Education Commons^™

Learning Analytics: Readiness And Rewards, Norm Friesen

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper introduces the relatively new field of learning analytics, first by considering the relevant meanings of both “learning” and “analytics,” and then by looking at two main levels at which learning analytics can be or has been implemented in educational organizations. Although turnkey systems or modules are not yet available for review, specific technologies for analyzing online student activities have been implemented and piloted. As a result, this paper recommends an incremental approach to institutional preparedness.

Improving Metacomprehension And Calibration Accuracy Through Embedded Cognitive And Metacognitive Strategy Prompts, Alan J. Reid

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

A societal shift from print-based to digital texts has afforded the ability to embed reader support within an instructional text. Numerous factors make eBooks an attractive option for colleges and universities, though undergraduates consistently reaffirm a preference for print-based materials. Given that many undergraduates arrive to college with a deficiency in reading comprehension skills and metacognitive awareness, digital text is able to offer an additional layer of support. A sample population of college undergraduates (N = 80) read an expository text on the basics of photography in the form of a fill-in field PDF. The most robust treatment (mixed) read …

Examining Student Participation In Three Learning Activities Supported By Social Annotation Tools, Tian Luo, Fei Gao, Kathryn S. Hoff

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Social annotation (SA) allows learners to highlight and comment on Web pages and share annotations with each other online. Despite its potential in promoting collaborative learning, examining how to integrate it into educational settings has not been fully studied. The purpose of the study is to examine student participation in three different SA-based online activities: (1) peer review, (2) annotated discussion, and (3) collaborative reading. Students participated in all three SA-based activities and took a survey at the end reporting the effectiveness of these activities. The analysis of students' annotations and their survey responses suggested that although participants perceived the …

Cognitive Activity Support Tools: Design Of The Visual Interface, Paul Parsons

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation is broadly concerned with interactive computational tools that support the performance of complex cognitive activities, examples of which are analytical reasoning, decision making, problem solving, sense making, forecasting, and learning. Examples of tools that support such activities are visualization-based tools in the areas of: education, information visualization, personal information management, statistics, and health informatics. Such tools enable access to information and data and, through interaction, enable a human-information discourse. In a more specific sense, this dissertation is concerned with the design of the visual interface of these tools. This dissertation presents a large and comprehensive theoretical framework to …

Using Qr Technology To Promote Educational Excellence And Engagement, Xiaopeng Ni

Scholarship Forum 2013

QR codes have been applied widely, including marketing, advertising, entertainment, ticketing, tracking inventory, etc. These codes are intended to attract the potential consumers/users to enriched, instant, multimedia, and interactive information.

Designing Authentic Learning For Higher Education, Xiaopeng Ni, E’Lise Flood

Scholarship Forum 2013

Dr. Xiaopeng (David) Ni and E'Lise Flood discuss the incorporation of real world components in traditional course may effect student learning. Students who learn decontextualized knowledge are likely to be able to answer items on a test, but often struggle to apply what they have learned when attempting to solve real problems. Learning that emulates real life is more likely to promote students’ motivation, engagement, transfer of learning and professional development.

Using A Team Approach To Redesign The First Course In A Master’S Levelinstructional Design And Performance Improvement Program, Barbara Carder, E’Lise Flood, Joel Gardner, Sharon Taylor

Scholarship Forum 2013

The first course in the Instructional Design and Performance Technology Program at Franklin University is IDPT600 – Principles of Learning Theory. This program began two years ago using a cohort format. The first course ran several times during 2011 and 2012. The original design served us well but, as the rest of the program was being completed, we realized that we had several opportunities to improve IDPT600. In addition, feedback from faculty and students provided the impetus to redesign the course and make the learning opportunities for our students even more robust. This poster presentation describes the unique team process …

Development Of A Scale For Fantasy State In Digital Games, Beomkyu Choi, Jie Huang, Annie Jeffrey, Youngkyun Baek

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Digital games appear to motivate players intrinsically. Of various game features, fantasy in particularly plays a crucial role in enhancing motivation and is a key factor in immersion in gameplay. As with its inherent value, fantasy also plays a vital role in distinguishing digital games itself from other media. Despite its significance, fantasy has received little attention, and this concept is still ambiguous to define with any certainty. This study thus aims to create a framework to explore a dimension of fantasy and to develop a scale to measure a state of fantasy in digital games. As a result, four …

Collaborative Learning Using Voicethread In An Online Graduate Course, Yu-Hui Ching, Yu-Chang Hsu

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Collaborative learning enables participants in a learning community to externalize and share knowledge, experiences, and practice. However, collaborative learning in an online environment can be challenging due to the lack of face-to face interaction. This current study examined twenty graduate students’ experiences of using VoiceThread for a collaborative activity in an entirely online course to explore students’ perceptions of using multi-modal communication for collaboration and knowledge sharing. The results of this study revealed that graduate students had very positive experiences toward using VoiceThread for collaborative learning. The participants found VoiceThread easy to learn and use, and reported that audio and …

Cognitive Task Analysis-Based Training: A Metaanalysisof Studies, Colby Tofel-Grehl, David F. Feldon

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Cognitive task analysis (CTA) is enjoying growing popularity in both research and practice as a foundational element of instructional design. However, there exists relatively little research exploring its value as a foundation for training through controlled studies. Furthermore, highly individualized approaches to conducting CTA do not permit broadly generalizable conclusions to be drawn from the findings of individual studies. Thus, examining the magnitude of observed effects across studies from various domains and CTA practitioners is essential for assessing replicable effects. This study reports the findings from a meta-analysis that examines the overall effectiveness of CTA across practitioners and settings in …

From The Inside Looking Out: Andragogically Buidling A Doctor Of Andragogy Program, John A. Henschke Edd, Susan K. Isenberg Phd, Kathy Petroff

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

Developing and Implementing a Doctor of Andragogy Program andragogically provides an opportunity to 'think outside the box.' It requires congruency between talking and action, and active involvement of the learners. With many successes in the first two years, a concern emerged over the lack of interest and attendance in the initiative. Using andragogy to investigate the concern, opportunities emerged for improvement.

From History To Practice: How Trust, Empathy, Reciprocity And Sensitivity In Relationships Create The Foundation Of Learning, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

Focus of this study is on the extent of trust, empathy, and reciprocity in relationships combine to create a solid foundation of adult learning. Sensitivity may enhance learning, but insensitivity may destroy it.

The Four Forces Behind Knowles' Andragogy, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

The career of "the father of adult education" in the U.S., Malcolm S. Knowles, was a phenomenon in itself. Although Knowles is the most referenced adult educator of his time (Sopher, 2003a), he has, at times, also been the most misunderstood adult educator in the U.S. Knowles' (1989b) autobiography provided some in sights into his writing styles, his highly successful career, and his theory of adult education -- the introduction of "andragogy" in the U.S. -- nor did it provide context for a deeper understanding of the times, what influenced his thinking and his contribution major forces that influenced Knowles, …

Building Blocks For The Adult Learning Experience, John A. Henschke Edd

IACE Hall of Fame Repository

The author is seeking to improve the process of building and conducting active adult learning experiences by considering and implementing the various elements that need to be included. After reflecting on his 22 years of experience in the adult education field and immersing himself in the literature of adult education, he concluded that there were five major elements (which he called building blocks) for conducting and engaging participants in an Adult Learning Experience, which are: beliefs and notions about adult learners; perceptions concerning qualities of effective teachers; phases and sequences of the learning process; teaching tips and learning techniques; and, …

Online Instruction Made Easy: Getting Started With The Guide On The Side, Erica Defrain

UVM Libraries Conference Day

Come learn about a great new tool for easily creating effective and engaging online tutorials built around the theory of active learning. The Guide on the Side was created by librarians at the University of Arizona and released as an open source download in 2012. We hope to soon have it installed for all to use at the UVM Libraries!

Creating A Multi-Media Dvd Of A Small Town's Historical Images, Fred C. Pond

UVM Libraries Conference Day

The poster presents the process undertaken to create a DVD documentary of still and moving images, reflecting the history of a small community from the volunteer creator perspective. Sample visual elements include illustrations the DVD menu of five selections; footage of three moving image clips and two still photo collections.

The challenges, opportunities, rewards are presented, as well as a section on practical ‘how-we-done-it’ and ‘how we-mighta-done-it-differently’. For example, one of the biggest challenges was identifying home movies that included town events, in addition in being in good shape for digital transfer.

Furthermore, the creation of this DVD offered an …

Thinking Outside The"I Am The User" Box: A Trial Of Social-Emotional Design In Hci Education, Jo Jung, Barnard Clarkson, Martin Masek

Barnard Clarkson

A socio-emotional approach to consider human-computer interaction (HCI) has emerged as a discipline responding to much neglected aspect of interaction design: the social nature and emotions of users. Teaching a socio-emotional design in practice can be challenging due to the newness and multidisciplinary nature. This paper reports a trial of a collaborative socio-emotional design project shared by two faculties and three design disciplines–interface design, software design, and 3D design. Success and challenges encountered during the project are presented to share our experience of teaching and managing a multidisciplinary collaboration project.

Managing Multidisciplinary Student Design Teams, Martin Masek, Joo Jung, Barnard Clarkson

Barnard Clarkson

The management of multidisciplinary student teams is a challenge. In this paper we describe our experience in running a shared assessment across several units. Four multidisciplinary teams were formed, and success was mixed, with one team splitting into two along discipline lines and all experiencing communication issues. The main management challenges that arose were based around difficulty in communication and the understanding of the other disciplines requirements. We outline the process we used to construct the shared assessment, and provide some insight in how the student groups dealt with issues that arose.

Constructing Meanings By Designing Worlds Digital Games As Participatory Platforms For Interest-Driven Learning And Creativity, Vittorio Marone

Doctoral Dissertations

This study emerges from the observation of an increasing divide between generations: a lack of a shared ground that carries profound social, cultural, and educational implications. In particular, the broadening differences between academic and “grassroots” approaches to learning and creativity are transforming formal and informal enterprises into seemingly incommunicable realms. This clash between different (and distant) practices, inside and outside of school, is inhibiting the construction of a common language between teachers and students, and, more broadly, between generations, thus hindering the development of any educational discourse.

In this study I inquired into an online participatory space in order to …

Computer Access, Teacher Skills And Motivation To Take Online Professional Development In The Riyadh School District, Haya Mohammad Albrkhil

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eight hundred Saudi Arabia educators from the Riyadh District participated in this study to determine teachers' access to computers, computer skill level and motivation to enroll in online courses pertaining to professional development. Participants, who were chosen according to a stratified sampling technique, completed a survey which provided the data for the study.

The correlation between the motivation to take online courses and the computer skill perception of participants was weak but statistically significant indicating that as the rate of computer skills perception increases, the rate of motivation to take online classes increases as well. Other factors pertaining to increased …

Effects Of Self-Regulatory Status And Practice Type On Student Performance In The Mobile Learning Environment, Jeremy Tutty

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The next generation of computer-based learning environments has arrived. This generation of technology is characterized by mobile and portable devices such as smartphones and tablet computers with wireless broadband access. With these devices comes the promise of extending the online learning revolution. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of three levels of practice type (assessment aligned, reflective, none), and two levels of self-regulatory status (high and low) on student performance within the context of mobile instruction. Results indicated that the inclusion of practice activities in mobile instruction has a positive effect on student performance. Study participants …

Online Attrition At A Community College In Rural Appalachia: A Phenomenological Approach, Victoria Sue Ratliff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The education attainment level of residents in rural Appalachia has consistently ranked below the remaining populous of the United States. Although distance education initiatives have attempted to bridge the disparities between rural Appalachia and the rest of the nation, online community college students in this region are likely to drop out or fail their classes. To understand the phenomenon of online attrition in rural Appalachia, a phenomenological study was conducted to determine what students experienced from the time they chose to enroll in online classes through the point of failure or withdrawal from their courses. This triangulated study utilized surveys, …

Multimedia Instructional Tools And Student Learning In Computer Applications Courses, Debra Laier Chapman

Dissertations

Advances in technology and changes in educational strategies have resulted in the integration of technology into the classroom. Multimedia instructional tools (MMIT) have been identified as a way to provide student-centered active-learning instructional material to students. MMITs are common in introductory computer applications courses based on the theory that this type of educational tool should be effective in increasing student knowledge and result in positive changes to motivation and the learning strategies used in the course.

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of the MMIT in an introductory computer applications course to determine if there was …

The Effect Of Scaffolded Strategies On Content Learning In A Designed Science Cyberlearning Environment, Cynthia Lee Kern

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Scientific inscriptions--graphs, diagrams, and data--and argumentation are integral to generating and communicating scientific understanding. Scientific inscriptions and argumentation are also important to learning science. However, previous research has indicated that learners struggle to understand and learn science content represented in inscriptions. Furthermore, when learners engage in argumentation, learning science content becomes secondary to the learning of argumentation skills. This design-based research study is nested within the larger effort to inform the design and development of the 5-Featured Dynamic Inquiry Enterprise design framework (5-DIE) for cyberlearning environments and to advance theory associated with the difficulties learners have with scientific inscriptions and …

Supporting Or Enabling: Developing A Sustainable Support Model For Eportfolio Initiatives, Debra D. Runshe

Teaching and Learning Technologies Presentations

As the eportfolio community has grown, as this conference celebrates, so has the use of eportfolios at Indiana University. ePortfolio use began primarily on the campus at Indianapolis, IUPUI, and has been used there for almost a decade. As eportfolio use scaled up at the university beyond the IUPUI campus, so has the need for support of these sometimes complex projects. Engage in a conversation with the presenter as strategies for successful scaling up are discussed.

Higher Education At The Margins, Eric A. Kowalik, Heidi Schweizer, Ken Daily, Jon Pray

Eric A. Kowalik

Jesuit Commons: Higher Education at the Margins (JC:HEM), is an initiative of the Society of Jesus that brings Jesuit higher education to those at the margins of our society. It provides courses and degrees to refugees via the volunteer activities of online course providers from many Jesuit schools and draws on the rich Jesuit tradition of higher education. We explain how Marquette University has worked to develop courses for JC:HEM and provide ways your institution can partner to contribute courses and resources to this endeavor.

When My Sub-Editor Is A Nit-Picking Bot: Mediating Roles Of A Tv News Scriptwriting Exercise, Andrew Deacon, Catherine Wynsculley

The African Journal of Information Systems

Online learning activities have promised new ways to engage students. This paper describes the design and use of the NewsScripts online learning exercise over a decade. This web-based television news scriptwriting exercise is used with media students at the University of Cape Town to expose them to news scriptwriting practices. Students write a script to match a video, employing a television news writing style. The more important transformational opportunity is deepening students’ own critical media analysis skills. Our focus is how the NewsScripts design evolved and changed over time to remain part of the curriculum. Underlying the curricula of university …

Towards A Shared Understanding Of Emerging Technologies: Experiences In A Collaborative Research Project In South Africa, Daniela Gachago, Eunice Ivala, Judy Backhouse, Jan Petrus Bosman, Vivienne Bozalek, Dick Ng’Ambi

The African Journal of Information Systems

While the practice of using educational technologies in Higher Education is increasingly common among educators, there is a paucity of research on innovative uses of emerging technologies to transform teaching and learning. This paper draws on data collected as part of a larger study aimed at investigating emerging technologies and their use in South African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to improve teaching and learning. The research employed a mixed method research design, using both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods—quantitative data from a survey of 262 respondents from 22 public HEIs in South Africa and qualitative data gathered from 16 …

Considering Two Audiences When Recording Lectures As Lecturecasts, Brandon I. Collier-Reed

The African Journal of Information Systems

This article presents the outcome of an investigation into the provision of lecturecasts to students. The objective was to ensure that both those who attended live lectures of a second-year engineering course and/or watched recorded versions of the lectures had an experience that supported their learning. A range of data was drawn on including the personal reflection of the lecturer of the course, questionnaires, and student interviews. The qualitative data were analysed through an inductive process that drew on the principles of grounded theory and the findings that emerged included the role of the “talking head” in recordings, balancing the …

Using A Learner-Centered Approach To Develop An Educational Technology Course, Mariam Abdelmalak, Jesús Trespalacios

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The article explores the structure of a graduate educational technology course that used a learner-centered approach to prepare students to be independent responsible learners. Key features of this approach were the balance of power between the instructor and students, involving students in decision-making about their learning, sharing the responsibility for learning between the instructor and students, and using students' needs and interests in the course content. The article describes how the decision-making power was shared between the instructor and students, as well as how students responded to the course structure. This work has implications for creating learner-centered environments in which …