Education Commons^™

From Telematics To Web-Based: The Progression Of Distance Education In Newfoundland And Labrador, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

Introduction: The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is located on the east coast of Canada. The province, which has both an island and mainland portions with a total area of 505 066 square kilometres, has a population of approximately 550 000 people. With about 60% of the population living within a 150-kilometre radius of the capital region, the remainder of the province is sparsely populated. The majority of the roughly 300 schools are located in these rural communities. Approximately one-third of which have been determined as necessarily existent (ie, when a school is located so far from another school that …

Learning Styles: A Focus Upon E-Learning Practices And Pedagogy And Their Implications For Designing E-Learning For Secondary School Students In Newfoundland And Labrador, Morris Cooze, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

With the increase of online learning in the K-12 environment, research must turn to specific studies focused upon this level. One area of investigation surrounds the development of online course content and individualised student learning styles. This review found that although there is a vast body of research concerning online learning in the post-secondary environment, this is not true for K-12 education. Recent studies have begun the discussion for secondary school students as online learning becomes more prevalent and accepted as a means of learning. The lessons that these studies bring forward may be of particular interest to instructional designers …

Perceptions Of Effective Web-Based Design For Secondary School Students: A Narrative Analysis Of Previously Collected Data, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

In this article, I present the findings of a study on the perception of course developers and electronic teachers on the characteristics of effective web-based design for secondary school students. Through interviews, the perceptions of these participants on the use of various web-based components, how to incorporate sound instructional strategies into the web-based material, and the effectiveness of both the asynchronous web-based content and the synchronous delivery of that content are investigated in a virtual high school context.

Methods For Marine Ecosystems Research Through The Use Of Pdas With Preservice Teachers, Antoinette P. Bruciati, Maria Lizano-Dimare

Education Faculty Publications

Science teachers are charged with the task of providing students in grades K-12 with opportunities that will enable them to make sense of science and develop habits of mind. One goal of science education is to prepare well-rounded citizens who are scientifically literate. Through inquiry-based learning, students formulate questions, perform investigations, and construct new understandings.

It is important for preservice science teachers to be introduced to current techniques, discoveries, and debates in the field of science. The use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) can provide K-12 students with increased opportunities for exploring and learning through scientific investigations. In order for …

A Service Learning Model: Meeting Ncate Standards Through Educational Technology, Maria Lizano-Dimare

Education Faculty Publications

Service learning can be described as learning experiences that serve the needs of a specific community and enable students to draw meaningful connections between theory and practice. Through service learning, students observe and model the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. It is important that education programs are built upon NCATE standards in order to ensure quality. This service learning model is based on an undergraduate level educational technology course. Through their participation in Introduction to Computers in Education, future teachers gain practical experience in a school-based environment that prepares them in the use of educational technology for …

Conferencing: An Exploration Into Connectivity, Content, And Community, Marc Glassman, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

The electronic conference, Bits and Bytes: An Online Symposium on the Evolution of Technology in Education, was a joint initiative of the Faculty of Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Centre for Advanced Placement Education at Discovery Collegiate. The format of this electronic conference (e-conference) was similar to that of an on-site conference, with a call for submissions, a peer-reviewed processing of these proposals, and a presentation of the accepted proposals. However, the participants of this e-conference never met in a specific locale in a synchronous time frame, as is the case with traditional conferences. The authors and …

Mathematical Mind Journeys: Awakening Minds To Computational Fluency, Susan Austine Ebdon, Mary Mcgee Coakley, Danielle S. Legnard

Education Faculty Publications

Connecticut's New Canaan Public Schools has a mission of mathematical literacy for all children and has undergone an extensive curriculum review process over the past six years. Designing reformed curriculum and ensuring computational fluency have been shared visions for the district's mathematics educators, including the authors of this article. We are three teachers who have taught across levels K-12 and have led the mathematics initiative as mathematics resource teachers, mathematics coordinators, and building administrators. We coined the term "Mathematical Mind Journey," or "MMJ," to describe the adventure we take our students on each day. MMJs support the Process and Content …

Online Writing As A Form Of Electronic Communication In A Second Year Biology Course, Michael Barbour, Michael A. J. Collins

Education Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, the proliferation of technology in the realm of teaching has occurred at a phenomenal rate. From the smallest integration of technology into the classroom to entire courses being taught in an online environment, the use of computers by students and teachers has continued to increase.

This paper considers student use of an online discussion forum in a second year Biology course and how that participation may be an indicator of increased student success in the course. The authors discuss how participation in the online discussion forum is a form of public writing in which the students …

Role-Playing For Different Viewpoints (Review), Nicole Cauvin

Sociology Faculty Publications

Review by Nicole Cauvin.

Duncombe, S. and M.H. Heikkinen. "Role-Playing for Different Viewpoints." College Teaching 36 (1988):3-5.