3D Virtual Reality Check: Learner Engagement and Constructivist Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bair, Richard A.

2013-01-01

The inclusion of three-dimensional (3D) virtual tools has created a need to communicate the engagement of 3D tools and specify learning gains that educators and the institutions, which are funding 3D tools, can expect. A review of literature demonstrates that specific models and theories for 3D Virtual Reality (VR) learning do not exist "per…

Evaluation of a faculty development program aimed at increasing residents' active learning in lectures.

PubMed

Desselle, Bonnie C; English, Robin; Hescock, George; Hauser, Andrea; Roy, Melissa; Yang, Tong; Chauvin, Sheila W

2012-12-01

Active engagement in the learning process is important to enhance learners' knowledge acquisition and retention and the development of their thinking skills. This study evaluated whether a 1-hour faculty development workshop increased the use of active teaching strategies and enhanced residents' active learning and thinking. Faculty teaching in a pediatrics residency participated in a 1-hour workshop (intervention) approximately 1 month before a scheduled lecture. Participants' responses to a preworkshop/postworkshop questionnaire targeted self-efficacy (confidence) for facilitating active learning and thinking and providing feedback about workshop quality. Trained observers assessed each lecture (3-month baseline phase and 3-month intervention phase) using an 8-item scale for use of active learning strategies and a 7-item scale for residents' engagement in active learning. Observers also assessed lecturer-resident interactions and the extent to which residents were asked to justify their answers. Responses to the workshop questionnaire (n  =  32/34; 94%) demonstrated effectiveness and increased confidence. Faculty in the intervention phase demonstrated increased use of interactive teaching strategies for 6 items, with 5 reaching statistical significance (P ≤ .01). Residents' active learning behaviors in lectures were higher in the intervention arm for all 7 items, with 5 reaching statistical significance. Faculty in the intervention group demonstrated increased use of higher-order questioning (P  =  .02) and solicited justifications for answers (P  =  .01). A 1-hour faculty development program increased faculty use of active learning strategies and residents' engagement in active learning during resident core curriculum lectures.

Methane Bubble Flame Tower--A Spectacularly Engaging Way to Teach Density

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandoval, Christopher

2012-01-01

This article presents a demonstration using methane bubble flame tower that offers a fun and relatively cheap way of demonstrating what happens when there is a density difference. Teachers can do this as a predict-observe-explain demonstration after the students have learned about density to extend their learning and get into some higher order…

Examining youth and program predictors of engagement in out-of-school time programs.

PubMed

Greene, Kaylin M; Lee, Bora; Constance, Nicole; Hynes, Kathryn

2013-10-01

Prior research suggests that youths' engagement in out-of-school time programs may be a crucial factor linking program participation to positive outcomes during adolescence. Guided by the theoretical concept of flow and by stage-environment fit theory, the present study explored correlates of engagement in youth programs. Engagement was conceptualized as the extent to which youth found the program activities enjoyable, interesting, and challenging. The current study examined how program content, monetary incentives, and youth demographic characteristics were linked to youth engagement among a sample of primarily low-income middle and high school youth attending 30 out-of-school programs (n = 435, 51 % female). Results from multilevel models suggested that program content and staff quality were strongly associated with youth engagement. Youth who reported learning new skills, learning about college, and learning about jobs through activities in the program were more engaged, as were youth who found the staff caring and competent. Results demonstrated that the link between learning content for the future and engagement was stronger for older youth than younger youth. In addition, there was a trend suggesting that providing a monetary incentive was associated negatively with youth engagement. Taken as a whole, these findings have important implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in understanding the characteristics of out-of-school time programs that engage older youth.

Parsing learning in networks using brain-machine interfaces.

PubMed

Orsborn, Amy L; Pesaran, Bijan

2017-10-01

Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) define new ways to interact with our environment and hold great promise for clinical therapies. Motor BMIs, for instance, re-route neural activity to control movements of a new effector and could restore movement to people with paralysis. Increasing experience shows that interfacing with the brain inevitably changes the brain. BMIs engage and depend on a wide array of innate learning mechanisms to produce meaningful behavior. BMIs precisely define the information streams into and out of the brain, but engage wide-spread learning. We take a network perspective and review existing observations of learning in motor BMIs to show that BMIs engage multiple learning mechanisms distributed across neural networks. Recent studies demonstrate the advantages of BMI for parsing this learning and its underlying neural mechanisms. BMIs therefore provide a powerful tool for studying the neural mechanisms of learning that highlights the critical role of learning in engineered neural therapies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Twitter Chats: Connect, Foster, and Engage Internal Extension Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seger, Jamie; Hill, Paul; Stafne, Eric; Swadley, Emy

2017-01-01

The eXtension Educational Technology Learning Network (EdTechLN) has found Twitter to be an effective form of informal communication for routinely engaging network members. Twitter chats provide Extension professionals an opportunity to reach and engage one other. As the EdTechLN's experimentation with Twitter chats has demonstrated, the use of…

Between the Lines of Engagement in Museums: Indiana University and the Children's Museum of Indianapolis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Elizabeth; Wolf, Barbara

2008-01-01

The concept of engagement across the learning sciences and in museums draws from research on visitor interests, motivations, and behaviors. Such involvement by museum visitors reveals institutional and field expectations about museum efficacy and demonstrated impact. However, engagement is a concept with different uses and interpretations across…

Understanding Aboriginal Learning Ideology through Storywork with Elders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atleo, Marlene R.

2009-01-01

Five Nuu-chah-nulth Elders engaged in the examination of a Nuu-chah-nulth story for what they considered learning. A network of eight learning archetypes inhabited the story to demonstrate a range of learning strategies. The Elders identified features central to a cultural learning project, which included prenatal care and grandparent teaching,…

Numbers Are Not Enough. Why e-Learning Analytics Failed to Inform an Institutional Strategic Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macfadyen, Leah P.; Dawson, Shane

2012-01-01

Learning analytics offers higher education valuable insights that can inform strategic decision-making regarding resource allocation for educational excellence. Research demonstrates that learning management systems (LMSs) can increase student sense of community, support learning communities and enhance student engagement and success, and LMSs…

Variation in behavioral engagement during an active learning activity leads to differential knowledge gains in college students.

PubMed

LaDage, Lara D; Tornello, Samantha L; Vallejera, Jennilyn M; Baker, Emily E; Yan, Yue; Chowdhury, Anik

2018-03-01

There are many pedagogical techniques used by educators in higher education; however, some techniques and activities have been shown to be more beneficial to student learning than others. Research has demonstrated that active learning and learning in which students cognitively engage with the material in a multitude of ways result in better understanding and retention. The aim of the present study was to determine which of three pedagogical techniques led to improvement in learning and retention in undergraduate college students. Subjects partook in one of three different types of pedagogical engagement: hands-on learning with a model, observing someone else manipulate the model, and traditional lecture-based presentation. Students were then asked to take an online quiz that tested their knowledge of the new material, both immediately after learning the material and 2 wk later. Students who engaged in direct manipulation of the model scored higher on the assessment immediately after learning the material compared with the other two groups. However, there were no differences among the three groups when assessed after a 2-wk retention interval. Thus active learning techniques that involve direct interaction with the material can lead to learning benefits; however, how these techniques benefit long-term retention of the information is equivocal.

Learning for Today: The Interaction between Pedagogy, Learning Spaces and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selinger, Michelle

2011-01-01

A new pedagogy is emerging, placing students at the centre of the learning process and encouraging teachers to draw from a larger repertoire of strategies and skills to lead interdisciplinary and project-based work. The best learning is authentic--engaging students in their own learning in practical and real-life contexts that demonstrate the…

Learning through Collaboration: Student Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osman, Gihan; Duffy, Thomas M.; Chang, Ju-yu; Lee, Jieun

2011-01-01

This research examines the effectiveness of collaborative learning pedagogies from the perspective of students. There is a rich history of research on collaborative learning demonstrating the effectiveness and this has led to indexing educational quality by student engagement. However, the findings from this study question the efficacy of…

Create Learning Systems, Not Silos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirsh, Stephanie; Psencik, Kay; Brown, Frederick

2018-01-01

In a learning system, central office personnel assume collective responsibility for schools and go about their work very differently. They are responsible not only for departments and programs, but also for student learning. They demonstrate that responsibility by engaging in data informed conversations about student achievement. Central office…

Effects of digital game-based learning on student engagement and academic achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Little, Timothy W.

This experimental study was designed to determine the effect of digital game-based learning on student engagement and academic achievement. The sample was comprised of 34 students enrolled in a secondary Biology class in a rural public school. The study utilized an experimental pretest-posttest design with switching replications. After random assignment, students participated in one of two supplemental learning activities: playing a digital game designed to review science concepts or participating in a lab to review the same concepts. Students subsequently switched activities. Student achievement data were collected on mastery of science concepts, and student engagement data were collected utilizing self- and teacher-reported measures. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. Results demonstrated that the digital game was as effective as the lab activity at increasing teacher-reported student engagement and academic achievement. These findings may be of interest to school administrators or directors of teacher preparation programs on the potential effectiveness of digital games as a learning tool.

Dancing the Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skoning, Stacey

2010-01-01

This article demonstrates how the use of creative movement and dance offers effective instructional strategies to meet the diverse learning needs of students in an inclusive classroom. Every day in one multi-age, fully inclusive classroom, students are meaningfully engaged in learning through movement--they move to learn science, social studies,…

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, Laura E.; Munsch, Joyce

2010-01-01

Within each chapter of this innovative topical text, the authors engage students by demonstrating the wide range of real-world applications of psychological research connected to child development. In particular, the distinctive Active Learning features incorporated throughout the book foster a dynamic and personal learning process for students.…

The cost of selective attention in category learning: Developmental differences between adults and infants

PubMed Central

Best, Catherine A.; Yim, Hyungwook; Sloutsky, Vladimir M.

2013-01-01

Selective attention plays an important role in category learning. However, immaturities of top-down attentional control during infancy coupled with successful category learning suggest that early category learning is achieved without attending selectively. Research presented here examines this possibility by focusing on category learning in infants (6–8 months old) and adults. Participants were trained on a novel visual category. Halfway through the experiment, unbeknownst to participants, the to-be-learned category switched to another category, where previously relevant features became irrelevant and previously irrelevant features became relevant. If participants attend selectively to the relevant features of the first category, they should incur a cost of selective attention immediately after the unknown category switch. Results revealed that adults demonstrated a cost, as evidenced by a decrease in accuracy and response time on test trials as well as a decrease in visual attention to newly relevant features. In contrast, infants did not demonstrate a similar cost of selective attention as adults despite evidence of learning both to-be-learned categories. Findings are discussed as supporting multiple systems of category learning and as suggesting that learning mechanisms engaged by adults may be different from those engaged by infants. PMID:23773914

Supporting the M-Learning Based Knowledge Transfer in University Education and Corporate Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benedek, András; Molnár, György

2014-01-01

The evolution of today's connective forms of teaching and learning draws attention to expansion of "space" in which teaching and learning moments: engaging the attention, knowledge transfer, acquisition, demonstration, experience, experiment research and practice, conclusions are organized around a more free method. Due to these…

Institutional Change and Leadership Associated with Blended Learning Innovation: Two Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrison, D. Randy; Vaughan, Norman D.

2013-01-01

This article documents the institutional change and leadership associated with blended learning innovation in higher education. Two case studies are provided that demonstrate how transformational institutional change related to blended teaching and learning approaches is predicated upon committed collaborative leadership that engages all levels of…

Probability with Collaborative Data Visualization Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, Melinda B. N.; Hay, Sue; Martin, Fred G.; Scribner-MacLean, Michelle; Rudnicki, Ivan

2015-01-01

Mathematics teachers continually look for ways to make the learning of mathematics more active and engaging. Hands-on activities, in particular, have been demonstrated to improve student engagement and understanding in mathematics classes. Likewise, many scholars have emphasized the growing importance of giving students experience with the…

Does online learning click with rural nurses? A qualitative study.

PubMed

Riley, Kim; Schmidt, David

2016-08-01

To explore the factors that influence rural nurses engagement with online learning within a rural health district in New Sound Wales (NSW), Australia. This qualitative study based on appreciative inquiry methodology used semi-structured interviews with managers and nurses. Purposive sampling methods were used to recruit facility managers, whereas convenience sampling was used to recruit nurses in 2012-2013. Three public health facilities in rural NSW. Fourteen nurses were involved in the study, including Health Service Managers (n = 3), Nurse Unit Manager (n = 1), Clinical Nurse Specialists (n = 3), Registered Nurses (n = 2), Enrolled Nurses (n = 2) and Assistant in Nursing (n = 3). The research found that online learning works well when there is accountability for education being undertaken by linking to organisational goals and protected time. Nurses in this study valued the ability to access and revisit online learning at any time. However, systems that are hard to access or navigate and module design that did not provide a mechanism for users to seek feedback negatively affected their use and engagement. This study demonstrates that rural nurses' engagement with online learning would be enhanced by a whole of system redesign in order to deliver a learning environment that will increase satisfaction, engagement and learning outcomes. © 2015 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

We're Engaged! A Community-University Library Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rolloff, Evelyn K.

2013-01-01

Since its inception, Metropolitan State University has demonstrated a strong commitment to community partnerships and the integration of community engagement into student learning and scholarship while meeting community-defined needs. This article presents examples of reciprocal partnerships in the context of a shared community-university library…

Winning with Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walter, Bethany

2005-01-01

Developing learning experiences around real-world scenarios engages students in hands-on, authentic learning that promotes skills such as: research methods, collaboration, workplace skills, persistence, information organization and application, and self-reflection practice. The final work, new skills, and knowledge may then be demonstrated to an…

An Applied Learning Experience Field Research and Reporting at the 2012 National Party Conventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Carolyn S.; Azriel, Joshua N.; DeWit, Jeff; Swint, Kerwin

2014-01-01

Scholarship in teaching and learning demonstrates how academic understanding may be best achieved, and values of civic engagement best inculcated, when class materials are delivered within a experiential context. The goal for instructors, therefore, is to develop pedagogic techniques and teaching platforms that enhance learning by doing by…

Effects of Community Service-Learning on Heritage Language Learners' Attitudes toward Their Language and Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2017-01-01

This study examined the effects of participation in a community service-learning experience on Spanish heritage language learners' attitudes toward their heritage language and culture. Quantitative and qualitative data from heritage language learners demonstrated that engagement in community service-learning activities as part of the Spanish…

Reaching Learning Goals through Learning On-Site in Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberts, Heike C.; Niendorf, Bruce D.

2017-01-01

Getting students interested in events that are distant in time and space is an ongoing challenge in education. In this article, the authors demonstrate how learning at the sites where historical events happened abroad engages undergraduate students by reducing the effects of time and distance. Using student quotations gathered during three…

PlayIt: Game Based Learning Approach for Teaching Programming Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathrani, Anuradha; Christian, Shelly; Ponder-Sutton, Agate

2016-01-01

This study demonstrates a game-based learning (GBL) approach to engage students in learning and enhance their programming skills. The paper gives a detailed narrative of how an educational game was mapped with the curriculum of a prescribed programming course in a computing diploma study programme. Two separate student cohorts were invited to…

Writing To Learn in Science: A Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatel, Regina G.

This curriculum guide supports and gives structure to engaging students in writing-to-learn activities in science classes by delineating writing outcomes and assessment. The guide is structured according to the beliefs that students need models, revision is the key to successful writing, writing is a tool for demonstrating learning, and writing is…

The cost of selective attention in category learning: developmental differences between adults and infants.

PubMed

Best, Catherine A; Yim, Hyungwook; Sloutsky, Vladimir M

2013-10-01

Selective attention plays an important role in category learning. However, immaturities of top-down attentional control during infancy coupled with successful category learning suggest that early category learning is achieved without attending selectively. Research presented here examines this possibility by focusing on category learning in infants (6-8months old) and adults. Participants were trained on a novel visual category. Halfway through the experiment, unbeknownst to participants, the to-be-learned category switched to another category, where previously relevant features became irrelevant and previously irrelevant features became relevant. If participants attend selectively to the relevant features of the first category, they should incur a cost of selective attention immediately after the unknown category switch. Results revealed that adults demonstrated a cost, as evidenced by a decrease in accuracy and response time on test trials as well as a decrease in visual attention to newly relevant features. In contrast, infants did not demonstrate a similar cost of selective attention as adults despite evidence of learning both to-be-learned categories. Findings are discussed as supporting multiple systems of category learning and as suggesting that learning mechanisms engaged by adults may be different from those engaged by infants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Application of Instructional Design Principles in Developing an Online Information Literacy Curriculum.

PubMed

Mi, Misa

2016-01-01

An online information literacy curriculum was developed as an intervention to engage students in independent study and self-assessment of their learning needs and learning outcomes, develop proficiency in information skills, and foster lifelong learning. This column demonstrates how instructional design principles were applied to create the learning experiences integrated into various courses of the medical curriculum to promote active learning of information skills and maximize self-directed learning outcomes for lifelong learning.

Interactive Engagement in the Large Lecture Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubson, Michael

Watching a great physics lecture is like watching a great piano performance. It is can be inspiring, and it can give you insights, but it doesn't teach you to play piano. Students don't learn physics by watching expert professors perform at the board; they can only learn by practicing it themselves. Learning physics involves high-level thinking like formulating problem-solving strategies or explaining concepts to other humans. Learning is always messy, involving struggle, trial-and-error, and paradigm shifts. That learning struggle cannot be overcome with a more eloquent lecture; it can only be surmounted with prolonged, determined, active engagement by the student. I will demonstrate some techniques of active engagement, including clicker questions and in-class activities, which are designed to activate the student's higher-level thinking, get them actively involved in their learning, and start them on the path of productive struggle. These techniques are scalable; they work in classrooms with 30 or 300 students. This talk about audience participation will involve audience participation, so please put down your phone and be ready for a challenge.

Presence Relates to Distinct Outcomes in Two Virtual Environments Employing Different Learning Modalities

PubMed Central

Persky, Susan; Kaphingst, Kimberly A.; McCall, Cade; Lachance, Christina; Beall, Andrew C.; Blascovich, Jim

2009-01-01

Presence in virtual learning environments (VLEs) has been associated with a number of outcome factors related to a user’s ability and motivation to learn. The extant but relatively small body of research suggests that a high level of presence is related to better performance on learning outcomes in VLEs. Different configurations of form and content variables such as those associated with active (self-driven, interactive activities) versus didactic (reading or lecture) learning may, however, influence how presence operates and on what content it operates. We compared the influence of presence between two types of immersive VLEs (i.e., active versus didactic techniques) on comprehension and engagement-related outcomes. The findings revealed that the active VLE promoted greater presence. Although we found no relationship between presence and learning comprehension outcomes for either virtual environment, presence was related to information engagement variables in the didactic immersive VLE but not the active environment. Results demonstrate that presence is not uniformly elicited or effective across immersive VLEs. Educational delivery mode and environment complexity may influence the impact of presence on engagement. PMID:19366319

Presence relates to distinct outcomes in two virtual environments employing different learning modalities.

PubMed

Persky, Susan; Kaphingst, Kimberly A; McCall, Cade; Lachance, Christina; Beall, Andrew C; Blascovich, Jim

2009-06-01

Presence in virtual learning environments (VLEs) has been associated with a number of outcome factors related to a user's ability and motivation to learn. The extant but relatively small body of research suggests that a high level of presence is related to better performance on learning outcomes in VLEs. Different configurations of form and content variables such as those associated with active (self-driven, interactive activities) versus didactic (reading or lecture) learning may, however, influence how presence operates and on what content it operates. We compared the influence of presence between two types of immersive VLEs (i.e., active versus didactic techniques) on comprehension and engagement-related outcomes. The findings revealed that the active VLE promoted greater presence. Although we found no relationship between presence and learning comprehension outcomes for either virtual environment, presence was related to information engagement variables in the didactic immersive VLE but not the active environment. Results demonstrate that presence is not uniformly elicited or effective across immersive VLEs. Educational delivery mode and environment complexity may influence the impact of presence on engagement.

Teaching torque with 5E learning strategy: an off-center disk case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balta, Nuri

2018-01-01

In this paper, five simple demonstrations with an off-center disk that can be easily constructed and demonstrated in science class are described along with the 5E learning strategy. These demonstrations can be used to help students develop an understanding of the relationship between the centre of mass and torque. These STEM activities are appropriate for high school or first-year college physics, and are expected to engage students during physics courses.

"Applying anatomy to something I care about": Authentic inquiry learning and student experiences of an inquiry project.

PubMed

Anstey, Lauren M

2017-11-01

Despite advances to move anatomy education away from its didactic history, there is a continued need for students to contextualize their studies to make learning more meaningful. This article investigates authentic learning in the context of an inquiry-based approach to learning human gross anatomy. Utilizing a case-study design with three groups of students (n = 18) and their facilitators (n = 3), methods of classroom observations, interviews, and artifact collection were utilized to investigate students' experiences of learning through an inquiry project. Qualitative data analysis through open and selective coding produced common meaningful themes of group and student experiences. Overall results demonstrate how the project served as a unique learning experience where learners engaged in the opportunity to make sense of anatomy in context of their interests and wider interdisciplinary considerations through collaborative, group-based investigation. Results were further considered in context of theoretical frameworks of inquiry-based and authentic learning. Results from this study demonstrate how students can engage anatomical understandings to inquire and apply disciplinary considerations to their personal lives and the world around them. Anat Sci Educ 10: 538-548. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

Towards Personalising Learning in School Science: Making This Learning More Relevant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prain, Vaughan; Waldrip, Bruce; Sbaglia, Rob; Lovejoy, Val

2017-01-01

In this paper, we report on a case study of how three teachers personalised learning in science through supporting a group of Year 8 students to engage in individual inquiry projects. The case study demonstrated how heavily transmissive teaching can be avoided by restructuring classes to optimise student group and individual work and timely…

Identifying the Elements of Physics Courses that Impact Student Learning: Curriculum, Instructor, Peers, and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Emily Lincoln Ashbaugh

2009-01-01

Prior research across hundreds for introductory physics courses has demonstrated that traditional physics instruction does not generally lead to students learning physics concepts in a meaningful way, but that interactive-engagement physics courses do sometimes promote a great deal more student learning. In this work I analyze a reform effort in a…

Women's Transitions from Welfare: "Where Does that Leave Us? Employable or in the Pit?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andruske, Cynthia Lee

2001-01-01

A British Columbia preemployment program for women on welfare focused on engaging them in identifying their needs and determining content. Brainstorming and popular theatre techniques demonstrated the relevance of learning, helped them discover the extent of their experience and knowledge, engaged them in problem solving and reflection, and…

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

Techniques for Engaging the Public in Planetary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shupla, Christine; Shaner, Andrew; Smith Hackler, Amanda

2017-10-01

Public audiences are often curious about planetary science. Scientists and education and public engagement specialists can leverage this interest to build scientific literacy. This poster will highlight research-based techniques the authors have tested with a variety of audiences, and are disseminating to planetary scientists through trainings.Techniques include:Make it personal. Audiences are interested in personal stories, which can capture the excitement, joy, and challenges that planetary scientists experience in their research. Audiences can learn more about the nature of science by meeting planetary scientists and hearing personal stories about their motivations, interests, and how they conduct research.Share relevant connections. Most audiences have very limited understanding of the solar system and the features and compositions of planetary bodies, but they enjoy learning about those objects they can see at night and factors that connect to their culture or local community.Demonstrate concepts. Some concepts can be clarified with analogies, but others can be demonstrated or modeled with materials. Demonstrations that are messy, loud, or that yield surprising results are particularly good at capturing an audience’s attention, but if they don’t directly relate to the key concept, they can serve as a distraction.Give them a role. Audience participation is an important engagement technique. In a presentation, scientists can invite the audience to respond to questions, pause to share their thoughts with a neighbor, or vote on an answer. Audiences can respond physically to prompts, raising hands, pointing, or clapping, or even moving to different locations in the room.Enable the audience to conduct an activity. People learn best by doing and by teaching others; simple hands-on activities in which the audience is discovering something themselves can be extremely effective at engaging audiences.This poster will cite examples of each technique, resources that can help planetary scientists develop presentations, demonstrations, and activities for public engagement events, and the research that supports the use of these techniques.

Demystifying the Millennial student: a reassessment in measures of character and engagement in professional education.

PubMed

DiLullo, Camille; McGee, Patricia; Kriebel, Richard M

2011-01-01

The characteristic profile of Millennial Generation students, driving many educational reforms, can be challenged by research in a number of fields including cognition, learning style, neurology, and psychology. This evidence suggests that the current aggregate view of the Millennial student may be less than accurate. Statistics show that Millennial students are considerably diverse in backgrounds, personalities, and learning styles. Data are presented regarding technological predilection, multitasking, reading, critical thinking, professional behaviors, and learning styles, which indicate that students in the Millennial Generation may not be as homogenous in fundamental learning strategies and attitudes as is regularly proposed. Although their common character traits have implications for instruction, no available evidence demonstrates that these traits impact their fundamental process of learning. Many curricular strategies have been implemented to address alleged changes in the manner by which Millennial students learn. None has clearly shown superior outcomes in academic accomplishments or developing expertise for graduating students and concerns persist related to the successful engagement of Millennial students in the process of learning. Four factors for consideration in general curricular design are proposed to address student engagement and optimal knowledge acquisition for 21st century learners. Copyright © 2011 American Association of Anatomists.

Do Active Learning Approaches in Recitation Sections Improve Student Performance? A Case Study from an Introductory Mechanics Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobin, R. G.

2018-01-01

Abundant research leaves little question that pedagogical approaches involving active student engagement with the material, and opportunities for student-to-student discussions, lead to much better learning outcomes than traditional instructor-led, expository instructional formats, in physics and in many other fields. In introductory college physics classes, some departments have departed radically from conventional lecture-recitation-laboratory course structures, but many, including my own, retain the basic format of large-group classroom sessions (lectures) supplemented by smaller-group meetings focused on problem solving (recitations) and separate laboratory meetings. Active student engagement in the lectures is encouraged through approaches such as Peer Instruction and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations, and these approaches have been demonstrably successful.

Preferred Methods of Learning for Nursing Students in an On-Line Degree Program.

PubMed

Hampton, Debra; Pearce, Patricia F; Moser, Debra K

Investigators have demonstrated that on-line courses result in effective learning outcomes, but limited information has been published related to preferred teaching strategies. Delivery of on-line courses requires various teaching methods to facilitate interaction between students, content, and technology. The purposes of this study were to understand student teaching/learning preferences in on-line courses to include (a) differences in preferred teaching/learning methods for on-line nursing students across generations and (b) which teaching strategies students found to be most engaging and effective. Participants were recruited from 2 accredited, private school nursing programs (N=944) that admit students from across the United States and deliver courses on-line. Participants provided implied consent, and 217 (23%) students completed the on-line survey. Thirty-two percent of the students were from the Baby Boomer generation (1946-1964), 48% from Generation X (1965-1980), and 20% from the Millennial Generation (born after 1980). The preferred teaching/learning methods for students were videos or narrated PowerPoint presentations, followed by synchronous Adobe Connect educations sessions, assigned journal article reading, and e-mail dialog with the instructor. The top 2 methods identified by participants as the most energizing/engaging and most effective for learning were videos or narrated PowerPoint presentations and case studies. The teaching/learning method least preferred by participants and that was the least energizing/engaging was group collaborative projects with other students; the method that was the least effective for learning was wikis. Baby Boomers and Generation X participants had a significantly greater preference for discussion board (P<.0167) than millennial students. Millennial students also had a greater preference for simulation than did Baby Boomer and Generation X students and rated on-line games as significantly more energizing/engaging and more effective for learning (P<.0167) than did Baby Boomer and Generation X students. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that there are distinct student preferences and generational differences in preferred teaching/learning methods for on-line students. Faculty need to incorporate various teaching methodologies within on-line courses to include both synchronous and asynchronous activities and interactive and passive methodologies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gaining a "Sense of Place": Students' Affective Experiences of Place Leading to Transformative Learning on International Fieldwork

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simm, David; Marvell, Alan

2015-01-01

This paper reveals the extent to which undergraduate students demonstrate transformative learning whilst on international fieldwork in Barcelona, Spain. Groups of students create a series of discrete active learning situations that allow them and their peers to engage more fully with their locale and in turn experience a deeper understanding of…

Intrinsic Motivation: An Overlooked Component for Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Augustyniak, Robert A.; Ables, Adrienne Z.; Guilford, Philip; Lujan, Heidi L.; Cortright, Ronald N.; DiCarlo, Stephen E.

2016-01-01

Intrinsic motivation to learn involves engaging in learning opportunities because they are seen as enjoyable, interesting, or relevant to meeting one's core psychological needs. As a result, intrinsic motivation is associated with high levels of effort and task performance. Students with greater levels of intrinsic motivation demonstrate strong…

Theorizing the Self: Digital Storytelling, Applying Theory, and Multimodal Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kortegast, Carrie; Davis, Jonathan

2017-01-01

This article discusses the use of digital storytelling, a pedagogical tool, to enhance student learning and meaning-making. During the process of creating and sharing their digital stories, students engaged in self-reflexivity and demonstrated the ability to apply theories of student development to their personal experiences. Findings have…

Collaborative Learning Utilizing Case-Based Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilvano, Nestor T.; Mathis, Karen M.; Schauer, Daniel P.

2014-01-01

Engaging students in discussion and creating high impact teaching and learning practices are a challenge in every classroom. Small group discussion and poster presentations were used to solve case-based problems to highlight issues for the learner and to allow each student to demonstrate understanding and application of theory to real life…

Teacher Learning from Girls' Informal Science Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birmingham, Daniel J.

2013-01-01

School science continues to fail to engage youth from non-dominant communities (Carlone, Huan-Frank & Webb, 2011). However, recent research demonstrates that informal science learning settings support both knowledge gains and increased participation in science among youth from non-dominant communities (Dierking, 2007; Falk et al., 2007; HFRP,…

Fusion Science Theater Presents "The Amazing Chemical Circus": A New Model of Outreach that Uses Theater to Engage Children in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerby, Holly Walter; Cantor, Joanne; Weiland, Marcia; Babiarz, Christopher; Kerby, Anne W.

2010-01-01

Demonstration shows are a popular form of chemical education outreach used to increase interest, engagement, and appreciation of chemistry. Although practitioners often include instructional elements, evaluation has been limited to children's attitudes toward science rather than their understanding of the underlying concepts presented. In 2006, we…

Engaging the Resistant Child through Computers: A Manual To Facilitate Social and Emotional Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elias, Maurice J.; Friedlander, Brian S.; Tobias, Steven E.

This book shows how to use readily accessible computer technology to engage hard-to-reach children, including those with attention deficit disorder, autism, aspergers, and developmental delays. The authors demonstrate that the computer's ability to combine motion, sound, color, text, and physical activity makes it a cutting-edge approach. The…

Arguing Like a Scientist: Engaging Students in Core Scientific Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ying-Chih; Steenhoek, Joshua

2014-01-01

Argumentation is now seen as a core practice for helping students engage with the construction and critique of scientific ideas and for making students scientifically literate. This article demonstrates a negotiation model to show how argumentation can be a vehicle to drive students to learn science's big ideas. The model has six phases:…

Student engagement in first year of an ICT degree: staff and student perceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheard, Judy; Carbone, Angela; Hurst, A. J.

2010-03-01

This article reports on a study of student engagement in the first year of their undergraduate information and communication technology (ICT) degree at an Australian university. The study was conducted at Monash University in the four undergraduate ICT degrees of the Faculty of Information Technology. The study draws on data collected from staff and students using interviews and a start of semester survey. Three aspects of engagement broadly classified as behavioural, cognitive and affective are used as a framework to analyse the data. Results show that staff perceived students as demonstrating low levels of engagement in their university study. Students presented many reasons to explain the nature and extent of their engagement. Many of their reasons relate to studying in an educational landscape of changing lifestyles and work patterns and a strong reliance on technology to support their learning. This article re-conceptualises the undergraduate student learning experience in the current tertiary climate. Implications of the perceived lack of student engagement are discussed and recommendations are made for ways to increase the level of student engagement.

#Learning: The use of back channel technology in multi-campus nursing education.

PubMed

Yates, Karen; Birks, Melanie; Woods, Cindy; Hitchins, Marnie

2015-09-01

This paper reports on the results of a study into the use of microblogging technology (TodaysMeet) in large, multi-site lectures in a nursing program. The aim of this study was to investigate students' use of the technology and their perceptions of its value in stimulating engagement in a complex learning environment. The study demonstrated that students like the anonymity that the technology provided, allowing them to ask questions without fear of appearing less competent than their peers. Many of the respondents commented positively on the opportunity to engage with students and the lecturer at other campuses. While some students appreciated the opportunity to interact and have feedback from peers, others saw this as a negative aspect of the technology. This study suggests that, used appropriately, microblogging can be incorporated into large lectures to promote student participation and engagement and ultimately enhance the learning process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of social media as an instructional component on content knowledge, attitudes, and public engagement related to global climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenberg, Sallie E.

Social media (SM) are considered important avenues to reach citizens and engage them in social change. Given the widespread use of SM and their potential to enhance communication, they could also have significant influence when used as an educational tool. Educators are exploring whether classroom SM use has instructional benefits, such as enhancing interactivity and engagement. It is critical to understand the potential of SM for creating meaningful learning environments and public engagement pathways. Much work remains to understand the use of SM in this context and how to use them effectively. This study draws on active learning theory to examine the impact of SM as an instructional component with community college students learning to make connections among science, social responsibility, and global understanding in an environmental biology course (the Course). Using global climate change as a theme, the Course included a Facebook instructional component. A pretest--posttest, nonrandomized comparison group design was used to measure the impact of Facebook as an integrated component of the Course. The treatment and comparison groups were determined to be comparable based on demographics, access and ownership of digital devices, and SM use despite non-random assignment. No statistically significant differences were found between groups on these factors. The intervention consisted of semester-long required use of Facebook for the treatment group. The impact of the SM intervention was measured in three areas: (a) content knowledge, (b) attitudes toward climate change, and (c) public engagement actions and intentions to act. At the conclusion of the Course, no discernable difference was measured in content knowledge gains between the two groups. However, students who used Facebook experienced statistically significant differences in attitude, becoming increasingly concerned about global climate change. The comparison group demonstrated statistically significant differences in attitudes shifting toward more disengaged. Students who used Facebook showed considerably greater tendency toward action and expressed more intention to act than those who did not. Treatment group participants self-reported in interviews that the learning environment was enhanced in four areas: (a) convenience and logistics, (b) community and communication, (c) engaging learning environment, and (d) alternative participation pathways. Comments classified under the theme convenience and logistics provided insight into how the instructor and participants used Facebook in the intervention, such as to post maps and discuss assignment details. Comments categorized under the theme community and communication were those that made explicit who used Facebook and the impact of the intervention on communication and classroom community in areas such as creating dialog, carrying the discussion beyond the classroom, and having access to the instructor. Responses categorized under the theme engaging learning environment provided specific details about how Facebook use affected participants' engagement in the learning environment, such as their contribution to the course content and increased interaction with the course content. Comments within the alternative participation pathways theme showed ways in which Facebook use facilitated the other three themes, including removing barriers for shy students, providing additional time for issues that arose during class discussions, and through passive participation by reading the posts of classmates. This empirical study demonstrated that the use of Facebook in an educational setting had an impact on student attitudes and engagement actions. Additionally, Facebook use enhanced the learning environment in meaningful ways showing that SM, when used intentionally, benefits active learning environments and provides an opportunity to enhance a sense of public engagement among college students.

Learning through Play for School Readiness: A Training Program for Parents and Other Caregivers of Preschool Children. Learning Games To Strengthen Children's School Readiness Skills. [Videotape with Facilitator's Manual].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singer, Jerome; Singer, Dorothy

This video-based program trains parents and other child caregivers to engage 3- to 5-year-olds in simple, motivating learning games to strengthen cognitive, social, and motor school-readiness skills. The training materials consist of a manual for training facilitators and a training video demonstrating how to play each learning game with preschool…

Active Learning in PhysicsTechnology and Research-based Techniques Emphasizing Interactive Lecture Demonstrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornton, Ronald

2010-10-01

Physics education research has shown that learning environments that engage students and allow them to take an active part in their learning can lead to large conceptual gains compared to traditional instruction. Examples of successful curricula and methods include Peer Instruction, Just in Time Teaching, RealTime Physics, Workshop Physics, Scale-Up, and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs). An active learning environment is often difficult to achieve in lecture sessions. This presentation will demonstrate the use of sequences of Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) that use real experiments often involving real-time data collection and display combined with student interaction to create an active learning environment in large or small lecture classes. Interactive lecture demonstrations will be done in the area of mechanics using real-time motion probes and the Visualizer. A video tape of students involved in interactive lecture demonstrations will be shown. The results of a number of research studies at various institutions (including international) to measure the effectiveness of ILDs and guided inquiry conceptual laboratories will be presented.

A Journal of Critical Inquiry and Professional Learning: Telling Tales of Community Art, Aesthetics, and Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krug, Don H.; Parker, Ann

2009-01-01

In this article, the authors share some of their learning about art, aesthetics, and people's ways of living. They discuss why the renewal of professional learning is important and demonstrate how K-12 teachers can engage in this process by creating a journal of critical inquiry about their own local communities' art, aesthetics, and cultures.…

Age differences in spatial working memory contributions to visuomotor adaptation and transfer.

PubMed

Langan, Jeanne; Seidler, Rachael D

2011-11-20

Throughout our life span we encounter challenges that require us to adapt to the demands of our changing environment; this entails learning new skills. Two primary components of motor skill learning are motor acquisition, the initial process of learning the skill, and motor transfer, when learning a new skill is benefitted by the overlap with a previously learned one. Older adults typically exhibit declines in motor acquisition compared to young adults, but remarkably, do not demonstrate deficits in motor transfer [10]. Our recent work demonstrates that a failure to engage spatial working memory (SWM) is associated with skill learning deficits in older adults [16]. Here, we investigate the role that SWM plays in both motor learning and transfer in young and older adults. Both age groups exhibited performance savings, or positive transfer, at transfer of learning for some performance variables. Measures of spatial working memory performance and reaction time correlated with both motor learning and transfer for young adults. Young adults recruited overlapping brain regions in prefrontal, premotor, parietal and occipital cortex for performance of a SWM and a visuomotor adaptation task, most notably during motor learning, replicating our prior findings [12]. Neural overlap between the SWM task and visuomotor adaptation for the older adults was limited to parietal cortex, with minimal changes from motor learning to transfer. Combined, these results suggest that age differences in engagement of cognitive strategies have a differential impact on motor learning and transfer. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Age differences in spatial working memory contributions to visuomotor adaptation and transfer

PubMed Central

Langan, Jeanne; Seidler, Rachael. D.

2011-01-01

Throughout our life span we encounter challenges that require us to adapt to the demands of our changing environment; this entails learning new skills. Two primary components of motor skill learning are motor acquisition, the initial process of learning the skill, and motor transfer, when learning a new skill is benefitted by the overlap with a previously learned one. Older adults typically exhibit declines in motor acquisition compared to young adults, but remarkably, do not demonstrate deficits in motor transfer (Seidler, 2007). Our recent work demonstrates that a failure to engage spatial working memory (SWM) is associated with skill learning deficits in older adults (Anguera et al., 2011). Here, we investigate the role that SWM plays in both motor learning and transfer in young and older adults. Both age groups exhibited performance savings, or positive transfer, at transfer of learning for some performance variables. Measures of spatial working memory performance and reaction time correlated with both motor learning and transfer for young adults. Young adults recruited overlapping brain regions in prefrontal, premotor, parietal and occipital cortex for performance of a SWM and a visuomotor adaptation task, most notably during motor learning, replicating our prior findings (Anguera et al., 2010). Neural overlap between the SWM task and visuomotor adaptation for the older adults was limited to parietal cortex, with minimal changes from motor learning to transfer. Combined, these results suggest that age differences in engagement of cognitive strategies have a differential impact on motor learning and transfer. PMID:21784106

A comparison of in-class learner engagement across lecture, problem-based learning, and team learning using the STROBE classroom observation tool.

PubMed

Kelly, P Adam; Haidet, Paul; Schneider, Virginia; Searle, Nancy; Seidel, Charles L; Richards, Boyd F

2005-01-01

Having recently introduced team learning into the preclinical medical curriculum, evidence of the relative impact of this instructional method on in-class learner engagement was sought. To compare patterns of engagement behaviors among learners in class sessions across 3 distinct instructional methods: lecture, problem-based learning (PBL), and team learning. Trained observers used the STROBE classroom observation tool to measure learner engagement in 7 lecture, 4 PBL, and 3 team learning classrooms over a 12-month period. Proportions of different types of engagement behaviors were compared using chi-square. In PBL and team learning, the amount of learner-to-learner engagement was similar and much greater than in lecture, where most engagement was of the learner-to-instructor and self-engagement types. Also, learner-to-instructor engagement appeared greater in team learning than in PBL. Observed engagement behaviors confirm the potential of team learning to foster engagement similar to PBL, but with greater faculty input.

Student Engagement as a General Factor of Classroom Experience: Associations with Student Practices and Educational Outcomes in a University Gateway Course

PubMed Central

Shernof, David J.; Ruzek, Erik A.; Sannella, Alexander J.; Schorr, Roberta Y.; Sanchez-Wall, Lina; Bressler, Denise M.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a model for considering general and specific elements of student experience in a gateway course in undergraduate Financial Accounting in a large university on the East Coast, USA. Specifically, the study evaluated a bifactor analytic strategy including a general factor of student classroom experience, conceptualized as student engagement as rooted in flow theory, as well as factors representing specific dimensions of experience. The study further evaluated the association between these general and specific factors and both student classroom practices and educational outcomes. The sample of students (N = 407) in two cohorts of the undergraduate financial accounting course participated in the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) measuring students' classroom practices, perceptions, engagement, and perceived learning throughout the one-semester course. Course grade information was also collected. Results showed that a two-level bifactor model fit the data better than two traditional (i.e., non-bifactor) models and also avoided significant multicollinearity of the traditional models. In addition to student engagement (general factor), specific dimensions of classroom experience in the bifactor model at the within-student level included intrinsic motivation, academic intensity, salience, and classroom self-esteem. At the between-student level, specific aspects included work orientation, learning orientation, classroom self-esteem, and disengagement. Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling (MSEM) demonstrated that sitting in the front of the classroom (compared to the sitting in the back), taking notes, active listening, and working on problems during class had a positive effect on within-student variation in student engagement and attention. Engagement, in turn, predicted perceived learning. With respect to between-student effects, the tendency to sit in front seats had a significant effect on student engagement, which in turn had a significant effect on perceived learning and course grades. A significant indirect relationship of seating and active learning strategies on learning and course grade as mediated by student engagement was found. Support for the general aspect of student classroom experience was interpreted with flow theory and suggested the need for additional research. Findings also suggested that active learning strategies are associated with positive learning outcomes even in educational environments where possibilities for action are relatively constrained. PMID:28663733

Student Engagement as a General Factor of Classroom Experience: Associations with Student Practices and Educational Outcomes in a University Gateway Course.

PubMed

Shernof, David J; Ruzek, Erik A; Sannella, Alexander J; Schorr, Roberta Y; Sanchez-Wall, Lina; Bressler, Denise M

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a model for considering general and specific elements of student experience in a gateway course in undergraduate Financial Accounting in a large university on the East Coast, USA. Specifically, the study evaluated a bifactor analytic strategy including a general factor of student classroom experience, conceptualized as student engagement as rooted in flow theory, as well as factors representing specific dimensions of experience. The study further evaluated the association between these general and specific factors and both student classroom practices and educational outcomes. The sample of students ( N = 407) in two cohorts of the undergraduate financial accounting course participated in the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) measuring students' classroom practices, perceptions, engagement, and perceived learning throughout the one-semester course. Course grade information was also collected. Results showed that a two-level bifactor model fit the data better than two traditional (i.e., non-bifactor) models and also avoided significant multicollinearity of the traditional models. In addition to student engagement (general factor), specific dimensions of classroom experience in the bifactor model at the within-student level included intrinsic motivation, academic intensity, salience, and classroom self-esteem. At the between-student level, specific aspects included work orientation, learning orientation, classroom self-esteem, and disengagement. Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling (MSEM) demonstrated that sitting in the front of the classroom (compared to the sitting in the back), taking notes, active listening, and working on problems during class had a positive effect on within-student variation in student engagement and attention. Engagement, in turn, predicted perceived learning. With respect to between-student effects, the tendency to sit in front seats had a significant effect on student engagement, which in turn had a significant effect on perceived learning and course grades. A significant indirect relationship of seating and active learning strategies on learning and course grade as mediated by student engagement was found. Support for the general aspect of student classroom experience was interpreted with flow theory and suggested the need for additional research. Findings also suggested that active learning strategies are associated with positive learning outcomes even in educational environments where possibilities for action are relatively constrained.

Analytical Thinking, Analytical Action: Using Prelab Video Demonstrations and e-Quizzes to Improve Undergraduate Preparedness for Analytical Chemistry Practical Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jolley, Dianne F.; Wilson, Stephen R.; Kelso, Celine; O'Brien, Glennys; Mason, Claire E.

2016-01-01

This project utilizes visual and critical thinking approaches to develop a higher-education synergistic prelab training program for a large second-year undergraduate analytical chemistry class, directing more of the cognitive learning to the prelab phase. This enabled students to engage in more analytical thinking prior to engaging in the…

Learning to (Dis)Engage? The Socialising Experiences of Young People Living in Areas of Socio-Economic Disadvantage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Carolynne; Cremin, Hilary; Warwick, Paul; Harrison, Tom

2011-01-01

Young people are increasingly required to demonstrate civic engagement in their communities and help deliver the aspirations of localism and Big Society. Using an ecological systems approach this paper explores the experiences of different groups of young people living in areas of socio-economic disadvantage. Using volunteering as an example of…

A Partnership Approach to Developing Student Capacity to Engage and Staff Capacity to Be Engaging: Opportunities for Academic Developers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curran, Roisín; Millard, Luke

2016-01-01

Many higher education institutions are adopting learning and teaching approaches that embrace "students as partners". This can be met with trepidation by academic staff and students. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate, through two UK-based institutional case studies, that a partnership approach provides an opportunity for staff…

Critical Practitioner Inquiries: Re-Framing Marginalized Spaces for Black Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West-Burns, Nicole; Murray, Karen

2016-01-01

In classroom spaces on a daily basis, students are encouraged to express who they are as learners and demonstrate their own understanding of their learning. Students' ability to contribute to their own learning is an essential characteristic of an engaging classroom space and supports high academic achievement. The authors' work highlights one…

Lean Six Sigma and Assurance of Learning: Challenges and Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rexeisen, Richard J.; Owens, Ernest L., Jr.; Garrison, Michael J.

2018-01-01

The importance, and associated challenges, of faculty ownership and engagement in the assurance of learning (AoL) process are well documented in the literature. The authors demonstrate how schools can further their AoL objectives by encouraging and subsequently supporting organic, faculty-led initiatives. Specifically, we present a case study of a…

Transformative Learning, Affect, and Reciprocal Care in Community Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Ashley J.

2015-01-01

Drawing on interviews with writing teachers, this article highlights some of the affective responses that may arise for students, community partners, and teachers when we situate our pedagogies in public sites beyond the classroom. I analyze a teacher-narrated moment of student distress to demonstrate how theories of transformative learning might…

An Inquiry-Based Exercise for Demonstrating Prey Preference in Snakes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Place, Aaron J.; Abramson, Charles I.

2006-01-01

The recent promotion of inquiry-based learning techniques (Uno, 1990) is well suited to the use of animals in the classroom. Working with living organisms directly engages students and stimulates them to actively participate in the learning process. Students develop a greater appreciation for living things, the natural world, and their impact on…

Building a Foundation: How Technology-Rich Project-Based Learning Transformed Talladega County Schools. Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Rachel; Hall, Sara White; Thigpen, Kamila; Murray, Tom; Loschert, Kristen

2015-01-01

This report demonstrates how one predominantly low-income school district dramatically improved student engagement in the classroom and increased high school graduation rates through project-based learning (PBL) and the effective use of technology. The report, which includes short video segments with educators and students, focuses on Talladega…

Teaching Introduction to Psychology: Promoting Student Learning Using Digital Storytelling and Community Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grange, Christina; Miller, Antoinette

2018-01-01

This paper demonstrates how partnering with digital storytelling initiatives, like the StoryCorps project, can yield fruitful service-learning opportunities, while also supporting innovative approaches for teaching students from a range of disciplines who are enrolled in Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1101). While various pedagogical tools for…

Evidence of Public Engagement with Science: Visitor Learning at a Zoo-Housed Primate Research Centre

PubMed Central

Waller, Bridget M.; Peirce, Kate; Mitchell, Heidi; Micheletta, Jerome

2012-01-01

Primate behavioural and cognitive research is increasingly conducted on direct public view in zoo settings. The potential of such facilities for public engagement with science is often heralded, but evidence of tangible, positive effects on public understanding is rare. Here, the effect of a new zoo-based primate research centre on visitor behaviour, learning and attitudes was assessed using a quasi-experimental design. Zoo visitors approached the primate research centre more often when a scientist was present and working with the primates, and reported greater awareness of primates (including conservation) compared to when the scientist was not present. Visitors also reported greater perceived learning when the scientist was present. Installation of information signage had no main effect on visitor attitudes or learning. Visitors who interacted with the signage, however, demonstrated increased knowledge and understanding when asked about the specific information present on the signs (which was related to the ongoing facial expression research at the research centre). The findings show that primate behaviour research centres on public view can have a demonstrable and beneficial effect on public understanding of science. PMID:23028580

Evidence of public engagement with science: visitor learning at a zoo-housed primate research centre.

PubMed

Waller, Bridget M; Peirce, Kate; Mitchell, Heidi; Micheletta, Jerome

2012-01-01

Primate behavioural and cognitive research is increasingly conducted on direct public view in zoo settings. The potential of such facilities for public engagement with science is often heralded, but evidence of tangible, positive effects on public understanding is rare. Here, the effect of a new zoo-based primate research centre on visitor behaviour, learning and attitudes was assessed using a quasi-experimental design. Zoo visitors approached the primate research centre more often when a scientist was present and working with the primates, and reported greater awareness of primates (including conservation) compared to when the scientist was not present. Visitors also reported greater perceived learning when the scientist was present. Installation of information signage had no main effect on visitor attitudes or learning. Visitors who interacted with the signage, however, demonstrated increased knowledge and understanding when asked about the specific information present on the signs (which was related to the ongoing facial expression research at the research centre). The findings show that primate behaviour research centres on public view can have a demonstrable and beneficial effect on public understanding of science.

Use of Interactive Lecture Demonstrations: A Ten Year Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, Manjula D.; Johnston, Ian D.; Johnston, Helen; Varvell, Kevin; Robertson, Gordon; Hopkins, Andrew; Stewart, Chris; Cooper, Ian; Thornton, Ronald

2010-01-01

The widely held constructivist view of learning advocates student engagement via interactivity. Within the physics education research community, several specific interactive strategies have been developed to enhance conceptual understanding. One such strategy, the Interactive Lecture Demonstration (ILD) is designed for large lecture classes and,…

Understanding Engagement: Science Demonstrations and Emotional Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milne, Catherine; Otieno, Tracey

2007-01-01

Although beloved of some chemists and physicists, science demonstrations have been criticized for stifling inquiry and assisting teachers to maintain a power differential between themselves and students in the classroom. This interpretive study reports the unexpected positive learning outcomes for urban science students in two chemistry classes…

Human Simulators and Standardized Patients to Teach Difficult Conversations to Interprofessional Health Care Teams

PubMed Central

Zimmerman, Christine; Kennedy, Christopher; Schremmer, Robert; Smith, Katharine V.

2010-01-01

Objective To design and implement a demonstration project to teach interprofessional teams how to recognize and engage in difficult conversations with patients. Design Interdisciplinary teams consisting of pharmacy students and residents, student nurses, and medical residents responded to preliminary questions regarding difficult conversations, listened to a brief discussion on difficult conversations; formed ad hoc teams and interacted with a standardized patient (mother) and a human simulator (child), discussing the infant's health issues, intimate partner violence, and suicidal thinking; and underwent debriefing. Assessment Participants evaluated the learning methods positively and a majority demonstrated knowledge gains. The project team also learned lessons that will help better design future programs, including an emphasis on simulations over lecture and the importance of debriefing on student learning. Drawbacks included the major time commitment for design and implementation, sustainability, and the lack of resources to replicate the program for all students. Conclusion Simulation is an effective technique to teach interprofessional teams how to engage in difficult conversations with patients. PMID:21088725

Classroom Journal Club: Collaborative Study of Contemporary Primary Literature in the Biomechanics Classroom.

PubMed

Kuxhaus, Laurel; Corbiere, Nicole C

2016-07-01

Current engineering pedagogy primarily focuses on developing technical proficiency and problem solving skills; the peer-review process for sharing new research results is often overlooked. The use of a collaborative classroom journal club can engage students with the excitement of scientific discovery and the process of dissemination of research results, which are also important lifelong learning skills. In this work, a classroom journal club was implemented and a survey of student perceptions spanning three student cohorts was collected. In this collaborative learning activity, students regularly chose and discussed a recent biomechanics journal article, and were assessed based on specific, individual preparation tasks. Most student-chosen journal articles were relevant to topics discussed in the regular class lecture. Surveys assessed student perceptions of the activity. The survey responses show that, across all cohorts, students both enjoyed the classroom journal club and recognized it as an important learning experience. Many reported discussing their journal articles with others outside of the classroom, indicating good engagement. The results demonstrate that student engagement with primary literature can foster both technical knowledge and lifelong learning skills.

Integrating Learning, Problem Solving, and Engagement in Narrative-Centered Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowe, Jonathan P.; Shores, Lucy R.; Mott, Bradford W.; Lester, James C.

2011-01-01

A key promise of narrative-centered learning environments is the ability to make learning engaging. However, there is concern that learning and engagement may be at odds in these game-based learning environments. This view suggests that, on the one hand, students interacting with a game-based learning environment may be engaged but unlikely to…

Meaningful Engagement in Scientific Practices: How Classroom Communities Develop Authentic Epistemologies for Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krist, Christina Rae

Recent reforms in science education, based on decades of learning research, emphasize engaging students in science and engineering practices as the means to develop and refine disciplinary ideas. These reforms advocate an epistemic shift in how school science is done: from students learning about science ideas to students figuring out core science ideas. This shift is challenging to implement: how do we bring the goals and practices of a discipline into classroom communities in meaningful ways that go beyond simply following rote scientific procedures? In this dissertation, I investigate how classroom communities learn to engage meaningfully in scientific practices, characterizing their engagement as a process of epistemic learning. I take a situated perspective that defines learning as shifts in how members engage in communities of practice. I examine students' epistemic learning as a function of their participation in a classroom community of scientific practice along two dimensions: what they do, or the practical epistemic heuristics they use to guide how they build knowledge; and who they are, or how ownership and authorship of ideas is negotiated and affectively marked through interaction. I focus on a cohort of students as they move from 6th to 8 th grade. I analyze three science units, one from each grade level, to look at the epistemic heuristics implicit in student and teacher talk and how the use of those heuristics shifts over time. In addition, I examine one anomalous 8th grade class to look at how students and the teacher position themselves and each other with respect to the ideas in their classroom and how that positioning supports epistemic learning. Taken together, these analyses demonstrate how students' engagement in scientific practices evolves in terms of what they do and who they are in relation to the knowledge and ideas in their classroom over time. I propose a model for epistemic learning that articulates how classroom communities develop practical epistemologies that guide their knowledge building work and how the development of these epistemologies is identity-laden. I find that for engagement in science practices to be meaningful, classroom communities' engagement is motivated by the unknowns in students' knowledge, or what they still need to figure out and explain. In contexts where knowledge is uncertain, practical epistemic heuristics become authentically useful for students' knowledge building work. However, using unknowns to motivate learning can be distressing for students. The anomalous case study suggests that students' meaningful engagement in science knowledge building requires particular affective supports from the teacher that allow students to take on and embrace new identities with respect to ideas in their classroom. Taken together, the model of epistemic learning that I propose suggests that both conceptual and affective supports are necessary to shift science classrooms in ways that engage students in meaningful science knowledge building.

Debating Whether Dinosaurs Should Be "Cloned" from Ancient DNA To Promote Cooperative Learning in an Introductory Evolution Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soja, Constance M.; Huerta, Deborah

2001-01-01

Describes an interactive internet exercise that enables students to engage in cooperative library and web research on a controversial topic in science, specifically the cloning of extinct lifeforms. Creates a dynamic learning environment in a large introductory geology course and demonstrates the importance of scientific literacy. (Author/SAH)

Evaluating a Moving Target: Lessons Learned from Using Practical Participatory Evaluation (P-PE) in Hospital Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wharton, Tracy; Alexander, Neil

2013-01-01

This article describes lessons learned about implementing evaluations in hospital settings. In order to overcome the methodological dilemmas inherent in this environment, we used a practical participatory evaluation (P-PE) strategy to engage as many stakeholders as possible in the process of evaluating a clinical demonstration project.…

Throwing Paper Wads in the Chemistry Classroom: Really Active Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orvis, Jessica N.; Orvis, Jeffrey A.

2005-01-01

Active engagement in the classroom is one of the best tools available for overcoming conceptual difficulties. Science educators agree that students of all ages learn more by participating actively in the interpretation of scientific phenomena (NAS 2003; NSF 1998). In this article, the authors describe demonstrations in class using paper wads as an…

Engaging Experiential Service Learning through a Co-Curricular Club: The Chase Charlie Races

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Judge, Lawrence W.; Pierce, David; Petersen, Jeffrey; Bellar, David; Wanless, Elizabeth; Gilreath, Erin; Simon, Laura

2011-01-01

The efficacy of the "Chase Charlie Races" (an experiential learning activity) was demonstrated via program assessment. This was achieved via post-event evaluations of race participants and student club members, and with fitness assessments of 76 elementary students who participated in an eight-week training program. Paired sample t-tests revealed…

Students Engaged in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ismail, Emad A.; Groccia, James E.

2018-01-01

Engaging students in learning is a basic principle of effective undergraduate education. Outcomes of engaging students include meaningful learning experiences and enhanced skills in all learning domains. This chapter reviews the influence of engaging students in different forms of active learning on cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skill…

Using discrepant events in science demonstrations to promote student engagement in scientific investigations: An action research study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancuso, Vincent J.

Students' scientific investigations have been identified in national standards and related reform documents as a critical component of students' learning experiences in school, yet it is not easy to implement them in science classrooms. Could science demonstrations help science teachers put this recommendation into practice? While demonstrations are a common practice in the science classroom and research has documented some positive effects in terms of student motivation and engagement from their use, the literature also shows that, as traditionally presented, science demonstrations do not always achieve their intended outcomes. This, in turn, suggested the value of investigating what design elements of demonstrations could be used to promote specific instructional goals. Employing action research as a methodology, the proposed study was developed to explore how science demonstrations can be designed so as to most effectively promote student engagement in scientific investigations. More specifically, I was interested in examining the effects of using a discrepant event as part of the demonstration, as a way to create cognitive conflict and, thus, increase interest and engagement. I also investigated the relative merit of the well-researched POE (Predict, Observe, Explain) design versus employing demonstrations that appear to the student to be unplanned (what I will refer to as NOE, or a Naturally Occurring Experience). This study was informed by Constructivism, Situated Cognition and Conceptual Change as theoretical frameworks. The project included the design, implementation and study of an intervention consisting of three instructional units designed to support students' learning of the concepts of density, molecular arrangement of gas particles, and cohesion, respectively. In each of these units, lasting a total of two 80-minute class periods, students were asked to design and conduct an investigation to gain a better understanding of the concept under study. In one case, though, the investigation was preceded by a discrepant event demonstration using POE, in another case the investigation was preceded by an NOE discrepant event demonstration, and in the third case the student investigation was preceded by an interactive lecture (Lecture/Inquiry, or LA) instead of a demonstration. The intervention took place in Fall 2009 in three sections of the same middle school science course I taught. Data from these experiences were collected and analyzed to evaluate the impact of each unit on (a) students' interest in learning more about the scientific phenomenon under study; and (b) how students designed, conducted and interpreted their own investigation to explain the event. These findings were further compared across experiences to identify similarities and differences connected with the three design approaches utilized --- i.e., inquiry following a discrepant event demonstration using POE, an NOE discrepant event demonstration, or an interactive lecture. Data sources included: audiotapes of each lesson, students' written work, teacher's written reflections, observer's field notes, audiotapes of a final class reflection and semi-structured student interviews. Qualitative analysis was employed to analyze the data with the goal of revealing emerging themes addressing each research question. Findings from this study show that discrepant event demonstrations can indeed generate student interest and inform worthwhile student-led science investigations without requiring great time commitment. Furthermore, each lesson design used (POE, NOE, L/I) offered distinct benefits in the classroom, influencing student engagement and learning outcomes in valuable and distinct ways. This, in turn, suggests that science teachers should choose specific design elements when planning to use demonstrations to achieve specific objectives.

Analyses of Student Learning in Global Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takle, E. S.; Moser, H.; Sorensen, E. K.

2004-12-01

The Global Change course at Iowa State University is a senior undergraduate and graduate level course that has been delivered over the internet with online dialog and learning activities since 1995. Students may enroll in the course as a distance education course, but in doing so they engage in dialog with students in the conventional on-campus face-to-face course. Online delivery and student participation offer opportunities for promoting use of critical thinking skills and collaborative learning not available in face-to-face environments. Students are required to research, post, and defend with authoritative information their positions on a variety of global change issues and specifically identify how they have demonstrated use of critical thinking skills in their online postings. Threaded dialog is used for structuring interactions toward promoting collaborative learning. We analyze collaborative learning by use of a rubric based on the theory of language games. By random selection of 1,350 online dialog comments posted over the last 10 years we evaluated student response to requirements for demonstrating critical thinking skills and collaboration in learning. We found that, by itself, the requirement of demonstrating critical thinking skills in online dialog was insufficient in promoting collaborative learned as measured by the standards of language game theory. But we also found that if an online comment clearly defines a situation and makes a clear expectation of a response, the likelihood is high that a game will be created. And if a game is established, there is a high probability that it will be closed, thereby giving evidence that collaborative learning had occurred. We conclude that a key component in collaborative online learning lies in establishing a lead-off comment that provides sufficient background information to clearly define an engaging situation. It also must include a clear expectation that a response is expected that will provide dialog participants an opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking skills in their responding comments.

How Do Learning Outcomes, Assessments and Student Engagement in a Fully Online Geoscience Laboratory Compare to Those Of The Original Hands-on Exercise?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, F. M.

2015-12-01

In a third year geoscience elective for BSc majors, we adapted several active f2f learning strategies for an equivalent fully online version of the course. In particular, we converted a hands-on laboratory including analysis and interpretation of hand-specimens, sketching results and peer-to-peer discussion of scientific implications. This study compares learning outcomes in both formats and describes resources that make engaging, effective and efficient learning experiences for large classes in an asynchronous online environment. Our two hypotheses are: 1) a hands-on geology lab exercise can be converted for efficient fully online use without sacrificing feedback and assessment opportunities; 2) students find either the f2f or DE versions equally effective and enjoyable as learning experiences. Key components are an authentic context, interactive resources including sketching, strategies that enable efficient assessment and feedback on solo and group work, and asynchronous yet productive interaction with peers. Students in the f2f class handle real rock and fossil specimens, work with peers in the lab and classroom, and deliver most results including annotated figures on paper. DE students complete identical tasks using interactive high resolution figures and videos of specimens. Solo work is first delivered for automated assessment and feedback, then students engage asynchronously in small groups to improve results and discuss implications. Chronostratigraphy and other interpretations are sketched on prepared template images using a simple open-source sketching app that ensures equal access and consistent results that are efficient to assess by peers and instructors. Learning outcomes based on subsequent quizzes, sketches, and lab results (paper for f2f students and automated data entry for DE students), show that f2f and online students demonstrate knowledge and scientific interpretations of comparable quality. Effective engagement and group work are demonstrated for f2f students using video and survey data, and for DE students using learning management system tracking data and similar survey data. Finally, these initiatives are shown to be scalable to classes of many students by comparing the time required for instructors to run and grade the lab in both settings.

Contributions of the hippocampus to feedback learning

PubMed Central

Dickerson, Kathryn C.; Delgado, Mauricio R.

2015-01-01

Humans learn about the world in a variety of manners, including by observation, by associating cues in the environment, and via feedback. Across species, two brain structures have been predominantly involved in these learning processes: the hippocampus—supporting learning via observation and paired association—and the striatum—critical for feedback learning. This simple dichotomy, however, has recently been challenged by reports of hippocampal engagement in feedback learning, although the role of the hippocampus is not fully understood. The purpose of this experiment was to characterize the hippocampal response during feedback learning by manipulating varying levels of memory interference. Consistent with prior reports, feedback learning recruited the striatum and midbrain. Notably, feedback learning also engaged the hippocampus. The level of activity in these regions was modulated by the degree of memory interference, such that the greatest activation occurred during the highest level of memory interference. Importantly, the accuracy of information learned via feedback correlated with hippocampal activation and was reduced by the presence of high memory interference. Taken together, these findings provide evidence of hippocampal involvement in feedback learning by demonstrating both its relevance for the accuracy of information learned via feedback and its susceptibility to interference. PMID:26055632

A cross-cultural comparison of children's imitative flexibility.

PubMed

Clegg, Jennifer M; Legare, Cristine H

2016-09-01

Recent research with Western populations has demonstrated that children use imitation flexibly to engage in both instrumental and conventional learning. Evidence for children's imitative flexibility in non-Western populations is limited, however, and has only assessed imitation of instrumental tasks. This study (N = 142, 6- to 8-year-olds) demonstrates both cultural continuity and cultural variation in imitative flexibility. Children engage in higher imitative fidelity for conventional tasks than for instrumental tasks in both an industrialized, Western culture (United States), and a subsistence-based, non-Western culture (Vanuatu). Children in Vanuatu engage in higher imitative fidelity of instrumental tasks than in the United States, a potential consequence of cultural variation in child socialization for conformity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Creative Writing and Promoting Understanding in Science: Alternative Ways to Interest Students in Writing about Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akcay, Hakan; Hand, Brian; Norton-Meier, Lori

2010-01-01

Science writing opportunities are used as a resource to enable students to understand science concepts. This study represents three different writing-to-learn tasks that enable students to learn science and to demonstrate their developing understanding about the human body system. The teacher and students engaged in a variety of science enquiries…

ExpandED Schools National Demonstration: Lessons for Scale and Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Christina A.; Hildreth, Jeanine L.; Stevens, Pamela

2016-01-01

The ExpandED Schools model for expanded learning is designed to transform schools by changing the use of time, both as experienced by students in learning and by teachers in instruction. The model is grounded in the belief that strategically adding time to the school day can enhance skills and knowledge and broaden horizons by engaging students in…

Writing for publication: faculty development initiative using social learning theory.

PubMed

Sanderson, Bonnie K; Carter, Matt; Schuessler, Jenny B

2012-01-01

Demonstrating scholarly competency is an expectation for nurse faculty. However, there is hesitancy among some faculty to fully engage in scholarly activities. To strengthen a school of nursing's culture of scholarship, a faculty development writing initiative based on Social Learning Theory was implemented. The authors discuss this initiative to facilitate writing for publication productivity among faculty and the successful outcomes.

Engagement and Learning through Social Software in Finance: A Retrospective on the "Trading Room" Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jain, Ameeta; Thomson, Dianne; Farley, Alan; Mulready, Pamela

2012-01-01

The introduction of a social software blog space called the Trading Room in an undergraduate finance unit generated a great deal of activity to support student learning. A subsequent evaluation of this innovation, viewed through the lens of Activity Theory, demonstrated that students perceived high value in the opportunity it provided for them to…

Role-play simulations for climate change adaptation education and engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rumore, Danya; Schenk, Todd; Susskind, Lawrence

2016-08-01

In order to effectively adapt to climate change, public officials and other stakeholders need to rapidly enhance their understanding of local risks and their ability to collaboratively and adaptively respond to them. We argue that science-based role-play simulation exercises -- a type of 'serious game' involving face-to-face mock decision-making -- have considerable potential as education and engagement tools for enhancing readiness to adapt. Prior research suggests role-play simulations and other serious games can foster public learning and encourage collective action in public policy-making contexts. However, the effectiveness of such exercises in the context of climate change adaptation education and engagement has heretofore been underexplored. We share results from two research projects that demonstrate the effectiveness of role-play simulations in cultivating climate change adaptation literacy, enhancing collaborative capacity and facilitating social learning. Based on our findings, we suggest such exercises should be more widely embraced as part of adaptation professionals' education and engagement toolkits.

What Is a Primate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGee, Elizabeth

2003-01-01

Describes a series of hands-on experiments that engage students in hypothesis testing and promotes active learning of the concepts of evolution and adaptation. Laboratory exercises demonstrate how features of the hands and eyes distinguish primates from other mammals. (SOE)

The Effect of Higher Education Faculty Training in Improvisational Theatre Techniques on Student Learning and Perceptions of Engagement and Faculty Perceptions of Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massie, DeAnna

2017-01-01

College instructors are content experts but ineffective at creating engaging and productive learning environments. This mixed methods study explored how improvisational theatre techniques affect college instructors' ability to increase student engagement and learning. Theoretical foundations included engagement, active learning, collaboration and…

Service-Learning Partnerships: Paths of Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorado, Silvia; Giles, Dwight E., Jr.

2004-01-01

This article furthers research and theory on the initiation and development of service-learning partnerships. It identifies three paths of engagement between university and community agencies: tentative engagement, aligned engagement, and committed engagement. This conceptualization helps to understand how service-learning partnerships evolve over…

Surgery 101: evaluating the use of podcasting in a general surgery clerkship.

PubMed

White, J S; Sharma, N; Boora, P

2011-01-01

Provision of learning resources online is rapidly becoming a feature of medical education. This study set out to determine how medical students engaged in a 6-week clerkship in General Surgery would make use of a series of audio podcasts designed to meet their educational objectives. Patterns of use and student learning styles were determined using an anonymous survey. Of the 112 students, 93 responded to the survey (83%); 68% of students reported listening to at least one podcast (average number: six). While students reported listening in a variety of time and places, the majority of students reported listening on a computer in dedicated study time. Of the listeners, 84% agreed the podcasts helped them learn core topics, and over 80% found the recordings interesting and engaging. This study demonstrates that podcasts are an acceptable learning resource for medical students engaged in a surgery clerkship, and can be integrated into existing study habits. We believe that podcasting can help us cater to busy students with a range of learning styles. We have also shown that a free online resource developed by one school can reach a global audience many times larger than its intended target: to date, the 'Surgery 101' podcast series has been downloaded more than 160,000 times worldwide.

Capturing student mathematical engagement through differently enacted classroom practices: applying a modification of Watson's analytical tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patahuddin, Sitti Maesuri; Puteri, Indira; Lowrie, Tom; Logan, Tracy; Rika, Baiq

2018-04-01

This study examined student mathematical engagement through the intended and enacted lessons taught by two teachers in two different middle schools in Indonesia. The intended lesson was developed using the ELPSA learning design to promote mathematical engagement. Based on the premise that students will react to the mathematical tasks in the forms of words and actions, the analysis focused on identifying the types of mathematical engagement promoted through the intended lesson and performed by students during the lesson. Using modified Watson's analytical tool (2007), students' engagement was captured from what the participants' did or said mathematically. We found that teachers' enacted practices had an influence on student mathematical engagement. The teacher who demonstrated content in explicit ways tended to limit the richness of the engagement; whereas the teacher who presented activities in an open-ended manner fostered engagement.

First year specialist trainees' engagement with reflective practice in the e-portfolio.

PubMed

McNeill, Helen; Brown, Jeremy M; Shaw, Nigel J

2010-10-01

Doctors in specialist training posts in the Mersey Deanery are expected to reflect on their clinical practice and to document their learning experiences in an e-portfolio. This study aims specifically to explore how they have engaged in reflection on their practice and how they utilise their learning portfolio to document evidence of this. A modified Delphi technique was used to develop a grading system to identify the level of reflection recorded by participants in the e-portfolio. Transcripts of the reflective accounts were then analysed using a qualitative approach which involved coding and categorising the data. This study demonstrated a wide variation in both the quantity and quality of reflection. Of particular note in the qualitative data analysis were themes relating to clinical knowledge and skills, learning in practice, communication, feelings, types of learning experience reflected on and wider aspects of medical practice. Findings indicate there is variation is the extent to which doctors both engage in and document evidence of reflection. Further research is needed to explore factors that enable or inhibit the use of the e-portfolio for reflection and whether recorded reflection is a true picture of the cognitive process involved.

Engaging Earth- and Environmental-Science Undergraduates Through Weather Discussions and an eLearning Weather Forecasting Contest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, David M.; Anderson, Stuart; Seo-Zindy, Ryo

2013-06-01

For students who major in meteorology, engaging in weather forecasting can motivate learning, develop critical-thinking skills, improve their written communication, and yield better forecasts. Whether such advances apply to students who are not meteorology majors has been less demonstrated. To test this idea, a weather discussion and an eLearning weather forecasting contest were devised for a meteorology course taken by third-year undergraduate earth- and environmental-science students. The discussion consisted of using the recent, present, and future weather to amplify the topics of the week's lectures. Then, students forecasted the next day's high temperature and the probability of precipitation for Woodford, the closest official observing site to Manchester, UK. The contest ran for 10 weeks, and the students received credit for participation. The top students at the end of the contest received bonus points on their final grade. A Web-based forecast contest application was developed to register the students, receive their forecasts, and calculate weekly standings. Students who were successful in the forecast contest were not necessarily those who achieved the highest scores on the tests, demonstrating that the contest was possibly testing different skills than traditional learning. Student evaluations indicate that the weather discussion and contest were reasonably successful in engaging students to learn about the weather outside of the classroom, synthesize their knowledge from the lectures, and improve their practical understanding of the weather. Therefore, students taking a meteorology class, but not majoring in meteorology, can derive academic benefits from weather discussions and forecast contests. Nevertheless, student evaluations also indicate that better integration of the lectures, weather discussions, and the forecasting contests is necessary.

Developing a blended course on dying, loss, and grief.

PubMed

Kavanaugh, Karen; Andreoni, V Ann; Wilkie, Diana J; Burgener, Sandra; Buschmann, Mary Beth Tank; Henderson, Gloria; Hsiung, Yi-Fang Yvonne; Zhao, Zhongsheng

2009-01-01

An important component of end-of-life education is to provide health professionals with content related to dying, loss, and grief. The authors describe the strategies used to develop and offer a blended course (integration of classroom face-to-face learning with online learning) that addressed the sensitive and often emotional content associated with grieving and bereavement. Using Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, a set of 4 online learning modules, with engaging, interactive elements, was created. Course evaluations demonstrated the success of the blended course in comparison to the traditional, exclusive face-to-face approach.

Using Discrepant Events in Science Demonstrations to Promote Student Engagement in Scientific Investigations: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mancuso, Vincent J.

2010-01-01

Students' scientific investigations have been identified in national standards and related reform documents as a critical component of students' learning experiences in school, yet it is not easy to implement them in science classrooms. Could science demonstrations help science teachers put this recommendation into practice? While demonstrations…

Theories of willpower affect sustained learning.

PubMed

Miller, Eric M; Walton, Gregory M; Dweck, Carol S; Job, Veronika; Trzesniewski, Kali H; McClure, Samuel M

2012-01-01

Building cognitive abilities often requires sustained engagement with effortful tasks. We demonstrate that beliefs about willpower-whether willpower is viewed as a limited or non-limited resource-impact sustained learning on a strenuous mental task. As predicted, beliefs about willpower did not affect accuracy or improvement during the initial phases of learning; however, participants who were led to view willpower as non-limited showed greater sustained learning over the full duration of the task. These findings highlight the interactive nature of motivational and cognitive processes: motivational factors can substantially affect people's ability to recruit their cognitive resources to sustain learning over time.

Theories of Willpower Affect Sustained Learning

PubMed Central

Miller, Eric M.; Walton, Gregory M.; Dweck, Carol S.; Job, Veronika; Trzesniewski, Kali H.; McClure, Samuel M.

2012-01-01

Building cognitive abilities often requires sustained engagement with effortful tasks. We demonstrate that beliefs about willpower–whether willpower is viewed as a limited or non-limited resource–impact sustained learning on a strenuous mental task. As predicted, beliefs about willpower did not affect accuracy or improvement during the initial phases of learning; however, participants who were led to view willpower as non-limited showed greater sustained learning over the full duration of the task. These findings highlight the interactive nature of motivational and cognitive processes: motivational factors can substantially affect people’s ability to recruit their cognitive resources to sustain learning over time. PMID:22745675

Social learning in a longitudinal integrated clinical placement.

PubMed

Roberts, Chris; Daly, Michele; Held, Fabian; Lyle, David

2017-10-01

Recent research has demonstrated that longitudinal integrated placements (LICs) are an alternative mode of clinical education to traditional placements. Extended student engagement in community settings provide the advantages of educational continuity as well as increased service provision in underserved areas. Developing and maintaining LICs require a differing approach to student learning than that for traditional placements. There has been little theoretically informed empirical research that has offered explanations of which are the important factors that promote student learning in LICs and the relationships between those factors. We explored the relationship between student learning, student perceptions of preparedness for practice and student engagement, in the context of a rural LIC. We used a sequential qualitative design employing thematic, comparative and relational analysis of data from student interviews (n = 18) to understand possible processes and mechanisms of student learning in the LIC. Through the theoretical lens of social learning systems, we identified two major themes; connectivity and preparedness for practice. Connectivity described engagement and relationship building by students, across formal and informal learning experiences, interprofessional interactions, social interactions with colleagues, interaction with patients outside of the clinical setting, and the extent of integration in the wider community. Preparedness for practice, reflected students' perceptions of having sufficient depth in clinical skills, personal and professional development, cultural awareness and understanding of the health system, to work in that system. A comparative analysis compared the nature and variation of learning across students. In a relational analysis, there was a positive association between connectivity and preparedness for practice. Connectivity is a powerful enabler of students' agentic engagement, collaboration, and learning within an LIC. It is related to student perceptions of preparedness for practice. These findings provide insight for institutions wishing to develop similar programmes, by encouraging health professional educators to consider all of the potential elements of the placements, which most promote connectivity.

Sustaining Student Engagement in Learning Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ateh, Comfort M.; Charpentier, Alicia

2014-01-01

Many students perceive science to be a difficult subject and are minimally engaged in learning it. This article describes a lesson that embedded an activity to engage students in learning science. It also identifies features of a science lesson that are likely to enhance students' engagement and learning of science and possibly reverse students'…

Focusing on learning through constructive alignment with task-oriented portfolio assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cain, A.; Grundy, J.; Woodward, C. J.

2018-07-01

Approaches to learning have been shown to have a significant impact on student success in technical units. This paper reports on an action research study that applied the principles of constructive alignment to improve student learning outcomes in programming units. The proposed model uses frequent formative feedback to engage students with unit material, and encourage them to adopt deep approaches to learning. Our results provide a set of guiding principles and a structured teaching approach that focuses students on meeting unit learning objectives, the goal of constructive alignment. The results are demonstrated via descriptions of the resulting teaching and learning environment, student results, and staff and student reflections.

Technology support in nursing education: clickers in the classroom.

PubMed

Berry, Janice

2009-01-01

Research has shown that the present generation of students has a preference for digital literacy, experiential learning, interactivity, and immediacy; therefore, greater use of technology is being brought into university courses to aid in student involvement. Student Response Systems, called clickers, were incorporated as a teaching methodology to enhance student interaction and learning in a didactic pediatric nursing course. This course was taught over Interactive Television (ITV) with students at a distant site as well as face to face, creating the challenge of whole-class engagement. Clickers were used to actively engage students at both sites simultaneously and give immediate feedback to students regarding understanding of lecture material. Clickers also allowed small-group problem solving of questions. Exam grades and level of participation in case studies were monitored and exam scores and final scores were compared to those of a previous class. Student t-tests demonstrated that one of three course exams and final course grades were significantly higher for the students who used clickers in the classroom. Satisfaction feedback also supported the use of clickers as a tool to engage students and enhance learning outcomes.

Game Engagement Theory and Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitton, Nicola

2011-01-01

One of the benefits of computer game-based learning is the ability of certain types of game to engage and motivate learners. However, theories of learning and engagement, particularly in the sphere of higher education, typically fail to consider gaming engagement theory. In this article, the author examines the principles of engagement from games…

The Application of Observational Practice and Educational Networking in Simulation-Based and Distributed Medical Education Contexts.

PubMed

Welsher, Arthur; Rojas, David; Khan, Zain; VanderBeek, Laura; Kapralos, Bill; Grierson, Lawrence E M

2018-02-01

Research has revealed that individuals can improve technical skill performance by viewing demonstrations modeled by either expert or novice performers. These findings support the development of video-based observational practice communities that augment simulation-based skill education and connect geographically distributed learners. This study explores the experimental replicability of the observational learning effect when demonstrations are sampled from a community of distributed learners and serves as a context for understanding learner experiences within this type of training protocol. Participants from 3 distributed medical campuses engaged in a simulation-based learning study of the elliptical excision in which they completed a video-recorded performance before being assigned to 1 of 3 groups for a 2-week observational practice intervention. One group observed expert demonstrations, another observed novice demonstrations, and the third observed a combination of both. Participants returned for posttesting immediately and 1 month after the intervention. Participants also engaged in interviews regarding their perceptions of the usability and relevance of video-based observational practice to clinical education. Checklist (P < 0.0001) and global rating (P < 0.0001) measures indicate that participants, regardless of group assignment, improved after the intervention and after a 1-month retention period. Analyses revealed no significant differences between groups. Qualitative analyses indicate that participants perceived the observational practice platform to be usable, relevant, and potentially improved with enhanced feedback delivery. Video-based observational practice involving expert and/or novice demonstrations enhances simulation-based skill learning in a group of geographically distributed trainees. These findings support the use of Internet-mediated observational learning communities in distributed and simulation-based medical education contexts.

The importance of cultivating a preference for complexity in veterinarians for effective lifelong learning.

PubMed

Dale, Vicki H M; Pierce, Stephanie E; May, Stephen A

2010-01-01

Much attention has been paid to the link between students' approaches to study and the quality of their learning. Less attention has been paid to the lifelong learner. We conceptualized a tripartite relationship between three measures of learning preference: conceptions of knowledge (construction and use vs. intake), need for cognition (high vs. low), and approach to study (deep vs. surface) and hypothesized that an individual's profile on these three measures-reconceptualized as a preference for complexity versus simplicity-would affect their attitude toward continuing professional development (CPD). A questionnaire was mailed to 2,000 randomly selected, home-practicing UK veterinarians to quantify their learning preferences, motivation to engage in CPD, and perception of barriers to participation and to assess the relationships between these constructs. Analysis of 775 responses (a 38.8% response rate) confirmed our tripartite model of learning and showed that a preference for complexity was negatively correlated with barriers and positively correlated with intrinsic, social, and extrinsic motivating factors, suggesting that all play a role in the continuing education of this group of professionals. A preference for simplicity was negatively correlated with social motivation and positively correlated with barriers. This study demonstrates that approach not only affects the quality of learning but crucially affects motivation to engage in CPD and perception of barriers to lifelong learning. This should emphasize to veterinary educators the importance of fostering a preference for complexity from an early age, both in terms of its immediate benefits (better understanding) and longer-term benefits (continued engagement with learning).

STEM-related, Student-led Service Learning / Community Engagement Projects: Examples and Benefits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swap, R. J.; Wayland, K.

2015-12-01

Field-based, STEM-related service learning / community engagement projects present an opportunity for undergraduate students to demonstrate proficiencies related to the process of inquiry. These proficiencies include: appreciation of the larger project context, articulation of an informed question/hypothesis, project proposal development, interdisciplinary collaboration, project management (including planning, implementation reconfiguration and synthesis) and lastly the generation and handing off of acquired knowledge. Calls for these types of proficiencies have been expressed by governmental, non-governmental as well as the private sector. Accordingly, institutions of higher learning have viewed such activities as opportunities for enriching the learning experience for undergraduate students and for making such students more marketable, especially those from STEM-related fields. This institutional interest has provided an opportunity to support and expand field-based learning. Here we present examples of student-led/faculty-mentored international service learning and community engagement projects along the arc of preparation, implementation and post-field process. Representative examples that draw upon environmental science and engineering knowledge have been selected from more than 20 international undergraduate student projects over past decade and include: slow-sand water filtration, rainwater harvesting, methane biodigesters, water reticulation schemes and development and implementation of rocket stoves for communal cooking. We discuss these efforts in terms of the development of the aforementioned proficiencies, the utility of such proficiencies to the larger enterprise of STEM and the potential for transformative student learning outcomes. We share these experiences and lessons learned with the hope that others may intelligently borrow from our approach in a manner appropriate for their particular context.

Integrating Problem-Based Learning with Community-Engaged Learning in Teaching Program Development and Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hou, Su-I

2014-01-01

Purpose: Problem-based learning (PBL) challenges students to learn and work in groups to seek solutions to real world problems. Connecting academic study with community-engaged learning (CEL) experience can deeper learning and thinking. This paper highlights the integration of PBL with CEL in the Implementation Course to engage graduate students…

Learning from the Unknown Student

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barlow, Angela T.; Gerstenschlager, Natasha E.; Harmon, Shannon E.

2016-01-01

In this article, three instructional situations demonstrate the value of using an "unknown" student's work to allow the advancement of students' mathematical thinking as well as their engagement in the mathematical practice of critiquing the reasoning of others: (1) introducing alternative solution strategies; (2) critiquing inaccuracies…

Students' Evaluations about Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombardi, Doug; Brandt, Carol B.; Bickel, Elliot S.; Burg, Colin

2016-01-01

Scientists regularly evaluate alternative explanations of phenomena and solutions to problems. Students should similarly engage in critical evaluation when learning about scientific and engineering topics. However, students do not often demonstrate sophisticated evaluation skills in the classroom. The purpose of the present study was to…

A Framework for Teachers' Knowledge of Mathematical Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herbert, Sandra

2014-01-01

Exploring and developing primary teachers' understanding of mathematical reasoning was the focus of the "Mathematical Reasoning Professional Learning Research Program." Twenty-four primary teachers were interviewed after engagement in the first stage of the program incorporating demonstration lessons focused on reasoning conducted in…

Using Simulation Games to Increase Student and Instructor Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auman, Corinne

2011-01-01

Instructors are often reluctant to alter their current pedagogies in favor of engaged learning alternatives. In this article the author describes the development and implementation of an engaged learning, simulation-based pedagogy designed to increase student and instructor engagement. Student learning was examined across simulation and…

An innovative strategy in evaluation: using a student engagement framework to evaluate a role-based simulation.

PubMed

Smith, Morgan; Warland, Jane; Smith, Colleen

2012-03-01

Online role-play has the potential to actively engage students in authentic learning experiences and help develop their clinical reasoning skills. However, evaluation of student learning for this kind of simulation focuses mainly on the content and outcome of learning, rather than on the process of learning through student engagement. This article reports on the use of a student engagement framework to evaluate an online role-play offered as part of a course in Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Midwifery programs. Instruments that measure student engagement to date have targeted large numbers of students at program and institutional levels, rather than at the level of a specific learning activity. Although the framework produced some useful findings for evaluation purposes, further refinement of the questions is required to be certain that deep learning results from the engagement that occurs with course-level learning initiatives. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Bruce O.; Bills, Lynn

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

Female Undergraduate Student Perceptions of Their Engagement in an Experiential Learning Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jahansouz, Sara Lynne

2012-01-01

This study explores Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment grounded in a learning-outcomes-based curriculum as a vehicle for student engagement and learning. This study explores the demographics of participants and the perception of learning that occurred within the context of engagement in experiential learning activities during the first week of the…

Game-Based Learning Engagement: A Theory- and Data-Driven Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ke, Fengfeng; Xie, Kui; Xie, Ying

2016-01-01

The promise of using games for learning is that play- and learning-engagement would occur cohesively as a whole to compose a highly motivated learning experience. Yet the conceptualization of such an integrative process in the development of play-based learning engagement is lacking. In this analytical paper, we explored and conceptualized the…

Gameplay Engagement and Learning in Game-Based Learning: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdul Jabbar, Azita Iliya; Felicia, Patrick

2015-01-01

In this review, we investigated game design features that promote engagement and learning in game-based learning (GBL) settings. The aim was to address the lack of empirical evidence on the impact of game design on learning outcomes, identify how the design of game-based activities may affect learning and engagement, and develop a set of general…

Developing a Blended Course on Dying, Loss, and Grief

PubMed Central

Kavanaugh, Karen; Andreoni, V. Ann; Wilkie, Diana J.; Burgener, Sandra; Buschmann, MaryBeth Tank; Henderson, Gloria; Hsiung, Yi-Fang Yvonne; Zhao, Zhongsheng

2010-01-01

An important component of end-of-life education is to provide health professionals with content related to dying, loss, and grief. The authors describe the strategies used to develop and offer a blended course (integration of classroom face-to-face learning with online learning) that addressed the sensitive and often emotional content associated with grieving and bereavement. Using Kolb’s experiential learning theory, a set of 4 online learning modules, with engaging, interactive elements, was created. Course evaluations demonstrated the success of the blended course in comparison to the traditional, exclusive face-to-face approach. PMID:19412055

Engaging the Deaf American sign language community: lessons from a community-based participatory research center.

PubMed

McKee, Michael; Thew, Denise; Starr, Matthew; Kushalnagar, Poorna; Reid, John T; Graybill, Patrick; Velasquez, Julia; Pearson, Thomas

2012-01-01

Numerous publications demonstrate the importance of community-based participatory research (CBPR) in community health research, but few target the Deaf community. The Deaf community is understudied and underrepresented in health research despite suspected health disparities and communication barriers. The goal of this paper is to share the lessons learned from the implementation of CBPR in an understudied community of Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users in the greater Rochester, New York, area. We review the process of CBPR in a Deaf ASL community and identify the lessons learned. Key CBPR lessons include the importance of engaging and educating the community about research, ensuring that research benefits the community, using peer-based recruitment strategies, and sustaining community partnerships. These lessons informed subsequent research activities. This report focuses on the use of CBPR principles in a Deaf ASL population; lessons learned can be applied to research with other challenging-to-reach populations.

First year nursing students' experiences of social media during the transition to university: a focus group study.

PubMed

Ferguson, Caleb; DiGiacomo, Michelle; Saliba, Bernard; Green, Janet; Moorley, Calvin; Wyllie, Aileen; Jackson, Debra

2016-10-01

Social media platforms are useful for creating communities, which can then be utilised as a mean for supportive, professional and social learning. To explore first year nursing student experiences with social media in supporting student transition and engagement into higher education. Qualitative focus groups. Ten 1st year Bachelor of Nursing students were included in three face-to-face focus groups. Data were analysed using qualitative thematic content analysis. Three key themes emerged that illustrates the experiences of transition and engagement of first year student nurses using social media at university. (1) Facilitating familiarity and collaboration at a safe distance, (2) promoting independent learning by facilitating access to resources, and (3) mitigating hazards of social media. This study has demonstrated the importance of social media in supporting informal peer-peer learning and support, augmenting online and offline relationships, and building professional identity as a nurse.

Mutualism in museums: A model for engaging undergraduates in biodiversity science

PubMed Central

Cicero, Carla; Albe, Monica J.; Barclay, Theresa L. W.; Spencer, Carol L.; Koo, Michelle S.; Bowie, Rauri C. K.; Lacey, Eileen A.

2017-01-01

Museums have an untapped potential to engage students in hands-on learning. Here, we describe the development of a tiered museum-based program at the University of California, Berkeley as a model for engaging undergraduates in biodiversity science. This decade-long effort to increase student participation in collections demonstrates the mutual benefits of undergraduate involvement. Museums benefit from critical help in collections care and an increased intellectual vitality, while students simultaneously gain essential research skills and an unparalleled exposure to biodiversity. Five first steps to creating a program are: dedicate a coordinator, offer credit, diversify participation, create a tiered structure, and build community. PMID:29161253

Students' Studying and Approaches to Learning in Introductory Biology

PubMed Central

2004-01-01

This exploratory study was conducted in an introductory biology course to determine 1) how students used the large lecture environment to create their own learning tasks during studying and 2) whether meaningful learning resulted from the students' efforts. Academic task research from the K–12 education literature and student approaches to learning research from the postsecondary education literature provided the theoretical framework for the mixed methods study. The subject topic was cell division. Findings showed that students 1) valued lectures to develop what they believed to be their own understanding of the topic; 2) deliberately created and engaged in learning tasks for themselves only in preparation for the unit exam; 3) used course resources, cognitive operations, and study strategies that were compatible with surface and strategic, rather than deep, approaches to learning; 4) successfully demonstrated competence in answering familiar test questions aligned with their surface and strategic approaches to studying and learning; and 5) demonstrated limited meaningful understanding of the significance of cell division processes. Implications for introductory biology education are discussed. PMID:15592598

Flipped Learning: Can Rheumatology Lead the Shift in Medical Education?

PubMed

El Miedany, Yasser; El Gaafary, Maha; El Aroussy, Nadia; Youssef, Sally

2018-04-16

To: 1. implement flipped classroom rheumatology teaching for undergraduate education. 2. Evaluate outcomes of teaching using OSCE assessment and student perceived effectiveness and satisfaction survey. The flipped classroom education was conducted in 3 phases. Phase 1: carried out in the students' own time. Web links were emailed to assist exposure of the instructional part of the lesson online. Phase 2: interactive in-class activity to share personal reflection and reinforce the key aspects. Phase 3: a simulated OSCE assessment. A cohort of 56-students, who were taught in the last educational year on the same topics according to standard teaching protocols, were included as control group. The clinical Outcomes were assessed using the scores of the OSCE examination model. Academic outcomes included the engagement measure as well as the students' answers to perceived effectiveness and satisfaction survey. There was no significant difference regarding demographics between the 2 students' groups. There was significant improvement (p< 0.05) in the flipped learning, in contrast to the control group, in terms of clinical (OSCE score) as well as communication skills. Student perceived effectiveness and satisfaction was significantly higher among the flipped learning (p< 0.05). Scores from the flipped learning cohort showed a state of engagement significantly higher than the control group (p< 0.01). Flipped learning implementation musculoskeletal learning successfully demonstrated a promising platform for using technology to make better use of the students' time, and for increasing their satisfaction. Active learning increases student engagement and can lead to improved retention of knowledge. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Studying citizen science through adaptive management and learning feedbacks as mechanisms for improving conservation.

PubMed

Jordan, Rebecca; Gray, Steven; Sorensen, Amanda; Newman, Greg; Mellor, David; Newman, Greg; Hmelo-Silver, Cindy; LaDeau, Shannon; Biehler, Dawn; Crall, Alycia

2016-06-01

Citizen science has generated a growing interest among scientists and community groups, and citizen science programs have been created specifically for conservation. We examined collaborative science, a highly interactive form of citizen science, which we developed within a theoretically informed framework. In this essay, we focused on 2 aspects of our framework: social learning and adaptive management. Social learning, in contrast to individual-based learning, stresses collaborative and generative insight making and is well-suited for adaptive management. Adaptive-management integrates feedback loops that are informed by what is learned and is guided by iterative decision making. Participants engaged in citizen science are able to add to what they are learning through primary data collection, which can result in the real-time information that is often necessary for conservation. Our work is particularly timely because research publications consistently report a lack of established frameworks and evaluation plans to address the extent of conservation outcomes in citizen science. To illustrate how our framework supports conservation through citizen science, we examined how 2 programs enacted our collaborative science framework. Further, we inspected preliminary conservation outcomes of our case-study programs. These programs, despite their recent implementation, are demonstrating promise with regard to positive conservation outcomes. To date, they are independently earning funds to support research, earning buy-in from local partners to engage in experimentation, and, in the absence of leading scientists, are collecting data to test ideas. We argue that this success is due to citizen scientists being organized around local issues and engaging in iterative, collaborative, and adaptive learning. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

Meaningful Gamification in an Industrial/Organizational Psychology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stansbury, Jessica A.; Earnest, David R.

2017-01-01

Motivation and game research continue to demonstrate that the implementation of game design characteristics in the classroom can be engaging and intrinsically motivating. The present study assessed the extent to which an industrial organizational psychology course designed learning environment created with meaningful gamification elements can…

Social Learning in a Longitudinal Integrated Clinical Placement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Chris; Daly, Michele; Held, Fabian; Lyle, David

2017-01-01

Recent research has demonstrated that longitudinal integrated placements (LICs) are an alternative mode of clinical education to traditional placements. Extended student engagement in community settings provide the advantages of educational continuity as well as increased service provision in underserved areas. Developing and maintaining LICs…

Lab4CE: A Remote Laboratory for Computer Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broisin, Julien; Venant, Rémi; Vidal, Philippe

2017-01-01

Remote practical activities have been demonstrated to be efficient when learners come to acquire inquiry skills. In computer science education, virtualization technologies are gaining popularity as this technological advance enables instructors to implement realistic practical learning activities, and learners to engage in authentic and…

Process for Discovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Andrew

2017-01-01

Project-based learning is a successful way to engage students in learning in the classroom, and research reports increases in student achievement data. This article asks: If both students and teachers are more engaged when project-based learning is used, why aren't the elements of project-based learning being used to engage teachers in…

How to Awaken an Appreciation for the Value of Practicing Learning Skills in an Environment of Poverty, Theft, Destruction and Violent Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fish, James C.

2011-01-01

A first-year teacher thrust mid-term into a mixed-grade geometry class in a tough high school struggles to sort out what works and does not work to engage the 120 students in meaningful learning. The students are largely from low-income urban families and demonstrate a broad range of abilities and motivation. The purpose of this study is to…

An analysis of learning in an online biology course for teachers and teacher candidates: A mixed methods approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebec, Michael Thomas

Due to discipline specific shortages, web-based learning has been proposed as a convenient way to upgrade the content knowledge of instructors interested in learning to teach science. Despite quantitative evidence that web-based instruction is equivalent to traditional methods, questions remain regarding its use. The efficiency and practicality of this approach with teachers in particular has not been extensively studied. This investigation examines learning in an online biology course designed to help teachers prepare for science certification exams. Research questions concern flow teachers learn biology in the online environment and how this setting influences the learning process. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies are employed in an attempt to provide a more complete perspective than typical studies of online learning. Concept maps, tests, and online discussion transcripts are compared as measures of assimilated knowledge, while interviews reflect participants' views on the course. Findings indicate that participants experienced gains in declarative knowledge, but little improvement with respect to conditional knowledge. Qualitative examination of concept maps demonstrates gaps in participants' understandings of key course ideas. Engagement in the use of online resources varied according to participants' attitudes towards online learning. Subjects also reported a lack of motivation to fully engage in the course due to busy teaching schedules and the absence of accountability.

Motivation Matters? The Relationship among Different Types of Learning Motivation, Engagement Behaviors and Learning Outcomes of Undergraduate Students in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, Tzu-Ling

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to understand predictors of different learning outcomes among various student background characteristics, types of learning motivation and engagement behaviors. 178 junior students were surveyed at a 4-year research university in Taiwan. The scales of motivation, engagement and perceived learning outcomes were adapted…

Engaging Pre-Service Teachers to Teach Science Contextually with Scientific Approach Instructional Video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susantini, E.; Kurniasari, I.; Fauziah, A. N. M.; Prastowo, T.; Kholiq, A.; Rosdiana, L.

2018-01-01

Contextual teaching and learning/CTL presents new concepts in real-life experiences and situations where students can find out the meaningful relationship between abstract ideas and practical applications. Implementing contextual teaching by using scientific approach will foster teachers to find the constructive ways of delivering and organizing science content. This research developed an instructional video that represented a modeling of using a scientific approach in CTL. The aim of this research are to engage pre-service teachers in learning how to teach CTL and to show how pre-service teachers’ responses about learning how to teach CTL using an instructional video. The subjects of this research were ten pre-service teachers in Department of Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia. All subjects observed the instructional video which demonstrated contextual teaching and learning combined with the scientific approach as they completed a worksheet to analyze the video content. The results showed that pre-service teachers could learn to teach contextually as well as applying the scientific approach in science classroom through a modeling in the instructional video. They also responded that the instructional video could help them to learn to teach each component contextual teaching as well as scientific approach.

The Effects of Attentional Engagement on Route Learning Performance in a Virtual Environment: An Aging Study

PubMed Central

Hartmeyer, Steffen; Grzeschik, Ramona; Wolbers, Thomas; Wiener, Jan M.

2017-01-01

Route learning is a common navigation task affected by cognitive aging. Here we present a novel experimental paradigm to investigate whether age-related declines in executive control of attention contributes to route learning deficits. A young and an older participant group was repeatedly presented with a route through a virtual maze comprised of 12 decision points (DP) and non-decision points (non-DP). To investigate attentional engagement with the route learning task, participants had to respond to auditory probes at both DP and non-DP. Route knowledge was assessed by showing participants screenshots or landmarks from DPs and non-DPs and asking them to indicate the movement direction required to continue the route. Results demonstrate better performance for DPs than for non-DPs and slower responses to auditory probes at DPs compared to non-DPs. As expected we found slower route learning and slower responses to the auditory probes in the older participant group. Interestingly, differences in response times to the auditory probes between DPs and non-DPs can predict the success of route learning in both age groups and may explain slower knowledge acquisition in the older participant group. PMID:28775689

Using concept maps and goal-setting to support the development of self-regulated learning in a problem-based learning curriculum.

PubMed

Thomas, Lisa; Bennett, Sue; Lockyer, Lori

2016-09-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) in medical education focuses on preparing independent learners for continuing, self-directed, professional development beyond the classroom. Skills in self-regulated learning (SRL) are important for success in PBL and ongoing professional practice. However, the development of SRL skills is often left to chance. This study presents the investigated outcomes for students when support for the development of SRL was embedded in a PBL medical curriculum. This investigation involved design, delivery and testing of SRL support, embedded into the first phase of a four-year, graduate-entry MBBS degree. The intervention included concept mapping and goal-setting activities through iterative processes of planning, monitoring and reflecting on learning. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect data from seven students to develop case studies of engagement with, and outcomes from, the SRL support. The findings indicate that students who actively engaged with support for SRL demonstrated increases in cognitive and metacognitive functioning. Students also reported a greater sense of confidence in and control over their approaches to learning in PBL. This study advances understanding about how the development of SRL can be integrated into PBL.

Do Facilitate, Don’t Demonstrate: Meaningful Engagement for Science Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelderman, Richard

2017-01-01

We are encouraged to hand over the learning experience to the students who must do the learning. After the 1957 launch of Sputnik it seemed that learning by discovery would replace lectures and other forms of learning by rote. The innovative Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC), Chemical Education Materials Study (ChEMS), and Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) provided teachers with hands-on, activity-based curriculum materials emphasizing problem solving, process skills, and creativity. Our current reforms, based on the Next Generation Science Standards, stress that learner-centered strategies need to become commonplace throughout the classrooms of our formal education system. In this presentation, we share tips on how to double check your style of interactions for science outreach, to ensure the audience is working with a facilitator rather than simply enjoying an expert’s entertaining demonstration.

Engaging Environments Enhance Motor Skill Learning in a Computer Gaming Task.

PubMed

Lohse, Keith R; Boyd, Lara A; Hodges, Nicola J

2016-01-01

Engagement during practice can motivate a learner to practice more, hence having indirect effects on learning through increased practice. However, it is not known whether engagement can also have a direct effect on learning when the amount of practice is held constant. To address this question, 40 participants played a video game that contained an embedded repeated sequence component, under either highly engaging conditions (the game group) or mechanically identical but less engaging conditions (the sterile group). The game environment facilitated retention over a 1-week interval. Specifically, the game group improved in both speed and accuracy for random and repeated trials, suggesting a general motor-related improvement, rather than a specific influence of engagement on implicit sequence learning. These data provide initial evidence that increased engagement during practice has a direct effect on generalized learning, improving retention and transfer of a complex motor skill.

Adding Another Dimension to Learning: Application of Real World Globes to Undergraduate Geoscience Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLeod, C. L.; Kugler, A.

2016-12-01

The Geological Globe of the World (www.realworldglobes.com) promotes hands-on, in-class activities and allows students to engage with a physical 3-D model of Earth's characteristic, planet-forming geological features. The effectiveness of this concept in student learning has been demonstrated by two pilot studies presented as posters by Weeraratne et al. (2011) and Stoddard and Rogers (2013) at previous AGU meetings. The impact of the Geological Globe of the World on undergraduate teaching at Miami University, OH during Fall semester 2016 will be presented. It is anticipated that this teaching tool will have the biggest impact on the teaching of our 100-level lab course, GLG 155L, which engages 900 students per academic year. A Learning Assessment based on the learning objectives of GLG 115L has been written in order to demonstrate and evaluate the role of the Geological Globe in student learning. This Learning Assessment will be issued through www.salgsite.org (SALG: Student Assessment of Learning Gains) and will ask students to assess their own knowledge and understanding of key concepts before and after specific lab exercises which implement the globe. From research discussed in Bamford (2013), it has been demonstrated that "students learning with 3D teaching aids had better ordering of concepts and had enhanced skills in describing their learning, including writing more, saying more and being more likely to use models to demonstrate their (own) learning". It is anticipated that through use of the Geological Globe of the World students will be able to interpret Earth's geological features on a 3-D projection including topography, active volcanism, crustal movements and the location of seismic events. The incorporation of the Geological Globe of the World in undergraduate geoscience teaching in GLG 115L, and other departmental courses, aims to encourage students to make observations and collect data in order to interpret and evaluate relevant geological information. Bamford, A., (2013) The 3D in Education, White Paper. Stoddard, P. R and Rogers, D., (2013). Using Dry Erasable Globes in Earth and Space Science Classes. AGU Fall Meeting, #ED53G-0689 Weeraratne, D. S., Rogers, D. B., and Liedtke, J (2011). Teaching Seismic Methods Using Interactive 3-D Earth Globe, AGU Fall Meeting, #ED51B-0751

Gamification for Engaging Computer Science Students in Learning Activities: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibáñez, Maria-Blanca; Di-Serio, Ángela; Delgado-Kloos, Carlos

2014-01-01

Gamification is the use of game design elements in non-game settings to engage participants and encourage desired behaviors. It has been identified as a promising technique to improve students' engagement which could have a positive impact on learning. This study evaluated the learning effectiveness and engagement appeal of a gamified learning…

Educating Engaged Citizens: Four Projects from Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Flaherty, Joanne; Liddy, Mags; Tansey, Lorraine; Roche, Cathy

2011-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to describe the four education projects that demonstrate how Irish education provision is adapting to meet social and economic changes: Ubuntu Network working to integrate education for sustainable development (ESD) into teacher education; Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI) facilitating service learning modules at higher…

Implications of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for School-Home Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heath, Don; Maghrabi, Rozan; Carr, Nora

2015-01-01

Research demonstrates the positive impact of parental involvement on students, families and schools. Studies also indicate a close connection between effective school-home communication and increased parental involvement and engagement in learning. Effective selection and use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) invites more effective…

Conceptualizing Learning from the Everyday Activities of Digital Kids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsi, Sherry

2007-01-01

This paper illustrates the intensified engagement that youth are having with digital technologies and introduces a framework for examining "digital fluency"--the competencies, new representational practises, design sensibilities, ownership, and strategic expertise that a learner gains or demonstrates by using digital tools to gather, design,…

Digital Reenactments: Using Green Screen Technology to Recreate the Past

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheffield, Caroline C.; Swan, Stephen B.

2012-01-01

Historical reenactments are a frequently utilized active learning strategy that encourages students to engage in historical thinking. They require students to critically read and synthesize information, consider multiple perspectives, and write a coherent narrative demonstrating an understanding of the time period, event, and the individuals…

Assessment of student learning with hypermedia tools in first-year college chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skov, Neil Martin

Learning chemistry is difficult for some students. In response to this difficulty, many educators argue that hypermedia technology can promote learning of abstract chemistry concepts. This research assesses learning outcomes and use patterns exhibited by first-year college general chemistry students using an instructional hypermedia system called Seeing Through Chemistry (STC) as part of their first course. STC was designed to help students with inadequate preparation for college chemistry. The assessment answers two questions: (a) do students learn from instructional hypermedia, and (b) what kind of students benefit from this medium? This non-experimental, quantitative research involved 82 student volunteers in their first college chemistry course. Data include SAT scores, high school science and mathematics grades, career orientation, chemistry placement score, motivation, laboratory and lecture section enrollment, and chemistry course grade. The investigation requires two specialized assessment tools: a measure of conceptual understanding of acids and bases, and a measure of cognitive engagement with hypermedia. Data analysis methods include two causal path models to examine hypermedia use and learning outcomes: one showing STC's effect on overall chemistry course performance, and the other demonstrating the effect of a single STC module on students' conceptual knowledge of acids and bases. Though there is no significant effect on course grade, the second analysis shows statistically significant learning from students' work with instructional hypermedia. Both causal models demonstrate that students with poorer preparation for college chemistry used STC more than students with better preparation, which matches the designers' intent. Some better prepared students were relatively more motivated to use the hypermedia system. Other findings show positive effects of high school science and college laboratory coursework on concept learning. This research informs the field of hypermedia design. Since STC's developers used particular parameters to guide their design, the medium's positive effect on learning indirectly supports the underlying design parameters. This research also demonstrates an effective method for assessing hypermedia learning in large course settings. In addition, the study exhibits a new tool for investigating conceptual understandings of large numbers of students, and a new way to measure cognitive engagement of students using instructional hypermedia.

Filtering Informal Learning in Everyday Life: Invoking Ordinariness and Moving to Civic Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grummell, Bernie

2010-01-01

This article explores the role of informal learning from television as it is anchored within the ordinariness of daily life. It examines the consequences for pedagogy and civic engagement, questioning how informal learning from television can enhance civic engagement. For many, this learning was localised through personalised and interpersonal…

Best Practices in Learning Space Design: Engaging Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grummon, Phyllis T. H.

2009-01-01

Conceptions of the learning process have varied over time, from seeing learners as "blank slates" for a teacher to fill to the view that, unless a learner is engaged in actively constructing knowledge, little will be learned or retained. As research on the physiological aspects of learning has revealed, active engagement with the learning…

Active Learning: Engaging Students to Maximize Learning in an Online Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Arshia; Egbue, Ona; Palkie, Brooke; Madden, Janna

2017-01-01

Student engagement is key to successful teaching and learning, irrespective of the content and format of the content delivery mechanism. However, engaging students presents a particular challenge in online learning environments. Unlike face-to-face courses, online courses present a unique challenge as the only social presence between the faculty…

Higher Education Civic Learning and Engagement: A Massachusetts Case Study. Promising Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brennan, Jan

2017-01-01

This Promising Practices report explores the civic learning and engagement efforts of Massachusetts' public higher education system in five areas: vision of Preparing Citizens as a core educational commitment, development of a state higher education Policy on Civic Learning, creation of civic engagement and service-learning course designations,…

Inside Out: Active learning in fluid dynamics in and out of the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaye, Nigel; Benson, Lisa; Sill, Ben

2014-11-01

Active learning can be broadly defined as any activity that engages students beyond just listening. But is it worth the effort, when we can just lecture and tell students all they need to know? Learning theories posit that students remember far more of what they say and do than of what they hear and see. The benefits of active learning include increased attendance (because class is now something different and attending is more worthwhile) and deeper understanding of concepts (because students get to practice answering and generating questions). A recent meta-analysis of research on active learning has summarized evidence of real outcomes of active learning. Research is showing that students' performance on exams are higher and that they fail at lower rates in classes that involve active learning compared to traditional lecturing. Other studies have shown evidence of improved performance in follow-on classes, showing that the improved learning lasts. There are some topics and concepts that are best taught (or at least introduced) through lecturing, but even lecturing can be broken up by short activities that engage students so they learn more effectively. In this presentation, we will review the findings of the meta study and provide examples of active learning both inside and outside the classroom that demonstrate simple ways of introducing this approach in fluid dynamics classes.

Effects of competition on students' self-efficacy in vicarious learning.

PubMed

Chan, Joanne C Y; Lam, Shui-fong

2008-03-01

Vicarious learning is one of the fundamental sources of self-efficacy that is frequently employed in educational settings. However, little research has investigated the effects of competition on students' writing self-efficacy when they engage in vicarious learning. This study compared the effects of competitive and non-competitive classrooms on students' writing self-efficacy when they engaged in vicarious learning. The participants were 71 grade 7 students in Hong Kong. Using prior writing performance for stratified random sampling, students were assigned either to a competitive or a non-competitive classroom. Students learned how to compose similes and metaphors in Chinese. In the competitive classroom, students' self-efficacy decreased when they engaged in vicarious learning. In the non-competitive classroom, students' self-efficacy did not show a significant change when they engaged in vicarious learning. The findings suggested that when students engaged in vicarious learning in a competitive classroom, their self-efficacy might be threatened. Implications for efforts to design constructive context for vicarious learning are discussed.

Acting in Our Own Self-Interests: Blending University and Community in Informal Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkelstein, Noah D.; Mayhew, Laurel

2008-10-01

Research in physics education has demonstrated new tools and models for improving the understanding and engagement of traditional college students [1]. Building on this base, the research community has bridged the gap from college to pre-college education, even elementary school [2]. However, little work has been done to engage students in out-of-school settings, particularly for those students from populations under-represented in the sciences. We present a theoretically-grounded model of university-community partnership [3] that engages university students and children in a collective enterprise that has the potential to improve the participation and education of all. We document the impact of these programs on: university participants who learn about education, the community and even some science; children in the community who learn about science, the nature of science and develop their identities and attitudes towards science; and, shifts in institutional practice which may allow these programs to be sustained, or not.

`Not hard to sway': a case study of student engagement in two large engineering classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shekhar, Prateek; Borrego, Maura

2018-07-01

Although engineering education research has empirically validated the effectiveness of active learning in improving student learning over traditional lecture-based methods, the adoption of active learning in classrooms has been slow. One of the greatest reported barriers is student resistance towards engagement in active learning exercises. This paper argues that the level of student engagement in active learning classrooms is an interplay of social and physical classroom characteristics. Using classroom observations and instructor interviews, this study describes the influence of the interaction of student response systems and classroom layout on student engagement in two large active-learning-based engineering classrooms. The findings suggest that the use of different student response systems in combination with cluster-style seating arrangements can increase student engagement in large classrooms.

Looking, Feeling, and Doing: Are There Age Differences in Attention, Mood and Behavioral Responses to Skin Cancer Information?

PubMed Central

Isaacowitz, Derek M.; Choi, YoonSun

2012-01-01

Overview Previous studies on aging and attention to emotional information found that older adults may look away from negative stimuli to regulate their moods. However, it is an open question whether older adults’ tendency to look less at negative material comes at the expense of learning when negative information is also health-relevant. This study investigated how age-related changes in attention to negative but relevant information about skin cancer risk reduction influenced both subsequent health behavior and mood regulation. Methods Younger (18-25, n = 78) and older (60-92, n = 77) adults’ fixations toward videos containing negatively-valenced content and risk-reduction information about skin cancer were recorded with eye-tracking. Self-reported mood ratings were measured throughout. Behavioral outcome measures (e.g., answering knowledge questions about skin cancer, choosing a sunscreen, completing a skin self-exam) assessed participants’ learning of key health-relevant information, their interest in seeking additional information, and their engagement in protective behaviors. Results Older adults generally looked less at the negative video content, more rapidly regulated their moods, and learned fewer facts about skin cancer; yet, they engaged in a greater number of protective behaviors than did younger adults. Conclusions Older adults may demonstrate an efficient looking strategy that extracts important information without disrupting their moods, and they may compensate for less learning by engaging in a greater number of protective behaviors. Younger adults may be distracted by disruptions to their mood, constraining their engagement in protective behaviors. PMID:22149125

Looking, feeling, and doing: are there age differences in attention, mood, and behavioral responses to skin cancer information?

PubMed

Isaacowitz, Derek M; Choi, Yoonsun

2012-09-01

Previous studies on aging and attention to emotional information found that older adults may look away from negative stimuli to regulate their moods. However, it is an open question whether older adults' tendency to look less at negative material comes at the expense of learning when negative information is also health-relevant. This study investigated how age-related changes in attention to negative but relevant information about skin cancer risk reduction influenced both subsequent health behavior and mood regulation. Younger (18-25 years of age, n = 78) and older (60-92 years of age, n = 77) adults' fixations toward videos containing negatively valenced content and risk-reduction information about skin cancer were recorded with eye-tracking. Self-reported mood ratings were measured throughout. Behavioral outcome measures (e.g., answering knowledge questions about skin cancer, choosing a sunscreen, completing a skin self-exam) assessed participants' learning of key health-relevant information, their interest in seeking additional information, and their engagement in protective behaviors. Older adults generally looked less at the negative video content, more rapidly regulated their moods, and learned fewer facts about skin cancer; yet, they engaged in a greater number of protective behaviors than did younger adults. Older adults may demonstrate an efficient looking strategy that extracts important information without disrupting their moods, and they may compensate for less learning by engaging in a greater number of protective behaviors. Younger adults may be distracted by disruptions to their mood, constraining their engagement in protective behaviors. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Selective attention neutralizes the adverse effects of low socioeconomic status on memory in 9-month-old infants

PubMed Central

Markant, Julie; Ackerman, Laura K.; Nussenbaum, Kate; Amso, Dima

2015-01-01

Socioeconomic status (SES) has a documented impact on brain and cognitive development. We demonstrate that engaging spatial selective attention mechanisms may counteract this negative influence of impoverished environments on early learning. We previously used a spatial cueing task to compare target object encoding in the context of basic orienting (“facilitation”) versus a spatial selective attention orienting mechanism that engages distractor suppression (“IOR”). This work showed that object encoding in the context of IOR boosted 9-month-old infants’ recognition memory relative to facilitation (Markant and Amso, 2013). Here we asked whether this attention-memory links further interacted with SES in infancy. Results indicated that SES was related to memory but not attention orienting efficacy. However, the correlation between SES and memory performance was moderated by the attention mechanism engaged during encoding. SES predicted memory performance when objects were encoded with basic orienting processes, with infants from low-SES environments showing poorer memory than those from high-SES environments. However, SES did not predict memory performance among infants who engaged selective attention during encoding. Spatial selective attention engagement mitigated the effects of SES on memory and may offer an effective mechanism for promoting learning among infants at risk for poor cognitive outcomes related to SES. PMID:26597046

The effects of initial participation motivations on learning engagement in transition training for future general practitioners in rural China: perceived deterrents as mediator

PubMed Central

Cui, Guan-yu; Yao, Mei-lin; Zhang, Xia; Guo, Yan-kui; Li, Hui-min; Yao, Xiu-ping

2016-01-01

Background For the shortage of high-quality general practitioners (GPs) in China's rural areas, Chinese government has taken steps to encourage rural specialists to participate in transition training for future GPs. Specialists’ initial participation motivations and their perceived deterrents during training may play important roles for their learning engagement in the transition training. This study aimed at revealing the relationships among the variables of initial participation motivations, perceived deterrents in training, and learning engagement. Methods A questionnaire survey was used in this study. A total of 156 rural specialists who participated in transition training for future GPs filled out the questionnaire, which consisted of the measurements of initial participation motivations, perceived deterrents, and learning engagement in training. The data about specialists’ demographic variables were collected at the same time. Results The variance of initial escape/stimulations motivation significantly predicted the variance of learning engagement through the full mediating role of perceived deterrents in training. In addition, initial educational preparation motivations predicted the variance of learning engagement directly. Conclusions Specialists’ initial participation motivations and perceived deterrents in training played important roles for learning engagement in the transition training. PMID:27340086

Learn before Lecture: A Strategy That Improves Learning Outcomes in a Large Introductory Biology Class

PubMed Central

Moravec, Marin; Williams, Adrienne; Aguilar-Roca, Nancy

2010-01-01

Actively engaging students in lecture has been shown to increase learning gains. To create time for active learning without displacing content we used two strategies for introducing material before class in a large introductory biology course. Four to five slides from 2007/8 were removed from each of three lectures in 2009 and the information introduced in preclass worksheets or narrated PowerPoint videos. In class, time created by shifting lecture material to learn before lecture (LBL) assignments was used to engage students in application of their new knowledge. Learning was evaluated by comparing student performance in 2009 versus 2007/8 on LBL-related question pairs, matched by level and format. The percentage of students who correctly answered five of six LBL-related exam questions was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in 2009 versus 2007/8. The mean increase in performance was 21% across the six LBL-related questions compared with <3% on all non-LBL exam questions. The worksheet and video LBL formats were equally effective based on a cross-over experimental design. These results demonstrate that LBLs combined with interactive exercises can be implemented incrementally and result in significant increases in learning gains in large introductory biology classes. PMID:21123694

National Issues Forums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parkins, Leslie

2006-01-01

Demonstrating an appreciation for the perspectives of others is now recognized as one of the single most important learning outcomes of a college education. This skill, fundamental to democracy and civic engagement, is honed in college by institutions that provide opportunities for students to interact with their peers and others on issues that…

Interpreting Graphs: Students Developing an Understanding of Covariation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzallen, Noleine

2012-01-01

Students' development of an understanding of covariation was the focus of a research project that investigated the way in which 12 Year 5/6 students engaged with the learning environment afforded by the graphing software, "TinkerPlots." Using data generated from individual interviews, the results demonstrate that upper primary students…

Making Science Relevant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eick, Charles; Deutsch, Bill; Fuller, Jennifer; Scott, Fletcher

2008-01-01

Science teachers are always looking for ways to demonstrate the relevance of science to students. By connecting science learning to important societal issues, teachers can motivate students to both enjoy and engage in relevant science (Bennet, Lubben, and Hogarth 2007). To develop that connection, teachers can help students take an active role in…

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Children's Imitative Flexibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clegg, Jennifer M.; Legare, Cristine H.

2016-01-01

Recent research with Western populations has demonstrated that children use imitation flexibly to engage in both instrumental and conventional learning. Evidence for children's imitative flexibility in non-Western populations is limited, however, and has only assessed imitation of instrumental tasks. This study (N = 142, 6- to 8-year-olds)…

Safety Teams: An Approach to Engage Students in Laboratory Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alaimo, Peter J.; Langenhan, Joseph M.; Tanner, Martha J.; Ferrenberg, Scott M.

2010-01-01

We developed and implemented a yearlong safety program into our organic chemistry lab courses that aims to enhance student attitudes toward safety and to ensure students learn to recognize, demonstrate, and assess safe laboratory practices. This active, collaborative program involves the use of student "safety teams" and includes…

Another Matrix Revolution? The Overlap of University Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Carroll

2014-01-01

There may be a perception among academic staff that professional staff are remote from academic activities (Wallace and Marchant, 2011), however, recent research demonstrates that professional staff, across a range of roles and seniority levels, are interested and engaged in supporting positive student learning outcomes (Graham, 2012, 2013a,…

A New Lean Paradigm in Higher Education: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doman, Mark S.

2011-01-01

Purpose: This case study aims to demonstrate that lean principles and practices utilized in industry can be successfully applied to improve higher education administrative processes through an innovative and engaging learning experience involving undergraduate students. Design/methodology/approach: This is a first-hand account by the instructor of…

Families Talking about Ecology at Touch Tanks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopczak, Charles; Kisiel, James F.; Rowe, Shawn

2015-01-01

Research has demonstrated that conversations among museum, aquarium, and zoo visitors can be a clear indication of active learning, engagement, and participation in scientific reasoning. This descriptive study sought to determine the extent of talk about ecology-related topics exhibited by family groups visiting marine touch tanks at four Pacific…

Relationship between learning environment characteristics and academic engagement.

PubMed

Opdenakker, Marie-Christine; Minnaert, Alexander

2011-08-01

The relationship between learning environment characteristics and academic engagement of 777 Grade 6 children located in 41 learning environments was explored. Questionnaires were used to tap learning environment perceptions of children, their academic engagement, and their ethnic-cultural background. The basis of the learning environment questionnaire was the International System for Teacher Observation and Feedback (ISTOF). Factor analysis indicated three factors: the teacher as a helpful and good instructor (having good instructional skills, clear instruction), the teacher as promoter of active learning and differentiation, and the teacher as manager and organizer of classroom activities. Multilevel analysis indicated that about 12% of the differences in engagement between children was related to the learning environment. All the mentioned learning environment characteristics mattered, but the teacher as a helpful, good instructor was most important followed by the teacher as promoter of active learning and differentiation.

Sustained Professional Development on Cooperative Learning: Impact on Six Teachers' Practices and Students' Learning.

PubMed

Goodyear, Victoria A

2017-03-01

It has been argued, extensively and internationally, that sustained school-based continuous professional development (CPD) has the potential to overcome some of the shortcomings of traditional one-off CPD programs. Yet, the evidence base on more effective or less effective forms of CPD is contradictory. The mechanisms by which sustained support should be offered are unclear, and the impacts on teachers' and students' learning are complex and difficult to track. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a sustained school-based, tailored, and supported CPD program on teachers' practices and students' learning. Data are reported from 6 case studies of individual teachers engaged in a yearlong CPD program focused on cooperative learning. The CPD program involved participatory action research and frequent interaction/support from a boundary spanner (researcher/facilitator). Data were gathered from 29 video-recorded lessons, 108 interviews, and 35 field journal entries. (a) Individualized (external) support, (b) departmental (internal) support, and (c) sustained support impacted teachers' practices of cooperative learning. The teachers adapted their practices of cooperative learning in response to their students' learning needs. Teachers began to develop a level of pedagogical fluency, and in doing so, teachers advanced students' learning. Because this study demonstrates impact, it contributes to international literature on effective CPD. The key contribution is the detailed evidence about how and why CPD supported 6 individual teachers to learn-differently-and the complexity of the learning support required to engage in ongoing curriculum development to positively impact student learning.

The effects of supplemental online learning aids on student performance and student engagement in Medical Microbiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, Kimberly

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of online learning aids on student performance and engagement. The thirty-five participants of the current study were students enrolled in two sections of a junior level Medical Microbiology laboratory. The experimental section was required to spend ten minutes each week on an online learning aid. The online program, StudyMate(TM), was used to present text and images in the form of flash cards, multiple choice questions, matching, and crossword puzzles. Both groups completed the Index of Learning Style survey, an initial engagement survey at the start of the course, and a final engagement survey at the end of the course. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the groups at the start of the course or after the course was completed for learning style, science grade point average, overall grade point average, initial engagement or final engagement. A moderate correlation was found between microbiology course and laboratory grades and a reflective learning style.

'She Thinks Her Toys Don't Understand Romanian': Family Engagement with Children's Learning during the Transition to School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Susanne

2018-01-01

This article reports on the perspectives of mothers and educators in relation to the engagement of mothers in their children's learning as children living in complex circumstances made the transition to school. For the purposes of this study, family engagement related to engaging with children's learning, which may not necessarily equate to…

Mediated Modeling in Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halloun, Ibrahim A.

2007-08-01

Following two decades of corroboration, modeling theory is presented as a pedagogical theory that promotes mediated experiential learning of model-laden theory and inquiry in science education. Students develop experiential knowledge about physical realities through interplay between their own ideas about the physical world and particular patterns in this world. Under teacher mediation, they represent each pattern with a particular model that they develop through a five-phase learning cycle, following particular modeling schemata of well-defined dimensions and rules of engagement. Significantly greater student achievement has been increasingly demonstrated under mediated modeling than under conventional instruction of lecture and demonstration, especially in secondary school and university physics courses. The improved achievement is reflected in more meaningful understanding of course materials, better learning styles, higher success rates, lower attrition rates and narrower gaps between students of different backgrounds.

Effects of Character Voice-Over on Players' Engagement in a Digital Role-Playing Game Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byun, JaeHwan

2012-01-01

Learner engagement has been considered one of the keys that can lead learners to successful learning in a multimedia learning environment such as digital game-based learning. Regarding this point, game-based learning advocates (e.g., Gee, 2003; Prensky, 2001) have asserted that digital games have great potential to engage learners. Nonetheless,…

A Unified Model of Student Engagement in Classroom Learning and Classroom Learning Environment: One Measure and One Underlying Construct

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Robert F.

2015-01-01

This study employed the capabilities-expectations model of engagement in classroom learning based on bio-ecological frameworks of intellectual development and flow theory. According to the capabilities-expectations model, engagement requires a balance between the capabilities of a student for learning in a particular situation and what is expected…

Reflections on learning and enhancing communication skills through community engagement: a student perspective.

PubMed

Hanks, S; Marples, C; Wall, E

2016-07-22

Students in Peninsula School of Dentistry (PSD), Plymouth, undertake community engagement projects during the first two years of their undergraduate curriculum. These projects involve interaction with a variety of specific community groups and the planning and delivery of an appropriate and meaningful oral health intervention. Many of the project outcomes are based on enhancing communication skills and encouraging students to transfer these into their patient treatment sessions. This report draws on the experience of students who undertook two specific projects to demonstrate how they feel this is achieved.

Impact of learning adaptability and time management disposition on study engagement among Chinese baccalaureate nursing students.

PubMed

Liu, Jing-Ying; Liu, Yan-Hui; Yang, Ji-Peng

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships among study engagement, learning adaptability, and time management disposition in a sample of Chinese baccalaureate nursing students. A convenient sample of 467 baccalaureate nursing students was surveyed in two universities in Tianjin, China. Students completed a questionnaire that included their demographic information, Chinese Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student Questionnaire, Learning Adaptability Scale, and Adolescence Time Management Disposition Scale. One-way analysis of variance tests were used to assess the relationship between certain characteristics of baccalaureate nursing students. Pearson correlation was performed to test the correlation among study engagement, learning adaptability, and time management disposition. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the mediating role of time management disposition. The results revealed that study engagement (F = 7.20, P < .01) and learning adaptability (F = 4.41, P < .01) differed across grade groups. Learning adaptability (r = 0.382, P < .01) and time management disposition (r = 0.741, P < .01) were positively related with study engagement. Time management disposition had a partially mediating effect on the relationship between study engagement and learning adaptability. The findings implicate that educators should not only promote interventions to increase engagement of baccalaureate nursing students but also focus on development, investment in adaptability, and time management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Work-engaged nurses for a better clinical learning environment: a ward-level analysis.

PubMed

Tomietto, Marco; Comparcini, Dania; Simonetti, Valentina; Pelusi, Gilda; Troiani, Silvano; Saarikoski, Mikko; Cicolini, Giancarlo

2016-05-01

To correlate workgroup engagement in nursing teams and the clinical learning experience of nursing students. Work engagement plays a pivotal role in explaining motivational dynamics. Nursing education is workplace-based and, through their clinical placements, nursing students develop both their clinical competences and their professional identity. However, there is currently a lack of evidence on the role of work engagement related to students' learning experiences. A total of 519 nurses and 519 nursing students were enrolled in hospital settings. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) was used to assess work engagement, and the Clinical Learning Environment and Supervision plus nurse Teacher (CLES+T) scale was used to assess students' learning experience. A multilevel linear regression analysis was performed. Group-level work engagement of nurses correlated with students' clinical learning experience (β = 0.11, P < 0.001). Specifically, the 'absorption' and 'dedication' factors mostly contributed to enhancing clinical learning (respectively, β = 0.37, P < 0.001 and β = 0.20, P < 0.001). Nursing teams' work engagement is an important motivational factor to enhance effective nursing education. Nursing education institutions and health-care settings need to conjointly work to build effective organisational climates. The results highlighted the importance of considering the group-level analysis to understand the most effective strategies of intervention for both organisations and nursing education. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Lessons from medical students' perceptions of learning reflective skills: a multi-institutional study.

PubMed

Vivekananda-Schmidt, Pirashanthie; Marshall, Michelle; Stark, Patsy; McKendree, Jean; Sandars, John; Smithson, Sarah

2011-01-01

A core competency during undergraduate medical training is the development of reflective learning. The current literature is limited to demonstrating how reflective learning has been implemented or the approaches to its development. There is a lack of insight into students' perceptions of reflection and the factors that support development of reflective practice. Bridging this gap may provide insight into how reflective learning within the curriculum can be better developed to increase engagement from learners. Eight focus group interviews with second year students from four UK medical schools were held. Results were thematically analysed. Students have a high level of understanding of the purpose of reflection in practice but they perceive that there is a tension between public and private reflections. Assessment of the reflective process was perceived to be useful for developing reflective skills but grading of their reflective writing was not considered to be useful. Staff who champion the development of reflective skills and mentor students were perceived to play key roles in aiding the development of reflective skills. Appropriate experiences were seen to be a key part of developing reflective skills. These findings highlight potential ways to revise and improve engagement with the reflective learning components of undergraduate courses.

Lifelong learning in the 21st century and beyond.

PubMed

Collins, Jannette

2009-01-01

Lifelong learning is now recognized by educators, governing bodies, accreditation organizations, certification boards, employers, third-party payers, and the general public as one of the most important competencies that people must possess. Promoting lifelong learning as continuous, collaborative, self-directed, active, broad in domain, everlasting, positive and fulfilling, and applicable to one's profession as well as all aspects of one's life has emerged as a major global educational challenge. Meeting this challenge will require changes in the way teachers teach and learners learn, as teachers take on a more facilitative role and learners take more responsibility for setting goals, identifying resources for learning, and reflecting on and evaluating their learning. For physicians, this will require less dependence on traditional educational venues, such as passive continuing medical education activities, and greater participation in self-assessment, peer assessment, evaluation of performance in practice, documentation of practice-based learning and improvement activities, and learning at the point of care. Radiologists in an academic setting are exposed to multiple opportunities for practicing lifelong learning, such as teaching others, participating in multidisciplinary conferences and journal clubs, and engaging in research. All radiologists can participate in self-audits and group audits of performance and become active participants in national radiology societies, where they can learn from each other. Participation in the American Board of Radiology's Maintenance of Certification program reflects a commitment to actively engage in lifelong learning and is one way of demonstrating to the general public a commitment to maintaining competence. (c) RSNA, 2009.

Civic Engagement and Organizational Learning Strategies for Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Tami L.; Mendez, Jesse P.

2014-01-01

Students succeed in college by engaging with faculty, peers, and the community. Institutional leaders can utilize organizational learning strategies to learn what works to support civic learning outcomes and student success.

Student Engagement in Learning Vocabulary with CALL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stroud, Robert

2014-01-01

Ensuring that students are "engaged" in learning is a key concern for instructors across many fields. With regards to vocabulary in language learning, teachers should provide students with tasks which promote high levels of motivation and resultant engagement. The recent trend of online systems which have dynamic, collaborative, and even…

Teaching for Engagement: Part 3: Designing for Active Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, William J.

2015-01-01

In the first two parts of this series, ("Teaching for Engagement: Part 1: Constructivist Principles, Case-Based Teaching, and Active Learning") and ("Teaching for Engagement: Part 2: Technology in the Service of Active Learning"), William J. Hunter sought to outline the theoretical rationale and research basis for such active…

Spirituality: The Bridge between Engagement and Resistance in The Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawton, Dianne Ford

2017-01-01

This theoretical article explores the role spirituality plays in engagement and resistance in the workplace. These qualities exist at the opposite ends of the continuum in adult education in the workplace: engagement in learning and resistance to adult learning. By employing Mezirow's learning framework, the researcher illustrates how spirituality…

Transformational Learning and Community Development: Early Reflections on Professional and Community Engagement at Macquarie University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rawlings-Sanaei, Felicity; Sachs, Judyth

2014-01-01

Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) at Macquarie University offers undergraduate students experiential learning opportunities with local, regional, and international partners. In PACE projects, students work toward meeting the partner's organizational goals while they develop their capabilities, learn through the process of engagement,…

Engaging the Deaf American Sign Language Community: Lessons From a Community-Based Participatory Research Center

PubMed Central

McKee, Michael; Thew, Denise; Starr, Matthew; Kushalnagar, Poorna; Reid, John T.; Graybill, Patrick; Velasquez, Julia; Pearson, Thomas

2013-01-01

Background Numerous publications demonstrate the importance of community-based participatory research (CBPR) in community health research, but few target the Deaf community. The Deaf community is understudied and underrepresented in health research despite suspected health disparities and communication barriers. Objectives The goal of this paper is to share the lessons learned from the implementation of CBPR in an understudied community of Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users in the greater Rochester, New York, area. Methods We review the process of CBPR in a Deaf ASL community and identify the lessons learned. Results Key CBPR lessons include the importance of engaging and educating the community about research, ensuring that research benefits the community, using peer-based recruitment strategies, and sustaining community partnerships. These lessons informed subsequent research activities. Conclusions This report focuses on the use of CBPR principles in a Deaf ASL population; lessons learned can be applied to research with other challenging-to-reach populations. PMID:22982845

Participatory Multimedia Learning: Engaging Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiili, Kristian

2005-01-01

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

Teaching in the Age of Electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Impey, C. D.

2002-12-01

Technology opens up a bewildering array of opportunities and options for faculty teaching courses to large groups of non-science majors. The trick is in understanding which modes of instruction increase the engagement and learning of students. Among the tools that show good potential for advancing learning in introductory astronomy classes are virtual worlds, exercises that use real astronomy data sets, expert systems, and content accessible by phone. Some of the capabilities of a new web site to assist astronomy instructors, www.astronomica.org, will be demonstrated.

Self Reflections of Undergraduate Students on Using Web-Supported Counterintuitive Science Demonstrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, David Devraj; Dunn, Jessica

2018-03-01

Analysis of self-reflections of undergraduate education students in a project involving web-supported counterintuitive science demonstrations is reported in this paper. Participating students (N = 19) taught science with counterintuitive demonstrations in local elementary school classrooms and used web-based resources accessed via wireless USB adapters. Student reflections to seven questions were analyzed qualitatively using four components of reflection (meeting objectives/perception of learning, dynamics of pedagogy, special needs accommodations, improving teaching) deriving 27 initial data categories and 12 emergent themes. Overall the undergraduates reported meeting objectives, engaging students in pedagogically relevant learning tasks including, providing accommodations to students with special needs, and gaining practice and insight to improve their own teaching. Additional research is needed to arrive at generalizable findings concerning teaching with web-supported counterintuitive science demonstrations in elementary classrooms.

Advanced, Analytic, Automated (AAA) Measurement of Engagement During Learning

PubMed Central

D’Mello, Sidney; Dieterle, Ed; Duckworth, Angela

2017-01-01

It is generally acknowledged that engagement plays a critical role in learning. Unfortunately, the study of engagement has been stymied by a lack of valid and efficient measures. We introduce the advanced, analytic, and automated (AAA) approach to measure engagement at fine-grained temporal resolutions. The AAA measurement approach is grounded in embodied theories of cognition and affect, which advocate a close coupling between thought and action. It uses machine-learned computational models to automatically infer mental states associated with engagement (e.g., interest, flow) from machine-readable behavioral and physiological signals (e.g., facial expressions, eye tracking, click-stream data) and from aspects of the environmental context. We present15 case studies that illustrate the potential of the AAA approach for measuring engagement in digital learning environments. We discuss strengths and weaknesses of the AAA approach, concluding that it has significant promise to catalyze engagement research. PMID:29038607

Advanced, Analytic, Automated (AAA) Measurement of Engagement During Learning.

PubMed

D'Mello, Sidney; Dieterle, Ed; Duckworth, Angela

2017-01-01

It is generally acknowledged that engagement plays a critical role in learning. Unfortunately, the study of engagement has been stymied by a lack of valid and efficient measures. We introduce the advanced, analytic, and automated (AAA) approach to measure engagement at fine-grained temporal resolutions. The AAA measurement approach is grounded in embodied theories of cognition and affect, which advocate a close coupling between thought and action. It uses machine-learned computational models to automatically infer mental states associated with engagement (e.g., interest, flow) from machine-readable behavioral and physiological signals (e.g., facial expressions, eye tracking, click-stream data) and from aspects of the environmental context. We present15 case studies that illustrate the potential of the AAA approach for measuring engagement in digital learning environments. We discuss strengths and weaknesses of the AAA approach, concluding that it has significant promise to catalyze engagement research.

Learning beyond graduation: exploring newly qualified specialists' entrance into daily practice from a learning perspective.

PubMed

Cuyvers, Katrien; Donche, Vincent; Van den Bossche, Piet

2016-05-01

The entrance of newly qualified medical specialists into daily practice is considered to be a stressful period in which curriculum support is absent. Although engaging in both personal and professional learning and development activities is recognized fundamental for lifelong professional competence, research on medical professionals' entrance into practice is scarce. This research aims to contribute to the framework of medical professionals' informal learning and outlines the results of an exploratory study on the nature of learning in daily practice beyond postgraduate training. Eleven newly qualified physicians from different specialized backgrounds participated in a phenomenographic study, using a critical incident method and a grounded theory approach. Results demonstrated that learning in the workplace is, to a large extent, informal and associated with a variety of learning experiences. Analysis shows that experiences related to diagnostics and treatments are important sources for learning. Furthermore, incidents related to communication, changing roles, policy and organization offer learning opportunities, and therefore categorized as learning experiences. A broad range of learning activities are identified in dealing with these learning experiences. More specifically, actively engaging in actions and interactions, especially with colleagues of the same specialty, are the most mentioned. Observing others, consulting written sources, and recognizing uncertainties, are also referred to as learning activities. In the study, interaction, solely or combined with other learning activities, are deemed as very important by specialists in the initial entrance into practice. These insights can be used to develop workplace structures to support the entrance into practice following postgraduate training.

Engaging Student Learning in Physical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Andy

2002-01-01

Explores the significance of engagement as a stance toward teaching and learning, noting how engagement can affect the way teachers and students interact in physical education settings and surrounding environments and presenting activities to encourage engagement (develop performance routines, say and switch, roundtable brainstorm, bubble gum…

Engaging the Disengaged: How One School Re-Engages Students in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Easton, Lois Brown; Condon, Dan; Soguero, Michael

2014-01-01

Engagement can prevent struggling students from dropping out, and re-engagement in learning can help struggling students who have dropped out return to school and graduate. This chapter presents a case study about a struggling student who dropped out and then came to Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center, became engaged in her…

Ubiquitous learning model using interactive internet messenger group (IIMG) to improve engagement and behavior for smart campus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umam, K.; Mardi, S. N. S.; Hariadi, M.

2017-01-01

The recent popularity of internet messenger based smartphone technologies has motivated some university lecturers to use them for educational activities. These technologies have enormous potential to enhance the teaching and ubiquitous learning experience for smart campus development. However, the design ubiquitous learning model using interactive internet messenger group (IIMG) and empirical evidence that would favor a broad application of mobile and ubiquitous learning in smart campus settings to improve engagement and behavior is still limited. In addition, the expectation that mobile learning could improve engagement and behavior on smart campus cannot be confirmed because the majority of the reviewed studies followed instructions paradigms. This article aims to present ubiquitous learning model design and showing learners’ experiences in improved engagement and behavior using IIMG for learner-learner and learner-lecturer interactions. The method applied in this paper includes design process and quantitative analysis techniques, with the purpose of identifying scenarios of ubiquitous learning and realize the impressions of learners and lecturers about engagement and behavior aspect, and its contribution to learning.

Pen-Enabled, Real-Time Student Engagement for Teaching in STEM Subjects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urban, Sylvia

2017-01-01

The introduction of pen-enabling devices has been demonstrated to increase a student's ability to solve problems, communicate, and learn during note taking. For the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects that are considered to be symbolic in nature, pen interfaces are better suited for visual-spatial content and also provide a…

Getting Hooked on Physics!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHugh, M.; McCauley, V.

2016-01-01

A number of papers in this journal have dealt with the idea of using hooks in physics instruction. A hook, as the name suggests, engages students in learning by triggering their attention and interest. Hooks can be any type of pedagogical approach--a question, a demonstration, a puzzle or video. They are generally short and center on the most…

Archive 2.0: What Composition Students and Academic Libraries Can Gain from Digital-Collaborative Pedagogies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vetter, Matthew A.

2014-01-01

Research across disciplines in recent years has demonstrated a number of gains involved in community engagement and service-learning pedagogies. More recently, these pedagogies are being filtered into digital contexts as instructors begin to realize the opportunities made available by online writing venues. This presentation describes a specific…

Demonstrating the Effect of Surfactant on Water Retention of Waxy Leaf Surfaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Yu-Chun; Jenks, Matthew A.; Richards-Babb, Michelle; Ratclif, Betsy B.; Juvik, John A.; Ku, Kang-Mo

2017-01-01

We report here the development of an inexpensive and engaging laboratory-based activity that can help students learn about the scientific method and the role of plant epicuticular waxes and surfactant function on waxy plant leaves as real life example in the agricultural industry. Three each of nontreated collard leaves ("Brassica…

Why We Need to Learn More about Youth Civic Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Youniss, James

2009-01-01

In his book, "Freedom Summer," Doug McAdam demonstrated the long-term impact of young people's participation in a collective movement aimed at rectifying centuries of racial injustice. Coupled with James Fendrich's book, "Ideal Citizens," about black and white college-age participants in desegregating Tallahassee, Florida, the findings outline a…

Pokémon Go: An Unexpected Inspiration for Next Generation Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nigaglioni, Irene

2017-01-01

Although mobile applications and games often seem isolating and somewhat stationary, last year's augmented reality (AR) gaming craze Pokémon Go demonstrated how technology has the potential to promote socialization, collaboration, and physical activity while still engaging users. Pokémon Go's use of AR technology, which superimposes…

Curriculum Development in Studio-Style University Physics and Implications for Dissemination of Research-Based Reforms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foote, Kathleen T.

2016-01-01

Over the past few decades, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that students learn best in engaging, interactive, collaborative, and inquiry-based environments. However, most college science classes are still taught with traditional methods suggesting the existing selection of research-based instructional materials has not widely transformed…

Fostering Positive Youth Development through Work-Based Learning: The Cristo Rey Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bempechat, Janine; Kenny, Maureen; Blustein, David L.; Seltzer, Joanne

2014-01-01

This chapter presents findings of a three-year longitudinal study of academic motivation and school engagement among low-income high school students enrolled in a corporate work-study program. Our findings demonstrate ways in which the workplace functioned for students as a conduit of emotional resources, offering instrumental support from caring…

Improving the Economic and Life Outcomes of At-Risk Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivry, Robert; Doolittle, Fred

This paper outlines ideas and strategies to engage alienated and disaffected young people and help them acquire skills, gain work experience, and improve their lives. Based on lessons learned from three decades of demonstrations and evaluations concerning at-risk youth, the paper presents ideas that government agencies and private foundations…

Helping the Me Generation Decenter: Service Learning with Refugees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, LouAnne B.; Kaplan, Leslie G.

2016-01-01

Recent research has empirically demonstrated that young adults today are different from prior generations in their decreased empathy, increased narcissism, and decreased civic engagement. The formative years of young adulthood are a critical period for the development of civic values and civil ideologies, a time when college-age adults need to…

Engaging Whole-Number Knowledge for Rational-Number Leaning Using a Computer-Based Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunting, Robert P.; And Others

1996-01-01

This constructivist teaching experiment investigated the role of whole-number knowledge in fraction learning. Two nine-year-old students worked for one year with a computer program (Copycat) and demonstrated that the development of whole-number knowledge and rational-number knowledge is interdependent. Contains 59 references. (KMC)

(Dis)Solving the Differences: A Physical Science Lesson Using Universal Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurtts, Stephanie A.; Matthews, Catherine E.; Smallwood, Tammy

2009-01-01

Universal design for learning (UDL) holds promise for teachers who are struggling with creating lessons that allow all students access to and engagement with the general science curriculum. In this article, the authors demonstrate how a secondary physical science lesson about solubility and concentration can be designed for diverse learners' needs…

Emotional Intelligence for School Administrators: A Priority for School Reform?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Bobby

2009-01-01

In order to cultivate a culture that challenges the status quo and expects excellence, school leaders need to learn, develop, and demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence. Studying emotional intelligence provides leaders with the awareness necessary to meet the needs of a staff that is engaged in developing a common vision for their…

Making Critical Connections between Social Studies Teaching and Student Achievement Using NAEP Data Explorer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitchett, Paul G.; Heafner, Tina L.

2013-01-01

In this analysis of promising practice, we demonstrate how social studies methods instructors can incorporate data analysis of the 2010 United States History National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP-USH) to facilitate pedagogical aims, engage teacher candidates in critical discourse, and investigate the contexts of teaching and learning.…

Energy Conservation in Dissipative Processes: Teacher Expectations and Strategies Associated with Imperceptible Thermal Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daane, Abigail R.; McKagan, Sarah B.; Vokos, Stamatis; Scherr, Rachel E.

2015-01-01

Research has demonstrated that many students and some teachers do not consistently apply the conservation of energy principle when analyzing mechanical scenarios. In observing elementary and secondary teachers engaged in learning activities that require tracking and conserving energy, we find that challenges to energy conservation often arise in…

Engaging Elementary Students in Learning Science: An Analysis of Classroom Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watters, James J.; Diezmann, Carmel M.

2016-01-01

Research over a long period of time has continued to demonstrate problems in the teaching of science in school. In addition, declining levels of participation and interest in science and related fields have been reported from many particularly western countries. Among the strategies suggested is the recruitment of professional scientists and…

Student-Curated Exhibits: A Vehicle towards Student Engagement, Retention, and Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsee, Mickey; Davies-Wilson, Dennis

2014-01-01

In looking for ways to combine course content literacy and information literacy with active learning, in 2007, the English Department and Library at The University of New Mexico-Los Alamos combined efforts and created a course project for students to curate exhibits that would demonstrate their understanding of course material through library…

The Promise of Using Energy Tracking Data to Promote Home-School Connections and Youth Agency in Climate Action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, E.; Jenkins, D.; Cordero, E.

2015-12-01

Formal classroom learning experiences that support energy conservation behaviors outside the classroom necessarily must bridge students' home and school lives, as knowledge and practice learned in the classroom is implemented outside of school. To this end, we study the impact of the Green Ninja Energy Tracker curriculum, which uses students' home energy data in the classroom to promote engagement in climate change and conservation behaviors. Data is drawn from class observations, a focus group, and pre- and post- surveys of a pilot implementation of this curriculum in a diverse 12th-grade Earth Science classroom at an alternative school. We investigate what factors contributed to student engagement in learning about and participating in energy conservation behaviors. We found that students were engaged by the immediacy of tracking their energy use in near-real time, and were motivated by the economic benefits experienced as a direct result of changing their behaviors. In addition, students reported discussing and problem-solving energy use with their families, and surfaced considerations that informed which energy behaviors were implemented and why. Students also reported high levels of personal agency in taking action on climate change, but were pessimistic about the likelihood of society as a whole taking action. We suggest that this pilot demonstrates that potential power of connecting students' home and school lives through energy tracker software as a catalyst for developing scientific expertise and engagement, and supporting energy conservation behaviors.

"FAILING GIRLS": Understanding Connections among Identity Negotiation, Personal Relevance, and Engagement in Science Learning from Underachieving Girls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Jessica J.; Windschitl, Mark

Contemporary critiques of science education have noted that girls often fail to engage in science learning because the activities lack relevance for them, and they cannot "see themselves" in the work of science. Despite the empirical support for these claims, theory around the important connections between relevance, emerging self-identity, and engagement for girls remains underdeveloped. This qualitative, exploratory investigation examines engagement in science learning among five underachieving high school girls. Data sources include in-depth interviews, classroom observations, and teacher surveys. The girls were asked to describe engagement within three learning contexts: science class, a favorite class, and an extracurricular activity. From the girls' voices emerge three themes reflecting the centrality of self: "who I am," "who I am becoming," and "the importance of relationships." It is important that these themes of self and of identity negotiation are integrated with the ways these girls find learning personally relevant. One pattern of extracurricular engagement and two patterns of science engagement (integrated and situational) are described. This study attempts to expand the dialogue around the relationships between identity, relevance, and engagement among underachieving girls and suggests ways in which curriculum can be grounded in students' lives and developing identities.

What Drives Student Engagement: Is It Learning Space, Instructor Behavior, or Teaching Philosophy?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawers, Kimberly M.; Wicks, David; Mvududu, Nyaradzo; Seeley, Lane; Copeland, Raedene

2016-01-01

This study investigates how instructor teaching philosophy (traditional vs. constructivist) and type of learning space (traditional vs. active) influence instructor perceptions of student engagement. In a quasi-experimental study, we found that instructors perceived that students were more engaged in the active learning classroom (ALC) than in the…

The Developmental Characteristics of Engagement in Service-Learning for Chinese College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guo, Fangfang; Yao, Meilin; Zong, Xiaoli; Yan, Wenfan

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the development characteristics of Chinese college students' engagement during a service-learning project with a case study method: 273 reflective journals from 31 college students who participated in service-learning were analyzed. Results indicated that students' overall engagement showed 4…

The Impact of Choice on EFL Students' Motivation and Engagement with L2 Vocabulary Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Han-Chung; Huang, Hung-Tzu; Hsu, Chun-Chieh

2015-01-01

The current study investigates EFL college learners' motivation and engagement during English vocabulary learning tasks. By adopting self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000), the study looked into the impact of autonomy on college students' task motivation and engagement with vocabulary learning tasks and their general English…

Students' Experiences and Engagement with SMS for Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brett, Paul

2011-01-01

This article presents an evaluation of students' experiences and engagement with Short Message Service (SMS) (text) messages. SMS was used to support learning through engaging students in formative assessment objective questions with feedback, as well as SMS-based collaborative learning tasks. The rationale was derived from a perceived benefit of…

Multiple Perspectives on Student Learning, Engagement, and Motivation in High School Biology Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shumow, Lee; Schmidt, Jennifer A.; Zaleski, Diana J.

2013-01-01

We present three studies pertaining to learning, engagement and motivation during laboratory lessons in three high school biology classrooms. In the first, quantitative methods are used to compare students' in-the-moment reports of learning, engagement, and motivation during laboratory with other classroom activities. Data were collected with the…

Parent Engagement in Early Learning: Strategies for Working with Families. Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, Julie

2016-01-01

This updated second edition of "Parent-Friendly Early Learning" brings to life real scenarios that care providers face in today's world. We know parent engagement is important for a child's success, but how do you turn parent-provider relationships into partnerships? "Parent Engagement in Early Learning" will help you: (1)…

Engaging Students in Large Health Classes with Active Learning Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliott, Steven; Combs, Sue; Huelskamp, Amelia; Hritz, Nancy

2017-01-01

Creative K-12 health teachers can engage students in large classes by utilizing active learning strategies. Active learning involves engaging students in higher-order tasks, such as analysis and synthesis, which is a crucial element of the movement toward what is commonly called "learner-centered" teaching. Health education teachers who…

The Engaged Learning Index: Implications for Faculty Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schreiner, L. A.; Louis, M. C.

2011-01-01

The Engaged Learning Index was designed by the authors to assess students' emotional, intellectual, and behavioral engagement in learning in a brief format that can be used in single courses or across multiple courses and institutions. In this study, evidence is presented for the reliability and predictive validity of the instrument based on a…

New Postgraduate Student Experience and Engagement in Human Communication Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steele, Godfrey A.

2015-01-01

New postgraduate students' feedback on their learning offers insights into engagement. Student feedback to students and teachers can contribute to teacher feedback to students. When this happens, students can feel engaged or connected to their learning experiences. Adopting a more inclusive notion of feedback on learning, this paper explores the…

Evaluating the User Experience of Exercising Reaching Motions With a Robot That Predicts Desired Movement Difficulty.

PubMed

Shirzad, Navid; Van der Loos, H F Machiel

2016-01-01

The notion of an optimal difficulty during practice has been articulated in many areas of cognitive psychology: flow theory, the challenge point framework, and desirable difficulties. Delivering exercises at a participant's desired difficulty has the potential to improve both motor learning and users' engagement in therapy. Motivation and engagement are among the contributing factors to the success of exercise programs. The authors previously demonstrated that error amplification can be used to introduce levels of challenge into a robotic reaching task, and that machine-learning algorithms can dynamically adjust difficulty to the desired level with 85% accuracy. Building on these findings, we present the results of a proof-of-concept study investigating the impacts of practicing under desirable difficulty conditions. A control condition with a predefined random order for difficulty levels was deemed more suitable for this study (compared to constant or continuously increasing difficulty). By practicing the task at their desirable difficulties, participants in the experimental group perceived their performance at a significantly higher level and reported lower required effort to complete the task, in comparison to a control group. Moreover, based on self-reports, participants in the experimental group were willing, on average, to continue the training session for 4.6 more training blocks (∼45 min) compared to the control group's average. This study demonstrates the efficiency of delivering the exercises at the user's desired difficulty level to improve the user's engagement in exercise tasks. Future work will focus on clinical feasibility of this approach in increasing stroke survivors' engagement in their therapy programs.

What makes students engaged in learning? A time-use study of within- and between-individual predictors of emotional engagement in low-performing high schools.

PubMed

Park, Sira; Holloway, Susan D; Arendtsz, Amanda; Bempechat, Janine; Li, Jin

2012-03-01

Adolescents' emotional engagement plays a critical role in promoting their academic performance as well as overall psychological wellbeing. As a part of a 3-year longitudinal study, this study drew upon self-determination theory to examine three psychological predictors of emotional engagement within specific learning contexts. Ninety-four, low socioeconomic status (SES), ninth grade students (49% male; 32 Blacks, 30 Whites, and 32 Latinos) rated the perceived fulfillment of their autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs and their emotional engagement in learning settings at multiple time points over a 1-week period. Hierarchical linear modeling showed that the students' ratings of their psychological-need fulfillment and of their emotional engagement fluctuated over time and across contexts. After accounting for student gender, race/ethnicity, and prior achievement, we found that the fulfillment of each type of psychological need in a particular learning context was related to emotional engagement in that context (i.e., within-student level). The fulfillment of students' need for autonomy also was related to their emotional engagement at the aggregated level (i.e., between-student level). These findings illustrate how the psychological affordances of particular learning settings are associated with emotional engagement within and between students from low SES backgrounds.

Fostering Civic Engagement in the Communication Research Methods Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Min

2011-01-01

Civic engagement has become an essential learning goal for institutions throughout higher education. Communication scholars employ various pedagogical tools to foster civic engagement. For instance, service learning has been shown to increase political and community engagement in courses such as family communication and public relations. Teachers…

Engaging Student Input on Student Engagement in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Callingham, Maggie

2016-01-01

Student engagement, achievement, and participation are equity issues. Students' engagement in their learning is especially important in schools that cater to low-income communities where improved educational experiences can break the cycle of low achievement, school disaffection, and early school leaving. Moreover, for students who experience…

Twelve tips to stimulate intrinsic motivation in students through autonomy-supportive classroom teaching derived from self-determination theory.

PubMed

Kusurkar, R A; Croiset, G; Ten Cate, Th J

2011-01-01

Self-determination theory (SDT) of motivations distinguishes between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Intrinsic motivation is observed when one engages in an activity out of genuine interest and is truly self-determined. Intrinsic motivation is the desired type of motivation for study as it is associated with deep learning, better performance and positive well-being in comparison to extrinsic motivation. It is dependent on the fulfilment of three basic psychological needs described by SDT. These are the needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. According to SDT, autonomy-supportive teaching is important, because it makes students feel autonomous and competent in their learning and also supported (relatedness) by their teachers. The concept of autonomy-supportive teaching is relevant to medical education, but less known. Through this article, we aim to make this concept understood and practically used by medical teachers. We used SDT literature as a basis to formulate these 12 tips. We present 12 practical tips derived from SDT, for teachers in health professions, on how to engage in autonomy-supportive teaching behaviours in order to stimulate intrinsic motivation in their students. These tips demonstrate that it is not difficult to engage in autonomy-supportive teaching behaviour. It can be learned through practice and self-reflection on teaching practices.

Exploring Meteorology Education in Community College: Lecture-based Instruction and Dialogue-based Group Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finley, Jason Paul

This study examined the impact of dialogue-based group instruction on student learning and engagement in community college meteorology education. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare lecture-based instruction with dialogue-based group instruction during two class sessions at one community college in southern California. Pre- and post-tests were used to measure learning and interest, while surveys were conducted two days after the learning events to assess engagement, perceived learning, and application of content. The results indicated that the dialogue-based group instruction was more successful in helping students learn than the lecture-based instruction. Each question that assessed learning had a higher score for the dialogue group that was statistically significant (alpha < 0.05) compared to the lecture group. The survey questions about perceived learning and application of content also exhibited higher scores that were statistically significant for the dialogue group. The qualitative portion of these survey questions supported the quantitative results and showed that the dialogue students were able to remember more concepts and apply these concepts to their lives. Dialogue students were also more engaged, as three out of the five engagement-related survey questions revealed statistically significantly higher scores for them. The qualitative data also supported increased engagement for the dialogue students. Interest in specific meteorological topics did not change significantly for either group of students; however, interest in learning about severe weather was higher for the dialogue group. Neither group found the learning events markedly meaningful, although more students from the dialogue group found pronounced meaning centered on applying severe weather knowledge to their lives. Active engagement in the dialogue approach kept these students from becoming distracted and allowed them to become absorbed in the learning event. This higher engagement most likely contributed to the resulting higher learning. Together, these results indicate that dialogue education, especially compared to lecture methods, has a great potential for helping students learn meteorology. Dialogue education can also help students engage in weather-related concepts and potentially develop better-informed citizens in a world with a changing climate.

Evaluating the negative or valuing the positive? Neural mechanisms supporting feedback-based learning across development.

PubMed

van Duijvenvoorde, Anna C K; Zanolie, Kiki; Rombouts, Serge A R B; Raijmakers, Maartje E J; Crone, Eveline A

2008-09-17

How children learn from positive and negative performance feedback lies at the foundation of successful learning and is therefore of great importance for educational practice. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the neural developmental changes related to feedback-based learning when performing a rule search and application task. Behavioral results from three age groups (8-9, 11-13, and 18-25 years of age) demonstrated that, compared with adults, 8- to 9-year-old children performed disproportionally more inaccurately after receiving negative feedback relative to positive feedback. Additionally, imaging data pointed toward a qualitative difference in how children and adults use performance feedback. That is, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and superior parietal cortex were more active after negative feedback for adults, but after positive feedback for children (8-9 years of age). For 11- to 13-year-olds, these regions did not show differential feedback sensitivity, suggesting that the transition occurs around this age. Pre-supplementary motor area/anterior cingulate cortex, in contrast, was more active after negative feedback in both 11- to 13-year-olds and adults, but not 8- to 9-year-olds. Together, the current data show that cognitive control areas are differentially engaged during feedback-based learning across development. Adults engage these regions after signals of response adjustment (i.e., negative feedback). Young children engage these regions after signals of response continuation (i.e., positive feedback). The neural activation patterns found in 11- to 13-year-olds indicate a transition around this age toward an increased influence of negative feedback on performance adjustment. This is the first developmental fMRI study to compare qualitative changes in brain activation during feedback learning across distinct stages of development.

Collaborative learning framework for online stakeholder engagement.

PubMed

Khodyakov, Dmitry; Savitsky, Terrance D; Dalal, Siddhartha

2016-08-01

Public and stakeholder engagement can improve the quality of both research and policy decision making. However, such engagement poses significant methodological challenges in terms of collecting and analysing input from large, diverse groups. To explain how online approaches can facilitate iterative stakeholder engagement, to describe how input from large and diverse stakeholder groups can be analysed and to propose a collaborative learning framework (CLF) to interpret stakeholder engagement results. We use 'A National Conversation on Reducing the Burden of Suicide in the United States' as a case study of online stakeholder engagement and employ a Bayesian data modelling approach to develop a CLF. Our data modelling results identified six distinct stakeholder clusters that varied in the degree of individual articulation and group agreement and exhibited one of the three learning styles: learning towards consensus, learning by contrast and groupthink. Learning by contrast was the most common, or dominant, learning style in this study. Study results were used to develop a CLF, which helps explore multitude of stakeholder perspectives; identifies clusters of participants with similar shifts in beliefs; offers an empirically derived indicator of engagement quality; and helps determine the dominant learning style. The ability to detect learning by contrast helps illustrate differences in stakeholder perspectives, which may help policymakers, including Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, make better decisions by soliciting and incorporating input from patients, caregivers, health-care providers and researchers. Study results have important implications for soliciting and incorporating input from stakeholders with different interests and perspectives. © 2015 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Selective attention neutralizes the adverse effects of low socioeconomic status on memory in 9-month-old infants.

PubMed

Markant, Julie; Ackerman, Laura K; Nussenbaum, Kate; Amso, Dima

2016-04-01

Socioeconomic status (SES) has a documented impact on brain and cognitive development. We demonstrate that engaging spatial selective attention mechanisms may counteract this negative influence of impoverished environments on early learning. We previously used a spatial cueing task to compare target object encoding in the context of basic orienting ("facilitation") versus a spatial selective attention orienting mechanism that engages distractor suppression ("IOR"). This work showed that object encoding in the context of IOR boosted 9-month-old infants' recognition memory relative to facilitation (Markant and Amso, 2013). Here we asked whether this attention-memory link further interacted with SES in infancy. Results indicated that SES was related to memory but not attention orienting efficacy. However, the correlation between SES and memory performance was moderated by the attention mechanism engaged during encoding. SES predicted memory performance when objects were encoded with basic orienting processes, with infants from low-SES environments showing poorer memory than those from high-SES environments. However, SES did not predict memory performance among infants who engaged selective attention during encoding. Spatial selective attention engagement mitigated the effects of SES on memory and may offer an effective mechanism for promoting learning among infants at risk for poor cognitive outcomes related to SES. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Learning Processes: Why Japanese Can't Speak English.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamada, Laurel Diane

Motivation towards English learning in Japanese schools today is analyzed according to John Condry and James Chambers' process-of-learning paradigm. The four stages of learning (initial engagement, process, disengagement, and re-engagement) are shown to emit different processes of learning in students based on whether learning is intrinsically or…

Towards an Africanisation of Community Engagement and Service Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preece, Julia

2013-01-01

This article argues that the South African research community could benefit by engaging in more collaborative partnerships within the African continent in relation to community engagement. This argument relates to literature in South Africa concerning an Africanised notion of service learning (SL) and community engagement (CE), university…

The Power of Movement: Body-Engaging Activities for Teaching Economics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roncolato, Leanne; Koh, Cairynne

2017-01-01

Existing research points to the critical connection between student engagement and deep learning. This paper explores body engagement as one type of student centered learning. While other disciplines are making progress in developing body-engaging pedagogical methods as a complement to traditional lectures, the use of such innovations in…

Students' Engagement with Learning Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larkin, Derek; Huett, Kim C.

2013-01-01

This paper seeks to add to the discussion surrounding young adults' relationship and engagement with learning technologies, exploring whether they naturally engage with these technologies when the use of them is either compulsory or optional. We discuss our findings in relation to whether young people are truly engaging with technologies or…

Digital Natives: Fifth-Grade Students' Authentic and Ritualistic Engagement with Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dietrich, Trevor; Balli, Sandra J.

2014-01-01

Thirty four fifth-grade students were interviewed about classroom learning and technology. Interview data were considered through Schlechty's (2002) levels of engagement framework to explore students' authentic or ritualistic engagement during technology supported lessons. Student engagement is defined as interest in and commitment to learning.…

Disengagement Detection in Online Learning: Validation Studies and Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cocea, M.; Weibelzahl, S.

2011-01-01

Learning environments aim to deliver efficacious instruction, but rarely take into consideration the motivational factors involved in the learning process. However, motivational aspects like engagement play an important role in effective learning-engaged learners gain more. E-Learning systems could be improved by tracking students' disengagement…

Providing Deep Learning through Active Engagement of Adult Learners in Blended Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonough, Darlene

2014-01-01

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

Encouraging Engagement in Game-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitton, Nicola

2011-01-01

It is a common misconception that game-based learning is, by its very nature, engaging for the majority of learners. This is not necessarily the case, particularly for learners in Higher Education who may need to be persuaded of the value of learning games. For some learners, games may simply not be perceived as engaging--either in terms of an…

Integrating Whole Brain Teaching Strategies to Create a More Engaged Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palasigue, Jesame Torres

2009-01-01

In today's postmodern society, it is getting harder and harder to get the students engaged in classroom instruction and learning. The purpose of this research project was to seek ways to create a more engaged learning environment for the students. The teacher-researcher integrated the most current educational reform "Whole Brain Teaching" method…

Student Engagement in Public Universities in the Context of University of Raparin Kurdistan Region--Iraq

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmad, Paiman Ramazan

2015-01-01

To the best of our knowledge this is the first attempt to investigate student engagement in learning within the Kurdistan region in general and at University of Raparin in particular. Student engagement, self-learning, faculty-student interaction and promoting personal responsibility, besides environment of learning are the components for this…

Placement-Based Learning and Learner Engagement: Findings from a New University in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Timothy R. N.; Folgueiras Bertomeu, Pilar; Mannix McNamara, Patricia

2016-01-01

This paper addresses the potential for engaged learning among final-year undergraduate Education Studies students at a new, post-1992. It discusses a case study analysis of a "Directed Experiential Learning" (DEL) intervention in the final year of an education studies degree designed to engage and motivate students and emphasise the…

A Conceptual Model and Set of Instruments for Measuring Student Engagement in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldspink, Christopher; Foster, Margot

2013-01-01

This work has its origins with research into the effects of pedagogy on student engagement and learning outcomes. It summarises the development of self-report and observation instruments for measuring student engagement suitable for early years to senior secondary. The measures are sensitive to the context and experience of learning rather than,…

Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy: A Road Map and Call to Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Education, 2012

2012-01-01

Today, the U.S. Department of Education joins the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, the American Commonwealth Partnership, and the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools in a new national call to action to infuse and enhance civic learning and democratic engagement for all students throughout the American…

Learning Support and Academic Achievement among Malaysian Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Student Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jelas, Zalizan M.; Azman, Norzaini; Zulnaidi, Hutkemri; Ahmad, Nor Aniza

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between learning support, student engagement and academic achievement among adolescents. We also examined the extent to which affective, behavioural and cognitive engagement play a mediating role in students' perceived learning support from parents, teachers and peers, and contribute to their…

Motivating student learning using a formative assessment journey

PubMed Central

Evans, Darrell J R; Zeun, Paul; Stanier, Robert A

2014-01-01

Providing formative assessment opportunities has been recognised as a significant benefit to student learning. The outcome of any formative assessment should be one that ultimately helps improve student learning through familiarising students with the levels of learning required, informing them about gaps in their learning and providing feedback to guide the direction of learning. This article provides an example of how formative assessments can be developed into a formative assessment journey where a number of different assessments can be offered to students during the course of a module of teaching, thus utilising a spaced-education approach. As well as incorporating the specific drivers of formative assessment, we demonstrate how approaches deemed to be stimulating, interactive and entertaining with the aim of maximising enthusiasm and engagement can be incorporated. We provide an example of a mixed approach to evaluating elements of the assessment journey that focuses student reaction, appraisal of qualitative and quantitative feedback from student questionnaires, focus group analysis and teacher observations. Whilst it is not possible to determine a quantifiable effect of the assessment journey on student learning, usage data and student feedback shows that formative assessment can achieve high engagement and positive response to different assessments. Those assessments incorporating an active learning element and a quiz-based approach appear to be particularly popular. A spaced-education format encourages a building block approach to learning that is continuous in nature rather than focussed on an intense period of study prior to summative examinations. PMID:24111930

Engaging students in a community of learning: Renegotiating the learning environment.

PubMed

Theobald, Karen A; Windsor, Carol A; Forster, Elizabeth M

2018-03-01

Promoting student engagement in a student led environment can be challenging. This article reports on the process of design, implementation and evaluation of a student led learning approach in a small group tutorial environment in a three year Bachelor of Nursing program at an Australian university. The research employed three phases of data collection. The first phase explored student perceptions of learning and engagement in tutorials. The results informed the development of a web based learning resource. Phase two centred on implementation of a community of learning approach where students were supported to lead tutorial learning with peers. The final phase constituted an evaluation of the new approach. Findings suggest that students have the capacity to lead and engage in a community of learning and to assume greater ownership and responsibility where scaffolding is provided. Nonetheless, an ongoing whole of course approach to pedagogical change would better support this form of teaching and learning innovation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Co-Creating a Culturally Responsive Distance Education Cancer Course with, and for, Alaska's Community Health Workers: Motivations from a Survey of Key Stakeholders.

PubMed

Cueva, Katie; Revels, Laura; Kuhnley, Regina; Cueva, Melany; Lanier, Anne; Dignan, Mark

2017-09-01

To gain input on a proposed culturally responsive, distance-delivered cancer education course informed by empowerment theory and adult-learning principles, Alaska's Community Health Aides/Practitioners (CHA/Ps) and CHA/P leadership were invited to take an online survey in February 2015. The proposed course will be developed as part of the "Distance Education to Engage Alaskan Community Health Aides in Cancer Control" project. The results of the survey demonstrate that respondents are both interested in taking the proposed class and engaging in course development. The results also indicate that respondents have the technological comfort and capacity to be engaged in online learning and have primarily positive experiences and perceptions of distance education. This survey is the beginning of the interactive development of the online cancer education course and part of a continuing endeavor to promote wellness with, and for, Alaska's people by empowering Alaska's CHA/Ps and inspiring positive behavioral change to both prevent cancer and support those who feel its burdens.

Celebrating Service and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emeagwali, Susan; Berkey, Lisa; Guempel, Martha

2010-01-01

This month's "Techniques" magazine celebrates service-learning and the contributions that it makes to students' learning by fostering civic engagement while students learn in hands-on, real-world contexts. For close to half a century, service-learning has spread throughout schools in the United States as students engage in activities as diverse as…

Virtual Learning Environment for Interactive Engagement with Advanced Quantum Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedersen, Mads Kock; Skyum, Birk; Heck, Robert; Müller, Romain; Bason, Mark; Lieberoth, Andreas; Sherson, Jacob F.

2016-01-01

A virtual learning environment can engage university students in the learning process in ways that the traditional lectures and lab formats cannot. We present our virtual learning environment "StudentResearcher," which incorporates simulations, multiple-choice quizzes, video lectures, and gamification into a learning path for quantum…

Exhibiting the Field for Learning: Telling New York's Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Angharad

2011-01-01

This paper explores the challenges of engaging and assessing students in residential field learning. Fieldwork presents students with complex learning environments, wherein they are asked to participate in a variety of learning activities. Difficulties arise, however, over how to sustain engagement in field learning while simultaneously capturing…

The Motivational Effects of the Classroom Environment in Facilitating Self-Regulated Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Mark R.

2005-01-01

Students can be proactive and engaged or, alternatively, lack initiative and responsibility for their learning. Self-regulated learning involves learning strategies and mental processes that learners deliberately engage to help themselves learn and perform better academically. The results of this study provide empirical support for the theoretical…

Factors that Influence Informal Learning in the Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berg, Shelley A.; Chyung, Seung Youn

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate factors that influence informal learning in the workplace and the types of informal learning activities people engage in at work. More specifically, the research examined: the relationship between informal learning engagement and the presence of learning organization characteristics; and…

Creating Learning Experiences that Promote Informal Science Education: Designing Conservation-Focused Interactive Zoo Exhibits through Action Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalenda, Peter

Research on exhibit design over the past twenty years has started to identify many different methods to increase the learning that occurs in informal education environments. This study utilized relevant research on exhibit design to create and study the effectiveness of a mobile interactive exhibit at the Seneca Park Zoo that promotes socialization, engagement in science, and conservation-related practices among guests. This study will serve as one component of a major redesign project at the Seneca Park Zoo for their Rocky Coasts exhibit. This action research study targeted the following question, "How can interactive exhibits be designed to promote socialization, engagement in science, and real-world conservation-related practices (RCPs) among zoo guests?" Specific research questions included: 1. In what ways did guests engage with the exhibit? 2. In what ways were guests impacted by the exhibit? a) What evidence exists, if any, of guests learning science content from the exhibit? b) What evidence exists, if any, of guests being emotionally affected by the exhibit? c) What evidence exists, if any, of guests changing their RCPs after visiting the exhibit? Data were collected through zoo guest surveys completed by zoo guests comparing multiple exhibits, interviews with guests before and after they used the prototype exhibit, observations and audio recordings of guests using the prototype exhibit, and follow-up phone interviews with guests who volunteered to participate. Data were analyzed collaboratively with members of the zoo's exhibit Redesign Team using grounded theory qualitative data analysis techniques to find patterns and trends among data. Initial findings from data analysis were used to develop shifts in the exhibit in order to increase visitor engagement and learning. This process continued for two full action research spirals, which resulted in three iterations of the prototype exhibit. The overall findings of this study highlight the ways in which guests engaged with and were impacted by this exhibit. Findings revealed the importance of the location of interactives and signage as well as a range of readability concerns for visitor engagement. In addition, findings highlight the roles of parents in informal learning environments, and the impact of exhibit design on dwell time and questioning. This study demonstrates the value and importance of utilizing an iterative design process informed by action research when creating learning experiences in zoos. This study also reinforces how difficult it can be to both influence and measure the shifting of guests' RCPs.

A Comparative Analysis of Student Engagement, Learning, and Satisfaction in Lecture Hall and Online Learning Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabe-Hemp, Cara; Woollen, Susan; Humiston, Gail Sears

2009-01-01

The current study involves a comparison of student levels of engagement, ability to learn autonomously, and interaction with peers and faculty in two different learning settings: a large lecture hall and online. Results suggest that learning mechanism drives the styles of learning and teaching practiced in traditional and online learning settings.…

METALS (Minority Education Through Traveling and Learning in the Sciences) and the Value of Collaborative Field-centered Experiences in the Geosciences (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, L. D.

2013-12-01

METALS (Minority Education Through Traveling and Learning in the Sciences) is a field-based, geoscience diversity program developed by a collaborative venture among San Francisco State University, the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of New Orleans, and Purdue University. Since 2010, this program has created meaningful geoscience experiences for underrepresented minorities by engaging 30 high school students in experiential learning opportunities each year. During METALS field trips, the primarily urban students observe natural landforms, measure water quality, conduct beach profiles, and interpret stratigraphic and structural features in locations that have included southern Utah, southern Louisiana, central Wyoming, and northern California. In these geological settings participants are also able to focus on societally relevant, community-related issues. Results from program evaluation suggest that student participants view METALS as: (1) opening up new opportunities for field-based science not normally available to them, (2) engaging in a valuable science-based field experience, (3) an inspirational, but often physically challenging, undertaking that combines high-interest geology content with an exciting outdoor adventure, and (4) a unique social experience that brings together people from various parts of the United States. Further evaluation findings from the four summer trips completed thus far demonstrate that active learning opportunities through direct interaction with the environment is an effective way to engage students in geoscience-related learning. Students also seem to benefit from teaching strategies that include thoughtful reflection, journaling, and teamwork, and mentors are positive about engaging with these approaches. Participants appear motivated to explore geoscience topics further and often discuss having new insights and new perspectives leading to career choices in geosciences. Additionally, students who had a prior and similar fieldtrip experience that included outdoor expeditions and/or a geoscience focus, were able to utilize and build on those prior experiences during their participation in METALS.

Under-represented students' engagement in secondary science learning: A non-equivalent control group design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vann-Hamilton, Joy J.

Problem. A significant segment of the U.S. population, under-represented students, is under-engaged or disengaged in secondary science education. International and national assessments and various research studies illuminate the problem and/or the disparity between students' aspirations in science and the means they have to achieve them. To improve engagement and address inequities among these students, more contemporary and/or inclusive pedagogy is recommended. More specifically, multicultural science education has been suggested as a potential strategy for increased equity so that all learners have access to and are readily engaged in quality science education. While multicultural science education emphasizes the integration of students' backgrounds and experiences with science learning , multimedia has been suggested as a way to integrate the fundamentals of multicultural education into learning for increased engagement. In addition, individual characteristics such as race, sex, academic track and grades were considered. Therefore, this study examined the impact of multicultural science education, multimedia, and individual characteristics on under-represented students' engagement in secondary science. Method. The Under-represented Students Engagement in Science Survey (USESS), an adaptation of the High School Survey of Student Engagement, was used with 76 high-school participants. The USESS was used to collect pretest and posttest data concerning their types and levels of student engagement. Levels of engagement were measured with Strongly Agree ranked as 5, down to Strongly Disagree ranked at 1. Participants provided this feedback prior to and after having interacted with either the multicultural or the non-multicultural version of the multimedia science curriculum. Descriptive statistics for the study's participants and the survey items, as well as Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency reliability with respect to the survey subscales, were conducted. The reliability results prompted exploratory factory analyses, which resulted in two of the three subscale factors, cognitive and behavioral, being retained. One-within one-between subjects ANOVAs, independent samples t-test, and multiple linear regressions were also used to examine the impact of a multicultural science education, multimedia, and individual characteristics on students' engagement in science learning. Results. There were main effects found within subjects on posttest scores for the cognitive and behavioral subscales of student engagement. Both groups, using their respective versions of the multimedia science curriculum, reported increased engagement in science learning. There was also a statistical difference found for the experimental group at posttest on the measure of "online science was more interesting than school science." All five items unique to the posttest related to the multimedia variable were found to be significant predictors of cognitive and/or behavioral engagement. Conclusions. Engagement in science learning increased for both groups of participants; this finding is aligned with other significant research findings that more embracive and relevant pedagogies can potentially benefit all students. The significant difference found for the experimental group in relation to the multimedia usage was moderate and also may have reflected positive responses to other questions about the use of technology in science learning. As all five measures of multimedia usage were found to be significant predictors of student engagement in science learning, the indications were that: (a) technical difficulties did not impede engagement; (b) participants were better able to understand and visualize the physics concepts as they were presented in a variety of ways; (c) participants' abilities to use computers supported engagement; (d) participants in both groups found the online science curriculum more interesting compared to school science learning; and (e) the ability to immediately see the results of their work increased engagement in science learning.

Hope, Interpreter Self-efficacy, and Social Impacts: Assessment of the NNOCCI Training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraser, J.; Swim, J.

2012-12-01

Conservation educators at informal science learning centers are well-positioned to teach climate science and motivate action but have resisted the topic. Our research demonstrates their resist is due to self-doubt about climate science facts and the belief they will encounter negative audience feedback. Further, this self-doubt and self-silencing is emotional taxing. As a result we have developed a National Network for Ocean Climate Change Interpretation's (NNOCCI) program that addresses educators' needs for technical training and emotional scaffolding to help them fully engage with this work. The evaluation of this program sought to understand how to support educators interested in promoting public literacy on climate change through engagement with a structured training program aimed at increased the efficacy of interpreters through teaching strategic framing strategies. The program engaged educator dyads from informal science learning sites to attend an online and in-person program that initiated a new community of practice focused on sharing techniques and tools for ocean climate change interpretation. The presentation will summarize a model for embedded assessment across all aspects of a program and how social vectors, based upon educators' interpersonal and professional relationships, impact the understanding of an educator's work across their life-world. This summary will be followed by results from qualitative front-end research that demonstrated the psychologically complex emotional conditions that describe the experience of being an environmental educator. The project evaluators will then present results from their focus groups and social network analysis to demonstrate how training impacted in-group relationships, skill development, and the layered social education strategies that help communities engage with the content. Results demonstrated that skill training increased educator's hope--in the form of increased perceived agency and plans for educational objectives. Subsequent to the program, educators experienced socially supportive feedback from colleagues and peers and increased actions to engage the public in productive discussions about climate change at informal science learning venues. The front-end and formative assessment of this program suggests new strategies for measuring interpreter training, and a way of thinking holistically about an educator's impact in their community. The results challenge the concept that interpretation is limited to the workplace and suggest that the increased likelihood of effectiveness in interpretation across all social vectors is more likely to result in changed public understanding of climate science in ways that will promote public action toward remediation strategies.Emotions before and after study circlet; Personal hope scale was rescaled to range from 1 "strongly disagree"; 4 "strongly agree"; Distress, Anxiety vs. hopeful and Energized vs. Overwhelmed range from 1 "not at all" to 4 "very much."

How Should Students Learn in the School Science Laboratory? The Benefits of Cooperative Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raviv, Ayala; Cohen, Sarit; Aflalo, Ester

2017-07-01

Despite the inherent potential of cooperative learning, there has been very little research into its effectiveness in middle school laboratory classes. This study focuses on an empirical comparison between cooperative learning and individual learning in the school science laboratory, evaluating the quality of learning and the students' attitudes. The research included 67 seventh-grade students who undertook four laboratory experiments on the subject of "volume measuring skills." Each student engaged both in individual and cooperative learning in the laboratory, and the students wrote individual or group reports, accordingly. A total of 133 experiment reports were evaluated, 108 of which also underwent textual analysis. The findings show that the group reports were superior, both in terms of understanding the concept of "volume" and in terms of acquiring skills for measuring volume. The students' attitudes results were statistically significant and demonstrated that they preferred cooperative learning in the laboratory. These findings demonstrate that science teachers should be encouraged to implement cooperative learning in the laboratory. This will enable them to improve the quality and efficiency of laboratory learning while using a smaller number of experimental kits. Saving these expenditures, together with the possibility to teach a larger number of students simultaneously in the laboratory, will enable greater exposure to learning in the school science laboratory.

Shaped by Campus Culture: Intersections between Transformative Learning, Civic Engagement, and Institutional Mission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCunney, Dennis

2017-01-01

This ethnographic case study describes how civically engaged students understand their commitment to social change. Literature on civic engagement and service-learning abounds, yet gaps remain in understanding how students understand and act on campus mission and culture with respect to civic engagement. Using the frameworks of transformative…

Measuring and Visualizing Students' Behavioral Engagement in Writing Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ming; Calvo, Rafael A.; Pardo, Abelardo; Martin, Andrew

2015-01-01

Engagement is critical to the success of learning activities such as writing, and can be promoted with appropriate feedback. Current engagement measures rely mostly on data collected by observers or self-reported by the participants. In this paper, we describe a learning analytic system called Tracer, which derives behavioral engagement measures…

Engaging Students in Learning Science through Promoting Creative Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldrip, Bruce; Prain, Vaughan

2017-01-01

Student engagement in learning science is both a desirable goal and a long-standing teacher challenge. Moving beyond engagement understood as transient topic interest, we argue that cognitive engagement entails sustained interaction in the processes of how knowledge claims are generated, judged, and shared in this subject. In this paper, we…

Advanced, Analytic, Automated (AAA) Measurement of Engagement during Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Mello, Sidney; Dieterle, Ed; Duckworth, Angela

2017-01-01

It is generally acknowledged that engagement plays a critical role in learning. Unfortunately, the study of engagement has been stymied by a lack of valid and efficient measures. We introduce the advanced, analytic, and automated (AAA) approach to measure engagement at fine-grained temporal resolutions. The AAA measurement approach is grounded in…

The use of high-speed imaging in education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleine, H.; McNamara, G.; Rayner, J.

2017-02-01

Recent improvements in camera technology and the associated improved access to high-speed camera equipment have made it possible to use high-speed imaging not only in a research environment but also specifically for educational purposes. This includes high-speed sequences that are created both with and for a target audience of students in high schools and universities. The primary goal is to engage students in scientific exploration by providing them with a tool that allows them to see and measure otherwise inaccessible phenomena. High-speed imaging has the potential to stimulate students' curiosity as the results are often surprising or may contradict initial assumptions. "Live" demonstrations in class or student- run experiments are highly suitable to have a profound influence on student learning. Another aspect is the production of high-speed images for demonstration purposes. While some of the approaches known from the application of high speed imaging in a research environment can simply be transferred, additional techniques must often be developed to make the results more easily accessible for the targeted audience. This paper describes a range of student-centered activities that can be undertaken which demonstrate how student engagement and learning can be enhanced through the use of high speed imaging using readily available technologies.

Embedding Engaged Learning in High Enrollment Lecture-Based Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lund Dean, Kathy; Wright, Sarah

2017-01-01

Engaged learning opportunities have become powerful foundations upon which students build lifelong skills and organizational capacities. Research has empirically validated the long-term positive learning impacts of active and experiential learning opportunities for students. As such, institutional administrators and external stakeholders have…

Millennial Students' Preferred Methods for Learning Concepts in Psychiatric Nursing.

PubMed

Garwood, Janet K

2015-09-01

The current longitudinal, descriptive, and correlational study explored which traditional teaching strategies can engage Millennial students and adequately prepare them for the ultimate test of nursing competence: the National Council Licensure Examination. The study comprised a convenience sample of 40 baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in a psychiatric nursing course. The students were exposed to a variety of traditional (e.g., PowerPoint(®)-guided lectures) and nontraditional (e.g., concept maps, group activities) teaching and learning strategies, and rated their effectiveness. The students' scores on the final examination demonstrated that student learning outcomes met or exceeded national benchmarks. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Diffusion of novel foraging behaviour in Amazon parrots through social learning.

PubMed

Morales Picard, Alejandra; Hogan, Lauren; Lambert, Megan L; Wilkinson, Anna; Seed, Amanda M; Slocombe, Katie E

2017-03-01

While social learning has been demonstrated in species across many taxa, the role it plays in everyday foraging decisions is not well understood. Investigating social learning during foraging could shed light on the emergence of cultural variation in different groups. We used an open diffusion experiment to examine the spread of a novel foraging technique in captive Amazon parrots. Three groups were tested using a two-action foraging box, including experimental groups exposed to demonstrators using different techniques and control birds. We also examined the influence of agonistic and pilfering behaviour on task acquisition. We found evidence of social learning: more experimental birds than control birds interacted with and opened the box. The birds were, however, no more likely to use the demonstrated technique than the non-demonstrated one, making local or stimulus enhancement the most likely mechanism. Exhibiting aggression was positively correlated with box opening, whilst receiving aggression did not reduce motivation to engage with the box, indicating that willingness to defend access to the box was important in task acquisition. Pilfering food and success in opening the box were also positively correlated; however, having food pilfered did not affect victims' motivation to interact with the box. In a group context, pilfering may promote learning of new foraging opportunities. Although previous studies have demonstrated that psittacines are capable of imitation, in this naturalistic set-up there was no evidence that parrots copied the demonstrated opening technique. Foraging behaviour in wild populations of Amazons could therefore be facilitated by low-fidelity social learning mechanisms.

Computer Based Learning as a Means to Increase Academic and Behavioral Engagement of Eighth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osu, Ebere

2017-01-01

This study on computer based learning as a means to increase academic and behavioral engagement of eighth grade students found that computer based learning was not a significant factor in the academic and behavioral engagement of Students A and B (the two students observed in this study). Furthermore, technology has the potential to motivate…

Engaging Employers to Drive up Skills: The Realities of Effective Employer Engagement--Current Opportunities and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Learning and Skills Network (NJ3), 2010

2010-01-01

The Learning and Skills Network's (LSN's) think tank, the Centre for Innovation in Learning, in association with the 157 Group, the Association of Learning Providers (ALP) and the Association of Colleges (AoC), has undertaken timely and important research into how to support and improve employer engagement in the further education (FE) and skills…

Parent Engagement in Early Learning: Strategies for Working with Families, Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, Julie

2016-01-01

This updated second edition of Parent ­Friendly Early Learning brings to life real scenarios that care providers face in today's world. We know parent engagement is important for a child's success, but how do you turn parent ­provider relationships into partnerships? Parent Engagement in Early Learning will help you: (1) Improve parent-­teacher…

Examining the Self-Congruent Engagement Hypothesis: The Link between Academic Self-Schemas, Motivational Goals, Learning Approaches and Achievement within an Academic Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Chi-hung Clarence

2014-01-01

Academic self-schemas are important cognitive frames capable of guiding students' learning engagement. Using a cohort of Year 10 Australian students, this longitudinal study examined the self-congruence engagement hypothesis which maintains that there is a close relationship among academic self-schemas, achievement goals, learning approaches,…

An Attentional Goldilocks Effect: An Optimal Amount of Social Interactivity Promotes Word Learning from Video

PubMed Central

Nussenbaum, Kate; Amso, Dima

2015-01-01

Television can be a powerful education tool; however, content-makers must understand the factors that engage attention and promote learning from screen media. Prior research suggests that social engagement is critical for learning and that interactivity may enhance the educational quality of children’s media. The present study examined the effects of increasing the social interactivity of television on children’s visual attention and word learning. Three- to 5-year-old (MAge = 4;5 years, SD = 9 months) children completed a task in which they viewed videos of an actress teaching them the Swahili label for an on-screen image. Each child viewed these video clips in four conditions that parametrically manipulated social engagement and interactivity. We then tested whether each child had successfully learned the Swahili labels. Though 5-year-old children were able to learn words in all conditions, we found that there was an optimal level of social engagement that best supported learning for all participants, defined by engaging the child but not distracting from word labeling. Our eye-tracking data indicated that children in this condition spent more time looking at the target image and less time looking at the actress’s face as compared to the most interactive condition. These findings suggest that social interactivity is critical to engaging attention and promoting learning from screen media up until a certain point, after which social stimuli may draw attention away from target images and impair children’s word learning. PMID:27030791

An Attentional Goldilocks Effect: An Optimal Amount of Social Interactivity Promotes Word Learning from Video.

PubMed

Nussenbaum, Kate; Amso, Dima

2016-01-01

Television can be a powerful education tool; however, content-makers must understand the factors that engage attention and promote learning from screen media. Prior research suggests that social engagement is critical for learning and that interactivity may enhance the educational quality of children's media. The present study examined the effects of increasing the social interactivity of television on children's visual attention and word learning. Three- to 5-year-old ( M Age = 4;5 years, SD = 9 months) children completed a task in which they viewed videos of an actress teaching them the Swahili label for an on-screen image. Each child viewed these video clips in four conditions that parametrically manipulated social engagement and interactivity. We then tested whether each child had successfully learned the Swahili labels. Though 5-year-old children were able to learn words in all conditions, we found that there was an optimal level of social engagement that best supported learning for all participants, defined by engaging the child but not distracting from word labeling. Our eye-tracking data indicated that children in this condition spent more time looking at the target image and less time looking at the actress's face as compared to the most interactive condition. These findings suggest that social interactivity is critical to engaging attention and promoting learning from screen media up until a certain point, after which social stimuli may draw attention away from target images and impair children's word learning.

Peerwise Provides Significant Academic Benefits to Biological Science Students across Diverse Learning Tasks, but with Minimal Instructor Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McQueen, H. A.; Shields, C.; Finnegan, D. J.; Higham, J.; Simmen, M. W.

2014-01-01

We demonstrate that student engagement with PeerWise, an online tool that allows students to author and answer multiple-choice questions (MCQs), is associated with enhanced academic performance across diverse assessment types on a second year Genetics course. Benefits were consistent over three course deliveries, with differential benefits…

A Courseware to Script Animated Pedagogical Agents in Instructional Material for Elementary Students in English Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Zeng-Wei; Chen, Yen-Lin; Lan, Chien-Ho

2014-01-01

Animated agents are virtual characters who demonstrate facial expressions, gestures, movements, and speech to facilitate students' engagement in the learning environment. Our research developed a courseware that supports a XML-based markup language and an authoring tool for teachers to script animated pedagogical agents in teaching materials. The…

Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER). The Future of Interprofessional Education Is Here!

PubMed

Kuo, Ming-Chuan; Ball, Marion; Skiba, Diane J; Marin, Heimar; Shaw, Toria; Chang, Polun

2018-01-01

This session will describe the TIGER Initiative journey, its evolution and accomplishments nationally and internationally. A powerful demonstration of the TIGER Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) will be highlighted along with case studies from around the world, with emphasis on global competencies and opportunities for engagement in all current TIGER activities and future plans.

Disentangling Intensity from Breadth of Science Interest: What Predicts Learning Behaviors?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bathgate, Meghan; Schunn, Christian

2016-01-01

Overall interest in science has been argued to drive learner participation and engagement. However, there are other important aspects of interest such as breadth of interest within a science domain (e.g., biology, earth science). We demonstrate that intensity of science interest is separable from topic breadth using surveys from a sample of 600…

Does a Discussion by Any Other Name Sound the Same? Teaching Discussion in Three ELA Methods Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alston, Chandra L.; Danielson, Katie A.; Dutro, Elizabeth; Cartun, Ashley

2018-01-01

Facilitating discussions in English Language Arts can develop students' skills as speakers and listeners and their ability to engage with diverse perspectives. However, classroom observations often demonstrate a lack of student talk, raising questions about the complexity of facilitating discussion and teachers' opportunities to learn and hone the…

The Processing Behaviours of Adult Second Language Learners and Their Relationship to Second Language Proficiency.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangubhai, Francis

1991-01-01

Investigated the behaviors for processing language input demonstrated by five adults beginning to learn Hindi as a second language through the Total Physical Response method. The study suggests that, when adult learners are provided with comprehensive input, they engage in a variety of behaviors to extract meaning from it. (73 references) (GLR)

Learning from Cross-University Collaboration and Research: A Greek Tragedy in Three Acts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercado, Carmen I.

2004-01-01

A multiyear collaboration engaging key educational partners set out to understand how it was that English-language learners attending public schools that had the potential to serve as centers of excellence came to demonstrate relatively strong levels of performance on New York City and New York State standardized tests. This article describes what…

Using Food Science Demonstrations to Engage Students of All Ages in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Shelly J.; Bohn, Dawn M.; Rasmussen, Aaron J.; Sutherland, Elizabeth A.

2012-01-01

The overarching goal of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Initiative is to foster effective STEM teaching and learning throughout the educational system at the local, state, and national levels, thereby producing science literate citizens and a capable STEM workforce. To contribute to achieving this goal, we…

Assessment and comparison of student engagement in a variety of physiology courses.

PubMed

Hopper, Mari K

2016-03-01

Calls for reform in science education have promoted active learning as a means to improve student engagement (SENG). SENG is generally acknowledged to have a positive effect on student learning, satisfaction, and retention. A validated 14-question survey was used to assess SENG in a variety of upper- and lower-level physiology courses, including 100-level Anatomy and Physiology 1, 300-level Animal Physiology, 400-level Advanced Physiology, and 500-level Medical Physiology courses. The results indicated that SENG did not vary consistently by course level, format, or curriculum. The highest levels of SENG were found in the Advanced Physiology course, which included SENG as a primary objective of the course. Physiology student SENG scores were compared with National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) scores. The results demonstrated that physiology students enrolled in the Anatomy and Physiology 1 course reported lower levels of SENG than first-year students that completed the NSSE. Students enrolled in the Advanced Physiology course reported higher levels of SENG than fourth-year students that completed the NSSE. Assessment of SENG offers insights as to how engaged students are, identifies where efforts may best be applied to enhance SENG, and provides a baseline measure for future comparisons after targeted course modifications. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Social-media-enabled learning in emergency medicine: a case study of the growth, engagement and impact of a free open access medical education blog.

PubMed

Carley, Simon; Beardsell, Iain; May, Natalie; Crowe, Liz; Baombe, Janos; Grayson, Alan; Carden, Richard; Liebig, Ashley; Gray, Chris; Fisher, Ross; Horner, Daniel; Howard, Laura; Body, Richard

2018-02-01

Clinicians are increasingly using social media for professional development and education. In 2012, we developed the St.Emlyn's blog, an open access resource dedicated to providing free education in the field of emergency medicine. To describe the development and growth of this international emergency medicine blog. We present a narrative description of the development of St.Emlyn's blog. Data on scope, impact and engagement were extracted from WordPress, Twitter and Google Analytics. The St.Emlyn's blog demonstrates a sustained growth in size and user engagement. Since inception in 2012, the site has been viewed over 1.25 million times with a linear year-on-year growth. We have published over 500 blog posts, each of which attracts a mean of 2466 views (range 382-69 671). The site has been viewed in nearly every country in the world, although the majority (>75%) of visitors come from the USA, UK and Australia. This case study of an emergency medicine blog quantifies the reach and engagement of social-media-enabled learning in emergency medicine. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Problem-Based Learning: Student Engagement, Learning and Contextualized Problem-Solving. Occasional Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mossuto, Mark

2009-01-01

The adoption of problem-based learning as a teaching method in the advertising and public relations programs offered by the Business TAFE (Technical and Further Education) School at RMIT University is explored in this paper. The effect of problem-based learning on student engagement, student learning and contextualised problem-solving was…

CC-LR: Providing Interactive, Challenging and Attractive Collaborative Complex Learning Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caballé, S.; Mora, N.; Feidakis, M.; Gañán, D.; Conesa, J.; Daradoumis, T.; Prieto, J.

2014-01-01

Many researchers argue that students must be meaningfully engaged in the learning resources for effective learning to occur. However, current online learners still report a problematic lack of attractive and challenging learning resources that engage them in the learning process. This endemic problem is even more evident in online collaborative…

Engagement in Learning: A Comparison between Asian and European International University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakurai, Yusuke; Parpala, Anna; Pyhältö, Kirsi; Lindblom-Ylänne, Sari

2016-01-01

Drawing on research on both engagement in learning and approaches to learning, we examine the associations between international students' approaches to learning, factors in the teaching/learning environment and self-assessed academic outcomes. A total of 307 students responded to our survey. Their experience of the purposefulness of their course…

Seven Affordances of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: How to Support Collaborative Learning? How Can Technologies Help?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeong, Heisawn; Hmelo-Silver, Cindy E.

2016-01-01

This article proposes 7 core affordances of technology for collaborative learning based on theories of collaborative learning and CSCL (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning) practices. Technology affords learner opportunities to (1) engage in a joint task, (2) communicate, (3) share resources, (4) engage in productive collaborative learning…

Practitioner Reflections on Engineering Students' Engagement with e-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Rosemary L.; Richardson, Jennifer C.; Banky, George P.; Coller, Brianno D.; Jaksa, Mark B.; Lindsay, Euan D.; Maier, Holger R.

2011-01-01

This paper reports on an investigation of student engagement with e-learning, using practitioner reflection as a lens. Five e-learning practitioners each provided a case study from their teaching, which was the focus of practitioners' reflective accounts. Each of the practitioners had used e-learning as a way of promoting both learning and…

Adult Learning for Social Change in Museums: An Exploration of Sociocultural Learning Approaches to Community Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Junghwan; You, Jieun; Yeon Park, Soo

2016-01-01

This integrative literature review critically examined how scholars were articulating the work of museums to make a space for "adult learning for social change through community engagement". We applied sociocultural adult learning theories (situated learning and cultural-historical activity theory), to 25 theoretical and empirical…

ASPECT: A Survey to Assess Student Perspective of Engagement in an Active-Learning Classroom

PubMed Central

Wiggins, Benjamin L.; Eddy, Sarah L.; Wener-Fligner, Leah; Freisem, Karen; Grunspan, Daniel Z.; Theobald, Elli J.; Timbrook, Jerry; Crowe, Alison J.

2017-01-01

The primary measure used to determine relative effectiveness of in-class activities has been student performance on pre/posttests. However, in today’s active-learning classrooms, learning is a social activity, requiring students to interact and learn from their peers. To develop effective active-learning exercises that engage students, it is important to gain a more holistic view of the student experience in an active-learning classroom. We have taken a mixed-methods approach to iteratively develop and validate a 16-item survey to measure multiple facets of the student experience during active-learning exercises. The instrument, which we call Assessing Student Perspective of Engagement in Class Tool (ASPECT), was administered to a large introductory biology class, and student responses were subjected to exploratory factor analysis. The 16 items loaded onto three factors that cumulatively explained 52% of the variation in student response: 1) value of activity, 2) personal effort, and 3) instructor contribution. ASPECT provides a rapid, easily administered means to measure student perception of engagement in an active-learning classroom. Gaining a better understanding of students’ level of engagement will help inform instructor best practices and provide an additional measure for comprehensively assessing the impact of different active-learning strategies. PMID:28495936

Engaging pre-service teachers to teach science contextually with scientific approach instructional video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susantini, E.; Kurniasari, I.; Fauziah, A. N. M.; Prastowo, T.; Kholiq, A.; Rosdiana, L.

2018-01-01

Contextual teaching and learning (CTL) present new concepts in real experiences and situations, where students can find out the meaningful relationship between abstract ideas and practical applications. Implementation of CTL using scientific approach fosters teachers to find constructive ways of delivering and organizing science contents in science classroom settings. An instructional video for modelling by using a scientific approach in CTL was then developed. Questionnaires with open-ended questions were used to, asking whether modelling through instructional video could help them to teach science contextually with a scientific approach or not. Data for pre-service teachers’ views were analyzed descriptively. The aims of this research are to engage pre-service teachers in learning how to teach CTL and to show how their responses to learning and how to teach CTL using the video. The study showed that ten pre-service teachers in science department were involved, all observed through videos that demonstrated a combined material of CTL and scientific approach and completed worksheets to analyze the video contents. The results show that pre-service teachers could learn to teach contextual teaching and make use of scientific approach in science classroom settings with the help of model in the video.

Podcasts as Tools in Introductory Environmental Studies

PubMed Central

Vatovec, Christine; Balser, Teri

2009-01-01

Technological tools have increasingly become a part of the college classroom, often appealing to teachers because of their potential to increase student engagement with course materials. Podcasts in particular have gained popularity as tools to better inform students by providing access to lectures outside of the classroom. In this paper, we argue that educators should expand course materials to include prepublished podcasts to engage students with both course topics and a broader skill set for evaluating readily available media. We present a pre- and postassignment survey evaluation assessing student preferences for using podcasts and the ability of a podcast assignment to support learning objectives in an introductory environmental studies course. Overall, students reported that the podcasts were useful tools for learning, easy to use, and increased their understanding of course topics. However, students also provided insightful comments on visual versus aural learning styles, leading us to recommend assigning video podcasts or providing text-based transcripts along with audio podcasts. A qualitative analysis of survey data provides evidence that the podcast assignment supported the course learning objective for students to demonstrate critical evaluation of media messages. Finally, we provide recommendations for selecting published podcasts and designing podcast assignments. PMID:23653686

Learning to Live: The Relationship between Lifelong Learning and Lifelong Illness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Sue

2006-01-01

This paper explores the ways in which people with lifelong chronic illness engage with learning, and how learning impacts on the ways in which they learn to live with their illness. It considers their engagement with and changing focus of learning at different stages: prior to diagnosis, at about the time of diagnosis, and as their understanding…

Evaluation of public engagement activities to promote science in a zoo environment.

PubMed

Whitehouse, Jamie; Waller, Bridget M; Chanvin, Mathilde; Wallace, Emma K; Schel, Anne M; Peirce, Kate; Mitchell, Heidi; Macri, Alaina; Slocombe, Katie

2014-01-01

Scientists are increasing their efforts to promote public engagement with their science, but the efficacy of the methods used is often not scientifically evaluated. Here, we designed, installed and evaluated the educational impact of interactive games on touchscreens at two primate research centres based in zoo environments. The games were designed to promote interest in and understanding of primates and comparative psychology, as a scaffold towards interest in science more generally and with the intention of targeting younger individuals (under 16's). We used systematic observational techniques and questionnaires to assess the impact of the games on zoo visitors. The games facilitated increased interest in psychology and science in zoo visitors, and changed the knowledge of visitors, through demonstration of learning about specific scientific findings nested within the games. The impact of such devices was greatest on younger individuals (under 16's) as they were significantly more likely to engage with the games. On the whole, therefore, this study demonstrates that interactive devices can be successful educational tools, and adds to the growing body of evidence that conducting research on public view in zoos can have a tangible impact on public engagement with science.

Evaluation of Public Engagement Activities to Promote Science in a Zoo Environment

PubMed Central

Whitehouse, Jamie; Waller, Bridget M.; Chanvin, Mathilde; Wallace, Emma K.; Schel, Anne M.; Peirce, Kate; Mitchell, Heidi; Macri, Alaina; Slocombe, Katie

2014-01-01

Scientists are increasing their efforts to promote public engagement with their science, but the efficacy of the methods used is often not scientifically evaluated. Here, we designed, installed and evaluated the educational impact of interactive games on touchscreens at two primate research centres based in zoo environments. The games were designed to promote interest in and understanding of primates and comparative psychology, as a scaffold towards interest in science more generally and with the intention of targeting younger individuals (under 16's). We used systematic observational techniques and questionnaires to assess the impact of the games on zoo visitors. The games facilitated increased interest in psychology and science in zoo visitors, and changed the knowledge of visitors, through demonstration of learning about specific scientific findings nested within the games. The impact of such devices was greatest on younger individuals (under 16's) as they were significantly more likely to engage with the games. On the whole, therefore, this study demonstrates that interactive devices can be successful educational tools, and adds to the growing body of evidence that conducting research on public view in zoos can have a tangible impact on public engagement with science. PMID:25415193

Understanding Student Engagement in Online Learning Environments: The Role of Reflexivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Peter; Everington, Lucy; Kelm, Kathleen; Reid, Iain; Watkins, Francine

2017-01-01

It is important to develop understanding of what underpins the engagement of students in online learning environments. This article reports on a multiple case study that explored student engagement in a set of postgraduate degrees offered on a fully online basis. The study was based on a theorization of student engagement as the exercise of…

Beyond the Echo Chamber: Pedagogical Tools for Civic Engagement Discourse and Reflection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Panke, Stefanie; Stephens, John

2018-01-01

How can educators leverage blogs and other social media spaces to encourage a reflective, critical discourse about civic engagement that fosters a true learning exchange over promoting one's own ideas? This article reports upon a single case study of the "Community Engagement Learning Exchange," a multi-author blog on civic engagement.…

ToTCompute: A Novel EEG-Based TimeOnTask Threshold Computation Mechanism for Engagement Modelling and Monitoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghergulescu, Ioana; Muntean, Cristina Hava

2016-01-01

Engagement influences participation, progression and retention in game-based e-learning (GBeL). Therefore, GBeL systems should engage the players in order to support them to maximize their learning outcomes, and provide the players with adequate feedback to maintain their motivation. Innovative engagement monitoring solutions based on players'…

Through Their Eyes: Lessons Learned Using Participatory Methods in Health Care Quality Improvement Projects

PubMed Central

Balbale, Salva N.; Locatelli, Sara M.; LaVela, Sherri L.

2016-01-01

In this methodological article, we examine participatory methods in-depth to demonstrate how these methods can be adopted for quality improvement (QI) projects in health care. We draw on existing literature and our QI initiatives in the Department of Veterans Affairs to discuss the application of photovoice and guided tours in QI efforts. We highlight lessons learned and several benefits of using participatory methods in this area. Using participatory methods, evaluators can engage patients, providers and other stakeholders as partners to enhance care. Participant involvement helps yield actionable data that can be translated into improved care practices. Use of these methods also helps generate key insights to inform improvements that truly resonate with stakeholders. Using participatory methods is a valuable strategy to harness participant engagement and drive improvements that address individual needs. In applying these innovative methodologies, evaluators can transcend traditional approaches to uniquely support evaluations and improvements in health care. PMID:26667882

Evolving toward Laughter in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strean, William B.

2008-01-01

Lowman (1995) described the relationship between teacher and student and student engagement as the two most important ingredients in learning in higher education. Humour builds teacher-student connection (Berk, 1998) and engages students in the learning process. The bond between student and teacher is essential for learning, satisfaction, and…

Facilitative Learning and Students' Engagement in Electrical Technology for Developing Critical Reasoning and Lifelong Learning Skills in the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emmanuel, Caleb; Ekpo, Aloysuis

2016-01-01

Research has found that active student engagement in classroom activities can enhance academic achievement, promote retention and application of knowledge. This study investigated the relationship between students' engagement and facilitation in a student-centred learning environment. The study was conducted at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom…

Exploring the Effectiveness of Engagement in a Broad Range of Disciplinary Practices on Learning of Turkish High-School Chemistry Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seda Cetin, Pinar; Eymur, Guluzar; Southerland, Sherry A.; Walker, Joi; Whittington, Kirby

2018-01-01

This study examines the influence of laboratory instruction that engages students in a wide range of the practices of science on Turkish high-school students' chemistry learning. In this mixed methods study, student learning in two different laboratory settings was compared, one that featured an instruction that engaged students in a wide range of…

The Effectiveness of Game-Based Learning as an Instructional Strategy to Engage Students in Higher Education in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tham, Raymond; Tham, Lesley

2014-01-01

The Internet Generation today is accustomed to multi-tasking, graphics, fun, and fantasy. Educators are finding it challenging to engage and motivate students with the traditional mode of teaching. They are increasingly seeking to tap the potential of game-based learning to engage and motivate learners. Game-based learning is also catching on in…

Linking Classroom Environment with At-Risk Engagement in Science: A Mixed Method Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Stephen Craig

This explanatory sequential mixed-method study analyzed how the teacher created learning environment links to student engagement for students at-risk across five science classroom settings. The learning environment includes instructional strategies, differentiated instruction, positive learning environment, and an academically challenging environment. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered in the form of self-reporting surveys and a follow-up interview. The researcher aimed to use the qualitative results to explain the quantitative data. The general research question was "What are the factors of the teacher-created learning environment that were best suited to maximize engagement of students at-risk?" Specifically explaining, (1) How do the measured level of teacher created learning environment link to the engagement level of students at-risk in science class? and (2) What relationship exists between the student perception of the science classroom environment and the level of behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement for students at-risk in science class? This study took place within a large school system with more than 20 high schools, most having 2000-3000 students. Participating students were sent to a panel hearing that determined them unfit for the regular educational setting, and were given the option of attending one of the two alternative schools within the county. Students in this alternative school were considered at-risk due to the fact that 98% received free and reduced lunch, 97% were minority population, and all have been suspended from the regular educational setting. Pairwise comparisons of the SPS questions between teachers using t-test from 107 students at-risk and 40 interviews suggest that each category of the learning environment affects the level of behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement in science class for students at-risk in an alternative school setting. Teachers with higher student perceptions of learning environment showed increased levels of all types of engagement over the teachers with a lower perception of learning environment. Qualitative data suggested that teachers who created a more positive learning environment had increased student engagement in their class. Follow-up questions also revealed that teachers who incorporated a wider variety of classroom instructional strategies increased behavioral engagement of students at-risk in science class.

Teacher recommended academic and student engagement strategies for learning disabled students: A qualitative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nwachukwu, Bethel C.

There has been a push towards the education of students with Learning Disabilities in inclusive educational settings with their non-disabled peers. Zigmond (2003) stated that it is not the placement of students with disabilities in general education setting alone that would guarantee their successes; instead, the strategies teachers use to ensure that these children are being engaged and learning will enable them become successful. Despite the fact that there are several bodies of research on effective teaching of students with learning disabilities, special education teachers continue to have difficulties concerning the appropriate strategies for promoting student engagement and improving learning for students with learning disabilities placed in inclusive educational settings (Zigmond, 2003). This qualitative study interviewed and collected data from fifteen high performing special education teachers who were employed in a Southern state elementary school district to uncover the strategies they have found useful in their attempts to promote student engagement and attempts to improve student achievement for students with learning disabilities placed in inclusive educational settings. The study uncovered strategies for promoting engagement and improving learning outcomes for students with learning disabilities placed in inclusive classrooms. The findings showed that in order to actually reach the students with learning disabilities, special education teachers must go the extra miles by building rapport with the school communities, possess good classroom management skills, and become student advocates.

Achieving public and global health competencies: A teaching case study of Botswana's cervical cancer screening program.

PubMed

Okatch, Harriet; Sowicz, Timothy Joseph; Teng, Helen; Ramogola-Masire, Doreen; Buttenheim, Alison M

2018-05-01

To design and implement a case study on the cervical cancer screening program in Botswana to teach public and global health competencies to undergraduate nursing students. The case study was developed following a review of the literature on the epidemiology and health policies of cervical cancer in Botswana, and an interview with an obstetrician/gynecologist engaged in both clinical practice and research in Botswana. The case study has been implemented over seven semesters to students enrolled in the Nursing in the Community course at the University of Pennsylvania. Approximately 75-100 students are enrolled each semester. Student's perceptions of epidemiologic skills gained and group functioning. Students responded to an open-ended question about lessons learned and offered suggestions to improve the learning experience. Faculty assessment of student deliverables demonstrated that students achieved the learning objectives and mastered necessary competencies. More than 70% (n = 69) of the students indicated that they acquired relevant skills at greater than a satisfactory level. Generally, students had great experiences working in groups measured across five dimensions: engagement/contribution, creativity/resilience, on task/works independently, social interaction/communication, and preparedness. However, isolated cases of poor group functioning were reported for engagement/contribution, and creativity/resilience. The case study, which has been revised with respect to length, content and group processes, has been valuable in educating undergraduate nursing students in a more engaging way that mimics real life public health nursing scenarios. Students achieved both public and global health competencies through participation in the case study. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Unpacking Docent Practice in Free Choice Science Learning Settings: A Qualitative Study Documenting the What and Whys of Docent Interpretive Practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Good, Laura H.

Museum settings including aquariums, zoos and science centers rely heavily on their volunteer docent populations to interact with and communicate science and conservation concepts to the visiting public. The interactions docents have with museum visitors are important to meeting the educational expectations of museums and improving public science literacy as a whole, yet research to date is limited around docent practice, docents' reflections on that practice nor the sources for docents to learn that practice. Thus, we have little understanding of the interpretive practice docents actually undertake whilst interacting with visitors, why they choose to enact particular strategies, and how they came to learn those practices. Using a grounded qualitative approach within a framework of mediated action and cultural historical activity theory, this case study utilized video observations of docent practice at a science center, pre and post observation interviews, and focus groups to 1) document docent practices for engaging visitors, 2) explain those practices from the docents' own perspectives, and 3) examine those practices from the point of view of how they align with teaching and learning theories and interpretive practice. Thematic analysis using constant comparative methods demonstrate four claims about docent practice: 1) docents view teaching in the museum as opportunities to spark interest with these new experiences. Practices are chosen to engage visitors in these experiences. Docents choose to highlight these experiences as they believe they are reasons to be engaged; 2) docents as teachers are perceptive about their audience. They pay attention to patterns and provide information in response to those patterns. Docents utilize a shared repertoire of practice and information in their community developed from understanding visitor patterns of interest; 3) docents care about their setting and the exhibits within it. They also care about the visitor experience as a whole, and have to be flexible when working with different types of learners. They believe that being a docent means balancing potentially conflicting roles; and 4) docents use interpretation as a pedagogy to engage visitors with science and create personally meaningful experiences. Analysis of significant interactions between docents and visitors shows that such practices are mediated through a variety of discursive and physical tools and implemented by docents as a means of engaging visitors with science and conservation. Moreover, most of these skills appear to be learned on-the-job within their communities of practice, and while specific docent actions and skills may be different across contexts, member checks with docents working in other museum settings demonstrate the resonance of the findings across contexts. The findings of the study are placed in the context of interpretation theories of communication as well as research on docents as lifelong, free-choice learners both facilitating and participating in societal STEM learning activity. Findings and methods of research from this study are valuable to the greater understanding of how docents learn and enact interpretive practice and the development of more effective professional development for docents in museum settings.

Self-Determination, Engagement, and Identity in Learning German: Some Directions in the Psychology of Language Learning Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noels, Kimberly A.; Chaffee, Kathryn; Lou, Nigel Mantou; Dincer, Ali

2016-01-01

Drawing from Self-Determination Theory and diverse theories of language learning motivation, we present a framework that (1) represents a range of orientations that students may take towards learning German, and (2) explains how these orientations are connected to language learning engagement and diverse linguistic and non-linguistic outcomes. We…

ASPECT: A Survey to Assess Student Perspective of Engagement in an Active-Learning Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiggins, Benjamin L.; Eddy, Sarah L.; Wener-Fligner, Leah; Freisem, Karen; Grunspan, Daniel Z.; Theobald, Elli J.; Timbrook, Jerry; Crowe, Alison J.

2017-01-01

The primary measure used to determine relative effectiveness of in-class activities has been student performance on pre/posttests. However, in today's active-learning classrooms, learning is a social activity, requiring students to interact and learn from their peers. To develop effective active-learning exercises that engage students, it is…

Developing the Systems Engineering Experience Accelerator (SEEA) Prototype and Roadmap

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-31

Learning Model developed by Kolb , 1984. Figure 3: Learning Process: All Phases of Experiential Learning to be Engaged Profile building engages learners...simulation that will put the learner in an experiential , emotional state and effectively compress time and greatly accelerate the learning of a systems...Taxonomy ................................................................................. 9 2.3 Learning Theory Model and Learner Profile

Motivating Students through Positive Learning Experiences: A Comparison of Three Learning Designs for Computer Programming Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lykke, Marianne; Coto, Mayela; Jantzen, Christian; Mora, Sonia; Vandel, Niels

2015-01-01

Based on the assumption that wellbeing, positive emotions and engagement influence motivation for learning, the aim of this paper is to provide insight into students' emotional responses to and engagement in different learning designs. By comparing students' reports on the experiential qualities of three different learning designs, their…

Using a modified argument-driven inquiry to promote elementary school students' engagement in learning science and argumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsiang-Ting; Wang, Hsin-Hui; Lu, Ying-Yan; Lin, Huann-shyang; Hong, Zuway-R.

2016-01-01

This study explored the effects of a modified argument-driven inquiry approach on Grade 4 students' engagement in learning science and argumentation in Taiwan. The students were recruited as an experimental group (EG, n = 36) to join a 12-week study, while another 36 Grade 4 students from the same schools were randomly selected to be the comparison group (CG). All participants completed a questionnaire at the beginning and end of this study. In addition, four target students with the highest and the other four students with the lowest pretest engagement in learning science or argumentation to be observed weekly and interviewed following the posttest. Initial results revealed that the EG students' total engagement in learning science and argumentation and the claim and warrant components were significantly higher than the CG students. In addition, the EG students' anxiety in learning science significantly decreased during the study; and their posttest total engagement in learning science scores were positively associated with their argumentation scores. Interview and observation results were consistent with the quantitative findings. Instructional implications and research recommendations are discussed.

Children's Comprehension of Informational Text: Reading, Engaging, and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Linda; Dreher, Mariam Jean; Shiplet, Angela Katenkamp; Beall, Lisa Carter; Voelker, Anita N.; Garrett, Adia J.; Schugar, Heather R.; Finger-Elam, Maria

2011-01-01

The Reading, Engaging, and Learning project (REAL) investigated whether a classroom intervention that enhanced young children's experience with informational books would increase reading achievement and engagement. Participants attended schools serving low income neighborhoods with 86% African American enrollment. The longitudinal study spanned…

Measuring Student Engagement in a Flipped Athletic Training Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Gayle A.; Ayers, Suzan F.

2015-01-01

Context: "Active learning" describes any instructional approach that fosters student engagement in the content and is believed to promote critical thinking more fully than do traditional lecture formats. Objective: Investigate student engagement, specifically professional relevance and peer interaction, with active learning techniques…

The Relationship between Teacher Value Orientations and Engagement in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ning, Hoi Kwan; Lee, Daphnee; Lee, Wing On

2016-01-01

The development of teacher professional learning communities (PLC) has attracted growing attention among practitioners, policy-makers and researchers. The aims of this study were to identify typologies of professional learning teams based on measures of professional learning engagement, and assess their linkages with teachers' value orientations.…

Tweeting the Night Away: Using Twitter to Enhance Social Presence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlap, Joanna C.; Lowenthal, Patrick R.

2009-01-01

To be truly effective, online learning must facilitate the social process of learning. This involves providing space and opportunities for students and faculty to engage in social activities. Although learning management systems offer several tools that support social learning and student engagement, the scope, structure, and functionality of…

Interaction Pattern Analysis in cMOOCs Based on the Connectivist Interaction and Engagement Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Zhijun; Anderson, Terry; Chen, Li; Barbera, Elena

2017-01-01

Connectivist learning is interaction-centered learning. A framework describing interaction and cognitive engagement in connectivist learning was constructed using logical reasoning techniques. The framework and analysis was designed to help researchers and learning designers understand and adapt the characteristics and principles of interaction in…

The Effects of Student Engagement, Student Satisfaction, and Perceived Learning in Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Julie A.; DiLoreto, Melanie

2016-01-01

Studies have shown that course organization and structure, student engagement, learner interaction, and instructor presence have accounted for considerable variance in student satisfaction and perceived learning in online learning environments through a range of pathways, although no research to date has tested the mediational relationship…

Engagement and Kindness in Digitally Mediated Learning with Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cramp, Andy; Lamond, Catherine

2016-01-01

This paper explores the significance of designing online learning led by the principle of direct and meaningful participant engagement. It considers the notion of kindness as a crucial value contributing to pedagogy and the development of meaningful learning relationships. The paper challenges the "delivery" approach to online learning,…

Appreciative Inquiry: Guided Reflection to Generate Change in Service-Learning Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lahman, Mary

2012-01-01

Service-learning scholars contend that engaging students in systematic reflection during community service promotes one, if not all, of the following student outcomes: (1) academic learning; (2) personal growth; and (3) civic engagement. For communication instructors in particular, Applegate and Morreale (1999) proposed that service-learning both…

Learning and Engagement through Natural History Museums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mujtaba, Tamjid; Lawrence, Martin; Oliver, Mary; Reiss, Michael J.

2018-01-01

This review examines how natural history museums (NHMs) can enhance learning and engagement in science, particularly for school-age students. First, we describe the learning potential of informal science learning institutions in general, then we focus on NHMs. We review the possible benefits of interactions between schools and NHMs, and the…

Stealth Learning: Unexpected Learning Opportunities through Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, Laura A.

2012-01-01

Educators across the country struggle to create engaging, motivating learning environments for their Net Gen students. These learners expect instant gratification that traditional lectures do not provide. This leaves educators searching for innovative ways to engage students in order to encourage learning. One solution is for educators to use…

Project-Based Learning and International Business Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danford, Gerard L.

2006-01-01

Project-based Learning (PbL) mirrors that of real-world business situations. PbL engages students in real projects for real corporations. Furthermore, this is an effective learning methodology which can be easily incorporated into a dynamic and challenging learning context such as international business education. Engaging in student-corporate…

Adapting a Framework for Assessing Students' Approaches to Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Steven Carl

2017-01-01

We used an "approach to learning" theoretical framework to explicate the ways students engage in scientific modeling. Approach to learning theory suggests that when students approach learning deeply, they link science concepts with prior knowledge and experiences. Conversely, when students engage in a surface approach to learning, they…

An Exploratory Study Comparing the Effectiveness of Lecturing versus Team-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huggins, Christopher M.; Stamatel, Janet P.

2015-01-01

Lecturing has been criticized for fostering a passive learning environment, emphasizing a one-way flow of information, and not adequately engaging students. In contrast, active-learning approaches, such as team-based learning (TBL), prioritize student interaction and engagement and create multidirectional flows of information. This paper presents…

A systems approach to implementation of eLearning in medical education: five MEPI schools' journeys.

PubMed

Vovides, Yianna; Chale, Selamawit Bedada; Gadhula, Rumbidzayi; Kebaetse, Masego B; Nigussie, Netsanet Animut; Suleman, Fatima; Tibyampansha, Dativa; Ibrahim, Glory Ramadhan; Ntabaye, Moshi; Frehywot, Seble; Nkomazana, Oathokwa

2014-08-01

How should eLearning be implemented in resource-constrained settings? The introduction of eLearning at four African medical schools and one school of pharmacy, all part of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) eLearning Technical Working Group, highlighted the need for five factors essential for successful and sustainable implementation: institutional support; faculty engagement; student engagement; technical expertise; and infrastructure and support systems. All five MEPI schools reported strengthening technical expertise, infrastructure, and support systems; four schools indicated that they were also successful in developing student engagement; and three reported making good progress in building institutional support. Faculty engagement was the one core component that all five schools needed to enhance.

A large-scale mass casualty simulation to develop the non-technical skills medical students require for collaborative teamwork.

PubMed

Jorm, Christine; Roberts, Chris; Lim, Renee; Roper, Josephine; Skinner, Clare; Robertson, Jeremy; Gentilcore, Stacey; Osomanski, Adam

2016-03-08

There is little research on large-scale complex health care simulations designed to facilitate student learning of non-technical skills in a team-working environment. We evaluated the acceptability and effectiveness of a novel natural disaster simulation that enabled medical students to demonstrate their achievement of the non-technical skills of collaboration, negotiation and communication. In a mixed methods approach, survey data were available from 117 students and a thematic analysis undertaken of both student qualitative comments and tutor observer participation data. Ninety three per cent of students found the activity engaging for their learning. Three themes emerged from the qualitative data: the impact of fidelity on student learning, reflexivity on the importance of non-technical skills in clinical care, and opportunities for collaborative teamwork. Physical fidelity was sufficient for good levels of student engagement, as was sociological fidelity. We demonstrated the effectiveness of the simulation in allowing students to reflect upon and evidence their acquisition of skills in collaboration, negotiation and communication, as well as situational awareness and attending to their emotions. Students readily identified emerging learning opportunities though critical reflection. The scenarios challenged students to work together collaboratively to solve clinical problems, using a range of resources including interacting with clinical experts. A large class teaching activity, framed as a simulation of a natural disaster is an acceptable and effective activity for medical students to develop the non-technical skills of collaboration, negotiation and communication, which are essential to team working. The design could be of value in medical schools in disaster prone areas, including within low resource countries, and as a feasible intervention for learning the non-technical skills that are needed for patient safety.

Brave New Worlds: How Virtual Environments Can Augment Traditional Care in the Management of Diabetes

PubMed Central

Watson, Alice J.; Grant, Richard W.; Bello, Heather; Hoch, Daniel B.

2008-01-01

New technologies, such as online networking tools, offer innovative ways to engage patients in their diabetes care. Second Life (SL) is one such virtual world that allows patients to interact in a 3D environment with peers and healthcare providers. This article presents a framework that demonstrates how applications within SL can be constructed to meet the needs of patients with diabetes, allowing them to attend group visits, learn more about lifestyle changes, and foster a sense of support and emotional well-being. This experiential approach to education may prove more engaging, and therefore successful, than existing strategies. Addressing concerns relating to privacy and liability is a necessary first step to engage providers in this new approach to patient care. PMID:19885247

Putting the Learning in Case Learning? The Effects of Case-Based Approaches on Student Knowledge, Attitudes, and Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krain, Matthew

2016-01-01

This study revisits case learning's effects on student engagement and assesses student learning as a result of the use of case studies and problem-based learning. The author replicates a previous study that used indirect assessment techniques to get at case learning's impact, and then extends the analysis using a pre- and post-test experimental…

High and Low Computer Self-Efficacy Groups and Their Learning Behavior from Self-Regulated Learning Perspective While Engaged in Interactive Learning Modules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santoso, Harry B.; Lawanto, Oenardi; Becker, Kurt; Fang, Ning; Reeve, Edward M.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate high school students' computer self-efficacy (CSE) and learning behavior in a self-regulated learning (SRL) framework while utilizing an interactive learning module. The researcher hypothesizes that CSE is reflected on cognitive actions and metacognitive strategies while the students are engaged with…

Individual to collaborative: guided group work and the role of teachers in junior secondary science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fung, Dennis; Lui, Wai-mei

2016-05-01

This paper, through discussion of a teaching intervention at two secondary schools in Hong Kong, demonstrates the learning advancement brought about by group work and dissects the facilitating role of teachers in collaborative discussions. One-hundred and fifty-two Secondary Two (Grade 8) students were divided into three pedagogical groups, namely 'whole-class teaching', 'self-directed group work' and 'teacher-supported group work' groups, and engaged in peer-review, team debate, group presentation and reflection tasks related to a junior secondary science topic (i.e. current electricity). Pre- and post-tests were performed to evaluate students' scientific conceptions, alongside collected written responses and audio-recorded discussions. The results indicate that students achieved greater cognitive growth when they engaged in cooperative learning activities, the interactive and multi-sided argumentative nature of which is considered to apply particularly well to science education and Vygotsky's zone of proximal development framework. Group work learning is also found to be most effective when teachers play a role in navigating students during the joint construction of conceptual knowledge.

Internet messenger based smart virtual class learning using ubiquitous computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umam, K.; Mardi, S. N. S.; Hariadi, M.

2017-06-01

Internet messenger (IM) has become an important educational technology component in college education, IM makes it possible for students to engage in learning and collaborating at smart virtual class learning (SVCL) using ubiquitous computing. However, the model of IM-based smart virtual class learning using ubiquitous computing and empirical evidence that would favor a broad application to improve engagement and behavior are still limited. In addition, the expectation that IM based SVCL using ubiquitous computing could improve engagement and behavior on smart class cannot be confirmed because the majority of the reviewed studies followed instructions paradigms. This article aims to present the model of IM-based SVCL using ubiquitous computing and showing learners’ experiences in improved engagement and behavior for learner-learner and learner-lecturer interactions. The method applied in this paper includes design process and quantitative analysis techniques, with the purpose of identifying scenarios of ubiquitous computing and realize the impressions of learners and lecturers about engagement and behavior aspect and its contribution to learning

Active Bodies/Active Brains: The Relationship between Physical Engagement and Children's Brain Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens-Smith, Deborah A.

2016-01-01

Educators often struggle daily with the issue of how to engage students for learning. Many instructional strategies are devoted to the concept of engagement to keep students interested and on task to enhance learning, but defining the term is difficult. Engagement may involve a combination of terms that relates to the effort of students when they…

A community engagement project in an undergraduate oceanography course to increase engagement and representation in marine science among high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, C. D.; Prairie, J. C.; Walters, S. A.

2016-02-01

In the context of undergraduate education in oceanography, we are constantly striving for innovative ways to enhance student learning and enthusiasm for marine science. Community engagement is a form of experiential education that not only promotes a better understanding of concepts among undergraduate students but also allows them to interact with the community in a way that is mutually beneficial to both parties. Here I present on my experience in incorporating a community engagement project in my undergraduate physical oceanography course at the University of San Diego (USD) in collaboration with Mission Bay High School (MBHS), a local Title 1 International Baccalaureate high school with a high proportion of low-income students and students from underrepresented groups in STEM. As part of this project, the undergraduate students from my physical oceanography course were challenged to develop interactive workshops to present to the high school students at MBHS on some topic in oceanography. Prior to the workshops, the USD students met with the high school students at MBHS during an introductory meeting in which they could learn about each other's interests and backgrounds. The USD students then worked in teams of three to design a workshop proposal in which they outlined their plan for a workshop that was interactive and engaging, relying on demonstrations and activities rather than lecture. Each of the three teams then presented their workshops on separate days in the Mission Bay High School classroom. Finally, the USD students met again with the high school students at MBHS for a conclusion day in which both sets of students could discuss their experiences with the community engagement project. Through the workshop itself and a reflection essay written afterwards, the USD students learned to approach concepts in oceanography from a different perspective, and think about how student backgrounds can inform teaching these concepts. I will describe preliminary outcomes of this project and discuss the potential of community engagement projects in general to positively impact and integrate both undergraduate and high school education in ocean science.

Out of Class--Out of Mind? The Use of a Virtual Learning Environment to Encourage Student Engagement in Out of Class Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leese, Maggie

2009-01-01

With increasing student numbers and a diverse student body, it is crucial to consider a range of methods to engage students in learning and teaching activities. This project was used to encourage 1st-year undergraduate students to engage in out of class activities between taught sessions. The project used a virtual learning environment (VLE) known…

Lessons Learned from Developing a Patient Engagement Panel: An OCHIN Report.

PubMed

Arkind, Jill; Likumahuwa-Ackman, Sonja; Warren, Nate; Dickerson, Kay; Robbins, Lynn; Norman, Kathy; DeVoe, Jennifer E

2015-01-01

There is renewed interest in patient engagement in clinical and research settings, creating a need for documenting and publishing lessons learned from efforts to meaningfully engage patients. This article describes early lessons learned from the development of OCHIN's Patient Engagement Panel (PEP). OCHIN supports a national network of more than 300 community health centers (CHCs) and other primary care settings that serve over 1.5 million patients annually across nearly 20 states. The PEP was conceived in 2009 to harness the CHC tradition of patient engagement in this new era of patient-centered outcomes research and to ensure that patients were engaged throughout the life cycle of our research projects, from conception to dissemination. Developed by clinicians and researchers within our practice-based research network, recruitment of patients to serve as PEP members began in early 2012. The PEP currently has a membership of 18 patients from 3 states. Over the past 24 months, the PEP has been involved with 12 projects. We describe developing the PEP and challenges and lessons learned (eg, recruitment, funding model, creating value for patient partners, compensation). These lessons learned are relevant not only for research but also for patient engagement in quality improvement efforts and other clinical initiatives. © Copyright 2015 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

The Particular Aspects of Science Museum Exhibits That Encourage Students' Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaby, Neta; Assaraf, Orit Ben-Zvi; Tal, Tali

2017-06-01

This research explores learning in science museums through the most common activity in a science museum—interaction with exhibits. The goal of this study was to characterize the learning behaviors exhibited by students as they engage with interactive exhibits in order to draw insight regarding the design of the exhibits. In order to do so, we used a qualitative method of observation as well as the Visitor Engagement Framework (VEF) model, a visitor-based framework for assessing visitors' learning experiences with exhibits in a science center setting. The combined method produced a framework of nine learning behaviors exhibited during the visitors' interaction with the exhibits, grouped into three categories that reflect increasing levels of engagement and depth of the learning experience. Our research participants consisted of a total 1800 students aged 10-12 (4th, 5th, and 6th graders) who came to the museum with their class for a day visit. We observed nine exhibits, each visited by 200 students. Our observations revealed several design elements that contribute to engagement with exhibits in science museums. For example, exhibits that have familiar activation encourage visitors' interaction, exhibits that facilitate social interaction are more likely to increase engagement, and the highest levels of engagement can be found in exhibits that support large groups.

Enhancing learning in geosciences and water engineering via lab activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valyrakis, Manousos; Cheng, Ming

2016-04-01

This study focuses on the utilisation of lab based activities to enhance the learning experience of engineering students studying Water Engineering and Geosciences. In particular, the use of modern highly visual and tangible presentation techniques within an appropriate laboratory based space are used to introduce undergraduate students to advanced engineering concepts. A specific lab activity, namely "Flood-City", is presented as a case study to enhance the active engagement rate, improve the learning experience of the students and better achieve the intended learning objectives of the course within a broad context of the engineering and geosciences curriculum. Such activities, have been used over the last few years from the Water Engineering group @ Glasgow, with success for outreach purposes (e.g. Glasgow Science Festival and demos at the Glasgow Science Centre and Kelvingrove museum). The activity involves a specific setup of the demonstration flume in a sand-box configuration, with elements and activities designed so as to gamely the overall learning activity. Social media platforms can also be used effectively to the same goals, particularly in cases were the students already engage in these online media. To assess the effectiveness of this activity a purpose designed questionnaire is offered to the students. Specifically, the questionnaire covers several aspects that may affect student learning, performance and satisfaction, such as students' motivation, factors to effective learning (also assessed by follow-up quizzes), and methods of communication and assessment. The results, analysed to assess the effectiveness of the learning activity as the students perceive it, offer a promising potential for the use of such activities in outreach and learning.

Student Buy-In to Active Learning in a College Science Course

PubMed Central

Cavanagh, Andrew J.; Aragón, Oriana R.; Chen, Xinnian; Couch, Brian; Durham, Mary; Bobrownicki, Aiyana; Hanauer, David I.; Graham, Mark J.

2016-01-01

The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure–persuasion–identification–commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n = 245) engagement in an undergraduate science course featuring active learning. Student buy-in to active learning was positively associated with engagement in self-regulated learning and students’ course performance. The positive associations among buy-in, self-regulated learning, and course performance suggest buy-in as a potentially important factor leading to student engagement and other student outcomes. These findings are particularly salient in course contexts featuring active learning, which encourage active student participation in the learning process. PMID:27909026

Communication Idol: Using Popular Culture to Catalyse Active Learning by Engaging Students in the Development of Entertaining Teaching and Learning Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dune, Tinashe; Bidewell, John; Firdaus, Rubab; Kirwan, Morwenna

2016-01-01

Bringing popular culture to tertiary education can potentially increase student engagement with learning tasks and content, especially when the learning task has students producing the content. Using a single-group intervention plus post-test design, this study implemented and evaluated a purposely developed learning and teaching innovation…

Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Himmele, Persida; Himmele, William

2011-01-01

Yes, there are easy-to-use and incredibly effective alternatives to the "stand and deliver" approach to teaching that causes so many students to tune out--or even drop out. Here's your opportunity to explore dozens of ways to engage K-12 students in active learning and allow them to demonstrate the depth of their knowledge and understanding. The…

Developing Cultural Humility through Experiential Learning: How Home Visits Transform Early Childhood Preservice Educators' Attitudes for Engaging Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vesely, Colleen K.; Brown, Elizabeth Levine; Mehta, Swati

2017-01-01

Research calls for teacher education to prepare early childhood educators for the needs of diverse and marginalized young children and their families in the U.S. With an increasing cultural divide between teachers and students, some early childhood educators may demonstrate limited understanding for how diverse cultural, linguistic, racial, and…

Personal and Social Interactions between Young Girls and Scientists: Examining Critical Aspects for Identity Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farland-Smith, Donna

2012-01-01

At a 5-day summer camp designed for middle-school girls (N = 50), fifth through ninth-grade students were able to identify with individual scientists and learn more about the science field. Data from the girls' journals, pictorial representations, and field notes demonstrated that these young women related to scientists who actively engaged them…

Teacher and Student Use of Gesture and Access to Secondary Mathematics for Students with Learning Disabilities: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hord, Casey; Marita, Samantha; Walsh, Jennifer B.; Tomaro, Taylor-Marie; Gordon, Kiyana; Saldanha, Rene L.

2016-01-01

The researchers conducted an exploratory qualitative case study to describe the gesturing processes of tutors and students when engaging in secondary mathematics. The use of gestures ranged in complexity from simple gestures, such as pointing and moving the pointing finger in an arching motion to demonstrate mathematics relationships within…

Innovating Schools through Dialogic Arts-Based Practice: Ingredients for Engaging Students with a Whole New Mind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Kristen; Cooper, Karen

2015-01-01

While the "scientific" debate about school dropouts has ensued, some have taken matters into their own hands, creating successful non-school based programs on the arts for at-risk youth based. Their efforts demonstrate powerful results for learning and human development. We suggest that it is time to incorporate this knowledge base, and…

Peer Assisted Study Sessions and Student Performance: The Role of Academic Engagement, Student Identity, and Statistics Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spedding, Jason; Hawkes, Amy J.; Burgess, Matthew

2017-01-01

The initial year of university is often a sensitive period for new students. Commencing students may lack the necessary skills and resources to adapt to unfamiliar learning environments. One intervention demonstrating academic benefits is Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS). PASS is a structured peer led study group where students collectively…

Student responses to a hands-on kinesthetic lecture activity for learning about the oxygen carrying capacity of blood.

PubMed

Breckler, Jennifer; Yu, Justin R

2011-03-01

This article describes a new hands-on, or "kinesthetic," activity for use in a physiology lecture hall to help students comprehend an important concept in cardiopulmonary physiology known as oxygen carrying capacity. One impetus for designing this activity was to address the needs of students who have a preference for kinesthetic learning and to help increase their understanding and engagement during lecture. This activity uses simple inexpensive materials, provides an effective model for demonstrating related pathophysiology, and helps promote active learning. The activity protocol and its implementation are described here in detail. We also report data obtained from student surveys and assessment tools to determine the effectiveness of the activity on student conceptual learning and perceptions. A brief multiple-choice pretest showed that although students had already been introduced to the relevant concepts in lecture, they had not yet mastered these concepts before performing the activity. Two postactivity assessments showed that student performance was significantly improved on the posttest compared with the pretest and that information was largely retained at the end of the course. Survey data showed that one-half of the students stated kinesthetic learning as among their learning preferences, yet nearly all students enjoyed and were engaged in this hands-on kinesthetic activity regardless of their preferences. Most students would recommend it to their peers and expressed a desire for more kinesthetic learning opportunities in the lecture curriculum.

Research on Model of Student Engagement in Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peng, Wang

2017-01-01

In this study, online learning refers students under the guidance of teachers through the online learning platform for organized learning. Based on the analysis of related research results, considering the existing problems, the main contents of this paper include the following aspects: (1) Analyze and study the current student engagement model.…

Integrating Interview Methodology to Analyze Inter-Institutional Comparisons of Service-Learning within the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plante, Jarrad D.; Cox, Thomas D.

2016-01-01

Service-learning has a longstanding history in higher education in and includes three main tenets: academic learning, meaningful community service, and civic learning. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching created an elective classification system called the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification for higher education…

Improving Engagement in Science: A Biosocial System Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanrahan, Mary U.

The goal of my multi-study research program has been to learn how to engage all students in learning science. Most learning theories applied to science pedagogy take either a psychological or a sociocultural perspective and hence ignore either sociocultural or motivational factors when considering classroom learning. Based on my own research…

Meaning Making with Motion Is Messy: Developing a STEM Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LópezLeiva, Carlos; Roberts-Harris, Deborah; von Toll, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

Through a collaborative effort between a sixth-grade teacher and two university faculty, we designed an integrated unit to learn about motion and we learned that an integrated teaching and learning experience about motion is MESSY (i.e., it includes movement, engagement, social interactions, spontaneity, yikes, and yippees!). We engaged in a…

Blended Learning and Student Engagement in an Urban High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Courtney

2017-01-01

A metropolitan school district wanted to understand blended learning as it existed in one of their high schools. Blended learning had been school-wide for four years, and district administrators wanted to know how students, teachers, and school administrators perceived blended learning and its impact on student engagement. This was a…

Young People's Personal Engagement with Global Learning in Further Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentall, Clare; McGough, Hannah

2013-01-01

This article focuses on the degree to which students in further education (FE) colleges in England personally engage with global learning during specific initiatives to incorporate global learning in the curriculum, drawing on findings from the 'Global Learning for Global Colleges' (2009-12) research and development project, funded by the UK…

Activity-Based Introductory Physics Reform *

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thornton, Ronald

2004-05-01

Physics education research has shown that learning environments that engage students and allow them to take an active part in their learning can lead to large conceptual gains compared to those of good traditional instruction. Examples of successful curricula and methods include Peer Instruction, Just in Time Teaching, RealTime Physics, Workshop Physics, Scale-Up, and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs). RealTime Physics promotes interaction among students in a laboratory setting and makes use of powerful real-time data logging tools to teach concepts as well as quantitative relationships. An active learning environment is often difficult to achieve in large lecture sessions and Workshop Physics and Scale-Up largely eliminate lectures in favor of collaborative student activities. Peer Instruction, Just in Time Teaching, and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) make lectures more interactive in complementary ways. This presentation will introduce these reforms and use Interactive Lecture Demonstrations (ILDs) with the audience to illustrate the types of curricula and tools used in the curricula above. ILDs make use real experiments, real-time data logging tools and student interaction to create an active learning environment in large lecture classes. A short video of students involved in interactive lecture demonstrations will be shown. The results of research studies at various institutions to measure the effectiveness of these methods will be presented.

Literacy Coaching: Engaging and Learning with Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dozier, Cheryl L.

2008-01-01

Literacy coaching, a unique and generative opportunity to engage with and learn from teachers, is currently viewed as a powerful intervention to increase student literacy achievement. This article focuses on eight principles for responsive literacy coaching. To build trusting relationships, coaches engage with teachers in literacy events, confirm…

Geophysics field school: A team-based learning experience for students and faculty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karchewski, B.; Innanen, K. A.; Lauer, R. M.; Pidlisecky, A.

2016-12-01

The core challenge facing a modern science educator is to deliver a curriculum that reaches broadly and deeply into the technical domain, while also helping students to develop fundamental scientific skills such as inquiry, critical thinking and technical communication. That is, our aim is for students to achieve significant learning at all levels summarized by Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. It is not always clear how to achieve the full spectrum of goals, with much debate over which component is more important in a science education. Team-based and experiential learning are research-supported approaches that aim to reach across the spectrum by placing students in a setting where they solve practical problems in teams of peers. This learning mode modifies the role of the instructor to a guide or facilitator, and students take a leadership role in their own education. We present a case study of our team's implementation of team-based learning in a geophysics field school, an inherently experiential learning environment. The core philosophies behind our implementation are to present clearly defined learning outcomes, to recognize that students differ in their learning modalities and to strive to engage students through a range of evidence-based learning experiences. We discuss the techniques employed to create functional teams, the key learning activities involved in a typical day of field school and data demonstrating the learning activities that showed the strongest correlation to overall performance in the course. In the process, we also realized that our team-based approach to course design and implementation also enhanced our skillsets as educators, and our institution recently recognized our efforts with a team teaching award. Therefore, we conclude with some of our observations of best practices for team teaching in a field setting to initiate discussions with colleagues engaged in similar activities.

Measuring student engagement in science classrooms: An investigation of the contextual factors and longitudinal outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spicer, Justina Judy

This dissertation includes three separate but related studies that examine the different dimensions of student experiences in science using data from two different datasets: the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), and a dataset constructed using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM). This mixed-dataset approach provides a unique perspective on student engagement and the contexts in which it exists. Engagement is operationalized across the three studies using aspects of flow theory to evaluate how the challenges in science classes are experienced at the student level. The data provides information on a student's skill-level and efficacy during the challenge, as well as their interest level and persistence. The data additionally track how situations contribute to optimal learning moments, along with longitudinal attitudes and behaviors towards science. In the first part of this study, the construct of optimal moments is explored using in the moment data from the ESM dataset. Several different measures of engagement are tested and validated to uncover relationships between various affective states and optimal learning experiences with a focus on science classrooms. Additional analyses include investigating the links between in the moment engagement (situational), and cross-situational (stable) measures of engagement in science. The second part of this dissertation analyzes the ESM data in greater depth by examining how engagement varies across students and their contextual environment. The contextual characteristics associated with higher engagement levels are evaluated to see if these conditions hold across different types of students. Chapter three more thoroughly analyzes what contributes to students persisting through challenging learning moments, and the variation in levels of effort put forth when facing difficulty while learning in science. In chapter four, this dissertation explores additional outcomes associated with student engagement in science using the results for chapters two and three to identify aspects of engagement and learning in science. These findings motivate a set of variables and analytic approach that is undertaken in chapter four. Specifically, the questions how engagement influences experiences in ninth grade science and students' interest in pursuing a career in STEM using the HSLS:09 data. This multifaceted study contributes to the conceptualization of student engagement, and will help bring clarity to the relationship among engagement, context, and long-term outcomes in science. Engagement is more than being on-task or paying attention, but is a condition influenced by many factors including student background, the learning context of the classroom, teacher characteristics, and the features of instruction. Understanding this relationship between engagement and contextual factors is helpful in uncovering teacher actions and instructional activities that may elicit higher engagement in science classes. These findings highlight the importance of science instruction using more cognitively-demanding activities, such as problem-based learning.

Exploring the Perceptions of Students as Co-Creators in Learning and Its Effect on Student Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keevers, Douglas M.

2016-01-01

College students in the United States today are failing to be academically engaged, and there is a critical need to analyze why this is occurring. The research conducted in this study was used to examine student engagement as a means to promote learning in higher education. Student engagement can lead to knowledge development and foster academic…

Using a kinesthetic learning strategy to engage nursing student thinking, enhance retention, and improve critical thinking.

PubMed

Wagner, Elissa A

2014-06-01

This article reports the outcomes of a kinesthetic learning strategy used during a cardiac lecture to engage students and to improve the use of classroom-acquired knowledge in today's challenging clinical settings. Nurse educators are constantly faced with finding new ways to engage students, stimulate critical thinking, and improve clinical application in a rapidly changing and complex health care system. Educators who deviate from the traditional pedagogy of didactic, content-driven teaching to a concept-based, student-centered approach using active and kinesthetic learning activities can enhance engagement and improve clinical problem solving, communication skills, and critical thinking to provide graduates with the tools necessary to be successful. The goals of this learning activity were to decrease the well-known classroom-clinical gap by enhancing engagement, providing deeper understanding of cardiac function and disorders, enhancing critical thinking, and improving clinical application. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Enhancing Self-Efficacy in Elementary Science Teaching With Professional Learning Communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mintzes, Joel J.; Marcum, Bev; Messerschmidt-Yates, Christl; Mark, Andrew

2013-11-01

Emerging from Bandura's Social Learning Theory, this study of in-service elementary school teachers examined the effects of sustained Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on self-efficacy in science teaching. Based on mixed research methods, and a non-equivalent control group experimental design, the investigation explored changes in personal self-efficacy and outcome expectancy among teachers engaged in PLCs that featured Demonstration Laboratories, Lesson Study, and annual Summer Institutes. Significant changes favoring the experimental group were found on all quantitative measures of self-efficacy. Structured clinical interviews revealed that observed changes were largely attributable to a wide range of direct (mastery) and vicarious experiences, as well as emotional reinforcement and social persuasion.

E-learning in a virtual science camp for urban youth

PubMed Central

Holden, Lynne; Morrison, Andrew; Berger, Wallace; Siegel, Elliot

2014-01-01

The Virtual Science Camp (VSC) is a unique demonstration of synchronous e-learning developed by Mentoring in Medicine (MIM). This paper reports on a pilot offering during the summer of 2012 that taught advanced biological concepts, healthy living and health care career opportunities to medically underserved urban youth. Livestream’s interactive video technology was used to engage a diverse audience of mostly high school students at remote sites in a new two week instructional program that provided custom course content free of charge over the internet. We describe the technical and program preparations undertaken, their implementation, the IT environment, a multi-faceted evaluation plan, the results of the experiment, and lessons learned. PMID:24733956

ENGAGE: A Game Based Learning and Problem Solving Framework

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-13

Gamification Summit 2012  Mensa Colloquium 2012.2: Social and Video Games  Seattle Science Festival  TED Salon Vancouver : http...From - To) 6/1/2012 – 6/30/2012 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE ENGAGE: A Game Based Learning and Problem Solving Framework 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER N/A 5b...Popović ENGAGE: A Game Based Learning and Problem Solving Framework (Task 1 Month 4) Progress, Status and Management Report Monthly Progress

The Department of Defense at the Forefront of a Global Health Emergency Response: Lessons Learned from the Ebola Outbreak.

PubMed

Diehl, Glendon; Bradstreet, Nicole; Monahan, Felicia

2016-01-01

Tasked with analyzing the effectiveness of the Department of Defense's (DoD's) global health engagements, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) used the Measures Of Effectiveness in Defense Engagement and Learning (MODEL) study to conduct a qualitative analysis of the DoD's response efforts to the Ebola pandemic in West Africa. The research aims to summarize the findings of studies that monitor and evaluate the DoD's response to the Ebola pandemic or compare the effectiveness of different DoD response activities; it further aims to identify common themes around positive and negative lessons learned and recommendations that can be applied to future DoD humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts. The search included documents and observations from PubMed, Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, the Joint Lessons Learned Information System, the DoD and US Africa Command websites, and Google Scholar. The records selected from the search were analyzed to provide insights on the DoD's humanitarian assistance and disaster response engagements that could be employed to inform future operations and policy. Furthermore, the research identifies strengths and gaps in military capabilities to respond to disasters, which can be used to inform future training and education courses. Overall, the findings demonstrate the importance of monitoring, evaluating, and assessing disaster response activities and provide new evidence to support the implementation of activities, in accordance with the Global Health Security Agenda, to strengthen all-threat prevention, detection, and response capabilities worldwide.

Peer-led team learning in an online course on controversial medication issues and the US healthcare system.

PubMed

Pittenger, Amy L; LimBybliw, Amy L

2013-09-12

To implement peer-led team learning in an online course on controversial issues surrounding medications and the US healthcare system. The course was delivered completely online using a learning management system. Students participated in weekly small-group discussions in online forums, completed 3 reflective writing assignments, and collaborated on a peer-reviewed grant proposal project. In a post-course survey, students reported that the course was challenging but meaningful. Final projects and peer-reviewed assignments demonstrated that primary learning goals for the course were achieved and students were empowered to engage in the healthcare debate. A peer-led team-learning is an effective strategy for an online course offered to a wide variety of student learners. By shifting some of the learning and grading responsibility to students, the instructor workload for the course was rendered more manageable.

Reactivation of emergent task-related ensembles during slow-wave sleep after neuroprosthetic learning

PubMed Central

Gulati, Tanuj; Ramanathan, Dhakshin; Wong, Chelsea; Ganguly, Karunesh

2017-01-01

Brain-Machine Interfaces can allow neural control over assistive devices. They also provide an important platform to study neural plasticity. Recent studies indicate that optimal engagement of learning is essential for robust neuroprosthetic control. However, little is known about the neural processes that may consolidate a neuroprosthetic skill. Based on the growing body of evidence linking slow-wave activity (SWA) during sleep to consolidation, we examined if there is ‘offline’ processing after neuroprosthetic learning. Using a rodent model, here we show that after successful learning, task-related units specifically experienced increased locking and coherency to SWA during sleep. Moreover, spike-spike coherence among these units was significantly enhanced. These changes were not present with poor skill acquisition or after control awake periods, demonstrating specificity of our observations to learning. Interestingly, time spent in SWA predicted performance gains. Thus, SWA appears to play a role in offline processing after neuroprosthetic learning. PMID:24997761

Work-Engaged Learning: Towards a Paradigm Shift in Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yorke, Mantz

2011-01-01

Student engagement with the world of work or voluntary service has become increasingly prominent in higher education curricula as nations and states seek competitive advantage for their economies. Developments in assessment have lagged behind developments in curricula. It is argued that the incorporation of work-engaged learning into curricula…

A Role for Technology in Enhancing Students' Engagement with Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parkin, Helen J.; Hepplestone, Stuart; Holden, Graham; Irwin, Brian; Thorpe, Louise

2012-01-01

This paper explores the potential of technology-enabled feedback to improve student learning. "Technology, Feedback, Action!: The impact of learning technology upon students' engagement with their feedback" aimed to evaluate how a range of technical interventions might encourage students to engage with feedback and formulate actions to…

Student Engagement. Focus On

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Rebecca

2011-01-01

Teachers, more than any other person in the school, have the greatest potential to get students engaged in school and in learning. Creating student-directed learning experiences that challenge, stimulate, and engage kids not only raises test scores, it also fosters life-long learners prepared for success in today's globally connected world. This…

Interactive Digital Textbooks and Engagement: A Learning Strategies Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bikowski, Dawn; Casal, J. Elliott

2018-01-01

This mixed-methods study explored non-native English speaking students' learning processes and engagement as they used a customized interactive digital textbook housed on a mobile device. Think aloud protocols, surveys of anticipated and actual engagement with the digital textbook, reflective journals, and member checking constituted data…

Enhancing Global Service-Learning with Partnerships as an Engagement Strategy for Christian Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bish, Gregory T.; Lommel, John

2016-01-01

Global engagement programming across higher education continues to expand as institutional leaders and practitioners strive to meet global citizenship and civic engagement outcomes. This article presents case study research on a global service-learning partnership, the "Christian University" (CU) Wheelchair Project, which has involved…

Action learning across the decades.

PubMed

Eason, Ken

2017-05-02

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how action learning concepts were used in two healthcare projects undertaken many decades apart. The specific purpose in both cases was to examine how action learning can contribute to shared learning across key stakeholders in a complex socio-technical system. In each case study, action learning supported joint design programmes and the sharing of perspectives about the complex system under investigation. Design/methodology/approach Two action learning projects are described: first, the Hospital Internal Communications (HIC) project led by Reg Revans in the 1960s. Senior staff in ten London hospitals formed action learning teams to address communication issues. Second, in the Better Outcomes for People with Learning Disabilities: Transforming Care (BOLDTC) project, videoconferencing equipment enabled people with learning disabilities to increase their opportunities to communicate. A mutual learning process was established to enable stakeholders to explore the potential of the technical system to improve individual care. Findings The HIC project demonstrated the importance of evidence being shared between team members and that action had to engage the larger healthcare system outside the hospital. The BOLDTC project confirmed the continuing relevance of action learning to healthcare today. Mutual learning was achieved between health and social care specialists and technologists. Originality/value This work draws together the socio-technical systems tradition (considering both social and technical issues in organisations) and action learning to demonstrate that complex systems development needs to be undertaken as a learning process in which action provides the fuel for learning and design.

Engaging students in learning science through promoting creative reasoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waldrip, Bruce; Prain, Vaughan

2017-10-01

Student engagement in learning science is both a desirable goal and a long-standing teacher challenge. Moving beyond engagement understood as transient topic interest, we argue that cognitive engagement entails sustained interaction in the processes of how knowledge claims are generated, judged, and shared in this subject. In this paper, we particularly focus on the initial claim-building aspect of this reasoning as a crucial phase in student engagement. In reviewing the literature on student reasoning and argumentation, we note that the well-established frameworks for claim-judging are not matched by accounts of creative reasoning in claim-building. We develop an exploratory framework to characterise and enact this reasoning to enhance engagement. We then apply this framework to interpret two lessons by two science teachers where they aimed to develop students' reasoning capabilities to support learning.

Student engagement in mathematics: Development of instrument and validation of construct

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Qi-Ping; Wong, Ngai-Ying; Lam, Chi-Chung

2003-05-01

Universal education has aggravated the problems of students' disengagement in learning, highlighting in particular, a greater range of motivations to learn and wider diversification in students' interests. Students' engagement with curriculum has become a crucial element in classroom learning. How we cultivate their involvement in the curriculum may be seen as being far more important than the epistemological consideration in the design of the school curriculum. Though aspects of behavioural, affective and cognitive engagements have been revealed in literature, we are still in need of a validated instrument that measures student engagement for further research. In the present study, an instrument of student engagement in the subject area of mathematics was developed through grounded research. Its validity was established by statistical methods

'Not Hard to Sway': A Case Study of Student Engagement in Two Large Engineering Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shekhar, Prateek; Borrego, Maura

2018-01-01

Although engineering education research has empirically validated the effectiveness of active learning in improving student learning over traditional lecture-based methods, the adoption of active learning in classrooms has been slow. One of the greatest reported barriers is student resistance towards engagement in active learning exercises. This…

Challenge of Engaging All Students via Self-Paced Interactive Electronic Learning Tutorials for Introductory Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeVore, Seth; Marshman, Emily; Singh, Chandralekha

2017-01-01

As research-based, self-paced electronic learning tools become increasingly available, a critical issue educators encounter is implementing strategies to ensure that all students engage with them as intended. Here, we first discuss the effectiveness of electronic learning tutorials as self-paced learning tools in large enrollment brick and mortar…

Incorporating Meaningful Gamification in a Blended Learning Research Methods Class: Examining Student Learning, Engagement, and Affective Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Meng; Hew, Khe Foon

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated how the use of meaningful gamification affects student learning, engagement, and affective outcomes in a short, 3-day blended learning research methods class using a combination of experimental and qualitative research methods. Twenty-two postgraduates were randomly split into two groups taught by the same…

Using Email to Enable E[superscript 3] (Effective, Efficient, and Engaging) Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, ChanMin

2008-01-01

This article argues that technology that supports both noncognitive and cognitive aspects can make learning more effective, efficient, and engaging (e[superscript 3]-learning). The technology of interest in this article is email. The investigation focuses on characteristics of email that are likely to enable e[superscript 3]-learning. In addition,…

Creating Ripples: An Exploration of Sansei Women's Experiences of Expressive Practices in a Holistic Approach to Learning about Oppression and Privilege

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaya, Katherine

2013-01-01

Although much has been written recently about holistic orientations to transformative learning, including its theoretical foundations and frameworks for designing learning experiences that engage multiple epistemologies, little is known about learners' experiences and about how engaging multiple epistemologies can foster learning that is…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sedig, Kamran

2008-01-01

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

Measuring Engagement and Learning Outcomes During a Teacher Professional Development Workshop about Creative Climate Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrison, A.; Gold, A. U.; Soltis, N.; McNeal, K.; Kay, J. E.

2017-12-01

Climate science and global climate change are complex topics that require system-level thinking and the application of general science concepts. Identifying effective instructional approaches for improving climate literacy is an emerging research area with important broader impacts. Active learning techniques can ensure engagement throughout the learning process and increase retention of climate science content. Conceptual changes that can be measured as lasting learning gains occur when both the cognitive and affective domain are engaged. Galvanic skin sensors are a relatively new technique to directly measure engagement and cognitive load in science education. We studied the engagement and learning gains of 16 teachers throughout a one-day teacher professional development workshop focused on creative strategies to communicate about climate change. The workshop consisted of presentations about climate science, climate communication, storytelling and filmmaking, which were delivered using different pedagogical approaches. Presentations alternated with group exercises, clicker questions, videos and discussions. Using a pre-post test design we measured learning gains and attitude changes towards climate change among participating teachers. Each teacher wore a hand sensor to measure galvanic skin conductance as a proxy for emotional engagement. We surveyed teachers to obtain self-reflection data on engagement and on their skin conductance data during and after the workshop. Qualitative data provide critical information to aid the interpretation of skin conductance readings. Based on skin conductance data, teachers were most engaged during group work, discussions and videos as compared to lecture-style presentations. We discuss the benefits and limitations of using galvanic skin sensors to inform the design of teacher professional development opportunities. Results indicate that watching videos or doing interactive activities may be the most effective strategies for increasing teachers' knowledge of climate science.

Improving Student Engagement in Learning Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Nancy; And Others

Engaging students seriously in their own academic learning is a persistent difficulty for teachers. The goal of this action research project was to actively involve elementary school students in their learning. The program was implemented at three elementary schools in northern Illinois serving multicultural populations; special education…

Professional Learning Experiences and Administrator Practice: Is There a Connection?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bickmore, Dana L.

2012-01-01

This study identified the formal and informal professional learning experiences in which school administrators engaged and the relationship between these professional learning experiences and administrator practice. The researcher developed an instrument that solicited school administrators' engagement and perceived value of formal and informal…

Cortical and Hippocampal Correlates of Deliberation during Model-Based Decisions for Rewards in Humans

PubMed Central

Bornstein, Aaron M.; Daw, Nathaniel D.

2013-01-01

How do we use our memories of the past to guide decisions we've never had to make before? Although extensive work describes how the brain learns to repeat rewarded actions, decisions can also be influenced by associations between stimuli or events not directly involving reward — such as when planning routes using a cognitive map or chess moves using predicted countermoves — and these sorts of associations are critical when deciding among novel options. This process is known as model-based decision making. While the learning of environmental relations that might support model-based decisions is well studied, and separately this sort of information has been inferred to impact decisions, there is little evidence concerning the full cycle by which such associations are acquired and drive choices. Of particular interest is whether decisions are directly supported by the same mnemonic systems characterized for relational learning more generally, or instead rely on other, specialized representations. Here, building on our previous work, which isolated dual representations underlying sequential predictive learning, we directly demonstrate that one such representation, encoded by the hippocampal memory system and adjacent cortical structures, supports goal-directed decisions. Using interleaved learning and decision tasks, we monitor predictive learning directly and also trace its influence on decisions for reward. We quantitatively compare the learning processes underlying multiple behavioral and fMRI observables using computational model fits. Across both tasks, a quantitatively consistent learning process explains reaction times, choices, and both expectation- and surprise-related neural activity. The same hippocampal and ventral stream regions engaged in anticipating stimuli during learning are also engaged in proportion to the difficulty of decisions. These results support a role for predictive associations learned by the hippocampal memory system to be recalled during choice formation. PMID:24339770

Sticking with the nice guy: trait warmth information impairs learning and modulates person perception brain network activity.

PubMed

Lee, Victoria K; Harris, Lasana T

2014-12-01

Social learning requires inferring social information about another person, as well as evaluating outcomes. Previous research shows that prior social information biases decision making and reduces reliance on striatal activity during learning (Delgado, Frank, & Phelps, Nature Neuroscience 8 (11): 1611-1618, 2005). A rich literature in social psychology on person perception demonstrates that people spontaneously infer social information when viewing another person (Fiske & Taylor, 2013) and engage a network of brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex, temporal parietal junction, superior temporal sulcus, and precuneus (Amodio & Frith, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7(4), 268-277, 2006; Haxby, Gobbini, & Montgomery, 2004; van Overwalle Human Brain Mapping, 30, 829-858, 2009). We investigate the role of these brain regions during social learning about well-established dimensions of person perception-trait warmth and trait competence. We test the hypothesis that activity in person perception brain regions interacts with learning structures during social learning. Participants play an investment game where they must choose an agent to invest on their behalf. This choice is guided by cues signaling trait warmth or trait competence based on framing of monetary returns. Trait warmth information impairs learning about human but not computer agents, while trait competence information produces similar learning rates for human and computer agents. We see increased activation to warmth information about human agents in person perception brain regions. Interestingly, activity in person perception brain regions during the decision phase negatively predicts activity in the striatum during feedback for trait competence inferences about humans. These results suggest that social learning may engage additional processing within person perception brain regions that hampers learning in economic contexts.

Use of narratives to enhance learning of research ethics in residents and researchers.

PubMed

Sim, Kang; Sum, Min Yi; Navedo, Deborah

2015-03-10

Past didactic pedagogy on biomedical research ethics and informed consent in our program had resulted in passive memorization of information and disengaged learning within psychiatry residents and clinical researchers. The question is how do we better motivate and engage learners within the session. Thus, we incorporated narratives into the learning environment and hypothesised that the use of narratives in the teaching of biomedical research ethics and informed consent would be associated with greater engagement, motivation, understanding, reflective learning and effectiveness of the teaching session. The narratives were chosen from the history of research ethics and the humanities literature related to human subject research. Learners were asked to provide post-session feedback through an anonymised questionnaire on their learning session. An outcomes logic model was used for assessment with focus on immediate outcomes such as engagement, motivation, understanding and reflective learning. Overall, 70.5% (N = 273) of the learners responded to the questionnaire. Amongst the respondents, 92.6% (N = 253) of the participants ranked use of narratives as most helpful in appreciating the historical context of research ethics and informed consent in research. The majority felt engaged (89.8%, N = 245), more motivated to learn (77.5%, N = 212) and better equipped (86.4%, N = 236) about the subject matter. Better appreciation of the learning topic, engagement, motivation to learn, equipping were strongly correlated with the promotion of reflective learning, effectiveness of teaching, promotion of critical thinking and overall positive rating of the teaching session on research ethics (all p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses found that the use of narratives was associated with higher overall rating of the teaching session (p = 0.003) and promotion of critical thinking (p = 0.02). Results revealed that the use of narratives could enhance engagement, appreciation of biomedical research ethics and informed consent, and address underlying motivational factors behind learning and understanding of research ethics.

Building Interactivity in Higher Education to Support Student Engagement in Spatial Problem Solving and Programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulland, E.-K.; Veenendaal, B.; Schut, A. G. T.

2012-07-01

Problem-solving knowledge and skills are an important attribute of spatial sciences graduates. The challenge of higher education is to build a teaching and learning environment that enables students to acquire these skills in relevant and authentic applications. This study investigates the effectiveness of traditional face-to-face teaching and online learning technologies in supporting the student learning of problem-solving and computer programming skills, techniques and solutions. The student cohort considered for this study involves students in the surveying as well as geographic information science (GISc) disciplines. Also, students studying across a range of learning modes including on-campus, distance and blended, are considered in this study. Student feedback and past studies reveal a lack of student interest and engagement in problem solving and computer programming. Many students do not see such skills as directly relevant and applicable to their perceptions of what future spatial careers hold. A range of teaching and learning methods for both face-to-face teaching and distance learning were introduced to address some of the perceived weaknesses of the learning environment. These included initiating greater student interaction in lectures, modifying assessments to provide greater feedback and student accountability, and the provision of more interactive and engaging online learning resources. The paper presents and evaluates the teaching methods used to support the student learning environment. Responses of students in relation to their learning experiences were collected via two anonymous, online surveys and these results were analysed with respect to student pass and retention rates. The study found a clear distinction between expectations and engagement of surveying students in comparison to GISc students. A further outcome revealed that students who were already engaged in their learning benefited the most from the interactive learning resources and opportunities provided.

Effects of Engineering Design-Based Science on Elementary School Science Students' Engineering Identity Development across Gender and Grade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capobianco, Brenda M.; Yu, Ji H.; French, Brian F.

2015-04-01

The integration of engineering concepts and practices into elementary science education has become an emerging concern for science educators and practitioners, alike. Moreover, how children, specifically preadolescents (grades 1-5), engage in engineering design-based learning activities may help science educators and researchers learn more about children's earliest identification with engineering. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which engineering identity differed among preadolescents across gender and grade, when exposing students to engineering design-based science learning activities. Five hundred fifty preadolescent participants completed the Engineering Identity Development Scale (EIDS), a recently developed measure with validity evidence that characterizes children's conceptions of engineering and potential career aspirations. Data analyses of variance among four factors (i.e., gender, grade, and group) indicated that elementary school students who engaged in the engineering design-based science learning activities demonstrated greater improvements on the EIDS subscales compared to those in the comparison group. Specifically, students in the lower grade levels showed substantial increases, while students in the higher grade levels showed decreases. Girls, regardless of grade level and participation in the engineering learning activities, showed higher scores in the academic subscale compared to boys. These findings suggest that the integration of engineering practices in the science classroom as early as grade one shows potential in fostering and sustaining student interest, participation, and self-concept in engineering and science.

We Are All Teachers: Modeling Democratic Engagement in Faculty Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Studer, Morgan; Rogers, Christian; Benton, Melissa; Quirke, Michelle

2017-01-01

As service-learning and community engagement (SLCE) have become increasingly legitimized in higher education as scholarly pedagogical practice, resources to support faculty in learning about and undertaking this engaged work have grown. As Zlotkowski (2015) points out in his framing essay for the SLCE Future Directions Project (FDP), the movement…

Teaching to Strengths: Engaging Young Boys in Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Cynthia; Gooliaff, Shauna

2013-01-01

Traditional teaching methods often fail to engage male students in learning. The purpose of this research was to increase student engagement in the story writing process and increase self-confidence in boys at risk. A qualitative approach included student surveys as well as teacher journaling and portfolios (including e-portfolios). The student…

Civic Learning and Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanter, Martha; Schneider, Carol Geary

2013-01-01

For decades, the US education system has failed to adequately combat a decline of civic engagement and awareness, resulting in what many are now calling a "civics recession." The good news is that there is growing awareness, at all levels, that we need new and concerted efforts to make civic learning and engagement a core component of…

Civic Engagement as Risk Management and Public Relations: What the Pharmaceutical Industry Can Teach Us about Service-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, J. Blake

2009-01-01

The pharmaceutical industry's corporate responsibility reports illustrate how the liberal rhetoric of civic engagement can be reappropriated to serve the market-driven aims of risk management and public relations. Tracing the ideologic linkage of corporate responsibility and service-learning versions of civic engagement, and contextualizing…

Parental Belief and Parental Engagement in Children's Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodall, J.; Ghent, K.

2014-01-01

This article reports on a small scale study, examining the influence of parental faith belief on parental engagement with children's learning. The literature surrounding parental engagement and the impact of familial belief on children's outcomes is examined. It is clear from work in the US that familial faith belief has an impact; however, the…

Teacher Openness and Prosocial Motivation: Creating an Environment Where Questions Lead to Engaged Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crane, Bret D.

2017-01-01

Evidence suggests that student engagement in the classroom leads to improved learning outcomes. As a result, teachers of management have promoted ways to involve students through Socratic teaching methods, case-based pedagogy, and class discussion. These approaches to learning emphasize the use of questions to stimulate student engagement.…

Teachers' Beliefs, Instructional Behaviors, and Students' Engagement in Learning from Texts with Instructional Pictures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Sascha; Richter, Tobias; McElvany, Nele; Hachfeld, Axinja; Baumert, Jurgen; Schnotz, Wolfgang; Horz, Holger; Ullrich, Mark

2011-01-01

This study investigated the relations between teachers' pedagogical beliefs and students' self-reported engagement in learning from texts with instructional pictures. Participants were the biology, geography, and German teachers of 46 classes (Grades 5-8) and their students. Teachers' instructional behaviors and students' engagement in learning…

More than Just a Pretty (Inter) Face: The Role of the Graphical User Interface in Engaging Elearners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metros, Susan E.; Hedberg, John G.

2002-01-01

Examines the relationship between the graphical user interface (GUI) and the cognitive demands placed on the learner in eLearning (electronic learning) environments. Describes ways educators can design appropriate interfaces to facilitate meaningful interactions with educational content; and examines learner engagement and engagement theory using…

Understanding Student Engagement during Simulations in IB Global Politics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gleek, Charles

2015-01-01

There is ample discussion in academic and policy circles, as well as amongst the general public, about the ways in which classroom instructors can provide more engaging learning experiences for students. This research examines the ways in which students engage participating in classroom simulations as it pertains to the assigned learning outcomes…

Selected Engagement Factors and Academic Learning Outcomes of Undergraduate Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Justice, Patricia J.

2009-01-01

The concept of student engagement and its relationship to successful student performance and learning outcomes has a long history in higher education (Kuh, 2007). Attention to faculty and student engagement has only recently become of interest to the engineering education community. This interest can be attributed to long-standing research by…

Towards the Gamification of Learning: Investigating Student Perceptions of Game Elements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheong, Christopher; Filippou, Justin; Cheong, France

2014-01-01

Games offer people engaging and motivating experiences. The process of recreating this type of experience in systems that are not typically considered games is called "gamification." Improving engagement and motivation in a learning environment is desired by many educators as traditional approaches do not seem to be as engaging as they…

Science Teaching and Learning Activities and Students' Engagement in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampden-Thompson, Gillian; Bennett, Judith

2013-01-01

The purpose of this analysis is to describe the variation in students' reports of engagement in science across science teaching and learning activities. In addition, this study examines student and school characteristics that may be associated with students' levels of engagement in science. Data are drawn from the Programme for International…

I Am, I Am Becoming: How Community Engagement Changed Our Learning, Teaching, and Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Militello, Matthew; Ringler, Marjorie C.; Hodgkins, Lawrence; Hester, Dawn Marie

2017-01-01

We explore the development of community-engaged scholars and practitioners through two distinct lenses: faculty who facilitate engaged learning processes and student-practitioners who are enacting these processes in their work. We use an auto-ethnographic technique, our own stories, to describe the will (motivation) and capacity (knowledge) gained…

Business Unusual: Transforming Business School Curricula through Community Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehrich, Kristine; Ceranic, Tara; Liu, Judith

2014-01-01

As part of a Community Service-Learning Faculty Scholars Program, University of San Diego business faculty members created community engagement projects that connected students with the local community, exposed them to the realities of a global business world and showed the inherent value of community engagement. By utilizing service-learning and…

Assessing the Multiple Dimensions of Engagement to Characterize Learning: A Neurophysiological Perspective

PubMed Central

Charland, Patrick; Léger, Pierre-Majorique; Sénécal, Sylvain; Courtemanche, François; Mercier, Julien; Skelling, Yannick; Labonté-Lemoyne, Elise

2015-01-01

In a recent theoretical synthesis on the concept of engagement, Fredricks, Blumenfeld and Paris1 defined engagement by its multiple dimensions: behavioral, emotional and cognitive. They observed that individual types of engagement had not been studied in conjunction, and little information was available about interactions or synergy between the dimensions; consequently, more studies would contribute to creating finely tuned teaching interventions. Benefiting from the recent technological advances in neurosciences, this paper presents a recently developed methodology to gather and synchronize data on multidimensional engagement during learning tasks. The technique involves the collection of (a) electroencephalography, (b) electrodermal, (c) eye-tracking, and (d) facial emotion recognition data on four different computers. This led to synchronization issues for data collected from multiple sources. Post synchronization in specialized integration software gives researchers a better understanding of the dynamics between the multiple dimensions of engagement. For curriculum developers, these data could provide informed guidelines for achieving better instruction/learning efficiency. This technique also opens up possibilities in the field of brain-computer interactions, where adaptive learning or assessment environments could be developed. PMID:26167712

Problem-Based Learning and Civic Engagement in Undergraduate Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keegan, Louise C.; Losardo, Angela; McCullough, Kim C.

2017-01-01

Problem-based learning and civic engagement are complementary constructivist andragogical approaches that emphasize active learning by guiding students to develop their own understanding and knowledge of a topic through experience and reflection. By providing examples of clinical cases and community-based experiences, these approaches can enhance…

Meaningful Engagement in Facebook Learning Environments: Merging Social and Academic Lives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Jenny; Lin, Chun-Fu C.; Yu, Wei-Chieh W.; Wu, Emily

2013-01-01

This study compared the effectiveness of different learning environments between interactive Facebook instructional method and non-Facebook instructional method for undergraduate students. Two outcome dimensions were measured: student grades and learning engagement. A pre-test-posttest control group experimental design was used. The experimental…

A Novel Group Engagement Score for Virtual Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castellanos, Jorge; Haya, Pablo A.; Urquiza-Fuentes, Jaime

2017-01-01

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education is currently receiving much attention from governments and educational institutions. Our work is based on active learning and video-based learning approaches to support STEM education. Here, we aimed to increase students' engagement through reflective processes that embrace video…

PLATE: Powerful Learning and Teaching Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Housand, Angela

2009-01-01

The environment has a profound effect on the ability of students to regulate their behavior or disposition and effectively engage in the learning processes. Active engagement is important because it increases performance. Certain types of environmental structures actually increase students' ability to be agents of their own learning. These…

Alignment of an interprofessional student learning experience with a hospital quality improvement initiative.

PubMed

Fowler, Terri O; Wise, Holly H; Mauldin, Mary P; Ragucci, Kelly R; Scheurer, Danielle B; Su, Zemin; Mauldin, Patrick D; Bailey, Jennifer R; Borckardt, Jeffrey J

2018-04-11

Assessment of interprofessional education (IPE) frequently focuses on students' learning outcomes including changes in knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes. While a foundational education in the values and information of their chosen profession is critical, interprofessional learning follows a continuum from formal education to practice. The continuum increases in significance and complexity as learning becomes more relationship based and dependent upon the ability to navigate complex interactions with patients, families, communities, co-workers, and others. Integrating IPE into collaborative practice is critical to enhancing students' experiential learning, developing teamwork competencies, and understanding the complexity of teams. This article describes a project that linked students with a hospital-based quality-improvement effort to focus on the acquisition and practice of teamwork skills and to determine the impact of teamwork on patient and quality outcome measures. A hospital unit was identified with an opportunity for improvement related to quality care, patient satisfaction, employee engagement, and team behaviours. One hundred and thirty-seven students from six health profession colleges at the Medical University of South Carolina underwent TeamSTEPPS® training and demonstrated proficiency of their teamwork-rating skills with the TeamSTEPPS® Team Performance Observation Tool (T-TPO). Students observed real-time team behaviours of unit staff before and after staff attended formal TeamSTEPPS® training. The students collected a total of 778 observations using the T-TPO. Teamwork performance on the unit improved significantly across all T-TPO domains (team structure, communication, leadership, situation monitoring, and mutual support). Significant improvement in each domain continued post-intervention and at 15-month follow-up, improvement remained significant compared to baseline. Student engagement in TeamSTEPPS® training and demonstration of their reliability as teamwork-observers was a valuable learning experience and also yielded an opportunity to gather unique, and otherwise difficult to attain, data from a hospital unit for use by quality managers and administrators.

Pilot test of cooperative learning format for training mental health researchers and black community leaders in partnership skills.

PubMed

Laborde, Danielle J; Brannock, Kristen; Breland-Noble, Alfiee; Parrish, Theodore

2007-12-01

To support reduction of racial disparities in mental health diagnosis and treatment, mental health researchers and black community-based organization (CBO) leaders need training on how to engage in collaborative research partnerships. In this study, we pilot tested a series of partnership skills training modules for researchers and CBO leaders in a collaborative learning format. Two different sets of three modules, designed for separate training of researchers and CBO leaders, covered considering, establishing and managing mental health research partnerships and included instructions for self-directed activities and discussions. Eight CBO leaders participated in 10 sessions, and six researchers participated in eight sessions. The effectiveness of the training content and format was evaluated through standardized observations, focus group discussions, participant evaluation forms and retrospective pre-/posttests to measure perceived gains in knowledge. Participants generally were satisfied with the training experience and gained new partnership knowledge and skills. Although the CBO leaders were more engaged in the cooperative learning process, this training format appealed to both audiences. Pilot testing demonstrated that: 1) our modules can equip researchers and CBO leaders with new partnership knowledge and skills and 2) the cooperative learning format is a well-received and suitable option for mental health research partnership training.

One World, Two Classrooms, "Thirteen Days": Film as an Active-Teaching and Learning Tool in Cross-National Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inoue, Cristina Yumie Aoki; Krain, Matthew

2014-01-01

This study assesses the pedagogical value of film as case material, and whether that value is affected by the different national and institutional contexts of the students engaging that text. We test whether students in two different Theories of International Relations (IR) classrooms--one in Brazil and one in the United States--demonstrated a…

Learning to Change: Does Life Skills Training Lead to Reduced Incident Reports among Inmates in a Medium/Minimum Correctional Facility?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunte, Rose S.

2010-01-01

There have been numerous research on the effect of education on behavior as it relates to recidivism. However, the base of knowledge is lacking in research discussing the effect of education on the behavior of inmates in an Omaha correctional institution. This study hypothesized that inmates engaging in life skills training would demonstrate a…

Virtual to Reality: Teaching Mathematics and Aerospace Concepts to Undergraduates Using Unmanned Aerial Systems and Flight Simulation Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aji, Chadia Affane; Khan, M. Javed

2015-01-01

Student engagement is an essential element for learning. Active learning has been consistently shown to increase student engagement and hence learning. Hands-on activities are one of the many active learning approaches. These activities vary from structured laboratory experiments on one end of the spectrum to virtual gaming environments and to for…

Associations between the Classroom Learning Environment and Student Engagement in Learning 2: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harbaugh, Allen G.; Cavanagh, Robert F.

2012-01-01

This report is about the second of two phases in an investigation into associations between student engagement in classroom learning and the classroom-learning environment. Whereas the first phase utilized Rasch modelling (Cavanagh, 2012), this report uses latent variable modelling to explore the data. The investigations in both phases of this…

Effects of Personal Learning Devices and Their Usages on Student Learning and Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Labrensz, Jonathan; Ayebo, Abraham

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of using Personal Learning Devices as interactive white boards on students' learning and engagement. The study took place in an Algebra 2 classroom during the 2015-2016 school year. Baseline scores were gathered in the fall of 2015 and control and experimental scores were gathered in the…

Digital Game-Based Learning: It's Not Just the Digital Natives Who Are Restless

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Eck, Richard

2006-01-01

With the widespread public interest in games as learning tools, digital game-based learning (DGBL) proponents now need to explain why games are engaging and effective and how those principles can be leveraged to best integrate games into the learning process. In this article, Richard Van Eck outlines why DGBL is effective and engaging, how those…

Revoicing: A Tool to Engage All Learners in Academic Conversations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferris, Sarah J.

2014-01-01

Talk provides a foundation for how we learn language and advance as literate individuals. Talking helps us form thoughts, engages us in deeper learning with others, and plays a key part in how we learn to read and write. In this article, Accountable Talk®, which comes from researchers through the Institute for Learning (University of Pittsburgh),…

Associations between the Classroom Learning Environment and Student Engagement in Learning 1: A Rasch Model Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Rob

2012-01-01

This report is about one of two phases in an investigation into associations between student engagement in classroom learning and the classroom learning environment. Both phases applied the same instrumentation to the same sample. The difference between the phases was in the measurement approach applied. This report is about application of the…

Use of Digital Game Based Learning and Gamification in Secondary School Science: The Effect on Student Engagement, Learning and Gender Difference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Amna; Ahmad, Farzana Hayat; Malik, Muhammad Muddassir

2017-01-01

This study aimed to identify the impact of a game based learning (GBL) application using computer technologies on student engagement in secondary school science classrooms. The literature reveals that conventional Science teaching techniques (teacher-centered lecture and teaching), which foster rote learning among students, are one of the major…

Exploring the Impact of Engaged Teachers on Implementation Fidelity and Reading Skill Gains in a Blended Learning Reading Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schechter, Rachel L.; Kazakoff, Elizabeth R.; Bundschuh, Kristine; Prescott, Jen Elise; Macaruso, Paul

2017-01-01

The number of K-12 classrooms adopting blended learning models is rapidly increasing and represents a cultural shift in teaching and learning; however, fidelity of implementation of these new blended learning programs varies widely. This study aimed to examine the role of teacher engagement in student motivation and achievement in a blended…

Creation and Assessment of an Active E-Learning Introductory Geoscience Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sit, S. M.; Brudzinski, M. R.

2014-12-01

The recent emphasis in higher education on both student engagement and online learning has encouraged us to work on the development of an active e-learning environment for our ~90 student undergraduate introductory geohazards course. To begin designing our course, we established a set of student learning outcomes (SLOs) focused on key scientific investigation skills, like analyzing data, evaluating hypotheses, and conveying information to peers. We designed these outcomes to provide students with powerful reasoning and critical thinking skills. Along with this new framework and increased student expectations, we found it beneficial to additionally establish student development outcomes (SDOs). Specifically, SDOs were constructed to address self-evaluation, student responsibility for learning, and valuing group work. Based on these new SLOs and SDOs, we developed a set of course components that engaged students in content, authentic scientific investigations, and group discussions, all within an online environment. The course includes common online learning features like video lectures and comprehension quizzes, but also uses 50% of class periods for student investigation assignments that are conducted using Google Earth and Microsoft Excel. For those assignments, students commonly utilize a short video tutorial demonstrating a new software skill and then apply that knowledge towards investigating topics such as predicting population growth in India or identifying types of volcanoes observed in Hawaii. Results from multiple semesters of teaching both a hybrid and completely online course show significant gains in the geoscience concept inventory over traditional and redesigned face-to-face courses. Additionally, student survey and evaluation data show that our online course improves on SLOs and SDOs when compared to a traditional lecture based course and achieve similar results to a redesigned face-to-face course focused on engagement. In particular, at the end of an active e-learning semester students reported a greater emphasis in analyzing and applying basic elements of a theory and contributing more to class discussions. Through this course redesign process, we have learned more about effective teaching and have worked to develop better means to inform our teaching through assessment.

The Influence of Personal Well-Being on Learning Achievement in University Students Over Time: Mediating or Moderating Effects of Internal and External University Engagement

PubMed Central

Yu, Lu; Shek, Daniel T. L.; Zhu, Xiaoqin

2018-01-01

The current study examined the relationship between students' personal well-being and their learning achievement during university study, and whether such relationship would be mediated or moderated by university engagement. A total of 434 university students from one public university in Hong Kong participated in the study. The participants completed an online survey consisting of personal well-being (cognitive behavioral competence and general positive youth development), university engagement, and learning achievement measures (personal growth, and accumulated GPA as academic achievement) at four time points with a 1-year interval. Results showed that personal well-being measured at the beginning of university study positively predicted students' personal growth and academic achievement after 3 years' study. While the internal dimensions of university engagement (academic challenge and learning with peers) showed longitudinal significant mediational effect, the external dimensions (experience with faculty and campus environment) did not have significant longitudinal moderating effect. Nevertheless, external dimensions of student engagement also showed direct effect on personal growth and academic achievement. The long-standing positive effects of personal well-being on university engagement and subsequently, learning achievement during university years call for more attention to the promotion of holistic development among university students in Hong Kong. PMID:29375421

The Relationship Between Engagement and Neurophysiological Measures of Attention in Motion-Controlled Video Games: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Leiker, Amber M; Miller, Matthew; Brewer, Lauren; Nelson, Monica; Siow, Maria; Lohse, Keith

2016-04-21

Video games and virtual environments continue to be the subject of research in health sciences for their capacity to augment practice through user engagement. Creating game mechanics that increase user engagement may have indirect benefits on learning (ie, engaged learners are likely to practice more) and may also have direct benefits on learning (ie, for a fixed amount of practice, engaged learners show superior retention of information or skills). To manipulate engagement through the aesthetic features of a motion-controlled video game and measure engagement's influence on learning. A group of 40 right-handed participants played the game under two different conditions (game condition or sterile condition). The mechanics of the game and the amount of practice were constant. During practice, event-related potentials (ERPs) to task-irrelevant probe tones were recorded during practice as an index of participants' attentional reserve. Participants returned for retention and transfer testing one week later. Although both groups improved in the task, there was no difference in the amount of learning between the game and sterile groups, countering previous research. A new finding was a statistically significant relationship between self-reported engagement and the amplitude of the early-P3a (eP3a) component of the ERP waveform, such that participants who reported higher levels of engagement showed a smaller eP3a (beta=-.08, P=.02). This finding provides physiological data showing that engagement elicits increased information processing (reducing attentional reserve), which yields new insight into engagement and its underlying neurophysiological properties. Future studies may objectively index engagement by quantifying ERPs (specifically the eP3a) to task-irrelevant probes.

Community-Based Learning: Engaging Students for Success and Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melaville, Atelia; Berg, Amy C.; Blank, Martin J.

2006-01-01

Community schools foster a learning environment that extends far beyond the classroom walls. Students learn and problem solve in the context of their lives and communities. Community schools nurture this natural engagement. Because of the deep and purposeful connections between schools and communities, the curriculum is influenced and enhanced,…

Creating Experiential Learning in the Graduate Classroom through Community Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Katryna

2013-01-01

Educators can provide opportunities for active learning for the students by engaging them in client-based projects with the community, which enhances application of theory and provides students with the relevance demanded from the business community. Experiential learning opportunities through client-based projects provide for such an experience.…

Critical Thinking Assessment across Four Sustainability-Related Experiential Learning Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heinrich, William F.; Habron, Geoffrey B.; Johnson, Heather L.; Goralnik, Lissy

2015-01-01

Today's complex societal problems require both critical thinking and an engaged citizenry. Current practices in higher education, such as service learning, suggest that experiential learning can serve as a vehicle to encourage students to become engaged citizens. However, critical thinking is not necessarily a part of every experiential learning…

Cultural Diversity Online: Student Engagement with Learning Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hannon, John; D'Netto, Brian

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to focus on how students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds encounter online learning environments, and to assess the extent to which cultural factors impact on learners' engagement with online learning. Design/methodology/approach: The study explores how a culturally diverse cohort of…

Engaging Students in Learning: An Application with Quantitative Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harlow, Lisa L.; Burkholder, Gary J.; Morrow, Jennifer A.

2006-01-01

In response to calls for more engaging and interactive pedagogy, we simultaneously implemented 4 rousing learning activities: peer-mentored learning, student reports of what was clear (or not) from a previous lecture, consult corners where student groups provided course-informed solutions to problem-based scenarios, and applied projects presented…

One University's Approach to Engaged Learning across the Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackwell, Mark; McGivney-Burelle, Jean; Colarulli, Guy; Shattuck, James; Christensen, Caryn

2018-01-01

How can faculty, staff, and administrators design a high-quality academic experience for their institution's undergraduates by adopting an established set of nationally recognized, evidence-based teaching and learning practices that promote engaged learning? How can they ensure that all students, regardless of major, achieve the essential learning…

Service-Learning Enriches Advertising Knowledge, Builds Students' Portfolios, and Promotes Community Engagement after Graduation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucciarone, Krista

2012-01-01

This study investigated the influence of a service-learning component in an advertising course, specifically examining its ability to enrich advertising knowledge, build students' portfolios, and influence students' community engagement after graduation. The research revealed that service-learning positively affects students' understanding of…

Adventure Learning and Learner-Engagement: Frameworks for Designers and Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henrickson, Jeni; Doering, Aaron

2013-01-01

There is a recognized need for theoretical frameworks that can guide designers and educators in the development of engagement-rich learning experiences that incorporate emerging technologies in pedagogically sound ways. This study investigated one such promising framework, adventure learning (AL). Data were gathered via surveys, interviews, direct…

Authentically Engaged Learning through Live Supervision: A Phenomenological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moody, Steven; Kostohryz, Katie; Vereen, Linwood

2014-01-01

This phenomenological study explored the experiential learning of 5 master's-level counseling students undergoing live supervision in a group techniques course. Multiple themes were identified to provide a textural-structural description of how students authentically engaged in the learning process. Implications for counselor education and…

Now for the Science Bit: Implementing Community-Based Learning in Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonnell, Claire; Ennis, Patricia; Shoemaker, Leslie

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of student learning from community engagement by critically assessing the implementation of this pedagogical approach in the context of teaching and learning chemistry and also evaluating the role of personal development in student-community engagement.…

RISE to the IUPUI Challenge: High Impact Practices Focused on Students' Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Sarah S.; Fisher, Mary L.; Johnson, Kathy E.

2012-01-01

Civic engagement and student success have become a hallmark of Indiana University--Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). In 2008 a new program supporting increased student engagement and deeper learning was implemented, the RISE (Research, International Study, Service Learning, and Experiential Learning) to the IUPUI Challenge initiative…

Something to Say: Children Learning through Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quintero, Elizabeth P.

2010-01-01

Research Findings: All children from all backgrounds and histories learn through their stories while engaging in play and other daily activities. They experience development in multiple domains and engage in multidimensional learning when given the opportunity and encouragement. Practice or Policy: This article documents a segment of a larger…

Student Engagement with a Content-Based Learning Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padilla Rodriguez, Brenda Cecilia; Armellini, Alejandro

2013-01-01

While learning is commonly conceptualised as a social, collaborative process in organisations, online courses often provide limited opportunities for communication between people. How do students engage with content-based courses? How do they find answers to their questions? How do they achieve the learning outcomes? This paper aims to answer…

Engagement in Classroom Learning: Creating Temporal Participation Incentives for Extrinsically Motivated Students through Bonus Credits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rassuli, Ali

2012-01-01

Extrinsic inducements to adjust students' learning motivations have evolved within 2 opposing paradigms. Cognitive evaluation theories claim that controlling factors embedded in extrinsic rewards dissipate intrinsic aspirations. Behavioral theorists contend that if engagement is voluntary, extrinsic reinforcements enhance learning without ill…

Increasing Student Engagement Using Asynchronous Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northey, Gavin; Bucic, Tania; Chylinski, Mathew; Govind, Rahul

2015-01-01

Student engagement is an ongoing concern for educators because of its positive association with deep learning and educational outcomes. This article tests the use of a social networking site (Facebook) as a tool to facilitate asynchronous learning opportunities that complement face-to-face interactions and thereby enable a stronger learning…

Motives and activities for continuing professional development: An exploration of their relationships by integrating literature and interview data.

PubMed

Pool, Inge A; Poell, Rob F; Berings, Marjolein G M C; Ten Cate, Olle

2016-03-01

To effectively enhance professional development, it is important to understand the motivational factors behind nurses' engagement in particular types of learning activities. Nurses have various motives for professional development and utilise different learning activities. Not much is known about how these relate. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between nurses' motives and activities for continuing professional development, by examining in which types of learning activities nurses engage, with which motives, and whether certain motives are associated with certain learning activities. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Twenty-one nurses in academic and general Dutch hospitals participated. Interview data on nurses' learning biographies were analysed using a literature-based framework on motives and learning activities for continuing professional development. As recent classifications of nurses' motives for professional development were absent, the literature was reviewed for motives, using three databases. The interview transcripts were analysed for motives, learning activities and their relationships. Nine motives and four categories of learning activities for continuing professional development were delineated. Increasing competence was the primary motive that stimulated nurses to engage in self-directed learning during work, and in formal learning activities. To comply with requirements, they engaged in mandatory courses. To deepen knowledge, they registered for conferences. To develop their careers, they enrolled in postgraduate education. Five other motives were not mentioned as frequently. Specific motives were found to be related to engagement in particular learning activities. Nurses could use these findings to increase their awareness of why and how they develop professionally, and managers and human resource development professionals could develop approaches that would better suit nurses' needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Challenge of engaging all students via self-paced interactive electronic learning tutorials for introductory physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVore, Seth; Marshman, Emily; Singh, Chandralekha

2017-06-01

As research-based, self-paced electronic learning tools become increasingly available, a critical issue educators encounter is implementing strategies to ensure that all students engage with them as intended. Here, we first discuss the effectiveness of electronic learning tutorials as self-paced learning tools in large enrollment brick and mortar introductory physics courses and then propose a framework for helping students engage effectively with the learning tools. The tutorials were developed via research in physics education and were found to be effective for a diverse group of introductory physics students in one-on-one implementation. Instructors encouraged the use of these tools in a self-paced learning environment by telling students that they would be helpful for solving the assigned homework problems and that the underlying physics principles in the tutorial problems would be similar to those in the in-class quizzes (which we call paired problems). We find that many students in the courses in which these interactive electronic learning tutorials were assigned as a self-study tool performed poorly on the paired problems. In contrast, a majority of student volunteers in one-on-one implementation greatly benefited from the tutorials and performed well on the paired problems. The significantly lower overall performance on paired problems administered as an in-class quiz compared to the performance of student volunteers who used the research-based tutorials in one-on-one implementation suggests that many students enrolled in introductory physics courses did not effectively engage with the tutorials outside of class and may have only used them superficially. The findings suggest that many students in need of out-of-class remediation via self-paced learning tools may have difficulty motivating themselves and may lack the self-regulation and time-management skills to engage effectively with tools specially designed to help them learn at their own pace. We conclude by proposing a theoretical framework to help students with diverse prior preparations engage effectively with self-paced learning tools.

Building capacity for change: evaluation of an organisation-wide leadership development program.

PubMed

Schultz, Tim; Shoobridge, Jodie; Harvey, Gill; Carter, Libby; Kitson, Alison

2018-05-23

Objective. This study evaluated Leading 4 Change, a change leadership development program designed to support healthcare middle managers through a period of significant organisational change and enhance workplace resilience. Methods. A mixed methods evaluation was conducted within the program's framework of a quality improvement activity. Quantitative measures were participant responses (n=160) to online questionnaires, which were compared before and after the program, using an uncontrolled pre-post study design. Four questionnaires were used: Resilience @ Work, General Self-Efficacy, the 11-item Learning Organization Survey and organisational climate. Differences between the pre- and post-program periods were compared using linear mixed-effects models, incorporating repeated measures between 'pre' and 'post' periods. Qualitative data were obtained by interviewing four participants on three occasions during the program, and through text responses provided by participants during a presentation session after the program finished. Both interview data and textual data were subjected to thematic analysis. Results. Integration of data from quantitative and qualitative analyses generated three main findings: (1) participants were satisfied and engaged with the program, which met their learning objectives; (2) the program led to increased workplace resilience, in particular the ability to manage stress and self-efficacy for individuals; and (3) organisational learning perceptions were unchanged. Conclusion. Although conducted during a period of intense internal and external pressure, Leading 4 Change led to demonstrable effects. It effectively engaged middle managers across a health system. However, there was no evidence that the effect of the program extended beyond individual participants to their perceptions of their work environment as a learning organisation. What is known about the topic? Although much has been written about change management and change leadership within healthcare, the failure to manage the 'people' element and engage employees hampers the success of that change. However, how to engage employees and enhance their resilience and self-efficacy (self-belief to proactively manage) during change has been little explored. Further, the concept of a learning organisation has been developed in private, non-healthcare fields and there is little known about it in other areas, such as healthcare, particularly during change. What does this paper add? The paper describes the evaluation of a 16-week change leadership development program (Leading 4 Change) for middle managers of a public health system undergoing significant reform. It assesses how the program engaged employees, and how and to what extent their workplace resilience, self-efficacy and perceptions of their workplace as a learning organisation changed after the program. Based on the present study, individual development of staff does not necessarily translate directly to better staff perceptions of organisational outcomes. What are the implications for practitioners? Despite being clearly engaged with Leading 4 Change, quantitative and qualitative measures suggested mixed effects of the program on participants. Participants' self-rated workplace resilience, ability to manage stress and self-efficacy increased after the program. However, there was no evidence that the effect of the program improved staff perceptions of their work as a learning organisation. For complex public sector healthcare organisations to become learning organisations, other organisational factors, in addition to staff development and training, require consideration.

The Learning Benefits of Being Willing and Able to Engage in Scientific Argumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bathgate, Meghan; Crowell, Amanda; Schunn, Christian; Cannady, Mac; Dorph, Rena

2015-07-01

Engaging in science as an argumentative practice can promote students' critical thinking, reflection, and evaluation of evidence. However, many do not approach science in this way. Furthermore, the presumed confrontational nature of argumentation may run against cultural norms particularly during the sensitive time of early adolescence. This paper explores whether middle-school students' ability to engage in critical components of argumentation in science impacts science classroom learning. It also examines whether students' willingness to do so attenuates or moderates that benefit. In other words, does one need to be both willing and able to engage critically with the discursive nature of science to receive benefits to learning? This study of middle-school students participating in four months of inquiry science shows a positive impact of argumentative sensemaking ability on learning, as well as instances of a moderating effect of one's willingness to engage in argumentative discourse. Possible mechanisms and the potential impacts to educational practices are discussed.

Staying Engaged: Knowledge and Research Needs in Student Engagement

PubMed Central

Wang, Ming-Te; Degol, Jessica

2016-01-01

In this article, we review knowledge about student engagement and look ahead to the future of study in this area. We begin by describing how researchers in the field define and study student engagement. In particular, we describe the levels, contexts, and dimensions that constitute the measurement of engagement, summarize the contexts that shape engagement and the outcomes that result from it, and articulate person-centered approaches for analyzing engagement. We conclude by addressing limitations to the research and providing recommendations for study. Specifically, we point to the importance of incorporating more work on how learning-related emotions, personality characteristics, prior learning experiences, shared values across contexts, and engagement in nonacademic activities influence individual differences in student engagement. We also stress the need to improve our understanding of the nuances involved in developing engagement over time by incorporating more extensive longitudinal analyses, intervention trials, research on affective neuroscience, and interactions among levels and dimensions of engagement. PMID:27087833

Working on the Work Framework for Engagement: Impacting Students' Perceived Learning, Attitudes toward School, and Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forehand, Michael Joshua

2014-01-01

A quasi-experimental, pre-test post-test nonequivalent control group study was utilized to determine the difference in students' perceived learning, attitudes toward school, and achievement when participating in classes utilizing engagement design qualities as compared to students in classes not utilizing engagement design qualities. To inform the…

Exhilarated Learning and the Scholarship of Engagement: From Here (the University) to the Horizon (the Community)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strean, William Ben

2012-01-01

In this paper, I explain the components of "exhilarated learning," a model for effective classroom environments, and show how this model can be applied to the broader context of community-university engagement. I describe the following three dimensions: human connection, whole body engagement, and linking content to context; and I…

Below the Surface: The Relationship among Different Types of Motivation, Engagement, and Performance of Undergraduate Students in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, Tzu-Ling

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship among learning motivation, engagement behaviors, and performance of undergraduate students. 178 junior students are surveyed from five colleges at a four-year research university in Taiwan. The scales of motivation, engagement, and perceived learning outcomes are adapted from the…

What Discourages Students from Engaging with Innovative Instructional Methods: Creating a Barrier Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Donna E.

2015-01-01

When faculty members choose to implement instructional methods that are learning-centred, this may represent a change for students; and some resist engaging. In this exploratory case study research, 172 students shared what discourages them from being willing to engage with these innovative methods that aim to facilitate their learning.…

Successful Engagement: Guidance for Colleges and Providers on Effective Employer Engagement in Post-16 Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Maria

Successful employer engagement requires that colleges in the United Kingdom secure employers' involvement in the design, development, management, and delivery of post-16 learning so that the skill needs of employers and the workforce will be met and the increased productivity, competitiveness, and efficiency of individual organizations and the…

Power and Reciprocity in Partnerships: Deliberative Civic Engagement and Transformative Learning in Community-Engaged Scholarship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Katherine L.; Kliewer, Brandon W.; Nicolaides, Aliki

2017-01-01

The purpose of this work is to assist partners in identifying, naming, and facilitating dynamic relational forces and learning processes that shape the effectiveness of community engagement practice and partnerships. We offer a hypothetical case to assist in framing and discussing concepts of reciprocity and power in partnerships and how these…

Pitching Environmental Science to Business Majors: Engaging Students in Renewable Energy Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodgers, Vikki L.

2014-01-01

This article describes an active learning strategy for engaging undergraduate business students, a group often ignored in scientific pedagogy, in learning about renewable energy technology and associated trade-offs. I designed a small-group activity to appeal to and engage business students, but the exercise could easily be used for a variety of…

Deliberate Practice in Medicine: The Motivation to Engage in Work-Related Learning and Its Contribution to Expertise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van de Wiel, Margje W. J.; Van den Bossche, Piet

2013-01-01

This study examined physicians' motivation to engage in work-related learning and its contribution to expertise development beyond work experience. Based on deliberate practice theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 residents and 28 experienced physicians in internal medicine, focusing on the activities they engaged in during…

The Contributions of Living-Learning Programs on Developing Sense of Civic Engagement in Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowan-Kenyon, Heather; Soldner, Matt E.; Kurotsuchi Inkelas, Karen

2008-01-01

This study examines the influence of elements of the college experience, specifically participation in a living-learning (L/L) program, on students' self-reported sense of civic engagement. The researchers examined a nationally representative sample of students (n = 1,474) including those who participated in civic engagement themed L/L programs,…

Teachers' Conceptions of Student Engagement in Learning: The Case of Three Urban Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barkaoui, Khaled; Barrett, Sarah Elizabeth; Samaroo, Julia; Dahya, Negin; Alidina, Shahnaaz; James, Carl

2015-01-01

Although student engagement plays a central role in the education process, defining it is challenging. This study examines teachers' conceptions of the social and cultural dimensions of student engagement in learning at three low-achieving schools located in a low socioeconomic status (SES) urban area. Sixteen teachers and administrators from the…

Work Engagement: Antecedents, the Mediating Role of Learning Goal Orientation and Job Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chughtai, Aamir Ali; Buckley, Finian

2011-01-01

Purpose: The present paper aims to explore the effects of state (trust in supervisor) and trait (trust propensity) trust on employees' work engagement. Furthermore, it seeks to investigate the mediating role of learning goal orientation in the relationship between work engagement and two forms of performance: in-role job performance and innovative…

The Impact of the Learning Environment on Student Engagement in High School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shernoff, David J.; Tonks, Stephen M.; Anderson, Brett

2014-01-01

This chapter presents a study that investigated characteristics of the learning environment predicting for student engagement in public high school classrooms. Students in seven high school classrooms in five different subject areas were observed and videoed in order to predict their engagement as measured by the experience sampling method (ESM).…

A Low-Technology Strategy for Increasing Engagement of Students with Autism and Significant Learning Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnahan, Christi; Basham, James; Musti-Rao, Shobana

2009-01-01

Active engagement is critical to promote learning for students with autism. Although evidence-based strategies exist for promoting engagement for individual students with autism, there are few strategies designed for use with small groups. This study used an ABCAC design to assess the effects of a low-technology use strategy, namely interactive…

Assessing Student Engagement and Self-Regulated Learning in a Medical Gross Anatomy Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pizzimenti, Marc A.; Axelson, Rick D.

2015-01-01

In courses with large enrollment, faculty members sometimes struggle with an understanding of how individual students are engaging in their courses. Information about the level of student engagement that instructors would likely find most useful can be linked to: (1) the learning strategies that students are using; (2) the barriers to learning…

Transforming a School Learning Exercise into a Public Engagement Event: "The Good, the Bad and the Algae"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redfern, James; Burdass, Dariel; Verran, Joanna

2013-01-01

School science laboratory classes and hands-on public engagement activities share many common aims and objectives in terms of science learning and literacy. This article describes the development and evaluation of a microbiology public engagement activity, "The Good, the Bad and the Algae", from a school laboratory activity. The school…

Building a Market Simulation to Teach Business Process Analysis: Effects of Realism on Engaged Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peng, Jacob; Abdullah, Ira

2018-01-01

The emphases of student involvement and meaningful engagement in the learner-centered education model have created a new paradigm in an effort to generate a more engaging learning environment. This study examines the success of using different simulation platforms in creating a market simulation to teach business processes in the accounting…

What We Learn about Babies from Engaging with Their Emotions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reddy, Vasudevi; Trevarthen, Colwyn

2004-01-01

Reddy and Trevarthen explore what we can learn from emotionally engaging with babies. Theirs is a different approach from 20th-century psychology, in which doubt and detachment play a role in discerning other people's feelings and thoughts. Instead, the authors suggest that emotions are the key to psychological engagement. When interacting with an…

Teaching and Learning through Civic Engagement: Prospects for Sustainability in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boland, Josephine

2010-01-01

This paper considers the prospects for sustainable service/community based learning as an element of a civic engagement strategy within the context of teacher education. It draws on findings of a study of the policy, process and practice of embedding civic engagement in the higher education curriculum in Ireland and the author's experience…

Collaborative Design of Assessment Criteria to Improve Undergraduate Student Engagement and Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leslie, Laura J.; Gorman, Paul C.

2017-01-01

Student engagement is vital in enhancing the student experience and encouraging deeper learning. Involving students in the design of assessment criteria is one way in which to increase student engagement. In 2011, a marking matrix was used at Aston University (UK) for logbook assessment (Group One) in a project-based learning module. The next…

Learning Relational Ways of Being: What Globally Engaged Scholars Have Learned about Global Engagement and Sustainable Community Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulrich, Mary Eileen

2016-01-01

How does higher education contribute to finding workable and lasting solutions to complex social issues that face communities globally today? How does higher education contribute to global sustainable development goals? The scholarship of engagement encourages faculty, scholars, and students to work together with communities on solutions to…

Key lessons for designing health literacy professional development courses.

PubMed

Naccarella, Lucio; Murphy, Bernice

2018-02-01

Health literacy courses for health professionals have emerged in response to health professionals' perceived lack of understanding of health literacy issues, and their failure to routinely adopt health literacy practices. Since 2013 in Victoria, Australia, the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health has delivered an annual health literacy demonstration training course that it developed. Course development and delivery partners included HealthWest Partnership and cohealth. The courses are designed to develop the health literacy knowledge, skills and organisational capacity of the health and community services sector in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne. This study presents key learnings from evaluation data from three health literacy courses using Wenger's professional educational learning design framework. The framework has three educational learning architecture components (engagement, imagination and alignment) and four educational learning architecture dimensions (participation, emergent, local/global, identification). Participatory realist evaluation approaches and qualitative methods were used. The evaluations revealed that the health literacy courses are developing leadership in health literacy, building partnerships among course participants, developing health literacy workforce knowledge and skills, developing ways to use and apply health literacy resources and are serving as a catalyst for building organisational infrastructure. Although the courses were not explicitly developed or implemented using Wenger's educational learning design pedagogic features, the course structure (i.e. facilitation role of course coordinators, providing safe learning environments, encouraging small group work amongst participants, requiring participants to conduct mini-projects and sponsor organisation buy-in) provided opportunities for engagement, imagination and alignment. Wenger's educational learning design framework can inform the design of future key pedagogic features of health literacy courses.

Evaluation of postgraduate critical care nursing students' attitudes to, and engagement with, Team-Based Learning: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Currey, Judy; Oldland, Elizabeth; Considine, Julie; Glanville, David; Story, Ian

2015-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate postgraduate critical care nursing students' attitudes to, and engagement with, Team-Based Learning (TBL). A descriptive pre and post interventional design was used. Study data were collected by surveys and observation. University postgraduate critical care nursing programme. Students' attitudes to learning within teams (Team Experience Questionnaire) and student engagement (observed and self-reports). Twenty-eight of 32 students agreed to participate (87% response rate). There were significant changes in students' attitudes to learning within teams including increases in overall satisfaction with team experience, team impact on quality of learning, team impact on clinical reasoning ability and professional development. There was no significant increase in satisfaction with peer evaluation. Observation and survey results showed higher student engagement in TBL classes compared with standard lecturing. Postgraduate critical care nursing students responded positively to the introduction of TBL and showed increased engagement with learning. In turn, these factors enhanced nurses' professional skills in teamwork, communication, problem solving and higher order critical thinking. Developing professional skills and advancing knowledge should be core to all critical care nursing education programmes to improve the quality and safety of patient care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alienation and engagement in postgraduate training at a South African medical school.

PubMed

Bezuidenhout, Juanita; Cilliers, Francois; Van Heusden, Martie; Wasserman, Elizabeth; Burch, Vanessa

2011-01-01

The importance of contextual factors, such as the learning environment and sociocultural characteristics of the student, are becoming increasingly evident. Mann [2001. Alternative perspectives on the student experience: Alienation and engagement. Stud High Educ 26(1):7-19.] proposed that all learning experiences can be viewed as either alienating or engaging and Case expanded on this work. The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of alienation or engagement as experienced by residents in anatomical pathology at one South African university. A cross-sectional case study, with 16 semi-structured interviews was conducted. Residents were categorised as either alienated or engaged, based mainly on workplace experiences. Four relevant dimensions were identified; individual, home, workplace and institution. The personal attributes, strategies for coping and reasons for choosing pathology of alienated residents differed from those with engaged experiences. Poor socioeconomic background and schooling did not lead to predominantly alienating experiences, but this group still lacked some generic skills. In the workplace, two main factors resulting in alienated experiences were the interaction between residents and consultants and residents' comprehension of workplace-based learning. We present a simple model which may be used to identify factors that engage and alienate students in the learning experience in the workplace-based setting. Addressing these factors can contribute towards a more engaging experience for all residents.

Effective e-learning for health professional and medical students: the experience with SIAS-Intelligent Tutoring System.

PubMed

Muñoz, Diana C; Ortiz, Alexandra; González, Carolina; López, Diego M; Blobel, Bernd

2010-01-01

Current e-learning systems are still inadequate to support the level of interaction, personalization and engagement demanded by clinicians, care givers, and the patient themselves. For effective e-learning to be delivered in the health context, collaboration between pedagogy and technology is required. Furthermore, e-learning systems should be flexible enough to be adapted to the students' needs, evaluated regularly, easy to use and maintain and provide students' feedback, guidelines and supporting material in different formats. This paper presents the implementation of an Intelligent Tutoring System (SIAS-ITS), and its evaluation compared to a traditional virtual learning platform (Moodle). The evaluation was carried out as a case study, in which the participants were separated in two groups, each group attending a virtual course on the WHO Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy supported by one of the two e-learning platforms. The evaluation demonstrated that the participants' knowledge level, pedagogical strategies used, learning efficiency and systems' usability were improved using the Intelligent Tutoring System.

GluN2B in corticostriatal circuits governs choice learning and choice shifting

PubMed Central

Brigman, Jonathan L.; Daut, Rachel; Wright, Tara; Gunduz-Cinar, Ozge; Graybeal, Carolyn; Davis, Margaret I.; Jiang, Zhihong; Saksida, Lisa; Jinde, Seiichiro; Pease, Matthew; Bussey, Timothy J.; Lovinger, David M.; Nakazawa, Kazu; Holmes, Andrew

2013-01-01

A choice that reliably produces a preferred outcome can be automated to liberate cognitive resources for other tasks. Should an outcome become less desirable, behavior must adapt in parallel or become perseverative. Corticostriatal systems are known to mediate choice learning and flexibility, but the molecular mechanisms subserving the instantiation of these processes are not well understood. We integrated mouse behavioral, immunocytochemical, in vivo electrophysiological, genetic, and pharmacological approaches to study choice. We found that the dorsal striatum (DS) was increasingly activated with choice learning, whereas reversal of learned choice engaged prefrontal regions. In vivo, DS neurons showed activity associated with reward anticipation and receipt that emerged with learning and relearning. Corticostriatal or striatal GluN2B gene deletion, or DS-restricted GluN2B antagonism, impaired choice learning, whereas cortical GluN2B deletion or OFC GluN2B antagonism impaired shifting. Our convergent data demonstrate how corticostriatal GluN2B circuits govern the ability to learn and shift choice behavior. PMID:23831965

Using a physics experiment in a lecture setting to engage biology students with the concepts of Poiseuille's law.

PubMed

Breckler, Jennifer L; Christensen, Tina; Sun, Wendy

2013-06-01

Biology students enrolled in a typical undergraduate physiology course encounter Poiseuille's law, a physics equation that describes the properties governing the flow of blood through the circulation. According to the equation, a small change in vessel radius has an exponential effect on resistance, resulting in a larger than expected change in blood flow. To help engage students in this important concept, we performed a physics experiment as a lecture demonstration to mimic the original research by the 19th-century French scientist. We tested its impact as a research project and found that students who viewed the demonstration reacted very positively and showed an immediate increase in test performance, while the control group was able to independently "catch up" at the fourth week posttest. We further examined whether students' math skills mapped to learning gains. The students with lower math scores who viewed the demonstration had slightly more improvement in test performance than those students who did not view the demonstration. Our data suggest that watching a lecture demonstration may be of even greater benefit to biology students with lower math achievement.

Using a Physics Experiment in a Lecture Setting to Engage Biology Students with the Concepts of Poiseuille's Law

PubMed Central

Breckler, Jennifer L.; Christensen, Tina; Sun, Wendy

2013-01-01

Biology students enrolled in a typical undergraduate physiology course encounter Poiseuille's law, a physics equation that describes the properties governing the flow of blood through the circulation. According to the equation, a small change in vessel radius has an exponential effect on resistance, resulting in a larger than expected change in blood flow. To help engage students in this important concept, we performed a physics experiment as a lecture demonstration to mimic the original research by the 19th-century French scientist. We tested its impact as a research project and found that students who viewed the demonstration reacted very positively and showed an immediate increase in test performance, while the control group was able to independently “catch up” at the fourth week posttest. We further examined whether students’ math skills mapped to learning gains. The students with lower math scores who viewed the demonstration had slightly more improvement in test performance than those students who did not view the demonstration. Our data suggest that watching a lecture demonstration may be of even greater benefit to biology students with lower math achievement. PMID:23737633

Professional Development as a Catalyst for Change in the Community College Science Classroom: How Active Learning Pedagogy Impacts Teaching Practices as Well as Faculty and Student Perceptions of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harmon, Melissa Cameron

2017-01-01

Active learning, an engaging, student-centered, evidence-based pedagogy, has been shown to improve student satisfaction, engagement, and achievement in college classrooms. There have been numerous calls to reform teaching practices, especially in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); however, the utilization of active learning is…

The Assurance of Learning Process Components and the Effects of Engaging Students in the Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosca, Joseph B.; Agacer, Gilder; Flaming, Linda; Buzza, John

2011-01-01

Assurance of learning process plays a major role in higher education and has increased the accountability on the part of instructors at all levels. This paper will discuss the role of assurance processes in teaching and the ways to measure these processes of student learning. The research focus will be to determine if student engagement in problem…

What do decision makers learn from public forums on climate-related hazards and resilience?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weller, N.; Farooque, M.; Sittenfeld, D.

2017-12-01

Public engagement around climate resilience efforts can foster learning for both public audiences and decision makers. On the one hand, public audiences learn about environmental hazards and strategies to increase community resilience through effective public engagement. On the other, decision makers and scientists learn about community members' values and priorities and their relation to environmental hazards and resilience strategies. Evidence from other public engagement efforts involving decision makers suggests that decision maker involvement results in reflection by officials on their own values, capacities, and roles. However, few public engagement exercises evaluate impacts on decision makers. As part of the Science Center Public Forums project, which aims to conduct public forums in eight cities across the country on resiliency to drought, heat, extreme precipitation, and sea level rise, we sought to 1) build partnerships with local decision makers and scientists around public forums and 2) explore how decision makers and scientists interacted with the planning and undertaking of those public forums. We held workshops with decision makers and scientists to inform forum content and identify local resilience issues. We will conduct interviews with local decision makers regarding their involvement in forum planning, their reflections and takeaways from the forum itself, and their perspectives on the value of public engagement for policy making. We will present our model of engagement with decision makers, initial findings from interviews, and lessons learned from connecting decision makers and scientists to public engagement efforts.

Jump-Starting Early Childhood Education at Home: Early Learning, Parent Motivation, and Public Policy.

PubMed

Maloney, Erin A; Converse, Benjamin A; Gibbs, Chloe R; Levine, Susan C; Beilock, Sian L

2015-11-01

By the time children begin formal schooling, their experiences at home have already contributed to large variations in their math and language development, and once school begins, academic achievement continues to depend strongly on influences outside of school. It is thus essential that educational reform strategies involve primary caregivers. Specifically, programs and policies should promote and support aspects of caregiver-child interaction that have been empirically demonstrated to boost early learning and should seek to impede "motivational sinkholes" that threaten to undermine caregivers' desires to engage their children effectively. This article draws on cognitive and behavioral science to detail simple, low-cost, and effective tools caregivers can employ to prepare their children for educational success and then describes conditions that can protect and facilitate caregivers' motivation to use those tools. Policy recommendations throughout focus on using existing infrastructure to more deeply engage caregivers in effective early childhood education at home. © The Author(s) 2015.

Integrating clicker technology at nursing conferences: an innovative approach to research data collection.

PubMed

Solecki, Susan; Cornelius, Frances; Draper, Judy; Fisher, Kathleen

2010-06-01

A pilot demonstration of integrating an audience response system, that is, 'clickers' at a nursing education conference as an engaging tool for using the research process for learning through immediate research results is presented. A convenience sample of nursing conference attendees were surveyed using clicker technology before a panel presentation on the 'Impaired Health Professional'. The 208 subjects who used the clickers were mostly women (93%) and were nurse educators (81%) with at least 20 years of nursing experience (75%). The ease of data collection, real-time analysis, the active engagement of both participant and presenter were all findings of this study. The utility of this tool as a stimulus for discussion and learning was also reported. Pilot testing the clicker at an education conference for data collection and educational purposes was an important goal and positive outcome of this study. Researchers and educators are advised on the planning steps required to make this a successful experience.

Through Their Eyes: Lessons Learned Using Participatory Methods in Health Care Quality Improvement Projects.

PubMed

Balbale, Salva N; Locatelli, Sara M; LaVela, Sherri L

2016-08-01

In this methodological article, we examine participatory methods in depth to demonstrate how these methods can be adopted for quality improvement (QI) projects in health care. We draw on existing literature and our QI initiatives in the Department of Veterans Affairs to discuss the application of photovoice and guided tours in QI efforts. We highlight lessons learned and several benefits of using participatory methods in this area. Using participatory methods, evaluators can engage patients, providers, and other stakeholders as partners to enhance care. Participant involvement helps yield actionable data that can be translated into improved care practices. Use of these methods also helps generate key insights to inform improvements that truly resonate with stakeholders. Using participatory methods is a valuable strategy to harness participant engagement and drive improvements that address individual needs. In applying these innovative methodologies, evaluators can transcend traditional approaches to uniquely support evaluations and improvements in health care. © The Author(s) 2015.

Patient and Stakeholder Engagement in the PCORI Pilot Projects: Description and Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Forsythe, Laura P; Ellis, Lauren E; Edmundson, Lauren; Sabharwal, Raj; Rein, Alison; Konopka, Kristen; Frank, Lori

2016-01-01

Patients and healthcare stakeholders are increasingly becoming engaged in the planning and conduct of biomedical research. However, limited research characterizes this process or its impact. We aimed to characterize patient and stakeholder engagement in the 50 Pilot Projects funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and identify early contributions and lessons learned. A self-report instrument was completed by researchers between 6 and 12 months following project initiation. Forty-seven principal investigators or their designees (94 % response rate) participated in the study. MAIN MEASURES Self-report of types of stakeholders engaged, stages and levels of engagement, facilitators and barriers to engagement, lessons learned, and contributions from engagement were measured. Most (83 %) reported engaging more than one stakeholder in their project. Among those, the most commonly reported groups were patients (90 %), clinicians (87 %), health system representatives (44 %), caregivers (41 %), and advocacy organizations (41 %). Stakeholders were commonly involved in topic solicitation, question development, study design, and data collection. Many projects engaged stakeholders in data analysis, results interpretation, and dissemination. Commonly reported contributions included changes to project methods, outcomes or goals; improvement of measurement tools; and interpretation of qualitative data. Investigators often identified communication and shared leadership strategies as "critically important" facilitators (53 and 44 % respectively); lack of stakeholder time was the most commonly reported challenge (46 %). Most challenges were only partially resolved. Early lessons learned included the importance of continuous and genuine partnerships, strategic selection of stakeholders, and accommodation of stakeholders' practical needs. PCORI Pilot Projects investigators report engaging a variety of stakeholders across many stages of research, with specific changes to their research attributed to engagement. This study identifies early lessons and barriers that should be addressed to facilitate engagement. While this research suggests potential impact of stakeholder engagement, systematic characterization and evaluation of engagement at multiple stages of research is needed to build the evidence base.

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.

Leadership development through action learning sets: an evaluation study.

PubMed

Walia, Surinder; Marks-Maran, Di

2014-11-01

This article examines the use of action learning sets in a leadership module delivered by a university in south east England. An evaluation research study was undertaking using survey method to evaluate student engagement with action learning sets, and their value, impact and sustainability. Data were collected through a questionnaire with a mix of Likert-style and open-ended questions and qualitative and quantitative data analysis was undertaken. Findings show that engagement in the action learning sets was very high. Action learning sets also had a positive impact on the development of leadership knowledge and skills and are highly valued by participants. It is likely that they would be sustainable as the majority would recommend action learning to colleagues and would consider taking another module that used action learning sets. When compared to existing literature on action learning, this study offers new insights as there is little empirical literature on student engagement with action learning sets and even less on value and sustainability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.