Education Commons^™

Finding Lost & Found: Designer’S Notes From The Process Of Creating A Jewish Game For Learning, Owen Gottlieb

Articles

This article provides context for and examines aspects of the design process of a game for learning. Lost & Found (2017a, 2017b) is a tabletop-to-mobile game series designed to teach medieval religious legal systems, beginning with Moses Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah (1180), a cornerstone work of Jewish legal rabbinic literature. Through design narratives, the article demonstrates the complex design decisions faced by the team as they balance the needs of player engagement with learning goals. In the process the designers confront challenges in developing winstates and in working with complex resource management. The article provides insight into the pathways the team …

Introduction: Jewish Gamevironments – Exploring Understanding With Playful Systems, Owen Gottlieb

Articles

The study of Judaism, Jewish civilizationi, and games is currently comprised of projects of a rather small set of game scholars. A sample of our work is included in this issue.

Using Focus Groups For Assessment, Evaluation, And Improvement, Yuerong Sweetland

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

A focus group, as Krueger (2015) defined, is “a carefully planned series of discussions designed to obtain perceptions on a defined area of interest in a permissive, non-threatening environment.” A focus group approach, as a qualitative method, can provide rich information on perceptions, feelings, and reactions through participant interactions resembling the dynamics of real life in a comfortable environment. In particular, it can be used to uncover mysteries behind vague or unexpected responses by probing into the “how” or “why” of participant behavior and thinking.

Preservice And Early Career Teachers’ Preconceptions And Misconceptions About Making In Education, Jonathan Cohen, W. Monty Jones, Shaunna Smith

Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This qualitative study examined preservice and early career teachers’ preconceptions and misconceptions about making in education. Eighty-two preservice and early career teachers participated in brief, one-time maker workshops, then wrote reflections on their experiences. Using constant comparative analysis, researchers uncovered two common misconceptions held by the participants. The first was that making in education consisted of hands-on activities designed to achieve specific content learning objectives. The second was that making was largely dependent on the use of advanced manufacturing tools, such as 3D printers. Such misconceptions could negatively impact the potential of making in education. Recommendations for resolving these misconceptions …

Live Synchronous Web Meetings In Asynchronous Online Courses: Reconceptualizing Virtual Office Hours, Patrick R. Lowenthal, Joanna C. Dunlap, Chareen Snelson

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Most online courses rely solely on asynchronous text-based online communication. This type of communication can foster anytime, anywhere reflection, critical thinking, and deep learning. However, it can also frustrate participants because of the lack of spontaneity and visual cues and the time it takes for conversations to develop and feedback to be shared, as well as the self-directedness and discipline it requires of participants to regularly check in and monitor discussions over time. Synchronous forms of communication can address some of these constraints. However, online educators often avoid using synchronous forms of communication in their courses, because of its own …

The Design And Implementation Outcome Of An Online Undergraduate Thermodynamics Class, Dazhi Yang, Krishna Pakala

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Online learning is not common for most undergraduate core engineering courses. However, the growing need for online engineering courses necessitates the design and delivery of online courses that can allow for the flexibility and convenience the distance learning experiences can offer. Thermodynamics is among the most difficult engineering subjects to teach, especially online, where instructors are unable to demonstrate the overwhelming number of equations and applications as they would in face-to-face lectures. This paper describes the design and development of an online, undergraduate thermodynamics class. It reports the implementation outcome of student final course grade and the students’ learning experience …

A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis To Synthesize The Influence Of Contexts Of Scaffolding Use On Cognitive Outcomes In Stem Education, Brian Robert Belland, Andrew Walker, Nam Ju Kim

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Computer-based scaffolding provides temporary support that enables students to participate in and become more proficient at complex skills like problem solving, argumentation, and evaluation. While meta-analyses have addressed between-subject differences on cognitive outcomes resulting from scaffolding, none has addressed within-subject gains. This leaves much quantitative scaffolding literature not covered by existing meta-analyses. To address this gap, this study used Bayesian network meta-analysis to synthesize within-subjects (pre–post) differences resulting from scaffolding in 56 studies. We generated the posterior distribution using 20,000 Markov Chain Monte Carlo samples. Scaffolding has a consistently strong effect across student populations, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) …

Testing The Effectiveness Of Two Natural Selection Simulations In The Context Of A Large‑Enrollment Undergraduate Laboratory Class, Denise S. Pope, Caleb M. Rounds, Jody Clarke-Midura

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Simulations can be an active and engaging way for students to learn about natural selection, and many have been developed, including both physical and virtual simulations. In this study we assessed the student experience of, and learning from, two natural selection simulations, one physical and one virtual, in a large enrollment introductory biology lab course. We assigned students to treatments (the physical or virtual simulation activity) by section and assessed their understanding of natural selection using a multiple-choice pre-/post-test and short-answer responses on a post-lab assignment. We assessed student experience of the activities through structured observations and an affective …

Using Teaching Cases For Achieving Bloom’S High-Order Cognitive Levels: An Application In Technically-Oriented Information Systems Course, Kar Way Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Case-teaching has been an attractive pedagogy method for bringing in real-world examples into the classroom. However, it is challenging to introduce cases to address high-order cognitive skills such as analyzing and creating new IT solutions in technically-oriented computing course. In this research, we present our experience in introducing three types of case studies -- Story-Telling case, Design-and-Problem-Solving case, and Create-Design-Implement case to a course in an undergraduate Information Systems programme. For each case study, we plan and map the learning objectives to address various cognitive levels in the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. Using surveys conducted over two academic years, we show …

Analyzing The E-Learning Video Environment Requirements Of Generation Z Students Using Echo360 Platform, Swapna Gottipati, Venky Shankararaman

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

As with any other generational cohort,Generation Z students have their own unique characteristics that influencetheir approach to learning process. They are the future workforce and severalefforts are undertaken by Government and education institutes to consider thecharacteristics of Gen-Z in developing the curriculum and teaching environmentsuitable for these students. E-learning plays a key role in students learningprocess and has been widely adopted by many education institutions. Inparticular, videos play a major role in the learning process of Gen-Zstudents. The purpose of this paper isto focus the on requirements of Gen-Z students and to provide suggestions forhow to create a e-learning video …

Learner Responsibility: Questions And Implications, Jesse Fuhrman

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Recently, I was discussing the issue of personal responsibility with a colleague. Specifically, we were discussing the responsibility of students to know where certain kinds of information is found within a course, or how a certain type of action is accomplished within a given learning management system. At what point is it no longer the responsibility of the course designer to create learning objects to convey this information? When does the student bear the responsibility to either already know or to learn this information on their own?

My Reflections On The Association For Educational Communications And Technology (Aect) 2017 International Convention, Lewis Chongwony

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

From November 6 – 11, 2017, the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront in Jacksonville, Florida was a beehive of activity, as members of the AECT, one of the oldest professional organizations, passionate about uncovering better ways of helping people learn, congregated for the 2017 convention. With close to 400 concurrent sessions, several workshops, and more than 1,000 attendees, the place was beaming and brimming with excitement and an aura of freshness as attendees imbibed from pots of research, best practices, and experiences of speakers and peers both in sessions and during breaks. Looking around, I could easily tell that the 2017 …

Providing A Context For Learning Using Problem-Based Learning And Assignment Scaffolding, Carrie Lewis Miller

IT Solutions Publications

Have your students ever asked you "Why do I need to know this?" Do you struggle to make connections between your content and your students' lives? Using problem-based learning combined with carefully aligned and scaffolded assessments, you can both increase the cognitive skill level of assignments and provide real-life examples for your content. This workshop will help you develop a contextual problem for your class and multiple aligned and scaffolded contextual assessments.

Evidence-Based Survey Design: The Use Of A Midpoint On The Likert Scale, Seung Youn (Yonnie) Chyung, Katherine Roberts, Ieva Swanson, Andrea Hankinson

Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Likert-type scales are often used in survey instruments, and practitioners and researchers need to clearly understand the appropriate use of a midpoint in these scales. The authors of this article explore research studies from various disciplines to indicate that there are circumstances when a midpoint should be included and others where it should not. They provide tables, summarizing the benefits and problems in each case as well as evidence-based strategies to employ.

Designing Authentic Learning Activities To Train Pre-Service Teachers About Teaching Online, Tian Luo, Alexander Murray, Helen Crompton

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Online learning is increasingly being used in K-12 learning environments. A concomitant trend is found towards learning becoming authentic as students learn with tasks that are connected to real-world occupations. In this study, 48 pre-service teachers use an online environment to engage in authentic practice as they developed online learning experiences for their future students. Using a design-based research methodology, the researchers were involved in planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating the higher education class across two macro cycles. An authentic learning framework was utilized in the development of the class. Findings explicate the design of the course and how it …

O Designer, Look In The Mirror, Matthew Barclay

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

What chef ever made a meal that he or she would not be happy to eat or was doubtful the paying customer would relish? It may happen but it is likely rare. People in the profession of cooking and creating excellent meals take pride in their work to satisfy their customers. They strive for the joy of those they serve.

Critical Digital Literacies Across Scales And Beneath The Screen, Noah Asher Golden

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Digital technologies and education scholarship tend to focus on either individual creative design or analysis of the political economy. To better understand how ideologies travel across networks, critical digital literacies must focus on enactments beneath the screen, as the linguistic constructs known as software can enact interests across scales of activity to “disembed” local actions and meaning. Investigations of these mobilities and disembedding effects challenge popular notions of digital technologies as neutral, rendering overt the ways that algorithms can naturalize manifestations of power and social arrangements. Such a framework allows for descriptive analyses of the ways hegemonic discourses are enacted …

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Instructional Design Reflections, Rob Wood

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Franklin University graduate student Amie Tope is preparing to enter the instructional design field in early 2018. Dr. Rob Wood has been practicing instructional design since 1988 and serves as a faculty member at Franklin University. Amie and Rob recently sat down for an informal, collegial discussion to talk about their perspectives. While Amie looks forward to stepping across the threshold and formally beginning her instructional design career, Rob is looking back over nearly 30 years as an instructional designer and considering what eventual retirement might look like.

John A. Henschke's Vita Updated 2017, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

This vita includes my professional exploits and some personal experiences.

Using Tablet Technologies To Engage And Motivate Urban High School Students, Nicol R. Howard, Keith Howard

Education Faculty Articles and Research

In this two-year study, researchers examined the impact of using tablet technologies across content areas in an urban high school setting. Class observations provided notable examples of how student motivation and learning appeared to be enhanced by use of the iPads in conjunction with opportunities to collaborate and be creative in the context of their learning. Interviews from a set of teachers with a range of classroom teaching experience provided multiple perspectives of the program’s impact. The opportunity for teachers and students to have the flexibility to select the apps they believe achieve curricular and/or learning goals supports the shift …

Nebraska Acrl Scholarly Communication Roadshow Sharing Session, Catherine Fraser Riehle, Linnea Fredrickson, Margaret Mering

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Conference Presentations and Speeches

The session includes a report about the 2017 Nebraska ACRL [Association of College and Research Libraries] Scholarly Communication Roadshow that was held July 12, 2017, on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) campus. The presenters share key takeaways from each of three main program segments, which focused on (1) open education, (2) copyright, and (3) research metrics and author identifiers (e.g., ORCID). The session includes updates about (1) open education–related initiatives at UNL, including the UNL Libraries’ efforts to partner with other units on campus to increase awareness and integration of OERs in curricula; (2) selected copyright issues and continuing education …

Supporting Faculty In Learning, Adopting, And Embracing Oers, Kimberly Johnson, Carrie Lewis Miller, Karen Pikula

IT Solutions Publications

Minnesota State, a public system of 7 universities and 30 colleges serving nearly 400,000 students, has partnered with the Open Textbook Network (OTN) since 2014 to deliver training to nearly 300 faculty to OTN and the need, purpose, and possibilities of OER use in the classroom. Many of these faculty have gone on to peer review one or more texts housed in the Open Textbook Library. While there is still need for these basics, there is also growing interest in aiding faculty to move beyond reviewing existing OERs to adopting, redesigning courses, and even authoring their own open texts. To …

An Elearning Partnership: Applying The Quality Matters Rubric To Online Library Instructional Materials, Mandi Goodsett

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

No abstract provided.

Clients As An Instructional Resource, Xiaopeng Ni

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Higher education is under pressure to change from both within and outside (Christensen & Eyring, 2011). One such pressure is from future employers. According to the survey conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education (Supiano, 2013), most employers significantly value students’ authentic experience over their classroom activities or grades. Authentic learning experience is a direction for teaching and learning innovations. As I discussed in my previous blog post (“Let’s Get Real about Learning”), authentic learning facilitates the transfer of learning and provides students contextual knowledge and skills. Students who learned decontextualized knowledge can answer items on a test but may …

Connect Oer Annual Report, 2016-2017, Brady Yano

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Earlier this year, SPARC launched Connect OER—a platform to share and discover information about Open Educational Resources (OER) activities at campuses across North America. Through Connect OER, academic libraries create and manage profiles about their institution’s efforts on OER, producing valuable data that we use to populate a searchable directory and produce an annual report.

As the first Connect OER Annual Report, this document summarizes insights from the Connect OER pilot, which ran from May - July 2017. The data encompass 65 SPARC member libraries spanning 31 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces who participated in the pilot. Our analysis …

Following A Ten-Step Procedure To Evaluate The Administrative Services Qualification Card Program, Julie R. Barkin, Seung Youn (Yonnie) Chyung, Megan Lemke

Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this article, the authors describe a ten-step procedure for conducting program evaluation in the HPI context, followed by a case study illustrating the procedure taken and outcomes produced. A team of graduate students at Boise State University completed an evaluation study of an Administrative Services Qualification Card program in a not-for-profit organization by following the ten-step evaluation procedure. The end result was a set of evidence-based recommendations focused on improving the quality of the program.

Human Resource Development For Learning And Performance Improvement, Jessie Kong

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Having studied Human Resource Development (HRD) in my Ph.D. program, I have received many questions from students, colleagues, and others about what HRD is. Therefore, this post briefly discusses the definition and functions of HRD as they relate to the role of an instructional design leader

7 Skills Of Knowledge Work, Joel Gardner

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

We are now working in the knowledge society, in which information and knowledge are the primary commodity. The majority of employees in this society are knowledge workers, which means their primary function is to gather and create new knowledge. The nature of work in the knowledge society is cross-disciplinary, complex, varied, and ambiguous, and knowledge workers must be able to access and use broad knowledge in flexible yet disciplined manner.

Card Tricks: A Workflow For Scalability And Dynamic Content Creation Using Paper2d And Unreal Engine 4, Owen Gottlieb, Dakota Herold, Edward Amidon

Presentations and other scholarship

In this paper, we describe the design and technological methods of

our dynamic sprite system in Lost & Found, a table-top-to-mobile

card game designed to improve literacy regarding prosocial

aspects of religious legal systems, specifically, collaboration and

cooperation. Harnessing the capabilities of Unreal Engine’s

Paper2D system, we created a dynamic content creation pipeline

that empowered our game designers so that they could rapidly

iterate on the game’s systems and balance externally from the

engine. Utilizing the Unreal Blueprint component system we were

also able to modularize each actor during runtime as data may be

changed. The technological approach behind Lost …

Why Should You Use An Introductions Activity In Every Course?, Erin Wehmeyer

The International Institute for Innovative Instruction Blog

Introductions and icebreakers are very popular activates but they are also dreaded by participants (and leaders). I recently read a blog, Icebreakers that Rock (www.cultofpedagogy.com), which explains what is wrong with most icebreakers and gives three examples of icebreakers that don’t have the “cheese” factor that tends to make us cringe. Icebreakers can be effective tools to create a sense of team or community in a group. But most icebreakers require some type of physical interaction (e.g., grouping, lines, circles, physical characteristics). How do we make these activities correlate to the online classroom (or meeting)? What’s missing from the online …