the English Language Teaching (ELT) context. Contrary to previous face to face only procedure, the course was divided into two segments: traditional classroom…

  6. Complex Instruction: A Model for Reaching Up--and Out

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tomlinson, Carol Ann

    2018-01-01

    Complex Instruction is a multifaceted instructional model designed to provide highly challenging learning opportunities for students in heterogeneous classrooms. The model provides a rationale for and philosophy of creating equity of access to excellent curriculum and instruction for a broad range of learners, guidance for preparing students for…

  7. Co-Teaching Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities Using Literature-Based Reading Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swicegood, Philip; Miller, Melinda

    2015-01-01

    Literacy instruction for students with mild to moderate special needs should include authentic literature. Literature-based reading instruction provides time for students to develop new knowledge and strategies in a supportive context. When reading instruction occurs in an inclusion classroom, it also allows time for general education and special…

  8. Recognizing the Importance of Critical and Postmodern Possibilities for Instructional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jamison, P. K.

    This presentation is based on two essays by the author (P. K. Jamison): (1) "Providing Alternative Views of Contexts, Instruction, and Learning in Graduate and Continuing Professional Education Courses in Instructional Development"; and (2) "How Is Instructional Development a Social Practice?". The first essay presents a critical inquiry,…

  9. The Role of Coaching within the Context of Instructional Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stefaniak, Jill E.

    2017-01-01

    Upon entry into the instructional design workforce, there is a need for instructional designers to continue to hone their craft and skill development. Often times novice instructional designers are paired with experts during the onboarding process. Coaching is utilized to provide novices and those less experienced with the necessary support they…

  10. Does Instruction Work for Learning Pragmatics in the EFL Context?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alcon Soler, Eva

    2005-01-01

    This paper is based on a study which attempted to examine the efficacy of instruction at the pragmatic level. Specifically, the main purpose of the study was to investigate to what extent two instructional paradigms--explicit versus implicit instruction--affected learners' knowledge and ability to use request strategies. One hundred and thirty-two…

  11. Do Dynamic Work Instructions Provide an Advantage over Static Instructions in a Small Scale Assembly Task?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Gareth; Butterfield, Joe; Curran, Ricky; Craig, Cathy

    2010-01-01

    Recent studies exploring the effects of instructional animations on learning compared to static graphics have yielded mixed results. Few studies have explored their effectiveness in portraying procedural-motor information. Opportunities exist within an applied (manufacturing) context for instructional animations to be used to facilitate build…

  12. Comparing the Effectiveness of Verification and Inquiry Laboratories in Supporting Undergraduate Science Students in Constructing Arguments around Socioscientific Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grooms, Jonathon; Sampson, Victor; Golden, Barry

    2014-01-01

    This quasi-experimental study uses a pre-/post-intervention approach to investigate the quality of undergraduate students' arguments in the context of socioscientific issues (SSI) based on experiencing a semester of traditional "cookbook" instruction (N?=?79) or a semester of argument-based instruction (N?=?73) in the context of an…

  13. Approach-Method Interaction: The Role of Teaching Method on the Effect of Context-Based Approach in Physics Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pesman, Haki; Ozdemir, Omer Faruk

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to explore not only the effect of context-based physics instruction on students' achievement and motivation in physics, but also how the use of different teaching methods influences it (interaction effect). Therefore, two two-level-independent variables were defined, teaching approach (contextual and non-contextual…

  14. The Ethics of Writing Instruction: Issues in Theory and Practice. Perspectives on Writing: Theory, Research, Practice. Volume 4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pemberton, Michael A., Ed.

    This collection of essays reveals a keen awareness of the degree to which ethics and ethical systems are located in particular instructional contexts. The essays consider the implications of these contexts from a variety of perspectives, both theoretical and pedagogical. In the collection's first part, Ethics and the Composition Classroom, are the…

  15. The Relationship between Teachers' Beliefs of Grammar Instruction and Classroom Practices in the Saudi Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alghanmi, Bayan; Shukri, Nadia

    2016-01-01

    Teacher cognition (Borg, 2015) of grammar instruction is a relatively new phenomenon that has yet to be explored in the Saudi context. While many studies have focused on the teaching of grammar in general (Ellis, 2006; Corzo, 2013; Braine, 2014), further research needs to be done - particularly when it comes to understanding teachers' beliefs of…

  16. Relations between Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching, Mathematics Instructional Quality, and Student Achievement in the Context of the "Responsive Classroom (RC)" Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ottmar, Erin R.; Rimm-Kaufman, Sara E.; Larsen, Ross; Merritt, Eileen G.

    2011-01-01

    Despite over thirty years of theoretically based research investigating "how" teacher mathematical knowledge and instructional practice relate to student learning, it is still largely unclear how these constructs are related, and policy makers and practitioners are still situated in a context with insufficient data to make decisions. Thus, there…

  17. Use of Blended Learning for Effective Implementation of English-Medium Instruction in a Non-English Higher Education Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Im, Jin-Hyouk; Kim, Jeongyeon

    2015-01-01

    Although researchers agree with the strengths of an English-medium instruction (EMI) in addressing internationalization of a non-English higher education (HE) context, its implementation in classrooms has been widely criticized, mostly because of ineffective delivery of course content and a lack of evidence of English improvement. Grounded upon a…

  18. Collaborative remembering revisited: Study context access modulates collaborative inhibition and later benefits for individual memory.

    PubMed

    Abel, Magdalena; Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T

    2017-11-01

    Collaborating groups typically show reduced recall relative to nominal groups, i.e., to the cumulated non-redundant recall of the same number of people remembering in isolation-a finding termed collaborative inhibition. Motivated by the results of several previous studies, this study examined in two experiments whether access to study context at test influences the effects of collaboration. In both experiments, subjects collaborated in triads or recalled previously studied material in isolation. Experiment 1 applied short versus prolonged retention intervals to vary access to study context at test, whereas Experiment 2 used the list-method directed forgetting task and applied remember versus forget instructions to modulate context access. In both experiments, collaborative inhibition was present when access to study context at test was intact (i.e., after the short delay and the remember instruction) but was eliminated when the access was impaired (i.e., after the prolonged delay and the forget instruction). Also, post-collaborative gains for individual recall were greater when context access was impaired and collaborative inhibition was eliminated. The findings demonstrate a critical role of access to study context at test for collaborative inhibition, indicating that impaired context access may reflect a general boundary condition for the recall impairment. The possible role of context reactivation processes for beneficial effects of social recall is discussed.

  19. Simplified microprocessor design for VLSI control applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cameron, K.

    1991-01-01

    A design technique for microprocessors combining the simplicity of reduced instruction set computers (RISC's) with the richer instruction sets of complex instruction set computers (CISC's) is presented. They utilize the pipelined instruction decode and datapaths common to RISC's. Instruction invariant data processing sequences which transparently support complex addressing modes permit the formulation of simple control circuitry. Compact implementations are possible since neither complicated controllers nor large register sets are required.

  20. From Language Learners to Language Teachers to Language Teacher Trainers: Narrative Stories of Four Instructional Coaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chien, Chin-Wen

    2014-01-01

    This study discusses how four instructional coaches' roles and identities, as well as the school district context, have influenced their development as instructional coaches. This study thematically analyzes the narrative stories of four elementary school English instructional coaches in New Taipei City, Taiwan. The study concludes that the way…

  1. Intensive Instruction in Reading Components: A Comparison of Instructional Focus in Two Early Reading Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cantrell, Susan Chambers; Powers, Sherry W.; Roth, Nathan P.

    2013-01-01

    Examined in this study was instruction in two reading intervention programs, Reading Recovery and Reading Mastery, in the context of a statewide early reading initiative's first year of implementation. Through observations of 15 teachers, investigated in this study was the instructional focus of the intervention lessons and the extent to which…

  2. Applying Case-Based Method in Designing Self-Directed Online Instruction: A Formative Research Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luo, Heng; Koszalka, Tiffany A.; Arnone, Marilyn P.; Choi, Ikseon

    2018-01-01

    This study investigated the case-based method (CBM) instructional-design theory and its application in designing self-directed online instruction. The purpose of this study was to validate and refine the theory for a self-directed online instruction context. Guided by formative research methodology, this study first developed an online tutorial…

  3. Instructional Conditions for Trilingual Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cummins, Jim

    2001-01-01

    Outlines a framework for academic language learning that highlights the importance of focusing instructionally on meaning, language, and use. Reviews research that suggests that to develop students' academic language proficiency in bilingual or trilingual contexts, instruction must focus extensively on the processing of comprehensible input.…

  4. Optimal Sequential Rules for Computer-Based Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vos, Hans J.

    1998-01-01

    Formulates sequential rules for adapting the appropriate amount of instruction to learning needs in the context of computer-based instruction. Topics include Bayesian decision theory, threshold and linear-utility structure, psychometric model, optimal sequential number of test questions, and an empirical example of sequential instructional…

  5. Disentangling the many layers of eukaryotic transcriptional regulation.

    PubMed

    Lelli, Katherine M; Slattery, Matthew; Mann, Richard S

    2012-01-01

    Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes is an extremely complex process. In this review, we break down several critical steps, emphasizing new data and techniques that have expanded current gene regulatory models. We begin at the level of DNA sequence where cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) provide important regulatory information in the form of transcription factor (TF) binding sites. In this respect, CRMs function as instructional platforms for the assembly of gene regulatory complexes. We discuss multiple mechanisms controlling complex assembly, including cooperative DNA binding, combinatorial codes, and CRM architecture. The second section of this review places CRM assembly in the context of nucleosomes and condensed chromatin. We discuss how DNA accessibility and histone modifications contribute to TF function. Lastly, new advances in chromosomal mapping techniques have provided increased understanding of intra- and interchromosomal interactions. We discuss how these topological maps influence gene regulatory models.

  6. Impact of color hard copy on instructional technology applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lantz, Christopher J.

    1995-04-01

    Hard copy is still preeminent in the form of textbooks or lab manuals in most training environments despite inroads made by microcomputer delivery. Cost per copy is still a major factor but one that is offset by convenience and the capability of including a small number of crucial color illustrations for low run laboratory manuals. Overhead transparencies and color displays are other major educational applications in which electronically generated color hardcopy is just starting to make an impact. Color hardcopy has been perceived as out of reach to the average educator because of probatively high costs in the recent past. Another reason for the underutilization of color in instruction is research that suggests that color distracts instead of directing attention among learners. Much of this research compares visuals which are designed to convey simple visual information, and in this case complexity does often get in the way of comprehension. Color can also act as an advanced organizer that directs visual perception and comprehension to specific instructional objectives. Color can elicit emotional responses from viewers which will assist them in remembering visual detail. Not unlike any other instructional tool, color can add or distract from instructional objectives. Now that color is more accessible in the hard copy format, there are many new ways it can be utilized to benefit the public or corporate educator. In the sections that follow color hard copy is considered in its present areas of application, in context to the suitability of visuals for instruction, as a important component of visual literacy and lastly in the development of measures of picture readability.

  7. A Comparison of Prose and Algorithms for Presenting Complex Instructions. Document Design Project, Technical Report No. 17.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holland, V. Melissa; Rose, Andrew

    Complex conditional instructions ("if X, then do Y") are prevalent in public documents, where they typically appear in prose form. Results of two previous studies have shown that conditional instructions become very difficult to process as the structure becomes more complex. A study was designed to investigate whether this difficulty can…

  8. Second Graders' Emerging Particle Models of Matter in the Context of Learning through Model-Based Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samarapungavan, Ala; Bryan, Lynn; Wills, Jamison

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we present a study of second graders' learning about the nature of matter in the context of content-rich, model-based inquiry instruction. The goal of instruction was to help students learn to use simple particle models to explain states of matter and phase changes. We examined changes in students' ideas about matter, the coherence…

  9. Balancing Considerations of Equity, Content Quality, and Technical Excellence in Designing, Validating and Implementing Performance Assessments in the Context of Mathematics Instructional Reform: The Experience of the QUASAR Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Silver, Edward A.; Lane, Suzanne

    Issues of educational equity and quality are explored in the context of the Quantitative Understanding: Amplifying Student Achievement and Reasoning (QUASAR) project, a national educational reform project aimed at fostering and studying the development and implementation of enhanced mathematics instructional programs for students attending middle…

  10. Explicit Nature of Science and Argumentation Instruction in the Context of Socioscientific Issues: An Effect on Student Learning and Transfer

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khishfe, Rola

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the study was two-fold: to (a) investigate the influence of explicit nature of science (NOS) and explicit argumentation instruction in the context of a socioscientific issue on the argumentation skills and NOS understandings of students, and (b) explore the transfer of students' NOS understandings and argumentation skills learned in…

  11. NESTs, Necessary or Not? Examining the Impact of Native English Speaker Instruction in South Korea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schenck, Andrew

    2018-01-01

    Although Native English-Speaking Teachers (NESTs) are extensively utilized, very little is known about the impact of these teachers on speaking or writing in Asian contexts like South Korea. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of NEST instruction on EFL learners' speech in a South Korean context. First, proficiency level of 100…

  12. Exploring the Influence of High-Stakes Testing and Accountability on Teachers' Professional Identities through the Factors of Instructional Practice, Work Environment, and Teacher Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mason, Janet Harmon

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of high-stakes testing and accountability on teachers' perceptions of their professional identities. Teachers' instructional practice, work environments, and personal factors are now immersed in the context of high-stakes testing and accountability. This context colors the decisions teachers make…

  13. The Teacher Perception and Receptiveness of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model within a Japanese University Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nakagawa, Hiroshi

    2017-01-01

    Since 1995, to allow teachers to organize and instruct in more effective ways, many English as a Second Language (ESL) specialists and researchers have studied the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model and its instructional framework by Echevarria, Vogt, and Short in 2004. By combining strategies and techniques that recognize the…

  14. Preparing Instructional Designers for Game-Based Learning: Part III. Game Design as a Collaborative Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hirumi, Atsusi; Appelman, Bob; Rieber, Lloyd; Van Eck, Richard

    2010-01-01

    In this three part series, four professors who teach graduate level courses on the design of instructional video games discuss their perspectives on preparing instructional designers to optimize game-based learning. Part I set the context for the series and one of four panelists discussed what he believes instructional designers should know about…

  15. On the Effects of Focus on Form, Focus on Meaning, and Focus on Forms on Learners' Vocabulary Learning in ESP Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saeidi, Mahnaz; Zaferanieh, Elaheh; Shatery, Hafez

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated the effectiveness of three kinds of vocabulary instruction. Seventy learners in the classes of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) were divided into three different groups receiving different instructions: Focus on Form Instruction (FoF) (Dictogloss task), Focus on Meaning Instruction (FoM) (Reading and Discussion task),…

  16. Examining Information Problem-Solving, Knowledge, and Application Gains within Two Instructional Methods: Problem-Based and Computer-Mediated Participatory Simulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newell, Terrance S.

    2008-01-01

    This study compared the effectiveness of two instructional methods--problem-based instruction within a face-to-face context and computer-mediated participatory simulation--in increasing students' content knowledge and application gains in the area of information problem-solving. The instructional methods were implemented over a four-week period. A…

  17. Neuro-Linguistic Programming: A Discussion of Why and How.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Partridge, Susan

    Intended for teachers, this article offers a definition of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), discusses its relevance to instruction, and provides illustrations of the implementation of neuro-linguistic programming in instructional contexts. NLP is defined as an approach to instruction that recognizes the familiar visual, auditory, and…

  18. Effective Reading and Writing Instruction: A Focus on Modeling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Regan, Kelley; Berkeley, Sheri

    2012-01-01

    When providing effective reading and writing instruction, teachers need to provide explicit modeling. Modeling is particularly important when teaching students to use cognitive learning strategies. Examples of how teachers can provide specific, explicit, and flexible instructional modeling is presented in the context of two evidence-based…

  19. Cytokinin-auxin crosstalk in cell type specification.

    PubMed

    Chandler, John William; Werr, Wolfgang

    2015-05-01

    Auxin and cytokinin affect cell fate specification transcriptionally and non-transcriptionally, and their roles have been characterised in several founder cell specification and activation contexts. Similarly to auxin, local cytokinin synthesis and response gradients are instructive, and the roles of ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR 7/15 (ARR7/15) and the negative cytokinin response regulator ARABIDOPSIS HISTIDINE PHOSPHOTRANSFER PROTEIN 6, as well as auxin signalling via MONOPTEROS/BODENLOS, are functionally conserved across different developmental processes. Auxin and cytokinin crosstalk is tissue- and context-specific, and may be synergistic in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) but antagonistic in the root. We review recent advances in understanding the interactions between auxin and cytokinin in pivotal developmental processes, and show that feedback complexity and the multistep nature of specification processes argue against a single morphogenetic signal. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Application of the instructional congruence framework: Developing supplemental materials for English language learners

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drews, Tina Skjerping

    2009-12-01

    This dissertation is a study of the instructional congruence framework as it was used to develop and pilot a supplemental science unit on energy and the environment for sixth grade students in Arizona. With the growing linguistic and cultural diversity of children in American schools, congruent materials are more important now than ever before. The supplemental materials were designed by the researcher and underwent a six person, three educator and three engineer, panel review. The revised materials were then piloted in two sixth grade classrooms in the Southwest with high numbers of English language learners. Classroom observation, teacher interviews, and the classroom observation protocol were utilized to understand the fidelity to the instructional congruence framework. The fidelity of implementation of materials was subject to the realities of varied educational contexts. Piloting materials in urban contexts with diverse students involved additional challenges. The results of the study explore the challenges in creating instructionally congruent materials for diverse students in urban contexts. Recommendations are provided for curriculum developers that undertake the task of creating instructionally congruent materials and emphasize the need to devise innovative methods of creation, while understanding that there is no perfect solution. The education community as a whole could benefit from incorporating and synthesizing the instructional congruence framework in order to provide maximum opportunities in science for all students.

  1. Beyond Comprehension Strategy Instruction: What's Next?

    PubMed

    Elleman, Amy M; Compton, Donald L

    2017-04-20

    In this article, we respond to Catts and Kamhi's (2017) argument that reading comprehension is not a single ability. We provide a brief review of the impact of strategy instruction, the importance of knowledge in reading comprehension, and possible avenues for future research and practice. We agree with Catts and Kamhi's argument that reading comprehension is a complex endeavor and that current recommended practices do not reflect the complexity of the construct. Knowledge building, despite its important role in comprehension, has been relegated to a back seat in reading comprehension instruction. In the final section of the article, we outline possible avenues for research and practice (e.g., generative language instruction, dialogic approaches to knowledge building, analogical reasoning and disciplinary literacy, the use of graphics and media, inference instruction) for improving reading-comprehension outcomes. Reading comprehension is a complex ability, and comprehension instruction should reflect this complexity. If we want to have an impact on long-term growth in reading comprehension, we will need to expand our current repertoire of instructional methods to include approaches that support the acquisition and integration of knowledge across a variety of texts and topics.

  2. Transfer of Nature of Science Understandings into Similar Contexts: Promises and Possibilities of an Explicit Reflective Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khishfe, Rola

    2013-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to (a) investigate the effectiveness of explicit nature of science (NOS) instruction in the context of controversial socioscientific issues and (b) explore whether the transfer of acquired NOS understandings, which were explicitly taught in the context of one socioscientific context, into other similar contexts (familiar and unfamiliar) was possible. Participants were 10th grade students in two intact sections at one high school. The treatment involved teaching a six-week unit about genetic engineering. For one group (non-NOS group), there was no explicit instruction about NOS. For the other group (NOS group), explicit instruction about three NOS aspects (subjective, empirical, and tentative) was dispersed across the genetic engineering unit. A questionnaire including two open-ended scenarios, in conjunction with semi-structured interviews, was used to assess the change in participants' understandings of NOS and their ability to transfer their acquired understandings into similar contexts. The first scenario involved a familiar context about genetically modified food and the second one focused on an unfamiliar context about water fluoridation. Results showed no improvement in NOS understandings of participants in the non-NOS group in relation to the familiar and unfamiliar contexts. On the other hand, there was a general improvement in the NOS understandings of participants in the NOS group in relation to both the familiar and unfamiliar contexts. Implications about the transfer of participants' acquired NOS understandings on the basis of the distance between the context of learning and that of application are highlighted and discussed in link with the classroom learning environment.

  3. Reducing cognitive load while teaching complex instruction to occupational therapy students.

    PubMed

    Pociask, Fredrick D; DiZazzo-Miller, Rosanne; Samuel, Preethy S

    2013-01-01

    Cognitive load theory is a field of research used to improve the learning of complex cognitive tasks by matching instruction to the learner's cognitive architecture. We used an experimental posttest control-group design to test the effectiveness of instruction designed to reduce cognitive load (CL) and improve instructional effectiveness in teaching complex instruction to 24 first-year master's students under authentic classroom conditions. We modified historically taught instruction using an isolated-to-interacting-elements sequencing approach intended to reduce high CL levels. We compared control and modified instructional formats using written assessment scores, subjective ratings of CL, and task completion times. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences for postinstruction, posttest CL ratings, and delayed written posttest scores (p < .05). No significant differences were identified for posttest completion times. Findings suggest that this approach can be used to improve instructional efficiency in teaching human locomotion to occupational therapy students. Copyright © 2013 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

  4. Applications of Online Instruction: An Overview for Teachers, Students with Mild Disabilities, and Their Parents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Sean J.; Meyen, Edward L.

    2003-01-01

    This article describes online instruction in the context of online technologies, instructional environment, and home environment of students with disabilities. Topics covered include advantages, cost effectiveness, Web accessibility, universal design for learning, tools for accessing and organizing resources, tools for communication, learning…

  5. Teacher Advice-Seeking: Relating Centrality and Expertise in Middle School Mathematics Social Networks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berebitsky, Dan; Andrews-Larson, Christine

    2017-01-01

    Background/Context: Teachers' relationships with principals, instructional coaches, and other teachers have important implications for the improvement of their instructional practice and student learning. In particular, teachers who access content-specific instructional expertise through their social networks are more likely to exhibit and sustain…

  6. Presentation on Instructional Objectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naz, Bibi Asia

    2009-01-01

    "Learning can be defined as change in a student's capacity for performance as a result of experience" (Kenneth D. Moore). The intended changes should be specified in instructional objectives. Viewed in this context, an objective can be defined as a clear and unambiguous description of your instructional intent. An objective is not a…

  7. Learners' Perceptions of Instructional Design Practice in a Situated Learning Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woolf, Nicholas; Quinn, James

    2009-01-01

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

  8. First-Year Teacher Knowledge of Phonemic Awareness and Its Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheesman, Elaine A.; McGuire, Joan M.; Shankweiler, Donald; Coyne, Michael

    2009-01-01

    Converging evidence has identified phonemic awareness (PA) as one of five essential components of beginning reading instruction. Evidence suggests that many teachers do not have the recommended knowledge or skills sufficient to provide effective PA instruction within the context of scientifically validated reading education. This study examines…

  9. The Prevalence of Developmental Instruction in Public and Catholic Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Sean

    2010-01-01

    Background/Context: Prior research has investigated differences in course-taking patterns and achievement growth in public and Catholic schools, but the nature of instruction in Catholic schools is currently understudied. One important dimension of instruction that impacts student engagement is the prevalence of developmental or student-centered…

  10. Development and Validation of an Instructional Willingness to Communicate Questionnaire

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khatib, Mohammad; Nourzadeh, Saeed

    2015-01-01

    The current study was undertaken with the purpose of developing and validating a willingness to communicate (WTC) questionnaire for instructional language teaching and learning contexts. Six instructional WTC (IWTC) components were identified after (1) undertaking a comprehensive review of the literature on second language (L2) WTC and other…

  11. They CAN and They SHOULD: Undergraduates Providing Peer Reference and Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bodemer, Brett B.

    2014-01-01

    Peer learning dynamics have proven powerful in collegiate contexts. These dynamics should be leveraged at the undergraduate level in academic libraries for reference provision and basic information literacy instruction. Drawing on the literature of peer learning, documented examples of peer reference and instruction in academic libraries, and…

  12. Running on Empty? Finding the Time and Capacity to Lead Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hallinger, Philip; Murphy, Joseph F.

    2013-01-01

    In recent years, policy changes in American education have refocused a spotlight on principal instructional leadership. Although in previous eras the professional literature exhorted principals to "be instructional leaders," there were few sanctions if they failed to do so. In the current policy context, however, instructional leadership has…

  13. Trajectories of Change in University Students' General Views of Group Work Following One Single Group Assignment: Significance of Instructional Context and Multidimensional Aspects of Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wosnitza, Marold; Volet, Simone

    2014-01-01

    This paper examines how distinct trajectories of change in students' general views of group work over the duration of one single group assignment could be explained by multidimensional aspects of their experience and the overall instructional context. Science (336) and Education (377) students involved in a semester-long group assignment…

  14. Implications for Language Diversity in Instruction in the Context of Target Language Classrooms: Development of a Preliminary Model of the Effectiveness of Teacher Code-Switching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Jang Ho

    2012-01-01

    This paper concerns the conceptual and pedagogical issues that revolve around target language (TL) only instruction and teacher code-switching in the context of TL classrooms. To this end, I first examine four intertwined ideas (that is, monolingualism, naturalism, native-speakerism, and absolutism) that run through the monolingual approach to TL…

  15. Involvement of Spearman's g in conceptualisation versus execution of complex tasks.

    PubMed

    Carroll, Ellen L; Bright, Peter

    2016-10-01

    Strong correlations between measures of fluid intelligence (or Spearman's g) and working memory are widely reported in the literature, but there is considerable controversy concerning the nature of underlying mechanisms driving this relationship. In the four experiments presented here we consider the role of response conflict and task complexity in the context of real-time task execution demands (Experiments 1-3) and also address recent evidence that g confers an advantage at the level of task conceptualisation rather than (or in addition to) task execution (Experiment 4). We observed increased sensitivity of measured fluid intelligence to task performance in the presence (vs. the absence) of response conflict, and this relationship remained when task complexity was reduced. Performance-g correlations were also observed in the absence of response conflict, but only in the context of high task complexity. Further, we present evidence that differences in conceptualisation or 'modelling' of task instructions prior to execution had an important mediating effect on observed correlations, but only when the task encompassed a strong element of response inhibition. Our results suggest that individual differences in ability reflect, in large part, variability in the efficiency with which the relational complexity of task constraints are held in mind. It follows that fluid intelligence may support successful task execution through the construction of effective action plans via optimal allocation of limited resources. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Students' explanations in complex learning of disciplinary programming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vieira, Camilo

    Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) has been denominated as the third pillar of science and as a set of important skills to solve the problems of a global society. Along with the theoretical and the experimental approaches, computation offers a third alternative to solve complex problems that require processing large amounts of data, or representing complex phenomena that are not easy to experiment with. Despite the relevance of CSE, current professionals and scientists are not well prepared to take advantage of this set of tools and methods. Computation is usually taught in an isolated way from engineering disciplines, and therefore, engineers do not know how to exploit CSE affordances. This dissertation intends to introduce computational tools and methods contextualized within the Materials Science and Engineering curriculum. Considering that learning how to program is a complex task, the dissertation explores effective pedagogical practices that can support student disciplinary and computational learning. Two case studies will be evaluated to identify the characteristics of effective worked examples in the context of CSE. Specifically, this dissertation explores students explanations of these worked examples in two engineering courses with different levels of transparency: a programming course in materials science and engineering glass box and a thermodynamics course involving computational representations black box. Results from this study suggest that students benefit in different ways from writing in-code comments. These benefits include but are not limited to: connecting xv individual lines of code to the overall problem, getting familiar with the syntax, learning effective algorithm design strategies, and connecting computation with their discipline. Students in the glass box context generate higher quality explanations than students in the black box context. These explanations are related to students prior experiences. Specifically, students with low ability to do programming engage in a more thorough explanation process than students with high ability. This dissertation concludes proposing an adaptation to the instructional principles of worked-examples for the context of CSE education.

  17. Discrete Circuits Support Generalized versus Context-Specific Vocal Learning in the Songbird.

    PubMed

    Tian, Lucas Y; Brainard, Michael S

    2017-12-06

    Motor skills depend on the reuse of individual gestures in multiple sequential contexts (e.g., a single phoneme in different words). Yet optimal performance requires that a given gesture be modified appropriately depending on the sequence in which it occurs. To investigate the neural architecture underlying such context-dependent modifications, we studied Bengalese finch song, which, like speech, consists of variable sequences of "syllables." We found that when birds are instructed to modify a syllable in one sequential context, learning generalizes across contexts; however, if unique instruction is provided in different contexts, learning is specific for each context. Using localized inactivation of a cortical-basal ganglia circuit specialized for song, we show that this balance between generalization and specificity reflects a hierarchical organization of neural substrates. Primary motor circuitry encodes a core syllable representation that contributes to generalization, while top-down input from cortical-basal ganglia circuitry biases this representation to enable context-specific learning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. An instructional design process based on expert knowledge for teaching students how mechanisms are explained.

    PubMed

    Trujillo, Caleb M; Anderson, Trevor R; Pelaez, Nancy J

    2016-06-01

    In biology and physiology courses, students face many difficulties when learning to explain mechanisms, a topic that is demanding due to the immense complexity and abstract nature of molecular and cellular mechanisms. To overcome these difficulties, we asked the following question: how does an instructor transform their understanding of biological mechanisms and other difficult-to-learn topics so that students can comprehend them? To address this question, we first reviewed a model of the components used by biologists to explain molecular and cellular mechanisms: the MACH model, with the components of methods (M), analogies (A), context (C), and how (H). Next, instructional materials were developed and the teaching activities were piloted with a physical MACH model. Students who used the MACH model to guide their explanations of mechanisms exhibited both improvements and some new difficulties. Third, a series of design-based research cycles was applied to bring the activities with an improved physical MACH model into biology and biochemistry courses. Finally, a useful rubric was developed to address prevalent student difficulties. Here, we present, for physiology and biology instructors, the knowledge and resources for explaining molecular and cellular mechanisms in undergraduate courses with an instructional design process aimed at realizing pedagogical content knowledge for teaching. Our four-stage process could be adapted to advance instruction with a range of models in the life sciences. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

  19. An instructional design process based on expert knowledge for teaching students how mechanisms are explained

    PubMed Central

    Anderson, Trevor R.; Pelaez, Nancy J.

    2016-01-01

    In biology and physiology courses, students face many difficulties when learning to explain mechanisms, a topic that is demanding due to the immense complexity and abstract nature of molecular and cellular mechanisms. To overcome these difficulties, we asked the following question: how does an instructor transform their understanding of biological mechanisms and other difficult-to-learn topics so that students can comprehend them? To address this question, we first reviewed a model of the components used by biologists to explain molecular and cellular mechanisms: the MACH model, with the components of methods (M), analogies (A), context (C), and how (H). Next, instructional materials were developed and the teaching activities were piloted with a physical MACH model. Students who used the MACH model to guide their explanations of mechanisms exhibited both improvements and some new difficulties. Third, a series of design-based research cycles was applied to bring the activities with an improved physical MACH model into biology and biochemistry courses. Finally, a useful rubric was developed to address prevalent student difficulties. Here, we present, for physiology and biology instructors, the knowledge and resources for explaining molecular and cellular mechanisms in undergraduate courses with an instructional design process aimed at realizing pedagogical content knowledge for teaching. Our four-stage process could be adapted to advance instruction with a range of models in the life sciences. PMID:27231262

  20. Authenticity in the Process of Learning about Instructional Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Jay R.; Schwier, Richard A.

    2009-01-01

    Authentic learning is touted as a powerful learning approach, particularly in the context of problem-based learning (Savery, 2006). Teaching and learning in the area of instructional design appears to offer a strong fit between the tenets of authentic learning and the practice of instructional design. This paper details the efforts to broaden and…

  1. Metacognitive Strategies: A Foundation for Early Word Spelling and Reading in Kindergartners with SLI

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schiff, Rachel; Nuri Ben-Shushan, Yohi; Ben-Artzi, Elisheva

    2017-01-01

    This study assessed the effect of metacognitive instruction on the spelling and word reading of Hebrew-speaking children with specific language impairment (SLI). Participants were 67 kindergarteners with SLI in a supported learning context. Children were classified into three spelling instruction groups: (a) metalinguistic instruction (ML), (b) ML…

  2. Investigating the Dimensionality of Examinee Motivation across Instruction Conditions in Low-Stakes Testing Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finney, Sara J.; Mathers, Catherine E.; Myers, Aaron J.

    2016-01-01

    Research investigating methods to influence examinee motivation during low-stakes assessment of student learning outcomes has involved manipulating test session instructions. The impact of instructions is often evaluated using a popular self-report measure of test-taking motivation. However, the impact of these manipulations on the psychometric…

  3. Forum: Interpersonal Communication in Instructional Settings: Raising New Questions and Restoring Our Focus on Authentic Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lane, Derek R.

    2017-01-01

    In this article the author addresses whether educators have accumulated sufficient knowledge about interpersonal communication in the instructional context--at least as it pertains to the relational perspective--"and" whether other meaningful topics in the instructional communication literature have been ignored. The author's purpose…

  4. Forum: Interpersonal Communication in Instructional Settings. A Cautious Approach to Reliance on Interpersonal Communication Frameworks: The Importance of Context in Instructional Communication Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Zac D.; LaBelle, Sara; Waldeck, Jennifer H.

    2017-01-01

    Instructional communication (IC) scholars have made significant contributions to the study of educational outcomes by creating a deep understanding of the teacher-student relationship (Mottet & Beebe, 2006). IC research published in "Communication Education" and other outlets therefore appropriately emphasizes interpersonal…

  5. The Effects of Explicit-Strategy and Whole-Language Instruction on Students' Spelling Ability.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Butyniec-Thomas, Jean; Woloshyn, Vera E.

    1997-01-01

    Whether explicit-strategy instruction combined with whole-language instruction would improve third graders' spelling more than using either approach alone was studied with 37 students. Findings suggest that young children learn to spell best when they are taught a repertoire of effective strategies in a meaningful context. (SLD)

  6. The West Wind vs the East Wind: Instructional Leadership Model in China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Qian, Haiyan; Walker, Allan; Li, Xiaojun

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a preliminary model of instructional leadership in the Chinese educational context and explore the ways in which Chinese school principals locate their instructional-leadership practices in response to traditional expectations and the requirements of recent reforms. Design/methodology/approach:…

  7. Supplemental Literacy Instruction in High School: What Students Say Matters for Reading Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cantrell, Susan Chambers; Pennington, Jessica; Rintamaa, Margaret; Osborne, Monica; Parker, Cindy; Rudd, Mary

    2017-01-01

    In this article, we describe a model for reading engagement that emerged from interviews with high school students who participated in a yearlong supplemental intervention course. The course focused on motivation, strategies, content learning, and communication within the context of themed instruction. We sought to ascertain instructional factors,…

  8. Forum: Interpersonal Communication in Instructional Settings. The Interplay between Interpersonal Communication and Instructional Communication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Punyanunt-Carter, Narissra Maria; Arias, V. Santiago

    2017-01-01

    In this brief forum article, the authors suggest that in order to truly understand communication education, both interpersonal and instructional variables must be analyzed. Instructors, researchers, and scholars need to find balance between content and relationship aspects while being aware of context boundaries to truly assist in maximizing…

  9. Education on the Electronic Frontier: Teleapprentices in Globally Distributed Educational Contexts. Interactive Technology Laboratory Report #14.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levin, James A.; And Others

    1987-01-01

    The instructional media created by microcomputers interconnected by modems to form long-distance networks present some powerful new opportunities for education. While other uses of computers in education have been built on conventional instructional models of classroom interaction, instructional electronic networks facilitate a wider use of…

  10. Developing a Process Model for Student Reformation of Curriculum and Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grimaldi, Ettore P.; Garrett, Philip R.

    This paper presents a working framework for a controlled change of instructional practices within a community college. A methodology for the training of students and faculty in the evaluation of curriculum and instruction is presented: (1) establish a positive rationale for evaluation within a context of meaningful philosophy; (2) determine a…

  11. Problem-Solving Processes of Expert and Typical School Principals: A Quantitative Look

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brenninkmeyer, Lawrence D.; Spillane, James P.

    2008-01-01

    Principals are increasingly expected to be the instructional as well as administrative leaders of their schools. However, little is known about how principals reason through the instructional issues that they face. An analysis of principal reasoning in instructional contexts is critical. The study presented in this article draws on interviews with…

  12. Fundamentals of Library Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McAdoo, Monty L.

    2012-01-01

    Being a great teacher is part and parcel of being a great librarian. In this book, veteran instruction services librarian McAdoo lays out the fundamentals of the discipline in easily accessible language. Succinctly covering the topic from top to bottom, he: (1) Offers an overview of the historical context of library instruction, drawing on recent…

  13. Impacts of Contextual and Explicit Instruction on Preservice Elementary Teachers' Understandings of the Nature of Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Randy L.; Matkins, Juanita Jo; Gansneder, Bruce M.

    2011-01-01

    This mixed-methods investigation compared the relative impacts of instructional approach and context of nature of science instruction on preservice elementary teachers' understandings. The sample consisted of 75 preservice teachers enrolled in four sections of an elementary science methods course. Independent variables included instructional…

  14. Intelligent Computer-Assisted Instruction: A Review and Assessment of ICAI Research and Its Potential for Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dede, Christopher J.; And Others

    The first of five sections in this report places intelligent computer-assisted instruction (ICAI) in its historical context through discussions of traditional computer-assisted instruction (CAI) linear and branching programs; TICCIT and PLATO IV, two CAI demonstration projects funded by the National Science Foundation; generative programs, the…

  15. Differentiating Instruction in the Primary Grades with the Big6[TM

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jansen, Barbara A.

    2009-01-01

    Tomlinson defines differentiated instruction as "attempts to meet students where they are in the learning process and move them along as quickly and as far as possible in the context of a mixed-ability classroom." Successful differentiation equals student engagement and understanding. Instruction can be differentiated in several ways: by student…

  16. "Wait for It . . ." Delaying Instruction Improves Mathematics Problem Solving: A Classroom Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loehr, Abbey Marie; Fyfe, Emily R.; Rittle-Johnson, Bethany

    2014-01-01

    Engaging learners in exploratory problem-solving activities prior to receiving instruction (i.e., explore-instruct approach) has been endorsed as an effective learning approach. However, it remains unclear whether this approach is feasible for elementary-school children in a classroom context. In two experiments, second-graders solved mathematical…

  17. Differentiated Instruction in a Data-Based Decision-Making Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Faber, Janke M.; Glas, Cees A. W.; Visscher, Adrie J.

    2018-01-01

    In this study, the relationship between differentiated instruction, as an element of data-based decision making, and student achievement was examined. Classroom observations (n = 144) were used to measure teachers' differentiated instruction practices and to predict the mathematical achievement of 2nd- and 5th-grade students (n = 953). The…

  18. Reading Instruction for English Learners in the Middle Grades: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Colby; Roberts, Garrett J.; Cho, Eunsoo; McCulley, Lisa V.; Carroll, Megan; Vaughn, Sharon

    2017-01-01

    This meta-analysis synthesizes the last two decades of experimental and quasi-experimental research on reading instruction across academic contexts (e.g., social studies, science, mathematics, English language arts) for English learners (ELs) in grades 4 through 8, to determine (a) the overall effectiveness of reading instruction for upper…

  19. Language used in interaction during developmental science instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Avenia-Tapper, Brianna

    The coordination of theory and evidence is an important part of scientific practice. Developmental approaches to instruction, which make the relationship between the abstract and the concrete a central focus of students' learning activity, provide educators with a unique opportunity to strengthen students' coordination of theory and evidence. Therefore, developmental approaches may be a useful instructional response to documented science achievement gaps for linguistically diverse students. However, if we are to leverage the potential of developmental instruction to improve the science achievement of linguistically diverse students, we need more information on the intersection of developmental science instruction and linguistically diverse learning contexts. This manuscript style dissertation uses discourse analysis to investigate the language used in interaction during developmental teaching-learning in three linguistically diverse third grade classrooms. The first manuscript asks how language was used to construct ascension from the abstract to the concrete. The second manuscript asks how students' non-English home languages were useful (or not) for meeting the learning goals of the developmental instructional program. The third manuscript asks how students' interlocutors may influence student choice to use an important discourse practice--justification--during the developmental teaching-learning activity. All three manuscripts report findings relevant to the instructional decisions that teachers need to make when implementing developmental instruction in linguistically diverse contexts.

  20. Response to Instruction in Preschool: Results of Two Randomized Studies with Children At Significant Risk of Reading Difficulties

    PubMed Central

    Lonigan, Christopher J.; Phillips, Beth M.

    2015-01-01

    Although response-to-instruction (RTI) approaches have received increased attention, few studies have evaluated the potential impacts of RTI approaches with preschool populations. This manuscript presents results of two studies examining impacts of Tier II instruction with preschool children. Participating children were identified as substantially delayed in the acquisition of early literacy skills despite exposure to high-quality, evidence-based classroom instruction. Study 1 included 93 children (M age = 58.2 months; SD = 3.62) attending 12 Title I preschools. Study 2 included 184 children (M age = 58.2 months; SD = 3.38) attending 19 Title I preschools. The majority of children were Black/African American, and about 60% were male. In both studies, eligible children were randomized to receive either 11 weeks of need-aligned, small-group instruction or just Tier I. Tier II instruction in Study 1 included variations of activities for code- and language-focused domains with prior evidence of efficacy in non-RTI contexts. Tier II instruction in Study 2 included instructional activities narrower in scope, more intensive, and delivered to smaller groups of children. Impacts of Tier II instruction in Study 1 were minimal; however, there were significant and moderate-to-large impacts in Study 2. These results identify effective Tier II instruction but indicate that the context in which children are identified may alter the nature of Tier II instruction that is required. Children identified as eligible for Tier II in an RTI framework likely require more intensive and more narrowly focused instruction than do children at general risk of later academic difficulties. PMID:26869730

  1. Your teaching strategy matters: how engagement impacts application in health information literacy instruction.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Heather A; Barrett, Laura

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare two pedagogical methods, active learning and passive instruction, to determine which is more useful in helping students to achieve the learning outcomes in a one-hour research skills instructional session. Two groups of high school students attended an instructional session to learn about consumer health resources and strategies to enhance their searching skills. The first group received passive instruction, and the second engaged in active learning. We assessed both groups' learning using 2 methods with differing complexity. A total of 59 students attended the instructional sessions (passive instruction, n=28; active learning, n=31). We found that the active learning group scored more favorably in four assessment categories. Active learning may help students engage with and develop a meaningful understanding of several resources in a single session. Moreover, when using a complex teaching strategy, librarians should be mindful to gauge learning using an equally complex assessment method.

  2. Your teaching strategy matters: how engagement impacts application in health information literacy instruction *

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Heather A.; Barrett, Laura

    2017-01-01

    Objective The purpose of this study was to compare two pedagogical methods, active learning and passive instruction, to determine which is more useful in helping students to achieve the learning outcomes in a one-hour research skills instructional session. Methods Two groups of high school students attended an instructional session to learn about consumer health resources and strategies to enhance their searching skills. The first group received passive instruction, and the second engaged in active learning. We assessed both groups’ learning using 2 methods with differing complexity. A total of 59 students attended the instructional sessions (passive instruction, n=28; active learning, n=31). Results We found that the active learning group scored more favorably in four assessment categories. Conclusions Active learning may help students engage with and develop a meaningful understanding of several resources in a single session. Moreover, when using a complex teaching strategy, librarians should be mindful to gauge learning using an equally complex assessment method. PMID:28096745

  3. An impoverished machine: challenges to human learning and instructional technology.

    PubMed

    Taraban, Roman

    2008-08-01

    Many of the limitations to human learning and processing identified by cognitive psychologists over the last 50 years still hold true, including computational constraints, low learning rates, and unreliable processing. Instructional technology can be used in classrooms and in other learning contexts to address these limitations to learning. However, creating technological innovations is not enough. As part of psychological science, the development and assessment of instructional systems should be guided by theories and practices within the discipline. The technology we develop should become an object of research like other phenomena that are studied. In the present article, I present an informal account of my own work in assessing instructional technology for engineering thermodynamics to show not only the benefits, but also the limitations, in studying the technology we create. I conclude by considering several ways of advancing the development of instructional technology within the SCiP community, including interdisciplinary research and envisioning learning contexts that differ radically from traditional learning focused on lectures and testing.

  4. Motivating Calculus-Based Kinematics Instruction with Super Mario Bros

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nordine, Jeffrey C.

    2011-09-01

    High-quality physics instruction is contextualized, motivates students to learn, and represents the discipline as a way of investigating the world rather than as a collection of facts and equations. Inquiry-oriented pedagogy, such as problem-based instruction, holds great promise for both teaching physics content and representing the process of doing real science.2 A challenge for physics teachers is to find instructional contexts that are meaningful, accessible, and motivating for students. Today's students are spending a growing fraction of their lives interacting with virtual environments, and these environments—physically realistic or not—can provide valuable contexts for physics explorations3-5 and lead to thoughtful discussions about decisions that programmers make when designing virtual environments. In this article, I describe a problem-based approach to calculus-based kinematics instruction that contextualizes students' learning within the Super Mario Bros. video game—a game that is more than 20 years old, but still remarkably popular with today's high school and college students.

  5. Instruction, Feedback and Biometrics: The User Interface for Fingerprint Authentication Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riley, Chris; Johnson, Graham; McCracken, Heather; Al-Saffar, Ahmed

    Biometric authentication is the process of establishing an individual’s identity through measurable characteristics of their behaviour, anatomy or physiology. Biometric technologies, such as fingerprint systems, are increasingly being used in a diverse range of contexts from immigration control, to banking and personal computing. As is often the case with emerging technologies, the usability aspects of system design have received less attention than technical aspects. Fingerprint systems pose a number of challenges for users and past research has identified issues with correct finger placement, system feedback and instruction. This paper describes the development of an interface for fingerprint systems using an iterative, participative design approach. During this process, several different methods for the presentation of instruction and feedback were identified. The different types of instruction and feedback were tested in a study involving 82 participants. The results showed that feedback had a statistically significant effect on overall system performance, but instruction did not. The design recommendations emerging from this study, and the use of participatory design in this context, are discussed.

  6. Promoting Science Learning and Scientific Identification through Contemporary Scientific Investigations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Horne, Katie

    This dissertation investigates the implementation issues and the educational opportunities associated with "taking the practice turn" in science education. This pedagogical shift focuses instructional experiences on engaging students in the epistemic practices of science both to learn the core ideas of the disciplines, as well as to gain an understanding of and personal connection to the scientific enterprise. In Chapter 2, I examine the teacher-researcher co-design collaboration that supported the classroom implementation of a year-long, project-based biology curriculum that was under development. This study explores the dilemmas that arose when teachers implemented a new intervention and how the dilemmas arose and were managed throughout the collaboration of researchers and teachers and between the teachers. In the design-based research of Chapter 3, I demonstrate how students' engagement in epistemic practices in contemporary science investigations supported their conceptual development about genetics. The analysis shows how this involved a complex interaction between the scientific, school and community practices in students' lives and how through varied participation in the practices students come to write about and recognize how contemporary investigations can give them leverage for science-based action outside of the school setting. Finally, Chapter 4 explores the characteristics of learning environments for supporting the development of scientific practice-linked identities. Specific features of the learning environment---access to the intellectual work of the domain, authentic roles and accountability, space to make meaningful contributions in relation to personal interests, and practice-linked identity resources that arose from interactions in the learning setting---supported learners in stabilizing practice-linked science identities through their engagement in contemporary scientific practices. This set of studies shows that providing students with the tools and means of contemporary scientific inquiry allows them to gain conceptual development and proficiency with the scientific practices within the contexts of their lives, in ways that provided access to resources that promoted students' stabilization of practice-linked identities. For teachers implementing this instructional model in their classrooms, it brought up dilemmas and opportunities related to their school contexts and their personal history of instructional practices. The work collectively informs how interest-driven project-based science instruction can happen across a range of school contexts and how such models can support meaningful science learning and identification.

  7. Impacts of a PECS instructional coaching intervention on practitioners and children with autism.

    PubMed

    Ganz, Jennifer B; Goodwyn, Fara D; Boles, Margot M; Hong, Ee Rea; Rispoli, Mandy J; Lund, Emily M; Kite, Elizabeth

    2013-09-01

    There is a growing research literature on the potential benefits of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals with autism; however few studies have investigated implementation of AAC within real-life contexts. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of training for practitioners in implementation of aided AAC, and to examine implementation of Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) in real-life contexts. In particular, this study involved the implementation of instructional coaching to increase opportunities offered by behavioral therapists for their preschool-aged clients to use PECS to make requests. Results indicated increases in therapist implementation of AAC and client use of AAC in trained contexts, with limited generalization to untrained contexts.

  8. Roles of Working Memory Performance and Instructional Strategy in Complex Cognitive Task Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cevik, V.; Altun, A.

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to investigate how working memory (WM) performances and instructional strategy choices affect learners' complex cognitive task performance in online environments. Three different e-learning environments were designed based on Merrill's (2006a) model of instructional strategies. The lack of experimental research on his framework is…

  9. Discrimination theory of rule-governed behavior

    PubMed Central

    Cerutti, Daniel T.

    1989-01-01

    In rule-governed behavior, previously established elementary discriminations are combined in complex instructions and thus result in complex behavior. Discriminative combining and recombining of responses produce behavior with characteristics differing from those of behavior that is established through the effects of its direct consequences. For example, responding in instructed discrimination may be occasioned by discriminative stimuli that are temporally and situationally removed from the circumstances under which the discrimination is instructed. The present account illustrates properties of rule-governed behavior with examples from research in instructional control and imitation learning. Units of instructed behavior, circumstances controlling compliance with instructions, and rule-governed problem solving are considered. PMID:16812579

  10. Using Argument-Driven Inquiry to enhance students' argument sophistication when supporting a stance in the context of Socioscientific Issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grooms, Jonathon A.

    This quasi-experimental study assesses the extent to which the Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) instructional model enhances undergraduate students' abilities to generate quality arguments supporting their stance in the context of a Socioscientific Issue (SSI) as compared to students experiencing a traditional style of instruction. Enhancing the quality of undergraduate students' arguments in the context of SSI can serve as an indirect measure of their scientific literacy and their ability to make sound decisions on issues that are inherently scientific but also involve social implications. Data collected in this study suggest that the undergraduate students experiencing the ADI instruction more readily provide rationales in their arguments supporting their decisions regarding two SSI-tasks as compared to a group of undergraduate students experiencing traditional instruction. This improvement in argument quality and gain in scientific literacy was achieved despite the overall lower SSI related content knowledge of the ADI students. Furthermore, the gap between the argument quality of those students with high versus low SSI related content knowledge was closed within the ADI group, while the same gap persisted post-intervention within the traditional instruction students. The role of students' epistemological sophistication was also investigated, which showed that neither instructional strategy was effective at shifting students' epistemological sophistication toward an evaluativist stance. However, the multiplists within the ADI group were able to significantly increase the sophistication of their arguments whereas the traditional students were not. There were no differences between the quality of arguments generated by the evaluativist students with either the treatment or comparison groups. Finally, the nature of the justifications used by the students revealed that the students (both comparison and treatment groups) did not invoke science-based justifications when supporting their stance, despite students' self-reports that scientific content knowledge accounted for the greatest influence on their stance, related to the SSI tasks. The results of this study suggest that the scientific habits of mind the students learned in the context of ADI investigations are transferred to the novel SSI contexts. Implications for the use of argument-based instructional models to enhance the generation of socioscientific arguments and to promote the development of scientific literacy are also discussed.

  11. Handling Complexity in Learning Environments: Theory and Research. Advances in Learning and Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elen, Jan, Ed.; Clark, Richard, Ed.

    2006-01-01

    What is meant when people say that "learning environments are increasingly complex"? What is known about the cognitive processing that occurs during complex learning? How can educators provide effective instructional support for students who must learn and apply complex knowledge? These questions, and related issues, have fascinated educators and…

  12. A Descriptive Study on the Use of Materials in Vocabulary Lessons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holmes, Kerry; Holmes, Stacy V.; Watts, Karley

    2012-01-01

    Vocabulary knowledge is important because it is highly correlated with content area learning. Strategies for vocabulary instruction recommend using new words in multiple contexts as key to learning. To date, the term "multiple contexts" emphasizes written contexts, not three-dimensional concrete material contexts. This article describes the…

  13. Iranian Pre-University Student's Retention of Collocations: Implicit Exposure or Explicit Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gheisari, Nouzar; Yousofi, Nouroldin

    2016-01-01

    The effectiveness of different teaching methods of collocational expressions in ESL/EFL contexts of education has been a point of debate for more than two decades, with some believing in explicit and the others in implicit instruction of collocations. In this regard, the present study aimed at finding about which kind of instruction is more…

  14. The Effect of Peer Instruction Method on Pre-Service Teachers' Conceptual Comprehension of Methodology Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Hebaishi, Safaa Mohammad

    2017-01-01

    Peer teaching has become a productive learning strategy at all education levels. Peer Instruction Method is carried out in a range of forms and contexts like co-tutoring, reciprocal tutoring and discussion groups without teachers. To examine the effectiveness of using the peer instruction method to enhance the conceptual comprehension of…

  15. Forum: Interpersonal Communication in Instructional Settings: Interpersonal Communication Research in Instructional Contexts: A Dyadic Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodboy, Alan K.; Kashy, Deborah A.

    2017-01-01

    Do we study too much interpersonal communication and not enough of other topics in the instructional communication literature? This forum provides a mixed bag of both affirmative and negative responses to this question. On one hand, answering "yes" is quite defensible because there are many recent studies examining interpersonal…

  16. Technology-Assisted Sheltered Instruction: Instructional Streaming Video in an EFL Multi-Purpose Computer Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Yun-Hsuan; Chuang, Tsung-Yen

    2016-01-01

    Content-based instruction (CBI) has been widely adopted for decades. However, existing CBI models cannot always be effectively put into practice, especially for learners of lower English proficiency in English as a foreign language (EFL) context. This study examined an animation design course adopting CBI to promote reading abilities of English…

  17. Instructors' Perceptions and Barriers of Learner-Centered Instruction in English at the University Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tawalbeh, Tha'er Issa; AlAsmari, AbdulRahman Awad

    2015-01-01

    The present paper aims to examine the instructors' perceptions of learner-centered instruction and possible barriers to implementing this instructional method in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the university level in the Saudi Arabian context. To do this, four questions were posed. The first question investigates instructors'…

  18. Administrator Observation and Feedback: Does It Lead toward Improvement in Inquiry-Oriented Math Instruction?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rigby, Jessica G.; Larbi-Cherif, Adrian; Rosenquist, Brooks A.; Sharpe, Charlotte J.; Cobb, Paul; Smith, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This study examines the content and efficacy of instructional leaders' expectations and feedback (press) in relation to the improvement of middle school mathematics teachers' instruction in the context of coherent systems of supports. Research Method/Approach: This mixed methods study is a part of a larger, 8-year longitudinal study in…

  19. Application of Merrill's First Principles of Instruction in a Museum Education Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Kari Ross

    2015-01-01

    In an effort to support a solid grounding in educational theory within the field of museum education, three texts considered essential reading for museum educators were surveyed for correlations with Merrill's First Principles of Instruction, an influential work in the field of instructional design. Each of five First Principles were found to be…

  20. Differentiating Digital Writing Instruction: The Intersection of Technology, Writing Instruction, and Digital Genre Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Nicole M.; Lambert, Claire

    2015-01-01

    U.S. adolescents' prior technology experiences and exposure to digital genres vary, but they will often write digital texts as they enter college and adulthood. We explored middle school students' digital writing instructional experience in the context of a university-based summer digital writing camp. The sixth- through eighth-grade adolescents…

  1. Making Room for the Transformation of Literacy Instruction in the Digital Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sofkova Hashemi, Sylvana; Cederlund, Katarina

    2017-01-01

    Education is in the process of transforming traditional print-based instruction into digital formats. This multi-case study sheds light on the challenge of coping with the old and new in literacy teaching in the context of technology-mediated instruction in the early years of schooling (7-8 years old children). By investigating the relation…

  2. Using Multimedia Questionnaires to Study Influences on the Decisions Mathematics Teachers Make in Instructional Situations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herbst, Patricio; Chazan, Daniel; Kosko, Karl W.; Dimmel, Justin; Erickson, Ander

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes instruments designed to use multimedia to study at scale the instructional decisions that mathematics teachers make as well as teachers' recognition of elements of the context of their work that might influence those decision. This methodological contribution shows how evidence of constructs like instructional norm and…

  3. The Dilemma of Scripted Instruction: Comparing Teacher Autonomy, Fidelity, and Resistance in the Froebelian Kindergarten, Montessori, Direct Instruction, and Success for All

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beatty, Barbara

    2011-01-01

    Background/Context: More than a century before modern controversies over scripted instruction, the Froebelian kindergarten--the original kindergarten method designed by Friedrich Froebel--and Maria Montessori's pedagogy were criticized for rigidly prescribing how teachers taught and children learned. Today, scripted methods such as Direct…

  4. Computer-Managed Instruction: Development and Evaluation of Student Skill Modules to Reduce Training Time.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCombs, Barbara L.; And Others

    The Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) Student Skills Project was developed and evaluated within the context of the Air Force Advanced Instructional System (AIS), with student study skill modules designed as short packages to be assigned near the beginning of any military technical training course; strategies or procedures included were expected…

  5. For Which Children of Economic Disadvantage and in Which Instructional Contexts Does Earobics Step 1 Improve Kindergarteners' Literacy?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anthony, Jason L.

    2016-01-01

    This study evaluated Earobics Step 1, a commercial literacy program, and examined whether impact varied with children's school readiness and classroom instruction. Participants included 247 kindergarteners from 37 classrooms in nine Title 1 schools. Children were randomly assigned to receive 21 weeks of computerized instruction with Earobics or…

  6. The Effect of Plain-English Vocabulary on Student Achievement and Classroom Culture in College Science Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schoerning, Emily

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the effect of the translation of traditional scientific vocabulary into plain English on student achievement in college science instruction. The study took place in the context of an introductory microbiology course. Data were collected from course sections instructed with traditional microbiology vocabulary as well as sections…

  7. A Case Study of Chinese University English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Students' Attitudes toward Learning Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hayes, Kenneth Michael

    2010-01-01

    This qualitative case study investigates Chinese university English in the context of foreign language (EFL) learners' attitudes about video-aided instruction (VAI), video recording instruction, and mobile phone instruction (learning technologies). When I was working as an English teacher in Mainland China, several instructors and students stated…

  8. Reading Strategy Instruction and Teacher Change: Implications for Teacher Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klapwijk, Nanda M.

    2012-01-01

    I report on teacher change in the context of a reading strategy instruction intervention. Reading Strategy Instruction (RSI) was implemented by three teachers, new to the concept, over a period of 15 weeks. Observations of these teachers showed that a multitude of factors affect the uptake of RSI as part of everyday teaching practice, and that…

  9. Using Adaptive Learning Technologies to Personalize Instruction to Student Interests: The Impact of Relevant Contexts on Performance and Learning Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walkington, Candace A.

    2013-01-01

    Adaptive learning technologies are emerging in educational settings as a means to customize instruction to learners' background, experiences, and prior knowledge. Here, a technology-based personalization intervention within an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) for secondary mathematics was used to adapt instruction to students' personal interests.…

  10. Assessment without Testing: Using Performance Measures Embedded in a Technology-Based Instructional Program as Indicators of Reading Ability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Alison; Baron, Lauren; Macaruso, Paul

    2018-01-01

    Screening and monitoring student reading progress can be costly and time consuming. Assessment embedded within the context of online instructional programs can capture ongoing student performance data while limiting testing time outside of instruction. This paper presents two studies that examined the validity of using performance measures from a…

  11. The Context of Bibliographic Instruction: An Analysis of the Journal Literature.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, James A.

    The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which environmental factors pertinent to bibliographic instruction are represented in the library literature and to determine any changes in the female to male ratio of authors that may have occurred over time. In 1990 the Bibliographic Instruction Section (BIS) of the Association of College…

  12. Developing Pragmatic Awareness of Suggestions in the EFL Classroom: A Focus on Instructional Effects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martinez-Flor, Alicia; Soler, Eva Alcon

    2007-01-01

    The role of instruction to develop learners' pragmatic competence in both second and foreign language contexts has recently motivated a great deal of research. However, most of this research has adopted an explicit instructional approach with only a few studies attempting to operationalise a more implicit condition for pragmatic learning. In order…

  13. The Role of Work-Integrated Learning in Student Preferences of Instructional Methods in an Accounting Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abeysekera, Indra

    2015-01-01

    The role of work-integrated learning in student preferences of instructional methods is largely unexplored across the accounting curriculum. This study conducted six experiments to explore student preferences of instructional methods for learning, in six courses of the accounting curriculum that differed in algorithmic rigor, in the context of a…

  14. Argumentation and Equity in Inquiry-Based Science Instruction: Reasoning Patterns of Teachers and Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Irish, Tobias E. L.

    This multiple case study explores issues of equity in science education through an examination of how teachers' reasoning patterns compare with students' reasoning patterns during inquiry-based lessons. It also examines the ways in which teachers utilize students' cultural and linguistic resources, or funds of knowledge, during inquiry-based lessons and the ways in which students utilize their funds of knowledge, during inquiry-based lessons. Three middle school teachers and a total of 57 middle school students participated in this study. The data collection involved classroom observations and multiple interviews with each of the teachers individually and with small groups of students. The findings indicate that the students are capable of far more complex reasoning than what was elicited by the lessons observed or what was modeled and expected by the teachers, but that during the inquiry-based lessons they conformed to the more simplistic reasoning patterns they perceived as the expected norm of classroom dialogue. The findings also indicate that the students possess funds of knowledge that are relevant to science topics, but very seldom use these funds in the context of their inquiry-based lessons. In addition, the teachers in this study very seldom worked to elicit students' use of their funds in these contexts. The few attempts they did make involved the use of analogies, examples, or questions. The findings from this study have implications for both teachers and teacher educators in that they highlight similarities and differences in reasoning that can help teachers establish instructional congruence and facilitate more equitable science instruction. They also provide insight into how students' cultural and linguistic resources are utilized during inquiry-based science lessons.

  15. Diagnosis-Prescription in the Context of Instructional Management

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Besel, Ronald

    1973-01-01

    Author argues that individual assessment of the students learning style should precede the decision of which teaching method is appropriate. He applies the medical terminology of diagnosis-prescription to this method of instructional development for management. (HB)

  16. Contextualizing Nature of Science Instruction in Socioscientific Issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eastwood, Jennifer Lynne; Sadler, Troy D.; Zeidler, Dana L.; Lewis, Anna; Amiri, Leila; Applebaum, Scott

    2012-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two learning contexts for explicit-reflective nature of science (NOS) instruction, socioscientific issues (SSI) driven and content driven, on student NOS conceptions. Four classes of 11th and 12th grade anatomy and physiology students participated. Two classes experienced a curricular sequence organized around SSI (the SSI group), and two classes experienced a content-based sequence (the Content group). An open-ended NOS questionnaire was administered to both groups at the beginning and end of the school year and analyzed to generate student profiles. Quantitative analyses were performed to compare pre-instruction NOS conceptions between groups as well as pre to post changes within groups and between groups. Both SSI and Content groups showed significant gains in most NOS themes, but between-group gains were not significantly different. Qualitative analysis of post-instruction responses, however, revealed that students in the SSI group tended to use examples to describe their views of the social/cultural NOS. The findings support SSI contexts as effective for promoting gains in students' NOS understanding and suggest that these contexts facilitate nuanced conceptions that should be further explored.

  17. Explicit Instructions Increase Cognitive Costs of Deception in Predictable Social Context

    PubMed Central

    Falkiewicz, Marcel; Sarzyńska, Justyna; Babula, Justyna; Szatkowska, Iwona; Grabowska, Anna; Nęcka, Edward

    2015-01-01

    Convincing participants to deceive remains one of the biggest and most important challenges of laboratory-based deception research. The simplest and most prevalent method involves explicitly instructing participants to lie or tell the truth before presenting each task item. The usual finding of such experiments is increased cognitive load associated with deceptive responses, explained by necessity to inhibit default and automatic honest responses. However, explicit instructions are usually coupled with the absence of social context in the experimental task. Context plays a key role in social cognition by activating prior knowledge, which facilitates behaviors consistent with the latter. We hypothesized that in the presence of social context, both honest and deceptive responses can be produced on the basis of prior knowledge, without reliance on truth and without additional cognitive load during deceptive responses. In order to test the hypothesis, we have developed Speed-Dating Task (SDT), which is based on a real-life social event. In SDT, participants respond both honestly and deceptively to questions in order to appear similar to each of the dates. The dates are predictable and represent well-known categories (i.e., atheist or conservative). In one condition participants rely on explicit instructions preceding each question (external cue). In the second condition no explicit instructions are present, so the participants need to adapt based on prior knowledge about the category the dates belong to (internal cue). With internal cues, reaction times (RTs) are similar for both honest and deceptive responses. However, in the presence of external cues (EC), RTs are longer for deceptive than honest responses, suggesting that deceptive responses are associated with increased cognitive load. Compared to internal cues, deception costs were higher when EC were present. However, the effect was limited to the first part of the experiment, only partially confirming our initial hypothesis. The results suggest that the presence of social context in deception tasks might have a significant influence on cognitive processes associated with deception. PMID:26696929

  18. Cognitive patterns of neuroanatomy concepts: Knowledge organizations that emerge from problem solving versus information gathering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weidner, Jeanne Margaret O'malley

    2000-10-01

    This study was motivated by some of the claims that are found in the literature on Problem-Based Learning (PBL). This instructional technique, which uses case studies as its primary instructional tool, has been advanced as an alternative to traditional instruction in order to foster more meaningful, integrative learning of scientific concepts. Several of the advantages attributed to Problem-Based Learning are that it (1) is generally preferred by students because it appears to foster a more nurturing and enjoyable learning experience, (2) fosters greater retention of knowledge and concepts acquired, and (3) results in increased ability to apply this knowledge toward solving new problems. This study examines the differences that result when students learn neuroanatomy concepts under two instructional contexts: problem solving vs. information gathering. The technological resource provided to students to support learning under each of these contexts was the multimedia program BrainStorm: An Interactive Neuroanatomy Atlas (Coppa & Tancred, 1995). The study explores the influence of context with regard to subjects' performance on objective post-tests, organization of knowledge as measured by Pathfinder Networks, differential use of the multimedia software and discourse differences emerging from the transcripts. The findings support previous research in the literature that problem-solving results in less knowledge acquisition in the short term, greater retention of material over time, and a subjects' preference for the method. However, both the degree of retention and preference were influenced by subjects' prior knowledge of the material in the exercises, as there was a significant difference in performance between the two exercises: for the exercise about which subjects appeared to have greater background information, memory decay was less, and subject attitude toward the problem solving instructional format was more favorable, than for the exercise for which subjects had less prior knowledge. Subjects also used the software differently under each format with regard to modules accessed, time spent in modules, and types of information sought. In addition, analyses of the transcripts showed more numerous occurrences of explanations and summarizations in the problem-solving context, compared to the information gathering context. The attempts to show significant differences between the contexts by means of Pathfinder analyses were less than successful.

  19. Invention Versus Direct Instruction: For Some Content, It's a Tie

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chase, Catherine C.; Klahr, David

    2017-12-01

    An important, but as yet unresolved pedagogical question is whether discovery-oriented or direct instruction methods lead to greater learning and transfer. We address this issue in a study with 101 fourth and fifth grade students that contrasts two distinct instructional methods. One is a blend of discovery and direct instruction called Invent-then-Tell (IT), and the other is a version of direct instruction called Tell-then-Practice (TP). The relative effectiveness of these methods is compared in the context of learning a critical inquiry skill—the control-of-variables strategy. Previous research has demonstrated the success of IT over TP for teaching deep domain structures, while other research has demonstrated the superiority of direct instruction for teaching simple experimental design, a domain-general inquiry skill. In the present study, students in both conditions made equally large gains on an immediate assessment of their application and conceptual understanding of experimental design, and they also performed similarly on a test of far transfer. These results were fairly consistent across school populations with various levels of prior achievement and socioeconomic status. Findings suggest that broad claims about the relative effectiveness of these two distinct methods should be conditionalized by particular instructional contexts, such as the type of knowledge being taught.

  20. A case study of secondary teachers facilitating a historical problem-based learning instructional unit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pecore, John L.

    Current curriculum trends promote inquiry-based student-centered strategies as a way to foster critical thinking and learning. Problem-based learning (PBL), a type of inquiry focusing on an issue or "problem," is an instructional approach taught on the basis that science reform efforts increase scientific literacy. PBL is a constructivist approach to learning real life problems where understanding is a function of content, context, experiences, and learner goals; historical PBL situates the lesson in a historical context and provides opportunities for teaching NOS concepts. While much research exists on the benefits of historical PBL to student learning in general, more research is warranted on how teachers implement PBL in the secondary science curriculum. The purpose of this study was to examine the classroom-learning environment of four science teachers implementing a historical PBL instructional unit to identify the teachers' understandings, successes and obstacles. By identifying teachers' possible achievements and barriers with implementing a constructivist philosophy when executing historical PBL, educators and curriculum designers may improve alignment of the learning environment to constructivist principles. A qualitative interpretive case study guided this research study. The four participants of this study were purposefully and conveniently selected from biology teachers with at least three years of teaching experience, degrees in education, State Licensure, and completion of a PBL workshop. Data collection consisted of pre and post questionnaires, structured interviews, a card sort activity in which participants categorized instructional outcomes, and participant observations. Results indicated that the four teachers assimilated reform-based constructivist practices to fit within their preexisting routines and highlighted the importance of incorporating teachers' current systems into reform-based teacher instruction. While participating teachers addressed a few NOS tenets, emphasizing the full range of possible NOS objectives included in historical PBL is warranted. This study also revealed the importance of creating a collaborative classroom culture and building positive student-teacher relationships when implementing PBL instruction. The four teachers agreed that the historical PBL instructional unit provided a context for learning state standards, and they positively viewed their experiences teaching the lesson. Thus findings from this study suggest that teaching science in a historical context using PBL can be effective.

  1. Differences in Poor Readers' Abilities to Identify High-Frequency Words in Isolation and Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krieger, Veronica K.

    1981-01-01

    Reports that fourth-grade poor readers were able to identify more high-frequency words in context than in isolation. Discusses the findings in terms of a context-oriented approach of word identification instruction and assessment. (FL)

  2. Interpreting Texts in Classroom Contexts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Unrau, Norman J.; Ruddell, Robert B.

    1995-01-01

    Describes a series of instructional episodes in an 11th-grade classroom discussing J.D. Salinger's short story "The Laughing Man." Presents and discusses the "Text and Context" model for the negotiation of interpretations in classroom contexts. Offers suggestions for developing interpretive classroom communities. (SR)

  3. Repetition priming across distinct contexts: effects of lexical status, word frequency, and retrieval test.

    PubMed

    Coane, Jennifer H; Balota, David A

    2010-12-01

    Repetition priming, the facilitation observed when a target is preceded by an identity prime, is a robust phenomenon that occurs across a variety of conditions. Oliphant (1983), however, failed to observe repetition priming for targets embedded in the instructions to an experiment in a subsequent lexical decision task. In the present experiments, we examined the roles of priming context (list or instructions), target lexicality, and target frequency in both lexical decision and episodic recognition performance. Initial encoding context did not modulate priming in lexical decision or recognition memory for low-frequency targets or nonwords, whereas context strongly modulated episodic recognition for high-frequency targets. The results indicate that priming across contexts is sensitive to the distinctiveness of the trace and the reliance on episodic retrieval mechanisms. These results also shed light on the influence of event boundaries, such that priming occurs across different events for relatively distinct (low-frequency) items.

  4. Content-Based Instruction Understood in Terms of Connectionism and Constructivism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lain, Stephanie

    2016-01-01

    Despite the number of articles devoted to the topic of content-based instruction (CBI), little attempt has been made to link the claims for CBI to research in cognitive science. In this article, I review the CBI model of foreign language (FL) instruction in the context of its close alignment with two emergent frameworks in cognitive science:…

  5. Implementation of Flipped Instruction in Language Classrooms: An Alternative Way to Develop Speaking Skills of Pre-Service English Language Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Köroglu, Zeynep Çetin; Çakir, Abdulvahit

    2017-01-01

    Flipped Instruction is overemphasized in recent years that has a significant impact in language education. In this context, the current research investigates the effects of Flipped Instruction on pre-service English language teachers' speaking skills development. The research covers subskills of speaking skills. In this study quantitative data…

  6. Television in the Schools: Instructional Television and Educational Media Resources at the National Public Broadcasting Archives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Karen

    2008-01-01

    In 1964, in "A Guide to Instructional Television," editor Robert M. Diamond defined "educational television" as a "broad term usually applied to cultural and community broadcasting which may include some programs for in-school use" (p. 278). His definition for instructional television was "television used within the formal classroom context on any…

  7. "They Might Know a Lot of Things That I Don't Know": Investigating Differences in Preservice Teachers' Ideas about Contextualizing Science Instruction in Multilingual Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tolbert, Sara; Knox, Corey

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes the results from a qualitative study of 72 preservice teachers' initial ideas about contextualizing science instruction with language minority students. Participants drew primarily on local ecological and multicultural contexts as resources for contextualizing instruction. However, preservice teachers enrolled in the bilingual…

  8. Word Problem Solving in Contemporary Math Education: A Plea for Reading Comprehension Skills Training

    PubMed Central

    Boonen, Anton J. H.; de Koning, Björn B.; Jolles, Jelle; van der Schoot, Menno

    2016-01-01

    Successfully solving mathematical word problems requires both mental representation skills and reading comprehension skills. In Realistic Math Education (RME), however, students primarily learn to apply the first of these skills (i.e., representational skills) in the context of word problem solving. Given this, it seems legitimate to assume that students from a RME curriculum experience difficulties when asked to solve semantically complex word problems. We investigated this assumption under 80 sixth grade students who were classified as successful and less successful word problem solvers based on a standardized mathematics test. To this end, students completed word problems that ask for both mental representation skills and reading comprehension skills. The results showed that even successful word problem solvers had a low performance on semantically complex word problems, despite adequate performance on semantically less complex word problems. Based on this study, we concluded that reading comprehension skills should be given a (more) prominent role during word problem solving instruction in RME. PMID:26925012

  9. Word Problem Solving in Contemporary Math Education: A Plea for Reading Comprehension Skills Training.

    PubMed

    Boonen, Anton J H; de Koning, Björn B; Jolles, Jelle; van der Schoot, Menno

    2016-01-01

    Successfully solving mathematical word problems requires both mental representation skills and reading comprehension skills. In Realistic Math Education (RME), however, students primarily learn to apply the first of these skills (i.e., representational skills) in the context of word problem solving. Given this, it seems legitimate to assume that students from a RME curriculum experience difficulties when asked to solve semantically complex word problems. We investigated this assumption under 80 sixth grade students who were classified as successful and less successful word problem solvers based on a standardized mathematics test. To this end, students completed word problems that ask for both mental representation skills and reading comprehension skills. The results showed that even successful word problem solvers had a low performance on semantically complex word problems, despite adequate performance on semantically less complex word problems. Based on this study, we concluded that reading comprehension skills should be given a (more) prominent role during word problem solving instruction in RME.

  10. Positive Evaluation of Student Answers in Classroom Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Margutti, Piera; Drew, Paul

    2014-01-01

    Within the context of teacher/whole-class instruction sequences, researchers have associated teacher evaluation of pupils' answers to forms of traditional pedagogic discourse, also referred to as "triadic dialogue", "monologic discourse", "recitation" and "Initiation-Response-Evaluation (IRE) sequences".…

  11. The Effectiveness of Guided Induction versus Deductive Instruction on the Development of Complex Spanish "Gustar" Structures: An Analysis of Learning Outcomes and Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cerezo, Luis; Caras, Allison; Leow, Ronald P.

    2016-01-01

    Meta-analytic research suggests an edge of explicit over implicit instruction for the development of complex L2 grammatical structures, but the jury is still out as to which type of explicit instruction--"deductive" or "inductive," where rules are respectively provided or elicited--proves more effective. Avoiding this…

  12. Colleague to Colleague: Deepening Instructional Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gullen, Kristine; Chaffee, Martin

    2012-01-01

    Collaborative dialogue about instructional practices is essential to the growth of the education profession. To determine what effective instruction is and how to improve their own instructional practice, educators must clarify and publicly state their beliefs about instruction, teaching, and leadership. This is messy and complex work, and to…

  13. Cognitive development in introductory physics: A research-based approach to curriculum reform

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teodorescu, Raluca Elena

    This project describes the research on a classification of physics problems in the context of introductory physics courses. This classification, called the Taxonomy of Introductory Physics Problems (TIPP), relates physics problems to the cognitive processes required to solve them. TIPP was created for designing and clarifying educational objectives, for developing assessments that can evaluate individual component processes of the problem-solving process, and for guiding curriculum design in introductory physics courses, specifically within the context of a "thinking-skills" curriculum. TIPP relies on the following resources: (1) cognitive research findings adopted by physics education research, (2) expert-novice research discoveries acknowledged by physics education research, (3) an educational psychology taxonomy for educational objectives, and (4) various collections of physics problems created by physics education researchers or developed by textbook authors. TIPP was used in the years 2006--2008 to reform the first semester of the introductory algebra-based physics course (called Phys 11) at The George Washington University. The reform sought to transform our curriculum into a "thinking-skills" curriculum that trades "breadth for depth" by focusing on fewer topics while targeting the students' cognitive development. We employed existing research on the physics problem-solving expert-novice behavior, cognitive science and behavioral science findings, and educational psychology recommendations. Our pedagogy relies on didactic constructs such as the GW-ACCESS problem-solving protocol, learning progressions and concept maps that we have developed and implemented in our introductory physics course. These tools were designed based on TIPP. Their purpose is: (1) to help students build local and global coherent knowledge structures, (2) to develop more context-independent problem-solving abilities, (3) to gain confidence in problem solving, and (4) to establish connections between everyday phenomena and underlying physics concepts. We organize traditional and research-based physics problems such that students experience a gradual increase in complexity related to problem context, problem features and cognitive processes needed to solve the problem. The instructional environment that we designed allows for explicit monitoring, control and measurement of the cognitive processes exercised during the instruction period. It is easily adaptable to any kind of curriculum and can be readily adjusted throughout the semester. To assess the development of students' problem-solving abilities, we created rubrics that measure specific aspects of the thinking involved in physics problem solving. The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) was administered pre- and post-instruction to determine students' shift in dispositions towards learning physics. The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) was administered pre- and post-instruction to determine students' level of conceptual understanding. The results feature improvements in students' problem-solving abilities and in their attitudes towards learning physics.

  14. Vocabulary Instruction in the Disciplines

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boyd, Fenice B.; Sullivan, Mary Pat; Popp, Jacquelynn S.; Hughes, Megan

    2012-01-01

    This column explores how literacy practices similarly enacted across disciplines served as a platform for considering collaborative professional development contexts. With current educational policy, content area teachers are expected to include relevant literacy practices within their disciplinary instruction. Based on research across science and…

  15. Teaching critical thinking.

    PubMed

    Holmes, N G; Wieman, Carl E; Bonn, D A

    2015-09-08

    The ability to make decisions based on data, with its inherent uncertainties and variability, is a complex and vital skill in the modern world. The need for such quantitative critical thinking occurs in many different contexts, and although it is an important goal of education, that goal is seldom being achieved. We argue that the key element for developing this ability is repeated practice in making decisions based on data, with feedback on those decisions. We demonstrate a structure for providing suitable practice that can be applied in any instructional setting that involves the acquisition of data and relating that data to scientific models. This study reports the results of applying that structure in an introductory physics laboratory course. Students in an experimental condition were repeatedly instructed to make and act on quantitative comparisons between datasets, and between data and models, an approach that is common to all science disciplines. These instructions were slowly faded across the course. After the instructions had been removed, students in the experimental condition were 12 times more likely to spontaneously propose or make changes to improve their experimental methods than a control group, who performed traditional experimental activities. The students in the experimental condition were also four times more likely to identify and explain a limitation of a physical model using their data. Students in the experimental condition also showed much more sophisticated reasoning about their data. These differences between the groups were seen to persist into a subsequent course taken the following year.

  16. Teaching critical thinking

    PubMed Central

    Holmes, N. G.; Wieman, Carl E.; Bonn, D. A.

    2015-01-01

    The ability to make decisions based on data, with its inherent uncertainties and variability, is a complex and vital skill in the modern world. The need for such quantitative critical thinking occurs in many different contexts, and although it is an important goal of education, that goal is seldom being achieved. We argue that the key element for developing this ability is repeated practice in making decisions based on data, with feedback on those decisions. We demonstrate a structure for providing suitable practice that can be applied in any instructional setting that involves the acquisition of data and relating that data to scientific models. This study reports the results of applying that structure in an introductory physics laboratory course. Students in an experimental condition were repeatedly instructed to make and act on quantitative comparisons between datasets, and between data and models, an approach that is common to all science disciplines. These instructions were slowly faded across the course. After the instructions had been removed, students in the experimental condition were 12 times more likely to spontaneously propose or make changes to improve their experimental methods than a control group, who performed traditional experimental activities. The students in the experimental condition were also four times more likely to identify and explain a limitation of a physical model using their data. Students in the experimental condition also showed much more sophisticated reasoning about their data. These differences between the groups were seen to persist into a subsequent course taken the following year. PMID:26283351

  17. The ability of people with Parkinson's disease to modify dual-task performance in response to instructions during simple and complex walking tasks.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Valerie E; Shumway-Cook, Anne

    2014-01-01

    Gait impairments are a common and consequential motor symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD). A cognitive strategy that incorporates instructions to concentrate on specific parameters of walking is an effective approach to gait rehabilitation for persons with PD during single-task and simple dual-task walking conditions. This study examined the ability to modify dual-task walking in response to instructions during a complex walking task in people with PD compared to healthy older adults (HOA). Eleven people with PD and twelve HOA performed a cognitive task while walking with either a usual base or a narrow base of support. Dual-task walking and cognitive task performance were characterized under two conditions-when participants were instructed focus on walking and when they were instructed to focus on the cognitive task. During both usual base and narrow base walking, instructions affected cognitive task response latency, with slower performance when instructed to focus on walking compared to the cognitive task. Regardless of task or instructions, cognitive task performance was slower in participants with PD compared to HOA. During usual base walking, instructions influenced gait speed for both people with PD and HOA, with faster gait speed when instructed to focus on walking compared to the cognitive task. In contrast, during the narrow base walking, instructions affected gait speed only for HOA, but not for people with PD. This suggests that among people with PD the ability to modify walking in response to instructions depends on the complexity of the walking task.

  18. Explicit Nature of Science and Argumentation Instruction in the Context of Socioscientific Issues: An effect on student learning and transfer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khishfe, Rola

    2014-04-01

    The purpose of the study was two-fold: to (a) investigate the influence of explicit nature of science (NOS) and explicit argumentation instruction in the context of a socioscientific issue on the argumentation skills and NOS understandings of students, and (b) explore the transfer of students' NOS understandings and argumentation skills learned in one socioscientific context into other similar contexts (familiar and unfamiliar). Participants were a total of 121 seventh grade students from two schools. The treatment involved an eight-week unit about the water usage and safety, which was taught by two teachers for two intact groups (Treatments I and II). Explicit NOS instruction was integrated for all groups. However, only the Treatment I groups had the additional explicit argumentation instruction. Participants were pre- and post-tested using an open-ended questionnaire and interviews about two socioscientific issues to assess their learning and transfer of argumentation skills and NOS understandings. Results showed improvements in the learning of argumentation practice and NOS understandings for Treatment I group participants. Similarly, there were improvements in the learning and transfer of NOS understandings for Treatment II group participants with only some improvements for the argumentation practice. Further, some of the Treatment I group participants made connections to argumentation when explicating their NOS understandings by the end of the study. Findings were discussed in light of classroom practice that utilizes an explicit approach, contextual approach, as well as an approach that integrates NOS and argumentation simultaneously.

  19. Transfer of Nature of Science Understandings into Similar Contexts: Promises and Possibilities of an Explicit Reflective Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khishfe, Rola

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to (a) investigate the effectiveness of explicit nature of science (NOS) instruction in the context of controversial socioscientific issues and (b) explore whether the transfer of acquired NOS understandings, which were explicitly taught in the context of one socioscientific context, into other similar contexts…

  20. Identifying Complex Cultural Interactions in the Instructional Design Process: A Case Study of a Cross-Border, Cross-Sector Training for Innovation Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russell, L. Roxanne; Kinuthia, Wanjira L.; Lokey-Vega, Anissa; Tsang-Kosma, Winnie; Madathany, Reeny

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to identify complex cultural dynamics in the instructional design process of a cross-sector, cross-border training environment by applying Young's (2009) Culture-Based Model (CBM) as a theoretical framework and taxonomy for description of the instructional design process under the conditions of one case. This…

  1. Explicit Oral Narrative Intervention for Students with Williams Syndrome

    PubMed Central

    Diez-Itza, Eliseo; Martínez, Verónica; Pérez, Vanesa; Fernández-Urquiza, Maite

    2018-01-01

    Narrative skills play a crucial role in organizing experience, facilitating social interaction and building academic discourse and literacy. They are at the interface of cognitive, social, and linguistic abilities related to school engagement. Despite their relative strengths in social and grammatical skills, students with Williams syndrome (WS) do not show parallel cognitive and pragmatic performance in narrative generation tasks. The aim of the present study was to assess retelling of a TV cartoon tale and the effect of an individualized explicit instruction of the narrative structure. Participants included eight students with WS who attended different special education levels. Narratives were elicited in two sessions (pre and post intervention), and were transcribed, coded and analyzed using the tools of the CHILDES Project. Narratives were coded for productivity and complexity at the microstructure and macrostructure levels. Microstructure productivity (i.e., length of narratives) included number of utterances, clauses, and tokens. Microstructure complexity included mean length of utterances, lexical diversity and use of discourse markers as cohesive devices. Narrative macrostructure was assessed for textual coherence through the Pragmatic Evaluation Protocol for Speech Corpora (PREP-CORP). Macrostructure productivity and complexity included, respectively, the recall and sequential order of scenarios, episodes, events and characters. A total of four intervention sessions, lasting approximately 20 min, were delivered individually once a week. This brief intervention addressed explicit instruction about the narrative structure and the use of specific discourse markers to improve cohesion of story retellings. Intervention strategies included verbal scaffolding and modeling, conversational context for retelling the story and visual support with pictures printed from the cartoon. Results showed significant changes in WS students’ retelling of the story, both at macro- and microstructure levels, when assessed following a 2-week interval. Outcomes were better in microstructure than in macrostructure, where sequential order (i.e., complexity) did not show significant improvement. These findings are consistent with previous research supporting the use of explicit oral narrative intervention with participants who are at risk of school failure due to communication impairments. Discussion focuses on how assessment and explicit instruction of narrative skills might contribute to effective intervention programs enhancing school engagement in WS students. PMID:29379455

  2. Computer-Assisted Instruction in the Context of the Advanced Instructional System. Part II. Materials Development Procedures and System Evaluation.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-03-01

    authoring system which would provide a basis for the cost effective production of computer-assisted irstruction (CAI) materials, It addresses the definition...RESULTS- - ------------------- 58 CAI Materials Development Times - - - 5J CAI Module Instructional Effectiveness -------- -- 59 First-Pass Module...CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ------ --- -- -- 70 Effectiveness of the Authoring System and Suggestions for Further Development - ----- --- -- --- 70

  3. Analyzing the Knowledge Construction and Cognitive Patterns of Blog-Based Instructional Activities Using Four Frequent Interactive Strategies (Problem Solving, Peer Assessment, Role Playing and Peer Tutoring): A Preliminary Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

    2017-01-01

    Instructional strategies can be helpful in facilitating students' knowledge construction and developing advanced cognitive skills. In the context of collaborative learning, instructional strategies as scripts can guide learners to engage in more meaningful interaction. Previous studies have been investigated the benefits of different instructional…

  4. Efficacy of Supplemental Phonics-Based Instruction for Low-Skilled Kindergarteners in the Context of Language Minority Status and Classroom Phonics Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vadasy, Patricia F.; Sanders, Elizabeth A.

    2010-01-01

    This study tested the efficacy of supplemental phonics instruction for 84 low-skilled language minority (LM) kindergarteners and 64 non-LM kindergarteners at 10 urban public schools. Paraeducators were trained to provide the 18-week (January-May) intervention. Students performing in the bottom half of their classroom language group (LM and non-LM)…

  5. The Effect of Context on Training: Is Learning Situated?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-09-13

    not underlie the central processes of ordinary everyday cognition ? We think not." There are numerous examples where abstract instruction has been shown... instruction , concrete examples, and abstract rules and procedures. Claims made by proponents of Situated Learning Theory suggest that training must be... instruction . This argues against apprenticeship learning during early stages of acquisition for many skills. Further, too much fidelity in simulation may

  6. Extending Intergroup Theorizing to the Instructional Context: Testing a Model of Teacher Communication Behaviors, Credibility, Group-Based Categorization, and Instructional Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosek, Angela M.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine how students' (N =348) perceptions of teachers' communication behaviors predicted the extent to which students believed they shared similar group-based categorizations with their teachers and how, if at all, these beliefs impacted instructional outcomes. This study was grounded in Social Identity Theory,…

  7. Reflexivity-in-Action: How Complex Instruction Can Work for Equity in the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pescarmona, Isabella

    2017-01-01

    This study explores how experimenting with Complex Instruction can broaden teachers' perspectives and develop understanding of the classroom as a complex social and cultural system. It critically presents and interweaves data collected during ethnographic research, which was carried out with a group of in-service teachers, plus four workshops…

  8. Complex Instruction Set Quantum Computing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanders, G. D.; Kim, K. W.; Holton, W. C.

    1998-03-01

    In proposed quantum computers, electromagnetic pulses are used to implement logic gates on quantum bits (qubits). Gates are unitary transformations applied to coherent qubit wavefunctions and a universal computer can be created using a minimal set of gates. By applying many elementary gates in sequence, desired quantum computations can be performed. This reduced instruction set approach to quantum computing (RISC QC) is characterized by serial application of a few basic pulse shapes and a long coherence time. However, the unitary matrix of the overall computation is ultimately a unitary matrix of the same size as any of the elementary matrices. This suggests that we might replace a sequence of reduced instructions with a single complex instruction using an optimally taylored pulse. We refer to this approach as complex instruction set quantum computing (CISC QC). One trades the requirement for long coherence times for the ability to design and generate potentially more complex pulses. We consider a model system of coupled qubits interacting through nearest neighbor coupling and show that CISC QC can reduce the time required to perform quantum computations.

  9. Integrating Computer-Mediated Communication Strategy Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNeil, Levi

    2016-01-01

    Communication strategies (CSs) play important roles in resolving problematic second language interaction and facilitating language learning. While studies in face-to-face contexts demonstrate the benefits of communication strategy instruction (CSI), there have been few attempts to integrate computer-mediated communication and CSI. The study…

  10. Institutional Renewal: Instructional Development in Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeBloois, Michael L.

    Traditionally, instructional developers have confronted the following dilemmas: (1) motivation through coercion versus motivation through reward; (2) systems approaches versus intuition; and (3) incremental change versus fundamental change. A more pragmatic approach to institutional change should attempt to: (1) be user centered; (2) provide…

  11. The Effects of Using Multimedia Presentations and Modular Worked-Out Examples as Instructional Methodologies to Manage the Cognitive Processing Associated with Information Literacy Instruction at the Graduate and Undergraduate Levels of Nursing Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Calhoun, Shawn P.

    2012-01-01

    Information literacy is a complex knowledge domain. Cognitive processing theory describes the effects an instructional subject and the learning environment have on working memory. Essential processing is one component of cognitive processing theory that explains the inherent complexity of knowledge domains such as information literacy. Prior…

  12. Intercultural Learning in English as Foreign Language Instruction: The Importance of Teachers' Intercultural Experience and the Usefulness of Precise Instructional Directives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gobel, Kerstin; Helmke, Andreas

    2010-01-01

    The development of intercultural competence, especially in foreign language instruction, is considered a key goal of teaching in German schools. The present article sheds light on the teaching of intercultural topics in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL). It presents the results of an analysis of data from a larger study (DESI…

  13. Teaching Communication Skills in Science: Tracing Teacher Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spektor-Levy, Ornit; Eylon, Bat-Sheva; Scherz, Zahava

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes a general model for skills instruction and its implementation through the program "Scientific Communication" for acquiring learning skills. The model is characterized by modularity, explicit instruction, spiral integration into contents, practice in various contexts, and implementation in performance tasks. It requires…

  14. Planning Readings: A Comparative Exploration of Basic Algorithms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Piater, Justus H.

    2009-01-01

    Conventional introduction to computer science presents individual algorithmic paradigms in the context of specific, prototypical problems. To complement this algorithm-centric instruction, this study additionally advocates problem-centric instruction. I present an original problem drawn from students' life that is simply stated but provides rich…

  15. Substance versus style: a new look at social desirability in motivating contexts.

    PubMed

    Smith, D Brent; Ellingson, Jill E

    2002-04-01

    Although there is an emerging consensus that social desirability does not meaningfully affect criterion-related validity, several researchers have reaffirmed the argument that social desirability degrades the construct validity of personality measures. Yet, most research demonstrating the adverse consequences of faking for construct validity uses a fake-good instruction set. The consequence of such a manipulation is to exacerbate the effects of response distortion beyond what would be expected under realistic circumstances (e.g., an applicant setting). The research reported in this article was designed to assess these issues by using real-world contexts not influenced by artificial instructions. Results suggest that response distortion has little impact on the construct validity of personality measures used in selection contexts.

  16. Secondary implementation of interactive engagement teaching techniques: Choices and challenges in a Gulf Arab context

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hitt, G. W.; Isakovic, A. F.; Fawwaz, O.; Bawa'aneh, M. S.; El-Kork, N.; Makkiyil, S.; Qattan, I. A.

    2014-12-01

    We report on efforts to design the "Collaborative Workshop Physics" (CWP) instructional strategy to deliver the first interactive engagement (IE) physics course at Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KU), United Arab Emirates (UAE). To our knowledge, this work reports the first calculus-based, introductory mechanics course on the Arabian Peninsula using physics education research (PER)-based instruction. A brief history and present context of general university and STEM teaching in the UAE is given. We present this secondary implementation (SI) as a case study of a novel context and use it to determine if PER-based instruction can be successfully implemented far from the cultural context of the primary developer and, if so, how might such SIs differ from SIs within the United States (U.S.) in terms of criteria for and risks to their success. With these questions in view, a prereform baseline comprised of Maryland Physics Expectations in Physics survey, Force Concept Inventory (FCI), course exam grades, and English language proficiency data are used to design a hybrid implementation of Cooperative Group Problem Solving. We find that for students with high English proficiency, normalized gain on FCI improves substantially, from ⟨g⟩=0.16±0.10 prereform to ⟨g⟩=0.47±0.08 in the CWP pilot (standard errors), indicating a successful SI. However, we also find evidence that normalized gains on FCI are strongly modulated by language proficiency and discuss likely causes. Regardless of language ability, problem-solving skill is also substantially improved and course drop-fail-withdrawal rates are cut from 50% to 24%. In particular, we find evidence in postreform student interviews that prior classroom experiences, and not broader cultural expectations about education, are the more significant cause of expectations that are at odds with the classroom norms of well-functioning PER-based instruction. We present this result as evidence that PER-based innovations can be implemented across great changes in cultural context, provided that the method is thoughtfully adapted in anticipation of context and culture-specific student expectations. This case study should be valuable for future reforms at KU, the broader Gulf region, and other institutions facing similar challenges involving SI of PER-based instruction outside the U.S.

  17. Relationship between students' understandings of nature of science and instructional context

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khishfe, Rola Fouad

    The study investigated and compared two different instructional approaches (integrated and nonintegrated), which address the explicit teaching of nature of science (NOS), in relation to improving students' understanding of NOS. Participants were three teachers and their students---a total of 129---which comprised six groups of 89 ninth and 40 10th/11th graders. Each teacher taught two intact sections of the same grade level within a specific science discipline (environmental science, chemistry, or biology). The treatment for all groups spanned five to six weeks and involved teaching a unit, which included both the regular science content and NOS. Participants in each of the two intact classes were taught by the same teacher about their regular science content, with the difference being the context in which NOS was explicitly taught (integrated or nonintegrated). In the integrated group, NOS instruction was related to the science content addressed in the unit. In the nonintegrated group, NOS was taught through a set of generic (non content-embedded) activities that specifically addressed NOS aspects and were "interspersed" across the science content addressed in the unit. An open-ended questionnaire, in conjunction with semi-structured interviews, was used to assess participants' views prior to and following instruction. Data analysis involved a systematic process consistent with analytic induction. Results showed general improvements in participants' views of NOS regardless of whether or not NOS was integrated within the regular science content. The results of this study do not support the appealing assumption held by many science educators that integrating NOS within the context of the science content would better enhance the learning of NOS. However, the results suggest the possibility of an interaction between the type of change (naive to transitional, transitional to informed, naive to informed, no changes, regression) in students' views and the explicit instructional approach (integrated or nonintegrated) to teach NOS. Moreover, the findings suggest the transferability of NOS understandings among various contexts, with the consequence that learning NOS might not be context-dependent. Implications for the teaching and learning of NOS are discussed.

  18. Creating Task-Centered Instruction for Web-Based Instruction: Obstacles and Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gardner, Joel; Jeon, Tae

    2010-01-01

    Merrill proposes First Principles of Instruction, including a problem- or task-centered strategy for designing instruction. However, when the tasks or problems are ill-defined or complex, task-centered instruction can be difficult to design. We describe an online task-centered training at a land-grant university designed to train employees to use…

  19. Rethinking Classroom-Oriented Instructional Development Models to Mediate Instructional Planning in Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lim, Cher Ping; Chai, Ching Sing

    2008-01-01

    Although classroom-oriented instructional development (ID) models have the potential to help teachers think and plan for effective instruction with technology, research studies have shown that they are not widely employed. Many of these models have not factored in the complexities that teachers faced when planning for instruction in…

  20. Differentiated Instruction: Understanding the Personal Factors and Organizational Conditions that Facilitate Differentiated Instruction in Elementary Mathematics Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abbati, Diana Guglielmo

    2012-01-01

    Differentiated instruction is a widely held practice used by teachers to provide diverse learners with complex learning opportunities in the area of mathematics. Research on differentiated instruction shows a multitude of factors that support high quality instruction in mixed-ability elementary classrooms. These factors include small-class size,…

  1. Digital Immersive Virtual Environments and Instructional Computing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blascovich, Jim; Beall, Andrew C.

    2010-01-01

    This article reviews theory and research relevant to the development of digital immersive virtual environment-based instructional computing systems. The review is organized within the context of a multidimensional model of social influence and interaction within virtual environments that models the interaction of four theoretical factors: theory…

  2. Evidence-Based Instructional Leadership in Community Colleges: A Conceptual Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Kenneth M.

    2014-01-01

    Instructional leadership remains a complicated and debated issue for education. In fact, traditional theories of leadership from within both education and the organizational sciences increasingly face criticism. Drawing from ideas applicable to differentiated contexts of learning, this article develops an alternative model of instructional…

  3. Using Time-Series Research Designs to Investigate the Effects of Instruction on SLA.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mellow, J. Dean; And Others

    1996-01-01

    Argues that the study of second-language acquisition theory can be enhanced through time-series research designs. Within the context of investigating the effects of second-language instruction, four main reasons for using T-S design are identified. (95 references) (Author/CK)

  4. Adolescent Literacy Instruction: Policies and Promising Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Jill, Ed.; Moorman, Gary, Ed.

    2007-01-01

    This comprehensive resource explores how adolescence and academic achievement are defined within today's political context, examines the in-school potential of teens' out-of-school immersion in digital technologies and popular culture, and shows teachers how to embed comprehension strategies into classroom instruction. The book contains innovative…

  5. Black Language Patterns and Reading Instructions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asante, Molefi Kete

    An approach to reading instruction utilizing communicative styles from the black community is suggested by the metatheoretical framework outlined in this essay. The social class constructs, language deficit models, case histories, surrealistic rhetoric and lyrical quality of black discourse can be conceptualized within the context of the following…

  6. Revisiting the Seductive Details Effect in Multimedia Learning: Context-Dependency of Seductive Details

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ozdemir, Devrim; Doolittle, Peter

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of context-dependency of seductive details on recall and transfer in multimedia learning environments. Seductive details were interesting yet irrelevant sentences in the instructional text. Two experiments were conducted. The purpose of Experiment 1 was to identify context-dependent and…

  7. Using Generic and Context-Specific Scaffolding to Support Authentic Science Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belland, Brian R.; Gu, Jiangyue; Armbrust, Sara; Cook, Brant

    2013-01-01

    In this conceptual paper, we propose an heuristic to balance context-specific and generic scaffolding, as well as computer-based and teacher scaffolding, during instruction centered on authentic, scientific problems. This paper is novel in that many researchers ask a dichotomous question of whether generic or context-specific scaffolding is best,…

  8. Design of Instruction. Training Information Paper, 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Sheila

    Current research in psycholinguistics has included studies of factors influencing effective verbal communication--the effect of sequences of words and operations within an instruction; effects of instruction and self-instruction on performance; and the presentation of complex interrelated rules such as those found in legal documents, regulations,…

  9. Teaching the content in context: Preparing "highly qualified" and "high quality" teachers for instruction in underserved secondary science classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tolbert, Sara E.

    2011-12-01

    This dissertation research project presents the results of a longitudinal study that investigates the knowledge, beliefs, and practices of 13 preservice secondary science teachers participating in a science teacher credentialing/Masters program designed to integrate issues of equity and diversity throughout coursework and seminars. Results are presented in the form of three papers: The first paper describes changes in preservice teacher knowledge about contextualization in science instruction, where contextualization is defined as facilitating authentic connections between science learning and relevant personal, social, cultural, ecological, and political contexts of students in diverse secondary classrooms; the second paper relates changes in the self-efficacy and content-specific beliefs about science, science teaching, diversity, and diversity in science instruction; and the final paper communicates the experiences and abilities of four "social justice advocates" learning to contextualize science instruction in underserved secondary placement classrooms. Results indicate that secondary student teachers developed more sophisticated understandings of how to contextualize science instruction with a focus on promoting community engagement and social/environmental activism in underserved classrooms and how to integrate science content and diversity instruction through student-centered inquiry activities. Although most of the science teacher candidates developed more positive beliefs about teaching science in underrepresented classrooms, many teacher candidates still attributed their minority students' underperformance and a (perceived) lack of interest in school to family and cultural values. The "social justice advocates" in this study were able to successfully contextualize science instruction to varying degrees in underserved placement classrooms, though the most significant limitations on their practice were the contextual factors of their student teaching placements---in particular, the extent to which their cooperating teachers gave them the autonomy and planning time to design and implement their own activities and lessons. While the "integrated approach" to diversity and equity in science teacher education was, overall, successful in helping preservice teachers' move closer toward developing the beliefs, knowledge, and practices necessary for effective instruction in underserved classrooms, suggestions are given for increasing the effectiveness of the "integrated approach," particularly in the context of a one-year credentialing program.

  10. Resilience in the aftermath of war trauma: a critical review and commentary

    PubMed Central

    Litz, Brett T.

    2014-01-01

    The resilience construct has received a great deal of attention as a result of the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The discourse about resilience, especially the promise of promoting it and mitigating risk for serious post-traumatic negative outcomes among service members and veterans, is hopeful and encouraging. Remarkably, most service members exposed to horrific war trauma are not incapacitated by the experience. Yet, resilience is elusive and fleeting for many veterans of war. In this paper, I address some of the complexities about resilience in the context of exposure to war stressors and I offer some assumptions and heuristics that stem from my involvement in the dialogue about resilience and from experiences helping prevent post-traumatic stress disorder among active-duty service members with military trauma. My goal is to use my observations and applied experiences as an instructive context to raise critical questions for the field about resilience in the face of traumatic life-events. PMID:25285196

  11. Does Gender Have an Impact on the Potential Benefits Learners May Achieve in Two Contexts Compared: Formal Instruction and Formal Instruction + Content and Language Integrated Learning?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roquet, Helena; Llopis, Jaume; Pérez-Vidal, Carmen

    2016-01-01

    This study focuses on the degree of influence of one individual factor, namely gender, on the level of English competence attained in two different groups of intermediate-level Catalan Spanish adolescent learners of English as a foreign language: the first group (Group A) is 1 year younger and follows formal instruction (FI) and in parallel…

  12. A method for real-time generation of augmented reality work instructions via expert movements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacharya, Bhaskar; Winer, Eliot

    2015-03-01

    Augmented Reality (AR) offers tremendous potential for a wide range of fields including entertainment, medicine, and engineering. AR allows digital models to be integrated with a real scene (typically viewed through a video camera) to provide useful information in a variety of contexts. The difficulty in authoring and modifying scenes is one of the biggest obstacles to widespread adoption of AR. 3D models must be created, textured, oriented and positioned to create the complex overlays viewed by a user. This often requires using multiple software packages in addition to performing model format conversions. In this paper, a new authoring tool is presented which uses a novel method to capture product assembly steps performed by a user with a depth+RGB camera. Through a combination of computer vision and imaging process techniques, each individual step is decomposed into objects and actions. The objects are matched to those in a predetermined geometry library and the actions turned into animated assembly steps. The subsequent instruction set is then generated with minimal user input. A proof of concept is presented to establish the method's viability.

  13. Practising what we preach: using cognitive load theory for workshop design and evaluation.

    PubMed

    Naismith, Laura M; Haji, Faizal A; Sibbald, Matthew; Cheung, Jeffrey J H; Tavares, Walter; Cavalcanti, Rodrigo B

    2015-12-01

    Theory-based instructional design is a top priority in medical education. The goal of this Show and Tell article is to present our theory-driven approach to the design of instruction for clinical educators. We adopted cognitive load theory as a framework to design and evaluate a series of professional development workshops that were delivered at local, national and international academic conferences in 2014. We used two rating scales to measure participants' cognitive load. Participants also provided narrative comments as to how the workshops could be improved. Cognitive load ratings from 59 participants suggested that the workshop design optimized learning by managing complexity for different levels of learners (intrinsic load), stimulating cognitive processing for long-term memory storage (germane load), and minimizing irrelevant distracters (extraneous load). Narrative comments could also be classified as representing intrinsic, extraneous, or germane load, which provided specific directions for ongoing quality improvement. These results demonstrate that a cognitive load theory approach to workshop design and evaluation is feasible and useful in the context of medical education.

  14. Excellence in clinical teaching: knowledge transformation and development required.

    PubMed

    Irby, David M

    2014-08-01

    Clinical teachers in medicine face the daunting task of mastering the many domains of knowledge needed for practice and teaching. The breadth and complexity of this knowledge continue to increase, as does the difficulty of transforming the knowledge into concepts that are understandable to learners. Properly targeted faculty development has the potential to expedite the knowledge transformation process for clinical teachers. Based on my own research in clinical teaching and faculty development, as well as the work of others, I describe the unique forms of clinical teacher knowledge, the transformation of that knowledge for teaching purposes and implications for faculty development. The following forms of knowledge for clinical teaching in medicine need to be mastered and transformed: (i) knowledge of medicine and patients; (ii) knowledge of context; (iii) knowledge of pedagogy and learners, and (iv) knowledge integrated into teaching scripts. This knowledge is employed and conveyed through the parallel processes of clinical reasoning and clinical instructional reasoning. Faculty development can facilitate this knowledge transformation process by: (i) examining, deconstructing and practising new teaching scripts; (ii) focusing on foundational concepts; (iii) demonstrating knowledge-in-use, and (iv) creating a supportive organisational climate for clinical teaching. To become an excellent clinical teacher in medicine requires the transformation of multiple forms of knowledge for teaching purposes. These domains of knowledge allow clinical teachers to provide tailored instruction to learners at varying levels in the context of fast-paced and demanding clinical practice. Faculty development can facilitate this knowledge transformation process. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Controlling Split Attention and Redundancy in Physical Therapy Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pociask, Fredrick D.; Morrison, Gary R.

    2008-01-01

    In this study, we examined the effectiveness of instructional materials designed to control redundancy and split attention in the teaching of complex orthopedic physical therapy skills. Participants included 41 first-year physical therapy students. The modified instruction group received a modified unit of instruction designed to reduce cognitive…

  16. Equity-Directed Instructional Practices: Beyond the Dominant Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rubel, Laurie H.

    2017-01-01

    In this article, the author synthesizes four equity-directed instructional practices: standards-based mathematics instruction, complex instruction, culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), and teaching mathematics for social justice (TMfSJ). The author organizes these practices according to the dominant and critical axes in Gutiérrez's (2007a) equity…

  17. Formulating Guidelines for Instructional Planning in Technology Enhanced Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lim, Cher Ping

    2009-01-01

    Several studies have shown the complexities that teachers faced when planning for instruction in technology enhanced learning environments (TELE). Although classroom-oriented instructional development (ID) models have the potential to help teachers think and plan for effective instruction with technology, teachers are often reluctant to use these…

  18. Teaching Conversations with the XDS Sigma 7. Systems Description.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bork, Alfred M.; Mosmann, Charles

    Some computers permit conventional programing languages to be extended by the use of macro-instructions, a sophisticated programing tool which is especially useful in writing instructional dialogs. Macro-instructions (or "macro's") are complex commands defined in terms of the machine language or other macro-instructions. Like terms in…

  19. Challenges of Integrating Mobile Technology into Mathematics Instruction in Secondary Schools: An Indonesian Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abidin, Zaenal; Mathrani, Anuradha; Hunter, Roberta; Parsons, David

    2017-01-01

    Implementing mobile learning in curriculum-based educational settings faces challenges related to perceived ethical and learning issues. This study investigated the affordances of mobile technologies to support mathematics instruction by teachers. An exploratory study employing questionnaires and semi-structured interviews revealed that, while…

  20. Guide for Multicultural Education: Content and Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Bureau of Intergroup Relations.

    This guide explores the rationale for multicultural education at the elementary and secondary levels, its needs and goals, the school setting it requires, and the necessary processes of instructional planning and staff preparation. The basic aim of a multicultural instructional program is to help students to accept themselves and other persons as…

  1. Connecting the Interpersonal, Instructional, and Institutional Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nieto, Sonia; Rivera, Melissa; Quinones, Sandra

    2012-01-01

    As discussed throughout this paper, many institutional and instructional strategies can facilitate higher achievement among Latino/a students. Many of these are effective partly because of the relationships they foster. But we also want to point out a few concrete examples of supportive constructive relationships. The common thread in these…

  2. Instructional Design as Manipulation of, or Cooperation with, Learners?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matthews, Michael T.; Yanchar, Stephen C.

    2018-01-01

    We present a qualitative study of the tension between manipulative and cooperative approaches to instructional design. We found that our participants struggled to resist manipulative tendencies in their work contexts. More specifically, our findings suggest that our participants sought to design with their learners in mind to foster a more…

  3. Neoliberal Mechanisation of Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sancar, Can; Sancar, Mine

    2012-01-01

    This paper aims at examining how neoliberalism actually functions in universities and whether human instruction can actually be replaced by computerized instruction. The study reported in this paper is a qualitative study since it takes reality as a subjective human experience happening in a social context, and in historical time. It mainly…

  4. Effectiveness of Mobile Learning on Athletic Training Psychomotor Skill Acquisition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davie, Emily; Martin, Malissa; Cuppett, Micki; Lebsack, Denise

    2015-01-01

    Context: Instruction of psychomotor skills is an important component of athletic training education. Accommodating the varied learning abilities and preferences of athletic training students can be challenging for an instructor initiating skill acquisition in a traditional face-to-face (F2F) environment. Video instruction available on mobile…

  5. Learner Perceptions of Reliance on Captions in EFL Multimedia Listening Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leveridge, Aubrey Neil; Yang, Jie Chi

    2014-01-01

    Instructional support has been widely discussed as a strategy to optimize student-learning experiences. This study examines instructional support within the context of a multimedia language-learning environment, with the predominant focus on learners' perceptions of captioning support for listening comprehension. The study seeks to answer two…

  6. Effects of Multimedia, Computer-Based Instruction on Grocery Shopping Fluency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mechling, Linda C.

    2004-01-01

    Research supports the importance of teaching skills within the contexts that they will be used (Falvey, 1989; Nietupski, Clancy, Wehrmacher, & Parmer, 1985), yet many school-based programs face resource constraints which limit the number of opportunities where instruction can occur in authentic, community-based settings. When community-based…

  7. Instructional Leadership in Greek and English Outstanding Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaparou, Maria; Bush, Tony

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine instructional leadership (IL) in outstanding secondary schools within a centralised (Greece) and a partially decentralised (England) education context. Design/methodology/approach: Since the purpose of the study is exploratory, the researchers adopt a qualitative approach, employing a series of four…

  8. Applying Leadership Theories to Distance Education Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nworie, John

    2012-01-01

    The instructional delivery mode in distance education has been transitioning from the context of a physical classroom environment to a virtual learning environment or maintaining a hybrid of the two. However, most distance education programs in dual mode institutions are situated in traditional face-to-face instructional settings. Distance…

  9. The Effect of Vocabulary on Introductory Microbiology Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richter, Emily

    2011-01-01

    This study examines the effect of the translation of traditional scientific vocabulary into plain English, a process referred to as Anglicization, on student learning in the context of introductory microbiology instruction. Data from Anglicized and Classical-vocabulary lab sections were collected. Data included exam scores as well as pre and…

  10. Culturally Responsive Differentiated Instruction: Narrowing Gaps between Best Pedagogical Practices Benefiting All Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santamaria, Lorri J.

    2009-01-01

    Background/Context: Because of its special education association, differentiated instruction (DI) is a topic of concern for many educators working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners, whereby bilingual, multicultural, and culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is considered more appropriate for responding to cultural and…

  11. Multifaceted NOS Instruction: Contextualizing Nature of Science with Documentary Films

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bloom, Mark; Binns, Ian C.; Koehler, Catherine

    2015-01-01

    This research focuses on inservice science teachers' conceptions of nature of science (NOS) before and after a two-week intensive summer professional development (PD). The PD combined traditional explicit NOS instruction, numerous interactive interventions that highlighted NOS aspects, along with documentary films that portrayed NOS in context of…

  12. Personalization of Instruction: Design Dimensions and Implications for Cognition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walkington, Candace; Bernacki, Matthew L.

    2018-01-01

    Instruction can be made relevant to students when it draws upon and utilizes their interests, experiences, and "funds of knowledge" in productive ways to support classroom learning. This approach has been referred to as "context personalization." In this paper, we discuss the cognitive basis of personalization interventions,…

  13. Mathematics for Language, Language for Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prochazkova, Lenka Tejkalova

    2013-01-01

    The author discusses the balance and mutual influence of the language of instruction and mathematics in the context of CLIL, Content and Language Integrated Learning. Different aspects of the relationship of language and Mathematics teaching and learning are discussed: the benefits of using a foreign language of instruction, as well as the…

  14. Effects of Videodisc Macrocontexts on Comprehension and Composition of Causally Coherent Stories.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Risko, Victoria J.; And Others

    A study determined whether instruction on story elements within rich contexts can increase students' understanding of the characters' traits and motives, their comprehension of stories, and their ability to write causally coherent stories. Instruction was organized around an "anchor" (a story rich with embedded information presented on…

  15. Linking Gestures: Cross-Cultural Variation during Instructional Analogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richland, Lindsey Engle

    2015-01-01

    Deictic linking gestures, hand and arm motions that physically embody links being communicated between two or more objects in the shared communicative environment, are explored in a cross-cultural sample of mathematics instruction. Linking gestures are specifically examined here when they occur in the context of communicative analogies designed to…

  16. Functional Contextualism in Context: A Reply to Fox

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winn, William

    2006-01-01

    In this article, the author presents Fox (2005) argument on functional contextualism and his assessment of the current conceptual frameworks in the field of instructional design and technology. The often unquestioning espousal of constructivism in the field of instructional design and technology has caused problems for a number of reasons. Fox…

  17. The Investigation of the Book "The Education of Little Tree" within Context of Instructional Principles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zorlu, Fulya; Eker, Cevat

    2016-01-01

    It is aimed to investigate "The Education of Little Tree" (a novel book) in relation with instructional principles. By taking into consideration the principles; "Student Relativity", "Connection to Life", "From the Near to the Far", "From the Known to the Unknown", "Clarity", "From…

  18. The Impact of Culture on Instructional Design and Quality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharif, Afsaneh; Gisbert, Merce

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cultural differences, i.e. different contexts and backgrounds, on instructional designers' perspectives of quality in online environments. Using a questionnaire developed based on the Quality Matters rubric, we found designers in Canada focus slightly more on Learner Support strategies…

  19. Perspectives on Principal Instructional Leadership in Vietnam: A Preliminary Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hallinger, Philip; Walker, Allan; Nguyen, Dao Thi Hong; Truong, Thang; Nguyen, Thi Thinh

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: Worldwide interest in principal instructional leadership has led to global dissemination of related research findings despite their concentration in a limited set of western cultural contexts. An urgent challenge in educational leadership and management lies in expanding the range of national settings for investigations of instructional…

  20. Veterans in the College Classroom: Guidelines for Instructional Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    López, Omar S.; Springer, Stephen B.; Nelson, Jeffrey B.

    2016-01-01

    Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) remain central topics in institutions' efforts to address student veteran needs. From the authors' experiences with student veterans, they present the five principles of effective instructional practice identified by the National Research Council (NRC) within the context of…

  1. Does strategy instruction on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure task lead to transferred performance improvement on the Modified Taylor Complex Figure task? A randomized controlled trial in school-aged children.

    PubMed

    Resch, Christine; Keulers, Esther; Martens, Rosa; van Heugten, Caroline; Hurks, Petra

    2018-04-05

    Providing children with organizational strategy instruction on the Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) has previously been found to improve organizational and accuracy performance on this task. It is unknown whether strategy instruction on the ROCF would also transfer to performance improvement on copying and the recall of another complex figure. Participants were 98 typically developing children (aged 9.5-12.6 years, M = 10.6). Children completed the ROCF (copy and recall) as a pretest. Approximately a month later, they were randomized to complete the ROCF with strategy instruction in the form of a stepwise administration of the ROCF or again in the standard format. All children then copied and recalled the Modified Taylor Complex Figure (MTCF). All productions were assessed in terms of organization, accuracy and completion time. Organization scores for the MTCF did not differ for the two groups for the copy production, but did differ for the recall production, indicating transfer. Accuracy and completion times did not differ between groups. Performance on all measures, except copy accuracy, improved between pretest ROCF and posttest MTCF production for both groups, suggesting practice effects. Findings indicate that transfer of strategy instruction from one complex figure to another is only present for organization of recalled information. The increase in RCF-OSS scores did not lead to a higher accuracy or a faster copy or recall.

  2. Inquiry-Based Chemistry Education in a High-Context Culture: A Qatari Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Qureshi, Sheila; Vishnumolakala, Venkat Rao; Southam, Daniel C.; Treagust, David F.

    2017-01-01

    This research took place within the context of ongoing educational reforms to promote inquiry-based science instruction and a desire to draw evidence to inform adoptions of western pedagogical practices in a high-context culture like Qatar. We report on the outcomes from Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) in a foundation chemistry…

  3. Test Preparation Beliefs and Practices in a High-Stakes Context: A Teacher's Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gebril, Atta; Eid, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Policy makers worldwide are increasingly using high-stakes tests for accountability purposes. This practice has resulted in a considerable rise in test preparation activities in different instructional contexts. The purpose of this study is to investigate teachers' test preparation beliefs and practices in a high-stakes assessment context in…

  4. Second-language instinct and instruction effects: nature and nurture in second-language acquisition.

    PubMed

    Yusa, Noriaki; Koizumi, Masatoshi; Kim, Jungho; Kimura, Naoki; Uchida, Shinya; Yokoyama, Satoru; Miura, Naoki; Kawashima, Ryuta; Hagiwara, Hiroko

    2011-10-01

    Adults seem to have greater difficulties than children in acquiring a second language (L2) because of the alleged "window of opportunity" around puberty. Postpuberty Japanese participants learned a new English rule with simplex sentences during one month of instruction, and then they were tested on "uninstructed complex sentences" as well as "instructed simplex sentences." The behavioral data show that they can acquire more knowledge than is instructed, suggesting the interweaving of nature (universal principles of grammar, UG) and nurture (instruction) in L2 acquisition. The comparison in the "uninstructed complex sentences" between post-instruction and pre-instruction using functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals a significant activation in Broca's area. Thus, this study provides new insight into Broca's area, where nature and nurture cooperate to produce L2 learners' rich linguistic knowledge. It also shows neural plasticity of adult L2 acquisition, arguing against a critical period hypothesis, at least in the domain of UG.

  5. Culture in Context: An Interdisciplinary Travel Study Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berger, Karen A.; O'Neill, Geraldine P.

    2002-01-01

    Describes an interdisciplinary travel study course designed to teach cultural appreciation and sensitivity in context. Readings and instruction focus on cultural issues that affect business and marketing practices, using France and the French as the subjects of the study. (Author/VWL)

  6. Data communications in a parallel active messaging interface of a parallel computer

    DOEpatents

    Archer, Charles J; Blocksome, Michael A; Ratterman, Joseph D; Smith, Brian E

    2014-02-11

    Data communications in a parallel active messaging interface ('PAMI') or a parallel computer, the parallel computer including a plurality of compute nodes that execute a parallel application, the PAMI composed of data communications endpoints, each endpoint including a specification of data communications parameters for a thread of execution of a compute node, including specification of a client, a context, and a task, the compute nodes and the endpoints coupled for data communications instruction, the instruction characterized by instruction type, the instruction specifying a transmission of transfer data from the origin endpoint to a target endpoint and transmitting, in accordance witht the instruction type, the transfer data from the origin endpoin to the target endpoint.

  7. Instructional Design as Knowledge Management: A Knowledge-in-Practice Approach to Choosing Instructional Methods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McIver, Derrick; Fitzsimmons, Stacey; Flanagan, David

    2016-01-01

    Decisions about instructional methods are becoming more complex, with options ranging from problem sets to experiential service-learning projects. However, instructors not trained in instructional design may make these important decisions based on convenience, comfort, or trends. Instead, this article draws on the knowledge management literature…

  8. Automated Instructional Monitors for Complex Operational Tasks. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feurzeig, Wallace

    A computer-based instructional system is described which incorporates diagnosis of students difficulties in acquiring complex concepts and skills. A computer automatically generated a simulated display. It then monitored and analyzed a student's work in the performance of assigned training tasks. Two major tasks were studied. The first,…

  9. Effects of an iPad-Based Early Reading Intervention with Students with Complex Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lucas, Kristin Goodwin

    2015-01-01

    Early reading literacy is foundational to all other academic learning. It is imperative that elementary students with and without disabilities be provided with evidence-based reading instruction. Elementary students with developmental disabilities (DD) and complex communication needs (CCN) benefit from evidence-based reading instruction that…

  10. How Instructional Designers Solve Workplace Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fortney, Kathleen S.; Yamagata-Lynch, Lisa C.

    2013-01-01

    This naturalistic inquiry investigated how instructional designers engage in complex and ambiguous problem solving across organizational boundaries in two corporations. Participants represented a range of instructional design experience, from novices to experts. Research methods included a participant background survey, observations of…

  11. Computer-Assisted Instruction: Stanford's 1965-66 Arithmetic Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suppes, Patrick; And Others

    A review of the possibilities and challenges of computer-assisted instruction (CAI), and a brief history of CAI projects at Stanford serve to give the reader the context of the particular program described and analyzed in this book. The 1965-66 arithmetic drill-and-practice program is described, summarizing the curriculum and project operation. An…

  12. Leveraging Observation Tools for Instructional Improvement: Exploring Variability in Uptake of Ambitious Instructional Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohen, Julie; Schuldt, Lorien Chambers; Brown, Lindsay; Grossman, Pamela

    2016-01-01

    Background/Context: Current efforts to build rigorous teacher evaluation systems has increased interest in standardized classroom observation tools as reliable measures for assessing teaching. However, many argue these instruments can also be used to effect change in classroom practice. This study investigates a model of professional development…

  13. Teacher Knowledge and Instructional Quality of Beginning Teachers: Growth and Linkages

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Desimone, Laura; Hochberg, Eric D.; McMaken, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    Background/Context: We lack strong and consistent information about which measures of knowledge matter most for good teaching and student learning, and what are trajectories of improvement for novice teachers. Research Questions: We explore the level, variation, and change in teacher knowledge and instruction in the first two years of teaching,…

  14. English Teaching Profile: Brazil.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    British Council, London (England). English Language and Literature Div.

    This review of the status of English language instruction in Brazil provides an overview of the Brazilian geographic, historical, and political context and the role of English in the society in general and in the educational system. The following topics are covered: an outline of the status of English use and instruction in the educational system…

  15. A Research Context for Diagnostic and Prescriptive Mathematics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Engelhardt, Jon; Uprichard, A. Edward

    1998-01-01

    Argues that a position should be taken on which future research initiatives on learning and instruction will be most worthy if grounded in general systems theory and multiple research methods are employed. Presents an application of general systems theory to research on learning and instruction, including a system of research methods and…

  16. Structural Relationships of Environments, Individuals, and Learning Outcomes in Korean Online University Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lim, Keol; Kang, Minseok; Park, Sung Youl

    2016-01-01

    This study examines relationships of instructional environments, learner traits, and learning outcomes in the context of an online university course in Korea which has an advanced information technology background and rich e-learning experiences. However, the educational heritage of the country adheres to directive instruction with little…

  17. Evaluation of the Effect of a Digital Mathematics Game on Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wale, Christine M.

    2013-01-01

    Digital games are widely popular and interest has increased for their use in education. Digital games are thought to be powerful instructional tools because they promote active learning and feedback, provide meaningful contexts to situate knowledge, create engagement and intrinsic motivation, and have the ability individualize instruction.…

  18. Description of an Introductory Learning Strategies Course for the Job Skills Educational Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Debra Ann; Derry, Sharon J.

    The Job Skills Educational Program (JSEP), currently under development for the Army Research Institute, embeds learner strategies training within the context of a basic skills computer-assisted instruction curriculum. The curriculum is designed for low-ability soldiers, and consists largely of instruction in the domain of intellectual skills. An…

  19. A Framework for Aligning Instructional Design Strategies with Affordances of CAVE Immersive Virtual Reality Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ritz, Leah T.; Buss, Alan R.

    2016-01-01

    Increasing availability of immersive virtual reality (IVR) systems, such as the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) and head-mounted displays, for use in education contexts is providing new opportunities and challenges for instructional designers. By highlighting the affordances of IVR specific to the CAVE, the authors emphasize the…

  20. Instructional Leadership Challenges and Practices of Novice Principals in Rural Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiezorek, Douglas; Manard, Carolyn

    2018-01-01

    We report on a phenomenological study of the leadership experiences of six novice, rural public school principals in a midwestern U.S. state. We situated our analysis within existing research on leadership for learning, particularly how novice principals interpreted instructional leadership challenges in the context of rural school leadership. Our…

  1. The Perceived Impact of Mindfulness Instruction on Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Rachel

    2017-01-01

    This study explored the self-reported effects of mindfuless instruction on pre-service elementary teachers in the context of a literacy education course. Twenty female undergraduates participated in a study that occurred over the course of a single semester in one university. Analysis of the results indicated that students were not significantly…

  2. Contextualizing Nature of Science Instruction in Socioscientific Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eastwood, Jennifer Lynne; Sadler, Troy D.; Zeidler, Dana L.; Lewis, Anna; Amiri, Leila; Applebaum, Scott

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two learning contexts for explicit-reflective nature of science (NOS) instruction, socioscientific issues (SSI) driven and content driven, on student NOS conceptions. Four classes of 11th and 12th grade anatomy and physiology students participated. Two classes experienced a curricular…

  3. Lyricism, Identity, and the Power of Lyricism as the Third Space

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Bryan A.; Cooks, Jamal; Cross, Keith

    2016-01-01

    This study used the construct of "lyricism" as an instructional practice to explore the identity connections and cognitive learning potential embedded in instruction in a culturally relevant context. Through a 5-week mixed methods study of students using the principles of lyricism (e.g., metaphor, double entendre, personification,…

  4. Reaching Rural Communities: Videoconferencing in K-12 Dance Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parrish, Mila

    2009-01-01

    This article reports the findings of a study exploring the effects of using videoconferencing (VC) to deliver dance instruction to rural communities. The context of the study is a university community partnership run through blended live and VC instruction with elementary and middle school students in Eloy, Arizona. This research is part of a…

  5. Card Game Activities Using Grammar-Based Dialogues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willoughby, Sharon Elinor

    A practicum project to develop instructional materials and related class activities for students of English as a second language (ESL) is described. The context in which the project took place is the ESL instruction of Japanese students with minimal English skills and low motivation in an American community college in Japan. The materials consist…

  6. An Analysis of the Integration of Instructional Technology in Pre-Service Teacher Education in Zimbabwe

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chitiyo, Rodwell; Harmon, Stephen W.

    2009-01-01

    In the context of continuous innovations in information and communication technology (ICT) and its impact on higher education, this study explored the integration of instructional technology (IT) by university lecturers in pre-service secondary school teacher education programs in Zimbabwe. Specifically, the study examined how lecturers integrate…

  7. Student-Described Engagement with Text: Insights Are Discovered from Fourth Graders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weih, Timothy G.

    2014-01-01

    This article reports on a research study investigating student-described engagement with self-selected text in a classroom where a core reading program (in the context of this study meaning instruction based primarily on manuals and commercial textbooks) comprised the majority of their literacy instruction. Fourth grade students were invited to…

  8. Examining Peer Language Use and Investment in a Distinct North American Immersion Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ballinger, Susan

    2017-01-01

    Previous studies have shown that immersion students tend to speak the majority language during peer interactions, regardless of the language of instruction or their dominant language. Researchers have argued that the societal status of the majority language presents an obstacle to providing equitable support for both languages of instruction. To…

  9. Revisiting the "Pedagogy of Multiliteracies": Writing Instruction in a Multicultural Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiss, Tamas; Mizusawa, Ken

    2018-01-01

    Given the multimodal and multicultural character of modern English, English Language Teaching should meaningfully reflect this. Although some attempts have been made, adequate attention has not been paid to reforming writing pedagogy. This paper presents the findings of a two-year research project on writing instruction in the Singapore English…

  10. Making Pre-K Count: Improving Math Instruction in New York City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Pamela A.; Mattera, Shira K.; Maier, Michelle F.

    2016-01-01

    In the context of a persistent achievement lag among low-income children despite substantial investments in early education, policymakers and practitioners continue to seek ways to improve the quality of children's preschool experiences. The Making Pre-K Count study addresses whether strengthening prekindergarten (pre-K) instruction in math,…

  11. Assessing Technical Writing in Institutional Contexts: Using Outcomes-Based Assessment for Programmatic Thinking.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Michael; Anson, Chris M.; Miller, Carolyn R.

    2003-01-01

    Notes that technical writing instruction often operates in isolation from other components of students' communication education. Argues for altering this isolation by moving writing instruction to a place of increased programmatic perspective, which may be attained through a means of assessment based on educational outcomes. Discusses two models…

  12. The Role of Language Learning Progressions in Improved Instruction and Assessment of English Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bailey, Alison L.; Heritage, Margaret

    2014-01-01

    This article addresses theoretical and empirical issues relevant for the development and evaluation of language learning progressions. The authors explore how learning progressions aligned with new content standards can form a central basis of efforts to describe the English language needed in school contexts for learning, instruction, and…

  13. Making Learning Last: Teachers' Long-Term Retention of Improved Nature of Science Conceptions and Instructional Rationales

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mulvey, Bridget K.; Bell, Randy L.

    2017-01-01

    Despite successful attempts to improve learners' nature of science (NOS) conceptions through explicit, reflective approaches, retention of improved conceptions is rarely addressed in research. The issue of context for NOS instruction has implications for this retention. Whether to contextualise has been the question occupying science educators'…

  14. Finding Possibility in Pitfalls: The Role of Permeable Methods Pedagogy in Preservice Teacher Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hebard, Heather

    2016-01-01

    Background/context: Tensions between university-based teacher preparation courses and field placements have long been identified as an obstacle to novices' uptake of promising instructional practices. This tension is particularly salient for writing instruction, which continues to receive inadequate attention in K-12 classrooms. More scholarship…

  15. The Role of Guided Induction in Paper-Based Data-Driven Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smart, Jonathan

    2014-01-01

    This study examines the role of guided induction as an instructional approach in paper-based data-driven learning (DDL) in the context of an ESL grammar course during an intensive English program at an American public university. Specifically, it examines whether corpus-informed grammar instruction is more effective through inductive, data-driven…

  16. Instructional Leadership in Centralised Systems: Evidence from Greek High-Performing Secondary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaparou, Maria; Bush, Tony

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines the enactment of instructional leadership (IL) in high-performing secondary schools (HPSS), and the relationship between leadership and learning in raising student outcomes and encouraging teachers' professional learning in the highly centralised context of Greece. It reports part of a comparative research study focused on…

  17. Why Problem-Based Learning Works: Theoretical Foundations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marra, Rose M.; Jonassen, David H.; Palmer, Betsy; Luft, Steve

    2014-01-01

    Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional method where student learning occurs in the context of solving an authentic problem. PBL was initially developed out of an instructional need to help medical school students learn their basic sciences knowledge in a way that would be more lasting while helping to develop clinical skills…

  18. Teachers' Experiences Providing One-on-One Instruction to Struggling Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liebfreund, Meghan D.; Amendum, Steven J.

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the experiences of 12 kindergarten, first-, and second-grade classroom teachers who provided one-on-one intervention instruction for struggling readers within the general classroom context. Teachers were interviewed at the end of the project. Interview statements clustered into four themes: Managing One-on-One Intervention,…

  19. Teaching Mathematically Talented Students: A Cross-Cultural Study about Their Teachers' Views

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shayshon, Bruria; Gal, Hagar; Tesler, Bertha; Ko, Eun-Sung

    2014-01-01

    The instruction of mathematically talented students (MTS) in heterogeneous classes is an issue of debate. Questions of equity, differential instruction, teacher awareness of their talented students' needs, and their willingness and competence to face the challenges of nurturing these students are all raised within this context. Our international…

  20. Are Instructional Explanations More Effective in the Context of an Impasse?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanchez, Emilio; Garcia-Rodicio, Hector; Acuna, Santiago R.

    2009-01-01

    Effective instructional explanations help the students to construct coherent mental representations. To do so, one condition is that they must be tailored to students' needs. It is hypothesized that explanations are more helpful if they also explicitly aid the students to detect problems in their mental representations, as this provokes an impasse…

  1. The Effect of Mindful Listening Instruction on Listening Sensitivity and Enjoyment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, William Todd

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Mindful Listening Instruction on Music Listening Sensitivity and Music Listening Enjoyment. The type of mindfulness investigated in this study was of the social-psychological type, which shares both commonalities with and distinctions from meditative mindfulness. Enhanced context awareness,…

  2. Instructional Coaching through Dialogic Interaction: Helping a Teacher to Become Agentive in Her Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haneda, Mari; Teemant, Annela; Sherman, Brandon

    2017-01-01

    We investigate the instructional coaching interactions between a kindergarten teacher and an experienced coach using the analytic lens of dialogic teaching. The data were collected in the context of a US professional development project that supports urban elementary school teachers in enacting critical sociocultural teaching practices. We…

  3. Coaching in Context: The Role of Relationships in the Work of Three Literacy Coaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lowenhaupt, Rebecca; McKinney, Sarah; Reeves, Todd

    2014-01-01

    In the United States and internationally, instructional coaching has been implemented as a mechanism to increase professional capacity, and in so doing improve student achievement. However, instructional coaches often face resistance from the teachers with whom they work; a manifestation of the egalitarian, isolated culture of teaching in many…

  4. Examining the Durability of Environmental Education Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Preservice Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richardson, Greer M.; Liang, Ling L.; Wake, Donna G.

    2014-01-01

    This research examined the outcome of a year two intervention which aligned two instructional contexts, to impact preservice teachers' Environmental Education (EE) self-efficacy beliefs and their use of inquiry-based instruction. The intervention immersed candidates in inquiry-based pedagogies and EE content across a science content course and a…

  5. Effect of Instruction on ESL Students' Synthesis Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Cui

    2013-01-01

    Synthesis writing has become the focus of much greater attention in the past 10 years in L2 EAP contexts. However, research on L2 synthesis writing has been limited, especially with respect to treatment studies that relate writing instruction to the development of synthesis writing abilities. To address this research gap, the present study…

  6. Explaining Variation in Instructional Time: An Application of Quantile Regression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corey, Douglas Lyman; Phelps, Geoffrey; Ball, Deborah Loewenberg; Demonte, Jenny; Harrison, Delena

    2012-01-01

    This research is conducted in the context of a large-scale study of three nationally disseminated comprehensive school reform projects (CSRs) and examines how school- and classroom-level factors contribute to variation in instructional time in English language arts and mathematics. When using mean-based OLS regression techniques such as…

  7. Standards for Instructional Supervision: Enhancing Teaching and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gordon, Stephen P., Ed.

    2005-01-01

    The standards in this book will enhance teaching and learning. The list of the book's contributors reads like a "Who's Who" in the field of instructional supervision. These standards are practical, specific, and flexible, so that schools and districts can adapt them to their own contexts and goals. Each set also includes activities for…

  8. Student-Centered Instruction and Academic Achievement: Linking Mechanisms of Educational Inequality to Schools' Instructional Strategy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Andersen, Ida Gran; Andersen, Simon Calmar

    2017-01-01

    Research in the sociology of education argues that the educational system provides different learning opportunities for students with different socioeconomic backgrounds and that this circumstance makes the educational process an important institutional context for the reproduction of educational inequality. Using combined survey and register data…

  9. Preservice Elementary Teachers' Instructional Practices and the Teaching Science as Argument Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boyer, Elisebeth

    2016-01-01

    The research reported in this study examines the very first time the participants planned for and enacted science instruction within a "best-case scenario" teacher preparation program. Evidence from this study indicates that, within this context, preservice teachers are capable of implementing several of the discursive practices of…

  10. Aim, Shoot, Ready! Future Teachers Learn to Do Video

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hernandez-Ramos, Pedro

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes an intensive 2-hr workshop designed to introduce preservice teachers to digital video in the context of an instructional technology course or as a stand-alone activity. Acknowledging time constraints in most real-life instructional situations, this format takes novices with no or very limited knowledge of video making to the…

  11. Embedding Academic Writing Instruction into Subject Teaching: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wingate, Ursula; Andon, Nick; Cogo, Alessia

    2011-01-01

    The benefits of embedding the teaching of writing into the curriculum have been advocated by educators and researchers. However, there is currently little evidence of embedded writing instruction in the UK's higher education context. In this article, we present a case study in which we report the design, implementation and evaluation of an…

  12. Political "Bildung" in the Context of Discipline, Instruction, and Moral Guidance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rucker, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776-1841) is considered the founding father of the science of education. In this article, I will try to show that Herbart sees the promotion of political "Bildung" as the task of discipline, instruction, and moral guidance, and that his work presents important components of a theory of political…

  13. The Strategy Project: Promoting Self-Regulated Learning through an Authentic Assignment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steiner, Hillary H.

    2016-01-01

    Success in college requires the development of self-regulated learning strategies that move beyond high school skills. First-year students of all ability levels benefit when given instruction in how to use these strategies in an authentic context. This paper presents an instructional method that requires deliberate practice of self-regulated…

  14. Criteria for the Assessment of Foreign Language Instructional Software and Web Sites.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rifkin, Benjamin

    2003-01-01

    Presents standards for assessing language-learning software and Web sites in three different contexts: (1) teachers considering whether and how to integrate computer-mediated materials into their instruction; (2) specialists writing reviews of software or Web sites for professional journals; and (3) college administrators evaluating the quality of…

  15. Revisiting Instructional and Transformational Leadership: The Contemporary Norwegian Context of School Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aas, Marit; Brandmo, Christian

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the taxonomy of two conceptual models of leadership roles for principals--instructional and transformational leadership (IL and TL)--can be traced empirically in a sample of Norwegian school leaders. Design/methodology/approach: The participants consisted of 149 school leaders attending a…

  16. Promoting Conditional Use of Communication Skills for Learners With Complex Communication Needs: A Tutorial.

    PubMed

    Simacek, Jessica; Reichle, Joe; Byiers, Breanne J; Parker-McGowan, Quannah; Dimian, Adele F; Elmquist, Marianne

    2018-05-03

    Conditional use of communication skills refers to the ability of a learner to appropriately generalize and discriminate when, where, and how to communicate based on constant variation and shifts in environmental cues. We describe discrimination and generalization challenges encountered by learners with complex communication needs and ways in which these challenges are fostered through traditional communication intervention programming. We address arrangements in instruction that maximize the probability of learners acquiring the conditional use of new vocabulary and the modest instructional technology implemented when planning for generalization. We propose establishing well-discriminated and generalized use of new vocabulary items through the application of a general case instruction framework to communication intervention programming. We provide intervention methodology, including intervention steps for general case instruction, a plethora of functional examples, and graphic displays to assess and intervene to promote conditional use of communication skills for learners with complex communication needs.

  17. Better together: Simultaneous presentation of speech and gesture in math instruction supports generalization and retention.

    PubMed

    Congdon, Eliza L; Novack, Miriam A; Brooks, Neon; Hemani-Lopez, Naureen; O'Keefe, Lucy; Goldin-Meadow, Susan

    2017-08-01

    When teachers gesture during instruction, children retain and generalize what they are taught (Goldin-Meadow, 2014). But why does gesture have such a powerful effect on learning? Previous research shows that children learn most from a math lesson when teachers present one problem-solving strategy in speech while simultaneously presenting a different, but complementary, strategy in gesture (Singer & Goldin-Meadow, 2005). One possibility is that gesture is powerful in this context because it presents information simultaneously with speech. Alternatively, gesture may be effective simply because it involves the body, in which case the timing of information presented in speech and gesture may be less important for learning. Here we find evidence for the importance of simultaneity: 3 rd grade children retain and generalize what they learn from a math lesson better when given instruction containing simultaneous speech and gesture than when given instruction containing sequential speech and gesture. Interpreting these results in the context of theories of multimodal learning, we find that gesture capitalizes on its synchrony with speech to promote learning that lasts and can be generalized.

  18. Contextualization in Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Son, Ji Y.; Goldstone, Robert L.

    2009-01-01

    Instruction abstracted from specific and concrete examples is frequently criticized for ignoring the context-dependent and perspectival nature of learning (e.g., Bruner, 1962, 1966; Greeno, 1997). Yet, in the effort to create personally interesting learning contexts, cognitive consequences have often been ignored. To examine what kinds of…

  19. The Making of an Online Masters Program in the North American Context

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Correia, Ana-Paula; Hargrave, Connie; Leigh, Patricia; Michelini, Clyciane; Niederhauser, Dale; Schmidt, Denise; Thompson, Ann

    The department of Curriculum and Instruction at Iowa State University, USA offers a leading residential program of information communication technology (ICT) in teacher education. Based on the success of this program, in 2003, faculty members and instructional developers at Iowa State University Center for Technology in Learning and Teaching (http://www.ctlt.iastate.edu) created an online masters program in “Curriculum and Instructional Technology.” This graduate degree program was designed for teachers of kindergarten to 12th grade (K-12) who were widely spread across the large mainly rural state of Iowa. This graduate program is described in this presentation as a distance education exemplary case in the context of North America. This program uses a cohort approach to graduate education and employs innovative technologies for its design and delivery. Program features, requirements, timeline, courses and outcomes are discussed.

  20. Effects of Strategy Instruction in an EFL Reading Comprehension Course: A Case Study (Efectos de la instrucción de estrategias en un curso de comprensión de lectura en inglés como lengua extranjera: un estudio de caso)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lopera Medina, Sergio

    2012-01-01

    Strategy instruction is useful in teaching contexts. This paper examines the effects of strategy instruction in an EFL reading comprehension course carried out with 26 undergraduate students at a Colombian university. As a research method, a case study was implemented. There were three instruments with which to collect data: reading comprehension…

  1. Case-Based Instructional Practices: A Multiple-Case Study from Torts, Marketing, and Online Instructional Design Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jung, Ji yoon

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive account on case-based instructional practices. Semester-long participant observation records in torts, marketing, and online instructional design classes, instructor interviews, course syllabi and teaching materials were used to describe the within-class complexity of the practices in terms…

  2. Instant Messaging in a Context of Virtual Schooling: Balancing the Affordances and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Elizabeth; Manzanares, Maria A. Rodriguez

    2008-01-01

    This article reports on a case study of Instant Messaging (IM) in a context of high-school virtual schooling. Data collection relied on interviews conducted with 20 participants in a context of high-school web-based instruction in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The participants included e-teachers as well as other distance education personnel.…

  3. The Effect of Context-Based Chemical Equilibrium on Grade 11 Students' Learning, Motivation and Constructivist Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    ilhan, Nail; Yildirim, Ali; Yilmaz, Sibel Sadi

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, many countries have adopted a context-based approach for designing science curricula for education at all levels. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a Context-Based Chemistry Course (CBCC) as compared with traditional/existing instruction, on 11th grade students' learning about chemical equilibrium,…

  4. Teaching Adolescents EFL by Integrating Think-Pair-Share and Reading Strategy Instruction: A Quasi-Experimental Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shih, Ying-Chun; Reynolds, Barry Lee

    2015-01-01

    Think-Pair-Share, a cooperative discussion strategy developed by Frank Lyman and colleagues (1981), is often utilized in first language contexts but rarely in second language (L2) contexts. To investigate its usefulness in the L2 context, a traditional English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading class was transformed by integrating…

  5. Wisconsin System for Instructional Management: Teachers' Manual for the Unified System. Practical Paper No. 18.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bozeman, William C.; And Others

    Individualized instruction including continuous progress education and team teaching requires a complexity of organizational structure dissimilar to that of traditional schools. In such systems, teachers must maintain extensive and complex student record systems. This teachers' manual provides an example of a computerized record system developed…

  6. How Select Groups of Preservice Science Teachers with Inquiry Orientations View Teaching and Learning Science through Inquiry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ward, Peggy

    Although hailed as a powerful form of instruction, in most teaching and learning contexts, inquiry-based instruction is fraught with ambiguous and conflicting definitions and descriptions. Yet little has been written about the experiences preservice science teacher have regarding their learning to teach science through inquiry. This project sought to understand how select preservice secondary science teachers enrolled in three UTeach programs in Arkansas conceptualize inquiry instruction and how they rationalize its value in a teaching and learning context. The three teacher education programs investigated in this study are adoption sites aligned with the UTeach Program in Austin, TX that distinguishes itself in part by its inquiry emphasis. Using a mixed method investigation design, this study utilized two sources of data to explore the preservice science teachers' thinking. In the first phase, a modified version of the Pedagogy of Science teaching Tests (POSTT) was used to identify select program participants who indicated preferences for inquiry instruction over other instructional strategies. Secondly, the study used an open-ended questionnaire to explore the selected subjects' beliefs and conceptions of teaching and learning science in an inquiry context. The study also focused on identifying particular junctures in the prospective science teachers' education preparation that might impact their understanding about inquiry. Using a constant comparative approach, this study explored 19 preservice science teachers' conceptions about inquiry. The results indicate that across all levels of instruction, the prospective teachers tended to have strong student-centered teaching orientations. Except subjects in for the earliest courses, subjects' definitions and descriptions of inquiry tended toward a few of the science practices. More advanced subjects, however, expressed more in-depth descriptions. Excluding the subjects who have completed the program, multiple subjects tended to associate inquiry learning exclusively in terms of exploring before lecture, getting a single correct answer. Additionally, various subjects at multiple levels, described inquiry in terms of the 5E Model of Instruction, which is emphasized in the Arkansas UTeach lesson design. Implications of these findings and suggestions for program improvement at the course levels are suggested.

  7. Adult Language Learners: Context and Innovation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Ann F. V., Ed.; Strong, Gregory, Ed.

    2009-01-01

    "Adult Language Learners: Context and Innovation" presents instructional practices that are particularly successful with adults. Adult language learners are goal oriented and direct their learning to fulfill particular needs or demands: to advance their studies, to progress up the career ladder, to follow business opportunities, to pass…

  8. Students' Uncertainty Management in the College Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sollitto, Michael; Brott, Jan; Cole, Catherine; Gil, Elia; Selim, Heather

    2018-01-01

    The uncertainty experienced by college students can have serious repercussions for their success and subsequent retention. Drawing parallels between instructional context and organizational context will enrich theory and research about students' experiences of uncertainty in their college courses. Therefore, this study used Uncertainty Management…

  9. Contextual Understandings in the TPACK Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swallow, Meredith J. C.; Olofson, Mark W.

    2017-01-01

    The technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) framework considers the role of technology in teaching. Although TPACK is grounded in context, one limitation is the lack of understanding about the interactions between particular contexts, knowledge development, and instruction. This qualitative multiple-case study was designed to…

  10. Fluidica CFD software for fluids instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Colonius, Tim

    2008-11-01

    Fluidica is an open-source freely available Matlab graphical user interface (GUI) to to an immersed-boundary Navier- Stokes solver. The algorithm is programmed in Fortran and compiled into Matlab as mex-function. The user can create external flows about arbitrarily complex bodies and collections of free vortices. The code runs fast enough for complex 2D flows to be computed and visualized in real-time on the screen. This facilitates its use in homework and in the classroom for demonstrations of various potential-flow and viscous flow phenomena. The GUI has been written with the goal of allowing the student to learn how to use the software as she goes along. The user can select which quantities are viewed on the screen, including contours of various scalars, velocity vectors, streamlines, particle trajectories, streaklines, and finite-time Lyapunov exponents. In this talk, we demonstrate the software in the context of worked classroom examples demonstrating lift and drag, starting vortices, separation, and vortex dynamics.

  11. Leaving the Lecture Behind: Putting PubMed Instruction into the Hands of the Students.

    PubMed

    Turner, Rose L; M Ketchum, Andrea; Ratajeski, Melissa A; Wessel, Charles B

    2017-01-01

    This column describes the development of a one-shot PubMed instruction class for medical students at a health sciences library. Background information on the objective is presented and discussed in the context of educational practice literature. The new course design centers on a guided group method of instruction in order to integrate more active learning. Surveyed students reported that the method was an effective way to learn how to search PubMed and that they preferred it to a traditional lecture. Pros and cons of the method are offered for other health sciences libraries interested in presenting PubMed instruction in a similar manner.

  12. The Editor Dilemma in Modern Language Instruction: Is Tutoring out of Control?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Correa, Maite

    2014-01-01

    Although academic dishonesty has received considerable attention in recent years, there is little research on how non-serious cheating issues in a discipline such as biology or chemistry can become highly serious offenses in the context of instruction in the modern languages (MLs). One of these "grey areas" is (unauthorized) editing by a…

  13. Examining the Preparatory Effects of Problem Generation and Solution Generation on Learning from Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kapur, Manu

    2018-01-01

    The goal of this paper is to isolate the preparatory effects of problem-generation from solution generation in problem-posing contexts, and their underlying mechanisms on learning from instruction. Using a randomized-controlled design, students were assigned to one of two conditions: (a) problem-posing with solution generation, where they…

  14. The Use of Comics in Experimental Instructions in a Non-Formal Chemistry Learning Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Affeldt, Fiona; Meinhart, Daniel; Eilks, Ingo

    2018-01-01

    Practical work is an essential component of science education. However, insufficient approaches towards practical work can limit the potential it has for promoting both students' motivation and situational interest. One suggestion to solve this problem is to use alternative forms of lab instruction which are both motivating and easy to comprehend.…

  15. Instructional Design, Active Learning, and Student Performance: Using a Trading Room to Teach Strategy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, Alice C.; Houghton, Susan M.; Rogers, Patrick R.

    2012-01-01

    This research used a quasi-experimental design with two conditions to test the impact of active learning in the context of integrated instructional design. The control condition was a traditional approach to teaching an undergraduate strategy capstone class. The intervention condition was an undergraduate strategy capstone class that was designed…

  16. Output-Based Instruction, Learning Styles and Vocabulary Learning in the EFL Context of Iran

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rastegar, Behnaz; Safari, Fatemeh

    2017-01-01

    Language learners' productive role in teaching and learning processes has recently been the focus of attention. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the effect of oral vs. written output-based instruction on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' vocabulary learning with a focus on reflective vs. impulsive learning styles. To this…

  17. Comparative-Descriptive Study of Academic Vocabulary Specific Instruction on 3rd Grade English Language Learner Reading Scores

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Shelley

    2017-01-01

    Language must be taught with academic vocabulary that is meaningful and that can be transferred between content and context. This comparative-descriptive research study examines how academic specific instruction increases students' learning of a second language acquisition (i.e., English). The conceptual framework of the study drew research…

  18. The Effectiveness of Second Language Strategy Instruction: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Plonsky, Luke

    2011-01-01

    Research on the effects of second language strategy instruction (SI) has been extensive yet inconclusive. This meta-analysis, therefore, aims to provide a reliable, quantitative measure of the effect of SI as well as a description of the relationship between SI and the variables that moderate its effectiveness (i.e., different learning contexts,…

  19. Storytelling to Enhance Teaching and Learning: The Systematic Design, Development, and Testing of Two Online Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hirumi, Atsusi; Sivo, Stephen; Pounds, Kelly

    2012-01-01

    Storytelling may be a powerful instructional approach for engaging learners and facilitating e-learning. However, relatively little is known about how to apply story within the context of systematic instructional design processes and claims for the effectiveness of storytelling in training and education have been primarily anecdotal and…

  20. Student Perceptions of Instruction in Middle and Secondary U.S. History Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wanzek, Jeanne; Kent, Shawn C.; Stillman-Spisak, Stephanie J.

    2015-01-01

    Today's social studies teachers and students face an unprecedented time of standards and accountability. Students bring influences that may interact with the instructional context teachers provide for learning. Eighth- and 11th-grade U.S. history students (n = 512) from 11 schools (23 teachers), diverse in location, ethnicity, and socioeconomic…

  1. A Pedagogical Framework for Mobile Learning: Categorizing Educational Applications of Mobile Technologies into Four Types

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Yeonjeong

    2011-01-01

    Instructional designers and educators recognize the potential of mobile technologies as a learning tool for students and have incorporated them into the distance learning environment. However, little research has been done to categorize the numerous examples of mobile learning in the context of distance education, and few instructional design…

  2. Higher Education Students' Reflections on Learning in Times of Academic Language Shift

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kagwesage, Anne Marie

    2012-01-01

    This article deals with the current debate on the use of English as the only medium of instruction in contexts where it is a second or foreign language. More specifically, it investigates Rwandan students' reflections on using English as the sole medium of instruction in their everyday higher education academic activities. The study is mainly…

  3. Pre-Service Science Teachers Views on STEM Materials and STEM Competition in Instructional Technologies and Material Development Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cetin, Ali; Balta, Nuri

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative study was designed to introduce STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) activities to preservice science teachers and identify their views about STEM materials. In this context, a competition was organized with 42 preservice science teachers (13 male- 29 female) who took Instructional Technologies and Material…

  4. Instructional and Motivational Classroom Discourse and Their Relationship with Teacher Autonomy and Competence Support--Findings from Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiemer, Katharina; Gröschner, Alexander; Kunter, Mareike; Seidel, Tina

    2018-01-01

    The present study investigates whether productive classroom discourse in the form of instructional and motivational classroom discourse (Turner et al., "Journal of Educational Psychology" 94: 88-106, 2002) provides a supportive social context for students that fosters the fulfilment of the basic psychological needs of autonomy and…

  5. Making a Case for a Blended Approach: The Need for The Design-Based Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deaton, Cynthia C. M.; Malloy, Jacquelynn A.

    2017-01-01

    Design-based case studies address research questions that involve instructional innovations within a bounded system. This blend of case study and design-based research provides a systematic approach to examining instructional innovations that are bounded by perspective, context, and time. Design-based case studies provide a framework for engaging…

  6. Using Rasch Measurement Theory to Examine Two Instructional Approaches for Teaching and Learning of French Grammar

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vogel, Severine P.; Engelhard, George, Jr.

    2011-01-01

    The authors describe a quantitative approach based on Rasch measurement theory for evaluating classroom assessments within the context of foreign language classes. A secondary purpose was to examine the effects of two instructional approaches to teach grammar, a guided inductive and a deductive approach, through the lens of Rasch measurement…

  7. The Instructional Factors That Lead to Cheating in a Korean Cyber University Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Costley, Jamie

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This paper looks at a particular type of cheating that occurs in an online university setting. That is, when students who have a connection from outside the online learning environment conspire to cheat together. It measures the correlations between student variables and cheating, instructional variables and cheating and learning outcomes…

  8. Student Connectedness and the Perception of Community of Inquiry Presences in Online Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharp, Jennie

    2014-01-01

    This study examined student perceptions of effective online instruction, by means of the levels of student connectedness, within the context of the Community of Inquiry model. Both the Online Student Connectedness Survey (OSCS) and the Community of Inquiry (CoI) survey have been previously used to study student connectedness and student perception…

  9. Rethinking the Effects of Classroom Activity Structure on the Engagement of Low-Achieving Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Sean; Turner, Julianne

    2009-01-01

    Background/Context: A common perspective found in the literature on classroom activity structures hypothesizes that a whole-class mode of instruction is linked with increased problems of achievement motivation for low-achieving students. If whole-class methods of instruction (e.g., recitation-style question-and-answer sessions) are rich in…

  10. Instructional Model of Critical Literacy in an EFL Context: Balancing Conventional and Critical Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huh, Seonmin

    2016-01-01

    This article explores the general patterns of interactions between the teacher and students during the different instructional steps when the teacher attempted to incorporate both conventional skill-based reading and critical literacy in an English as a foreign language (EFL) literacy class in a Korean university. There has been a paucity of EFL…

  11. The Role of Native Language Instruction in Bilingual Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cardenas, Jose A.

    1984-01-01

    In the context of increasing criticism of bilingual education and the use of native language instruction, it must be remembered that they are based on a sound rationale. First, they address the need for continued learning as the child moves from one language to the other. Second, they address the need to diminish the alienation which children feel…

  12. Supporting the Development of Conceptions of Statistics by Engaging Students in Measuring and Modeling Variability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lehrer, Richard; Kim, Min-joung; Schauble, Leona

    2007-01-01

    New capabilities in "TinkerPlots 2.0" supported the conceptual development of fifth- and sixth-grade students as they pursued several weeks of instruction that emphasized data modeling. The instruction highlighted links between data analysis, chance, and modeling in the context of describing and explaining the distributions of measures that result…

  13. Exploring Grade 11 Students' Conceptual Pathways of the Particulate Nature of Matter in the Context of Multirepresentational Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adadan, Emine; Trundle, Kathy Cabe; Irving, Karen E.

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated the conceptual pathways of 19 Grade 11 introductory chemistry students (age 16-17) as they participated in a multirepresentational instruction on the particulate nature of matter (PNM). This study was grounded in contemporary conceptual change theory, in particular, research on students' conceptual pathways that focuses on…

  14. Introducing Intertextuality-Aware Instruction as a Novel Approach of Teaching Reading Passages in EFL Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khaghaninejad, Mohammad Saber

    2014-01-01

    This study was an attempt to investigate the possible effect of intertextuality-aware instruction of reading passages on a sample of intermediate EFL learners of both genders. First, the intertextuality deployed through the reading passages of the study's course-book was focused inspired by Fairclough's (192) framework in terms of genre, text…

  15. Functional Design of an Automated Instructional Support System for Operational Flight Trainers. Final Report, June 1976 through September 1977.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Semple, Clarence A.; And Others

    Functional requirements for a highly automated, flexible, instructional support system for aircrew training simulators are presented. Automated support modes and associated features and capabilities are described, along with hardware and software functional requirements for implementing a baseline system in an operational flight training context.…

  16. The Forgotten Voices in Higher Education: Students' Satisfaction with English-Medium Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karakas, Ali

    2017-01-01

    This study explores how satisfied Turkish students are with English-medium instruction (EMI) in the context of higher education in an era when EMI universities operate as international brands capitalizing on English as a commodity to vie for more customers, that is, national and international students. Data were collected through a questionnaire…

  17. Instructional Systems of Practice: A Multidimensional Analysis of Math and Science Undergraduate Course Planning and Classroom Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hora, Matthew Tadashi; Ferrare, Joseph J.

    2013-01-01

    Descriptions of faculty practice that illuminate nuances of how course planning and classroom instruction occur in specific contexts are important to inform pedagogical interventions. The study reported in this article draws on systems-of-practice theory to focus on the dynamic interplay among actors, artifacts, and tasks that constrains…

  18. Developing a Local Instruction Theory for Learning the Concept of Angle through Visual Field Activities and Spatial Representations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bustang, B.; Zulkardi, Z.; Darmawijoyo, H.; Dolk, Maarten; van Eerde, Dolly

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports a study on designing and testing an instructional sequence for the teaching and learning of the concept of angle in Indonesian primary schools. The study's context is employing the current reform movement adopting "Pendidikan Matematika Realistik Indonesia" (an Indonesian version of Realistic Mathematics Education).…

  19. Towards Automated Support for Small-Group Instruction: Using Data from an ITS to Automatically Group Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mendiburo, Maria; Williams, Laura; Segedy, James; Hasselbring, Ted

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, the authors explore the use of learning analytics as a method for easing the cognitive demands on teachers implementing the HALF instructional model. Learning analytics has been defined as "the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts for the purposes of understanding and…

  20. Planning for Mathematics Instruction: A Model of Experienced Teachers' Planning Processes in the Context of a Reform Mathematics Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Superfine, Alison Castro

    2008-01-01

    Planning is an important phase of teaching, during which teachers make decisions about various aspects of instruction that ultimately shape students' opportunities to learn. Prior research on teacher planning, however, fails to adequately describe experienced teachers' planning decisions, and is unclear about the extent to which teachers use…

  1. Effects of Fair Play Instruction on Student Social Skills during a Middle School Sport Education Unit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vidoni, Carla; Ward, Philip

    2009-01-01

    Background: Research on social skills in physical education has shown that students' fair play behaviors remain underdeveloped unless teachers include social skills instruction into the curriculum. Fair play behaviors are learned behaviors that are specific to the context of physical education and sport, and may generalize to other settings. One…

  2. Towards Cultural Responsiveness in Music Instruction with Black Detained Youth: An Analytic Autoethnography

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thompson, Jason D.

    2015-01-01

    There is an increased interest in music instruction and research with incarcerated populations. Amid this attention is a need to learn more about how music teachers develop competencies for working with juvenile offenders and navigate this unfamiliar context, how they come to learn more about culturally diverse music, and how they become aware of…

  3. The Relations among Summarizing Instruction, Support for Student Choice, Reading Engagement and Expository Text Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Littlefield, Amy Root

    2011-01-01

    Research on early adolescence reveals significant declines in intrinsic motivation for reading and points out the need for metacognitive strategy use among middle school students. Research indicates that explicit instruction involving motivation and metacognitive support for reading strategy use in the context of a discipline is an efficient and…

  4. Forum: The Lecture and Student Learning. The Lecture and the Learning Paradigm

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Darling, Ann

    2017-01-01

    The essays in this forum demonstrate how the shift from an instructional to a learning paradigm is in full motion and is happening in scholarly conversations about communication and instruction. When asked about the role of the lecture in today's educational context, responses varied from some form of "none at all" to "the lecture…

  5. Medium of Instruction in Asia: Context, Processes and Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamid, M. Obaidul; Nguyen, Hoa Thi Mai; Baldauf, Richard B., Jr.

    2013-01-01

    One major impact of globalisation on education is denoted by the growing trend to use English, the global language, as a medium of instruction (MOI) in emerging polities that are trying to enhance their English-speaking capacities. This article emphasises developing an understanding of MOI from a language policy and planning as well as an…

  6. Enumerating Cubes in 3-D Arrays: Students' Strategies and Instructional Progress.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Battista, Michael T.; Clements, Douglas H.

    This investigation is part of a combined research/curriculum development project in which children's learning is being examined in the context of developing and testing instructional units on 3-D geometry in grades 3, 4, and 5. There are two components to the article. First, the strategies and cognitive constructions that students utilize to…

  7. Reconsidering the Study of Mathematics Instructional Practices: The Importance of Curricular Context in Understanding Local and Global Teacher Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth A.; Lubienski, Sarah Theule; Id-Deen, Lateefah

    2006-01-01

    This paper discusses the case of one teacher, Jackie, whose instructional practices illuminate the importance of textbooks and student/parent expectations in shaping pedagogy. Jackie teaches in the Plainview district, which offers parents and students a choice between a reform-oriented, integrated curriculum ("Core Plus") and a more…

  8. Tradition Becomes the Teacher: Community Events Enrich Educators' Professional Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ginsberg, Margery; Craig, Anthony

    2010-01-01

    One way to approach the improvement of instruction is for educators to learn from student interactions in cultural events that fully engage students' motivation and curiosity. In such a context, educators get to know students in new ways and to connect student strengths to classroom instruction. This can be especially powerful when the learning…

  9. The Effects of Meta-Cognitive Instruction on Students' Reading Comprehension in Computerized Reading Contexts: A Quantitative Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lan, Yi-Chin; Lo, Yu-Ling; Hsu, Ying-Shao

    2014-01-01

    Comprehension is the essence of reading. Finding appropriate and effective reading strategies to support students' reading comprehension has always been a critical issue for educators. This article presents findings from a meta-analysis of 17 studies of metacognitive strategy instruction on students' reading comprehension in computerized…

  10. Patient Preference for Instructional Reinforcement Regarding Prevention of Radiation Dermatitis.

    PubMed

    Laszewski, Pamela; Zelko, Cynthia; Andriths, Lena; Vera Cruz, Eva; Bauer, Carole; Magnan, Morris A

    2016-04-01

    Although patient preference is a core value within the context of patient-centered models of care, little attention has been paid to determining patient preference for instructional media. Nurses have traditionally used verbal face-to-face instruction as the mainstay of patient education, with written materials being used extensively as teaching guides to supplement verbal instruction or for instructional reinforcement. However, advances in technology have made possible the adding of video instruction to nurses' repertoire of instructional media. The purpose of this study was to determine patients' media preferences (verbal, video, written) when receiving instructional reinforcement about self-care needed to prevent radiation dermatitis. The current study was conducted as a secondary analysis of data from a process improvement initiative. In the parent study, patients received multimedia education related to skin care to prevent radiation dermatitis. This secondary analysis examined patient preference for verbal, video, or written education reinforcement at treatment weeks 1 and 3. Results suggest that, when given a choice, verbal and video reinforcement are preferred over written reinforcement.

  11. An Assessment of Information Literacy Instruction in Physics Curricula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fosmire, Michael

    1999-10-01

    Although the information landscape in scientific and technical fields in general and physics in particular is becoming increasingly complicated, a survey of physics librarians found that information literacy instruction for undergraduate and graduate physics students is almost nonexistent. The rise of electronic (and often unrefereed) communication, through websites, electronic discussion lists, and eprint servers, has made the system of information dissemination even more complex. Despite this increased complexity, in physics curricula formal instruction on navigating and intelligently consuming information resources is minimal. The limited instruction that is done appears to be very pragmatic training on how to use specific resources and does not address issues of information literacy. Research literature indicates that students with immediate and concrete information needs (e.g., course assignments) are most receptive to information literacy instruction. Thus, faculty and librarians need to work together to co-ordinate instruction efforts in a way that is not currently being done, so students with information needs have the appropriate skills to fill those needs.

  12. The Relationship among Transformational Teaching and Student Motivation and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noland, Aaron; Richards, Keith

    2014-01-01

    Transformational leadership is a well-documented and validated leadership perspective studied in management and organizational contexts that has recently been applied to the instructional context. The current study predicted a positive relationship between teacher transformational leadership and learning, and motivation. A population of 273…

  13. Making Sense of Data: Context Matters

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lovett, Jennifer N.; Lee, Hollylynne S.

    2016-01-01

    To draw conclusions from data, we need to understand the context of the data and the measurement units. In 2007, Franklin and colleagues presented the "Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Report" to provide teachers with a framework to assist in developing students' investigation of statistical…

  14. The paradoxical effect of long instructions on negative affect and performance: When, for whom and why do they backfire?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goemaere, Sophie; Beyers, Wim; De Muynck, Gert-Jan; Vansteenkiste, Maarten

    2018-06-01

    For reasons of bureaucracy and safety, astronauts on the International Space Station are provided with excruciatingly detailed instructions and a lack of decision-making power, even for simple routine tasks. Besides being time-consuming, many astronauts report feelings of demotivation, irritation, and even defiance when confronted with this working method. Anecdotic evidence suggests that this method leads to situations where astronauts read instructions diagonally or avoid checking in with mission support, thereby ironically increasing the risk of error making. There is a need to consider under which circumstances, for whom, and why the provision of long instructions could be detrimental for well-being and performance. An experimental study with LEGO assembly tasks examined whether length of instructions (i.e. short versus long) and task complexity (simple vs. complex) impact negative affect, motivational experiences and performance of participants (N = 113, Mage = 18.75 ± 2.46 years). Long instructions for simple tasks provoked greater feelings of irritation, diminished the perceived value of instructions, and negatively influenced productivity and accuracy. The negative effect of long instructions on irritation was explained via decreased perceived value. Additionally, the effect of length of instructions on irritation differed for participants high versus those low in need for achievement.

  15. Scaffolding Learning from Informational Texts in the Intervention Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bergeson, Kristi Tamte

    2016-01-01

    The act of creating meaning with texts is complex, and this complexity creates unclear views of instruction in schools and even greater perplexity in knowing how to instruct students who may be struggling in this area of their schoolwork. Comprehension is often measured in schools as a product and an outcome, making it difficult to understand why…

  16. Improving Course Evaluations to Improve Instruction and Complex Learning in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frick, Theodore W.; Chadha, Rajat; Watson, Carol; Zlatkovska, Emilija

    2010-01-01

    Recent research has touted the benefits of learner-centered instruction, problem-based learning, and a focus on complex learning. Instructors often struggle to put these goals into practice as well as to measure the effectiveness of these new teaching strategies in terms of mastery of course objectives. Enter the course evaluation, often a…

  17. Unpacking the Complex Relationship between Beliefs, Practice, and Change Related to Inquiry-Based Instruction of One Science Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lebak, Kimberly

    2015-01-01

    This case study examines the complex relationship between beliefs, practice, and change related to inquiry-based instruction of one science teacher teaching in a high-poverty urban school. This study explores how video-supported collaboration with peers can provide the catalyst for change. Transcribed collaborative dialogue sessions, written…

  18. Tools for Knowledge Analysis, Synthesis, and Sharing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Medland, Michael B.

    2007-04-01

    Change and complexity are creating a need for increasing levels of literacy in science and technology. Presently, we are beginning to provide students with clear contexts in which to learn, including clearly written text, visual displays and maps, and more effective instruction. We are also beginning to give students tools that promote their own literacy by helping them to interact with the learning context. These tools include peer-group skills as well as strategies to analyze text and to indicate comprehension by way of text summaries and concept maps. Even with these tools, more appears to be needed. Disparate backgrounds and languages interfere with the comprehension and the sharing of knowledge. To meet this need, two new tools are proposed. The first tool fractures language ontologically, giving all learners who use it a language to talk about what has, and what has not, been uttered in text or talk about the world. The second fractures language epistemologically, giving those involved in working with text or on the world around them a way to talk about what they have done and what remains to be done. Together, these tools operate as a two- tiered knowledge representation of knowledge. This representation promotes both an individual meta-cognitive and a social meta-cognitive approach to what is known and to what is not known, both ontologically and epistemologically. Two hypotheses guide the presentation: If the tools are taught during early childhood, children will be prepared to master science and technology content. If the tools are used by both students and those who design and deliver instruction, the learning of such content will be accelerated.

  19. Ultra-Brief Mindfulness Training Reduces Alcohol Consumption in At-Risk Drinkers: A Randomized Double-Blind Active-Controlled Experiment.

    PubMed

    Kamboj, Sunjeev K; Irez, Damla; Serfaty, Shirley; Thomas, Emily; Das, Ravi K; Freeman, Tom P

    2017-11-01

    Like other complex psychosocial interventions, mindfulness-based treatments comprise various modality-specific components as well as nonspecific therapeutic ingredients that collectively contribute to efficacy. Consequently, the isolated effects of mindfulness strategies per se remain unclear. Using a randomized double-blind design, we compared the isolated effects of 11-minutes of "supervised" mindfulness instruction against a closely matched active control (relaxation) on subjective, physiological, and behavioral indices of maladaptive alcohol responding in drinkers at risk of harm from alcohol use (n = 68). Simple follow-up instructions on strategy use were provided, but practice was unsupervised and not formally monitored. Both groups showed acute reductions in craving after training, although a trend group x time interaction (P = .056) suggested that this reduction was greater in the relaxation group (d = 0.722 P < .001) compared with the mindfulness group (d = 0.317, P = .004). Furthermore, upregulation of parasympathetic activity was found after relaxation (d = 0.562; P < .001) but not mindfulness instructions (d = 0.08; P > .1; group x time interaction: P = .009). By contrast, only the mindfulness group showed a reduction in past-week alcohol consumption at 7-day follow-up (-9.31 units, d = 0.593, P < .001), whereas no significant reduction was seen in the relaxation group (-3.00 units, d = 0.268, P > .1; group x time interaction: P = .026). Very brief mindfulness practice can significantly reduce alcohol consumption among at-risk drinkers, even with minimal encouragement to use this strategy outside of the experimental context. The effects on consumption may therefore represent a lower bound of efficacy of "ultra-brief" mindfulness instructions in hazardous drinkers, at least at short follow-up intervals. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.

  20. Ultra-Brief Mindfulness Training Reduces Alcohol Consumption in At-Risk Drinkers: A Randomized Double-Blind Active-Controlled Experiment

    PubMed Central

    Irez, Damla; Serfaty, Shirley; Thomas, Emily; Das, Ravi K; Freeman, Tom P

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background Like other complex psychosocial interventions, mindfulness-based treatments comprise various modality-specific components as well as nonspecific therapeutic ingredients that collectively contribute to efficacy. Consequently, the isolated effects of mindfulness strategies per se remain unclear. Methods Using a randomized double-blind design, we compared the isolated effects of 11-minutes of “supervised” mindfulness instruction against a closely matched active control (relaxation) on subjective, physiological, and behavioral indices of maladaptive alcohol responding in drinkers at risk of harm from alcohol use (n = 68). Simple follow-up instructions on strategy use were provided, but practice was unsupervised and not formally monitored. Results Both groups showed acute reductions in craving after training, although a trend group x time interaction (P = .056) suggested that this reduction was greater in the relaxation group (d = 0.722 P < .001) compared with the mindfulness group (d = 0.317, P = .004). Furthermore, upregulation of parasympathetic activity was found after relaxation (d = 0.562; P < .001) but not mindfulness instructions (d = 0.08; P > .1; group x time interaction: P = .009). By contrast, only the mindfulness group showed a reduction in past-week alcohol consumption at 7-day follow-up (-9.31 units, d = 0.593, P < .001), whereas no significant reduction was seen in the relaxation group (-3.00 units, d = 0.268, P > .1; group x time interaction: P = .026). Conclusion Very brief mindfulness practice can significantly reduce alcohol consumption among at-risk drinkers, even with minimal encouragement to use this strategy outside of the experimental context. The effects on consumption may therefore represent a lower bound of efficacy of “ultra-brief” mindfulness instructions in hazardous drinkers, at least at short follow-up intervals. PMID:29016995

  1. Assessment of students' ability to incorporate a computer into increasingly complex simulated patient encounters.

    PubMed

    Ray, Sarah; Valdovinos, Katie

    Pharmacy students should be exposed to and offered opportunities to practice the skill of incorporating a computer into a patient interview in the didactic setting. Faculty sought to improve retention of student ability to incorporate computers into their patient-pharmacist communication. Students were required to utilize a computer to document clinical information gathered during a simulated patient encounter (SPE). Students utilized electronic worksheets and were evaluated by instructors on their ability to effectively incorporate a computer into a SPE using a rubric. Students received specific instruction on effective computer use during patient encounters. Students were then re-evaluated by an instructor during subsequent SPEs of increasing complexity using standardized rubrics blinded from the students. Pre-instruction, 45% of students effectively incorporated a computer into a SPE. After receiving instruction, 67% of students were effective in their use of a computer during a SPE of performing a pharmaceutical care assessment for a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (p < 0.05 compared to pre-instruction), and 58% of students were effective in their use of a computer during a SPE of retrieving a medication list and social history from a simulated alcohol-impaired patient (p = 0.087 compared to pre-instruction). Instruction can improve pharmacy students' ability to incorporate a computer into SPEs, a critical skill in building and maintaining rapport with patients and improving efficiency of patient visits. Complex encounters may affect students' ability to utilize a computer appropriately. Students may benefit from repeated practice with this skill, especially with SPEs of increasing complexity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Show and Tell: Video Modeling and Instruction Without Feedback Improves Performance but Is Not Sufficient for Retention of a Complex Voice Motor Skill.

    PubMed

    Look, Clarisse; McCabe, Patricia; Heard, Robert; Madill, Catherine J

    2018-02-02

    Modeling and instruction are frequent components of both traditional and technology-assisted voice therapy. This study investigated the value of video modeling and instruction in the early acquisition and short-term retention of a complex voice task without external feedback. Thirty participants were randomized to two conditions and trained to produce a vocal siren over 40 trials. One group received a model and verbal instructions, the other group received a model only. Sirens were analyzed for phonation time, vocal intensity, cepstral peak prominence, peak-to-peak time, and root-mean-square error at five time points. The model and instruction group showed significant improvement on more outcome measures than the model-only group. There was an interaction effect for vocal intensity, which showed that instructions facilitated greater improvement when they were first introduced. However, neither group reproduced the model's siren performance across all parameters or retained the skill 1 day later. Providing verbal instruction with a model appears more beneficial than providing a model only in the prepractice phase of acquiring a complex voice skill. Improved performance was observed; however, the higher level of performance was not retained after 40 trials in both conditions. Other prepractice variables may need to be considered. Findings have implications for traditional and technology-assisted voice therapy. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Holistic School Leadership: Systems Thinking as an Instructional Leadership Enabler

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaked, Haim; Schechter, Chen

    2016-01-01

    As instructional leadership involves attempts to understand and improve complex systems, this study explored principals' perceptions regarding possible contributions of systems thinking to instructional leadership. Based on a qualitative analysis, systems thinking was perceived by middle and high school principals to contribute to the following…

  4. A Blackboard-Based Dynamic Instructional Planner. ONR Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murray, William R.

    Dynamic instructional planning was explored as a control mechanism for intelligent tutoring systems through the development of the Blackboard Instructional Planner--a blackboard software-based dynamic planner for computerized intelligent tutoring systems. The planner, designed to be generic to tutors teaching troubleshooting for complex physical…

  5. ESL Readers' Comprehension Performance: The Chinese Secondary Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chau, Juliana; Wu, Winnie; Chen, Julia; Lughmani, Shari

    2012-01-01

    Recent research in reading comprehension in Western settings has focused on collecting evidence from reading tests that would measure relevant ESL reading constructs to inform reading instruction and assessment. Similar studies in non-Western contexts, however, remain under-reported. This study involved 958 senior secondary Hong Kong (Chinese)…

  6. Leapfrogging Pedagogy: A Design Approach to Making Change in Challenging Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crichton, Susan

    2014-01-01

    At a time of substantial change, globalization, and ubiquitous access to information, educators struggle to change even the most basic aspects of their classrooms. This is especially true for those in challenging contexts where many perpetuate the "mind numbing" practice of rote instruction. This paper describes a collaborative…

  7. Administrator Preparation Models and the Impact of the Practice Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pohland, Paul A.

    To be responsible, educational administrator training programs must take the context of practice into account in program design and execution. Adaptation in content, instructional processes, and support systems are required. The University of New Mexico's Spanish Language Master's Program, which has graduated 127 students, provides a model for…

  8. Mediating Factors in Literacy Instruction: How Novice Elementary Teachers Navigate New Teaching Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scales, Roya Qualls; Wolsey, Thomas DeVere; Young, Janet; Smetana, Linda; Grisham, Dana L.; Lenski, Susan; Dobler, Elizabeth; Yoder, Karen Kreider; Chambers, Sandra A.

    2017-01-01

    This longitudinal study, framed by activity theory, examines what seven novice teachers' talk and actions reveal about their literacy teaching practices then delves into mediating influences of the teaching context. Utilizing collective, multi-case methods, data sources included interviews, observations, and artifacts. Findings indicate novices…

  9. A "Top-Down" Analysis of High School Teacher Motivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

    2008-01-01

    Classroom instruction may be affected by school contexts that are increasingly performance-driven because of legislative demands. Interpreting this as a need to investigate the relationships between school context and classroom practice, this study took a "top-down" approach by examining contextual elements of school goal structure and teacher…

  10. 10 Writing Opportunities to "Teach to the Test"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeFauw, Danielle L.

    2013-01-01

    Within the current political and educative context, where high-stakes standardized assessments create a pressure-filled experience for teachers to "teach to the test," time spent on writing instruction that supports students in transferring their learning between classroom and assessment contexts is crucial. Teachers who must use prompts to…

  11. Case-Based Instruction in Different Delivery Contexts: The Impact of Time in Cases

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koury, Kevin; Hollingsead, Candice; Fitzgerald, Gail; Miller, Kevin; Mitchem, Katherine; Tsai, Hui-Hsien; Zha, Shenghua

    2009-01-01

    The focus of this article is a mixed methods naturalistic research project investigating the relationship between learners' time working within multimedia cases and learners' outcomes. Research was conducted across multiple delivery contexts in four universities. Participants were undergraduate and graduate teacher education students completing…

  12. Characteristics of Context for Instructional Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hansen, Brett E.

    2010-01-01

    The fast-paced and continual change experienced in the workplace requires graduates to possess knowledge that can immediately transfer to their chosen profession so that they can quickly become productive and successful. Learning in context is known to have positive effects on learning and facilitate the transfer of knowledge from learning…

  13. Negotiating Contexts to Construct an Identity as a Mathematics Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hodges, Thomas E.; Cady, Jo Ann

    2012-01-01

    The authors focused on 1 middle-grades mathematics teacher's identity and her efforts to implement standards-based instructional practices. As professionals, teachers participate in multiple professional communities and must negotiate and manage conflicting agendas. The authors analyze how the contexts of these communities influence the teacher's…

  14. Designing the Learning Context in School for Talent Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hertzog, Nancy B.

    2017-01-01

    This article explores the learning context for talent development in public schools. Total aspects of the environment from physical space, affective elements, and pedagogical approaches affect learning. How teachers believe and perceive their roles as teachers influence instructional design and decision making. In this article, the optimal…

  15. The Effect of Gamification on Motivation and Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alsawaier, Raed S.

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: Gamification is the application of game features, mainly video game elements, into non-game context for the purpose of promoting motivation and engagement in learning. The application of gamification in a pedagogical context provides some remedy for many students who find themselves alienated by traditional methods of instruction. The use…

  16. Developing Marine Science Instructional Materials Using Integrated Scientist-Educator Collaborative Design Teams: A Discussion of Challenges and Success Developing Real Time Data Projects for the COOL Classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McDonnell, J.; Duncan, R. G.; Glenn, S.

    2007-12-01

    Current reforms in science education place increasing demands on teachers and students to engage not only with scientific content but also to develop an understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry (AAAS, 1993; NRC, 1996). Teachers are expected to engage students with authentic scientific practices including posing questions, conducting observations, analyzing data, developing explanations and arguing about them using evidence. This charge is challenging for many reasons most notably the difficulty in obtaining meaningful data about complex scientific phenomena that can be used to address relevant scientific questions that are interesting and understandable to K-12 students. We believe that ocean sciences provide an excellent context for fostering scientific inquiry in the classroom. Of particular interest are the technological and scientific advances of Ocean Observing Systems, which allow scientists to continuously interact with instruments, facilities, and other scientists to explore the earth-ocean- atmosphere system remotely. Oceanographers are making long-term measurements that can also resolve episodic oceanic processes on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales crucial to resolving scientific questions related to Earth's climate, geodynamics, and marine ecosystems. The availability of a diverse array of large data sets that are easily accessible provides a unique opportunity to develop inquiry-based learning environments in which students can explore many important questions that reflect current research trends in ocean sciences. In addition, due to the interdisciplinary nature of the ocean sciences these data sets can be used to examine ocean phenomena from a chemical, physical, or biological perspective; making them particularly useful for science teaching across the disciplines. In this session we will describe some of the efforts of the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence- Mid Atlantic (COSEE MA) to develop instructional materials, in which students use real-time-data (RTD) to generate explanations about important ocean phenomena. We will discuss our use of an Instructional Design Model (Gauge 1987) to: 1) assess our audience need, 2) develop an effective collaborative design team, 3) develop and evaluate the instructional product, and 4) implement professional development designed to familiarize teachers with oceans sciences as a context for scientific inquiry.

  17. Effects of Varied Enhancement Strategies (Chunking, Feedback, Gaming) in Complementing Animated Instruction in Facilitating Different Types of Learning Objectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Munyofu, Mine

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the instructional effectiveness of different levels of chunking (simple visual/text and complex visual/text), different forms of feedback (item-by-item feedback, end-of-test feedback and no feedback), and use of instructional gaming (game and no game) in complementing animated programmed instruction on a…

  18. Neofunctionalization of embryonic head patterning genes facilitates the positioning of novel traits on the dorsal head of adult beetles.

    PubMed

    Zattara, Eduardo E; Busey, Hannah A; Linz, David M; Tomoyasu, Yoshinori; Moczek, Armin P

    2016-07-13

    The origin and integration of novel traits are fundamental processes during the developmental evolution of complex organisms. Yet how novel traits integrate into pre-existing contexts remains poorly understood. Beetle horns represent a spectacular evolutionary novelty integrated within the context of the adult dorsal head, a highly conserved trait complex present since the origin of insects. We investigated whether otd1/2 and six3, members of a highly conserved gene network that instructs the formation of the anterior end of most bilaterians, also play roles in patterning more recently evolved traits. Using ablation-based fate-mapping, comparative larval RNA interference (RNAi) and transcript sequencing, we found that otd1/2, but not six3, play a fundamental role in the post-embryonic formation of the adult dorsal head and head horns of Onthophagus beetles. By contrast, neither gene appears to pattern the adult head of Tribolium flour beetles even though all are expressed in the dorsal head epidermis of both Onthophagus and Tribolium We propose that, at least in beetles, the roles of otd genes during post-embryonic development are decoupled from their embryonic functions, and that potentially non-functional post-embryonic expression in the dorsal head facilitated their co-option into a novel horn-patterning network during Onthophagus evolution. © 2016 The Author(s).

  19. Neofunctionalization of embryonic head patterning genes facilitates the positioning of novel traits on the dorsal head of adult beetles

    PubMed Central

    Busey, Hannah A.; Linz, David M.; Tomoyasu, Yoshinori; Moczek, Armin P.

    2016-01-01

    The origin and integration of novel traits are fundamental processes during the developmental evolution of complex organisms. Yet how novel traits integrate into pre-existing contexts remains poorly understood. Beetle horns represent a spectacular evolutionary novelty integrated within the context of the adult dorsal head, a highly conserved trait complex present since the origin of insects. We investigated whether otd1/2 and six3, members of a highly conserved gene network that instructs the formation of the anterior end of most bilaterians, also play roles in patterning more recently evolved traits. Using ablation-based fate-mapping, comparative larval RNA interference (RNAi) and transcript sequencing, we found that otd1/2, but not six3, play a fundamental role in the post-embryonic formation of the adult dorsal head and head horns of Onthophagus beetles. By contrast, neither gene appears to pattern the adult head of Tribolium flour beetles even though all are expressed in the dorsal head epidermis of both Onthophagus and Tribolium. We propose that, at least in beetles, the roles of otd genes during post-embryonic development are decoupled from their embryonic functions, and that potentially non-functional post-embryonic expression in the dorsal head facilitated their co-option into a novel horn-patterning network during Onthophagus evolution. PMID:27412276

  20. The impact of social context on learning and cognitive demands for interactive virtual human simulations

    PubMed Central

    Lyons, Rebecca; Johnson, Teresa R.; Khalil, Mohammed K.

    2014-01-01

    Interactive virtual human (IVH) simulations offer a novel method for training skills involving person-to-person interactions. This article examines the effectiveness of an IVH simulation for teaching medical students to assess rare cranial nerve abnormalities in both individual and small-group learning contexts. Individual (n = 26) and small-group (n = 30) interaction with the IVH system was manipulated to examine the influence on learning, learner engagement, perceived cognitive demands of the learning task, and instructional efficiency. Results suggested the IVH activity was an equally effective and engaging instructional tool in both learning structures, despite learners in the group learning contexts having to share hands-on access to the simulation interface. Participants in both conditions demonstrated a significant increase in declarative knowledge post-training. Operation of the IVH simulation technology imposed moderate cognitive demand but did not exceed the demands of the task content or appear to impede learning. PMID:24883241

  1. Shaping instructional communication competence of preservice teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tandyonomanu, D.; Mutiah; Setianingrum, V. M.

    2018-01-01

    This study aims to understand the process of shaping communication competence. Participants were pre-service teachers in the primary school education teacher who conducted teaching program internship program. Observations and interviews found that culture, experience, and education were the components that developed the communication competence within the instructional context. The former two components dominantly shape communication instructional competencies, whereas the latter contributes insignificantly. Education emphasizes on teacher’s pedagogy and professional competences. In the future, educational institutions for pre-service teachers could use this research results to Determine the process of developing communication competence.

  2. Teachers' Integration of Scientific and Engineering Practices in Primary Classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merritt, Eileen G.; Chiu, Jennie; Peters-Burton, Erin; Bell, Randy

    2017-06-01

    The Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS) challenge primary teachers and students to work and think like scientists and engineers as they strive to understand complex concepts. Teachers and teacher educators can leverage what is already known about inquiry teaching as they plan instruction to help students meet the new standards. This cross-case analysis of a multiple case study examined teacher practices in the context of a semester-long professional development course for elementary teachers. We reviewed lessons and teacher reflections, examining how kindergarten and first grade teachers incorporated NGSS scientific and engineering practices during inquiry-based instruction. We found that most of the teachers worked with their students on asking questions; planning and carrying out investigations; analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking; and obtaining, evaluating and communicating information. Teachers faced challenges in supporting students in developing their own questions that could be investigated and using data collection strategies that aligned with students' development of number sense concepts. Also, some teachers overemphasized the scientific method and lacked clarity in how they elicited and responded to student predictions. Discussion focuses on teacher supports that will be needed as states transition to NGSS.

  3. Hands in the Air: Using Ungrounded Iconic Gestures to Teach Children Conservation of Quantity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ping, Raedy M.; Goldin-Meadow, Susan

    2008-01-01

    Including gesture in instruction facilitates learning. Why? One possibility is that gesture points out objects in the immediate context and thus helps ground the words learners hear in the world they see. Previous work on gesture's role in instruction has used gestures that either point to or trace paths on objects, thus providing support for this…

  4. The Role of Interactions between Student and Classroom Context in Developing Adaptive Self-Efficacy in One Sixth-Grade Mathematics Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yetkin Ozdemir, I. Elif; Pape, Stephen J.

    2013-01-01

    Research and theory suggest several instructional practices that could enhance student self-efficacy. However, little is known about the ways these instructional practices interact with individual students to create opportunities or challenges for developing adaptive self-efficacy. In this study, we focused on two sources of efficacy, mastery…

  5. From Research to Practice: The Effect of Multi-Component Vocabulary Instruction on Increasing Vocabulary and Comprehension Performance in Social Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graham, Lori; Graham, Anna; West, Courtney

    2015-01-01

    This study was designed to demonstrate the effect of implementing multi-component vocabulary strategy instruction in fourth grade social studies. Curriculum was designed for a six-week period and was intended to actively engage students and reinforce retention of word meanings in isolation and in context. Teachers were randomly chosen for…

  6. Impact of Group Size on Classroom On-Task Behavior and Work Productivity in Children with ADHD

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hart, Katie C.; Massetti, Greta M.; Fabiano, Gregory A.; Pariseau, Meaghan E.; Pelham, William E., Jr.

    2011-01-01

    This study sought to systematically examine the academic behavior of children with ADHD in different instructional contexts in an analogue classroom setting. A total of 33 children with ADHD participated in a reading comprehension activity followed by a testing period and were randomly assigned within days to either small-group instruction,…

  7. Applying Sight Translation as a Means to Enhance Reading Ability of Iranian EFL Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fatollahi, Moslem

    2016-01-01

    Sight translation is the oral translation of a written text and is a mixture of translation and interpreting. Sight translation is a widely-used activity in translation training programs. Yet, this mode of translation has rarely been applied as a reading instruction technique in Iranian EFL instruction context in spite of the growing interest in…

  8. The Effect of Sequence of Instruction on Students' Cognitive Preferences and Recall in the Context of a Problem-Oriented Method of Teaching.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boreham, N. C.; And Others

    1985-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of two sequences of instruction--theory-to-application and application-to-theory--on medical students' cognitive preferences in preclinical science teaching. Results indicate that presenting an example of the clinical application of biochemical theory before presenting the theory itself increased students'…

  9. Examining the Impact of Explicit Language Instruction in Writers Workshop on ELL Student Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiley, Adrienne; McKernan, Jonathan

    2017-01-01

    In the context of our work as literacy specialists, we taught teachers to use sentence frames to support ELL students' writing. We then studied the impact of their instruction on students. Our analysis of student writing samples revealed no group wide developmental trends so we posed deeper questions about their work using the data analysis…

  10. English as a Foreign Language--Teachers' Perspectives on Implementing Online Instruction in the Iranian EFL Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dashtestani, Reza

    2014-01-01

    This study set out to explore Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' perceptions on the implementation of online EFL instruction. A mixed-methods design, including semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, was employed for the specific purposes of this study. A total of 242 EFL teachers participated in the questionnaire phase…

  11. The Effects of Instructor Control of Online Learning Environments on Satisfaction and Perceived Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Costley, Jamie; Lange, Christopher

    2016-01-01

    Instructional design is important as it helps set the discourse, context, and content of learning in an online environment. Specific instructional design decisions do not only play a part in the discourse of the learners, but they can affect the learners' levels of satisfaction and perceived learning as well. Numerous studies have shown the value…

  12. Rethinking Instructional Technology to Improve Pedagogy for Digital Literacy: A Design Case in a Graduate Early Childhood Education Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Langub, Lee Woodham; Lokey-Vega, Anissa

    2017-01-01

    Digital literacy is an important aspect to consider within teacher education as a way to address twenty-first century learner needs, particularly in early childhood contexts where developmental concerns should be paramount in making instructional design decisions. This article is a design case of a graduate level early childhood education…

  13. Shared Vulnerability in Professional Learning: Growing Instructional Coaches in a Culture of PDS Partnership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corkery, Jill; Hall, Kris; Jeffries, Jess; Laskowski, Kristen; Romig, Gail; Tranell, Jennifer; Peters, Brian; Whitney, Anne Elrod

    2015-01-01

    In a school district context where a well-developed district-wide PDS partnership had been in operation for more than 15 years, a team of instructional coaches was formed of district teachers who left their classrooms for two to four years under the leadership of a curriculum coordinator. In this article, members of the coaching team offer…

  14. Reading Instruction Affects the Cognitive Skills Supporting Early Reading Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGeown, Sarah P.; Johnston, Rhona S.; Medford, Emma

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the cognitive skills associated with early reading development when children were taught by different types of instruction. Seventy-nine children (mean age at pre-test 4;10 (0.22 S.D.) and post-test 5;03 (0.21 S.D.)) were taught to read either by an eclectic approach which included sight-word learning, guessing from context and…

  15. Linking Student Achievement Growth to Professional Development Participation and Changes in Instruction: A Longitudinal Study of Elementary Students and Teachers in Title I Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Desimone, Laura; Smith, Thomas M.; Phillips, Kristie J. R.

    2013-01-01

    Background/Context: Most reforms in elementary education rely on teacher learning and improved instruction to increase student learning. This study increases our understanding of which types of professional development effectively change teaching practice in ways that boost student achievement. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study:…

  16. Towards the Acceptance of RSS to Support Learning: An Empirical Study to Validate the Technology Acceptance Model in Lebanon

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tarhini, Ali; Hassouna, Mohammad; Abbasi, Muhammad Sharif; Orozco, Jorge

    2015-01-01

    Simpler is better. There are a lot of "needs" in e-Learning, and there's often a limit to the time, talent, and money that can be thrown at them individually. Contemporary pedagogy in technology and engineering disciplines, within the higher education context, champion instructional designs that emphasize peer instruction and rich…

  17. A Longitudinal Investigation of Content, Resources, and Instructional Approaches in a Basal Reading Series within a Research and Policy Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kenavey, Lori Ann

    2016-01-01

    Basals have played an important role in classroom instruction for almost 200 years. Historically, basal programs have been influenced by both important research and policy reports. This study analyzed one publishing company's basal program across seven editions in order to trace the interaction of research, policy, and publication. Teacher's…

  18. How Should Fifth-Grade Mathematics Teachers Start the School Year?: Relations between Teacher-Student Interactions and Mathematics Instruction over One Year

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Banse, Holland W.; Curby, Timothy W.; Palacios, Natalia A.; Rimm-Kaufman, Sara E.

    2018-01-01

    Background: Teaching is comprised of interconnected practices. Some practices are domain neutral (DN), or independent of a content area. Examples of DN practices include emotional and instructional support and classroom organization. Others are domain specific (DS), or content dependent. Within a mathematics context, examples of DS practices…

  19. A Compilation of Postgraduate Theses Written in Turkey on Computer Assisted Instruction in Chemistry Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bozdogan, Aykut Emre; Demirbas, Murat

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the study conducted is to present in-depth information about the postgraduate theses written within the context of Computer Assisted Instruction in Chemistry Education in Turkey. The theses collected in National Thesis Centre of Turkish Council of Higher Education were examined. As a result of an examination, it was found that about…

  20. Professional Learning across Contexts for LESLLA Teachers: The Unlikely Meeting of Adult Educators in Kindergarten to Explore Early Literacy Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vinogradov, Patricia Egan

    2013-01-01

    In this case study of adult English as a Second Language (ESL) educators, the researcher facilitated a six-week professional development activity around the topic of early literacy instruction. The four participants in the study circle were all LESLLA (low-educated second language and literacy acquisition) teachers whose students are adult…

  1. Distributed Cognition as a Lens to Understand the Effects of Scaffolds: The Role of Transfer of Responsibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belland, Brian R.

    2011-01-01

    Problem solving is an important skill in the knowledge economy. Research indicates that the development of problem solving skills works better in the context of instructional approaches centered on real-world problems. But students need scaffolding to be successful in such instruction. In this paper I present a conceptual framework for…

  2. Using Video Vignettes of Historical Episodes for Promoting Pre-Service Teachers' Ideas about the Nature of Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cakmakci, Gultekin

    2017-01-01

    This study used video vignettes of historical episodes from documentary films as a context and instructional tool to promote pre-service science teachers' (PSTs) conceptions of the nature of science (NOS). The participants received explicit-reflective NOS instruction, and were introduced to techniques to be able to use scenes from documentary…

  3. Supporting Extensive Reading in a University Where English Is Used as a Second Language and a Medium of Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chiu, Hazel

    2015-01-01

    Extensive reading has long been considered as a potent means for facilitating language acquisition for second language learners, especially in the contexts of primary and secondary schools where students are elementary or intermediate learners. In one of the universities in Hong Kong where English is used as a medium of instruction, the…

  4. Relationship between Bilingual Instruction and Learners' Performance in English as Second Language Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khan, Huma Imran

    2015-01-01

    The prime purpose of this study was to explore a correlation between bilingual instruction in an ESL class and the class performance of the ESL learners at the secondary level. Quantitative research method was used to evaluate the test performance of 60 ESL learners divided into two groups: One was the controlled group (which was given…

  5. The Influence of Content Knowledge on Teaching and Learning in Traditional and Sport Education Contexts: An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iserbyt, Peter; Ward, Phillip; Martens, Jonas

    2016-01-01

    Background: Our understanding of the role in which content knowledge (CK) can strengthen instructional models and how that knowledge matters for professional development is limited. It is contended that mere use of an instructional model is insufficient to impact psychomotor learning in meaningful ways. Purpose: This study was conducted to…

  6. Designing Instruction to Match Learning Style Preferences in the Online Environment: The Effect on Learner Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koslo, Jennifer L.

    2010-01-01

    Advances in the technology available for the design and delivery of online courses, together with the increasingly diverse learning needs of students, have encouraged a stronger focus on instructional design that is more closely aligned to learner requirements and contexts. The 21st century learner is accustomed to acquiring information in a…

  7. Angling for Access, Bartering for Change: How Second-Stage Teachers Experience Differentiated Roles in Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donaldson, Morgaen L.; Johnson, Susan Moore; Kirkpatrick, Cheryl L.; Marinell, William H.; Steele, Jennifer L.; Szczesiul, Stacy Agee

    2008-01-01

    Background/Context: Increasingly, instructional reforms in US schools place teachers in differentiated roles, such as literacy coach or data analyst. Not only do these roles hold promise for reforming instruction, but they also may make the teaching career more rewarding by offering teachers new challenges over time. In the past, teachers who held…

  8. Principals' Perspectives on How Transformational, Instructional, and Managerial Leadership Practices Influence Teacher Effectiveness and Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fernandez, Julie A.

    2012-01-01

    In the context of a global school reform movement, defining the extent of a principal's influence on teacher effectiveness and student achievement is essential. A principal must be more than a manager, but also a transformational and an instructional leader. This concurrent mix methods study incorporated guided interviews and an online survey…

  9. Learning within Context: Exploring Lesson Study as an Aid in Enhancing Teachers' Implementations, Conceptions, and Perceptions of the Mathematics Teaching Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prince, Kyle

    2016-01-01

    With traditional teaching methods pervasive in the U.S., it is crucial that mathematics teacher educators and professional development leaders understand what methods result in authentic changes in classroom instruction. Lesson study presents a promising approach to developing reform-oriented instruction, as it is situated within the classroom,…

  10. Instructional Supports for Students with Special Education Needs in French as a Second Language Education: A Review of Canadian Empirical Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mady, Callie; Muhling, Stefanie

    2017-01-01

    With the view to responding to a call for information on instructional supports for students with special education needs (SSEN) in French as a second language (FSL) education, this article reviews the empirical literature from three Canadian contexts: core French, intensive French and French immersion. More specifically, we developed this…

  11. The Theory and Application of Contextualized Teaching and Learning in Relation to Programs of Study and Career Pathways. Transition Highlights. Issue 2

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kalchik, Stephanie; Oertle, Kathleen Marie

    2010-01-01

    Contextualized Teaching and Learning (CTL), also known as Contextualized Instruction, is defined as a "diverse family of instructional strategies designed to more seamlessly link the learning of foundational skills and academic or occupational content by focusing teaching and learning squarely on concrete applications in a specific context that is…

  12. Preschool Enrollment, Classroom Instruction, Elementary School Context, and the Reading Achievement of Children from Low-Income Families

    PubMed Central

    Crosnoe, Robert; Benner, Aprile D.; Davis-Kean, Pamela

    2017-01-01

    Purpose The goal of this study was test expectations derived from sociological and developmental perspectives that the association between phonics instruction in kindergarten classrooms and reading achievement during the first year of school in the low-income population would depend on whether children had previously attended preschool as well as the socioeconomic composition of their elementary schools. Methodological approach Autoregressive modeling was applied to nationally representative data from 7,710 children from low-income families in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort, with a series of sensitivity tests to improve causal inference and explore the robustness of results. Findings The association between phonics instruction and achievement was strongest among children from low-income families who had not attended preschool and then enrolled in socioeconomically disadvantaged elementary schools and among children from low-income families who had attended preschool and then enrolled in socioeconomically advantaged elementary schools. Research and practical implications Insight into educational inequality can be gained by situating developing children within their proximate ecologies and institutional settings, especially looking to the match between children and their contexts. These findings are relevant to policy discussions of early education, instructional practices, and desegregation. PMID:28824338

  13. The Double-edged Sword of Pedagogy: Instruction limits spontaneous exploration and discovery

    PubMed Central

    Shafto, Patrick; Gweon, Hyowon; Goodman, Noah D.; Spelke, Elizabeth; Schulz, Laura

    2012-01-01

    Motivated by computational analyses, we look at how teaching affects exploration and discovery. In Experiment 1, we investigated children’s exploratory play after an adult pedagogically demonstrated a function of a toy, after an interrupted pedagogical demonstration, after a naïve adult demonstrated the function, and at baseline. Preschoolers in the pedagogical condition focused almost exclusively on the target function; by contrast, children in the other conditions explored broadly. In Experiment 2, we show that children restrict their exploration both after direct instruction to themselves and after overhearing direct instruction given to another child; they do not show this constraint after observing direct instruction given to an adult or after observing a non-pedagogical intentional action. We discuss these findings as the result of rational inductive biases. In pedagogical contexts, a teacher’s failure to provide evidence for additional functions provides evidence for their absence; such contexts generalize from child to child (because children are likely to have comparable states of knowledge) but not from adult to child. Thus, pedagogy promotes efficient learning but at a cost: children are less likely to perform potentially irrelevant actions but also less likely to discover novel information. PMID:21216395

  14. The double-edged sword of pedagogy: Instruction limits spontaneous exploration and discovery.

    PubMed

    Bonawitz, Elizabeth; Shafto, Patrick; Gweon, Hyowon; Goodman, Noah D; Spelke, Elizabeth; Schulz, Laura

    2011-09-01

    Motivated by computational analyses, we look at how teaching affects exploration and discovery. In Experiment 1, we investigated children's exploratory play after an adult pedagogically demonstrated a function of a toy, after an interrupted pedagogical demonstration, after a naïve adult demonstrated the function, and at baseline. Preschoolers in the pedagogical condition focused almost exclusively on the target function; by contrast, children in the other conditions explored broadly. In Experiment 2, we show that children restrict their exploration both after direct instruction to themselves and after overhearing direct instruction given to another child; they do not show this constraint after observing direct instruction given to an adult or after observing a non-pedagogical intentional action. We discuss these findings as the result of rational inductive biases. In pedagogical contexts, a teacher's failure to provide evidence for additional functions provides evidence for their absence; such contexts generalize from child to child (because children are likely to have comparable states of knowledge) but not from adult to child. Thus, pedagogy promotes efficient learning but at a cost: children are less likely to perform potentially irrelevant actions but also less likely to discover novel information. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Authentic Assessments: Praxis for the Distance Librarian

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Twomey, Beth

    2015-01-01

    Distance librarians continually develop information literacy instruction in a variety of formats. Assessment, when it occurs, tends to be of the traditional multiple-choice variety and does not measure more complex skills. Authentic assessments offer the instruction librarian a way to re-think their instruction strategies and assessment of student…

  16. One Teacher's Instructional Adaptations and Her Students' Reflections on the Adaptations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parsons, Seth A.; Vaughn, Margaret

    2016-01-01

    Currently, much debate exists nationally regarding how to define and measure teacher effectiveness. Educators and researchers agree that adaptability is an important aspect of teacher effectiveness. Teachers must adapt their instruction to navigate the complexity of classroom instruction. However, little research has specifically examined teacher…

  17. Instructional Dynamics in Two-Year Postsecondary Institutions: Concepts, Trends, and Assessment Issues. Information Series No. 318.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alfred, Richard L.; Hummel, Mary L.

    Postsecondary instructional dynamics is a complex process in which inputs (student characteristics and expectations, resources, and faculty characteristics and preparation) are converted through the educational process (instruction strategies, models, and techniques as well as supportive services) into outputs (outcomes and benefits of instruction…

  18. Interactions between Type of Instruction and Type of Language Feature: A Meta-Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spada, Nina; Tomita, Yasuyo

    2010-01-01

    A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of explicit and implicit instruction on the acquisition of simple and complex grammatical features in English. The target features in the 41 studies contributing to the meta-analysis were categorized as simple or complex based on the number of criteria applied to arrive at the correct target…

  19. Measuring and Perceiving Changes in Oral Complexity, Accuracy and Fluency: Examining Instructed Learners' Short-Term Gains

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tonkyn, Alan Paul

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports a case study of the nature and extent of progress in speaking skills made by a group of upper intermediate instructed learners, and also assessors' perceptions of that progress. Initial and final interview data were analysed using several measures of Grammatical and Lexical Complexity, Language Accuracy and Fluency. These…

  20. Computer-based Learning of Neuroanatomy: A Longitudinal Study of Learning, Transfer, and Retention

    PubMed Central

    Chariker, Julia H.; Naaz, Farah; Pani, John R.

    2013-01-01

    A longitudinal experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of new methods for learning neuroanatomy with computer-based instruction. Using a 3D graphical model of the human brain, and sections derived from the model, tools for exploring neuroanatomy were developed to encourage adaptive exploration. This is an instructional method which incorporates graphical exploration in the context of repeated testing and feedback. With this approach, 72 participants learned either sectional anatomy alone or whole anatomy followed by sectional anatomy. Sectional anatomy was explored either with perceptually continuous navigation through the sections or with discrete navigation (as in the use of an anatomical atlas). Learning was measured longitudinally to a high performance criterion. Subsequent tests examined transfer of learning to the interpretation of biomedical images and long-term retention. There were several clear results of this study. On initial exposure to neuroanatomy, whole anatomy was learned more efficiently than sectional anatomy. After whole anatomy was mastered, learners demonstrated high levels of transfer of learning to sectional anatomy and from sectional anatomy to the interpretation of complex biomedical images. Learning whole anatomy prior to learning sectional anatomy led to substantially fewer errors overall than learning sectional anatomy alone. Use of continuous or discrete navigation through sectional anatomy made little difference to measured outcomes. Efficient learning, good long-term retention, and successful transfer to the interpretation of biomedical images indicated that computer-based learning using adaptive exploration can be a valuable tool in instruction of neuroanatomy and similar disciplines. PMID:23349552

  1. Teachers' Organization of Participation Structures for Teaching Science with Computer Technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Subramaniam, Karthigeyan

    2016-08-01

    This paper describes a qualitative study that investigated the nature of the participation structures and how the participation structures were organized by four science teachers when they constructed and communicated science content in their classrooms with computer technology. Participation structures focus on the activity structures and processes in social settings like classrooms thereby providing glimpses into the complex dynamics of teacher-students interactions, configurations, and conventions during collective meaning making and knowledge creation. Data included observations, interviews, and focus group interviews. Analysis revealed that the dominant participation structure evident within participants' instruction with computer technology was ( Teacher) initiation-( Student and Teacher) response sequences-( Teacher) evaluate participation structure. Three key events characterized the how participants organized this participation structure in their classrooms: setting the stage for interactive instruction, the joint activity, and maintaining accountability. Implications include the following: (1) teacher educators need to tap into the knowledge base that underscores science teachers' learning to teach philosophies when computer technology is used in instruction. (2) Teacher educators need to emphasize the essential idea that learning and cognition is not situated within the computer technology but within the pedagogical practices, specifically the participation structures. (3) The pedagogical practices developed with the integration or with the use of computer technology underscored by the teachers' own knowledge of classroom contexts and curriculum needs to be the focus for how students learn science content with computer technology instead of just focusing on how computer technology solely supports students learning of science content.

  2. From First Language Literacy to Second Language Proficiency to Second Language Literacy: The Act of Writing in a Foreign Language Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crerand, Mary E. Lavin

    A study investigated how a second language (L2) learner's writing skills develop in a second-language context. The three research questions addressed the effect of: (1) first-language (L1) literacy skills, (2) L2 proficiency, and (3) the instructional context on L2 writing. Subjects were 70 university French students. Data were drawn from 300…

  3. Effect of Suppression, Reappraisal, and Acceptance of Emotional Pictures on Acoustic Eye-Blink Startle Magnitude

    PubMed Central

    Asnaani, Anu; Sawyer, Alice T.; Aderka, Idan M.; Hofmann, Stefan G.

    2012-01-01

    To examine the effects of different emotion regulation strategies on acoustic eye-blink startle, 65 participants viewed positive, neutral, and negative pictures and were instructed to suppress, reappraise, or accept their emotional responses to these pictures using a within-group experimental design with separate blocks of pictures for each strategy. Instructions to suppress the emotional response led to an attenuation of the eye-blink startle magnitude, in comparison with instructions to reappraise or accept. Reappraisal and acceptance instructions did not differ from one another in their effect on startle. These results are discussed within the context of the existing empirical literature on emotion regulation. PMID:24551448

  4. Productivity of "collisions generate heat" for reconciling an energy model with mechanistic reasoning: A case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scherr, Rachel E.; Robertson, Amy D.

    2015-06-01

    We observe teachers in professional development courses about energy constructing mechanistic accounts of energy transformations. We analyze a case in which teachers investigating adiabatic compression develop a model of the transformation of kinetic energy to thermal energy. Among their ideas is the idea that thermal energy is generated as a byproduct of individual particle collisions, which is represented in science education research literature as an obstacle to learning. We demonstrate that in this instructional context, the idea that individual particle collisions generate thermal energy is not an obstacle to learning, but instead is productive: it initiates intellectual progress. Specifically, this idea initiates the reconciliation of the teachers' energy model with mechanistic reasoning about adiabatic compression, and leads to a canonically correct model of the transformation of kinetic energy into thermal energy. We claim that the idea's productivity is influenced by features of our particular instructional context, including the instructional goals of the course, the culture of collaborative sense making, and the use of certain representations of energy.

  5. Context-Based Pedagogy: A Framework From Experience.

    PubMed

    Kantar, Lina D

    2016-07-01

    Attempts to transform teaching practice are inadvertently subjected to several hurdles, mostly attributed to the lack of a guiding framework. This study aimed at unraveling the conceptual underpinnings of the context-based pedagogy, being perceived the pedagogy that prepares professionals for future practice. Through focus group interviews, data were collected from 16 nursing students who had case studies as the main instructional format in three major courses. The participants were divided into three focus groups, and interview questions were based on three educational parameters: the learning environment, instructional format, and instructional process. Initial findings revealed an array of classroom activities that characterize each parameter. An in-depth analysis of these activities converged on four concepts: (a) dynamic learning environment, (b) realism, (c) thinking dispositions, and (d) professional formation. These concepts improvise a beginning framework for educators and curriculum leaders that can be used to integrate cases in the curriculum and to facilitate the contextualization of knowledge. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(7):391-395.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

  6. Academic emotions from a social-cognitive perspective: antecedents and domain specificity of students' affect in the context of Latin instruction.

    PubMed

    Goetz, Thomas; Pekrun, Reinhard; Hall, Nathan; Haag, Ludwig

    2006-06-01

    This study concentrates on two assumptions of a social-cognitive model outlining the development of academic emotions (emotions directly linked to learning, classroom instruction, and achievement), namely on their antecedents and domain-specific organization. Our sample consisted of 200 students from Grades 7 to 10. Proposed relationships concerning the antecedents of academic emotions were tested in the context of Latin language instruction. Correlational analyses substantiated our assumptions concerning the relationships between academic emotions, students' cognitions, and aspects of the social environment. The mediating mechanisms proposed in the model were also confirmed using linear structural equation modelling. Subjective control- and value-related cognitions were found to mediate the relationship between aspects of the social environment and students' emotional experience. Our results further suggest that academic emotions are largely organized along domain-specific lines, with the degree of domain specificity varying according to the emotion in question. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

  7. Cardiac examination and the effect of dual-processing instruction in a cardiopulmonary simulator.

    PubMed

    Sibbald, Matt; McKinney, James; Cavalcanti, Rodrigo B; Yu, Eric; Wood, David A; Nair, Parvathy; Eva, Kevin W; Hatala, Rose

    2013-08-01

    Use of dual-processing has been widely touted as a strategy to reduce diagnostic error in clinical medicine. However, this strategy has not been tested among medical trainees with complex diagnostic problems. We sought to determine whether dual-processing instruction could reduce diagnostic error across a spectrum of experience with trainees undertaking cardiac physical exam. Three experiments were conducted using a similar design to teach cardiac physical exam using a cardiopulmonary simulator. One experiment was conducted in each of three groups: experienced, intermediate and novice trainees. In all three experiments, participants were randomized to receive undirected or dual-processing verbal instruction during teaching, practice and testing phases. When tested, dual-processing instruction did not change the probability assigned to the correct diagnosis in any of the three experiments. Among intermediates, there was an apparent interaction between the diagnosis tested and the effect of dual-processing instruction. Among relative novices, dual processing instruction may have dampened the harmful effect of a bias away from the correct diagnosis. Further work is needed to define the role of dual-processing instruction to reduce cognitive error. This study suggests that it cannot be blindly applied to complex diagnostic problems such as cardiac physical exam.

  8. MemAxes: Visualization and Analytics for Characterizing Complex Memory Performance Behaviors.

    PubMed

    Gimenez, Alfredo; Gamblin, Todd; Jusufi, Ilir; Bhatele, Abhinav; Schulz, Martin; Bremer, Peer-Timo; Hamann, Bernd

    2018-07-01

    Memory performance is often a major bottleneck for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. Deepening memory hierarchies, complex memory management, and non-uniform access times have made memory performance behavior difficult to characterize, and users require novel, sophisticated tools to analyze and optimize this aspect of their codes. Existing tools target only specific factors of memory performance, such as hardware layout, allocations, or access instructions. However, today's tools do not suffice to characterize the complex relationships between these factors. Further, they require advanced expertise to be used effectively. We present MemAxes, a tool based on a novel approach for analytic-driven visualization of memory performance data. MemAxes uniquely allows users to analyze the different aspects related to memory performance by providing multiple visual contexts for a centralized dataset. We define mappings of sampled memory access data to new and existing visual metaphors, each of which enabling a user to perform different analysis tasks. We present methods to guide user interaction by scoring subsets of the data based on known performance problems. This scoring is used to provide visual cues and automatically extract clusters of interest. We designed MemAxes in collaboration with experts in HPC and demonstrate its effectiveness in case studies.

  9. Instructional Assessment Strategies for Health and Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Constantinou, Phoebe

    2017-01-01

    Assessment is an integral part of the instructional process. It can provide valuable information to both students and teachers. Assessments can be a vector to quality corrective instruction, a second chance for struggling students to demonstrate success, and a means to provide a more complex challenge for advanced students. This article discusses…

  10. Novice and Experienced Instructional Software Developers: Effects on Materials Created with Instructional Software Templates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boot, Eddy W.; van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.; Veerman, Arja L.

    2007-01-01

    The development of instructional software is a complex process, posing high demands to the technical and didactical expertise of developers. Domain specialists rather than professional developers are often responsible for it, but authoring tools with pre-structured templates claim to compensate for this limited experience. This study compares…

  11. Do British Columbia's Recent Education Policy Changes Enhance Professionalism among Teachers?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grimmett, Peter P.; D'Amico, Laura

    2008-01-01

    Beginning with the Sullivan Royal Commission on Education in 1988, British Columbia (BC) teachers experienced a policy context that led to a decade of intense professional learning around innovative instructional strategies and curriculum. From 2001 on, the policy context changed considerably. There has been a flurry of changes designed to bring…

  12. A Case Study of Dilemmas Encountered When Connecting Middle School Mathematics Instruction to Relevant Real World Examples

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sugimoto, Amanda T.; Turner, Erin E.; Stoehr, Kathleen J.

    2017-01-01

    The pedagogical practice of connecting mathematical content to real world contexts, particularly contexts relevant to students' knowledge and experiences, can positively impact student motivation as well as promote conceptual understanding. However, little is known about how middle school teachers actually make relevant world connections, and more…

  13. Growing and Growing: Promoting Functional Thinking with Geometric Growing Patterns

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Markworth, Kimberly A.

    2010-01-01

    Design research methodology is used in this study to develop an empirically-substantiated instruction theory about students' development of functional thinking in the context of geometric growing patterns. The two research questions are: (1) How does students' functional thinking develop in the context of geometric growing patterns? (2) What are…

  14. The Influence of Learning Context and Age on the Use of L2 Communication Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montero, Lidia; Serrano, Raquel; Llanes, Àngels

    2017-01-01

    This study examines the effects of foreign language learning context (three-month study-abroad; versus "at-home" instruction) and age (10-11-year-old children versus university students) on the development of effective foreign language communication strategies (CS) in monologue production. Participants (N = 95) were all Spanish/Catalan…

  15. NNS Students' Arguments in English: Observations in Formal and Informal Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chandrasegaran, Antonia

    2008-01-01

    The ability to construct supported arguments in English is important for academic success in educational contexts where English is the language of instruction and student assessment is mediated through the academic essay. Starting from the hypothesis that students schooled in an English-medium education system do engage in friendly argument in…

  16. Conversation as a Model of Instructional Interaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Bramer, Joan

    2003-01-01

    The role of social context and the nature of human interaction provide rich resources for the study of learning and human cognition. In order to understand these elements more fully, it is important to consider the language in use within these contexts. The early intervention Reading Recovery is grounded in the belief that the conversation between…

  17. Teacher Working Conditions in Charter Schools and Traditional Public Schools: A Comparative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ni, Yongmei

    2012-01-01

    Background/Context: Teachers affect student performance through their interaction with students in the context of the classrooms and schools where teaching and learning take place. Although it is widely assumed that supportive working conditions improve the quality of instruction and teachers' willingness to remain in a school, little is known…

  18. The Mayan Activity: A Way of Teaching Multiple Quantifications in Logical Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roh, Kyeong Hah; Lee, Yong Hah

    2011-01-01

    In this article, we suggest an instructional intervention to help students understand statements involving multiple quantifiers in logical contexts. We analyze students' misinterpretations of multiple quantifiers related to the epsilon-N definition of convergence and point out that they result from a lack of understanding of the significance of…

  19. Professional Development in an Online Context: Opportunities and Challenges from the Voices of College Faculty

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wynants, Shelli; Dennis, Jessica

    2018-01-01

    Given the variety of learning and engagement needs of the increasingly diverse student population in higher education, flexible approaches to teaching are critical for improving student success. Professional development that provides faculty exposure to effective, evidence-based instructional strategies in an online context may enhance their…

  20. Ahead of the Curve: Implementation Challenges in Personalized Learning School Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bingham, Andrea J.; Pane, John F.; Steiner, Elizabeth D.; Hamilton, Laura S.

    2018-01-01

    In the current educational context, school models that leverage technology to personalize instruction have proliferated, as has student enrollment in, and funding of, such school models. However, even the best laid plans are subject to challenges in design and practice, particularly in the dynamic context of a school. In this collective case…

Top