Individual differences in learning and transfer: stable tendencies for learning exemplars versus abstracting rules.

PubMed

McDaniel, Mark A; Cahill, Michael J; Robbins, Mathew; Wiener, Chelsea

2014-04-01

We hypothesize that during training some learners may focus on acquiring the particular exemplars and responses associated with the exemplars (termed exemplar learners), whereas other learners attempt to abstract underlying regularities reflected in the particular exemplars linked to an appropriate response (termed rule learners). Supporting this distinction, after training (on a function-learning task), participants displayed an extrapolation profile reflecting either acquisition of the trained cue-criterion associations (exemplar learners) or abstraction of the function rule (rule learners; Studies 1a and 1b). Further, working memory capacity (measured by operation span [Ospan]) was associated with the tendency to rely on rule versus exemplar processes. Studies 1c and 2 examined the persistence of these learning tendencies on several categorization tasks. Study 1c showed that rule learners were more likely than exemplar learners (indexed a priori by extrapolation profiles) to resist using idiosyncratic features (exemplar similarity) in generalization (transfer) of the trained category. Study 2 showed that the rule learners but not the exemplar learners performed well on a novel categorization task (transfer) after training on an abstract coherent category. These patterns suggest that in complex conceptual tasks, (a) individuals tend to either focus on exemplars during learning or on extracting some abstraction of the concept, (b) this tendency might be a relatively stable characteristic of the individual, and (c) transfer patterns are determined by that tendency.

Individual Differences in Learning and Transfer: Stable Tendencies for Learning Exemplars versus Abstracting Rules

PubMed Central

McDaniel, Mark A.; Cahill, Michael J.; Robbins, Mathew; Wiener, Chelsea

2013-01-01

We hypothesize that during training some learners may focus on acquiring the particular exemplars and responses associated with the exemplars (termed exemplar learners), whereas other learners attempt to abstract underlying regularities reflected in the particular exemplars linked to an appropriate response (termed rule learners). Supporting this distinction, after training (on a function-learning task), participants either displayed an extrapolation profile reflecting acquisition of the trained cue-criterion associations (exemplar learners) or abstraction of the function rule (rule learners; Studies 1a and 1b). Further, working memory capacity (measured by Ospan) was associated with the tendency to rely on rule versus exemplar processes. Studies 1c and 2 examined the persistence of these learning tendencies on several categorization tasks. Study 1c showed that rule learners were more likely than exemplar learners (indexed a priori by extrapolation profiles) to resist using idiosyncratic features (exemplar similarity) in generalization (transfer) of the trained category. Study 2 showed that the rule learners but not the exemplar learners performed well on a novel categorization task (transfer) after training on an abstract coherent category. These patterns suggest that in complex conceptual tasks, (a) individuals tend to either focus on exemplars during learning or on extracting some abstraction of the concept, (b) this tendency might be a relatively stable characteristic of the individual, and (c) transfer patterns are determined by that tendency. PMID:23750912

An analysis of student performance benchmarks in dental hygiene via distance education.

PubMed

Olmsted, Jodi L

2010-01-01

Three graduate programs, 35 undergraduate programs and 12 dental hygiene degree completion programs in the United States use varying forms of Distance Learning (DL). Relying heavily on DL leaves an unanswered question: Is learner performance on standard benchmark assessments impacted when using technology as a delivery system? A 10 year, longitudinal examination looked for student performance differences in a Distance Education (DE) dental hygiene program. The purpose of this research was to determine if there was a difference in performance between learners taught in a traditional classroom as compared to their counterparts taking classes through an alternative delivery system. A longitudinal, ex post facto design was used. Two hundred and sixty-six subject records were examined. Seventy-seven individuals (29%) were lost through attrition over 10 years. One hundred and eighty-nine records were used as the study sample, 117 individuals were located face-to-face and 72 were at a distance. Independent variables included time and location, while the dependent variables included course grades, grade point average (GPA) and the National Board of Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE). Three research questions were asked: Were there statistically significant differences in learner performance on the National Board of Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE)? Were there statistically significant differences in learner performance when considering GPAs? Did statistically significant differences in performance exist relating to individual course grades? T-tests were used for data analysis in answering the research questions. From a cumulative perspective, no statistically significant differences were apparent for the NBDHE and GPAs or for individual courses. Interactive Television (ITV), the synchronous DL system examined, was considered effective for delivering education to learners if similar performance outcomes were the evaluation criteria.

Cognitive Style FD/I: An Important Learner Characteristic for Educational Technologists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinien, Chris A.; Boutin, France

1993-01-01

Reviews the literature on the cognitive style field dependent/field independent (FD/FI) and suggests implications for educational technologists in their efforts to address individual differences among learners during the instructional design process that would narrow the differential learning gain between FD and FI learners. Testing for FD/FI is…

Does Multimedia Support Individual Differences?--EFL Learners' Listening Comprehension and Cognitive Load

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Hui-Yu

2014-01-01

The present study examines how display model, English proficiency and cognitive preference affect English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' listening comprehension of authentic videos and cognitive load degree. EFL learners were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The control group received single coding and the experimental group received…

Enhancing Language Teaching and Learning by Keeping Individual Differences in Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sulaiman, Suriati; Sulaiman, Tajularipin

2010-01-01

Learners differ from each other in many ways particularly in cognitive abilities. These factors eventually affect their learning abilities. Thus teachers should look into learner differences in intelligence before designing a teaching and learning program for them. Gardner proposed a much broader view of the definition of intelligence than a…

Self-pacing study of faces of different races: metacognitive control over study does not eliminate the cross-race recognition effect.

PubMed

Tullis, Jonathan G; Benjamin, Aaron S; Liu, Xiping

2014-08-01

People often recognize same-race faces better than other-race faces. This cross-race effect (CRE) has been proposed to arise in part because learners devote fewer cognitive resources to encode faces of social out-groups. In three experiments, we evaluated whether learners' other-race mnemonic deficits are due to "cognitive disregard" during study and whether this disregard is under metacognitive control. Learners studied each face either for as long as they wanted (the self-paced condition) or for the average time taken by a self-paced learner (the fixed-rate condition). Self-paced learners allocated equal amounts of study time to same-race and other-race faces, and having control over study time did not change the size of the CRE. In the second and third experiments, both self-paced and fixed-rate learners were given instructions to "individuate" other-race faces. Individuation instructions caused self-paced learners to allocate more study time to other-race faces, but this did not significantly reduce the size of the CRE, even for learners who reported extensive contact with other races. We propose that the differential processing that people apply to faces of different races and the subsequent other-race mnemonic deficit are not due to learners' strategic cognitive disregard of other-race faces.

Finding the Key to Successful L2 Learning in Groups and Individuals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowie, Wander; van Dijk, Marijn; Chan, Huiping; Verspoor, Marjolijn

2017-01-01

A large body studies into individual differences in second language learning has shown that success in second language learning is strongly affected by a set of relevant learner characteristics ranging from the age of onset to motivation, aptitude, and personality. Most studies have concentrated on a limited number of learner characteristics and…

Second Language Pragmatic Ability: Individual Differences According to Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyner, Lauren; Cohen, Andrew D.

2015-01-01

The aims of this paper are to review research literature on the role that the second language (L2) and foreign language (FL) environments actually play in the development of learners' target language (TL) pragmatic ability, and also to speculate as to the extent to which individual factors can offset the advantages that learners may have by being…

The Effects of Individual Differences on Learner's Navigation in a Courseware

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Somyürek, Sibel; Güyer, Tolga; Atasoy, Bilal

2008-01-01

One of the major features of a computer based instruction (CBI) is its non-linear structure allowing learners the opportunity of flexible navigation to accommodate their own needs. However, this non-linear structure may cause problems such as inefficient navigation, being lost or cognitive overhead for some learners. The aim of this study is to…

Adaptive Teaching: An Invaluable Pedagogic Practice in Social Studies Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ikwumelu, S. N.; Oyibe, Ogene A.; Oketa, E. C.

2015-01-01

The paper delved into the issue of learner/teacher centredness in Social Studies and held that the choice of around whom Social Studies teaching would be centred should be determined by the individual differences of the learners. Adaptive teaching was explained as an approach aimed at achieving a common instructional goal with learners considering…

Identifying the Multiple Intelligences of Your Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClellan, Joyce A.; Conti, Gary J.

2008-01-01

One way of addressing individual differences among adult learners is to identify the Multiple Intelligences of the learner. Multiple Intelligences refers to the concept developed by Howard Gardner that challenges the traditional view of intelligence and explains the presence of nine different Multiple Intelligences. The purpose of this study was…

Crosscultural Differences in Learning Styles of Secondary English Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Clara C.

2002-01-01

Learning styles were investigated for 857 English-learners of Armenian, Hmong, Korean, Mexican, and Vietnamese origin in 20 California high schools. All ethnic groups indicated major or minor preferences for kinesthetic/tactile and visual learning styles. Groups differed in preferences for group versus individual learning. Some preferences were…

Looking Back, Looking Forward, Living in the Moment: Understanding the Individual Temporal Perspectives of Secondary School EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Begic, Ines; Mercer, Sarah

2017-01-01

Every individual has a different perspective on time, known as "temporal perspective". A person's orientation and attitude towards time can have a profound effect on their behaviour and motivation. In Second Language Acquisition, a variety of work has considered learners and their behaviours from various temporal perspectives. However,…

Individual Differences in Early Language Learning: A Study of English Learners of French

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Courtney, Louise; Graham, Suzanne; Tonkyn, Alan; Marinis, Theodoros

2017-01-01

The present longitudinal study examines the interaction of learner variables (gender, motivation, self-efficacy, and first language literacy) and their influence on second language learning outcomes. The study follows English learners of French from Year 5 in primary school (aged 9-10) to the first year in secondary school (Year 7; aged 11-12).…

Assessing the Effects of Different Multimedia Materials on Emotions and Learning Performance for Visual and Verbal Style Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chih-Ming; Sun, Ying-Chun

2012-01-01

Multimedia materials are now increasingly used in curricula. However, individual preferences for multimedia materials based on visual and verbal cognitive styles may affect learners' emotions and performance. Therefore, in-depth studies that investigate how different multimedia materials affect learning performance and the emotions of learners…

Spanish and English Early Literacy Profiles of Preschool Latino English Language Learner Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Jorge; Pollard-Durodola, Sharolyn; Saenz, Laura; Soares, Denise; Davis, Heather; Resendez, Nora; Zhu, Leina

2016-01-01

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine within-group individual differences in the code-related and oral language abilities of an economically stressed Spanish-speaking English language learner (ELL) preschool sample and to evaluate the predictive relationship of these differences to later listening comprehension. Latent class…

Focus on the success of others leads to selfish behavior

PubMed Central

van den Berg, Pieter; Molleman, Lucas; Weissing, Franz J.

2015-01-01

It has often been argued that the spectacular cognitive capacities of humans are the result of selection for the ability to gather, process, and use information about other people. Recent studies show that humans strongly and consistently differ in what type of social information they are interested in. Although some individuals mainly attend to what the majority is doing (frequency-based learning), others focus on the success that their peers achieve with their behavior (success-based learning). Here, we show that such differences in social learning have important consequences for the outcome of social interactions. We report on a decision-making experiment in which individuals were first classified as frequency- and success-based learners and subsequently grouped according to their learning strategy. When confronted with a social dilemma situation, groups of frequency-based learners cooperated considerably more than groups of success-based learners. A detailed analysis of the decision-making process reveals that these differences in cooperation are a direct result of the differences in information use. Our results show that individual differences in social learning strategies are crucial for understanding social behavior. PMID:25730855

Do Different Modalities of Reflection Matter? An Exploration of Adult Second-Language Learners' Reported Strategy Use and Oral Language Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Li-Shih

2010-01-01

This paper reports on a small-scale study that was the first to explore raising second-language (L2) learners' awareness of speaking strategies as mediated by three modalities of task-specific reflection--individual written reflection, individual spoken reflection, and group spoken reflection. Though research in such areas as L2 writing, teacher's…

The Effects of Writing Anxiety and Motivation on EFL College Students' Self-Evaluative Judgments of Corrective Feedback.

PubMed

Tsao, Jui-Jung; Tseng, Wen-Ta; Wang, Chaochang

2017-04-01

Feedback is regarded as a way to foster students' motivation and to ensure linguistic accuracy. However, mixed findings are reported in the research on written corrective feedback because of its multifaceted nature and its correlations with learners' individual differences. It is necessary, therefore, to conduct further research on corrective feedback from the student's perspective and to examine how individual differences in terms of factors such as writing anxiety and motivation predict learners' self-evaluative judgments of both teacher-corrected and peer-corrected feedback. For this study, 158 Taiwanese college sophomores participated in a survey that comprised three questionnaires. Results demonstrated that intrinsic motivation and different types of writing anxiety predicted English as foreign language learners' evaluative judgments of teacher and peer feedback. The findings have implications for English-writing instruction.

Individual Differences in Second Language Sentence Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Leah

2012-01-01

As is the case in traditional second language (L2) acquisition research, a major question in the field of L2 real-time sentence processing is the extent to which L2 learners process the input like native speakers. Where differences are observed, the underlying causes could be the influence of the learner's first language and/or differences…

Self-Regulation of Learning and Academic Delay of Gratification: Gender and Ethnic Differences among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bembenutty, Hefer

2007-01-01

Self-regulated learners engage in self-generated thoughts, actions, and feelings while pursuing academic goals. The most successful learners use appropriate learning strategies and maintain high levels of motivation. Few studies on the self-regulation of learning have examined individual differences such as gender and ethnicity among college…

Cognitive and Psychosocial Factors in the Long-Term Development of Implicit and Explicit Second Language Knowledge in Adult Learners of Spanish at Increasing Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serafini, Ellen Johnson

2013-01-01

This study examined the second language (L2) development of adult learners of Spanish at three levels of proficiency during and after a semester of instruction. A fundamental goal was to identify cognitive and psychosocial individual differences (IDs) that can explain between-learner variation over time in order to expand our understanding of the…

Effect of individual thinking styles on item selection during study time allocation.

PubMed

Jia, Xiaoyu; Li, Weijian; Cao, Liren; Li, Ping; Shi, Meiling; Wang, Jingjing; Cao, Wei; Li, Xinyu

2018-04-01

The influence of individual differences on learners' study time allocation has been emphasised in recent studies; however, little is known about the role of individual thinking styles (analytical versus intuitive). In the present study, we explored the influence of individual thinking styles on learners' application of agenda-based and habitual processes when selecting the first item during a study-time allocation task. A 3-item cognitive reflection test (CRT) was used to determine individuals' degree of cognitive reliance on intuitive versus analytical cognitive processing. Significant correlations between CRT scores and the choices of first item selection were observed in both Experiment 1a (study time was 5 seconds per triplet) and Experiment 1b (study time was 20 seconds per triplet). Furthermore, analytical decision makers constructed a value-based agenda (prioritised high-reward items), whereas intuitive decision makers relied more upon habitual responding (selected items from the leftmost of the array). The findings of Experiment 1a were replicated in Experiment 2 notwithstanding ruling out the possible effects from individual intelligence and working memory capacity. Overall, the individual thinking style plays an important role on learners' study time allocation and the predictive ability of CRT is reliable in learners' item selection strategy. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

Enhanced musical rhythmic perception in Turkish early and late learners of German

PubMed Central

Roncaglia-Denissen, M. Paula; Schmidt-Kassow, Maren; Heine, Angela; Vuust, Peter; Kotz, Sonja A.

2013-01-01

As language rhythm relies partly on general acoustic properties, such as intensity and duration, mastering two languages with distinct rhythmic properties (i.e., stress position) may enhance musical rhythm perception. We investigated whether competence in a second language (L2) with different rhythmic properties than a L1 affects musical rhythm aptitude. Turkish early (TELG) and late learners (TLLG) of German were compared to German late L2 learners of English (GLE) regarding their musical rhythmic aptitude. While Turkish and German present distinct linguistic rhythm and metric properties, German and English are rather similar in this regard. To account for inter-individual differences, we measured participants' short-term and working memory (WM) capacity, melodic aptitude, and time they spent listening to music. Both groups of Turkish L2 learners of German perceived rhythmic variations significantly better than German L2 learners of English. No differences were found between early and late learners' performance. Our findings suggest that mastering two languages with different rhythmic properties enhances musical rhythm perception, providing further evidence of shared cognitive resources between language and music. PMID:24065946

With Friends Like These...?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saba, Farhad, Ed.

2000-01-01

Suggests that distance education advocates and critics alike should learn that responding to learners' needs for independent learning is a fundamental principle. Discusses learner autonomy; new admirers of distance education; lack of sensitivity to individual learning differences and the increased use of streaming media; and the position of Dr.…

More than words: Adults learn probabilities over categories and relationships between them.

PubMed

Hudson Kam, Carla L

2009-04-01

This study examines whether human learners can acquire statistics over abstract categories and their relationships to each other. Adult learners were exposed to miniature artificial languages containing variation in the ordering of the Subject, Object, and Verb constituents. Different orders (e.g. SOV, VSO) occurred in the input with different frequencies, but the occurrence of one order versus another was not predictable. Importantly, the language was constructed such that participants could only match the overall input probabilities if they were tracking statistics over abstract categories, not over individual words. At test, participants reproduced the probabilities present in the input with a high degree of accuracy. Closer examination revealed that learner's were matching the probabilities associated with individual verbs rather than the category as a whole. However, individual nouns had no impact on word orders produced. Thus, participants learned the probabilities of a particular ordering of the abstract grammatical categories Subject and Object associated with each verb. Results suggest that statistical learning mechanisms are capable of tracking relationships between abstract linguistic categories in addition to individual items.

Learning a novel phonological contrast depends on interactions between individual differences and training paradigm design.

PubMed

Perrachione, Tyler K; Lee, Jiyeon; Ha, Louisa Y Y; Wong, Patrick C M

2011-07-01

Studies evaluating phonological contrast learning typically investigate either the predictiveness of specific pretraining aptitude measures or the efficacy of different instructional paradigms. However, little research considers how these factors interact--whether different students learn better from different types of instruction--and what the psychological basis for any interaction might be. The present study demonstrates that successfully learning a foreign-language phonological contrast for pitch depends on an interaction between individual differences in perceptual abilities and the design of the training paradigm. Training from stimuli with high acoustic-phonetic variability is generally thought to improve learning; however, we found high-variability training enhanced learning only for individuals with strong perceptual abilities. Learners with weaker perceptual abilities were actually impaired by high-variability training relative to a low-variability condition. A second experiment assessing variations on the high-variability training design determined that the property of this learning environment most detrimental to perceptually weak learners is the amount of trial-by-trial variability. Learners' perceptual limitations can thus override the benefits of high-variability training where trial-by-trial variability in other irrelevant acoustic-phonetic features obfuscates access to the target feature. These results demonstrate the importance of considering individual differences in pretraining aptitudes when evaluating the efficacy of any speech training paradigm. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

Can Planning Time Compensate for Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielson, Katharine B.

2014-01-01

Language learners with high working memory capacity have an advantage, all other factors being equal, during the second language acquisition (SLA) process; therefore, identifying a pedagogical intervention that can compensate for low working memory capacity would be advantageous to language learners and instructors. Extensive research on the…

Adaptive versus Learner Control in a Multiple Intelligence Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Declan

2008-01-01

Within the field of technology enhanced learning, adaptive educational systems offer an advanced form of learning environment that attempts to meet the needs of different students. Such systems capture and represent, for each student, various characteristics such as knowledge and traits in an individual learner model. Subsequently, using the…

English Learning Strategies among EFL Learners: A Narrative Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Hoang; Terry, Daniel R.

2017-01-01

Language learning strategies (LLSs) are believed to be influenced by individual differences as well as environmental and contextual factors. Therefore, the effective use of LLSs is determined by various factors, including both learning and learner variables. This dynamic and complex nature of LLSs renders it appropriate to use a qualitative…

Consistent individual differences in human social learning strategies.

PubMed

Molleman, Lucas; van den Berg, Pieter; Weissing, Franz J

2014-04-04

Social learning has allowed humans to build up extensive cultural repertoires, enabling them to adapt to a wide variety of environmental and social conditions. However, it is unclear which social learning strategies people use, especially in social contexts where their payoffs depend on the behaviour of others. Here we show experimentally that individuals differ in their social learning strategies and that they tend to employ the same learning strategy irrespective of the interaction context. Payoff-based learners focus on their peers' success, while decision-based learners disregard payoffs and exclusively focus on their peers' past behaviour. These individual differences may be of considerable importance for cultural evolution. By means of a simple model, we demonstrate that groups harbouring individuals with different learning strategies may be faster in adopting technological innovations and can be more efficient through successful role differentiation. Our study highlights the importance of individual variation for human interactions and sheds new light on the dynamics of cultural evolution.

Word learning mechanisms.

PubMed

He, Angela Xiaoxue; Arunachalam, Sudha

2017-07-01

How do children acquire the meanings of words? Many word learning mechanisms have been proposed to guide learners through this challenging task. Despite the availability of rich information in the learner's linguistic and extralinguistic input, the word-learning task is insurmountable without such mechanisms for filtering through and utilizing that information. Different kinds of words, such as nouns denoting object concepts and verbs denoting event concepts, require to some extent different kinds of information and, therefore, access to different kinds of mechanisms. We review some of these mechanisms to examine the relationship between the input that is available to learners and learners' intake of that input-that is, the organized, interpreted, and stored representations they form. We discuss how learners segment individual words from the speech stream and identify their grammatical categories, how they identify the concepts denoted by these words, and how they refine their initial representations of word meanings. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, 8:e1435. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1435 This article is categorized under: Linguistics > Language Acquisition Psychology > Language. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Teaching Life Sciences to Blind and Visually Impaired Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, William John; Maguvhe, Mbulaheni Obert

2008-01-01

This study reports on the teaching of life sciences (biology) to blind and visually impaired learners in South Africa at 11 special schools with specific reference to the development of science process skills in outcomes-based classrooms. Individual structured interviews were conducted with nine science educators teaching at the different special…

A Preliminary Survey of the Preferred Learning Methods for Interpretation Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heinz, Michael

2013-01-01

There are many different methods that individuals use to learn languages like reading books or writing essays. Not all methods are equally successful for second language learners but nor do all successful learners of a second language show identical preferences for learning methods. Additionally, at the highest level of language learning various…

Learning from Errors: A Model of Individual Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tulis, Maria; Steuer, Gabriele; Dresel, Markus

2016-01-01

Errors bear the potential to improve knowledge acquisition, provided that learners are able to deal with them in an adaptive and reflexive manner. However, learners experience a host of different--often impeding or maladaptive--emotional and motivational states in the face of academic errors. Research has made few attempts to develop a theory that…

11 Practical Ways to Guide Teachers toward Differentiation (and an Evaluation Tool)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, Carolyn; King, Rita

2005-01-01

Differentiated instruction adapts learning to the students' unique differences. It focuses on the diverse needs of the individual learners. It is stated, that the first step in developing a differentiated instructional program is to provide an introduction to the philosophy and an overview of the benefits for learners. After the introductory…

Self-Efficacy and IPS: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLeod, Linda P.

2015-01-01

The fact that some learners learn language more successfully than others who are at the same level of aptitude and capabilities is inevitable. To understand why, the researcher has focused her attention on individual differences among learners. The ones that have been taken into account in this study are namely called self-efficacy and identity…

Faculty Perceptions about Virtual World Technology: Affordances and Barriers to Adoption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Linda W.

2011-01-01

Providing instruction using different instructional delivery methods allows the learner to absorb content in a way that fits the individual learner. Today's students have grown up immersed in digital technology. However, many higher education faculty are still not speaking the same digital language as their students. The issue may be that the…

Multidimensional Learner Model In Intelligent Learning System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deliyska, B.; Rozeva, A.

2009-11-01

The learner model in an intelligent learning system (ILS) has to ensure the personalization (individualization) and the adaptability of e-learning in an online learner-centered environment. ILS is a distributed e-learning system whose modules can be independent and located in different nodes (servers) on the Web. This kind of e-learning is achieved through the resources of the Semantic Web and is designed and developed around a course, group of courses or specialty. An essential part of ILS is learner model database which contains structured data about learner profile and temporal status in the learning process of one or more courses. In the paper a learner model position in ILS is considered and a relational database is designed from learner's domain ontology. Multidimensional modeling agent for the source database is designed and resultant learner data cube is presented. Agent's modules are proposed with corresponding algorithms and procedures. Multidimensional (OLAP) analysis guidelines on the resultant learner module for designing dynamic learning strategy have been highlighted.

Adaptive Semantic and Social Web-based learning and assessment environment for the STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babaie, Hassan; Atchison, Chris; Sunderraman, Rajshekhar

2014-05-01

We are building a cloud- and Semantic Web-based personalized, adaptive learning environment for the STEM fields that integrates and leverages Social Web technologies to allow instructors and authors of learning material to collaborate in semi-automatic development and update of their common domain and task ontologies and building their learning resources. The semi-automatic ontology learning and development minimize issues related to the design and maintenance of domain ontologies by knowledge engineers who do not have any knowledge of the domain. The social web component of the personal adaptive system will allow individual and group learners to interact with each other and discuss their own learning experience and understanding of course material, and resolve issues related to their class assignments. The adaptive system will be capable of representing key knowledge concepts in different ways and difficulty levels based on learners' differences, and lead to different understanding of the same STEM content by different learners. It will adapt specific pedagogical strategies to individual learners based on their characteristics, cognition, and preferences, allow authors to assemble remotely accessed learning material into courses, and provide facilities for instructors to assess (in real time) the perception of students of course material, monitor their progress in the learning process, and generate timely feedback based on their understanding or misconceptions. The system applies a set of ontologies that structure the learning process, with multiple user friendly Web interfaces. These include the learning ontology (models learning objects, educational resources, and learning goal); context ontology (supports adaptive strategy by detecting student situation), domain ontology (structures concepts and context), learner ontology (models student profile, preferences, and behavior), task ontologies, technological ontology (defines devices and places that surround the student), pedagogy ontology, and learner ontology (defines time constraint, comment, profile).

Group level effects of social versus individual learning.

PubMed

Jost, Jürgen; Li, Wei

2013-06-01

We study the effects of learning by imitating others within the framework of an iterated game in which the members of two complementary populations interact via random pairing at each round. This allows us to compare both the fitness of different strategies within a population and the performance of populations in which members have access to different types of strategies. Previous studies reveal some emergent dynamics at the population level, when players learn individually. We here investigate a different mechanism in which players can choose between two different learning strategies, individual or social. Imitating behavior can spread within a mixed population, with the frequency of imitators varying over generation time. When compared to a pure population with solely individual learners, a mixed population with both individual and social learners can do better, independently of the precise learning scheme employed. We can then search for the best imitating strategy. Imitating the neighbor with the highest payoff turns out to be consistently superior. This is in agreement with findings in experimental and model studies that have been carried out in different settings.

Syntactic Constraints and Individual Differences in Native and Non-Native Processing of Wh-Movement

PubMed Central

Johnson, Adrienne; Fiorentino, Robert; Gabriele, Alison

2016-01-01

There is a debate as to whether second language (L2) learners show qualitatively similar processing profiles as native speakers or whether L2 learners are restricted in their ability to use syntactic information during online processing. In the realm of wh-dependency resolution, research has examined whether learners, similar to native speakers, attempt to resolve wh-dependencies in grammatically licensed contexts but avoid positing gaps in illicit contexts such as islands. Also at issue is whether the avoidance of gap filling in islands is due to adherence to syntactic constraints or whether islands simply present processing bottlenecks. One approach has been to examine the relationship between processing abilities and the establishment of wh-dependencies in islands. Grammatical accounts of islands do not predict such a relationship as the parser should simply not predict gaps in illicit contexts. In contrast, a pattern of results showing that individuals with more processing resources are better able to establish wh-dependencies in islands could conceivably be compatible with certain processing accounts. In a self-paced reading experiment which examines the processing of wh-dependencies, we address both questions, examining whether native English speakers and Korean learners of English show qualitatively similar patterns and whether there is a relationship between working memory, as measured by counting span and reading span, and processing in both island and non-island contexts. The results of the self-paced reading experiment suggest that learners can use syntactic information on the same timecourse as native speakers, showing qualitative similarity between the two groups. Results of regression analyses did not reveal a significant relationship between working memory and the establishment of wh-dependencies in islands but we did observe significant relationships between working memory and the processing of licit wh-dependencies. As the contexts in which these relationships emerged differed for learners and native speakers, our results call for further research examining individual differences in dependency resolution in both populations. PMID:27148152

Syntactic Constraints and Individual Differences in Native and Non-Native Processing of Wh-Movement.

PubMed

Johnson, Adrienne; Fiorentino, Robert; Gabriele, Alison

2016-01-01

There is a debate as to whether second language (L2) learners show qualitatively similar processing profiles as native speakers or whether L2 learners are restricted in their ability to use syntactic information during online processing. In the realm of wh-dependency resolution, research has examined whether learners, similar to native speakers, attempt to resolve wh-dependencies in grammatically licensed contexts but avoid positing gaps in illicit contexts such as islands. Also at issue is whether the avoidance of gap filling in islands is due to adherence to syntactic constraints or whether islands simply present processing bottlenecks. One approach has been to examine the relationship between processing abilities and the establishment of wh-dependencies in islands. Grammatical accounts of islands do not predict such a relationship as the parser should simply not predict gaps in illicit contexts. In contrast, a pattern of results showing that individuals with more processing resources are better able to establish wh-dependencies in islands could conceivably be compatible with certain processing accounts. In a self-paced reading experiment which examines the processing of wh-dependencies, we address both questions, examining whether native English speakers and Korean learners of English show qualitatively similar patterns and whether there is a relationship between working memory, as measured by counting span and reading span, and processing in both island and non-island contexts. The results of the self-paced reading experiment suggest that learners can use syntactic information on the same timecourse as native speakers, showing qualitative similarity between the two groups. Results of regression analyses did not reveal a significant relationship between working memory and the establishment of wh-dependencies in islands but we did observe significant relationships between working memory and the processing of licit wh-dependencies. As the contexts in which these relationships emerged differed for learners and native speakers, our results call for further research examining individual differences in dependency resolution in both populations.

Developing Swedish Spelling Exercises on the ICALL Platform Lärka

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pijetlovic, Dijana; Volodina, Elena

2013-01-01

In this project we developed web services on the ICALL platform Lärka for automatic generation of Swedish spelling exercises using Text-To-Speech (TTS) technology which allows L2 learners to train their spelling and listening individually at home. The spelling exercises contain five different linguistic levels, whereby the language learner has the…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Jun

2009-01-01

Based on Activity Theory, this article examines attitude formation in human learning as shaped by the experiences of individual learners with various learning objects in particular learning contexts. It hypothesizes that a learner's object-related perceptions, personality traits and situational perceptions may have different relationships with the…

Reconsidering Metaphorical Performance of EFL Learners with a Focus on Their Cognitive Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soureshjani, Kamal Heidari; Safikhani, Arezoo

2012-01-01

Metaphoric language and understanding such a language have been of central concern in not only private language schools for intermediate and advanced learners, but in universities for students whose major is English. Besides, as Ellis (1994) maintains, various individual differences have an effect on students' performance and learning. One of the…

Understanding Learner Acceptance of Learning Objects: The Roles of Learning Object Characteristics and Individual Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Siong-Hoe; Woods, Peter C.

2009-01-01

Many organisations and institutions have integrated learning objects into their e-learning systems to make the instructional resources more efficient. Like any other information systems, this trend has made user acceptance of learning objects an increasingly critical issue as a high level of learner satisfaction and acceptance reflects that the…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AbuSeileek, Ali Farhan

2012-01-01

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

A Chinese young adult non-scientist's epistemologies and her understandings of the concept of speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Ying; Brizuela, Barbara M.

2015-08-01

Past research has investigated students' epistemologies while they were taking courses that required an integrated understanding of mathematical and scientific concepts. However, past studies have not investigated students who are not currently enrolled in such classes. Additionally, past studies have primarily focused on individuals who are native English speakers from Western cultures. In this paper, we aim to investigate whether Hammer and his colleagues' claims concerning learners' epistemologies could be extended to individuals who lack advanced mathematics and science training, have had different cultural and learning experiences, and have grown up speaking and learning in another language. To this end, we interviewed a participant with these characteristics about her understandings of the concept of speed. Our findings show that previous theoretical frameworks can be used to explain the epistemologies of the individual examined in this study. The case suggests that these theories may be relevant regardless of the learner's mathematics and science background, language, educational experience, and cultural background. In the future, more cases should be examined with learners from different academic backgrounds and cultures to further support this finding.

The Relationship between Multiple Intelligences and Reading Comprehension of EFL Learners across Genders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabet, Masoud Khalili; Kiaee, Marjan Mesbah

2016-01-01

With developments in psychology and cognitive sciences in recent years, the significance of individual differences in L2 pedagogy has been highlighted. One of the outcomes of attending to individual differences is the increased attention to the concept of multiple intelligences and its relationship with language learning and different skills…

Interactions between Learner Characteristics and Optimal Instruction. Report No. 75-17.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, Jere E.

Possible implications of individual and group differences for educational research and practice are discussed. Differences include preference for cooperative versus competitive tasks; for working alone versus in a group; for structured versus unstructured learning situations; or for individual versus group reward contingencies; social class and…

Individual Differences in Online Personalized Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samah, Norazrena Abu; Yahaya, Noraffandy; Ali, Mohamad Bilal

2011-01-01

The need has arise for the consideration of individual differences, to include their learning styles, learning orientations, preferences and needs in learning to allow learners engage and be responsible for their own learning, retain information longer, apply the knowledge more effectively, have positive attitudes towards the subject, have more…

E?ffects of English Language Proficiency on the Choice of Language Learning Strategies by Saudi English-Major Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Javid, Choudhary Z.; Al-thubaiti, Turki S.; Uthman, Awwadh

2013-01-01

It is reported that language learning is a creative and dynamic process and the learners are active partners in this process. This trend in language teaching motivated the researchers to investigate the learners' individual differences and the identification of language learning strategies (LLS) has become a major area of interest in this regard…

Does English Language Learner (ELL) Identification Predict College Remediation Designation? A Comparison by Race and Ethnicity, and ELL Waiver Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Stella M.; Drake, Timothy A.

2014-01-01

Using individual-level longitudinal state administrative data, this analysis examines whether English language learner (ELL) status increases the likelihood of being designated as needing college remediation. We track a cohort of ELL and non-ELL students from first grade to college entry and investigate whether there are differences in students'…

The Interplay of Individual Differences and Context of Learning in Behavioral and Neurocognitive Second Language Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faretta-Stutenberg, Mandy; Morgan-Short, Kara

2018-01-01

In order to understand variability in second language (L2) acquisition, this study addressed how individual differences in cognitive abilities may contribute to development for learners in different contexts. Specifically, we report the results of two short-term longitudinal studies aimed at examining the role of cognitive abilities in accounting…

Expertise Development With Different Types of Automation: A Function of Different Cognitive Abilities.

PubMed

Jipp, Meike

2016-02-01

I explored whether different cognitive abilities (information-processing ability, working-memory capacity) are needed for expertise development when different types of automation (information vs. decision automation) are employed. It is well documented that expertise development and the employment of automation lead to improved performance. Here, it is argued that a learner's ability to reason about an activity may be hindered by the employment of information automation. Additional feedback needs to be processed, thus increasing the load on working memory and decelerating expertise development. By contrast, the employment of decision automation may stimulate reasoning, increase the initial load on information-processing ability, and accelerate expertise development. Authors of past research have not investigated the interrelations between automation assistance, individual differences, and expertise development. Sixty-one naive learners controlled simulated air traffic with two types of automation: information automation and decision automation. Their performance was captured across 16 trials. Well-established tests were used to assess information-processing ability and working-memory capacity. As expected, learners' performance benefited from expertise development and decision automation. Furthermore, individual differences moderated the effect of the type of automation on expertise development: The employment of only information automation increased the load on working memory during later expertise development. The employment of decision automation initially increased the need to process information. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual differences and expertise development when investigating human-automation interaction. The results are relevant for selecting automation configurations for expertise development. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Towards a Pedagogy for Clinical Education: Beyond Individual Learning Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinchin, Ian M.; Baysan, Aylin; Cabot, Lyndon Bruce

2008-01-01

The development of teaching in higher education towards a more learner-orientated model has been supported by the literature on individual learning differences and on learning styles in particular. This has contributed to the evolution of university pedagogy away from a medieval transmission model than runs counter to contemporary understanding of…

Incorporating Learning Style and Personality Preferences into an Oral Communication Course Syllabus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadas, Michael

2011-01-01

Individual difference factors of personality typology and learning style preference and their effect on second language acquisition have been the focus of several prominent SLA theorists over the past twenty-five years. However, few articles have demonstrated how individual learner difference research can be applied within a classroom by second…

Doctoral Candidates as Learners: A Study of Individual Differences in Responses to Learning and Its Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cantwell, Robert H.; Bourke, Sid F.; Scevak, Jill J.; Holbrook, Allyson P.; Budd, Janene

2017-01-01

A national cohort of doctoral students (n = 1390) completed a suite of metacognitive questionnaires indicating management of affective, intellectual and contingency demands in learning. Responses to the questionnaires were analysed for evidence of individual differences in reported metacognitive behaviours. Three patterns of metacognitive response…

Language Experience Interviews: What Can They Tell Us about Individual Differences?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polat, Brittany

2013-01-01

While language learners and teachers have long known that individual differences (IDs) among students result in differential learning, we still do not know how traditional ID variables interact or the specific impact each one has on language learning. The present study proposes that instead of looking at isolated variables, researchers should…

Individual Differences in Written Corrective Feedback: A Multi-Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Su; Li, Pengjing

2012-01-01

Written corrective feedback (WCF) has been a long time practice in L2 writing instruction. However, in many cases, the effects are not satisfactory. There have been controversies about it both theoretically and empirically. This paper reports a multi-case study exploring individual differences that impact learners' responses to WCF. Four students'…

Variability in Second Language Learning: The Roles of Individual Differences, Learning Conditions, and Linguistic Complexity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tagarelli, Kaitlyn M.; Ruiz, Simón; Vega, José Luis Moreno; Rebuschat, Patrick

2016-01-01

Second language learning outcomes are highly variable, due to a variety of factors, including individual differences, exposure conditions, and linguistic complexity. However, exactly how these factors interact to influence language learning is unknown. This article examines the relationship between these three variables in language learners.…

Am I Extravert or Introvert? Considering the Personality Effect toward e-Learning System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Dujaily, Amal; Kim, Jieun; Ryu, Hokyoung

2013-01-01

A concern of computer-based learning system design is how to accommodate learners' individual differences during learning activities. Previous research suggests that adaptive e-learning systems can effectively address such individual differences and, consequently, they enable more directed tutoring via computer-assisted instruction. In this paper,…

Task Complexity, Focus on L2 Constructions, and Individual Differences: A Classroom-Based Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Revesz, Andrea

2011-01-01

Motivated by cognitive-interactionist frameworks for task-based learning, this study explores whether task complexity affects the extent to which learners focus on form-meaning connections during task-based work in a classroom setting, and whether this relationship is modulated by 3 individual difference factors--linguistic self-confidence,…

Individual Differences in Military Training Environments: Four Areas of Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-30

training setting. Such factors as ability, skills, experience, intelligence , interests, personal characteristics (e.g., age) and motivation interact...recruits than were Intelligence scores; fast learners retained more and relearned more quickly than slow learners. This suggests that if the goal is to...and Development Center. Gottfredson , G.D., Holland, J.L. and Ogawa, D.K. (1982). Dictionary of Holland occupational codes. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting

A Process Model of L2 Learners' Motivation: From the Perspectives of General Tendency and Individual Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiromori, Tomohito

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine a process model of L2 learners' motivation. To investigate the overall process of motivation, the motivation of 148 university students was analyzed. Data were collected on three variables from the pre-decisional phase of motivation (i.e., value, expectancy, and intention) and four variables from the…

Learning styles of first-year medical students attending Erciyes University in Kayseri, Turkey.

PubMed

Baykan, Zeynep; Naçar, Melis

2007-06-01

Educational researchers postulate that every individual has a different learning style. The aim of this descriptive study was to determine the learning styles of first-year medical students using the Turkish version of the visual, auditory, read-write, kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire. This study was performed at the Department of Medical Education of Erciyes University in February 2006. The Turkish version of the VARK questionnaire was administered to first-year medical students to determine their preferred mode of learning. According to the VARK questionnaire, students were divided into five groups (visual learners, read-write learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners, and multimodal learners). The unimodality preference was 36.1% and multimodality was 63.9%. Among the students who participated in the study (155 students), 23.3% were kinesthetic, 7.7% were auditory, 3.2% were visual, and 1.9% were read-write learners. Some students preferred multiple modes: bimodal (30.3%), trimodal (20.7%), and quadmodal (12.9%). The learning styles did not differ between male and female students, and no statistically significant difference was determined between the first-semester grade average points and learning styles. Knowing that our students have different preferred learning modes will help the medical instructors in our faculty develop appropriate learning approaches and explore opportunities so that they will be able to make the educational experience more productive.

Collaborative testing for key-term definitions under representative conditions: Efficiency costs and no learning benefits.

PubMed

Wissman, Kathryn T; Rawson, Katherine A

2018-01-01

Students are expected to learn key-term definitions across many different grade levels and academic disciplines. Thus, investigating ways to promote understanding of key-term definitions is of critical importance for applied purposes. A recent survey showed that learners report engaging in collaborative practice testing when learning key-term definitions, with outcomes also shedding light on the way in which learners report engaging in collaborative testing in real-world contexts (Wissman & Rawson, 2016, Memory, 24, 223-239). However, no research has directly explored the effectiveness of engaging in collaborative testing under representative conditions. Accordingly, the current research evaluates the costs (with respect to efficiency) and the benefits (with respect to learning) of collaborative testing for key-term definitions under representative conditions. In three experiments (ns = 94, 74, 95), learners individually studied key-term definitions and then completed retrieval practice, which occurred either individually or collaboratively (in dyads). Two days later, all learners completed a final individual test. Results from Experiments 1-2 showed a cost (with respect to efficiency) and no benefit (with respect to learning) of engaging in collaborative testing for key-term definitions. Experiment 3 evaluated a theoretical explanation for why collaborative benefits do not emerge under representative conditions. Collectively, outcomes indicate that collaborative testing versus individual testing is less effective and less efficient when learning key-term definitions under representative conditions.

Exploring Regularities and Dynamic Systems in L2 Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenzing, Anke

2015-01-01

This article focuses on a theoretical and empirical exploration of developmental trajectories and individual learner variation in second language (L2) acquisition. Taking a processability perspective, I view learner language as a dynamic system that includes predictable universal developmental trajectories as well as individual learner variation,…

The Onion Model: Myth or Reality in the Field of Individual Differences Psychology?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cools, Eva; Bellens, Kim

2012-01-01

To bring order in concepts related to individual learner differences, Curry (1983) designed the three-layered onion model. As this model provides an interesting way to distinguish related concepts--such as cognitive styles and approaches to studying--on the basis of their stability in learning situations, ample studies build further on this model.…

Learning Potentials of the Ubiquitous Internet: Using Mobile Devices to Support the Individual, Social and Physical Context of the Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalsgaard, Christian; Pedersen, Nicholai Friis; Aaen, Janus Holst

2013-01-01

The aim of this paper is to identify the key learning potentials of the ubiquitous internet. Rather than focusing on mobile technology or the mobility of the learner, the paper emphasises the ubiquity of internet access as a paramount catalyst for new learning in the digital age. From a sociocultural perspective the paper discusses different ways…

Adult Age Differences in Learning from Positive and Negative Probabilistic Feedback

PubMed Central

Simon, Jessica R.; Howard, James H.; Howard, Darlene V.

2010-01-01

Objective Past research has investigated age differences in frontal-based decision making, but few studies have focused on the behavioral effects of striatal-based changes in healthy aging. Feedback learning has been found to vary with dopamine levels; increases in dopamine facilitate learning from positive feedback, whereas decreases facilitate learning from negative feedback. Given previous evidence of striatal dopamine depletion in healthy aging, we investigated behavioral differences between college-aged and healthy old adults using a feedback learning task that is sensitive to both frontal and striatal processes. Method Seventeen college-aged (M = 18.9 years) and 24 healthy, older adults (M = 70.3 years) completed the Probabilistic selection task, in which participants are trained on probabilistic stimulus-outcome information and then tested to determine whether they learned more from positive or negative feedback. Results As a group, the old adults learned equally well from positive and negative feedback, whereas the college-aged group learned more from positive than negative feedback, F(1, 39) = 4.10, p < .05, reffect = .3. However, these group differences were not due to the older individuals being more balanced learners. Most individuals of both ages were balanced learners, but while all of the remaining young learners had a positive bias, the remaining older learners were split between those with positive and negative learning biases (χ2(2) = 6.12, p<.047). Conclusions These behavioral results are consistent with the dopamine theory of striatal aging, and suggest there might be adult age differences in the kinds of information people use when faced with a current choice. PMID:20604627

Students' Attitudes to Classroom English Learning: A Cross-Cultural Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Littlewood, William

2001-01-01

Examines learner attitudes toward classroom learning of English, with particular focus on collectivism versus individualism, attitudes towards authority, and types of achievement motivation. Data are collected from eight Asian and three European countries. Although many attitudinal differences occur between individual countries, striking…

Strategies for Individualizing Instruction across the Disciplines for the Culturally Diverse Learner.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Ann

Educational institutions need to recognize and accommodate the individual needs of learners from culturally diverse backgrounds, of whom a large number are Blacks and Hispanics. To accommodate the educational needs of these learners, educators need to build on their entry-level strengths, which have been identified as: (1) orientation toward…

The Impact of Scaffolding Mechanisms on EFL Learners' Individual and Socially Shared Metacognition in Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jafarigohar, Manoochehr; Mortazavi, Mahboobeh

2017-01-01

This study investigated the impact of structuring and problematizing scaffolding mechanisms on 240 Iranian English as a foreign language learners' individual and socially shared metacognition in writing skills. The study also sought to find out whether the learners' proficiency level moderated the effect of the scaffolding mechanisms on…

Are Deaf Students Visual Learners?

PubMed Central

Marschark, Marc; Morrison, Carolyn; Lukomski, Jennifer; Borgna, Georgianna; Convertino, Carol

2013-01-01

It is frequently assumed that by virtue of their hearing losses, deaf students are visual learners. Deaf individuals have some visual-spatial advantages relative to hearing individuals, but most have been are linked to use of sign language rather than auditory deprivation. How such cognitive differences might affect academic performance has been investigated only rarely. This study examined relations among deaf college students’ language and visual-spatial abilities, mathematics problem solving, and hearing thresholds. Results extended some previous findings and clarified others. Contrary to what might be expected, hearing students exhibited visual-spatial skills equal to or better than deaf students. Scores on a Spatial Relations task were associated with better mathematics problem solving. Relations among the several variables, however, suggested that deaf students are no more likely to be visual learners than hearing students and that their visual-spatial skill may be related more to their hearing than to sign language skills. PMID:23750095

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2016-01-01

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

A Route for Every Learner: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a Framework for Supporting Learning and Improving Achievement for All Learners in Maryland, Prekindergarten through Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Department of Education, 2011

2011-01-01

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for curriculum design, instruction, and assessment that gives all students equal opportunities to learn and to demonstrate what they have learned. UDL is built on the premise that there is not one kind of learning. Learning differs across tasks, across development, and among individuals. UDL is…

Effects of Lexical Features, Textual Properties, and Individual Differences on Word Processing Times during Second Language Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Minkyung; Crossley, Scott A.; Skalicky, Stephen

2018-01-01

This study examines whether lexical features and textual properties along with individual differences on the part of readers influence word processing times during second language (L2) reading comprehension. Forty-eight Spanish-speaking adolescent and adult learners of English read nine English passages in a self-paced word-by-word reading…

Rationing medical education.

PubMed

Walsh, Kieran

2016-03-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of rationing in medical education. Medical education is expensive and there is a limit to that which governments, funders or individuals can spend on it. Rationing involves the allocation of resources that are limited. This paper discussed the pros and cons of the application of rationing to medical education and the different forms of rationing that could be applied. Even though some stakeholders in medical education might be taken aback at the prospect of rationing, the truth is that rationing has always occurred in one form or another in medical education and in healthcare more broadly. Different types of rationing exist in healthcare professional education. For example rationing may be implicit or explicit or may be based on macro-allocation or micro-allocation decisions. Funding can be distributed equally among learners, or according to the needs of individual learners, or to ensure that overall usefulness is maximised. One final option is to allow the market to operate freely and to decide in that way. These principles of rationing can apply to individual learners or to institutions or departments or learning modes. Rationing is occurring in medical education, even though it might be implicit. It is worth giving consideration to methods of rationing and to make thinking about rationing more explicit.

The Development of Second Language Writing Complexity in Groups and Individuals: A Longitudinal Learner Corpus Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vyatkina, Nina

2012-01-01

This study explores the development of multiple dimensions of linguistic complexity in the writing of beginning learners of German both as a group and as individuals. The data come from an annotated, longitudinal learner corpus. The development of lexicogrammatical complexity is explored at 2 intersections: (a) between cross-sectional trendlines…

The Relation of Learners' Motivation with the Process of Collaborative Scientific Discovery Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saab, Nadira; van Joolingen, Wouter R.; van Hout-Wolters, B. H. A. M.

2009-01-01

In this study, we investigated the influence of individual learners' motivation on the collaborative discovery learning process. In this we distinguished the motivation of the individual learners and had eye for the composition of groups, which could be homogeneous or heterogeneous in terms of motivation. The study involved 73 dyads of 10th-grade…

Learning a novel phonological contrast depends on interactions between individual differences and training paradigm design

PubMed Central

Perrachione, Tyler K.; Lee, Jiyeon; Ha, Louisa Y. Y.; Wong, Patrick C. M.

2011-01-01

Studies evaluating phonological contrast learning typically investigate either the predictiveness of specific pretraining aptitude measures or the efficacy of different instructional paradigms. However, little research considers how these factors interact—whether different students learn better from different types of instruction—and what the psychological basis for any interaction might be. The present study demonstrates that successfully learning a foreign-language phonological contrast for pitch depends on an interaction between individual differences in perceptual abilities and the design of the training paradigm. Training from stimuli with high acoustic-phonetic variability is generally thought to improve learning; however, we found high-variability training enhanced learning only for individuals with strong perceptual abilities. Learners with weaker perceptual abilities were actually impaired by high-variability training relative to a low-variability condition. A second experiment assessing variations on the high-variability training design determined that the property of this learning environment most detrimental to perceptually weak learners is the amount of trial-by-trial variability. Learners’ perceptual limitations can thus override the benefits of high-variability training where trial-by-trial variability in other irrelevant acoustic-phonetic features obfuscates access to the target feature. These results demonstrate the importance of considering individual differences in pretraining aptitudes when evaluating the efficacy of any speech training paradigm. PMID:21786912

Language aptitude for pronunciation in advanced second language (L2) learners: behavioural predictors and neural substrates.

PubMed

Hu, Xiaochen; Ackermann, Hermann; Martin, Jason A; Erb, Michael; Winkler, Susanne; Reiterer, Susanne M

2013-12-01

Individual differences in second language (L2) aptitude have been assumed to depend upon a variety of cognitive and personality factors. Especially, the cognitive factor phonological working memory has been conceptualised as language learning device. However, strong associations between phonological working memory and L2 aptitude have been previously found in early-stage learners only, not in advanced learners. The current study aimed at investigating the behavioural and neurobiological predictors of advanced L2 learning. Our behavioural results showed that phonetic coding ability and empathy, but not phonological working memory, predict L2 pronunciation aptitude in advanced learners. Second, functional neuroimaging revealed this behavioural trait to be correlated with hemodynamic responses of the cerebral network of speech motor control and auditory-perceptual areas. We suggest that the acquisition of L2 pronunciation aptitude is a dynamic process, requiring a variety of neural resources at different processing stages over time. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Biomechanical Implications of Obesity in K-12 Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strohmeyer, Scott

2007-01-01

Few biomechanical studies have examined obese individuals as primary subjects. However, some mechanical differences have been identified between overweight or obese individuals and nonoverweight movers. It is not clear how obesity affects the onset of osteoarthritis, for example, but it is evident that obesity does place significant limitations on…

Learning Efficiency: Identifying Individual Differences in Learning Rate and Retention in Healthy Adults.

PubMed

Zerr, Christopher L; Berg, Jeffrey J; Nelson, Steven M; Fishell, Andrew K; Savalia, Neil K; McDermott, Kathleen B

2018-06-01

People differ in how quickly they learn information and how long they remember it, yet individual differences in learning abilities within healthy adults have been relatively neglected. In two studies, we examined the relation between learning rate and subsequent retention using a new foreign-language paired-associates task (the learning-efficiency task), which was designed to eliminate ceiling effects that often accompany standardized tests of learning and memory in healthy adults. A key finding was that quicker learners were also more durable learners (i.e., exhibited better retention across a delay), despite studying the material for less time. Additionally, measures of learning and memory from this task were reliable in Study 1 ( N = 281) across 30 hr and Study 2 ( N = 92; follow-up n = 46) across 3 years. We conclude that people vary in how efficiently they learn, and we describe a reliable and valid method for assessing learning efficiency within healthy adults.

Novice medical students: individual patterns in the use of learning strategies and how they change during the first academic year.

PubMed

Fabry, Götz; Giesler, Marianne

2012-01-01

Adequate use of different learning strategies is one of the most important prerequisites of academic success. The actual use of learning strategies is the result of an interaction between individual and situational variables. Against this background we conducted a longitudinal study with first year medical students to investigate whether individuals show different patterns in their use of learning strategies and whether these patterns change during the first academic year. Medical students (N=175, 58% female) were surveyed three times in their first academic year regarding their use of learning strategies. A hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward) was conducted in order to identify groups of students with different patterns of learning strategies. We identified four different patterns in approaches to learning among novice medical students ("easy-going", "flexible", "problematic" and "hardworking" learners). Compared to their peers, the problematic learners had the worst final school grades. In addition changes in the use of learning strategies were identified, most of them occurred during the first term. Students start their academic studies with different patterns of learning strategies; the characteristics of these patterns change during the first academic year. Further research is necessary to better understand how individual and situational variables determine students' learning.

Novice medical students: Individual patterns in the use of learning strategies and how they change during the first academic year

PubMed Central

Fabry, Götz; Giesler, Marianne

2012-01-01

Background: Adequate use of different learning strategies is one of the most important prerequisites of academic success. The actual use of learning strategies is the result of an interaction between individual and situational variables. Against this background we conducted a longitudinal study with first year medical students to investigate whether individuals show different patterns in their use of learning strategies and whether these patterns change during the first academic year. Methods: Medical students (N=175, 58% female) were surveyed three times in their first academic year regarding their use of learning strategies. A hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward) was conducted in order to identify groups of students with different patterns of learning strategies. Results: We identified four different patterns in approaches to learning among novice medical students (“easy-going”, “flexible”, “problematic” and “hardworking” learners). Compared to their peers, the problematic learners had the worst final school grades. In addition changes in the use of learning strategies were identified, most of them occurred during the first term. Conclusion: Students start their academic studies with different patterns of learning strategies; the characteristics of these patterns change during the first academic year. Further research is necessary to better understand how individual and situational variables determine students’ learning. PMID:22916082

Individual Differences in the Acquisition of a Complex L2 Phonology: A Training Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanulikova, Adriana; Dediu, Dan; Fang, Zhou; Basnakova, Jana; Huettig, Falk

2012-01-01

Many learners of a foreign language (L2) struggle to correctly pronounce newly learned speech sounds, yet many others achieve this with apparent ease. Here we explored how a training study of learning complex consonant clusters at the very onset of L2 acquisition can inform us about L2 learning in general and individual differences in particular.…

Learner Agency within the Design of an EAP Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seppälä, Riina

2015-01-01

To meet the demands of today's society and working life, higher education should support the development of learner agency. How the agency of individual learners emerges in university courses and what kind of agency empowers the learners to face new challenges should be considered. In this article, the focus is on learner agency enabled and…

Examining the Role of Learning Context and Individual Differences in Gains in L2 Writing Performance: The Case of Teenagers on an Intensive Study-Abroad Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llanes, Àngels; Tragant, Elsa; Serrano, Raquel

2018-01-01

The present study examines the effects that a 3-week study-abroad (SA) experience and a set of individual differences have on the foreign language (FL) development of a group of 64 Catalan/Spanish speakers, learners of English as an FL. Moreover, the present study attempts to account for the outcome differences between successful and less…

Tracking changing environments: innovators are fast, but not flexible learners.

PubMed

Griffin, Andrea S; Guez, David; Lermite, Françoise; Patience, Madeleine

2013-01-01

Behavioural innovations are increasingly thought to provide a rich source of phenotypic plasticity and evolutionary change. Innovation propensity shows substantial variation across avian taxa and provides an adaptive mechanism by which behaviour is flexibly adjusted to changing environmental conditions. Here, we tested for the first time the prediction that inter-individual variation in innovation propensity is equally a measure of behavioural flexibility. We used Indian mynas, Sturnus tristis, a highly successful worldwide invader. Results revealed that mynas that solved an extractive foraging task more quickly learnt to discriminate between a cue that predicted food, and one that did not more quickly. However, fast innovators were slower to change their behaviour when the significance of the food cues changed. This unexpected finding appears at odds with the well-established view that avian taxa with larger brains relative to their body size, and therefore greater neural processing power, are both faster, and more flexible learners. We speculate that the existence of this relationship across taxa can be reconciled with its absence within species by assuming that fast, innovative learners and non innovative, slow, flexible learners constitute two separate individual strategies, which are both underpinned by enhanced neural processing power. This idea is consistent with the recent proposal that individuals may differ consistently in 'cognitive style', differentially trading off speed against accuracy in cognitive tasks.

Second Language Experience Facilitates Statistical Learning of Novel Linguistic Materials.

PubMed

Potter, Christine E; Wang, Tianlin; Saffran, Jenny R

2017-04-01

Recent research has begun to explore individual differences in statistical learning, and how those differences may be related to other cognitive abilities, particularly their effects on language learning. In this research, we explored a different type of relationship between language learning and statistical learning: the possibility that learning a new language may also influence statistical learning by changing the regularities to which learners are sensitive. We tested two groups of participants, Mandarin Learners and Naïve Controls, at two time points, 6 months apart. At each time point, participants performed two different statistical learning tasks: an artificial tonal language statistical learning task and a visual statistical learning task. Only the Mandarin-learning group showed significant improvement on the linguistic task, whereas both groups improved equally on the visual task. These results support the view that there are multiple influences on statistical learning. Domain-relevant experiences may affect the regularities that learners can discover when presented with novel stimuli. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Second language experience facilitates statistical learning of novel linguistic materials

PubMed Central

Potter, Christine E.; Wang, Tianlin; Saffran, Jenny R.

2016-01-01

Recent research has begun to explore individual differences in statistical learning, and how those differences may be related to other cognitive abilities, particularly their effects on language learning. In the present research, we explored a different type of relationship between language learning and statistical learning: the possibility that learning a new language may also influence statistical learning by changing the regularities to which learners are sensitive. We tested two groups of participants, Mandarin Learners and Naïve Controls, at two time points, six months apart. At each time point, participants performed two different statistical learning tasks: an artificial tonal language statistical learning task and a visual statistical learning task. Only the Mandarin-learning group showed significant improvement on the linguistic task, while both groups improved equally on the visual task. These results support the view that there are multiple influences on statistical learning. Domain-relevant experiences may affect the regularities that learners can discover when presented with novel stimuli. PMID:27988939

Individual versus Peer Grit: Influence on Later Individual Literacy Achievement of Dual Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neal, Colleen R.

2018-01-01

The objective of this short-term longitudinal study was to examine individual versus classroom peer effects of grit on later individual literacy achievement in elementary school. The dual language learner, largely Latina/o sample included students from the 3rd through the 5th grades. Participants completed a literacy achievement performance task…

Advising Adult Learners. NACADA Task Force Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polson, Cheryl; And Others

A study examined the scope of existing services for adult learners attending universities and colleges. Survey instruments designed to gather data on institutional support for adult learner services, special target groups identified by individual institutions, and institutional barriers confronted by adult learners on campus were mailed to a…

The Reliability of Results from National Tests, Public Examinations, and Vocational Qualifications in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Qingping; Opposs, Dennis

2012-01-01

National tests, public examinations, and vocational qualifications in England are used for a variety of purposes, including the certification of individual learners in different subject areas and the accountability of individual professionals and institutions. However, there has been ongoing debate about the reliability and validity of their…

The Peak in the Middle: Developing Mathematically Gifted Students in the Middle Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saul, Mark; Assouline, Susan; Sheffield, Linda

2010-01-01

Good teaching is responsive to individual differences, tailoring instruction to meet the needs of individual learners. In gifted education, students need a curriculum that is differentiated (by level, complexity, breadth, and depth), developmentally appropriate, and conducted at a more rapid rate. This collection of essays from experts in the…

Attaining Development Goals of Children with Disabilities: Implications for Inclusive Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abosi, Okey; Koay, Teng Leong

2008-01-01

Education has three main roles: it is developmental because it develops the unique qualities of a child; it differentiates between learners because it treats every child as an individual, appreciating individual differences; and it is integrative because it accommodates people of varying backgrounds (culture, beliefs and values) thereby allowing…

What Can Lexical Tone Training Studies in Adults Tell Us about Tone Processing in Children?

PubMed Central

Antoniou, Mark; Chin, Jessica L. L.

2018-01-01

A growing number of studies on the acquisition of lexical tone by adult learners have revealed that factors such as language background, musical experience, cognitive abilities, and neuroanatomy all play a role in determining tone learning success. On the basis of these findings, it has been argued that the effectiveness of tone learning in adulthood depends on individual differences in these factors. However, it is not clear whether similar individual differences play an analogous role in tone learning in childhood. Indeed, relatively few studies have made comparisons between how adults and children learn lexical tones. Here, we review recent developments for tone learning in both adults and children. The review covers tone training in a range of contexts, including in naive listeners, in native speakers of other tone languages, in listeners with varying levels of musical experience, and in individuals with speech and hearing disorders. Finally, we discuss the parallels between adult and child tone learning, and provide recommendations concerning how findings in adult tone training can provide insights into tone learning for children by accommodating the needs of individual learners. PMID:29410639

Introverts, Extroverts, and Achievement in a Distance Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Offir, Baruch; Bezalel, Rachel; Barth, Ingrid

2007-01-01

Although difficulties that characterize distance learning (DL) clearly have differential effects on different learners, links between barrier research and individual differences remain relatively unexplored. This study examined the relationship between cognitive style, based on Jung's (1971) theory, and achievement levels among 77 university…

The Learner-Centered Curriculum: Design and Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Roxanne; Harris, Michael; Hill, Reinhold R.

2012-01-01

Most of the scholarship on learner-centeredness is focused on individual classroom pedagogy, but this book takes learner-centeredness beyond the classroom and asks academic leaders to consider the broader implications of making their institutions fully learner-centered. Systemic change is needed, and curriculum is at the heart of what higher…

Online English Language Learners' Perceptions of Portfolio Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baturay, Meltem Huri

2015-01-01

Portfolio assessment has been implemented in many core disciplines for quality assurance and consistent assessment of learner outcomes. For English language learning, for which varying proficiency levels of learners exist, portfolios are suggested to assess individual learners' progress. The current study was carried out in an online English…

Benefiting from Authentic Education to a Sustainable Social Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watagodakumbura, Chandana

2013-01-01

Authentic education provides a unique learning experience to individual learners, specifically by addressing their psychological and neurological needs. The assessment of learners is done through generic attributes that have more validity and relates to intrinsic learner characteristics that could last throughout the life span of the learner.…

The Costs and Benefits of Undertaking Adult Education Courses from the Perspective of the Individual

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AONTAS The National Adult Learning Organisation, 2009

2009-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine the costs and benefits of undertaking adult education courses from the perspective of the individual, using three different case studies. This will give a snapshot of the benefits and the types of costs incurred by three adult learners. Three individuals were contacted by Aontas and were asked if they would be…

Employing Augmented-Reality-Embedded Instruction to Disperse the Imparities of Individual Differences in Earth Science Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Cheng-ping; Wang, Chang-Hwa

2015-12-01

Studies have proven that merging hands-on and online learning can result in an enhanced experience in learning science. In contrast to traditional online learning, multiple in-classroom activities may be involved in an augmented-reality (AR)-embedded e-learning process and thus could reduce the effects of individual differences. Using a three-stage AR-embedded instructional process, we conducted an experiment to investigate the influences of individual differences on learning earth science phenomena of "day, night, and seasons" for junior highs. The mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was employed. In the quantitative phase, factors of learning styles and ICT competences were examined alongside with the overall learning achievement. Independent t tests and ANCOVAs were employed to achieve inferential statistics. The results showed that overall learning achievement was significant for the AR-embedded instruction. Nevertheless, neither of the two learner factors exhibited significant effect on learning achievement. In the qualitative phase, we analyzed student interview records, and a wide variation on student's preferred instructional stages were revealed. These findings could provide an alternative rationale for developing ICT-supported instruction, as our three-stage AR-embedded comprehensive e-learning scheme could enhance instruction adaptiveness to disperse the imparities of individual differences between learners.

Beyond individualism: professional culture and its influence on feedback.

PubMed

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

2013-06-01

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

Visual representations in science education: The influence of prior knowledge and cognitive load theory on instructional design principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Michelle Patrick

2006-11-01

Visual representations are essential for communicating ideas in the science classroom; however, the design of such representations is not always beneficial for learners. This paper presents instructional design considerations providing empirical evidence and integrating theoretical concepts related to cognitive load. Learners have a limited working memory, and instructional representations should be designed with the goal of reducing unnecessary cognitive load. However, cognitive architecture alone is not the only factor to be considered; individual differences, especially prior knowledge, are critical in determining what impact a visual representation will have on learners' cognitive structures and processes. Prior knowledge can determine the ease with which learners can perceive and interpret visual representations in working memory. Although a long tradition of research has compared experts and novices, more research is necessary to fully explore the expert-novice continuum and maximize the potential of visual representations.

Using a Diagnosis-Based Approach to Individualize Instructional Explanations in Computer-Mediated Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wittwer, Jorg; Nuckles, Matthias; Renkl, Alexander

2010-01-01

To maximize the effectiveness of instructional explanations, they should be tailored to an individual learner. However, instructors are often not able to collect diagnostically relevant information about a learner to individualize their explanations. This is particularly true in computer-mediated settings where it is more difficult to thoroughly…

The Effectiveness of Using Online Blogging for Students' Individual and Group Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsamadani, Hashem A.

2018-01-01

The current research study investigates the effectiveness of online blogging for students' individual and group writing skills. The participants were divided into individual learners and group learners. They produced pre-writing and post-writing samples through blogging practices. The study conducted lasted for 14 weeks so that blogging could be…

Understanding Language, Hearing Status, and Visual-Spatial Skills

PubMed Central

Marschark, Marc; Spencer, Linda J.; Durkin, Andreana; Borgna, Georgianna; Convertino, Carol; Machmer, Elizabeth; Kronenberger, William G.; Trani, Alexandra

2015-01-01

It is frequently assumed that deaf individuals have superior visual-spatial abilities relative to hearing peers and thus, in educational settings, they are often considered visual learners. There is some empirical evidence to support the former assumption, although it is inconsistent, and apparently none to support the latter. Three experiments examined visual-spatial and related cognitive abilities among deaf individuals who varied in their preferred language modality and use of cochlear implants (CIs) and hearing individuals who varied in their sign language skills. Sign language and spoken language assessments accompanied tasks involving visual-spatial processing, working memory, nonverbal logical reasoning, and executive function. Results were consistent with other recent studies indicating no generalized visual-spatial advantage for deaf individuals and suggested that their performance in that domain may be linked to the strength of their preferred language skills regardless of modality. Hearing individuals performed more strongly than deaf individuals on several visual-spatial and self-reported executive functioning measures, regardless of sign language skills or use of CIs. Findings are inconsistent with assumptions that deaf individuals are visual learners or are superior to hearing individuals across a broad range of visual-spatial tasks. Further, performance of deaf and hearing individuals on the same visual-spatial tasks was associated with differing cognitive abilities, suggesting that different cognitive processes may be involved in visual-spatial processing in these groups. PMID:26141071

Effect of Visualization (Job Aids) in Facilitating Cognitive Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spaulding, Karen L.; Dwyer, Francis

This study examined the instructional effectiveness with which different job aid types facilitated learner achievement of different types of learning objectives and identified the degree to which low and high prior knowledge individuals profit from different job aid types. The instructional content used in the study was an instructional module on…

The Development of Individual Learners in an L2 Listening Strategies Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeldham, Michael; Gruba, Paul

2016-01-01

This study examined the idiosyncratic development of second language (L2) learners in a listening strategies course. The progress of four Taiwanese EFL learners was examined longitudinally through a variety of quantitative and qualitative techniques as the learners participated in a course combining direct instruction of strategies with their…

Learner Identities in the Context of Undergraduates: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawson, Alison

2014-01-01

Background: A "learner identity" can be broadly defined as how an individual feels about himself/herself as a learner and the extent to which he/she describes himself/herself as a "learner." The literature suggests that those from non-traditional backgrounds may struggle to adapt to a university environment with all its related…

Reading-Strategy Use by English as a Second Language Learners in Online Reading Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Ho-Ryong; Kim, Deoksoon

2011-01-01

This study investigates adult English language learners' reading-strategy use when they read online texts in hypermedia learning environments. The learners joined the online Independent English Study Group (IESG) and worked both individually and collaboratively. This qualitative case study aims (a) to assess college-level ESL learners' use of…

Recommendation System for Adaptive Learning.

PubMed

Chen, Yunxiao; Li, Xiaoou; Liu, Jingchen; Ying, Zhiliang

2018-01-01

An adaptive learning system aims at providing instruction tailored to the current status of a learner, differing from the traditional classroom experience. The latest advances in technology make adaptive learning possible, which has the potential to provide students with high-quality learning benefit at a low cost. A key component of an adaptive learning system is a recommendation system, which recommends the next material (video lectures, practices, and so on, on different skills) to the learner, based on the psychometric assessment results and possibly other individual characteristics. An important question then follows: How should recommendations be made? To answer this question, a mathematical framework is proposed that characterizes the recommendation process as a Markov decision problem, for which decisions are made based on the current knowledge of the learner and that of the learning materials. In particular, two plain vanilla systems are introduced, for which the optimal recommendation at each stage can be obtained analytically.

A Framework for Learning Analytics Using Commodity Wearable Devices.

PubMed

Lu, Yu; Zhang, Sen; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Xiao, Wendong; Yu, Shengquan

2017-06-14

We advocate for and introduce LEARNSense, a framework for learning analytics using commodity wearable devices to capture learner's physical actions and accordingly infer learner context (e.g., student activities and engagement status in class). Our work is motivated by the observations that: (a) the fine-grained individual-specific learner actions are crucial to understand learners and their context information; (b) sensor data available on the latest wearable devices (e.g., wrist-worn and eye wear devices) can effectively recognize learner actions and help to infer learner context information; (c) the commodity wearable devices that are widely available on the market can provide a hassle-free and non-intrusive solution. Following the above observations and under the proposed framework, we design and implement a sensor-based learner context collector running on the wearable devices. The latest data mining and sensor data processing techniques are employed to detect different types of learner actions and context information. Furthermore, we detail all of the above efforts by offering a novel and exemplary use case: it successfully provides the accurate detection of student actions and infers the student engagement states in class. The specifically designed learner context collector has been implemented on the commodity wrist-worn device. Based on the collected and inferred learner information, the novel intervention and incentivizing feedback are introduced into the system service. Finally, a comprehensive evaluation with the real-world experiments, surveys and interviews demonstrates the effectiveness and impact of the proposed framework and this use case. The F1 score for the student action classification tasks achieve 0.9, and the system can effectively differentiate the defined three learner states. Finally, the survey results show that the learners are satisfied with the use of our system (mean score of 3.7 with a standard deviation of 0.55).

Philosophies of Reading Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ediger, Marlow

2013-01-01

There are selected philosophies of reading instruction which are relevant in providing for individual differences among learners. These need to be studied in-depth by reading teachers in order to best provide for each pupil in the classroom. Pupils differ from each other in reading achievement, interests, and purposes, and it is a challenge to…

Identifying Learning Preferences in Vocational Education and Training Classroom Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Peter J.

2006-01-01

This research was designed to assess whether teachers and trainers of vocational learners noted and valued differences in individual learning preferences and, if so, how those differences were observed in natural classroom, workshop or other formal learning settings. Data were collected from six vocational education and training (VET) learning…

Adaptive Educational Hypermedia Accommodating Learning Styles: A Content Analysis of Publications from 2000 to 2011

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akbulut, Yavuz; Cardak, Cigdem Suzan

2012-01-01

Implementing instructional interventions to accommodate learner differences has received considerable attention. Among these individual difference variables, the empirical evidence regarding the pedagogical value of learning styles has been questioned, but the research on the issue continues. Recent developments in Web-based implementations have…

The Enhanced Musical Rhythmic Perception in Second Language Learners

PubMed Central

Roncaglia-Denissen, M. Paula; Roor, Drikus A.; Chen, Ao; Sadakata, Makiko

2016-01-01

Previous research suggests that mastering languages with distinct rather than similar rhythmic properties enhances musical rhythmic perception. This study investigates whether learning a second language (L2) contributes to enhanced musical rhythmic perception in general, regardless of first and second languages rhythmic properties. Additionally, we investigated whether this perceptual enhancement could be alternatively explained by exposure to musical rhythmic complexity, such as the use of compound meter in Turkish music. Finally, it investigates if an enhancement of musical rhythmic perception could be observed among L2 learners whose first language relies heavily on pitch information, as is the case with tonal languages. Therefore, we tested Turkish, Dutch and Mandarin L2 learners of English and Turkish monolinguals on their musical rhythmic perception. Participants’ phonological and working memory capacities, melodic aptitude, years of formal musical training and daily exposure to music were assessed to account for cultural and individual differences which could impact their rhythmic ability. Our results suggest that mastering a L2 rather than exposure to musical rhythmic complexity could explain individuals’ enhanced musical rhythmic perception. An even stronger enhancement of musical rhythmic perception was observed for L2 learners whose first and second languages differ regarding their rhythmic properties, as enhanced performance of Turkish in comparison with Dutch L2 learners of English seem to suggest. Such a stronger enhancement of rhythmic perception seems to be found even among L2 learners whose first language relies heavily on pitch information, as the performance of Mandarin L2 learners of English indicates. Our findings provide further support for a cognitive transfer between the language and music domain. PMID:27375469

Learning culture and feedback: an international study of medical athletes and musicians.

PubMed

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

2014-07-01

Feedback should facilitate learning, but within medical education it often fails to deliver on its promise. To better understand why feedback is challenging, we explored the unique perspectives of doctors who had also trained extensively in sport or music, aiming to: (i) distinguish the elements of the response to feedback that are determined by the individual learner from those determined by the learning culture, and (ii) understand how these elements interact in order to make recommendations for improving feedback in medical education. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 27 doctors or medical students who had high-level training and competitive or performance experience in sport (n = 15) or music (n = 12). Data were analysed iteratively using constant comparison. Key themes were identified and their relationships critically examined to derive a conceptual understanding of feedback and its impact. We identified three essential sources of influence on the meaning that feedback assumed: the individual learner; the characteristics of the feedback, and the learning culture. Individual learner traits, such as motivation and orientation toward feedback, appeared stable across learning contexts. Similarly, certain feedback characteristics, including specificity, credibility and actionability, were valued in sport, music and medicine alike. Learning culture influenced feedback in three ways: (i) by defining expectations for teachers and teacher-learner relationships; (ii) by establishing norms for and expectations of feedback, and (iii) by directing teachers' and learners' attention toward certain dimensions of performance. Learning culture therefore neither creates motivated learners nor defines 'good feedback'; rather, it creates the conditions and opportunities that allow good feedback to occur and learners to respond. An adequate understanding of feedback requires an integrated approach incorporating both the individual and the learning culture. Our research offers a clear direction for medicine's learning culture: normalise feedback; promote trusting teacher-learner relationships; define clear performance goals, and ensure that the goals of learners and teachers align. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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…

Accounting Clerk Guide, Learner Packet--Part I. A Spec Unit for the 10th, 11th, or 12th Grade. A Career Education Unit (An Edited Developmental Draft).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Brian; And Others

The learner packet is part of an eight volume unit for grades 10, 11, and 12, designed for individualized progression in preparing students for entry into the occupation of accounting clerk. Intended to be used on an individual basis at the student's own speed, the learner packet contains vocabulary, suggested lesson time, self-check keys, and…

Meta-analysis of PECS with individuals with ASD: investigation of targeted versus non-targeted outcomes, participant characteristics, and implementation phase.

PubMed

Ganz, Jennifer B; Davis, John L; Lund, Emily M; Goodwyn, Fara D; Simpson, Richard L

2012-01-01

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a widely used picture/icon aided augmentative communication system designed for learners with autism and other developmental disorders. This meta-analysis analyzes the extant empirical literature for PECS relative to targeted (functional communication) and non-targeted concomitant outcomes (behavior, social skills, and speech) for learners with autism, learners with autism and intellectual disabilities and those with autism and multiple disabilities. Effect size analyses were done using the Improvement Rate Difference method, an advanced metric. Effect sizes were independently analyzed for targeted and non-targeted outcomes, student age, learner disability, and number of phases in the PECS protocol acquired by learners. Results supported the judgment that PECS is a promising intervention method. Analysis also revealed that functional communication outcomes associated with the PECS protocol were most impacted, that preschool children and those with autism generally showed the strongest training effects, and that in general students who advanced through the most PECS protocol phases had the best outcomes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Framework for Learning Analytics Using Commodity Wearable Devices

PubMed Central

Lu, Yu; Zhang, Sen; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Xiao, Wendong; Yu, Shengquan

2017-01-01

We advocate for and introduce LEARNSense, a framework for learning analytics using commodity wearable devices to capture learner’s physical actions and accordingly infer learner context (e.g., student activities and engagement status in class). Our work is motivated by the observations that: (a) the fine-grained individual-specific learner actions are crucial to understand learners and their context information; (b) sensor data available on the latest wearable devices (e.g., wrist-worn and eye wear devices) can effectively recognize learner actions and help to infer learner context information; (c) the commodity wearable devices that are widely available on the market can provide a hassle-free and non-intrusive solution. Following the above observations and under the proposed framework, we design and implement a sensor-based learner context collector running on the wearable devices. The latest data mining and sensor data processing techniques are employed to detect different types of learner actions and context information. Furthermore, we detail all of the above efforts by offering a novel and exemplary use case: it successfully provides the accurate detection of student actions and infers the student engagement states in class. The specifically designed learner context collector has been implemented on the commodity wrist-worn device. Based on the collected and inferred learner information, the novel intervention and incentivizing feedback are introduced into the system service. Finally, a comprehensive evaluation with the real-world experiments, surveys and interviews demonstrates the effectiveness and impact of the proposed framework and this use case. The F1 score for the student action classification tasks achieve 0.9, and the system can effectively differentiate the defined three learner states. Finally, the survey results show that the learners are satisfied with the use of our system (mean score of 3.7 with a standard deviation of 0.55). PMID:28613236

The Advanced Learner's Sociolinguistic Profile: On Issues of Individual Differences, Second Language Exposure Conditions, and Type of Sociolinguistic Variable

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Martin

2012-01-01

Situated within the recent new wave of second language acquisition studies investigating the acquisition of sociolinguistic variation, this article draws on a longitudinal database of advanced French interlanguage to explore a number of issues that have not yet been extensively investigated. They concern the issue of individual variation in the…

An Investigation of Working Memory Effects on Oral Grammatical Accuracy and Fluency in Producing Questions in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Clare

2013-01-01

This article addresses the question of how far working memory may affect second language (L2) learners' improvement in spoken language during a period of immersion. Research is presented testing the hypothesis that individual differences in working memory (WM) capacity are associated with individual variation in improvements in oral production of…

Exploring the Unknown: International Service and Individual Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Wei-Wen; Chen, Cheng-Hui Lucy; Huang, Yu-Fu; Yuan, Yu-Hsi

2012-01-01

Empirical studies have found that participation in international service increases learners' intercultural competence, language skills, appreciation of cultural differences, and tolerance for ambiguity. While previous studies suggest that international service experience is potentially transformative in nature, the present study examined…

Understanding Language, Hearing Status, and Visual-Spatial Skills.

PubMed

Marschark, Marc; Spencer, Linda J; Durkin, Andreana; Borgna, Georgianna; Convertino, Carol; Machmer, Elizabeth; Kronenberger, William G; Trani, Alexandra

2015-10-01

It is frequently assumed that deaf individuals have superior visual-spatial abilities relative to hearing peers and thus, in educational settings, they are often considered visual learners. There is some empirical evidence to support the former assumption, although it is inconsistent, and apparently none to support the latter. Three experiments examined visual-spatial and related cognitive abilities among deaf individuals who varied in their preferred language modality and use of cochlear implants (CIs) and hearing individuals who varied in their sign language skills. Sign language and spoken language assessments accompanied tasks involving visual-spatial processing, working memory, nonverbal logical reasoning, and executive function. Results were consistent with other recent studies indicating no generalized visual-spatial advantage for deaf individuals and suggested that their performance in that domain may be linked to the strength of their preferred language skills regardless of modality. Hearing individuals performed more strongly than deaf individuals on several visual-spatial and self-reported executive functioning measures, regardless of sign language skills or use of CIs. Findings are inconsistent with assumptions that deaf individuals are visual learners or are superior to hearing individuals across a broad range of visual-spatial tasks. Further, performance of deaf and hearing individuals on the same visual-spatial tasks was associated with differing cognitive abilities, suggesting that different cognitive processes may be involved in visual-spatial processing in these groups. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Emotions and Multimedia Learning: The Moderating Role of Learner Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knörzer, L.; Brünken, R.; Park, B.

2016-01-01

The Cognitive-Affective Theory of Learning with Media postulates that affective factors as well as individual learner characteristics impact multimedia learning. The present study investigated how experimentally induced positive and negative emotions influence multimedia learning and how learner characteristics moderated this impact. Results…

The Individual Family Support Plan: A Tool to Assist Special Populations of Gifted Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Damiani, Victoria B.

1996-01-01

This article describes Project Mandela, a federally funded enrichment and family support program for special populations (such as culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged) of gifted learners. Eighty-seven families participated in development of Individual Family Support Plans to enhance children's educational progress. The project found…

Incorporating Vocabulary Instruction in Individual Reading Fluency Interventions with English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Lauren E.; Mercer, Sterett H.; Geres-Smith, Rhonda

2018-01-01

The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine whether incorporating vocabulary instruction in individual reading fluency interventions for English Language Learners (ELLs) would improve reading comprehension. Two vocabulary instructional procedures were contrasted with a fluency-building only condition in an alternating-treatments design…

A Critique of Peter Jarvis's Conceptualisation of the Lifelong Learner in the Contemporary Cultural Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagnall, Richard G.

2017-01-01

This paper examines Peter Jarvis's conceptualisation of lifelong learners, who are seen as being the individual products of their learning engagements, constrained by their individual biological potentials. They are presented as seeking existentially authentic resolution to dialectically oppositional disjunctures between their individual…

Learning bias, cultural evolution of language, and the biological evolution of the language faculty.

PubMed

Smith, Kenny

2011-04-01

The biases of individual language learners act to determine the learnability and cultural stability of languages: learners come to the language learning task with biases which make certain linguistic systems easier to acquire than others. These biases are repeatedly applied during the process of language transmission, and consequently should effect the types of languages we see in human populations. Understanding the cultural evolutionary consequences of particular learning biases is therefore central to understanding the link between language learning in individuals and language universals, common structural properties shared by all the world’s languages. This paper reviews a range of models and experimental studies which show that weak biases in individual learners can have strong effects on the structure of socially learned systems such as language, suggesting that strong universal tendencies in language structure do not require us to postulate strong underlying biases or constraints on language learning. Furthermore, understanding the relationship between learner biases and language design has implications for theories of the evolution of those learning biases: models of gene-culture coevolution suggest that, in situations where a cultural dynamic mediates between properties of individual learners and properties of language in this way, biological evolution is unlikely to lead to the emergence of strong constraints on learning.

Autonomous Language Learning against All Odds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Xuesong

2010-01-01

Conceptualizing learners' individuality as dynamic and contextually situated, this paper reports on an inquiry that examined the genesis of a disabled learner's success in learning foreign languages on the Chinese mainland. Using source texts such as the learner's published diaries, letters and her autobiography, the inquiry revealed that language…

Learning To Learn: Western Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Gene L.

Building awareness of the self as learner is central to learning. Reflecting on past experiences helps individuals elucidate undetected characteristics of themselves as learners. Active learners are more likely to experiment with new learning strategies and take risks. Because of their inquiring dispositions, they self-monitor and self-evaluate…

Which Comes First--Language or Content?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nargund-Joshi, Vanashri; Bautista, Nazan

2016-01-01

Science vocabulary can be abstract (e.g., "photosynthesis," "ecosystem") and have different meanings than in daily life (e.g., "class," "work," "power"). For this reason, understanding individual vocabulary words isn't enough for learners to be successful. The meaning is embedded in basic syntax,…

Intelligibility and Individual Learner Differences in the EIL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matsuura, Hiroko

2007-01-01

According to Smith and Nelson [Smith, L.E., Nelson, C.E., 1985. "International intelligibility of English: directions and resources." "World Englishes" 3, 333-342.], "intelligibility" refers to word/utterance recognition, whereas "comprehensibility" is the understanding of word/utterance meaning. This study…

Pairing the Adult Learner and Boutique Wineries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holyoke, Laura; Heath-Simpson, Delta

2013-01-01

This study explored connections between adult learners and their experiences in the context of small boutique wineries operating in the start-up phase of the organizational life cycle. The research objective was to gain insight regarding the pairing of adult learners with the entering of a specialty industry. Fourteen individuals from four…

Relational Aggression: The Voices of Primary School Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botha, Johan

2014-01-01

The aim of this research was to explore and describe primary school learners' experiences of relational aggression at school. This was done within a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach. In order to give a voice to primary school learners' lived experiences of relational aggression, 25 individual interviews were conducted…

Learner Managed Learning: Managing To Learn or Learning To Manage?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Roger

2000-01-01

In the discourse of learner self-management, learners must take responsibility for learning and are offered the possibility of individual autonomy and control. A critical perspective reveals that environmental constraints inhibit the success of technical-rational self-management techniques. An alternative view is the entrepreneurial self, a…

Examining Distance Learners in Hybrid Synchronous Instruction: Successes and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romero-Hall, Enilda; Vicentini, Cristiane

2017-01-01

This paper reports on a case study investigating distance learners participating in graduate-level hybrid synchronous instruction. This research helps inform the design of hybrid synchronous instruction in which face-to-face and distance learners engage in class sessions. Data were collected using electronic journals, individual interviews, and a…

Factors Affecting Completion of Apprenticeship Training in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gambin, Lynn; Hogarth, Terence

2016-01-01

This paper examines factors that are associated with the probability of completion of apprenticeship programmes by individual learners in England. Data are from the 2008/2009 academic year Individualised Learner Record--the administrative database containing information on all learners in the Further Education system in England. The analysis…

Exploring Students' Emotional Responses and Participation in an Online Peer Assessment Activity: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2014-01-01

In the social interactions among individuals of learning communities, including those individuals engaged in peer assessment activities, emotion may be a key factor in learning. However, research regarding the emotional response of learners in online peer assessment activities is relatively scarce. Detecting learners' emotion when they make…

Shifting Constructions of Role Models for English Learners in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Xuesong

2014-01-01

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

The Impact of Collaborative and Individualized Student Response System Strategies on Learner Motivation, Metacognition, and Knowledge Transfer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, M. E.; Antonenko, P. D.; Greenwood, C. M.

2012-01-01

This study investigated the impact of collaborative and individualized student response system-based instruction on learner motivation, metacognition, and concept transfer in a large-enrolment undergraduate science course. Participants in the collaborative group responded to conceptual questions, discussed their responses in small groups, and…

Towards Greater Individualization and Process-Oriented Learning through Electronic Self-Access: Project "e-daf"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Wai Meng; Kim, Dong-Ha

2004-01-01

Research in cognitive psychology and second language learning has underlined the significance of learners' cognitive processes and individual preferences in language learning. Helping learners to be aware of these processes and preferences has in fact become an important methodological principle of language teaching. Advances in information and…

Effect of Instructional Strategies and Individual Differences: A Meta-Analytic Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Rose M.; Dwyer, Francis

2005-01-01

This meta-analytic study is unique and significant in that all the 1,341 learners in 11 studies completed the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), interacted with the same instructional module, and completed the same five criterion tests measuring different types of educational objectives. Studies varied in presentation mode and type of independent…

Towards Contextualized Learning Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Specht, Marcus

Personalization of feedback and instruction has often been considered as a key feature in learning support. The adaptations of the instructional process to the individual and its different aspects have been investigated from different research perspectives as learner modelling, intelligent tutoring systems, adaptive hypermedia, adaptive instruction and others. Already in the 1950s first commercial systems for adaptive instruction for trainings of keyboard skills have been developed utilizing adaptive configuration of feedback based on user performance and interaction footprints (Pask 1964). Around adaptive instruction there is a variety of research issues bringing together interdisciplinary research from computer science, engineering, psychology, psychotherapy, cybernetics, system dynamics, instructional design, and empirical research on technology enhanced learning. When classifying best practices of adaptive instruction different parameters of the instructional process have been identified which are adapted to the learner, as: sequence and size of task difficulty, time of feedback, pace of learning speed, reinforcement plan and others these are often referred to the adaptation target. Furthermore Aptitude Treatment Interaction studies explored the effect of adapting instructional parameters to different characteristics of the learner (Tennyson and Christensen 1988) as task performance, personality characteristics, or cognitive abilities, this is information is referred to as adaptation mean.

Assessing Implementation of Learner-Centered Teaching While Providing Faculty Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blumberg, Phyllis

2016-01-01

This article describes a study of 58 faculty members using a practical method for assessing the prevalence of learner-centered practices through individual interviews and rating their described practices with published rubrics. Analysis of the interviews found that the same faculty member might use more learner-centered practices in one course and…

Identification of Learning Styles Online by Observing Learners Browsing Behaviour through a Neural Network

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lo, Jia-Jiunn; Shu, Pai-Chuan

2005-01-01

Identification of individual learning style is important when developing adaptive educational hypermedia systems. Current systems ask learners to complete questionnaires to identify their learning styles, which might not be appropriate in some contexts. The goal of this research is to identify the learner's learning style by simply observing…

Analyzing Learner Language: Towards a Flexible Natural Language Processing Architecture for Intelligent Language Tutors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amaral, Luiz; Meurers, Detmar; Ziai, Ramon

2011-01-01

Intelligent language tutoring systems (ILTS) typically analyze learner input to diagnose learner language properties and provide individualized feedback. Despite a long history of ILTS research, such systems are virtually absent from real-life foreign language teaching (FLT). Taking a step toward more closely linking ILTS research to real-life…

Use of Learner-Centered Instructional Strategies in Higher Education: Doctoral Student Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Browne-Ferrigno, Tricia; Muth, Rodney

2012-01-01

Based on multiple sources, this article concludes that, when learner-centered instructional strategies are used with doctoral students, these adult learners take charge of their individual and collective learning, become accountable for both, and enhance their ability to transfer learning to practice. The students studied skills of developed teams…

Study Smart Not Hard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamsa, Imane; Elouahbi, Rachid; El Khoukhi, Fatima

2018-01-01

Learners' concentration is an essential factor for learning and acquisition. The duration of concentration varies from one individual to another. Some learners have a long duration of concentration; whereas, others have a short one. Leaving the learner in front of a screen for a random duration is a strategy that does not optimize online learning.…

Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Adjustments among Malaysian Gifted Learners: Implication towards School Counseling Provision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abu Bakar, Abu Yazid; Ishak, Noriah Mohd

2014-01-01

Gifted learners have special characteristics which make them unique individuals. However, just like their normative group, gifted learners experience some psychological issues that hinder their ability to adjust in new environments. This study aims to examine levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and adjustments (psychological, social and…

Online Metacognitive Tasks for EFL Distance Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia-Sanchez, Soraya

2016-01-01

Online courses have benefited from the adequate use of digital resources that allow learners to be the center of their own learning process. More often online instructors not only aim at what students have to individually do but learners are also engaged in interacting with the educational community by means of a variety of metacognitive…

Beginning with the Learner: Strategies To Individualize Adult Literacy Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepherd, R.

The basis for all computer-assisted instruction at the Continuing Education Learning Center at Jackson State University is the instructional techniques necessary for the success of at-risk adult learners who find traditional methods inadequate. Each learner is pretested for reading level for placement, and skill assessments are made to diagnose…

Implementing the Learner-Designed Individual Program Style in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chatoupis, Constantine

2018-01-01

The purpose of this article is to guide the teacher in implementing the learner-designed individual program style (LDIP) in physical education settings. The LDIP style is one of the 11 spectrum teaching styles that promote self-directed learning. The spectrum of teaching styles is a conceptual framework that helps describe and organize the…

Effective Reading Comprehension in EFL Contexts: Individual and Collaborative Concept Mapping Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riahi, Zahra; Pourdana, Natasha

2017-01-01

The present study attempted to investigate the possible impacts of Individual Concept Mapping (ICM) and Collaborative Concept Mapping (CCM) strategies on Iranian EFL learners' reading comprehension. For this purpose, 90 pre-intermediate female language learners ranged between 12 to 17 years of age were selected to randomly assign into ICM, CCM and…

A Web-Based Educational Setting Supporting Individualized Learning, Collaborative Learning and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gogoulou, Agoritsa; Gouli, Evangelia; Grigoriadou, Maria; Samarakou, Maria; Chinou, Dionisia

2007-01-01

In this paper, we present a web-based educational setting, referred to as SCALE (Supporting Collaboration and Adaptation in a Learning Environment), which aims to serve learning and assessment. SCALE enables learners to (i) work on individual and collaborative activities proposed by the environment with respect to learners' knowledge level, (ii)…

Chinese Students Making Sense of Problem-Based Learning and Western Teaching--Pitfalls and Coping Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gram, Malene; Jaeger, Kirsten; Liu, Junyang; Qing, Li; Wu, Xiangying

2013-01-01

Culturally different imaginations of student and teacher roles, incongruent perceptions of academic standards, and diverging conceptualizations of learning may cause "difficult times" for institutions and individual learners involved in international education. Universities practicing alternative approaches to teaching and learning, for…

Internal and External Scripts in Computer-Supported Collaborative Inquiry Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2007-01-01

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

A conceptual change analysis of nature of science conceptions: The deep roots and entangled vines of a conceptual ecology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, Adam Thomas

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

Computer-assisted generation of individual training concepts for advanced education in manufacturing metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, Teresa; Weckenmann, Albert

2010-05-01

Due to increasing requirements on the accuracy and reproducibility of measurement results together with a rapid development of novel technologies for the execution of measurements, there is a high demand for adequately qualified metrologists. Accordingly, a variety of training offers are provided by machine manufacturers, universities and other institutions. Yet, for an interested learner it is very difficult to define an optimal training schedule for his/her individual demands. Therefore, a computer-based assistance tool is developed to support a demand-responsive scheduling of training. Based on the difference between the actual and intended competence profile and under consideration of amending requirements, an optimally customized qualification concept is derived. For this, available training offers are categorized according to different dimensions: regarding contents of the course, but also intended target groups, focus of the imparted competences, implemented methods of learning and teaching, expected constraints for learning and necessary preknowledge. After completing a course, the achieved competences and the transferability of gathered knowledge are evaluated. Based on the results, recommendations for amending measures of learning are provided. Thus, a customized qualification for manufacturing metrology is facilitated, adapted to the specific needs and constraints of each individual learner.

Saudi EFL Learners' Reported Reading Problems and Strategic Processing of Text Types: A Think-Aloud Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alkhaleefah, Tarek A.

2017-01-01

Research in strategy use needs to provide comprehensive and detailed qualitative discussion of individual cases and their strategic processing of texts to deepen our understanding of the cognitive and metacognitive processes readers resort to when reading different texts for different purposes. Hence, the present paper aims to provide in-depth and…

The Role of Cognitive Style in the Collocational Knowledge Development of Iranian EFL Learners through Input Flood Treatment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahvelati, Elaheh Hamed; Mukundan, Jayakaran

2012-01-01

The differences in cognitive style between individuals and the effect these differences can have on second language learning have long been recognized by educators and researchers. Hence, this issue is the focal center of the present study. More precisely, the purpose of this study was to investigate the role of participants' cognitive style…

The Preferences of In-Service ELT Teachers' Language Learning Strategies in Their Own Language Learning Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koç, Hatice Kübra

2017-01-01

As a still popular research area, Language Learning Strategies (LLS) researches need to be enhanced, since it consists of different phenomenon such as age, gender, individual differences and learning environment. At a glance, previous studies in the literature state that most of LLS researches are conducted in just learner-contexts in schools or…

Perceptions of Individual Education Plan Team on Identification of English Language Learners with Specific Learning Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adekanye, Emily

2017-01-01

Students identified as learners with specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) represent almost half of the total special education population. With the high numbers of students identified as SLD, there has also been the concern of over-identification of immigrant students called English language learners (ELLs), which leads to disproportionality in…

Connecting Online Learners with Diverse Local Practices: The Design of Effective Common Reference Points for Conversation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friend Wise, Alyssa; Padmanabhan, Poornima; Duffy, Thomas M.

2009-01-01

This mixed-methods study probed the effectiveness of three kinds of objects (video, theory, metaphor) as common reference points for conversations between online learners (student teachers). Individuals' degree of detail-focus was examined as a potentially interacting covariate and the outcome measure was learners' level of tacit knowledge related…

Support Groups in Distance Education. Knowledge Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertshaw, Michael

For most distance education (DE) systems, distance, time, and/or opportunity isolate learners from their teacher and their fellow students. To facilitate interaction, most DE systems include different types of support groups. Modern technology allows groups to interact effectively even though individuals are far apart. Technology may appear to be…

Exploring the Meta-Pragmatic Realm in English Language Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConachy, Troy

2013-01-01

As the speakership of English worldwide continues to grow, English language teachers are required to devise ways to prepare their learners for communicating successfully across cultures. As pragmatics is particularly tied up with culture, the ways in which individuals from different cultures will orient to pragmatic phenomena in their interaction…

Are You Good Enough to Teach Our Grandchildren?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Patricia A.

2013-01-01

This article examines standards which would define a teacher who is good enough to teach children. A good teacher should understand the development of learners. To ensure inclusive learning environments, the teacher should use understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures. The teacher should also collaborate with others to develop…

Working with Difference in Online Collaborative Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Regina O.

2005-01-01

This qualitative cross-case study explored the experiences that learners describe within online collaborative groups. The study context was a fully online graduate course on adult learning. The findings suggest that the small online groups demonstrated dynamics and process that are characteristic of individual growth and development and group…

A Systemic Integration of Technology for New-Paradigm Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, William R.; Watson, Sunnie Lee; Reigeluth, Charles M.

2012-01-01

Educational reform efforts have failed to create widespread improvement. The authors argue that rather than trying to improve the existing system of education, a new learner-centered paradigm is needed that supports individualized learning. Such a significantly different system of education will require the systemic application of technology to…

Processing Relative Clauses in First and Second Language: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kashiwagi, Akiko

2011-01-01

This dissertation investigates processing of English and Japanese relative clause (RC) sentences by native speakers and second/foreign language (L2) learners. Particularly, the relationship between the sentence processing and individual differences in working memory (WM) capacity was examined. The main question addressed in this study is whether…

Distributional Effects and Individual Differences in L2 Morphology Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Patricia J.; Kwoka, Nicole; Kempe, Vera

2017-01-01

Second language (L2) learning outcomes may depend on the structure of the input and learners' cognitive abilities. This study tested whether less predictable input might facilitate learning and generalization of L2 morphology while evaluating contributions of statistical learning ability, nonverbal intelligence, phonological short-term memory, and…

The Effectiveness of L2 Pronunciation Instruction: A Narrative Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Ron I.; Derwing, Tracey M.

2015-01-01

Research on the efficacy of second language (L2) pronunciation instruction has produced mixed results, despite reports of significant improvement in many studies. Possible explanations for divergent outcomes include learner individual differences, goals and foci of instruction, type and duration of instructional input, and assessment procedures.…

Experiences of facilitators or barriers in driving education from learner and novice drivers with ADHD or ASD and their driving instructors.

PubMed

Almberg, Maria; Selander, Helena; Falkmer, Marita; Vaz, Sharmila; Ciccarelli, Marina; Falkmer, Torbjörn

2017-02-01

Little is known about whether individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) experience any specific facilitators or barriers to driving education. To explore the facilitators or barriers to driving education experienced by individuals with ASD or ADHD who obtained a learner's permit, from the perspective of the learner drivers and their driving instructors. Data were collected from 33 participants with ASD or ADHD, and nine of their driving instructors. Participants with ASD required twice as many driving lessons and more on-road tests than those with ADHD. Participants with ADHD repeated the written tests more than those with ASD. Driving license theory was more challenging for individuals with ADHD, whilst individuals with ASD found translating theory into practice and adjusting to "unfamiliar" driving situations to be the greatest challenges. Obtaining a driving license was associated with stressful training experience.

The Impact of Computer Simulations as Interactive Demonstration Tools on the Performance of Grade 11 Learners in Electromagnetism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotoka, Jonas; Kriek, Jeanne

2014-01-01

The impact of computer simulations on the performance of 65 grade 11 learners in electromagnetism in a South African high school in the Mpumalanga province is investigated. Learners did not use the simulations individually, but teachers used them as an interactive demonstration tool. Basic concepts in electromagnetism are difficult to understand…

Factors Contributing to Sexual Violence at Selected Schools for Learners with Mild Intellectual Disability in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyokangi, Doris; Phasha, Nareadi

2016-01-01

Background: This paper reports part of the findings of a study which exposed sexual violence in schools for learners with mild intellectual disability in South Africa. Special attention was paid on factors contributing to such a problem. Methods: Data were collected using focus groups and individual interviews with 16 learners with mild…

The Slow Learner in Homemaking Classes in Junior and Senior High Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKay, Shirley E.

This thesis is the result of efforts made to gain an understanding of the slow learner in order to obtain background material for the future writing of a homemaking textbook, which will be geared to the needs and objectives of below average individuals. Included are discussions of such topics as: (1) What Is the Slow Learner Like, (2) Identifying…

Exploring Factors Affecting Learner's Perception of Learning Information and Communication Technology: A HLM Analysis of a National Farmers' Training Program in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yueh, Hsiu-Ping; Chen, Tzy-Ling; Chiu, Li-An; Lin, Wei-Chien

2013-01-01

The present study, pertaining to a national information literacy training program for both farmers and rural communities in Taiwan, explores factors that affect learners' perception of learning information and communication technology (ICT). It further analyzes effects of individual characteristics and varied training designs on learners'…

Towards Adaptive Open Learning Environments: Evaluating the Precision of Identifying Learning Styles by Tracking Learners' Behaviours

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fasihuddin, Heba; Skinner, Geoff; Athauda, Rukshan

2017-01-01

Open learning represents a new form of online learning where courses are provided freely online for large numbers of learners. MOOCs are examples of this form of learning. The authors see an opportunity for personalising open learning environments by adapting to learners' learning styles and providing adaptive support to meet individual learner…

Metamorphological awareness and EFL students' memory, retention, and retrieval of English adjectival lexicons.

PubMed

Zhang, Lawrence Jun

2002-12-01

Research has shown that foreign or second language learners' metalinguistic awareness has important effects on their acquisition of the target language. Important among a multitude of the concerns are problems these learners encounter when they have to process the morphological features of individual words, particularly in the acquisition of literacy skills. Nevertheless, for students who learn English as a foreign or second language for academic purposes, one of the biggest challenges in their advanced study is how they can effectively remember, retain, and retrieve the colossal number of newly learnt English vocabulary, including adjectival lexicons, to enhance their academic success. Results from the present report on the effects of metamorphological awareness of 65 adult Chinese EFL learners' memory, retention, and retrieval of adjectival lexicons show that, although the subjects in the two groups did not differ significantly in their performance on a pretest designed to check their lexical knowledge and no sex difference was observed, statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in both conditions (immediate and delayed retrievals) on a posttest. The experimental group and women predominantly performed better in the memory-retention-retrieval tasks assigned to them. Implications for educational research and practices are also discussed.

Investigation of Super Learner Methodology on HIV-1 Small Sample: Application on Jaguar Trial Data.

PubMed

Houssaïni, Allal; Assoumou, Lambert; Marcelin, Anne Geneviève; Molina, Jean Michel; Calvez, Vincent; Flandre, Philippe

2012-01-01

Background. Many statistical models have been tested to predict phenotypic or virological response from genotypic data. A statistical framework called Super Learner has been introduced either to compare different methods/learners (discrete Super Learner) or to combine them in a Super Learner prediction method. Methods. The Jaguar trial is used to apply the Super Learner framework. The Jaguar study is an "add-on" trial comparing the efficacy of adding didanosine to an on-going failing regimen. Our aim was also to investigate the impact on the use of different cross-validation strategies and different loss functions. Four different repartitions between training set and validations set were tested through two loss functions. Six statistical methods were compared. We assess performance by evaluating R(2) values and accuracy by calculating the rates of patients being correctly classified. Results. Our results indicated that the more recent Super Learner methodology of building a new predictor based on a weighted combination of different methods/learners provided good performance. A simple linear model provided similar results to those of this new predictor. Slight discrepancy arises between the two loss functions investigated, and slight difference arises also between results based on cross-validated risks and results from full dataset. The Super Learner methodology and linear model provided around 80% of patients correctly classified. The difference between the lower and higher rates is around 10 percent. The number of mutations retained in different learners also varys from one to 41. Conclusions. The more recent Super Learner methodology combining the prediction of many learners provided good performance on our small dataset.

Differences in HIV knowledge and sexual practices of learners with intellectual disabilities and non-disabled learners in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Aderemi, Toyin J; Pillay, Basil J; Esterhuizen, Tonya M

2013-01-01

Introduction Individuals with intellectual disabilities are rarely targeted by the current human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) response, thereby reducing their access to HIV information and services. Currently, little is known about the HIV knowledge and sexual practices of young Nigerians with intellectual disabilities. Thus, this study sought to compare the HIV knowledge and sexual practices of learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities and non-disabled learners (NDL) in Nigeria. Findings could help in the development of HIV interventions that are accessible to Nigerian learners with intellectual impairments. Methods This cross-sectional, comparative study utilized a survey to investigate HIV knowledge and sexual practices among learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities and NDL in Nigeria. Learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities (n=300) and NDL (n=300) within the age range of 12 to 19 years drawn from schools across Oyo State, Nigeria, completed a structured questionnaire to assess their knowledge of HIV transmission and sexual practices. Results Significantly more learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities (62.2%) than NDL 48 (37.8%) reported having sexual experience (p=0.002). Of the sexually experienced female learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities, 28 (68.3%) reported history of rape compared with 9 (2.9%) of female NDL (p=0.053). Intellectual impairment was significantly associated with lower HIV transmission knowledge scores (p<0.001). Learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities were less likely than NDL (p<0.001) to have heard about HIV from most of the common sources of HIV information. In addition, when compared with non-disabled learners, learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities were significantly more likely to have reported inconsistent condom use with boyfriends/girlfriends (p<0.001), with casual sexual partners (p<0.001) and non-use of condom during last sexual activity (p<0.001). Conclusions Findings suggest that adolescents with intellectual impairments are at higher risk of HIV infection than their non-disabled peers. This gap could be addressed through interventions that target Nigerians with intellectual impairments with accessible HIV information and services. PMID:23394898

The nature of the language input affects brain activation during learning from a natural language

PubMed Central

Plante, Elena; Patterson, Dianne; Gómez, Rebecca; Almryde, Kyle R.; White, Milo G.; Asbjørnsen, Arve E.

2015-01-01

Artificial language studies have demonstrated that learners are able to segment individual word-like units from running speech using the transitional probability information. However, this skill has rarely been examined in the context of natural languages, where stimulus parameters can be quite different. In this study, two groups of English-speaking learners were exposed to Norwegian sentences over the course of three fMRI scans. One group was provided with input in which transitional probabilities predicted the presence of target words in the sentences. This group quickly learned to identify the target words and fMRI data revealed an extensive and highly dynamic learning network. These results were markedly different from activation seen for a second group of participants. This group was provided with highly similar input that was modified so that word learning based on syllable co-occurrences was not possible. These participants showed a much more restricted network. The results demonstrate that the nature of the input strongly influenced the nature of the network that learners employ to learn the properties of words in a natural language. PMID:26257471

Language Anxiety Caused by the Single Mode of Instruction in Multilingual Classrooms: The Case of African Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madonsela, S.

2015-01-01

The capacity to use language is unique from one individual to another. This could also depend on the individual's exposure to a language. This article aims to contribute to the growing area of research on language anxiety by exploring the extent to which language anxiety affects learners' performance in learning in multilingual classrooms,…

The Role of L2 Learner Goal Differences in Task-Generated Oral Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben Maad, Mohamed Ridha

2016-01-01

In light of the growing interest in the cognitive approach to task in second language (L2) research, comparatively little has been done to examine such effect over time and the role of individual differences (IDs). The present study was designed to verify some longitudinal evidence for the role of tasks in L2 production and whether IDs, in the…

The Differential Effects of Implicit and Explicit Feedback on Second Language (L2) Learners at Different Proficiency Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Shaofeng

2009-01-01

The present study investigates the differential effects of explicit and implicit feedback on L2 learners at different proficiency levels as measured by L2 development and learner uptake, which is defined as the learner's responses following feedback. Twenty-three learners of Chinese as a foreign language at two different levels of proficiency at a…

Learning Behaviour and Learning Outcomes: The Roles for Social Influence and Field of Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smyth, Lillian; Mavor, Kenneth I.; Platow, Michael J.

2017-01-01

Research has demonstrated a significant role of discipline social identification in predicting learning approaches, even controlling for individual differences. Smyth et al. ("Educ Psychol" 35(1):53-72, 2015. doi:10.1080/01443410.2013.822962) suggest that learners share discipline-based social identifications, and that this…

Curriculum Designed for an Equitable Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Roxanne; Hill, Reinhold R.

2013-01-01

Rather than viewing curriculum as linear, a post-modern, learner-centered curriculum design is a spiral or recursive curriculum. Post-modernism provides a much less stable foundation upon which to build a model of student learning, a model that recognizes and even celebrates individual difference and one that is supported by research on how people…

On the Relationship of Multiple Intelligences with Listening Proficiency and Attitudes among Iranian TEFL University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naeini, Ma'ssoumeh Bemani; Pandian, Ambigapathy

2010-01-01

Gardner's (1983) Multiple Intelligences Theory (MIT) has been found to have profound implications in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in that it provides a way for teachers to recognize learners' individual cognitive and affective differences by providing favorable motivational conditions for learning. However, little investigation…

Differential Gains in Oral Proficiency during Study Abroad: The Role of Language Learning Aptitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Sheri Lynn

2012-01-01

This inquiry analyzed the relationships between individual differences and gains made in oral proficiency of adult, second language learners of Spanish during one semester studying abroad. Oral proficiency was measured using a pre/post-SA Computerized Oral Proficiency Instrument (COPI, CAL, 2009). Gain scores were correlated with two cognitive…

Contextual Dynamics in Foreign Language Learning Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kozaki, Yoko; Ross, Steven J.

2011-01-01

Learning context has increasingly been postulated to exert an influence on the dynamics of individual differences in language learning. In a longitudinal design that tested the proficiency gains of 1,682 learners over a 2-year foreign language program, a multilevel modeling approach was deployed in this study to account for variation in second…

Advanced Learners' Foreign Language-Related Emotions across the Four Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piniel, Katalin; Albert, Ágnes

2018-01-01

Individual differences researchers have recently begun to investigate the concept of emotions and their role in language learning (MacIntyre, Gregersen, & Mercer, 2016). Our aim is to report on a project exploring English majors' feelings related to their use of foreign languages. Using a qualitative research design, participants were asked to…

Individual Differences in Digital Badging: Do Learner Characteristics Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fanfarelli, Joseph R.; McDaniel, Rudy

2015-01-01

Badge use has rapidly expanded in recent years and has benefited a variety of applications. However, a large portion of the research has applied a binary "useful" or "not useful" approach to badging. Few studies examine the characteristics of the user and the impact of those characteristics on the effectiveness of the badging…

Adapting Instruction to Individual Learner Differences: A Research Paradigm for Computer-Based Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Steven C.; Ragan, Tillman J.

This paper examines a research paradigm that is particularly suited to experimentation-related computer-based instruction and integrated learning systems. The main assumption of the model is that one of the most powerful capabilities of computer-based instruction, and specifically of integrated learning systems, is the capacity to adapt…

Design for Learning: Adapting the Microscopic Anatomy Laboratory to Adult Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jurjus, Rosalyn A.; Krum, Janette; Goldman, Ellen F.

2013-01-01

Medical school curricula are undergoing transformational change in response to calls for integrating content across courses and years to enable better retention and application and for individualizing learning to meet the diverse backgrounds and thus differing needs of students. To address the related teaching challenges, faculty can employ solid…

Aberrant Learning Achievement Detection Based on Person-Fit Statistics in Personalized e-Learning Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ming-Tsung; Yu, Pao-Ta

2011-01-01

A personalized e-learning service provides learning content to fit learners' individual differences. Learning achievements are influenced by cognitive as well as non-cognitive factors such as mood, motivation, interest, and personal styles. This paper proposes the Learning Caution Indexes (LCI) to detect aberrant learning patterns. The philosophy…

A Bayesian Tutoring System for Newtonian Mechanics: Can It Adapt to Different Learners?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pek, Peng-Kiat; Poh, Kim-Leng

2004-01-01

Newtonian mechanics is a core module in technology courses, but is difficult for many students to learn. Computerized tutoring can assist the teachers to provide individualized instruction. This article presents the application of decision theory to develop a tutoring system, "iTutor", to select optimal tutoring actions under uncertainty of…

Characteristics of Lifelong Science Learners: An Investigation of STEM Hobbyists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corin, Elysa N.; Jones, M. Gail; Andre, Thomas; Childers, Gina M.

2018-01-01

STEM hobbies are free-choice activities through which participating individuals may develop sophisticated STEM knowledge and expertise. To date, research into STEM hobbies and hobbyists has examined hobby groups by subject area. Missing from this body of work is research that examines the development and participation in different types of hobbies…

Educating for Environmental Sustainability and Educating for Creativity: Actively Compatible or Missed Opportunities?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stables, Kay

2009-01-01

This paper identifies the importance of both creativity and environmental sustainability for developing individual learners and society as a whole. It suggests that sometimes these two concepts appear to be in tension and that, politically, each is often championed by different communities. The relationship between creativity and environmental…

Navigating Deep Time: Landmarks for Time from the Big Bang to the Present

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delgado, Cesar

2013-01-01

People make sense of the world by comparing and relating new information to their existing landmarks. Each individual may have different landmarks, developed through idiosyncratic experiences. Identifying specific events that constitute landmarks for a group of learners may help instructors in gauging students' prior knowledge and in planning…

Learning Qualitative and Quantitative Reasoning in a Microworld for Elastic Impacts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ploetzner, Rolf; And Others

1990-01-01

Discusses the artificial-intelligence-based microworld DiBi and MULEDS, a multilevel diagnosis system. Developed to adapt tutoring style to the individual learner. Explains that DiBi sets up a learning environment, and simulates elastic impacts as a subtopic of classical mechanics, and supporting reasoning on different levels of mental domain…

Popular Culture, English Out-of-Class Activities, and Learner Autonomy among Highly Proficient Secondary Students in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Hoi Wing

2016-01-01

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

The Child as an Active Learner: Views, Practices, and Barriers in Chinese Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tang, Fengling

2006-01-01

The Chinese view of the child is in the process of changing from the dependent child of traditional Chinese society to the child as an active learner in contemporary China. The view of the child as an active learner forces early childhood practitioners to rethink the features of the child's learning and development, individuality, and needs and…

Factors Affecting Subsidized Free Day Secondary Education in Enhancing Learners Retention in Secondary Schools in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Asena Muganda; Simiyu, Aggrey Mukasa; Riechi, Andrew

2016-01-01

Learners are the key stakeholders of a school for it to be registered by the Department of Education. However the retention of these learners in Kenya's Secondary Level Education is a great challenge in Kenya. Every secondary school dropout signifies unfulfilled objective, goal and aim for the individual as well as the community at large. The…

Naming abilities in low-proficiency second language learners.

PubMed

Borodkin, Katy; Faust, Miriam

2014-01-01

Difficulties in second language (L2) learning are often associated with recognizable learning difficulties in native language (L1), such as in dyslexia. However, some individuals have low L2 proficiency but intact L1 reading skills. These L2 learners experience frequent tip-of-the-tongue states while naming in L1, which indicates that they have a weakness in retrieval of phonological codes of words. The authors hypothesized that if naming ability is shared across languages, this difficulty would reemerge in L2 naming, which was tested using the tip-of-the-tongue experimental paradigm. Consistent with this hypothesis, low-proficiency L2 learners (n = 15) reported more tip-of-the-tongue states, more frequently mispronounced correctly retrieved words, and benefited less from phonological cuing compared to high-proficiency L2 learners (n = 23). It is notable that low-proficiency L2 learners performed worse than individuals with dyslexia (n = 16) on some of these measures, despite the same level of L2 proficiency. These results indicate that L2 naming difficulties of low-proficiency L2 learners are a manifestation not merely of their low L2 proficiency but rather of a general weakness in phonological word form retrieval, which is shared across languages. More broadly, the study provides further evidence for the existence of a distinct profile of cognitive weaknesses characteristic of the behavioral phenotype of low-proficiency L2 learners.

Collaborative Clustering for Sensor Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagstaff. Loro :/; Green Jillian; Lane, Terran

2011-01-01

Traditionally, nodes in a sensor network simply collect data and then pass it on to a centralized node that archives, distributes, and possibly analyzes the data. However, analysis at the individual nodes could enable faster detection of anomalies or other interesting events, as well as faster responses such as sending out alerts or increasing the data collection rate. There is an additional opportunity for increased performance if individual nodes can communicate directly with their neighbors. Previously, a method was developed by which machine learning classification algorithms could collaborate to achieve high performance autonomously (without requiring human intervention). This method worked for supervised learning algorithms, in which labeled data is used to train models. The learners collaborated by exchanging labels describing the data. The new advance enables clustering algorithms, which do not use labeled data, to also collaborate. This is achieved by defining a new language for collaboration that uses pair-wise constraints to encode useful information for other learners. These constraints specify that two items must, or cannot, be placed into the same cluster. Previous work has shown that clustering with these constraints (in isolation) already improves performance. In the problem formulation, each learner resides at a different node in the sensor network and makes observations (collects data) independently of the other learners. Each learner clusters its data and then selects a pair of items about which it is uncertain and uses them to query its neighbors. The resulting feedback (a must and cannot constraint from each neighbor) is combined by the learner into a consensus constraint, and it then reclusters its data while incorporating the new constraint. A strategy was also proposed for cleaning the resulting constraint sets, which may contain conflicting constraints; this improves performance significantly. This approach has been applied to collaborative clustering of seismic and infrasonic data collected by the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory in Antarctica. Previous approaches to distributed clustering cannot readily be applied in a sensor network setting, because they assume that each node has the same view of the data set. A view is the set of features used to represent each object. When a single data set is partitioned across several computational nodes, distributed clustering works; all objects have the same view. But when the data is collected from different locations, using different sensors, a more flexible approach is needed. This approach instead operates in situations where the data collected at each node has a different view (e.g., seismic vs. infrasonic sensors), but they observe the same events. This enables them to exchange information about the likely cluster membership relations between objects, even if they do not use the same features to represent the objects.

Learner-Adaptive Educational Technology for Simulation in Healthcare: Foundations and Opportunities.

PubMed

Lineberry, Matthew; Dev, Parvati; Lane, H Chad; Talbot, Thomas B

2018-06-01

Despite evidence that learners vary greatly in their learning needs, practical constraints tend to favor ''one-size-fits-all'' educational approaches, in simulation-based education as elsewhere. Adaptive educational technologies - devices and/or software applications that capture and analyze relevant data about learners to select and present individually tailored learning stimuli - are a promising aid in learners' and educators' efforts to provide learning experiences that meet individual needs. In this article, we summarize and build upon the 2017 Society for Simulation in Healthcare Research Summit panel discussion on adaptive learning. First, we consider the role of adaptivity in learning broadly. We then outline the basic functions that adaptive learning technologies must implement and the unique affordances and challenges of technology-based approaches for those functions, sharing an illustrative example from healthcare simulation. Finally, we consider future directions for accelerating research, development, and deployment of effective adaptive educational technology and techniques in healthcare simulation.

Exploring Lifelong Learners Engaged in an Astronomy-Related Massively Open Online Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-01-01

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

Health literacy and the social determinants of health: a qualitative model from adult learners.

PubMed

Rowlands, Gillian; Shaw, Adrienne; Jaswal, Sabrena; Smith, Sian; Harpham, Trudy

2017-02-01

Health literacy, ‘the personal characteristics and social resources needed for individuals and communities to access, understand, appraise and use information and services to make decisions about health’, is key to improving peoples’ control over modifiable social determinants of health (SDH). This study listened to adult learners to understand their perspectives on gathering, understanding and using information for health. This qualitative project recruited participants from community skills courses to identify relevant ‘health information’ factors. Subsequently different learners put these together to develop a model of their ‘Journey to health’. Twenty-seven participants were recruited; twenty from community health literacy courses and seven from an adult basic literacy and numeracy course. Participants described health as a ‘journey’ starting from an individual's family, ethnicity and culture. Basic (functional) health literacy skills were needed to gather and understand information. More complex interactive health literacy skills were needed to evaluate the importance and relevance of information in context, and make health decisions. Critical health literacy skills could be used to adapt negative external factors that might inhibit health-promotion. Our model is an iterative linear one moving from ethnicity, community and culture, through lifestyle, to health, with learning revisited in the context of different sources of support. It builds on existing models by highlighting the importance of SDH in the translation of new health knowledge into healthy behaviours, and the importance of health literacy in enabling people to overcome barriers to health.

The Application of Video Clips with Small Group and Individual Activities to Improve Young Learners' Speaking Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muslem, Asnawi; Mustafa, Faisal; Usman, Bustami; Rahman, Aulia

2017-01-01

This study investigated whether the application of video clips with small groups or with individual teaching-learning activities improved the speaking skills of young EFL learners the most; accordingly a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test design was done. The instrument used in this study was a test in the form of an oral test or…

Teacher Use of Brain-Based Research, Response to Intervention, and Teacher Efficacy in Elementary Schools with High and Low Individual Education Plan Growth for English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Nicole

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the possible causes that might contribute to the disproportionate percentage of English language learners ELLs with special education individual education plans (IEPs). Elementary school classroom teachers from school districts that exhibited high growth in the percentage of ELLs with IEPs during 2007-2010…

Driving experience and special skills reflected in eye movements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paeglis, Roberts; Bluss, Kristaps; Atvars, Aigars

2011-10-01

When driving a vehicle, people use the central vision both to plan ahead and monitor their performance feedback (research by Donges, 1978 [1], and after). Discussion is ongoing if making eye movements do more than gathering information. Moving eyes may also prepare the following body movements like steering. Different paradigms exist to explore vision in driving. Our perspective was to quantify eye movements and fixation patterns of different proficiency individuals, a driving learner, a novice, an experienced driver and a European level car racer. Thus for safety reasons we started by asking them to follow a video tour through a known city, remote from an infrared eye tracker sampling at 250 Hz. We report that gaze strategy of an experienced driver differs qualitatively from that of an automobile sports master. Quantitative differences only were found between the latter and a driving learner or a novice driver. Experience in a motor action provides skills different from sports training. We are aiming at testing this finding in real world driving.

Incorporating additional targets into learning trials for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Nottingham, Casey L; Vladescu, Jason C; Kodak, Tiffany M

2015-01-01

Recently, researchers have investigated the effectiveness and efficiency of presenting secondary targets during learning trials for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This instructional method may be more efficient than typical methods used with learners with ASD, because learners may acquire secondary targets without additional instruction. This review will discuss the recent literature on providing secondary targets during teaching trials for individuals with ASD, identify common aspects and results among these studies, and identify areas for future research. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Spontaneous individual differences in cognitive performances of young adult rats predict locomotor response to amphetamine.

PubMed

Dellu-Hagedorn, F

2005-01-01

Inter-individual differences in cognitive capacities of young adult rats have largely been ignored. To explore this variability and its neurobiological bases, the relationships between individual differences in working memory and locomotor responses to novelty and to amphetamine were investigated in SD rats. Groups of good and poor learners were isolated, the latter demonstrating a markedly slower learning of the task compared to performant rats, with more perseverations independently to motivational state. They also presented a much higher increase in amphetamine-induced locomotion that remained significant for more than 1h after the injection. These results provide evidence that variability in cognitive capacities can be used to reveal their neurobiological substrates. They open new perspectives to study a possible cognitive origin of addictive behaviors and to investigate the involvement of these inter-individual differences on those observed later in life.

"Drop-Outs" or "Heritage Learners"? Competing Mentalities of Governmentality and Invested Meanings at a Weekend Japanese Language School in the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doerr, Neriko Musha; Lee, Kiri

2012-01-01

Based on fieldwork at a weekend Japanese language school in the USA in 2007-2009, this article illustrates the ways in which different regimes of government arise from an activity depending on meanings individuals invest in it. We examine how two students in the same classroom experienced two different regimes of government: one of a low-track…

Foreign Language Anxiety as an Individual Difference Variable in Performance: From an Interactionist's Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Youngsang

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

Lexical Category Acquisition via Nonadjacent Dependencies in Context: Evidence of Developmental Change and Individual Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandoval, Michelle

2014-01-01

Lexical categories like noun and verb are foundational to language acquisition, but these categories do not come neatly packaged for the infant language learner. Some have proposed that infants can begin to solve this problem by tracking the frequent nonadjacent word (or morpheme) contexts of these categories. However, nonadjacent relationships…

Teacher and Student Perceptions of the Development of Learner Autonomy; A Case Study in the Biological Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, G. W.; Furnell, J.; Murphy, C. M.; Goulder, R.

2015-01-01

Biology teachers in a UK university expressed a majority view that student learning autonomy increases with progression through university. A minority suggested that pre-existing diversity in learning autonomy was more important and that individuals not cohorts differ in their learning autonomy. They suggested that personal experience prior to…

Teacher Subject Specialisms and Their Relationships to Learning Styles, Psychological Types and Multiple Intelligences: Implications for Course Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Chris; Ball, Ian

2004-01-01

This study explores issues in teacher education that increase our understanding of, and response to, the individual differences displayed by learners. A large undergraduate teacher education cohort provided evidence of the range and distribution of preferences in learning styles, psychological types and multiple intelligences. This information…

Maximizing the Impact: The Pivotal Role of Technology in a 21st Century Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vockley, Martha

2007-01-01

All students need a more robust education--and a refreshingly different kind of education--than most are getting today. The vision of learning individuals embrace focuses on teaching students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers and innovators; effective communicators and collaborators; and self-directed learners. This vision responds to…

The Effect of Writing Task and Task Conditions on Colombian EFL Learners' Language Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonough, Kim; Fuentes, César García

2015-01-01

This classroom study examines whether English L2 writers' language use differs depending on the writing task (operationalized as paragraph type), and task conditions (operationalized as individual or collaborative writing). The texts written by English L2 university students in Colombia (N = 26) in response to problem/solution and cause/effect…

A Real Community Bridge: Informing Community-Based Learning through a Model of Participatory Public Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Pamela Geiger

2006-01-01

Community-based learning has the power to encourage and sustain the intellectual curiosity of learners. By most accounts, community-based learning is a process that creates a collaborative environment of scholarship that holds individual differences, as well as similarities, in high esteem. It is a process, as the phrase suggests, that extends…

The Effect of Inhibitory Control on General Mathematics Achievement and Fraction Comparison in Middle School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gómez, David Maximiliano; Jiménez, Abelino; Bobadilla, Roberto; Reyes, Cristián; Dartnell, Pablo

2015-01-01

Individual differences in inhibitory control have been shown to relate to general mathematics achievement, but whether this relation varies for specific areas within mathematics is a question that remains open. Here, we evaluate if inhibitory processes play a specific role in the particular case of fraction comparison, where learners must ignore…

Beyond Cognitive Increase: Investigating the Influence of Computer Programming on Perception and Application of Mathematical Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rich, Peter J.; Bly, Neil; Leatham, Keith R.

2014-01-01

This study aimed to provide first-hand accounts of the perceived long-term effects of learning computer programming on a learner's approach to mathematics. These phenomenological accounts, garnered from individual interviews of seven different programmers, illustrate four specific areas of interest: (1) programming provides context for many…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wieland, Kristina

2010-01-01

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

Quality indicators for learner-centered postgraduate medical e-learning.

PubMed

de Leeuw, Robert A; Westerman, Michiel; Scheele, Fedde

2017-04-27

The objectives of this study were to identify the needs and expectations of learners and educational experts in postgraduate medical e-learning, and to contribute to the current literature. We performed four focus-group discussions with e-learning end-users (learners) and didactic experts. The participants were postgraduate learners with varying levels of experience, educational experts from a Dutch e-learning task group, and commercial experts from a Dutch e-learning company. Verbatim transcribed interview recordings were analyzed using King's template analysis. The initial template was created with reference to recent literature on postgraduate medical e-learning quality indicators. The transcripts were coded, after which the emerging differences in template interpretation were discussed until a consensus was reached within the team. The final template consisted of three domains of positive e-learning influencers (motivators, learning enhancers, and real-world translation) and three domains of negatively influential parameters (barriers, learning discouragers, and poor preparation). The interpretation of the final template showed three subjects which form the basis of e-learning, namely, Motivate, Learn and Apply. This study forms a basis for learning in general and could be applied to many educational instruments. Individual characteristics should be adapted to the target audience. Three subjects form the basis of, and six themes cover all items needed for, good (enough) postgraduate e-learning. Further research should be carried out with learners and real-world e-learning to validate this template.

Is it better to select or to receive? Learning via active and passive hypothesis testing.

PubMed

Markant, Douglas B; Gureckis, Todd M

2014-02-01

People can test hypotheses through either selection or reception. In a selection task, the learner actively chooses observations to test his or her beliefs, whereas in reception tasks data are passively encountered. People routinely use both forms of testing in everyday life, but the critical psychological differences between selection and reception learning remain poorly understood. One hypothesis is that selection learning improves learning performance by enhancing generic cognitive processes related to motivation, attention, and engagement. Alternatively, we suggest that differences between these 2 learning modes derives from a hypothesis-dependent sampling bias that is introduced when a person collects data to test his or her own individual hypothesis. Drawing on influential models of sequential hypothesis-testing behavior, we show that such a bias (a) can lead to the collection of data that facilitates learning compared with reception learning and (b) can be more effective than observing the selections of another person. We then report a novel experiment based on a popular category learning paradigm that compares reception and selection learning. We additionally compare selection learners to a set of "yoked" participants who viewed the exact same sequence of observations under reception conditions. The results revealed systematic differences in performance that depended on the learner's role in collecting information and the abstract structure of the problem.

Studying the mechanisms of language learning by varying the learning environment and the learner

PubMed Central

Goldin-Meadow, Susan

2015-01-01

Language learning is a resilient process, and many linguistic properties can be developed under a wide range of learning environments and learners. The first goal of this review is to describe properties of language that can be developed without exposure to a language model – the resilient properties of language – and to explore conditions under which more fragile properties emerge. But even if a linguistic property is resilient, the developmental course that the property follows is likely to vary as a function of learning environment and learner, that is, there are likely to be individual differences in the learning trajectories children follow. The second goal is to consider how the resilient properties are brought to bear on language learning when a child is exposed to a language model. The review ends by considering the implications of both sets of findings for mechanisms, focusing on the role that the body and linguistic input play in language learning. PMID:26668813

Studying the mechanisms of language learning by varying the learning environment and the learner.

PubMed

Goldin-Meadow, Susan

Language learning is a resilient process, and many linguistic properties can be developed under a wide range of learning environments and learners. The first goal of this review is to describe properties of language that can be developed without exposure to a language model - the resilient properties of language - and to explore conditions under which more fragile properties emerge. But even if a linguistic property is resilient, the developmental course that the property follows is likely to vary as a function of learning environment and learner, that is, there are likely to be individual differences in the learning trajectories children follow. The second goal is to consider how the resilient properties are brought to bear on language learning when a child is exposed to a language model. The review ends by considering the implications of both sets of findings for mechanisms, focusing on the role that the body and linguistic input play in language learning.

Innovative educational methods and technologies applicable to continuing professional development in periodontology.

PubMed

Mattheos, N; Schoonheim-Klein, M; Walmsley, A D; Chapple, I L C

2010-05-01

Continuous professional development (CPD) in Periodontology refers to the overall framework of opportunities that facilitate a life-long learning practice, driven by the learner-practitioner and supported by a variety of institutions and individuals. CPD must address different needs for a great diversity of practitioners. It is clear that no particular methodology or technology is able to successfully accommodate the entire spectrum of CPD in Periodontology. Course designers must choose from and combine a wide array of methodologies and technologies, depending upon the needs of the learners and the objectives of the intended education. Research suggests that 'interactivity', 'flexibility', 'continuity' and 'relevance to learners' practice' are major characteristics of successful CPD. Various methods of mentoring, peer-learning environments and work-based learning have been combined with reflective practice and self-study to form the methodological backbone of CPD courses. Blended learning encompasses a wide array of technologies and methodologies and has been successfully used in CPD courses. Internet-based content learning management systems, portable Internet devices, powerful databases and search engines, together with initiatives such as 'open access' and 'open courseware' provide an array of effective instructional and communication tools. Assessment remains a key issue in CPD, providing learners with valuable feedback and it ensures the credibility and effectiveness of the learning process. Assessment is a multi-level process using different methods for different learning outcomes, as directed by current evidence and best practices. Finally, quality assurance of the education provided must follow CPD courses at all times through a structured and credible process.

Brain responses before and after intensive second language learning: proficiency based changes and first language background effects in adult learners.

PubMed

White, Erin Jacquelyn; Genesee, Fred; Steinhauer, Karsten

2012-01-01

This longitudinal study tracked the neuro-cognitive changes associated with second language (L2) grammar learning in adults in order to investigate how L2 processing is shaped by a learner's first language (L1) background and L2 proficiency. Previous studies using event-related potentials (ERPs) have argued that late L2 learners cannot elicit a P600 in response to L2 grammatical structures that do not exist in the L1 or that are different in the L1 and L2. We tested whether the neuro-cognitive processes underlying this component become available after intensive L2 instruction. Korean- and Chinese late-L2-learners of English were tested at the beginning and end of a 9-week intensive English-L2 course. ERPs were recorded while participants read English sentences containing violations of regular past tense (a grammatical structure that operates differently in Korean and does not exist in Chinese). Whereas no P600 effects were present at the start of instruction, by the end of instruction, significant P600s were observed for both L1 groups. Latency differences in the P600 exhibited by Chinese and Korean speakers may be attributed to differences in L1-L2 reading strategies. Across all participants, larger P600 effects at session 2 were associated with: 1) higher levels of behavioural performance on an online grammaticality judgment task; and 2) with correct, rather than incorrect, behavioural responses. These findings suggest that the neuro-cognitive processes underlying the P600 (e.g., "grammaticalization") are modulated by individual levels of L2 behavioural performance and learning.

A holistic model for evaluating the impact of individual technology-enhanced learning resources.

PubMed

Pickering, James D; Joynes, Viktoria C T

2016-12-01

The use of technology within education has now crossed the Rubicon; student expectations, the increasing availability of both hardware and software and the push to fully blended learning environments mean that educational institutions cannot afford to turn their backs on technology-enhanced learning (TEL). The ability to meaningfully evaluate the impact of TEL resources nevertheless remains problematic. This paper aims to establish a robust means of evaluating individual resources and meaningfully measure their impact upon learning within the context of the program in which they are used. Based upon the experience of developing and evaluating a range of mobile and desktop based TEL resources, this paper outlines a new four-stage evaluation process, taking into account learner satisfaction, learner gain, and the impact of a resource on both the individual and the institution in which it has been adapted. A new multi-level model of TEL resource evaluation is proposed, which includes a preliminary evaluation of need, learner satisfaction and gain, learner impact and institutional impact. Each of these levels are discussed in detail, and in relation to existing TEL evaluation frameworks. This paper details a holistic, meaningful evaluation model for individual TEL resources within the specific context in which they are used. It is proposed that this model is adopted to ensure that TEL resources are evaluated in a more meaningful and robust manner than is currently undertaken.

Literacies, Narratives, and Adult Learning in Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elmborg, Jim

2010-01-01

Learners within academic library settings use information resources toward specific ends--learner-constructed research and writing projects that offer new perspectives on particular topics. Such projects may take the form of individual research papers and/or class presentations, literature reviews, theses, e-portfolios, web pages, or…

Instructional strategies for online introductory college physics based on learning styles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekwue, Eleazer U.

The practical nature of physics and its reliance on mathematical presentations and problem solving pose a challenge toward presentation of the course in an online environment for effective learning experience. Most first-time introductory college physics students fail to grasp the basic concepts of the course and the problem solving skills if the instructional strategy used to deliver the course is not compatible with the learners' preferred learning styles. This study investigates the effect of four instructional strategies based on four learning styles (listening, reading, iconic, and direct-experience) to improve learning for introductory college physics in an online environment. Learning styles of 146 participants were determined with Canfield Learning Style inventory. Of the 85 learners who completed the study, research results showed a statistically significant increase in learning performance following the online instruction in all four learning style groups. No statistically significant differences in learning were found among the four groups. However, greater significant academic improvement was found among learners with iconic and direct-experience modes of learning. Learners in all four groups expressed that the design of the unit presentation to match their individual learning styles contributed most to their learning experience. They were satisfied with learning a new physics concept online that, in their opinion, is either comparable or better than an instructor-led classroom experience. Findings from this study suggest that learners' performance and satisfaction in an online introductory physics course could be improved by using instructional designs that are tailored to learners' preferred ways of learning. It could contribute toward the challenge of providing viable online physics instruction in colleges and universities.

Factors Contributing to Sexual Violence at Selected Schools for Learners with Mild Intellectual Disability in South Africa.

PubMed

Nyokangi, Doris; Phasha, Nareadi

2016-05-01

This paper reports part of the findings of a study which exposed sexual violence in schools for learners with mild intellectual disability in South Africa. Special attention was paid on factors contributing to such a problem. Data were collected using focus groups and individual interviews with 16 learners with mild intellectual disability at two special schools in South Africa. This was followed by individual interviews with the school nurse and social worker, and an analysis of schools' books of incidents. Factors contributing to sexual violence at schools for learners with mild intellectual disability included: (i) peer pressure, (ii) concealment of reported incidents of sexual violence, (iii) unsupervised areas linked to schools and (iv) arranged relationships. The following suggestions are put forth: (i) awareness programmes, (ii) sensitization of teachers about the consequences and prevention of sexual violence, (iii) boundaries within which the arranged relationship occurs, (iv) intensification of sexuality education and (v) supervision around the school premises. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Learning Object Names at Different Hierarchical Levels Using Cross-Situational Statistics.

PubMed

Chen, Chi-Hsin; Zhang, Yayun; Yu, Chen

2018-05-01

Objects in the world usually have names at different hierarchical levels (e.g., beagle, dog, animal). This research investigates adults' ability to use cross-situational statistics to simultaneously learn object labels at individual and category levels. The results revealed that adults were able to use co-occurrence information to learn hierarchical labels in contexts where the labels for individual objects and labels for categories were presented in completely separated blocks, in interleaved blocks, or mixed in the same trial. Temporal presentation schedules significantly affected the learning of individual object labels, but not the learning of category labels. Learners' subsequent generalization of category labels indicated sensitivity to the structure of statistical input. Copyright © 2017 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Vagal tone during infant contingency learning and its disruption.

PubMed

Sullivan, Margaret Wolan

2016-04-01

This study used contingency learning to examine changes in infants' vagal tone during learning and its disruption. The heart rate of 160 five-month-old infants was recorded continuously during the first of two training sessions as they experienced an audiovisual event contingent on their pulling. Maternal reports of infant temperament were also collected. Baseline vagal tone, a measure of parasympathetic regulation of the heart, was related to vagal levels during the infants' contingency learning session, but not to their learner status. Vagal tone levels did not vary significantly over session minutes. Instead, vagal tone levels were a function of both individual differences in learner status and infant soothability. Vagal levels of infants who learned in the initial session were similar regardless of their soothability; however, vagal levels of infants who learned in a subsequent session differed as a function of soothability. Additionally, vagal levels during contingency disruption were significantly higher among infants in this group who were more soothable as opposed to those who were less soothable. The results suggest that contingency learning and disruption is associated with stable vagal tone in the majority of infants, but that individual differences in attention processes and state associated with vagal tone may be most readily observed during the disruption phase. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

When Learning Disturbs Memory – Temporal Profile of Retroactive Interference of Learning on Memory Formation

PubMed Central

Sosic-Vasic, Zrinka; Hille, Katrin; Kröner, Julia; Spitzer, Manfred; Kornmeier, Jürgen

2018-01-01

Introduction: Consolidation is defined as the time necessary for memory stabilization after learning. In the present study we focused on effects of interference during the first 12 consolidation minutes after learning. Participants had to learn a set of German – Japanese word pairs in an initial learning task and a different set of German – Japanese word pairs in a subsequent interference task. The interference task started in different experimental conditions at different time points (0, 3, 6, and 9 min) after the learning task and was followed by subsequent cued recall tests. In a control experiment the interference periods were replaced by rest periods without any interference. Results: The interference task decreased memory performance by up to 20%, with negative effects at all interference time points and large variability between participants concerning both the time point and the size of maximal interference. Further, fast learners seem to be more affected by interference than slow learners. Discussion: Our results indicate that the first 12 min after learning are highly important for memory consolidation, without a general pattern concerning the precise time point of maximal interference across individuals. This finding raises doubts about the generalized learning recipes and calls for individuality of learning schedules. PMID:29503621

Individual differences in the benefits of feedback for learning.

PubMed

Kelley, Christopher M; McLaughlin, Anne Collins

2012-02-01

Research on learning from feedback has produced ambiguous guidelines for feedback design--some have advocated minimal feedback, whereas others have recommended more extensive feedback that highly supported performance. The objective of the current study was to investigate how individual differences in cognitive resources may predict feedback requirements and resolve previous conflicted findings. Cognitive resources were controlled for by comparing samples from populations with known differences, older and younger adults.To control for task demands, a simple rule-based learning task was created in which participants learned to identify fake Windows pop-ups. Pop-ups were divided into two categories--those that required fluid ability to identify and those that could be identified using crystallized intelligence. In general, results showed participants given higher feedback learned more. However, when analyzed by type of task demand, younger adults performed comparably with both levels of feedback for both cues whereas older adults benefited from increased feedbackfor fluid ability cues but from decreased feedback for crystallized ability cues. One explanation for the current findings is feedback requirements are connected to the cognitive abilities of the learner-those with higher abilities for the type of demands imposed by the task are likely to benefit from reduced feedback. We suggest the following considerations for feedback design: Incorporate learner characteristics and task demands when designing learning support via feedback.

Vagal Tone During Infant Contingency Learning and Its Disruption

PubMed Central

Sullivan, Margaret Wolan

2015-01-01

This study used contingency learning to examine changes in infants’ vagal tone during learning and its disruption. The heart rate of 160 five-month-old infants was recorded continuously during the first of two training sessions as they experienced an audiovisual event contingent on their pulling. Maternal reports of infant temperament were also collected. Baseline vagal tone, a measure of parasympathetic regulation of the heart, was related to vagal levels during the infants’ contingency learning session, but not to their learner status. Vagal tone levels did not vary significantly over session minutes. Instead, vagal tone levels were a function of both individual differences in learner status and infant soothability. Vagal levels of infants who learned in the initial session were similar regardless of their soothability; however, vagal levels of infants who learned in a subsequent session differed as a function of soothability. Additionally, vagal levels during contingency disruption were significantly higher among infants in this group who were more soothable as opposed to those who were less soothable. The results suggest that contingency learning and disruption is associated with stable vagal tone in the majority of infants, but that individual differences in attention processes and state associated with vagal tone may be most readily observed during the disruption phase. PMID:26517573

Profile of the public health workforce: registered TRAIN learners in the United States.

PubMed

Jones, Jeffery A; Banks, Lois; Plotkin, Ilya; Chanthavongsa, Sunny; Walker, Nathan

2015-04-01

We analyzed data from the TrainingFinder Real-time Affiliate Integrated Network (TRAIN), the most widely used public health workforce training system in the United States, to describe the public health workforce and characteristics of individual public health workers. We extracted self-reported demographic data of 405,095 learners registered in the TRAIN online system in 2012. Mirroring the results of other public health workforce studies, TRAIN learners are disproportionately women, college educated, and White compared with the populations they serve. TRAIN learners live in every state and half of all zip codes, with a concentration in states whose public health departments are TRAIN affiliates. TRAIN learners' median age is 46 years, and one third of TRAIN learners will reach retirement age in the next 10 years. TRAIN data provide a limited but useful profile of public health workers and highlight the utility and limitations of using TRAIN for future research.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Silvia Elena; Savage, Timothy

2015-01-01

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

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Silvia Elena; Savage, Timothy

2016-01-01

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

Differences in Language Skills: Heritage Language Learner Subgroups and Foreign Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kondo-Brown, Kimi

2005-01-01

Using both proficiency tests and self-assessment measures, this study investigated (a) whether 3 subgroups of Japanese heritage language (JHL) learners would demonstrate language behaviors distinctively different from those of traditional Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) learners, and (b) which domains of language use and skills would…

Preferences for Interactional Feedback: Differences between Learners and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaivanpanah, Shiva; Alavi, Sayyed Mohammad; Sepehrinia, Sajjad

2015-01-01

The present study examines Iranian language learners' views on different types of oral corrective feedback and explores the relationship with learners' language proficiency. It then compares the learners' views with those of their teachers. The study is based on a 36-item questionnaire completed by 154 English as a foreign language (EFL) learners…

Contradictions in Theorizing and Implementing Communities in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Wolff-Michael; Lee, Yew-Jin

2006-01-01

Past educational improvement endeavors were fundamentally centered on the learner as an individual. This changed by the early 1990s after an increasing number of educators and researchers embraced sociocultural learning concepts such as "communities of practice," "communities of learners," and "knowledge-building communities." These ideas are…

Investigating the Determinants of Adults' Participation in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owusu-Agyeman, Yaw

2016-01-01

This study investigates the determinants of adult learners' participation in higher education in a lifelong learning environment. The author argues that the determinants of adult learners' participation in higher education include individual demands, state and institutional policy objectives and industry-driven demands rather than demographic…

Shared Pedagogical Understandings: Schoolwide Inclusion Practices Supporting Learner Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abawi, Lindy; Oliver, Mark

2013-01-01

Educational perspectives that recommend inclusion of children with special needs into mainstream classrooms remain a controversial topic. The Melbourne Declaration declares that all young Australians should be supported to become successful learners; confident and creative individuals; and active and informed citizens. So the question remains how…

Motivational Effects of Standardized Language Assessment on Chinese Young Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Chuqiao

2016-01-01

This review paper examines how standardized language assessment affects Chinese young learners' motivation for second-language learning. By presenting the historical and contemporary contexts of the testing system in China, this paper seeks to demonstrate the interrelationship among cultural, social, familial, and individual factors, which…

Designing Instruction for the Distance Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asunda, Paul A.

2010-01-01

A changing education landscape, diverse learner needs and technological advancements make this the perfect time for online and distance learning. Distance learning is increasingly becoming a preferred means for individuals to gain access to education and job preparation opportunities; this meets the public's learning needs "and" that of an…

The Intersection of Task-Based Interaction, Task Complexity, and Working Memory: L2 Question Development through Recasts in a Laboratory Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, YouJin; Payant, Caroline; Pearson, Pamela

2015-01-01

The extent to which individual differences in cognitive abilities affect the relationship among task complexity, attention to form, and second language development has been addressed only minimally in the cognition hypothesis literature. The present study explores how reasoning demands in tasks and working memory (WM) capacity predict learners'…

Achieving Flex in the Inflexible: Dealing with Individual Differences in Highly Structured EFL Preparatory College Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alghamdi, Fatimah M. A.; Alnowaiser, Sarah A. M.

2017-01-01

This study explores a field-motivated concern among English as a Foregin Language (EFL) teachers at a college preparatory English language program. The course syllabus for this program is fixed and systematically paced over four, seven-week modules. Despite formal assessment measures that result in placing the learners into four levels of English…

What I Don't Know Won't Hurt You: The Relation between Professed Ignorance and Later Knowledge Claims

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kushnir, Tamar; Koenig, Melissa A.

2017-01-01

Testimony is a valuable source of information for young learners, in particular if children maintain vigilance against errors while still being open to learning from imperfectly knowledgeable sources. We find support for this idea by examining how children evaluate individual speakers who present very different epistemic risks by being previously…

The Role of Initial Learning, Problem Features, Prior Knowledge, and Pattern Recognition on Transfer Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinsmore, Daniel L.; Baggetta, Peter; Doyle, Stephanie; Loughlin, Sandra M.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that transfer ability (positive and negative) varies depending on the nature of the problems, using the knowledge transfer matrix, as well as being dependent on the individual differences of the learner. A total of 178 participants from the United States and New Zealand completed measures of prior…

The Effects of Cognitive Styles on the Use of Hints in Academic English: A Learning Analytics Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Sherry Y.; Yeh, Chia-Chi

2017-01-01

Various hints have been proposed to scaffold students. Such hints can be broadly divided into direct hints and indirect hints. On the other hand, individual differences existed among learners. In particular, cognitive styles greatly affect student learning. However, there is a lack of studies to investigate how cognitive styles affect students'…

Individual Differences in Very Young Chinese Children's English Vocabulary Breadth and Semantic Depth: Internal and External Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, He; Steinkrauss, Rasmus; Wieling, Martijn; de Bot, Kees

2018-01-01

This study examines the English vocabulary development of 43 very young child English as a foreign language (FL) learners (age 3.2-6.2) in China. They were tested twice for vocabulary breadth (reception and production) and semantic depth (paradigmatic and syntagmatic vocabulary knowledge). The development of the English vocabulary knowledge…

"One Task Fits All"? The Roles of Task Complexity, Modality, and Working Memory Capacity in L2 Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zalbidea, Janire

2017-01-01

The present study explores the independent and interactive effects of task complexity and task modality on linguistic dimensions of second language (L2) performance and investigates how these effects are modulated by individual differences in working memory capacity. Thirty-two intermediate learners of L2 Spanish completed less and more complex…

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A Content Analysis of Peer-Reviewed Journal Papers from 2012 to 2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Azawei, Ahmed; Serenelli, Fabio; Lundqvist, Karsten

2016-01-01

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework is increasingly drawing the attention of researchers and educators as an effective solution for filling the gap between learner ability and individual differences. This study aims to analyse the content of twelve papers, where the UDL was adopted. The articles were chosen from several databases and…

Rehabilitation professionals' satisfaction with continuing education delivered at a distance using different technologies.

PubMed

Liu, Lili; Cook, Albert; Varnhagen, Stanley; Miyazaki, Masako

2004-01-01

This paper examines learner satisfaction with technologies used for distance delivery of continuing education across 10 Canadian sites: nine within the province of Alberta and one in Nunavut Territory. The technologies were satellite (or videotapes of) broadcasts, videoconferencing, and web-based technology. Learner satisfaction was evaluated using questionnaires. A survey on general issues related to continuing education was developed and mailed to random samples of health professionals and a convenience sample of stakeholders. The learners (n = 1,141) represented 20 types of health service providers who had attended at least one session delivered via satellite, videotape, or videoconferencing. Seven individuals completed the web-based course. Overall, the majority of participants were satisfied or very satisfied. In general, satellite delivery was received more favorably compared with videotapes of the same content. A total of 350 (33% response rate) health professionals and 37 (50% response rate) stakeholders returned the surveys. Nearly 50% of health professionals thought that clinical case presentations (rounds) were valuable to them, but over half of the stakeholders perceived that videotapes, rounds, and research seminars were valuable to health professionals. Ratings for the web-based course varied, indicating different learner characteristics. We conclude that it is possible to utilize multiple technologies to meet the continuing education needs of an interdisciplinary group of health service providers, but future research is needed to develop a framework for evaluating the usability of multiple existing and emerging technologies for distance education.

Individual characteristics of language learners in lesson planning for specific purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivleva, N. V.

2016-04-01

This paper provides a summary of internationally recognized methods and approaches in teaching foreign languages with the focus on teaching foreign languages for specific purposes. It also covers the idea of mastering a foreign language through knowing speech units which are necessary for individual language learners in the professional area with due regard to criteria provided by the author. The criteria were developed on the basis of the theory on adaptation of complex systems and also observation in the teaching process.

Evolution of social versus individual learning in a subdivided population revisited: comparative analysis of three coexistence mechanisms using the inclusive-fitness method.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Yutaka; Ohtsuki, Hisashi

2014-03-01

Learning abilities are categorized into social (learning from others) and individual learning (learning on one's own). Despite the typically higher cost of individual learning, there are mechanisms that allow stable coexistence of both learning modes in a single population. In this paper, we investigate by means of mathematical modeling how the effect of spatial structure on evolutionary outcomes of pure social and individual learning strategies depends on the mechanisms for coexistence. We model a spatially structured population based on the infinite-island framework and consider three scenarios that differ in coexistence mechanisms. Using the inclusive-fitness method, we derive the equilibrium frequency of social learners and the genetic load of social learning (defined as average fecundity reduction caused by the presence of social learning) in terms of some summary statistics, such as relatedness, for each of the three scenarios and compare the results. This comparative analysis not only reconciles previous models that made contradictory predictions as to the effect of spatial structure on the equilibrium frequency of social learners but also derives a simple mathematical rule that determines the sign of the genetic load (i.e. whether or not social learning contributes to the mean fecundity of the population). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Don’t Assume Deaf Students are Visual Learners

PubMed Central

Marschark, Marc; Paivio, Allan; Spencer, Linda J.; Durkin, Andreana; Borgna, Georgianna; Convertino, Carol; Machmer, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

In the education of deaf learners, from primary school to postsecondary settings, it frequently is suggested that deaf students are visual learners. That assumption appears to be based on the visual nature of signed languages—used by some but not all deaf individuals—and the fact that with greater hearing losses, deaf students will rely relatively more on vision than audition. However, the questions of whether individuals with hearing loss are more likely to be visual learners than verbal learners or more likely than hearing peers to be visual learners have not been empirically explored. Several recent studies, in fact, have indicated that hearing learners typically perform as well or better than deaf learners on a variety of visual-spatial tasks. The present study used two standardized instruments to examine learning styles among college deaf students who primarily rely on sign language or spoken language and their hearing peers. The visual-verbal dimension was of particular interest. Consistent with recent indirect findings, results indicated that deaf students are no more likely than hearing students to be visual learners and are no stronger in their visual skills and habits than their verbal skills and habits, nor are deaf students’ visual orientations associated with sign language skills. The results clearly have specific implications for the educating of deaf learners. PMID:28344430

Individual and Institutional Components of the Medical School Educational Environment.

PubMed

Gruppen, Larry D; Stansfield, R Brent

2016-11-01

To examine, using a systems framework, the relative influence of individual-level and institution-level factors on student perceptions of the medical school educational environment. A series of hierarchical linear models were fit to a large, 18-school longitudinal dataset of student perceptions of the educational environment, various demographics, and student empathy, tolerance of ambiguity, coping, and patient-provider orientation. Separate models were evaluated for individual-level factors alone, institution-level factors alone, and the combination of individual- and institution-level factors. The individual-level model accounted for 56.7% of the variance in student perceptions of the educational environment. However, few specific variables at the individual level had noteworthy direct effects on these perceptions. Similarly, the institution-level model accounted for 10.3% of the variance in student perceptions, but the specific characteristics of the institution explained little of this impact. The combined individual- and institution-level model attributed 45.5% of the variance in student perceptions to individual-level factors and 10.8% to institution-level factors. Again, specific variables explained little of this impact. These findings indicate that the impact of individual-level factors on perceptions of the educational environment is about four times greater than institution-level factors. This contrast reflects the fact that the educational environment is defined through a learner, not institutional lens. Nonetheless, institutions vary in learner perceptions of their environments, and these differences may provide some support for institutional initiatives to improve the educational environment. More broadly, these results evidence the complexity of the educational environment, both in defining it and in understanding its dynamics.

When study abroad experience fails to deliver: The internal resources threshold effect

PubMed Central

Sunderman, Gretchen; Kroll, Judith F.

2009-01-01

Some second language (L2) learners return from study abroad experiences with seemingly no change in their L2 ability. In this study we investigate whether a certain level of internal cognitive resources is necessary in order for individuals to take full advantage of the study abroad experience. Specifically, we examined the role of working memory resources in lexical comprehension and production for learners who had or had not studied abroad. Participants included native English learners of Spanish. Participants completed a translation recognition task and a picture-naming task. The results suggest that individuals who lack a certain threshold of working memory resources are unable to benefit from the study abroad context in terms of being able to produce accurately in the L2. PMID:19714256

Personal Learning Environments: A Solution for Self-Directed Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haworth, Ryan

2016-01-01

In this paper I discuss "personal learning environments" and their diverse benefits, uses, and implications for life-long learning. Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) are Web 2.0 and social media technologies that enable individual learners the ability to manage their own learning. Self-directed learning is explored as a foundation…

"The Lunch Date": A Video for Developing Cultural Self-Awareness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallavan, Nancy P.; Ramirez, Maria G.

2005-01-01

Effective teacher education should guide preservice and practicing teachers in comprehending and facilitating educational concepts and pedagogical practices that examine and promote equity for all learners. Teachers and young learners benefit from sundry opportunities to recognize their self identities and to celebrate both individual and shared…

Self-Assembling Texts & Courses of Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, David

This paper describes the development of an interoperable meta-database system--a system of applications using metadata--that is intended to facilitate learner-centered collaboration, access to learning resources, and the fitness of channels of information to the emerging needs of learners at both individual and group levels. Highlights include:…

Scrutinizing the Factors Affecting Fluency of English among Arab Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Ghazali, Fawzi

2017-01-01

This research study investigates the cognitive, psychological and personal factors affecting the accuracy and fluency of English language usage among Arab learners. Early research led by Chomsky (1965) and Krashen (1981) suggested that an individual's Language Acquisition Device once triggered at the appropriate time and supported with adequate…

CAVL: Does It Develop Learner's Attitude?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maleki, Hojjat; Ghasemi, Ali Aaghar; Moharami, Mehdi

2015-01-01

Individual's response to anything related to the immediate context can form attitudes concerning the learning situation where the language is taught. As an attempt to shed new light on the issues relevant to attitude, this study investigated the extent to which a Computer-Assisted Vocabulary Learning (CAVL), Mandegar, can improve learners'…

Goals, the Learner, and the Language Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ediger, Marlow

Teachers, principals, and supervisors need to determine the kinds of learners being taught in the school/class setting. Are pupils good by nature, bad, or neutral? Concepts held pertaining to each pupil assist in determining objectives, learning activities, and evaluation techniques. The Puritans believed that individuals were born evil or sinful.…

Intelligent Tutoring Systems and Learning Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Wenting; Adesope, Olusola O.; Nesbit, John C.; Liu, Qing

2014-01-01

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) are computer programs that model learners' psychological states to provide individualized instruction. They have been developed for diverse subject areas (e.g., algebra, medicine, law, reading) to help learners acquire domain-specific, cognitive and metacognitive knowledge. A meta-analysis was conducted on…

Deaf Adult Literacy Tutor Handbook--Revision (Final Report).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bober, Gail, Comp.

This handbook is designed for individuals who tutor hearing impaired adults in literacy skills. It provides general information about a number of topics: adult learners; deaf adult learners; deaf awareness; deaf culture; communication tips; language, communication, and literacy for deaf adults; and teaching strategies. A 13-page report describes…

Disproportionate Classification of ESL Students in U.S. Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Nicole; Inserra, Albert

2013-01-01

This study explores the possible causes behind the disproportionate percentages of English language learners (ELLs) classified into U.S. special education. Elementary school classroom teachers were examined, from school districts that exhibited growth in the percentage of English language learners with Individual Education Plans during 2007-2010.…

Understanding Online Knowledge Sharing: An Interpersonal Relationship Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Will W. K.; Yuen, Allan H. K.

2011-01-01

The unique features and capabilities of online learning are built on the ability to connect to a wider range of learning resources and peer learners that benefit individual learners, such as through discussion forums, collaborative learning, and community building. The success of online learning thus depends on the participation, engagement, and…

Restrictive Language Policy in Practice: English Learners in Arizona

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heineke, Amy J.

2016-01-01

As the most restrictive language policy context in the United States, Arizona's monolingual and prescriptive approach to teaching English learners continues to capture international attention. More than five school years after initial implementation, this study uses qualitative data from the individuals doing the policy work to provide a holistic…

Adjunct Faculty: Perceptions of Motivation and Challenges of Teaching Adult Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Jennifer Louise

2014-01-01

Adjunct faculty members have become predominant within North American colleges and universities as the individuals tasked with teaching non-traditional learners. The post-secondary education industry has seen the adjunct population more than double between the years 1967 and 2000 ("Trend," 2000; Wilson, 1998). The institutions have…

The Dynamic Interplay among EFL Learners' Ambiguity Tolerance, Adaptability, Cultural Intelligence, Learning Approach, and Language Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alahdadi, Shadi; Ghanizadeh, Afsaneh

2017-01-01

A key objective of education is to prepare individuals to be fully-functioning learners. This entails developing the cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, cultural, and emotional competencies. The present study aimed to examine the interrelationships among adaptability, tolerance of ambiguity, cultural intelligence, learning approach, and…

Language Learning, Social Identity, and Immigrant Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peirce, Bonny Norton

This paper argues, using a feminist poststructuralist perspective, that second language acquisition (SLA) theorists have struggled to explore the relationship between the language learner and the social world because they do not question how structures of power in the social world impact on individual language learners and the opportunities they…

Matching Learning Style to Instructional Method: Effects on Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogowsky, Beth A.; Calhoun, Barbara M.; Tallal, Paula

2015-01-01

While it is hypothesized that providing instruction based on individuals' preferred learning styles improves learning (i.e., reading for visual learners and listening for auditory learners, also referred to as the "meshing hypothesis"), after a critical review of the literature Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer, and Bjork (2008) concluded that…

Upingakuneng (When They Are Ready): Dynamic Assessment in a Third Semester Yugtun Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siekmann, Sabine; Charles, Walkie

2011-01-01

Set against instructional practices that promote competition and individual performance, Dynamic Assessment, in our view, offers a more appropriate form of pedagogy for learners from cultural backgrounds that favour cooperation during joint activity. Indeed, these learners appear to be disadvantaged when negotiating the contrasting values and…

Improving Participation and Success in VET for Disadvantaged Learners. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamb, Stephen; Maire, Quentin; Walstab, Anne; Newman, Graeme; Doecke, Esther; Davies, Merryn

2018-01-01

Improving the educational outcomes of the various disadvantaged groups, such as Indigenous Australians, people with a disability, learners with low prior educational attainment and individuals from non-English speaking backgrounds, is a focus of many government policy initiatives centred on social inclusion. This research takes a regional approach…

Authentic Learning Experience: Subtle but Useful Ways to Provide It in Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watagodakumbura, Chandana

2013-01-01

Authentic learning is conceptualised as an individualised experience learners undergo fulfilling their unique psychological as well as neurological needs. It provides a deep, more lasting experience and ideally assessed through generic attributes that are related to individual learners' intrinsic characteristics, spanning throughout the life.…

PERKAM: Personalized Knowledge Awareness Map for Computer Supported Ubiquitous Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-Bishouty, Moushir M.; Ogata, Hiroaki; Yano, Yoneo

2007-01-01

This paper introduces a ubiquitous computing environment in order to support the learners while doing tasks; this environment is called PERKAM (PERsonalized Knowledge Awareness Map). PERKAM allows the learners to share knowledge, interact, collaborate, and exchange individual experiences. It utilizes the RFID ubiquities technology to detect the…

Dynamic Courseware Generation on the WWW.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vassileva, Julita; Deters, Ralph

1998-01-01

The Dynamic Courseware Generator (DCG), which runs on a Web server, was developed for the authoring of adaptive computer-assisted learning courses. It generates an individual course according to the learner's goals and previous knowledge, and dynamically adapts the course according to the learner's success in knowledge acquisition. The tool may be…

Interactive Whiteboards: Real Beauty or Just "Lipstick"?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slay, Hannah; Sieborger, Ingrid; Hodgkinson-Williams, Cheryl

2008-01-01

There has been extensive investment by governments and individual schools in interactive whiteboard technology in developed countries premised on the assumption that their use in education will impact positively on learners' achievements. Developing countries, such as South Africa, keen to raise attainment among their learners are following suit.…

Test Review: Process Assessment of the Learner-Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Lisa S.; Martinez, Andrew; Turner, Terez L.

2010-01-01

This article presents a review of the "Process Assessment of the Learner-Second Edition" (PAL-II), an individual or group-administered instrument designed to assess the cognitive processes involved in academic tasks in kindergarten through sixth grade. The instrument allows the examiner to identify reasons for underachievement and…

Exploring student preferences with a Q-sort: the development of an individualized renal physiology curriculum.

PubMed

Roberts, John K; Hargett, Charles W; Nagler, Alisa; Jakoi, Emma; Lehrich, Ruediger W

2015-09-01

Medical education reform is underway, but the optimal course for change has yet to be seen. While planning for the redesign of a renal physiology course at the Duke School of Medicine, the authors used a Q-sort survey to assess students' attitudes and learning preferences to inform curricular change. The authors invited first-year medical students at the Duke School of Medicine to take a Q-sort survey on the first day of renal physiology. Students prioritized statements related to their understanding of renal physiology, learning preferences, preferred course characteristics, perceived clinical relevance of renal physiology, and interest in nephrology as a career. By-person factor analysis was performed using the centroid method. Three dominant factors were strongly defined by learning preferences: "readers" prefer using notes, a textbook, and avoid lectures; "social-auditory learners" prefer attending lectures, interactivity, and working with peers; and "visual learners" prefer studying images, diagrams, and viewing materials online. A smaller, fourth factor represented a small group of students with a strong predisposition against renal physiology and nephrology. In conclusion, the Q-sort survey identified and then described in detail the dominant viewpoints of our students. Learning style preferences better classified first-year students rather than any of the other domains. A more individualized curriculum would simultaneously cater to the different types of learners in the classroom. Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.

Specialized hybrid learners resolve Rogers' paradox about the adaptive value of social learning.

PubMed

Kharratzadeh, Milad; Montrey, Marcel; Metz, Alex; Shultz, Thomas R

2017-02-07

Culture is considered an evolutionary adaptation that enhances reproductive fitness. A common explanation is that social learning, the learning mechanism underlying cultural transmission, enhances mean fitness by avoiding the costs of individual learning. This explanation was famously contradicted by Rogers (1988), who used a simple mathematical model to show that cheap social learning can invade a population without raising its mean fitness. He concluded that some crucial factor remained unaccounted for, which would reverse this surprising result. Here we extend this model to include a more complex environment and limited resources, where individuals cannot reliably learn everything about the environment on their own. Under such conditions, cheap social learning evolves and enhances mean fitness, via hybrid learners capable of specializing their individual learning. We then show that while spatial or social constraints hinder the evolution of hybrid learners, a novel social learning strategy, complementary copying, can mitigate these effects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Revisiting cognitive and learning styles in computer-assisted instruction: not so useful after all.

PubMed

Cook, David A

2012-06-01

In a previous systematic review, the author proposed that adaptation to learners' cognitive and learning styles (CLSs) could improve the efficiency of computer-assisted instruction (CAI). In the present article, he questions that proposition, arguing that CLSs do not make a substantive difference in CAI. To support this argument, the author performed an updated systematic literature search, pooled new findings with those from the previous review, and reinterpreted this evidence with a focus on aptitude-treatment interactions. (An aptitude-treatment interaction occurs when a student with attribute 1 learns better with instructional approach A than with approach B, whereas a student with attribute 2 learns better with instructional approach B).Of 65 analyses reported in 48 studies, only 9 analyses (14%) showed significant interactions between CLS and instructional approach. It seems that aptitude-treatment interactions with CLSs are at best infrequent and small in magnitude. There are several possible explanations for this lack of effect. First, the influence of strong instructional methods likely dominates the impact of CLSs. Second, current methods for assessing CLSs lack validity evidence and are inadequate to accurately characterize the individual learner. Third, theories are vague, and empiric evidence is virtually nonexistent to guide the planning of style-targeted instructional designs. Adaptation to learners' CLSs thus seems unlikely to enhance CAI. The author recommends that educators focus on employing strong instructional methods. Educators might also consider assessing and adapting to learners' prior knowledge or allowing learners to select among alternate instructional approaches.

Quality indicators for learner-centered postgraduate medical e-learning

PubMed Central

Westerman, Michiel; Scheele, Fedde

2017-01-01

Objectives The objectives of this study were to identify the needs and expectations of learners and educational experts in postgraduate medical e-learning, and to contribute to the current literature. Methods We performed four focus-group discussions with e-learning end-users (learners) and didactic experts. The participants were postgraduate learners with varying levels of experience, educational experts from a Dutch e-learning task group, and commercial experts from a Dutch e-learning company. Verbatim transcribed interview recordings were analyzed using King’s template analysis. The initial template was created with reference to recent literature on postgraduate medical e-learning quality indicators. The transcripts were coded, after which the emerging differences in template interpretation were discussed until a consensus was reached within the team. Results The final template consisted of three domains of positive e-learning influencers (motivators, learning enhancers, and real-world translation) and three domains of negatively influential parameters (barriers, learning discouragers, and poor preparation). The interpretation of the final template showed three subjects which form the basis of e-learning, namely, Motivate, Learn and Apply. Conclusions This study forms a basis for learning in general and could be applied to many educational instruments. Individual characteristics should be adapted to the target audience. Three subjects form the basis of, and six themes cover all items needed for, good (enough) postgraduate e-learning. Further research should be carried out with learners and real-world e-learning to validate this template. PMID:28456781

Adaptive Learning in Medical Education: The Final Piece of Technology Enhanced Learning?

PubMed

Sharma, Neel; Doherty, Iain; Dong, Chaoyan

2017-09-01

Technology enhanced learning (TEL) is now common practice in the field of medical education. One of the primary examples of its use is that of high fidelity simulation and computerised mannequins. Further examples include online learning modules, electronic portfolios, virtual patient interactions, massive open online courses and the flipped classroom movement. The rise of TEL has occurred primarily due to the ease of internet access enabling the retrieval and sharing of information in an instant. Furthermore, the compact nature of internet ready devices such as smartphones and laptops has meant that access to information can occur anytime and anywhere. From an educational perspective however, the current utilisation of TEL has been hindered by its lack of understanding of learners' needs. This is concerning, particularly as evidence highlights that during medical training, each individual learner has their own learning requirements and often achieves competency at different rates. In view of this, there has been interest in ensuring TEL is more learner aware and that the learning process should be more personalised. Adaptive learning can aim to achieve this by ensuring content is delivered according to the needs of the learner. This commentary highlights the move towards adaptive learning and the benefits of such an intervention.

Spacing Effects in Vocabulary Learning: Young EFL Learners in Focus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lotfolahi, Amir Reza; Salehi, Hadi

2017-01-01

This study used a novel method to explore different schedules of spacing in young EFL learners. In doing so, we taught young EFL learners English-Farsi word pairs using different spacing schedules (massed vs. spaced). In the massed condition, learners studied five-word pairs in session one and five-other word pairs one week later. In the spaced…

Learning in a Different Era: "Do Our Education Systems Do Enough to Enable Learners to Flourish as Independent, Autonomous and Well-Balanced Individuals?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Kai-ming

2015-01-01

There is a prime necessity to make a distinction between "education" and "learning." Learning is a human instinct. Education is not. Education is about learning processes designed by adults for the young. In the past two centuries in the industrial era, education has developed into society-wide "school" systems. Young…

The Domain of Cognition: An Alternative to Bloom's Cognitive Domain within the Framework of an Information Processing Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stahl, Robert J.; Murphy, Gary T.

Weaknesses in the structure, levels, and sequence of Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive domains emphasize the need for both a new model of how individual learners process information and a new taxonomy of the different levels of memory, thinking, and learning. Both the model and the taxonomy should be consistent with current research findings. The…

The Role of School and Individual Differences in the Academic Attainment of Learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: A Multi-Level Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphrey, Neil; Wigelsworth, Michael; Barlow, Alexandra; Squires, Garry

2013-01-01

Students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at a greatly increased risk of poor academic outcomes. Understanding the factors that influence their attainment is a crucial first step towards developing more effective provision. In the current study we present a multi-level, natural variation analysis which highlights…

Bringing Chatbots into education: Towards Natural Language Negotiation of Open Learner Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerlyl, Alice; Hall, Phil; Bull, Susan

There is an extensive body of work on Intelligent Tutoring Systems: computer environments for education, teaching and training that adapt to the needs of the individual learner. Work on personalisation and adaptivity has included research into allowing the student user to enhance the system's adaptivity by improving the accuracy of the underlying learner model. Open Learner Modelling, where the system's model of the user's knowledge is revealed to the user, has been proposed to support student reflection on their learning. Increased accuracy of the learner model can be obtained by the student and system jointly negotiating the learner model. We present the initial investigations into a system to allow people to negotiate the model of their understanding of a topic in natural language. This paper discusses the development and capabilities of both conversational agents (or chatbots) and Intelligent Tutoring Systems, in particular Open Learner Modelling. We describe a Wizard-of-Oz experiment to investigate the feasibility of using a chatbot to support negotiation, and conclude that a fusion of the two fields can lead to developing negotiation techniques for chatbots and the enhancement of the Open Learner Model. This technology, if successful, could have widespread application in schools, universities and other training scenarios.

When Less Is More in Cognitive Diagnosis: A Rapid Online Method for Diagnosing Learner Task-Specific Expertise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalyuga, Slava

2008-01-01

Rapid cognitive diagnosis allows measuring current levels of learner domain-specific knowledge in online learning environments. Such measures are required for individualizing instructional support in real time, as students progress through a learning session. This article describes 2 experiments designed to validate a rapid online diagnostic…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muth, Bill; Kiser, Madeline

2008-01-01

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

Meaningful Reading Gains by Adult Literacy Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarborough, Hollis S.; Sabatini, John P.; Shore, Jane; Cutting, Laurie E.; Pugh, Kenneth; Katz, Leonard

2013-01-01

To obtain a fuller picture of the efficacy of reading instruction programs for adult literacy learners, gains by individual students were examined in a sample (n = 148) in which weak to moderate gains at the group level had been obtained in response to tutoring interventions that focused on strengthening basic decoding and fluency skills of low…

What Should We Do With a Hidden Curriculum When We Fine One?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Jane R.

1976-01-01

A hidden curriculum consists of those learning states of a setting that are either unintended or intended but not openly acknowledged to the learners in the setting unless the learners are aware of them. Consciousness-raising may be the best weapon of individuals who are subject to hidden curricula. (Author/MLF)

"It Ain't Hard No More!" Individualizing Instruction for Struggling Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stover, Katie; Sparrow, Amanda; Siefert, Bobbi

2017-01-01

Despite sound instructional practices to develop foundational reading skills with young learners, numerous learners continue to lag behind in literacy learning. Many do not view themselves as readers, lack motivation, and become disengaged with learning in general. This article shares a research-based instructional framework developed by one of…

Educating English Language Learners: Instructional Approaches and Teacher Collaboration in Philadelphia Public Schools. PERC Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reumann-Moore, Rebecca; Rowland, Jeannette; Hughes, Rosemary; Lin, Joshua

2016-01-01

Districts, charter management organizations, and individual schools can learn a great deal from each other about strategies for creating robust and supportive learning environments for English Language Learners (ELLS). This brief highlights key findings about how Philadelphia public schools were crafting instructional approaches to serve their…

Supporting Adolescent English Language Learners' Reading in the Content Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klingner, Janette K.; Boardman, Alison G.; Eppolito, Amy M.; Schonewise, Estella Almanza

2012-01-01

Adolescent English language learners (ELLs) with learning difficulties face many challenges when reading in the content areas. In this article, we review what research tells us about how best to support ELLs' reading comprehension and content learning. We draw from recent research syntheses as well as individual studies. We highlight one…

A Program for Counseling and Campus Support Services for African American and Latino Adult Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gary, Juneau Mahan; Kling, Beverly; Dodd, Betty N.

2004-01-01

This study describes counseling and support services for African American and Latino adult learners that reduce barriers to graduation. Procedures adapted traditional counseling by (a) using faculty counselors and (b) including gender-, culture-, and adult-based perspectives in individual and group counseling and peer support. Support relevant to…

Developing "Reflective" Development Practitioners through an Action-Learning Curriculum: Problems and Challenges in a South African Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luckett, S.; Luckett, K.

1999-01-01

A South African university's community development program attempted to integrate Checkland's soft-systems method into Kolb's learning-cycle theory. Evaluation revealed shortcomings in the curriculum design, including the assumption of learner autonomy, necessity of assessing students individually, and difficulty of allowing learners to construct…

Adult Learners as Graduate Students: Underlying Motivation in Completing Graduate Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hegarty, Niall

2011-01-01

The majority of graduate part-time programs are fueled by adult learners seeking to enhance their human capital and advance professional careers. In contrast, degree-granting programs seek to impart knowledge and advance learning in a particular discipline. At this intersection lies the individual student's motivation to satisfy their personal…

Acceptance of Competency-Based Workplace e-Learning Systems: Effects of Individual and Peer Learning Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Bo; Wang, Minhong; Yang, Stephen J. H.; Kinshuk; Peng, Jun

2011-01-01

Current endeavors to integrate competency-based learning approaches with e-learning systems designed for delivery of training to adult learners in the workplace are growing. However, academic efforts in examining learners' perceptions of, and reactions toward, this technology-delivered pedagogical innovation are limited. Drawing together…

A Sociocognitive Perspective on Second Language Classroom Willingness to Communicate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cao, Yiqian

2014-01-01

This article reports on a multiple case study that investigated the dynamic and situated nature of learners' willingness to communicate (WTC) in second language (L2) classrooms. Framed within a sociocognitive perspective on L2 learning which draws together social, environmental, and individual factors, this study traced WTC among six learners of…

Preparing Teachers of English Language Learners. TQ Connection Issue Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGraner, Kristin L.; Saenz, Laura

2009-01-01

More than 5 million English language learners (ELLs) attend school in the United States (Ballantyne, Sanderman, & Levy, 2008). This population has increased by approximately 57 percent during the last decade, drawing sharp attention to the individual and instructional needs of students who are nonnative speakers of English (Ballantyne et al.,…

Innovating from the Inside: Teacher Influence and the "Promisingness" of Digital Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cloonan, Anne; Hutchison, Kirsten; Paatsch, Louise

2014-01-01

In line with global trends, Australian educational policy emphatically recognises the need for contemporary learners to be digitally literate, with provision of "one-to-one" devices to individual learners in schools a major implementation strategy. However, without teacher commitment, the benefits of such investment in one-to-one…

Inclusive Instruction: Evidence-Based Practices for Teaching Students with Disabilities. What Works for Special-Needs Learners Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brownell, Mary T.; Smith, Sean J.; Crockett, Jean B.; Griffin, Cynthia C.

2012-01-01

This accessible book presents research-based strategies for supporting K-8 students with high-incidence disabilities to become accomplished learners. The authors clearly describe the core components of effective inclusive instruction, showing how to recognize and respond to individual students' needs quickly and appropriately. Teachers are…

Providing Services for Learners with Severe Disabilities: A Workbook for Developing Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stremel, Kathleen; Wilson, Rebecca

This workbook for developing communication in learners with severe disabilities is from the Mississippi Early Education Program for Children with Multiple Disabilities, a program designed to train Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part H service coordinators and service providers to use family centered strategies. The objective of the…

Beyond the Fringe: A Framework for Assessing Teach-Yourself Materials for ab initio English-Speaking Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Francis R.

1993-01-01

A detailed, nonimpressionistic assessment checklist is presented for teach-yourself language packages. Two example research applications are given: a survey of a range of course packages, and an analysis of the patterns of materials used by an individual learner of Hungarian. (39 references) (Author/LB)

Teaching Reading Comprehension to Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Predictors of Teacher Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Accardo, Amy L.; Finnegan, Elizabeth G.; Gulkus, Steven P.; Papay, Clare K.

2017-01-01

Learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit difficulty in the area of reading comprehension. Research connecting the learning needs of individuals with ASD, existing effective practices, teacher training, and teacher perceptions of their own ability to teach reading comprehension is scarce. Quantitative survey methodology and…

Effective Teaching Strategies According to Fifth Grade Students: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomez, Adlin Yanina

2009-01-01

This study identified learners' perspectives on the most effective teaching strategies. Professionals in the field of education have worked to increase educational achievement and success by exploring ways to match instructional strategies with individual learning styles. The voices of the learners have seldom been considered in this effort. The…

The Impact of ICT Use on New Millennium Learners' Educational Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Myunghee; Heo, Heeok; Kim, Minjeong

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) use on the educational performance of new millennium learners (NMLs). Even though many factors might influence individual performance besides ICT use itself, the research focus was on the relationship between the behavioral patterns of…

Learning Strategy Patterns and Instructional Preferences of Career and Technical Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ausburn, Lynna J.; Brown, Dovie

2006-01-01

In an effort to individualize instruction and improve the effectiveness of instructor-learner transactions, education and instructional research has addressed a wide assortment of learner variables and assessed their relationships to instructional methods and environments. Adult education has recently seen the development by Conti and Kolody of a…

Adult Learners' Satisfaction and Its Relation to Characteristics of the Individual and the Educational Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boeren, Ellen; Nicaise, Ides; Baert, Herman

2012-01-01

This article explores satisfactory learning experiences of adult learners in Flemish formal adult education. Satisfaction is an important issue in motivational psychology. We used the Comprehensive Lifelong Learning Participation Model of Boeren, Nicaise and Baert and explored whether satisfactory experiences relate to characteristics of the…

An Analysis of Spanish L2 Learners' Orientation through Activity Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tocaimaza-Hatch, C. Cecilia

2015-01-01

Orientation is defined as the way in which individuals view a task and the means they devise to fulfill it (Appel & Lantolf, 1994; Roebuck, 2000). This study investigated the orientation of twelve learners enrolled in a fourth-semester Spanish L2 university course through the analysis of their interactions during a collaborative…

Developing the BIO Questionnaire: A Bilingual Parent Report Tool for Prekindergarten English Learners of Latino Heritage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardin, Belinda J.; Scott-Little, Catherine; Mereoiu, Mariana

2013-01-01

With the increasing number of preschool-age children of Latino heritage entering U.S. schools comes a growing need to accurately determine children's individual needs and identify potential disabilities, beginning with the screening process. Unfortunately, teachers face many challenges when screening English language learners. Often, parents have…

An e-Learning System with MR for Experiments Involving Circuit Construction to Control a Robot

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takemura, Atsushi

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a novel e-Learning system for technological experiments involving electronic circuit-construction and controlling robot motion that are necessary in the field of technology. The proposed system performs automated recognition of circuit images transmitted from individual learners and automatically supplies the learner with…

Differentiating for Young, Curious, and Imaginative Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smutny, Joan Franklin

2012-01-01

To meet the needs of young gifted and talented learners, teachers need the flexibility to respond to individual needs without the stress of extra planning and preparation. Certainly, some planning comes into play. Engaging the gifts and interests of these students in a way that is also reasonable presents a unique challenge. One of the most…

Exploring Prospective EFL Teachers' Perceived Self-Efficacy and Beliefs on English Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genç, Gülten; Kulusakli, Emine; Aydin, Savas

2016-01-01

Learners' perceived self-efficacy and beliefs on English language learning are important in education. Taking into consideration the important impact of individual variables on language learning, this study seeks to highlight the relationship between Turkish EFL learners' beliefs about language learning and their sense of self-efficacy. The…

Contextually Relevant Pedagogical Agents: Visual Appearance, Stereotypes, and First Impressions and Their Impact on Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veletsianos, George

2010-01-01

Humans draw on their stereotypic beliefs to make assumptions about others. Even though prior research has shown that individuals respond socially to media, there is little evidence with regards to learners stereotyping and categorizing pedagogical agents. This study investigated whether learners stereotype a pedagogical agent as being…

The Influence of Content on Adult L2 Learners' Task Motivation: An Interest Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poupore, Glen

2014-01-01

This study investigates the influence of content-related conditions on adult second language learners' task motivation during interactive tasks. It also aims to identify what is referred to as interestingness conditions within task content, that is, elements that are intrinsically interesting to most individuals. The investigation was conducted…

As technology and generations in medical education change, what remains is the intersection between educator, learners, assessment and context.

PubMed

Azzam, Amin

2013-06-01

The information era has begun to create major shifts in educational systems, including those in undergraduate medical and graduate psychiatric training programmes. Despite these changes, teaching and learning in formal educational settings remains predominately the product of the intersection between educator, learners, assessment and context. This article reviews intrinsic and external forces influencing each of these elements, such as intergenerational differences in teaching and learning styles, education technologies as they relate to delivery and maintenance of curricula, competency frameworks of assessment, and individual learning and teaching development plans. Maintaining a focus on the relationship between these factors and re-conceptualizing psychiatric education and formal medical education systems in general as a mutual two-way learning exchange between participants will promote careers of lifelong learning.

All for one and one for all: understanding health professionals' experience in individual versus collaborative online learning.

PubMed

MacNeill, Heather; Telner, Deanna; Sparaggis-Agaliotis, Alexandra; Hanna, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) may facilitate continuing interprofessional education while overcoming barriers of time and place for busy health care professionals. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences, advantages, and challenges of group versus individual online learning. Fifteen multidisciplinary health professionals participated in a 12-week online course on either diabetes or traumatic brain injury. This consisted of background e-modules and a longitudinal build-a-case exercise, done either individually or as a group. Focus group sessions exploring participants' experiences after course completion and at 4 months were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed for recurring themes. Participant reflection homework and video-recorded group sessions were used for triangulation of results. Individual learners appreciated the flexibility and control, but experienced decreased motivation. Group learners appreciated the immediate feedback from their co-learners and felt social pressure to come to the weekly sessions prepared but expressed challenges in determining group goal-setting for the session. Both groups felt they learned about interprofessional roles; however, group learners described a richer learning experience and understanding of interprofessional roles through the online collaboration exercise. The intense resources necessary for interprofessional CSCL, including time, faculty development, and technological issues, are described. CSCL is a valuable educational strategy in online learning. While individual online learning may be better suited for short and simple educational interventions such as knowledge acquisition, CSCL seems to allow for richer and deeper learning in complex and interprofessional educational experiences. However, strategies, resources, and faculty development required to enhance CSCL need to be addressed carefully. © 2014 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on Continuing Medical Education, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

Profiling Perceptual Learning Styles of Chinese as a Second Language Learners in University Settings.

PubMed

Sun, Peijian Paul; Teng, Lin Sophie

2017-12-01

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

Effectiveness of applying flipped learning to clinical nursing practicums for nursing students in Korea: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun Sook; Kim, Mi Young; Cho, Mi-Kyoung; Jang, Sun Joo

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to develop flipped learning models for clinical practicums and compare their effectiveness regarding learner motivation toward learning, satisfaction, and confidence in performing core nursing skills among undergraduate nursing students in Korea. This study was a randomized clinical trial designed to compare the effectiveness of 2 flipped learning models. Data were collected for 3 days from October 21 to 23, 2015 before the clinical practicum was implemented and for 2 weeks from October 26 to December 18, 2015 during the practicum period. The confidence of the students in performing core nursing skills was likely to increase after they engaged in the clinical practicum in both study groups. However, while learner confidence and motivation were not affected by the type of flipped learning, learner satisfaction did differ between the 2 groups. The findings indicate that applying flipped learning allows students to conduct individualized learning with a diversity of clinical cases at their own level of understanding and at their own pace before they participate in real-world practicums. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Morningness-eveningness preferences, learning approach and academic achievement of undergraduate medical students.

PubMed

Akram, Nimra; Khan, Naheed; Ameen, Mehreen; Mahmood, Shahmeera; Shamim, Komal; Amin, Marium; Rana, Qurrat Ul Ain

2018-05-15

Several studies have focused on determining the effect of chronotype and learning approach on academic achievement separately indicating that morning types have an academic advantage over the evening types and so have the deep learners over the surface learners. But, surprisingly none have assessed the possible relationship between chronotype and learning approach. So, the current study aimed to evaluate this association and their individual influence on academic performance as indicated by the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) as well as the effect of their interaction on academic performance. The study included 345 undergraduate medical students who responded to reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and Biggs Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire. Morning types indulged in deep learning while evening types in surface learning. Morning and evening types did not differ on academic performance but deep learners had better academic outcomes than their counterparts. The interaction between chronotype and learning approach was significant on determining academic achievement. Our findings gave the impression that chronotype could have an impact on academic performance not directly but indirectly through learning approaches.

Evaluation of a learner-designed course for teaching health research skills in Ghana

PubMed Central

Bates, Imelda; Ansong, Daniel; Bedu-Addo, George; Agbenyega, Tsiri; Akoto, Alex Yaw Osei; Nsiah-Asare, Anthony; Karikari, Patrick

2007-01-01

Background In developing countries the ability to conduct locally-relevant health research and high quality education are key tools in the fight against poverty. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel UK accredited, learner-designed research skills course delivered in a teaching hospital in Ghana. Methods Study participants were 15 mixed speciality health professionals from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana. Effectiveness measures included process, content and outcome indicators to evaluate changes in learners' confidence and competence in research, and assessment of the impact of the course on changing research-related thinking and behaviour. Results were verified using two independent methods. Results 14/15 learners gained research competence assessed against UK Quality Assurance Agency criteria. After the course there was a 36% increase in the groups' positive responses to statements concerning confidence in research-related attitudes, intentions and actions. The greatest improvement (45% increase) was in learners' actions, which focused on strengthening institutional research capacity. 79% of paired before/after responses indicated positive changes in individual learners' research-related attitudes (n = 53), 81% in intention (n = 52) and 85% in action (n = 52). The course had increased learners' confidence to start and manage research, and enhanced life-long skills such as reflective practice and self-confidence. Doing their own research within the work environment, reflecting on personal research experiences and utilising peer support and pooled knowledge were critical elements that promoted learning. Conclusion Learners in Ghana were able to design and undertake a novel course that developed individual and institutional research capacity and met international standards. Learning by doing and a supportive peer community at work were critical elements in promoting learning in this environment where tutors were scarce. Our study provides a model for delivering and evaluating innovative educational interventions in developing countries to assess whether they meet external quality criteria and achieve their objectives. PMID:17596260

L2 Acquisition of Prosodic Properties of Speech Rhythm: Evidence from L1 Mandarin and German Learners of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Aike; Post, Brechtje

2014-01-01

This study examines the development of speech rhythm in second language (L2) learners of typologically different first languages (L1s) at different levels of proficiency. An empirical investigation of durational variation in L2 English productions by L1 Mandarin learners and L1 German learners compared to native control values in English and the…

An interview study of how clinical teachers develop skills to attend to different level learners.

PubMed

Chen, H Carrie; Fogh, Shannon; Kobashi, Brent; Teherani, Arianne; Ten Cate, Olle; O'Sullivan, Patricia

2016-06-01

One clinical teaching challenge is the engagement of learners at different levels. Faculty development offerings mostly address general strategies applicable to all learners. This study examined how clinical faculty members develop the skills to work with different level learners. We conducted semi-structured interviews with medical school faculty members identified as excellent clinical teachers teaching multiple levels of learners. They discussed how they developed their approach to teaching different level learners and how their teaching evolved over time. We performed thematic analysis of the interview transcripts using open and axial coding. We interviewed 19 faculty members and identified three themes related to development of teaching practices: teacher agency and work-based learning of teaching strategies, developmental trajectory of clinical teachers, and interplay between clinical confidence and teaching skills. Faculty members were proactive in using on-the-job experiences to develop their teaching practices. Their teaching practices followed a developmental trajectory towards learner centeredness, and this evolution was associated with the development of clinical skills and confidence. Learning skills to teach multi-level learners requires workplace learning. Faculty development should include workplace learning opportunities and use a developmental approach that accounts for the trajectory of teaching as well as clinical skills attainment.

Acquisition of speech rhythm in a second language by learners with rhythmically different native languages.

PubMed

Ordin, Mikhail; Polyanskaya, Leona

2015-08-01

The development of speech rhythm in second language (L2) acquisition was investigated. Speech rhythm was defined as durational variability that can be captured by the interval-based rhythm metrics. These metrics were used to examine the differences in durational variability between proficiency levels in L2 English spoken by French and German learners. The results reveal that durational variability increased as L2 acquisition progressed in both groups of learners. This indicates that speech rhythm in L2 English develops from more syllable-timed toward more stress-timed patterns irrespective of whether the native language of the learner is rhythmically similar to or different from the target language. Although both groups showed similar development of speech rhythm in L2 acquisition, there were also differences: German learners achieved a degree of durational variability typical of the target language, while French learners exhibited lower variability than native British speakers, even at an advanced proficiency level.

Task Complexity and Modality: Exploring Learners' Experience from the Perspective of Flow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Minyoung

2018-01-01

Despite an increased awareness of language learner performance in task-based instruction, little is known about how learners perceive and respond to different task factors. This study investigates the effects of task complexity and modality on (a) learners' perception of task difficulty, skill, and its balance, and on (b) learners' task…

Can Adult Low-Skilled Literacy Learners Assess and Discuss Their Own Spelling Knowledge?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viise, Neva M.; Austin, Ottilie F.

2005-01-01

This qualitative study investigates the ability of adult low-skilled readers to talk about the thought processes and phonetic strategies they use to make decisions about their spelling. Four adult learners, all exhibiting word knowledge at a second-grade level or below, participated in individual 45-minute audiotaped interviews. Selected portions…

School of Travel: An Exploration of the Convergence of Andragogy and Travel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberson, Donald N., Jr.

Travel can incorporate issues of adult education; in fact, andragogy can provide the impetus for education in a new school of travel. Knowles' andragogical model (1984) is comprised of these five tenets: the learner is self-directing and in charge; the learner's background and individual experiences are taken into consideration; a readiness and…

Control and Constraint in E-Learning: Choosing When to Choose

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dron, Jon

2007-01-01

Every learner is on a trajectory, an individual path that involves choices about what to do next in order to learn, choices that are bounded by intrinsic and extrinsic constraints. In some cases the learner controls those choices, sometimes they are made by someone or something else, sometimes control is negotiated, or it emerges from complex…

Advancing the Speaking and Listening Skills of K-2 English Language Learners through Creative Drama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brouillette, Liane

2012-01-01

In recent decades the United States has experienced a dramatic increase in children entering school whose home language is not English. If they are to achieve to their full potential, these children need direct and frequent interaction with individuals who can provide English language learners with accurate feedback. Creative drama activities that…

Multi-Criteria Adaptation in a Personalized Multimedia Testing Tool Based on Semantic Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazarinis, Fotis; Green, Steve; Pearson, Elaine

2011-01-01

In this article, we present the characteristics and the design of a modular personalized multimedia testing tool based fully on XML learning specifications. Personalization is based on the characteristics of the individual learners, thus the testing paths are tailored to their needs and goals. The system maintains learner profiles rich in content…

A Review of Personalised E-Learning: Towards Supporting Learner Diversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Donnell, Eileen; Lawless, Séamus; Sharp, Mary; Wade, Vincent P.

2015-01-01

The realisation of personalised e-learning to suit an individual learner's diverse learning needs is a concept which has been explored for decades, at great expense, but is still not achievable by non-technical authors. This research reviews the area of personalised e-learning and notes some of the technological challenges which developers may…

Naming Abilities in Low-Proficiency Second Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borodkin, Katy; Faust, Miriam

2014-01-01

Difficulties in second language (L2) learning are often associated with recognizable learning difficulties in native language (L1), such as in dyslexia. However, some individuals have low L2 proficiency but intact L1 reading skills. These L2 learners experience frequent tip-of-the-tongue states while naming in L1, which indicates that they have a…

Retrieval Experience as a Modifier of Future Encoding: Another Test Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bjork, Elizabeth Ligon; Storm, Benjamin C.

2011-01-01

Research on how individuals monitor their level of comprehension during study paints a picture of learners as being insensitive to many of the factors or conditions of learning that can enhance long-term retention and transfer. In previous research, however, deWinstanley and Bjork (2004) demonstrated that learners--if made sensitive to the…

Newest Web-Technologies for Studying and Diagnosing Individual Abilities of Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nikolaeva, Yuliya S.; Pak, Nikolay I.

2017-01-01

The relevance of the research is due to the need of taking into account the learners' cognitive characteristics in the educational process. Knowing the personal qualities of people is also important when choosing an occupation or employment. This is why the paper is aimed at describing the opportunities of the newest Web and mobile applications…

Interactions Quality in Moodle as Perceived by Learners and Its Relation with Some Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdelraheem, Ahmed Yousif

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify learners' perceptions of the quality of interaction in Moodle and investigate the effects of gender, grade point average (GPA), individualized learning experiences and their experiences in using Moodle factors in perceiving the quality of interaction. A questionnaire was used to collect data after being…

Evaluation of a Cardiovascular Health Program for Participants with Mental Retardation and Normal Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ewing, Gary; McDermott, Suzanne; Thomas-Koger, Marlo; Whitner, Wendy; Pierce, Kristen

2004-01-01

An evaluation was conducted to compare the impact of an 8-week cardiovascular disease risk reduction group teaching program for 92 individuals with mental retardation (MR; IQ less than 70) and 97 normal learners. The curriculum emphasized exercise, nutritional choices, and stress reduction. Body Mass Index (BMI; weight in kilograms, divided by…

Using Concept Maps to Engage Adult Learners in Critical Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yelich Biniecki, Susan M.; Conceição, Simone C. O.

2016-01-01

An understanding of learning theories can help adult educators become more effective practitioners and meet the needs of the learners they serve. Adult educators who understand how individuals learn can be better prepared to use effective strategies during the learning process. This article addresses the use of concept maps as a strategy to engage…

Female Lecturers' Perception of ICT Integration for Teaching and Learning in University of Ibadan, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adetimirin, Airen

2016-01-01

Deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for teaching and learning affords learners' flexibility in learning such that they can learn as individuals or groups. The dissemination of information by lecturers to learners will also be facilitated by the use of ICT. The University of Ibadan designed a courseware development…

Designing On-Demand Education for Simultaneous Development of Domain-Specific and Self-Directed Learning Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taminiau, E. M. C.; Kester, L.; Corbalan, G.; Spector, J. M.; Kirschner, P. A.; Van Merriënboer, J. J. G.

2015-01-01

On-demand education enables individual learners to choose their learning pathways according to their own learning needs. They must use self-directed learning (SDL) skills involving self-assessment and task selection to determine appropriate pathways for learning. Learners who lack these skills must develop them because SDL skills are prerequisite…

Physical Education Opportunity Program for Exceptional Learners (PEOPEL): A Teacher's Guide for Secondary Schools. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irmer, Larry D.; And Others

The instructional guide for PEOPEL (Physical Education Opportunity Program for Exceptional Learners) contains 36 units of instruction for use with handicapped junior and senior high school students. The units contain basic performance objectives which have been task analyzed in an effort to individualize instruction. Each unit is divided into four…

Experience, Recursive Awareness and Understanding in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Insights of Parents and Teachers in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Yoon-Suk; Klieve, Helen; Kearney, Patrick; Saggers, Beth

2015-01-01

Provision of an individually responsive education requires a comprehensive understanding of the inner worlds of learners, such as their feelings and thoughts. However, this is difficult to achieve when learners, such as those with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and cognitive difficulties, have problems with communication. To address this issue,…

Vlogging: A New Channel for Language Learning and Intercultural Exchanges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Combe, Christelle; Codreanu, Tatiana

2016-01-01

The potential for computer-supported learning in educational contexts has opened up the possibilities for learners to interact in informal contexts outside the classroom. The context of the present research is a young American individual's vlog on YouTube sharing his experiences as a learner of French. This paper focuses on the potential use of…

The Workplace Learner: How to Align Training Initiatives with Individual Learning Competencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothwell, William J.

This book explains how work organizations can create a workplace climate that encourages real-time, on-the-job learning and development of competent workplace learners, who are wiling and able to seize the initiative for identifying their own learning experiences and evaluating the results. The following are among the topics discussed: (1) the…

Forecasting Reading Anxiety for Promoting English-Language Reading Performance Based on Reading Annotation Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chih-Ming; Wang, Jung-Ying; Chen, Yong-Ting; Wu, Jhih-Hao

2016-01-01

To reduce effectively the reading anxiety of learners while reading English articles, a C4.5 decision tree, a widely used data mining technique, was used to develop a personalized reading anxiety prediction model (PRAPM) based on individual learners' reading annotation behavior in a collaborative digital reading annotation system (CDRAS). In…

Backwards and Forwards: An Approach to Understanding the Older Learner.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Mary Alice

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

Analysis of Student-Teacher Cognitive Styles Interaction: An Approach to Understanding Learner Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sellah, Lusweti; Jacinta, Kwena; Helen, Mondoh

2017-01-01

Cognitive styles are persistent patterns of behavior that determine how an individual acquires and processes information. In the classroom the cognitive styles of the teacher interact with those of the learner resulting in differential understanding. This study which is informed by cognitive styles theories is a descriptive study that examined the…

A Flow Theory Perspective on Learner Motivation and Behavior in Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liao, Li-Fen

2006-01-01

Motivating learners to continue to study and enjoy learning is one of the critical factors in distance education. Flow theory is a useful framework for studying the individual experience of learning through using computers. In this study, I examine students' emotional and cognitive responses to distance learning systems by constructing two models…

Learner Characteristics and Writing Performance in a Community College English as a Second Language Course: Some Unexpected Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, Olga D.

2015-01-01

This study investigates the relationships between individual learner characteristics and gain in writing performance as measured by a standardized writing assessment in a sample of community college academic English as a Second Language (ESL) students in the United States. The ethnically and linguistically diverse convenience sample included 76…

Depicting and Outlining as Pre-Writing Strategies: Experimental Results and Learners' Opinions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hung, Bui Phu; Van, Le Thi

2018-01-01

Pre-writing stage has been considered very significant as it enhances writing performance in that learners can have discussions with the teacher and/or their peers. They can also outline and organize their ideas individually to prepare themselves for writing. This study investigated the effects of using pictures and interactions in the pre-writing…

What about Me?: Individual Self-Assessment by Skill and Level of Language Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brantmeier, Cindy; Vanderplank, Robert; Strube, Michael

2012-01-01

In an investigation with advanced language learners, Brantmeier [Brantmeier, C., 2006. "Advanced L2 learners and reading placement: self-assessment, computer based testing, and subsequent performance." "System" 34 (1), 15-35.] reports that self-assessment (SA) of second language (L2) reading ability, when measured with self-rated scales, is not an…

Framing Appropriate Accommodations in Terms of Individual Need: Examining the Fit of Four Approaches to Selecting Test Accommodations of English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koran, Jennifer; Kopriva, Rebecca J.

2017-01-01

Providing appropriate test accommodations to most English language learners (ELLs) is important to facilitate meaningful inferences about learning. This study compared teacher large-scale test accommodation recommendations to those from a literature- and practitioner-grounded accommodation selection taxonomy. The taxonomy links student-specific…

Relationship between the hippocampal expression of selected cytochrome P450 isoforms and the animal performance in the hippocampus-dependent learning task.

PubMed

Gjota-Ergin, Sena; Gökçek-Saraç, Çiğdem; Adalı, Orhan; Jakubowska-Doğru, Ewa

2018-04-23

Despite very extensive studies on the molecular mechanisms of memory formation, relatively little is known about the molecular correlates of individual variation in the learning skills within a random population of young normal subjects. The role of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in the brain also remains poorly understood. On the other hand, these enzymes are known to be related to the metabolism of substances important for neural functions including steroids, fatty acids, and retinoic acid. In the present study, we examined the potential correlation between the animals' performance in a place learning task and the levels of selected CYP isoforms (CYP2E1, CYP2D1 and CYP7A1) in the rat hippocampus. According to their performance, rats were classified as "good" learners (percent error/number of trials to criterion ≤ group mean - 3SEM) or "poor" learners (percent error/number of trials to criterion ≥ group mean + 3SEM). The CYP enzyme levels were determined by Western Blot at the early, intermediary and advanced stages of the task acquisition (day 4, day 8 and after reaching a performance criterion of 83% correct responses). In this study, as expected, CYP2E1 and CYP2D1 isoforms have been found in the rat hippocampus. However, a putative CYP7A1 isoform was also visualized. Hippocampal expression of these enzymes was shown to be dependent on the stage of learning and animals' cognitive status. In "good" learners compared to "poor" learners, significantly higher levels of CYP2E1 were found at the early stage of training, significantly higher levels of CYP2D1 were found at the intermediate stage of training, and significantly higher levels of CYP7A1-like protein were found after reaching the acquisition criterion. These findings suggest that the differential expression of some CYP isoforms in the hippocampus may have impact on individual learning skills and that different CYP isoforms may play different roles during the learning process. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Reading comprehension and its underlying components in second-language learners: A meta-analysis of studies comparing first- and second-language learners.

PubMed

Melby-Lervåg, Monica; Lervåg, Arne

2014-03-01

We report a systematic meta-analytic review of studies comparing reading comprehension and its underlying components (language comprehension, decoding, and phonological awareness) in first- and second-language learners. The review included 82 studies, and 576 effect sizes were calculated for reading comprehension and underlying components. Key findings were that, compared to first-language learners, second-language learners display a medium-sized deficit in reading comprehension (pooled effect size d = -0.62), a large deficit in language comprehension (pooled effect size d = -1.12), but only small differences in phonological awareness (pooled effect size d = -0.08) and decoding (pooled effect size d = -0.12). A moderator analysis showed that characteristics related to the type of reading comprehension test reliably explained the variation in the differences in reading comprehension between first- and second-language learners. For language comprehension, studies of samples from low socioeconomic backgrounds and samples where only the first language was used at home generated the largest group differences in favor of first-language learners. Test characteristics and study origin reliably contributed to the variations between the studies of language comprehension. For decoding, Canadian studies showed group differences in favor of second-language learners, whereas the opposite was the case for U.S. studies. Regarding implications, unless specific decoding problems are detected, interventions that aim to ameliorate reading comprehension problems among second-language learners should focus on language comprehension skills.

"In New Zealand I Feel More Confidence": The Role of Context in the Willingness to Communicate (WTC) of Migrant Iranian English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Denise

2015-01-01

This article will discuss recent theories of Willingness to Communicate (WTC) and provide an overview of studies into this individual difference which have been conducted in both Iran and New Zealand (NZ). So far few qualitative studies have been carried out into WTC or have used permanent migrants as participants. The article reports on a…

Neurobiological and Endocrine Correlates of Individual Differences in Spatial Learning Ability

PubMed Central

Sandi, Carmen; Cordero, M. Isabel; Merino, José J.; Kruyt, Nyika D.; Regan, Ciaran M.; Murphy, Keith J.

2004-01-01

The polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) has been implicated in activity-dependent synaptic remodeling and memory formation. Here, we questioned whether training-induced modulation of PSA-NCAM expression might be related to individual differences in spatial learning abilities. At 12 h posttraining, immunohistochemical analyses revealed a learning-induced up-regulation of PSA-NCAM in the hippocampal dentate gyrus that was related to the spatial learning abilities displayed by rats during training. Specifically, a positive correlation was found between latency to find the platform and subsequent activated PSA levels, indicating that greater induction of polysialylation was observed in rats with the slower acquisition curve. At posttraining times when no learning-associated activation of PSA was observed, no such correlation was found. Further experiments revealed that performance in the massed water maze training is related to a pattern of spatial learning and memory abilities, and to learning-related glucocorticoid responsiveness. Taken together, our findings suggest that the learning-related neural circuits of fast learners are better suited to solving the water maze task than those of slow learners, the latter relying more on structural reorganization to form memory, rather than the relatively economic mechanism of altering synaptic efficacy that is likely used by the former. PMID:15169853

Neurobiological and endocrine correlates of individual differences in spatial learning ability.

PubMed

Sandi, Carmen; Cordero, M Isabel; Merino, José J; Kruyt, Nyika D; Regan, Ciaran M; Murphy, Keith J

2004-01-01

The polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) has been implicated in activity-dependent synaptic remodeling and memory formation. Here, we questioned whether training-induced modulation of PSA-NCAM expression might be related to individual differences in spatial learning abilities. At 12 h posttraining, immunohistochemical analyses revealed a learning-induced up-regulation of PSA-NCAM in the hippocampal dentate gyrus that was related to the spatial learning abilities displayed by rats during training. Specifically, a positive correlation was found between latency to find the platform and subsequent activated PSA levels, indicating that greater induction of polysialylation was observed in rats with the slower acquisition curve. At posttraining times when no learning-associated activation of PSA was observed, no such correlation was found. Further experiments revealed that performance in the massed water maze training is related to a pattern of spatial learning and memory abilities, and to learning-related glucocorticoid responsiveness. Taken together, our findings suggest that the learning-related neural circuits of fast learners are better suited to solving the water maze task than those of slow learners, the latter relying more on structural reorganization to form memory, rather than the relatively economic mechanism of altering synaptic efficacy that is likely used by the former.

Tourism English Teaching Techniques Converged from Two Different Angles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seong, Myeong-Hee

2001-01-01

Provides techniques converged from two different angles (learners and tourism English features) for effective tourism English teaching in a junior college in Korea. Used a questionnaire, needs analysis, an instrument for measuring learners' strategies for oral communication, a small-scale classroom study for learners' preferred teaching…

Using Writing as a Constructivist Instructional Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narayanan, M.

2006-12-01

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

Designing Human Immunodeficiency Virus Counselling and Testing Services to Maximize Uptake Among High School Learners in South Africa: What Matters?

PubMed

Strauss, Michael; George, Gavin; Rhodes, Bruce

2017-05-01

Increasing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing in South Africa is vital for the HIV response. Targeting young people is important as they become sexually active and because HIV risk rapidly increases as youth enter their 20s. This study aims to increase the understanding of high school learners' preferences regarding the characteristics of HIV testing service delivery models and to inform policy makers and implementers regarding potential barriers to and facilitators of HIV testing. An attitudinal survey was used to examine HIV testing preferences among 248 high school learners in KwaZulu-Natal. Statistical tests were used to identify the most favored characteristics of testing service delivery models and examine key differences in preferences based on demographic characteristics and testing history. Most learners were found to prefer testing offered at a clinic on a Saturday (43%), using a finger prick test (59%), conducted by a doctor (61%) who also provides individual counselling (60%). Shorter testing times were preferred, as well as a monetary incentive to cover any associated expenses. Time, location, the type of test, and who conducts the test were most important. However, stratified analysis suggests that preferences diverge, particularly around gender, grade, but also sexual history and previous testing experience. Human immunodeficiency virus testing services can be improved in line with preferences, but there is no single optimal design that caters to the preferences of all learners. It is unlikely that a "one-size-fits-all" approach will be effective to reach HIV testing targets. A range of options may be required to maximize coverage.

Hybrid Collaborative Learning for Classification and Clustering in Sensor Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagstaff, Kiri L.; Sosnowski, Scott; Lane, Terran

2012-01-01

Traditionally, nodes in a sensor network simply collect data and then pass it on to a centralized node that archives, distributes, and possibly analyzes the data. However, analysis at the individual nodes could enable faster detection of anomalies or other interesting events as well as faster responses, such as sending out alerts or increasing the data collection rate. There is an additional opportunity for increased performance if learners at individual nodes can communicate with their neighbors. In previous work, methods were developed by which classification algorithms deployed at sensor nodes can communicate information about event labels to each other, building on prior work with co-training, self-training, and active learning. The idea of collaborative learning was extended to function for clustering algorithms as well, similar to ideas from penta-training and consensus clustering. However, collaboration between these learner types had not been explored. A new protocol was developed by which classifiers and clusterers can share key information about their observations and conclusions as they learn. This is an active collaboration in which learners of either type can query their neighbors for information that they then use to re-train or re-learn the concept they are studying. The protocol also supports broadcasts from the classifiers and clusterers to the rest of the network to announce new discoveries. Classifiers observe an event and assign it a label (type). Clusterers instead group observations into clusters without assigning them a label, and they collaborate in terms of pairwise constraints between two events [same-cluster (mustlink) or different-cluster (cannot-link)]. Fundamentally, these two learner types speak different languages. To bridge this gap, the new communication protocol provides four types of exchanges: hybrid queries for information, hybrid "broadcasts" of learned information, each specified for classifiers-to-clusterers, and clusterers-to-classifiers. The new capability has the potential to greatly expand the in situ analysis abilities of sensor networks. Classifiers seeking to categorize incoming data into different types of events can operate in tandem with clusterers that are sensitive to the occurrence of new kinds of events not known to the classifiers. In contrast to current approaches that treat these operations as independent components, a hybrid collaborative learning system can enable them to learn from each other.

Identifying Affirmative Beliefs about English Language Learning: Self-Perceptions of Thai Learners with Different Language Proficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Tuntiga; Rajprasit, Krich

2015-01-01

Theoretically, beliefs about English language learning have a psychological factor, such as predicting the rate of success or failure among learners in the classroom context. However, learners with different levels of language proficiency may perceive such beliefs in a different way, which may lead to the development of special needs, in terms of…

Exploring the Factors That Affect the Intention to Use Collaborative Technologies: The Differing Perspectives of Sequential/Global Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Yong-Ming

2015-01-01

The use of collaborative technologies in learning has received considerable attention in recent years, but few studies to date have examined the factors that affect sequential and global learners' intention to use such technologies. Previous studies have shown that the learners of different learning styles have different needs for educational…

Team-based learning for psychiatry residents: a mixed methods study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Team-based learning (TBL) is an effective teaching method for medical students. It improves knowledge acquisition and has benefits regarding learner engagement and teamwork skills. In medical education it is predominately used with undergraduates but has potential benefits for training clinicians. The aims of this study were to examine the impact of TBL in a sample of psychiatrists in terms of classroom engagement, attitudes towards teamwork, learner views and experiences of TBL. Methods Forty-four psychiatry residents participated in an Addictions Psychiatry TBL module. Mixed-methods were used for evaluation. Self-rated measures of classroom engagement (Classroom Engagement Survey, CES) were compared with conventional lectures, and attitudes regarding the value of teams (Value of Teams Scale, VTS) were compared before and after the module. Independent t-tests were used to compare ‘lecture’ CES scores with TBL CES scores and pre and post scores for the VTS. Feedback questionnaires were completed. Interviews were conducted with a subset of residents and transcripts analysed using thematic analysis. Results Twenty-eight residents completed post-course measures (response rate 63.6%). Seven participants volunteered for qualitative interviews–one from each team. There was a significant difference in the mean CES score lectures compared to TBL (p < 0.001) but no difference was found in mean VTS score pre and post for either subscale (p = 0.519; p = 0.809). All items on the feedback questionnaire were positively rated except two regarding session preparation. The qualitative analysis generated seven themes under four domains: ‘Learning in teams’, ‘Impact on the individual learner’, ‘Relationship with the teacher’ and ‘Efficiency and effectiveness of the learning process’. Conclusions In this group of residents, TBL significantly improved learner-rated classroom engagement and seemed to promote interactivity between learners. TBL was generally well-received, although required learners to prepare for class which was difficult for some. TBL did not change these clinicians’ views about teamwork. PMID:24025540

Task-Modality and L1 Use in EFL Oral Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azkarai, Agurtzane; del Pilar García Mayo, María

2015-01-01

This study examines whether task-modality (speaking vs. speaking+writing) influences first language (L1) use in task-based English as a foreign language (EFL) learner-learner interaction. Research on the topic has shown that different task-modality triggers different learning opportunities with collaborative speaking tasks drawing learners'…

Cross Cultural Differences in Online Learning Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Doo H.

2004-01-01

Globalization and technology are two of the many drivers that impact today's education, locally and internationally. The purpose of the research study was to identify how online learners in Korea and the US perceived online learning motivation differently and what learner characteristics and cultural orientation affected the online learners'…

Cross Cultural Differences in Online Learning Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Doo H.

2004-01-01

Globalization and technology are two of the many drivers that impact today's education locally and internationally. The purpose of the research study was to identify how online learners in Korea and the U.S. perceived online learning motivation differently and what learner characteristics and cultural orientation affected the online learners'…

Learners with Dyslexia: Exploring Their Experiences with Different Online Reading Affordances

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chwen Jen; Keong, Melissa Wei Yin; Teh, Chee Siong; Chuah, Kee Man

2015-01-01

To date, empirically derived guidelines for designing accessible online learning environments for learners with dyslexia are still scarce. This study aims to explore the learning experience of learners with dyslexia when reading passages using different online reading affordances to derive some guidelines for dyslexia-friendly online text. The…

Facilitating and Dealing with Learner Differences in the Online Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFarlane, Donovan A.

2012-01-01

This paper explores the challenges faced by teachers and educators in the online classroom, especially in light of existing learner differences among students stemming from intelligence, socioeconomic status (SES), culture, gender, among other factors. The author examines the characteristics of the online classroom and looks at learner differences…

An investigation into the factors that encourage learner participation in a large group medical classroom.

PubMed

Moffett, Jennifer; Berezowski, John; Spencer, Dustine; Lanning, Shari

2014-01-01

Effective lectures often incorporate activities that encourage learner participation. A challenge for educators is how to facilitate this in the large group lecture setting. This study investigates the individual student characteristics involved in encouraging (or dissuading) learners to interact, ask questions, and make comments in class. Students enrolled in a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, St Kitts, were invited to complete a questionnaire canvassing their participation in the large group classroom. Data from the questionnaire were analyzed using Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA) and the R software environment (http://www.r-project.org/). One hundred and ninety-two students completed the questionnaire (response rate, 85.7%). The results showed statistically significant differences between male and female students when asked to self-report their level of participation (P=0.011) and their confidence to participate (P<0.001) in class. No statistically significant difference was identified between different age groups of students (P=0.594). Student responses reflected that an "aversion to public speaking" acted as the main deterrent to participating during a lecture. Female participants were 3.56 times more likely to report a fear of public speaking than male participants (odds ratio 3.56, 95% confidence interval 1.28-12.33, P=0.01). Students also reported "smaller sizes of class and small group activities" and "other students participating" as factors that made it easier for them to participate during a lecture. In this study, sex likely played a role in learner participation in the large group veterinary classroom. Male students were more likely to participate in class and reported feeling more confident to participate than female students. Female students in this study commonly identified aversion to public speaking as a factor which held them back from participating in the large group lecture setting. These are important findings for veterinary and medical educators aiming to improve learner participation in the classroom. Potential ways of addressing this challenge include addition of small group activities and audience response systems during lectures, and inclusion of training interventions in public speaking at an early stage of veterinary and medical curricula.

Which Dictionary? A Review of the Leading Learners' Dictionaries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nesi, Hilary

Three major dictionaries designed for learners of English as a second language are reviewed, their elements and approaches compared and evaluated, their usefulness for different learners discussed, and recommendations for future dictionary improvement made. The dictionaries in question are the "Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary," the…

The Viability of Individual Oral Assessments for Learners: Insights Gained from Two Intervention Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prinsloo, C. H.; Harvey, J. C.

2016-01-01

It is essential for learners to develop foundational literacy skills, ideally, in the first grade of formal education. These skills are then firmly entrenched and can be expanded in the following grades to form a basis for all future academic studies. Appropriate assessment practices and tools to aid this process can inform the achievement of…

Fashion Design: Designing a Learner-Active, Multi-Level High School Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Diane

2009-01-01

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

Establishing Positive Relationships with Secondary Gifted Students and Students with Emotional/ Behavioural Disorders: Giving These Diverse Learners What They Need

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capern, Trevor; Hammond, Lorraine

2014-01-01

The relationships between teachers and their students play a vital role in the creation of positive learning outcomes and environments for all learners, but particularly for those individuals with diverse needs. This study examined the teacher behaviours that contributed to positive student-teacher relationships with gifted secondary students (GS)…

Helping Learners Succeed: Activities for the Foreign Language Classroom. Language in Education: Theory and Practice, No. 36.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omaggio, Alice C.

In response to the need for dynamic foreign language materials with a communicative focus, this report addresses the relationship between learner characteristics and success in language learning. It suggests that a self-pacing individualized option should be available to students to deal with unique problems. The problems may be dealt with by…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Zhihong; Wen, Fuan; Li, Ping

2012-01-01

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

Structural Relationships among Self-Regulated Learning, Learning Flow, Satisfaction, and Learning Persistence in Cyber Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joo, Young Ju; Joung, Sunyoung; Kim, Jiyeon

2014-01-01

Learning persistence in a cyber-learning environment is not only an index determining the success or failure of individual learners but also a source of important information to establish the management direction of educational programs in an organization. Accordingly, learners need to be motivated to continue to grow in order to ensure both…

Repair with Confianza: Rethinking the Context of Corrective Feedback for English Learners (ELS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Razfar, Aria

2010-01-01

In this paper, I focus on a prevalent and controversial practice in English instruction, namely corrective feedback or repair. While the pros and cons of this practice have been rigorously debated by language scholars for many years, the issue is mostly approached from a cognitive point of view with the focus being on the individual learner and…

The Politics of Compulsive Education: Racism and Learner-Citizenship. Routledge Research in Education Policy and Politics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitching, Karl

2014-01-01

The marketised and securitised shaping of formal education sites in terms of risk prevention strategies have transformed what it means to be a learner and a citizen. In this book, Karl Kitching explores racialised dimensions to suggest how individuals and collectives are increasingly made responsible for their own welfare as "good" or…

Andragogy for Teen and Young Adult Learners with Intellectual Disabilities: Learning, Independence, and Best Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Stephanie L.; Plourde, Lee A.

2012-01-01

Teens and young adults with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) meet the criteria of teen and adult learners chronologically, but may be deficient in many other areas of teen and adult learning. The spectrum of intellectual and adaptive capabilities among teens and adults with ID is vast, with each individual being unique. There are specific teaching…

On the Screen or Printed: A Case of EFL Learners' Online and Offline Reading the Press

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahimi, Ali; Behjat, Fatemeh

2011-01-01

A growing body of investigations on second language teaching and learning is now being devoted to the international use of network information and communication technology known as e-learning. Individualized self-paced e-learning offline and online are two of the common e-learning modalities used by language teachers and learners (Romiszowski…

"Your Mum and Dad Can't Teach You!": Constraints on Agency among Rural Learners of English in the Developing World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamb, Martin

2013-01-01

Learning outcomes are always the product of the interaction between individual learner agency and social structures. Recently concern has been expressed about unequal access to English, recognised as an important resource for social advancement, for rural populations in developing countries. This paper explores this issue by focusing on one…

Developing and Implementing an Interactive End-of-Life Education Module Using Raptivity and iSpring: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis-Pierre, LaToya; Aziza, Khitam

2017-01-01

The 21st century nurse is a forward-thinking individual who is expected to deliver holistic nursing care. Multigenerational learners are seeking degrees and the new Net generation learner will reflect the majority of the workforce. Thus, the integration of a multilevel interactive classroom is instrumental in facilitating the student's knowledge…

Systematic Variations of Instructional Variables on Learner Performance: Aircraft Instrument Comprehension Task. Final Report, June 1973-July 1974.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tenpas, Barbara G.; And Others

Incentive, practice, instruction, and feedback were manipulated in a series of four 2 x 2 factorial studies, with Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets and graduate students in education, to determine the individual and combined effects of these variables on learner performance (both speed and accuracy) of an aircraft comprehension task.…

How to Set up Oral Homework: A Case of Limited Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendez, Elba

2010-01-01

Homework usually consists of the learners' written account of how they interpreted a task set by the teacher, and is generally defined as out-of-class assignments that are handed in for the instructor to grade. Learners may work individually or with partners to answer simple or challenging linguistic exercises, sketch out a mind map, or develop a…

Speaking out on Behalf of the Voiceless Learners: Written Corrective Feedback for English Language Learners in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nemati, Majid; Alavi, Sayyed Mohammad; Mohebbi, Hassan; Masjedlou, Ali Panahi

2017-01-01

To date, L2 researchers have studied the effect of feedback on improving L2 learners' writing from different perspectives. However, there are a lot of aspects which are not comprehensively researched yet, such as L2 learners' and teachers' perceptions and practices about feedback. To close the gap, this study investigates language learners'…

Differences in the College-Readiness Rates of English Language Learners by Gender, Economic Status, and Ethnicity/Race: A Texas Statewide, Multiyear Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Resilla, Clare A.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the degree to which differences were present in reading, mathematics, and both subjects college-readiness for English Language Learners who were enrolled in Texas high schools. In the first investigation, the extent to which English Language Learner boys differ in their…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolf, Nicholas; Quinn, James

2009-01-01

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

An Investigation of Pronunciation Learning Strategies of Advanced EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hismanoglu, Murat

2012-01-01

This paper aims at investigating the kinds of strategies deployed by advanced EFL learners at English Language Teaching Department to learn or improve English pronunciation and revealing whether there are any significant differences between the strategies of successful pronunciation learners and those of unsuccessful pronunciation learners. After…

Learner Groups in Massive Open Online Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arora, Skand; Goel, Manav; Sabitha, A. Sai; Mehrotra, Deepti

2017-01-01

The open nature of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) attracts a large number of learners with different backgrounds, skills, motivations, and goals. This has brought a need to understand such heterogeneity in populations of MOOC learners. Categorizing these learners based upon their interaction with the course can help address this need and…

Modeling Learner Situation Awareness in Collaborative Mobile Web 2.0 Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norman, Helmi; Nordin, Norazah; Din, Rosseni; Ally, Mohamed

2016-01-01

The concept of situation awareness is essential in enhancing collaborative learning. Learners require information from different awareness aspects to deduce a learning situation for decision-making. Designing learning environments that assist learners to understand situation awareness via monitoring actions and reaction of other learners has been…

Language Identity among Iranian English Language Learners: A Nationwide Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rezaei, Saeed; Khatib, Mohammad; Baleghizadeh, Sasan

2014-01-01

The present study is a nationwide survey of language identity among English language learners in Iran. The participants who completed the survey in this research included 1851 English language learners from different parts of the country who belonged to different genders, age groups and English language proficiency levels. The main instrument was…

Creating an Online Assessment Test for Heritage Learners of Russian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Titus, Julia

2012-01-01

This paper examines the differences between second-language learners and heritage learners of Russian in terms of their linguistic performance, a finding supported by current research (Andrews, 2001; Kagan & Dillon, 2001/2003), examines the implications of these differences for the creation of testing tools, and offers a sample of a test designed…

High School Graduation Rates across English Learner Student Subgroups in Arizona. REL 2017-205

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Min; Haas, Eric; Zhu, Niufeng; Tran, Loan

2016-01-01

Recent studies have documented differences in academic achievement between current and former English learner students. These differences validate calls for more focused analyses of achievement across English learner student subgroups. Specifically, there is interest in examining variation in academic success based on the amount of time a student…

The Effect of Navigation Tools on Learners' Achievement and Attitude in a Hypermedia Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrell, Inez H.; Moore, David M.

2001-01-01

Describes a study of eighth-grade middle school students that was conducted to determine whether varying the amount of learner control and interactivity through the use of different navigation tools (linear, menu, and search engine) would influence the achievement and attitude of learners of different academic abilities. (Author/LRW)

Society Gets the Individual It Deserves: Engaging Learners for the Flat World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pope, Clive C.

2012-01-01

Historically the individual and society pendulum has swung back and forth between individuals and conformity and individuals and community. Individuals and society are mutually dependent yet conflicts of interest have shown how one has sometimes flourished at the expense of the other. As the world and society changes, learning must follow so…

Targeting environmental beliefs in a community college environmental science course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caldarelli, Mary K.

This critical action research study was designed to address the practice-based problem of efficacy in adult environmental education. Due to the numerous environmental problems facing the earth, environmental educators have been called upon to design and implement educational programs that foster environmentally responsible behavior in learners. The environmental pedagogy developed for this study grounded the learners in their socio-cultural context and utilized techniques of transformative learning to encourage learners to address the environmental beliefs that result from this context. Reflective journals and essays, collaborative writings, individual interviews, and a pretest/posttest questionnaire were utilized to determine the nature of change in the learners that resulted from this educational intervention. The participant outcomes of this study include expanded environmental awareness, a more holistic environmental perspective, action on new understandings and a change in environmental beliefs. During the twelve-week timeframe of this study participant meaning-making was enhanced by critical reflection, integration of past and present experiences, reliance on 'expert' knowledge and exposure to multiple perspectives. The nature of change that occurred in the individuals in this study would suggest that contextualizing adult environmental education and applying transformative learning theory to practice can result in a more relevant, less abstract conception of the environment and less symbolic proenvironmental beliefs and attitudes. In addition, the findings of this study also indicate that environmental educators should consider the impact of epistemological beliefs on environmental learning, and the uniquely individual and time-consuming aspects of applying transformative learning to practice.

Comparison of expectations and beliefs about good teaching in an academic day release medical education program: a qualitative study.

PubMed

van Roermund, Thea A C M; Mokkink, Henk G; Bottema, Ben J A M; van Weel, Chris; Scherpbier, Albert J J A

2014-10-03

In a professional learner-centered(ness) educational environment, communication and alignment of expectations about teaching are indispensable. Professional education of residents could benefit from an analysis and comparison of teachers' and residents' educational expectations and beliefs. Our purpose is to identify success factors and barriers related to aligning expectations and beliefs and building a supportive professional learner-centered educational environment. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with teachers and semi-structured focus groups with residents. A single interview format was used to make it possible to compare the results. Data were analysed using a qualitative software package (AtlasTi). Data analysis steps were followed by the author team, which identified four domains of good teaching: personal traits, knowledge, relationships and teaching qualities. Teachers and residents agreed about the importance of personal professional characteristics like being a role model and having an open and enthusiastic attitude. They all thought that having a specific knowledge base was essential for teaching. Approaching residents as adult learners was found to be an important element of the learner-centred environment and it was agreed that teachers should take practical experiences to a higher level. However, teachers and residents had different expectations about the practical consequences of being a role model, adult learning, coaching and openness, and the type of knowledge that was needed in the professional development program. Communication about different expectations appeared to be difficult. Teachers and residents agreed on a conceptual level about expectations and beliefs regarding good teaching, but disagreed on an executive level. According to the residents, the disagreement about good teaching was not the biggest barrier to creating alignment and a supportive professional relationship; instead, it was the absence of a proper dialogue regarding issues about expectations and beliefs.

English and Socio-Economic Disadvantage: Learner Voices from Rural Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamid, M. Obaidul; Baldauf, Richard B., Jr.

2011-01-01

L2 education research has shown immense interest in learners and their views of L2 learning. Nevertheless, the different directions of learner-focused research have been inadequate in highlighting learners' learning experiences in relation to their social backgrounds, particularly in the developing world. Drawing on the first author's PhD…

Individual and small group interactions in learning to teach with a hypermedia case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Mi-Lee Ahn

The purpose of this study was to investigate the similarities and differences of individual and small group preservice teachers' interactions with a hypermedia case. Preservice teachers' interactions with a hypermedia case were defined in terms of their (1) goals and perception of accomplishments of the goals, (2) use of features of the hypermedia case, and (3) types of questions and conflicts raised. Two individuals and two small groups of three preservice teachers participated by interacting with the hypermedia case which was developed to illustrate conceptual change science teaching in an elementary classroom. Most of the previous studies in this area have addressed large group use of hypermedia cases, and this study attempted to address the gap in the literature related to different social contexts, individuals and small groups, from the constructivist perspective. The assumptions of symbolic interactionism guided data collection from think-alouds and interviews. These multiple sources of data were used to understand the participants' construction of knowledge; data were analyzed and interpreted by a process of analytic induction. The major assertion was that the preservice teachers perceived the hypermedia case to be like a tool to link theory and practice of teaching. Three sub-assertions, and several supporting categories, also emerged from the data. These findings indicated that group learning experiences with the hypermedia case were more valuable than those of individuals. In general, preservice teachers benefited from learning how to teach with the hypermedia case in both settings. However, the individuals were not as satisfied as those in small groups, and the members of small groups interacted more actively with the hypermedia case as well as with the peers. The results of this study suggest that effective use of hypermedia cases takes place in a community of learners where the learners share the context and can draw upon the resources afforded by the technology as well as each other. Implications for teacher educators' use of hypermedia cases in different social contexts, and the development and effective use of hypermedia cases are presented as well as the suggestions for the future studies.

Perceiving and Traversing In-Class and Out-of-Class Learning: Accounts from Foreign Language Learners in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Chun

2015-01-01

Learning takes place across different social contexts, and understanding how learners perceive and traverse different learning contexts enables educators to gain a more comprehensive view of their learning processes and to support their learning better. This study examined how undergraduate foreign language learners perceived their learning…

Learner Control, User Characteristics, Platform Difference, and Their Role in Adoption Intention for MOOC Learning in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Min; Yin, Shuaijun; Luo, Meifen; Yan, Weiwei

2017-01-01

Massive open online course (MOOC) learning attracts more and more attention in both the practice and the research field. Finding out what factors influence learners' MOOC adoption is of great importance. This study focuses on learner control, user characteristics and platform difference. Hypotheses and a research model are proposed by…

Individual and Collaborative Technology-Mediated Learning Using Question & Answer Online Discussion Forums--Perceptions of Public Health Learners in Dubai, UAE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Awofeso, Niyi; Hassan, Moustafa; Hamidi, Samer

2016-01-01

This case study provides evidence-based suggestions for the use of Question and Answer discussion forums for improving quality and assessment of online learning. General online discussion forums are accessible at any time to all subscribers, making it possible for some learners to update, concur with or paraphrase discussions posted earlier by…

"On Cloud Nine" and "On All Fours": Which Is More Transparent? Elements in EFL Learners' Transparency Assumptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Crystal Jia-yi

2015-01-01

Idiom transparency refers to how speakers think the meaning of the individual words contributes to the figurative meaning of an idiom as a whole (Gibbs, Nayak, & Cutting, 1989). However, it is not clear how speakers or language learners form their assumptions about an idiom's transparency level. This study set out to discover whether there are…

Can I Say Something? The Effects of Digital Game Play on Willingness to Communicate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinders, Hayo; Wattana, Sorada

2014-01-01

This paper reports on a study into the effects of digital game play on learners' Willingness to Communicate (WTC), or individuals' "readiness to enter into discourse at a particular time with a specific person or persons, using a L2" (MacIntyre, Dörnyei, Clément, & Noels, 1998, p. 547). Thirty Thai learners of English as a foreign…

Learning in the Fast Lane: Adult Learners' Persistence and Success in Accelerated College Programs. New Agenda Series[TM]. Volume 4, Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wlodkowski, Raymond J.; Mauldin, Jennifer E.; Gahn, Sandra W.

This report reviews a study to identify individual factors that affect adult learners' success and persistence in college programs. Part 1, a historical analysis, uses past records of students to analyze patterns of persistence and success. It examines how demographic variables relate to continuing enrollment, grade point average (GPA), and degree…

Measuring Adult Learners' Foreign Language Anxiety, Motivational Factors, and Achievement Expectations: A Comparative Study between Chinese as a Second-Language Students and English as a Second-Language Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Li-Ching

2013-01-01

This dissertation focuses on interpreting the impacts of foreign language anxiety and individual characteristics on the achievement expectations of Chinese second-language learners and English second-language students at the university level. Four research questions are examined through quantitative design. In relation to methodology, this study…

Researcher Test Manual for the Learner-Centered Battery (Grades 6-12 Version). A Set of Self-Assessment and Reflection Tools for Middle and High School Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCombs, Barbara L.; Lauer, Patricia A.; Peralez, Audrey

The Learner-Centered Battery (LCB) is a set of short self-assessment tools for teachers and their students that can help teachers identify profiles of effective beliefs, practices, and discrepancies between teacher and student perspectives. Personalized feedback is available for interpreting individual profiles relative to profiles of the most…

Transfer of Training: Does It Truly Happen?: An Examination of Support, Instrumentality, Retention and Learner Readiness on the Transfer Motivation and Transfer of Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhatti, Muhammad Awais; Battour, Mohamed Mohamed; Sundram, Veera Pandiyan Kaliani; Othman, Akmal Aini

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance of selected environmental, situational and individual factors in the training transfer process. Design/methodology/approach: This study proposes and tests a framework via structural equation modelling by including supervisor and peer support, instrumentality and learner readiness on…

Towards Gathering Initial Requirements of Developing a Mobile Service to Support Informal Learning at Cultural Heritage Sites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alkhafaji, Alaa; Fallahkhair, Sanaz; Cocea, Mihaela

2015-01-01

Informal learning allows learners to be in charge of their own learning process instead of being a content consumer. Harnessing mobile technology in informal learning field could help learners in taking a learning opportunity whenever they need either individually or in a group. This paper presents a small-scale study to investigate how people may…

Future development of instructional television

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnett, H. J.; Denzau, A. T.; Dumolin, J. R.; Singh, J. P.

1971-01-01

The use of television in schools as an aid to instruction is proposed for individualized instruction, repetition for slow learners, acceleration for fast learners, and lectures from the best teachers for all students. A dedicated school district cable system, a 40 channel cable to each school and classroom, is considered. This innovation offers an opportunity for improving the quality and content of the school's instruction and for reducing the cost.

Motivational Predictors of Successful Transition from Grades 11 to 12 in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grobler, Adelene A.; Knight, Mirriam R.; Lens, Willy; Lacante, Marlies

2014-01-01

A relatively large number of South African learners drop out of school during the last 2 years of high school. This has important negative consequences for the individual learners, as well as for the country as a whole since it contributes greatly to the high number of unskilled and unemployed people. This study was carried out to explore whether,…

Are two heads better than one? Comparing dyad and self-regulated learning in simulation training.

PubMed

Shanks, David; Brydges, Ryan; den Brok, Wendie; Nair, Parvathy; Hatala, Rose

2013-12-01

The optimal learner to simulator ratio for procedural skills training is not known. Research in motor learning suggests observational training in pairs, termed 'dyad training', may be as effective as directed self-regulated learning (DSRL). This study was conducted to compare the relative effectiveness and efficiency of dyad versus DSRL training of simulation-based lumbar puncture (LP). We conducted a two-group randomised equivalence trial. First-year internal medicine residents (n = 50) were randomly assigned to learn LP either in dyads or as individual learners on a simulator, using a directed self-regulated approach (i.e. the learning sequence was defined for them, but they defined the pace of learning). Participants were videotaped performing a simulated LP on a pre-test, an immediate post-test, and a 6-week delayed retention test. In duplicate, blinded raters independently evaluated all trainee performances using a previously validated 5-point global rating scale (GRS) and 35-item checklist. Our analyses showed no significant differences (p = 0.69) on pre-test, post-test or retention test GRS scores between the dyad (mean ± standard deviation [SD] scores by test: 2.39 ± 0.57, 3.48 ± 0.62, 3.12 ± 0.85, respectively) and DSRL (mean ± SD scores by test: 2.67 ± 0.50, 3.34 ± 0.77, 3.21 ± 0.79, respectively) groups. Both groups improved significantly from pre-test to post-test (p < 0.001) and retained that performance following the 6-week delay. Dyad participants experienced significantly greater pre-test to post-test gains than DSRL participants (p = 0.02). There was no significant difference in total practice time between the groups (20.94 minutes for individuals and 24.20 minutes for dyads; p = 0.175). Our results indicate that learning in pairs is as effective as independent DSRL. Dyad training permits the more efficient use of simulators as two learners use the same resources as an individual. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Profile of the Public Health Workforce: Registered TRAIN Learners in the United States

PubMed Central

Banks, Lois; Plotkin, Ilya; Chanthavongsa, Sunny; Walker, Nathan

2015-01-01

Objectives: We analyzed data from the TrainingFinder Real-time Affiliate Integrated Network (TRAIN), the most widely used public health workforce training system in the United States, to describe the public health workforce and characteristics of individual public health workers. Methods: We extracted self-reported demographic data of 405 095 learners registered in the TRAIN online system in 2012. Results: Mirroring the results of other public health workforce studies, TRAIN learners are disproportionately women, college educated, and White compared with the populations they serve. TRAIN learners live in every state and half of all zip codes, with a concentration in states whose public health departments are TRAIN affiliates. TRAIN learners’ median age is 46 years, and one third of TRAIN learners will reach retirement age in the next 10 years. Conclusions: TRAIN data provide a limited but useful profile of public health workers and highlight the utility and limitations of using TRAIN for future research. PMID:25689192

Fast social-like learning of complex behaviors based on motor motifs.

PubMed

Calvo Tapia, Carlos; Tyukin, Ivan Y; Makarov, Valeri A

2018-05-01

Social learning is widely observed in many species. Less experienced agents copy successful behaviors exhibited by more experienced individuals. Nevertheless, the dynamical mechanisms behind this process remain largely unknown. Here we assume that a complex behavior can be decomposed into a sequence of n motor motifs. Then a neural network capable of activating motor motifs in a given sequence can drive an agent. To account for (n-1)! possible sequences of motifs in a neural network, we employ the winnerless competition approach. We then consider a teacher-learner situation: one agent exhibits a complex movement, while another one aims at mimicking the teacher's behavior. Despite the huge variety of possible motif sequences we show that the learner, equipped with the provided learning model, can rewire "on the fly" its synaptic couplings in no more than (n-1) learning cycles and converge exponentially to the durations of the teacher's motifs. We validate the learning model on mobile robots. Experimental results show that the learner is indeed capable of copying the teacher's behavior composed of six motor motifs in a few learning cycles. The reported mechanism of learning is general and can be used for replicating different functions, including, for example, sound patterns or speech.

Coaching: a new model for academic and career achievement.

PubMed

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

2016-01-01

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

Fast social-like learning of complex behaviors based on motor motifs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvo Tapia, Carlos; Tyukin, Ivan Y.; Makarov, Valeri A.

2018-05-01

Social learning is widely observed in many species. Less experienced agents copy successful behaviors exhibited by more experienced individuals. Nevertheless, the dynamical mechanisms behind this process remain largely unknown. Here we assume that a complex behavior can be decomposed into a sequence of n motor motifs. Then a neural network capable of activating motor motifs in a given sequence can drive an agent. To account for (n -1 )! possible sequences of motifs in a neural network, we employ the winnerless competition approach. We then consider a teacher-learner situation: one agent exhibits a complex movement, while another one aims at mimicking the teacher's behavior. Despite the huge variety of possible motif sequences we show that the learner, equipped with the provided learning model, can rewire "on the fly" its synaptic couplings in no more than (n -1 ) learning cycles and converge exponentially to the durations of the teacher's motifs. We validate the learning model on mobile robots. Experimental results show that the learner is indeed capable of copying the teacher's behavior composed of six motor motifs in a few learning cycles. The reported mechanism of learning is general and can be used for replicating different functions, including, for example, sound patterns or speech.

A Preliminary Investigation of Dynamic Assessment With Native American Kindergartners.

PubMed

Ukrainetz, Teresa A; Harpell, Stacey; Walsh, Chandra; Coyle, Catherine

2000-04-01

This study examined dynamic assessment as a lessbiased evaluation procedure for assessing the languagelearning ability of Native American children. Twenty-three Arapahoe/Shoshone kindergartners were identified as stronger (n = 15) or weaker (n = 8) language learners through teacher report and examiner classroom observation. Through a test-teach-test protocol, participants were briefly taught the principles of categorization. Participant responses to learning were measured in terms of an index of modifiability and post-test categorization scores. The modifiability index, determined during the teaching phase, was a combined score reflecting the child's learning strategies, such as ability to attend, plan, and self-regulate, and the child's responses to the learning situation. Post-test scores consisted of performance on expressive and receptive subtests from a standardized categorization test after partialling out pretest score differences. Effect sizes and confidence intervals were also determined. Group and individual results indicated that modifiability and post-test scores were significantly greater for stronger than for weaker language learners. The response to modifiability components was a better discriminator than was the learner strategies components. These results provide support for the further development of dynamic assessment as a valid measure of language learning ability in minority children.

Whole-brain functional connectivity during acquisition of novel grammar: Distinct functional networks depend on language learning abilities.

PubMed

Kepinska, Olga; de Rover, Mischa; Caspers, Johanneke; Schiller, Niels O

2017-03-01

In an effort to advance the understanding of brain function and organisation accompanying second language learning, we investigate the neural substrates of novel grammar learning in a group of healthy adults, consisting of participants with high and average language analytical abilities (LAA). By means of an Independent Components Analysis, a data-driven approach to functional connectivity of the brain, the fMRI data collected during a grammar-learning task were decomposed into maps representing separate cognitive processes. These included the default mode, task-positive, working memory, visual, cerebellar and emotional networks. We further tested for differences within the components, representing individual differences between the High and Average LAA learners. We found high analytical abilities to be coupled with stronger contributions to the task-positive network from areas adjacent to bilateral Broca's region, stronger connectivity within the working memory network and within the emotional network. Average LAA participants displayed stronger engagement within the task-positive network from areas adjacent to the right-hemisphere homologue of Broca's region and typical to lower level processing (visual word recognition), and increased connectivity within the default mode network. The significance of each of the identified networks for the grammar learning process is presented next to a discussion on the established markers of inter-individual learners' differences. We conclude that in terms of functional connectivity, the engagement of brain's networks during grammar acquisition is coupled with one's language learning abilities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Syllabification of Final Consonant Clusters: A Salient Pronunciation Problem of Kurdish EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keshavarz, Mohammad Hossein

2017-01-01

While there is a plethora of research on pronunciation problems of EFL learners with different L1 backgrounds, published empirical studies on syllabification errors of Iraqi Kurdish EFL learners are scarce. Therefore, to contribute to this line of research, the present study set out to investigate difficulties of this group of learners in the…

The Relationship between Iranian EFL Learners' Beliefs about Language Learning and Their Use of Learning Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azar, Fereshteh Khaffafi; Saeidi, Mahnaz

2013-01-01

The present study investigated the relationship between Iranian EFL learners' learning strategies use and their language learning beliefs. A sample of 200 Iranian EFL learners who were all English language learners at different language institutes participated in this study. Two instruments, Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) and…

Learner Beliefs about Sociolinguistic Competence: A Qualitative Case Study of Four University Second Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Jinsuk; Rehner, Katherine

2015-01-01

This article explores the beliefs about second language (L2) sociolinguistic competence of four university-level advanced L2 learners. It places particular emphasis on 1) how these university learners conceptualized L2 sociolinguistic competence; 2) how they thought about two different language learning contexts (viz., the L2 classroom versus…

Inducing Socio-Cognitive Conflict in Finnish and German Groups of Online Learners by CSCL Script

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinberger, Armin; Marttunen, Miika; Laurinen, Leena; Stegmann, Karsten

2013-01-01

Collaborative learners are often meant to be guided by collaboration scripts to identify, discuss, and resolve differences of opinion and knowledge. How learners engage in and resolve conflict, however, may be highly dependent on learners' cultural background. In this article, we examine the extent to which a peer-critique collaboration script…

Web-Based Learning Programs: Use by Learners with Various Cognitive Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ling-Hsiu

2010-01-01

To consider how Web-based learning program is utilized by learners with different cognitive styles, this study presents a Web-based learning system (WBLS) and analyzes learners' browsing data recorded in the log file to identify how learners' cognitive styles and learning behavior are related. In order to develop an adapted WBLS, this study also…

Collocational Differences between L1 and L2: Implications for EFL Learners and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadeghi, Karim

2009-01-01

Collocations are one of the areas that produce problems for learners of English as a foreign language. Iranian learners of English are by no means an exception. Teaching experience at schools, private language centers, and universities in Iran suggests that a significant part of EFL learners' problems with producing the language, especially at…

The Use and Misuse of Academic Words in Writing: Analyzing the Writing of Secondary English Learners and Redesignated Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cons, Andrea Marie

2012-01-01

This study investigated the specific ways secondary English learners (ELs) and redesignated fluent English-proficient learners (RFEPs) use academic vocabulary that assesses interpretive reading and analytical writing ability. The research examines how ELs and RFEPs, formerly ELs, differ in use and misuse of academic words. The study extends…

Learners' Goal Profiles and Their Learning Patterns over an Academic Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Clarence

2015-01-01

The present study aimed to examine distance learners' goal profiles and their contrasting patterns of learning and achievements at three different points during an academic year, i.e. in the beginning of the course in relation to learners' general orientations to learning, at the middle of the course in relation to learners' completion of an…

An Investigation of Human-Computer Interaction Approaches Beneficial to Weak Learners in Complex Animation Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeh, Yu-Fang

2016-01-01

Animation is one of the useful contemporary educational technologies in teaching complex subjects. There is a growing interest in proper use of learner-technology interaction to promote learning quality for different groups of learner needs. The purpose of this study is to investigate if an interaction approach supports weak learners, who have…

Young Learner Perspectives on Four Focus-on-Form Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shak, Juliana; Gardner, Sheena

2008-01-01

Recent studies suggest that focus-on-form (FonF) instruction has a positive effect on the second language proficiency of young learners. However, few have looked at learner perspectives on different FonF tasks, particularly in those young learners. This study investigates children's attitudes towards four FonF task-types in three Primary 5 English…

[Learning Portfolio: A New Strategy in Health Education].

PubMed

Cheng, Yi-Chuan; Chen, Ching-Ju; Chang, Yu-Shan; Huang, Li-Chi

2015-12-01

Health education is the teaching by healthcare professionals of healthcare-related knowledge and skills to students in order that these students learn to help patients self-manage their disease and maintain health. This article introduces a new strategy in health education known as the learning portfolio and presents the theoretical basis and function of the learning portfolio and the current application of this approach in academic and health education. The learning portfolio is a learner-centric approach that collects evidence related to an individual's learning process systematically. This approach helps educators understand learner needs and conditions, while allowing the learner to observe his / her learning process in a manner that promotes self-reflection, continual inspection, and behavioral modification throughout the learning process. The results enhance the motivation of learners and strengthen their care confidence in accomplishing learning tasks.

A Study on a Group of Indian English as a Second Language Learners' Perceptions of Autonomous Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildirim, Ozgur

2012-01-01

Learner autonomy has been one of the most popular terms in the language learning field lately. Researchers have been conducting studies to see different aspects of learner autonomy and to bring different suggestions to teachers to promote autonomous learning in their classrooms. Students of a particular cultural background would not show the same…

Effectiveness of Proactive Intensive FFI in Cultivating Grammatical Knowledge of Iranian EFL Learners at Different Proficiency Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rooholamin, Amir; Biria, Reza; Haghverdi, Hamid Reza

2016-01-01

The present study provides a report on an experiment seeking the effect of proactive intensive form-focused instruction on the grammatical development of intermediate and advanced Iranian EFL learners. More specifically the aim of the study was to discern (a) whether the grammatical knowledge of Iranian EFL learners at different proficiency levels…

The Effect of Different Modes of English Captioning on EFL Learners' General Listening Comprehension: Full Text vs. Keyword Captions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behroozizad, Sorayya; Majidi, Sudabeh

2015-01-01

This study investigated the effect of different modes of English captioning on EFL learners' general listening comprehension. To this end, forty-five intermediate-level learners were selected based on their scores on a standardized English proficiency test (PET) to carry out the study. Then, the selected participants were randomly assigned into…

Focus-on-Form and EFL Learners' Language Development in Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication: Task-Based Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eslami, Zohreh R.; Kung, Wan-Tsai

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the occurrence of incidental focus-on-form and its effect on subsequent second language (L2) production of learners of different dyads in an online task-based language learning context. The participants included Taiwanese learners of English as a foreign language at different proficiency levels, and native…

The Effects of Multimedia Task-Based Language Teaching on EFL Learners' Oral L2 Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BavaHarji, Madhubala; Gheitanchian, Mehrnaz; Letchumanan, Krishnaveni

2014-01-01

This study examined the effects of tasks, with varying levels of complexity, i.e. simple, + complex and ++ complex tasks on EFL learners' oral production in a multimedia task-based language teaching environment. 57 EFL adult learners carried out a total of 12 tasks, in sets of four tasks within three different themes and different levels of…

The Effect of Different Types of Written Scaffolds on EFL Learners' Perception of Writing Self-Regulatory Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemmati, Fatemeh; Mortazavi, Mahboobeh

2017-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the impact of different types of scaffolds on the writing regulatory skills of a cohort of Iranian learners of English (N = 120). The article reports a comparison of the pretest and posttest performance of learners in 4 experimental conditions--namely, the metacognitive scaffolds, conceptual scaffolds, procedural…

A comparison of medical students' perceptions of their initial basic clinical training placements in 'new' and established teaching hospitals.

PubMed

Mathers, Jonathan; Parry, Jayne; Scully, Edward; Popovic, Celia

2006-05-01

This study has examined students' perceptions of the factors influencing learning during initial hospital placements and whether differences in perceived experiences were evident between students attending new and established teaching hospitals. Five focus groups were conducted with Year III students at the University of Birmingham Medical School (UBMS): three with students attending three established teaching hospitals and two with students attached to a new teaching hospital (designated as part of the UBMS expansion programme). Extensive variation in student perception of hospital experiences was evident at the level of teaching hospital, teaching firm and individual teacher. Emergent themes were split into two main categories: 'students' perceptions of teaching and the teaching environment' and 'the new hospital learner'. Themes emerging that related to variation in student experience included the amount of structured teaching, enthusiasm of teachers, grade of teachers, specialty of designated firms and the number of students. The new teaching hospital was generally looked upon favourably by students in comparison to established teaching hospitals. Many of the factors influencing student experience relate to themes grouped under the 'new hospital learner', describing the period of adjustment experienced by students during their first encounter with this new learning environment. Interventions to improve student experience might be aimed at organisations and individuals delivering teaching. However, factors contributing to the student experience, such as the competing demand to teaching of heavy clinical workloads, are outside the scope of medical school intervention. In the absence of fundamental change, mechanisms to equip students with 'survival skills' as self-directed hospital learners should also be considered.

Do Lifestyles Shape Self-Regulated Learning Strategies?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tezci, Erdogan; Sezer, Fahri; Aktan, Sumer; Gurgan, Ugur

2016-01-01

Problem Statement: Being a virtuous citizen, developing communication skills, and becoming a life-long learner are directly proportionate to the individuals' perspectives on life. Provided that an education system is able to positively change the individuals' perspectives on life, it may allow individuals to acquire terminal behaviors easier. This…

Understanding the Everyday Practice of Individualized Education Program Team Members

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartmann, Elizabeth S.

2016-01-01

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 states that individualized education program (IEP) teams are composed of members with distinct identities, roles, expertise, and histories. Although team members must work together to implement educational and related services for learners with special needs, little is known about…

Socio-emotional skills, behavior problems, and Spanish competence predict the acquisition of English among English language learners in poverty.

PubMed

Winsler, Adam; Kim, Yoon Kyong; Richard, Erin R

2014-09-01

This article analyzes the role that individual differences in children's cognitive, Spanish competence, and socio-emotional and behavioral skills play in predicting the concurrent and longitudinal acquisition of English among a large sample of ethnically diverse, low-income, Hispanic preschool children. Participants assessed at age 4 for language, cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral skills were followed through kindergarten. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that Spanish-speaking preschoolers with greater initiative, self-control, and attachment and fewer behavior problems at age 4 were more successful in obtaining English proficiency by the end of kindergarten compared to those initially weaker in these skills, even after controlling for cognitive/language skills and demographic variables. Also, greater facility in Spanish at age 4 predicted the attainment of English proficiency. Social and behavioral skills and proficiency in Spanish are valuable resources for low-income English language learners during their transition to school.

The Organizational Impact of Open Educational Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sclater, Niall

The open educational resource (OER) movement has been growing rapidly since 2001, stimulated by funding from benefactors such as the Hewlett Foundation and UNESCO, and providing educational content freely to institutions and learners across the world. Individuals and organizations are motivated by a variety of drivers to produce OERs, both altruistic and self-interested. There are parallels with the open source movement, where authors and others combine their efforts to provide a product which they and others can use freely and adapt to their own purposes. There are many different ways in which OER initiatives are organized and an infinite range of possibilities for how the OERs themselves are constituted. If institutions are to develop sustainable OER initiatives, they need to build successful change management initiatives, developing models for the production and quality assurance of OERs, licensing them through appropriate mechanisms such as the Creative Commons, and considering how the resources will be discovered and used by learners.

Coping with Uncertainty: Woodpecker Finches (Cactospiza pallida) from an Unpredictable Habitat Are More Flexible than Birds from a Stable Habitat

PubMed Central

Tebbich, Sabine; Teschke, Irmgard

2014-01-01

Behavioural flexibility is thought to be a major factor in evolution. It may facilitate the discovery and exploitation of new resources, which in turn may expose populations to novel selective forces and facilitate adaptive radiation. Darwin's finches are a textbook example of adaptive radiation. They are fast learners and show a range of unusual foraging techniques, probably as a result of their flexibility. In this study we aimed to test whether variability of the environment is correlated with flexibility. We compared woodpecker finches from a dry area (hereafter, Arid Zone), where food availability is variable, with individuals from a cloud forest (hereafter, Scalesia zone) where food abundance is stable. As parameters for flexibility, we measured neophilia and neophobia, which are two aspects of reaction to novelty, reversal learning and problem-solving. We found no differences in performance on a problem-solving task but, in line with our prediction, individuals from the Arid Zone were significantly faster reversal learners and more neophilic than their conspecifics from the Scalesia zone. The latter result supports the notion that environmental variability drives flexibility. In contrast to our prediction, Arid Zone birds were even more neophobic than birds from the Scalesia Zone. The latter result could be the consequence of differences in predation pressure between the two vegetation zones. PMID:24638107

Comparison versus reminding.

PubMed

Tullis, Jonathan G; Goldstone, Robert L

2016-01-01

Comparison and reminding have both been shown to support learning and transfer. Comparison is thought to support transfer because it allows learners to disregard non-matching features of superficially different episodes in order to abstract the essential structure of concepts. Remindings promote memory for the individual episodes and generalization because they prompt learners to retrieve earlier episodes during the encoding of later related episodes and to compare across episodes. Across three experiments, we compared the consequences of comparison and reminding on memory and transfer. Participants studied a sequence of related, but superficially different, proverb pairs. In the comparison condition, participants saw proverb pairs presented together and compared their meaning. In the reminding condition, participants viewed proverbs one at a time and retrieved any prior studied proverb that shared the same deep meaning as the current proverb. Experiment 1 revealed that participants in the reminding condition recalled more proverbs than those in the comparison condition. Experiment 2 showed that the mnemonic benefits of reminding persisted over a one-week retention interval. Finally, in Experiment 3, we examined the ability of participants to generalize their remembered information to new items in a task that required participants to identify unstudied proverbs that shared the same meaning as studied proverbs. Comparison led to worse discrimination between proverbs related to studied proverbs and proverbs unrelated to studied proverbs than reminding. Reminding supported better memory for individual instances and transfer to new situations than comparison.

Don't forget the learner: an essential aspect for developing effective hypermedia online learning in continuing medical education.

PubMed

Sandars, John; Homer, Matthew; Walsh, Kieran; Rutherford, Alaster

2012-03-01

There is increasing use of hypermedia online learning in continuing medical education (CME) that presents the learner with a wide range of different learning resources, requiring the learner to use self-regulated learning (SRL) skills. This study is the first to apply an SRL perspective to understand how learners engage with hypermedia online learning in CME. We found that the main SRL skills used by learners were use of strategies and monitoring. The increasing use of strategies was associated with increasing interest in the topic and with increasing satisfaction with the learning experience. Further research is recommended to understand SRL processes and its impact on learning in other aspects of hypermedia online learning across the different phases of medical education. Research is also recommended to implement and evaluate the learning impact of a variety of approaches to develop the SRL skills of hypermedia online learners in CME.

A learning perspective on individual differences in skilled reading: Exploring and exploiting orthographic and semantic discrimination cues.

PubMed

Milin, Petar; Divjak, Dagmar; Baayen, R Harald

2017-11-01

The goal of the present study is to understand the role orthographic and semantic information play in the behavior of skilled readers. Reading latencies from a self-paced sentence reading experiment in which Russian near-synonymous verbs were manipulated appear well-predicted by a combination of bottom-up sublexical letter triplets (trigraphs) and top-down semantic generalizations, modeled using the Naive Discrimination Learner. The results reveal a complex interplay of bottom-up and top-down support from orthography and semantics to the target verbs, whereby activations from orthography only are modulated by individual differences. Using performance on a serial reaction time (SRT) task for a novel operationalization of the mental speed hypothesis, we explain the observed individual differences in reading behavior in terms of the exploration/exploitation hypothesis from reinforcement learning, where initially slower and more variable behavior leads to better performance overall. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Rich media streaming for just-in-time training of first responders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandera, Cesar; Marsico, Michael

2005-05-01

The diversity of first responders and of asymmetric threats precludes the effectiveness of any single training syllabus. Just-in-time training (JITT) addresses this variability, but requires training content to be quickly tailored to the subject (the threat), the learner (the responder), and the infrastructure (the C2 chain from DHS to the responder"s equipment). We present a distributed system for personalized just-in-time training of first responders. The authoring and delivery of interactive rich media and simulations, and the integration of JITT with C2 centers, are demonstrated. Live and archived video, imagery, 2-D and 3-D models, and simulations are autonomously (1) aggregated from object-oriented databases into SCORM-compliant objects, (2) tailored to the individual learner"s training history, preferences, connectivity and computing platform (from workstations to wireless PDAs), (3) conveyed as secure and reliable MPEG-4 compliant streams with data rights management, and (4) rendered as interactive high-definition rich media that promotes knowledge retention and the refinement of learner skills without the need of special hardware. We review the object-oriented implications of SCORM and the higher level profiles of the MPEG-4 standard, and show how JITT can be integrated into - and improve the ROI of - existing training infrastructures, including COTS content authoring tools, LMS/CMS, man-in-the-loop simulators, and legacy content. Lastly, we compare the audiovisual quality of different streaming platforms under varying connectivity conditions.

The Effect of English Language Learner Reclassification on Student ACT Scores, High School Graduation, and Postsecondary Enrollment: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from Wisconsin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Deven; Knowles, Jared E.

2016-01-01

The recent increase in the number of students classified as English language learners (ELLs) has focused significant attention on reclassification policy, which governs the process by which ELLs move toward, and are deemed to reach, full English proficiency. In this paper, we draw on a data set containing annual individual-level records for every…

Modelling the Factors that Affect Individuals' Utilisation of Online Learning Systems: An Empirical Study Combining the Task Technology Fit Model with the Theory of Planned Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Tai-Kuei; Yu, Tai-Yi

2010-01-01

Understanding learners' behaviour, perceptions and influence in terms of learner performance is crucial to predict the use of electronic learning systems. By integrating the task-technology fit (TTF) model and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this paper investigates the online learning utilisation of Taiwanese students. This paper provides a…

Sex and boldness explain individual differences in spatial learning in a lizard.

PubMed

Carazo, Pau; Noble, Daniel W A; Chandrasoma, Dani; Whiting, Martin J

2014-05-07

Understanding individual differences in cognitive performance is a major challenge to animal behaviour and cognition studies. We used the Eastern water skink (Eulamprus quoyii) to examine associations between exploration, boldness and individual variability in spatial learning, a dimension of lizard cognition with important bearing on fitness. We show that males perform better than females in a biologically relevant spatial learning task. This is the first evidence for sex differences in learning in a reptile, and we argue that it is probably owing to sex-specific selective pressures that may be widespread in lizards. Across the sexes, we found a clear association between boldness after a simulated predatory attack and the probability of learning the spatial task. In contrast to previous studies, we found a nonlinear association between boldness and learning: both 'bold' and 'shy' behavioural types were more successful learners than intermediate males. Our results do not fit with recent predictions suggesting that individual differences in learning may be linked with behavioural types via high-low-risk/reward trade-offs. We suggest the possibility that differences in spatial cognitive performance may arise in lizards as a consequence of the distinct environmental variability and complexity experienced by individuals as a result of their sex and social tactics.

Classification versus inference learning contrasted with real-world categories.

PubMed

Jones, Erin L; Ross, Brian H

2011-07-01

Categories are learned and used in a variety of ways, but the research focus has been on classification learning. Recent work contrasting classification with inference learning of categories found important later differences in category performance. However, theoretical accounts differ on whether this is due to an inherent difference between the tasks or to the implementation decisions. The inherent-difference explanation argues that inference learners focus on the internal structure of the categories--what each category is like--while classification learners focus on diagnostic information to predict category membership. In two experiments, using real-world categories and controlling for earlier methodological differences, inference learners learned more about what each category was like than did classification learners, as evidenced by higher performance on a novel classification test. These results suggest that there is an inherent difference between learning new categories by classifying an item versus inferring a feature.

Young Learners' Interactional Development in Task-Based Paired-Assessment in Their First and Foreign Languages: A Case of English Learners in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Yuko Goto; Zeng, Wei

2015-01-01

In response to the growing interest in evaluating young learners' foreign language (FL) performance, this study aims to deepen our understanding of young learners' developmental differences in interaction during task-based paired-language assessments. To examine age effects separately from the effect of general language proficiency, we analysed…

Comparison of Text-Based and Visual-Based Programming Input Methods for First-Time Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saito, Daisuke; Washizaki, Hironori; Fukazawa, Yoshiaki

2017-01-01

Aim/Purpose: When learning to program, both text-based and visual-based input methods are common. However, it is unclear which method is more appropriate for first-time learners (first learners). Background: The differences in the learning effect between text-based and visual-based input methods for first learners are compared the using a…

A Corpus-Based Study on the Use of MAKE by Turkish EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Babanoglu, M. Pinar

2014-01-01

This study examines the lexical and grammatical use of a high frequency verb "MAKE" by Turkish EFL learners. Major goals are to investigate whether Turkish learners of English use MAKE appropriately in their argumentative essays and to see to what extent L1 transfer plays a role in such usage and to what extent different learner groups…

Cross-Linguistic Differences in Prosodic Cues to Syntactic Disambiguation in German and English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, Mary Grantham; Jackson, Carrie N.; Gardner, Christine E.

2014-01-01

This study examined whether late-learning English-German second language (L2) learners and late-learning German-English L2 learners use prosodic cues to disambiguate temporarily ambiguous first language and L2 sentences during speech production. Experiments 1a and 1b showed that English-German L2 learners and German-English L2 learners used a…

An Automatic Collocation Writing Assistant for Taiwanese EFL Learners: A Case of Corpus-Based NLP Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Yu-Chia; Chang, Jason S.; Chen, Hao-Jan; Liou, Hsien-Chin

2008-01-01

Previous work in the literature reveals that EFL learners were deficient in collocations that are a hallmark of near native fluency in learner's writing. Among different types of collocations, the verb-noun (V-N) one was found to be particularly difficult to master, and learners' first language was also found to heavily influence their collocation…

Suspension, Expulsion, and Achievement of English Learner Students in Six Oregon Districts. REL 2015-094

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Arthur

2015-01-01

This study examines the rates of exclusionary discipline (i.e., suspensions and expulsions) among English learners and non-English learners in six diverse Oregon districts that serve a third of the state's English learner students. Using 2011/12 databases from the Oregon Department of Education, the study found that differences in suspension and…

Effects of Different Text Difficulty Levels on EFL Learners' Foreign Language Reading Anxiety and Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bahmani, Roghayeh; Farvardin, Mohammad Taghi

2017-01-01

This study aimed to examine the effects of different text difficulty levels on foreign language reading anxiety (FLRA) and reading comprehension of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. To this end, 50 elementary EFL learners were selected from two intact classes (n = 25 each). Each class was assigned to a text difficulty level (i.e.,…

Project Based Learning (PBL) and Webquest: New Dimensions in Achieving Learner Autonomy in a Class at Tertiary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akhand, Mohd. Moniruzzaman

2015-01-01

Now a day, the buzz word for a language classroom is "learner autonomy" that is defined differently by different experts. The fundamental of learner autonomy, however, is to involve the learning in the teaching and learning process. The term "webquest" is also a new concept to the teachers in this part of the world. A webquest…

Brain Responses before and after Intensive Second Language Learning: Proficiency Based Changes and First Language Background Effects in Adult Learners

PubMed Central

White, Erin Jacquelyn; Genesee, Fred; Steinhauer, Karsten

2012-01-01

This longitudinal study tracked the neuro-cognitive changes associated with second language (L2) grammar learning in adults in order to investigate how L2 processing is shaped by a learner’s first language (L1) background and L2 proficiency. Previous studies using event-related potentials (ERPs) have argued that late L2 learners cannot elicit a P600 in response to L2 grammatical structures that do not exist in the L1 or that are different in the L1 and L2. We tested whether the neuro-cognitive processes underlying this component become available after intensive L2 instruction. Korean- and Chinese late-L2-learners of English were tested at the beginning and end of a 9-week intensive English-L2 course. ERPs were recorded while participants read English sentences containing violations of regular past tense (a grammatical structure that operates differently in Korean and does not exist in Chinese). Whereas no P600 effects were present at the start of instruction, by the end of instruction, significant P600s were observed for both L1 groups. Latency differences in the P600 exhibited by Chinese and Korean speakers may be attributed to differences in L1–L2 reading strategies. Across all participants, larger P600 effects at session 2 were associated with: 1) higher levels of behavioural performance on an online grammaticality judgment task; and 2) with correct, rather than incorrect, behavioural responses. These findings suggest that the neuro-cognitive processes underlying the P600 (e.g., “grammaticalization”) are modulated by individual levels of L2 behavioural performance and learning. PMID:23300641

Aviation--An Individualized Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seeds, Fred F.

1974-01-01

Describes an individualized aviation course for high school seniors. The course, broken down into Learner Education Guides with students progressing at their own learning rates, consists of the history of aviation, career opportunities, the space program, basic aeronautics, navigation, meteorology, Federal Aviation Administration regulations and…

Understanding Individual Behavior: 6427.02.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norris, Jack A., Jr.

A course was designed to study the causes of individual behavior through an analysis of the factors involved in the development of personality, with special emphasis on the individual's perception and unique response to his environment. The course is based on the premise that the learner will investigate how and why people behave and then attempt…

ITMS: Individualized Teaching Material System: Adaptive Integration of Web Pages Distributed in Some Servers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitsuhara, Hiroyuki; Kurose, Yoshinobu; Ochi, Youji; Yano, Yoneo

The authors developed a Web-based Adaptive Educational System (Web-based AES) named ITMS (Individualized Teaching Material System). ITMS adaptively integrates knowledge on the distributed Web pages and generates individualized teaching material that has various contents. ITMS also presumes the learners' knowledge levels from the states of their…

Instant Feedback for Learner Training: Using Individual Assessment Cards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovelock, Clive

2002-01-01

Describes individual assessment cards devised by an English-as-a-Foreign-Language teacher in Japan. This system consists of giving each student her own individual assessment card at the beginning of each lesson. The focus of the information recorded on the card relates to the process of learning English. (Author/VWL)

A Vocational/Special Education Individualized Transitional Planner (School to Work).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Youshock, Joseph M.; Gilgannon, Nancy

This individualized transition plan manual can be used by special and vocational educators in developing a curriculum plan for handicapped or special needs learners based on career goals and job selection. The introductory sections provide a description of the individual transition planning model, an outline of communication skills, and a list of…

Twelve tips to promote successful development of a learner performance dashboard within a medical education program.

PubMed

Boscardin, Christy; Fergus, Kirkpatrick B; Hellevig, Bonnie; Hauer, Karen E

2017-11-09

Easily accessible and interpretable performance data constitute critical feedback for learners that facilitate informed self-assessment and learning planning. To provide this feedback, there has been a proliferation of educational dashboards in recent years. An educational (learner) dashboard systematically delivers timely and continuous feedback on performance and can provide easily visualized and interpreted performance data. In this paper, we provide practical tips for developing a functional, user-friendly individual learner performance dashboard and literature review of dashboard development, assessment theory, and users' perspectives. Considering key design principles and maximizing current technological advances in data visualization techniques can increase dashboard utility and enhance the user experience. By bridging current technology with assessment strategies that support learning, educators can continue to improve the field of learning analytics and design of information management tools such as dashboards in support of improved learning outcomes.