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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Purpose And Value For Students Of Pbl Groups For Learning, Vicki Skinner, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Tracey J. Winning
The Purpose And Value For Students Of Pbl Groups For Learning, Vicki Skinner, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Tracey J. Winning
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Groups are central to problem-based learning (PBL) and educational and professional outcomes relevant to clinical education. However, PBL groups in practice may differ from theoretical conceptions of groups. Therefore, this study explored students’ understandings of the purpose and value of PBL groups for their learning. We conducted a naturalistic study with novice (first-year) students at two dental schools (Australia, Ireland), using observation and interviews analyzed thematically. Students constructed PBL learning as individual knowledge gain, and group purpose as information gathering and exchange; few students acknowledged the learning potential of group processes. Group value depended on assessment and curriculum context. Findings …
How Finger Tracing Of Temperature Graphs On An Ipad Can Support Primary School Students' Learning, Shirley Agostinho, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, Paul Ginns, Steven J. Howard, Wayne Leahy, Fred Paas
How Finger Tracing Of Temperature Graphs On An Ipad Can Support Primary School Students' Learning, Shirley Agostinho, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, Paul Ginns, Steven J. Howard, Wayne Leahy, Fred Paas
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Abstract presented at the 8th Cognitive Load Theory Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, June 15th - 17th, 2015.
Effects Of Observing And Making Movements On Learning, Sahar Bokosmaty, Fred Paas
Effects Of Observing And Making Movements On Learning, Sahar Bokosmaty, Fred Paas
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Abstract presented at the 8th Cognitive Load Theory Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, June 15th - 17th, 2015.
A Case Study Of Giftedness And Specific Learning Disabilities: Bridging The Two Exceptionalities, Catherine M. Wormald, Karen B. Rogers, Wilma Vialle
A Case Study Of Giftedness And Specific Learning Disabilities: Bridging The Two Exceptionalities, Catherine M. Wormald, Karen B. Rogers, Wilma Vialle
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Despite being unable to dress himself, sit still on a chair, or write a legible sentence, Scott was, from a very early age, able to build whole cities from construction blocks, able to complete complex puzzles, and verbally precocious. Even with his disabilities and their contrast with his academic talent, he completed K-12 school and went on to excel at university. This case study represents the challenges many parents experience with identifying their children's disability and giftedness and ensuring that both exceptionalities are optimally developed. Through this case study, the roles an education system and the parents of such a …
The Learning Experience: Training Teachers Using Online Synchronous Environments, Stuart Woodcock, Ashley Sisco, Michelle J. Eady
The Learning Experience: Training Teachers Using Online Synchronous Environments, Stuart Woodcock, Ashley Sisco, Michelle J. Eady
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
This study examined the effectiveness of an online synchronous platform used for training preservice teachers. A blended learning approach was implemented. Fifty-three students participated in the course. Qualitative interview data and quantitative survey data were collected about students' experiences using the platform, and analyzed via thematic content analysis and statistical analysis, respectively. The findings show that e-learning synchronous technology is an effective learning tool in enhancing preservice teachers' e-learning competency in subject matter and information communication technology skills. However, preservice teachers' competency to learn and implement e-learning for students is dependent on four hierarchal conditions (a) ease of use, (b) …
Computer-Based Learning Of Geometry From Integrated And Split Attention Worked Examples: The Power Of Self-Management, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, Shirley Agostinho, Sahar Bokosmaty, Fred Paas, Paul A. Chandler
Computer-Based Learning Of Geometry From Integrated And Split Attention Worked Examples: The Power Of Self-Management, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, Shirley Agostinho, Sahar Bokosmaty, Fred Paas, Paul A. Chandler
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
This research investigated the viability of learning by self-managing split-attention worked examples as an alternative to learning by studying instructor-managed integrated worked examples. Secondary school students learning properties of angles on parallel lines were taught to integrate spatially separated text and diagrammatic information by using online tools to physically move text to associated parts of a diagram. The moving of text aimed to reduce learners' need to search between text and diagram, freeing cognitive resources for learning and affording learners' control of their learning materials. The main hypotheses that learners who self-manage split-attention worked examples would perform better on test …
Pre-Service Perspectives On E-Teaching: Assessing E-Teaching Using The Epec Hierarchy Of Conditions For E-Learning/Teaching Competence, Ashley Sisco, Stuart Woodcock, Michelle J. Eady
Pre-Service Perspectives On E-Teaching: Assessing E-Teaching Using The Epec Hierarchy Of Conditions For E-Learning/Teaching Competence, Ashley Sisco, Stuart Woodcock, Michelle J. Eady
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
This article examines pre-service teacher perspectives of teaching with an online synchronous (live-time) platform as a part of their training. Fifty-three students who participated in a blended learning (including both face-to-face and online lectures) course were assessed in a teaching simulation through an online presentation, and participated in questionnaires and interviews about their experiences as e-learners using the platform. The EPEC hierarchy of conditions (Ease of use, Psychologically safe environment, e-learning/e-teaching Efficacy, and e-learning Competence) for e-learning competency, developed based on an analysis of pre-service teachers' experience as e-learners in this same study, was used as a framework to assess …
Effects Of Integrated Physical Exercises And Gestures On Preschool Children's Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning, Myrto F. Mavilidi, Anthony D. Okely, Paul A. Chandler, Dylan P. Cliff, Fred Paas
Effects Of Integrated Physical Exercises And Gestures On Preschool Children's Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning, Myrto F. Mavilidi, Anthony D. Okely, Paul A. Chandler, Dylan P. Cliff, Fred Paas
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Research suggests that integrating human movement into a cognitive learning task can be effective for learning due to its cognitive and physiological effects. In this study, the learning effects of enacting words through whole-body movements (i.e., physical exercise) and part-body movements (i.e., gestures) were investigated in a foreign language vocabulary task. Participants were 111 preschool children of 15 childcare centers, who were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. Participants had to learn 14 Italian words in a 4-week teaching program. They were tested on their memory for the words during, directly after, and 6 weeks after the program. In …
Watch Your Step Children! Learning Two-Digit Numbers Through Mirror-Based Observation Of Self-Initiated Body Movements, Margina Ruiter, Sofie M. M Loyens, Fred Paas
Watch Your Step Children! Learning Two-Digit Numbers Through Mirror-Based Observation Of Self-Initiated Body Movements, Margina Ruiter, Sofie M. M Loyens, Fred Paas
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
It was investigated whether task-related body movements yield beneficial effects on children's learning of two-digit numbers and whether these learning effects are affected by mirror-based self-observation of those movements. Participants were 118 first-graders, who were randomly assigned to two movement conditions and two non-movement control conditions. In the movement conditions, children were instructed to build two-digit numbers by making and simultaneously verbalizing out loud different sized steps representing the smaller units the numbers consisted of (e.g., the number "36" was construed by saying out loud "10," "20," "30," "35," "36," while making three big steps, one medium, and one small …
Diagnosing Resources For Effective Learning Via Teacher And Parent Checklists, Bettina Harder, Susanna Trottler, Wilma Vialle, Albert Ziegler
Diagnosing Resources For Effective Learning Via Teacher And Parent Checklists, Bettina Harder, Susanna Trottler, Wilma Vialle, Albert Ziegler
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Checklists are an economical form of diagnostic instruments and are therefore well suited to support decision making on individual fostering of students in every day school life. We developed a teacher and a parent checklist based on the theory of educational and learning capital (Ziegler & Baker, 2013), that is, assessing the students' resources for learning. A study with 5th to 8th graders demonstrated the checklists' diagnostic properties. Overall, the teacher ratings of students' capitals proved to be reliable, objective and highly valid while parent ratings turned out to be less valid. Implications and possibilities of practical usage are discussed.
Learning Resources Within The Actiotope: A Validation Study Of The Qelc (Questionnaire Of Educational And Learning Capital), Anamaria Vladut, Wilma Vialle, Albert Ziegler
Learning Resources Within The Actiotope: A Validation Study Of The Qelc (Questionnaire Of Educational And Learning Capital), Anamaria Vladut, Wilma Vialle, Albert Ziegler
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
In the Actiotope Model of Giftedness the important role of exogenous and endogenous learning resources (educational and learning capital) for successful learning is emphasized. However, so far no empirical evidence has been offered to establish a link between an actiotope and learning resources. An economical quantitative measuring instrument is the Questionnaire of Educational and Learning Capital (QELC). In an empirical study with a sample of 248 post-secondary school students from Germany, the empirical link between actiotope variables and learning resources was established. The results showed that the QELC has satisfactory psychometric qualities as well as acceptable factorial and concurrent validity.
Physics Students' Social Media Learning Behaviors And Connectedness, Rachel Moll, Wendy S. Nielsen, Cedric Linder
Physics Students' Social Media Learning Behaviors And Connectedness, Rachel Moll, Wendy S. Nielsen, Cedric Linder
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Drawing on a complexity thinking perspective on learning, the conditions of emergence for complex systems were used as an analytic framework to characterize social media learning behaviours for their potential to promote connectedness. The authors' analysis identifies trends in secondary and tertiary physics students' social media use from focus group interview data and characterizes the nature of these behaviours for their potential to benefit students' understanding of the content of science curricula. While the authors' study focuses on physics learning, they propose implications that extend to other science learning contexts vis-a-vis how to transform connectivity learning behaviours into connectedness learning …
Preschool Children's Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning By Embodying Words Through Physical Activity And Gesturing, Konstantina Toumpaniari, Sofie M. M Loyens, Myrto F. Mavilidi, Fred Paas
Preschool Children's Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning By Embodying Words Through Physical Activity And Gesturing, Konstantina Toumpaniari, Sofie M. M Loyens, Myrto F. Mavilidi, Fred Paas
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Research has demonstrated that physical activity involving gross motor activities can lead to better cognitive functioning and higher academic achievement scores. In addition, research within the theoretical framework of embodied cognition has shown that embodying knowledge through the use of more subtle motor activities, such as task-relevant gestures, has a positive effect on learning. In this study, we investigated whether combining both physical activities and gestures could improve learning even more in a 4-week intervention program on foreign language vocabulary learning in preschool children. The main hypothesis that learning by embodying words through task-relevant enactment gestures and physical activities would …
An Examination Of Pre-Service Teachers' Attributions For Students With Specific Learning Difficulties, Stuart Woodcock, Wilma Vialle
An Examination Of Pre-Service Teachers' Attributions For Students With Specific Learning Difficulties, Stuart Woodcock, Wilma Vialle
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
One of the most important factors in the successful inclusion of students with specific learning difficulties in mainstream classrooms is the teacher. Despite strong support for inclusion, mainstream teachers still demonstrate mixed responses to the inclusion of certain students in the classrooms. Further, their attitudes towards inclusion seem to be formed during their initial training. The purpose of this research was to examine the attitudes of pre-service teachers towards students with specific learning difficulties by analyzing their attributional responses to hypothetical students. Participants included 205 pre-service teachers, and the results demonstrated that the pre-service teachers' attributional responses differed according to …
Leading School Communities To Implement A Sustainable School-Wide Model Leading To Enhancing Learning Outcomes For Students With Asd, Amanda A. Webster, Jane Wilkinson
Leading School Communities To Implement A Sustainable School-Wide Model Leading To Enhancing Learning Outcomes For Students With Asd, Amanda A. Webster, Jane Wilkinson
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
The crucial role of school leaders in inclusive schools for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has received more attention in recent years. A pilot study was conducted in three Australian/Queensland schools to trial a shared model of school leadership in implementing a whole school approach for students with ASD. Schools established an ASD leadership team, which was headed up by the school principal and head of special education (HOSE) but also included a classroom teacher, and a parent of a child with ASD. Together the principal and HOSE led the team in assessing their current practices and establishing an …
Enhancing The Quality Of Pre-Service Teachers Learning Through The Conceptualizing Of Mentoring Strategies During The Practicum, Lynn D. Sheridan, Hoa Nguyen
Enhancing The Quality Of Pre-Service Teachers Learning Through The Conceptualizing Of Mentoring Strategies During The Practicum, Lynn D. Sheridan, Hoa Nguyen
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Professional experience has been described as a cornerstone of teacher preparation that has a "profound impact on student teachers" (Hammerness, Darling-Hammond, & Shulman, 2002, p. 409). There is a wide variation of teacher education programs across the world however, in most countries teacher preparation programs consists of initial university-based course work followed by school-based student teaching practice. Clearly, this program structure has implications for the role of professional experience in creating genuine opportunities for pre-service teachers to develop teaching practice and knowledge about the profession. During the professional experience, mentoring pre-service teachers has been considered critical in ensuring a quality …
Shifting Towards Inquiry-Orientated Learning In A High School Outreach Program, Tom Gordon, Manjula Sharma, Helen Georgiou, Matthew Hill
Shifting Towards Inquiry-Orientated Learning In A High School Outreach Program, Tom Gordon, Manjula Sharma, Helen Georgiou, Matthew Hill
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
This paper presents results of an examination the effect of the introduction of inquiry-orientated learning, IOL, activities into the formal education outreach program for senior high school Physics students run by School of Physics at the University of Sydney, 'Kickstart Physics.' This is the flagship outreach program from the Faculty of Science and accommodates approximately a quarter of the total number of students that sit the state Physics exam. The project considered how students arrive at different inquiry-orientated outcomes such as making hypotheses, displaying and interpreting data, validity, reliability, as well as the mental effort reported by the students during …
Does Using Active Learning In Thermodynamics Lectures Improve Students' Conceptual Understanding And Learning Experiences?, Helen Georgiou, Manjula Sharma
Does Using Active Learning In Thermodynamics Lectures Improve Students' Conceptual Understanding And Learning Experiences?, Helen Georgiou, Manjula Sharma
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Encouraging 'active learning' in the large lecture theatre emerges as a credible recommendation for improving university courses, with reports often showing significant improvements in learning outcomes. However, the recommendations are based predominantly on studies undertaken in mechanics. We set out to examine those claims in the thermodynamics module of a large first year physics course with an established technique, called interactive lecture demonstrations (ILDs). The study took place at University of Sydney, where four parallel streams of the thermodynamics module were divided into two streams that experienced the ILDs and two streams that did not. The programme was first implemented …
Intellectually Gifted Students Often Have Learning Disabilities, Catherine M. Wormald
Intellectually Gifted Students Often Have Learning Disabilities, Catherine M. Wormald
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Mention the terms "intellectual giftedness" and "learning disability" and there is a general understanding of what each term means. However, most people are unaware that in many circumstances the two can go hand in hand. Current US research suggests that 14% of children who are identified as being intellectually gifted may also have a learning disability. This is compared to about 4% of children in the general population. No-one has been able to explain this discrepancy. While children who are intellectually gifted are acknowledged, the fact that some of these students could also have a learning disability is ignored. Teachers …
Technology Tools To Support Learning Design: Implications Derived From An Investigation Of University Teachers' Design Practices, Sue Bennett, Shirley Agostinho, Lori Lockyer
Technology Tools To Support Learning Design: Implications Derived From An Investigation Of University Teachers' Design Practices, Sue Bennett, Shirley Agostinho, Lori Lockyer
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
The need to improve the quality of higher education has fostered an interest in technology tools to support effective design for teaching and learning. Over the past decade this interest has led to the development of tools to support the creation of online learning experiences, specifications to underpin design systems, and repositories to share examples. Despite this significant activity, there remain unanswered questions about what shapes university teachers' design decisions and how tools can best support their design processes. This paper presents findings from a study of university teachers'; design practices that identified teachers' perceptions of student characteristics, their own …
Transformation Of Traditional Face-To-Face Teaching To Mobile Teaching And Learning: Pedagogical Perspectives, Jan Turbill
Transformation Of Traditional Face-To-Face Teaching To Mobile Teaching And Learning: Pedagogical Perspectives, Jan Turbill
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Teaching students in a face-to-face context has been and, in many institutions of education, still is the only form of teaching in higher education. However, in the past 20 years, there has been a slowly increasing movement toward transforming the higher education teaching and learning experience from face-to-face to a mobile online learning experience. For most teachers this move is quite a challenge and raises many issues and questions. These include questions such as: What mobile technologies are available to employ? What teaching practices are best to use? Will student learning outcomes be better or worse as a result? And …
"I 'Feel' Like I Am At University Even Though I Am Online." Exploring How Students Narrate Their Engagement With Higher Education Institutions In An Online Learning Environment, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Cathy Stone, Janine Delahunty
"I 'Feel' Like I Am At University Even Though I Am Online." Exploring How Students Narrate Their Engagement With Higher Education Institutions In An Online Learning Environment, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Cathy Stone, Janine Delahunty
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
This article outlines a collaborative study between higher education institutions in Australia, which qualitatively explored the online learning experience for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The project adopted a narrative inquiry approach and encouraged students to story their experiences of this virtual environment, providing a snapshot of how learning is experienced by those undertaking online studies. The study explores what impacted upon students' engagement in this environment and how different facets of their learning experience made a qualitative difference to how individuals enacted engagement. Drawing upon Sharon Pittaway's engagement framework, the article seeks to foreground student voice as the learners define …
Transforming Shark Hazard Policy: Learning From Ocean-Users And Shark Encounter In Western Australia, Leah Maree Gibbs, Andrew T. Warren
Transforming Shark Hazard Policy: Learning From Ocean-Users And Shark Encounter In Western Australia, Leah Maree Gibbs, Andrew T. Warren
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Killing sharks is a popular strategy for reducing risk for beach-goers and ocean-users. But the effectiveness of kill-based strategies is debated and the ecological and economic costs are high. In Western Australia the state government introduced new policy in 2012 in response to shark-related fatalities, to track, catch and destroy sharks deemed to pose an 'imminent threat' to beach-goers. This paper reports on a survey of Western Australia-based ocean-users, and pursues two aims: to develop an understanding of the experiences of ocean-users in encountering sharks; and to learn about the attitudes of ocean-users towards shark hazard management. The research finds …
Giving Learning A Helping Hand: Finger Tracing Of Temperature Graphs On An Ipad, Shirley Agostinho, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, Paul Ginns, Steven J. Howard, Wayne Leahy, Fred Paas
Giving Learning A Helping Hand: Finger Tracing Of Temperature Graphs On An Ipad, Shirley Agostinho, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, Paul Ginns, Steven J. Howard, Wayne Leahy, Fred Paas
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Gesturally controlled information and communication technologies, such as tablet devices, are becoming increasingly popular tools for teaching and learning. Based on the theoretical frameworks of cognitive load and embodied cognition, this study investigated the impact of explicit instructions to trace out elements of tablet-based worked examples on mathematical problem-solving. Participants were 61 primary school children (8-11 years), who studied worked examples on an iPad either by tracing temperature graphs with their index finger or without such tracing. Results confirmed the main hypothesis that finger tracing as a form of biologically primary knowledge would support the construction of biologically secondary knowledge …
Effects Of Computer-Based Visual Representation On Mathematics Learning And Cognitive Load, Hsin I. Yung, Fred Paas
Effects Of Computer-Based Visual Representation On Mathematics Learning And Cognitive Load, Hsin I. Yung, Fred Paas
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Visual representation has been recognized as a powerful learning tool in many learning domains. Based on the assumption that visual representations can support deeper understanding, we examined the effects of visual representations on learning performance and cognitive load in the domain of mathematics. An experimental condition with visual representations was compared to a control condition without visual representations among primary school students. The hypothesis that learning with visual representations would result in higher learning performance and lower cognitive load than learning without visual representations was confirmed by the results. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Cognitive Load, Cues, And Task Selection In Learning Probability Calculus, Jimmie Leppink, Steven F. Raaijmakers, Fred Paas, Tamara Van Gog, Anique De Bruin, Jeroen Van Merrienboer
Cognitive Load, Cues, And Task Selection In Learning Probability Calculus, Jimmie Leppink, Steven F. Raaijmakers, Fred Paas, Tamara Van Gog, Anique De Bruin, Jeroen Van Merrienboer
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Abstract presented at the 8th Cognitive Load Theory Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, June 15th - 17th, 2015.