Effects of student-facilitated learning on instructional facilitators

We investigated perceptions about learning strategy use and instructional roles among a sample of high needs adolescents (n = 230) who acted as near-peer instructional facilitators. The sample was drawn from science and mathematics classes in nonselective public secondary schools in New York City. Students participated in an inschool intervention that draws on social constructivism, theory and research on metacognition and learning strategies, role theory, and empirical findings from the peer-to-peer learning literature to promote advanced achievement among students who act as facilitators. Using a pre- and post-test single group design, we surveyed student instructional facilitators before and after program participation and related their perceptions about learning strategy use and perceptions about teaching roles to data about academic achievement. We found no survey gains in student perceptions about learning strategies or instructional roles between pre-survey (fall) and post-survey (spring). We found small but significant effects of individual perceptions about learning strategies and teaching roles on academic gains among instructional facilitators. The study also suggests that an in-school near-peer facilitated learning program can be an effective means to raise achievement in urban high schools. The study provides partial support for theories that hold that metacognition and role perceptions are involved in the academic gains of instructional facilitators, as gains in these dimensions were small compared to achievement gains.     

Linking learning theories and learning difficulties

Abstract

Developing effective strategies to support secondary students with learning difficulties is important because they are the most prevalent students with special educational needs in contemporary mainstream classes. A learner‐focused instructional approach that incorporates meaning‐making, student control, and acceptance of errors, combined with explicit instruction will facilitate the learning of students with learning difficulties. This approach derives from an instructional setting model of learning difficulties, as distinct from a deficit model or an inefficient learner model, and draws on principles from constructivist learning theory and whole language theory. Guided by this model and these principles, secondary teachers can design curricula and classroom environments that support the needs of all students.     

The design and evaluation of Link: A computer-based learning system for correlation

This paper describes the design and evaluation of a computer-assisted learning program called Link , which was designed to be used by psychology students to review their understanding of correlation. Unlike existing computer-assisted learning programs that were reviewed, Link makes use of data from authentic research studies in psychology and provides learner activities that are specifically designed to address students' misconceptions about correlation. A summative evaluation study of Link involving fifty psychology students was carried out to assess the effect on students' understanding of correlation. It was found that the use of Link significantly contributed to students' general understanding of correlation. However, it was found that students use of paper-based instructional materials could also achieve this. The implication of this research outcome is considered in relation to the design and use of computer-assisted learning applications for statistics in higher education.     

Disaggregating assessment to close the loop and improve student learning

This study examined student learning outcomes for accelerated degree students as compared to conventional undergraduate students, disaggregated by class levels, to develop strategies for then closing the loop with assessment. Using the National Survey of Student Engagement, critical thinking and oral and written communication outcomes were examined. Within- and between-group learning outcome differences with freshmen and seniors in both instructional formats were tested to determine if instructional goals were met and student learning transpired. A quantitative, single case analysis method was used to determine significance with the items relating to these outcomes. Results indicated that seniors in both instructional formats typically reported greater engagement scores than freshmen, and that accelerated students tended to report more engagement than their conventional counterparts. These findings were most robust for the critical thinking outcome. Ramifications for student learning and relevant instructional formats are then explored, so as to close the loop with assessment.     

An assessment of support strategies used to facilitate distance students' participation in a web‐based learning environment in the University of the West Indies

This paper reports on a study undertaken to analyse learner participation in an online teaching–learning environment in the distance education program of the University of the West Indies. In outlining the context of the study, special emphasis was placed on the role of the course coordinator and the site‐based technician in facilitating participation. The fact that the online teaching–learning component was being added to a mixed delivery mode was also noted. A key aspect of the study was the measurement of respondents' potential for interaction. This concept was defined as a set of communicative behaviours that students engaged in, or intended to engage in, on the discussion board. The behaviours were described as interactive since they were either inputs or intended inputs, into a two‐way exchange. Key issues emerging included the need to rationalize the functions of the various components of the delivery mix, to review the positioning of the course coordinator vis‐à‐vis the student, and to give more thought to generating instructional strategies that are more likely to facilitate learner participation.     

Effects of degree of segmentation and learner disposition on multimedia learning

The construction of asynchronous learning environments often involves the creation of self‐paced multimedia instructional episodes that provide the learner with control over the pacing of instruction (segmentation); however, does the amount of segmentation impact learning? This study explored the effects of the degree of segmentation on recall and application of new knowledge and the nature of learner dispositions toward segmentation. Undergraduate students (n = 212) were randomly assigned to engage in a 9‐minute multimedia tutorial (ie, instructionally designed video‐based presentation) addressing historical inquiry that was divided into 1, 7, 14 or 28 segments (degree of segmentation) where students had control over when each segment began via a “Continue” button. Students' dispositions toward the segmentation—helped learning, made learning easier, made learning confusing, was annoying or seemed appropriate—were also measured. Results indicated that increased segmentation facilitated recall and application; however, learners perceived a high degree of segmentation (28 segments) more negatively. Overall, these results indicate that increased segmentation within a multimedia instructional environment has a positive influence on recall and application, regardless of the learner's disposition toward the segmentation.     

A comparative study of student attitude,learning and teaching practices in Pakistan and Britain

Good teaching is open to change and it involves constantly trying to find out what the effects of instruction are on learning, and modifying that instruction in the light of the evidence. Similarly, the ultimate outcome of instructional practice is effective student learning. Therefore, in this perspective, adequately meeting the varying needs of students is a major challenge for the modern education system in every country. As the title indicates, this paper attempts to explore students’ attitudes to studying and learning in order to help encourage greater engagement with quality learning. The study is based on primary data with regard to postgraduate education and learning in respective British and Pakistani education institutions—i.e. Moray House School of Education (Edinburgh University) and the Institute of Education and Research (University of the Punjab, Lahore). In the context of the collaboration of these two institutions, the paper focuses on the ways and means to enhance the system‐wide capacity for research‐based practice.     

Instructional and curricular requisites of mainstreamed students with learning disabilities

The successful integration of students with learning disabilities into mainstream reading classes may require teachers to adapt instruction and curricula in major ways. In this article, we discuss the relation between the instruction prescribed by standardized commercial curricula and the reading achievement of mainstreamed students with learning disabilities and other low-performing nonhandicapped students. An instructional template designed to complement commercially published reading lessons is described and its effects on the reading achievement of mainstreamed students with learning disabilities examined. Next, the limitations of generic instructional procedures to rectify the deficiencies of mainstream curricular programs for students with greater-than-average instructional needs are reviewed. We conclude with a discussion of the complexity of educating instructively needy learners in mainstream settings and the significance of well-designed instruction.     

Teaching learning disabled adolescents to think critically using a problem‐solving schema

Abstract

In this study we describe and examine the effectiveness of an instructional program designed to teach learning disabled adolescents to make better personal decisions. We presented problems in short narratives based on the types of problems these students must solve in their own lives. The program, conducted as part of the students' regular resource room curriculum, incorporated schema‐general questions for problem solving coupled with practice in generating problem‐specific questions to reach an appropriate decision. Participants were 70 resource room students in two large, urban high schools. We employed a pretest‐posttest comparison group design. On the posttest, instructed students performed significantly better on (1) identifying a general schema for making a personal decision and (2) applying the schema to reach appropriate decisions concerning novel problem narratives. The results support the view that application of a general schema to specific problems can be an effective instructional method to improve critical thinking and decision making.     

Promoting complex systems learning through the use of conceptual representations in hypermedia

Studying complex systems is increasingly important in many science domains. Many features of complex systems make it difficult for students to develop deep understanding. Our previous research indicated that a function‐centered conceptual representation is part of the disciplinary toolbox of biologists, suggesting that it is an appropriate representation to help students develop deep understanding. This article reports on the results of two experiments that investigate how hypermedia using a conceptual representation influences pre‐service teachers' and middle school students' learning of a complex biological system, the human respiratory system. We designed two versions of instructional hypermedia based on the structure–behavior‐function conceptual representation. One hypermedia was function‐centered which emphasized the function and behavior of the system, whereas the other was focused on the structure of the system. We contrasted the instructional effectiveness of these two alternative conceptual representations. The results of both studies indicated that participants using the function‐centered hypermedia developed deeper understanding than those using the structure‐centered version. This proof‐of‐concept study suggests that the function‐centered conceptual representation is a powerful way to promote complex systems understanding. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 46: 1023–1040, 2009     

The effect of different chunking strategies in complementing animated instruction

The purpose of this exploratory and small‐scale study was to examine the instructional effects of different chunking strategies used to complement animated instruction in terms of facilitating achievement of higher order learning objectives. Eighty‐five students were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: animated program instruction, simple visual‐text (static images and verbal explanation) chunked animated program instruction and the animated complex visual‐text chunked program instruction. The difference between simple and complex chunked instructions is the content. Simple chunks only deal with one content area while the complex chunks explain two or more related content areas. Students interacted with their respective web‐based instructional treatments and completed four criterion measures. Results (ANOVA) indicated that significant differences in achievement were found to exist in facilitating higher order learning objectives when chunking strategies were specifically designed and positioned to complement the animated instruction. Results also indicated that complex chunking is more effective in reducing the cognitive load present in an animated instructional environment, and that students need prerequisite knowledge before being able to profit from animated instruction designed to facilitate higher order learning outcomes.     

Making learning whole: an instructional approach for mediating the practices of authentic science inquiries

This design experiment aimed to answer the question of how to mediate the practices of authentic science inquiries in primary education. An instructional approach based on activity theory was designed and carried out with multi-age students in a small village school. An open-ended learning task was offered to the older students. Their task was to design and implement instruction about the Ice Age to their younger fellows. The objective was collaborative learning among students, the teacher, and outside domain experts. Mobile phones and GPS technologies were applied as the main technological mediators in the learning process. Technology provided an opportunity to expand the learning environment outside the classroom, including the natural environment. Empirically, the goal was to answer the following questions: What kind of learning project emerged? How did the students’ knowledge develop? What kinds of science learning processes, activities, and practices were represented? Multiple and parallel data were collected to achieve this aim. The data analysis revealed that the learning project both challenged the students to develop explanations for the phenomena and generated high quality conceptual and physical models in question. During the learning project, the roles of the community members were shaped, mixed, and integrated. The teacher also repeatedly evaluated and adjusted her behavior. The confidence of the learners in their abilities raised the quality of their learning outcomes. The findings showed that this instructional approach can not only mediate the kind of authentic practices that scientists apply but also make learning more holistic than it has been. Thus, it can be concluded that nature of the task, the tool-integrated collaborative inquiries in the natural environment, and the multiage setting can make learning whole.     

Effects of active‐learning experiences on achievement,attitudes, and behaviors in high school biology

Active‐learning labs for two topics in high school biology were developed through the collaboration of high school teachers and university faculty and staff and were administered to 408 high school students in six classrooms. The content of instruction and testing was guided by State of Texas science objectives. Detailed teacher records describing daily classroom activities were used to operationalize two types of instruction: active learning, which used the labs; and traditional, which used the teaching resources ordinarily available to the teacher. Teacher records indicated that they used less independent work and fewer worksheets, and more collaborative and lab‐based activities, with active‐learning labs compared to traditional instruction. In‐class test data show that students gained significantly more content knowledge and knowledge of process skills using the labs compared to traditional instruction. Questionnaire data revealed that students perceived greater learning gains after completing the labs compared to covering the same content through traditional methods. An independent questionnaire administered to a larger sample of teachers who used the lab‐based curriculum indicated that they perceived changing their behaviors as intended by the student‐centered principles of the labs. The major implication of this study is that active‐learning–based laboratory units designed and developed collaboratively by high school teachers and university faculty, and then used by high school teachers in their classrooms, can lead to increased use of student‐centered instructional practices as well as enhanced content knowledge and process learning for students. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 960–979, 2007     

Making learning interesting and its application to the science classroom

Generations of students are graduating from secondary school disinterested in post-secondary study of science or pursuing careers in science-related fields beyond formal education. We propose that destabilising such disinterest among future students requires science educators to begin listening to secondary school students regarding their views of how science learning is made interesting within the science classroom. Studies on students’ interest in response to instructional strategies applied in the classroom communicate the opinions (i.e. the ‘voice’) of students about the strategies they believe make their classroom learning interesting. To this end, this scoping study (1) collects empirical studies that present from various science and non-science academic domains students’ views about how to make classroom learning interesting; (2) identifies common instructional strategies across these domains that make learning interesting; and (3) forwards an instructional framework called TEDI ([T]ransdisciplinary Connections; Mediated [E]ngagement; Meaningful [D]iscovery; and Self-determined [I]nquiry), which may provide secondary school science teachers with a practical instructional approach for making learning science genuinely interesting among their students within the secondary school science classroom context.     

Perceptions of low ability students on group project work and cooperative learning

The benefits of cooperative learning strategies, such as group project work, have been advocated in a wide range of educational contexts. There is however, scant information on the outcome of such programs on students of low academic ability. In this study, interviews were conducted with four groups of low-ability students, with the aim of investigating their perceptions on the effectiveness of group project work in promoting their social and cognitive skills. Our findings show that although the students recognized that the program improved their competence in interacting with others, there are problematic organizational and instructional issues that have to be ironed out before students can profit fully from cooperative learning programs.     

On becoming a civic‐minded instructional designer: An ethnographic study of an instructional design experience

This ethnographic study took place in a graduate course at a large research university in the Midwestern United States. It presents an in‐depth examination of the experiences and challenges of a group of four students learning to be Instructional Design and Technology professionals who are concerned with the well‐being of all members of a society, and wish to utilize their knowledge and skills to help solve social problems and improve people's lives. Building on the results of previous research, findings indicate that the course, designed using the Civic‐Minded Instructional Designers (CMID) framework, succeeded in enhancing students' civic‐minded agency, the group's purposeful and reflective acts that aim at addressing the educational needs of community members. The course was designed to mimic a small, multiteam Instructional Design and Technology consulting company offering professional‐level services free of charge. Community partners consisted of four real‐world clients to whom students addressed an instructional issue. Data were collected from observations, focus groups, individual interviews with students and community partners, and analyses of course artifacts and students' reflections. Students were found to diligently address community members' needs, give voice to their community partners, address sustainability of their projects, be sensitive to their community partners' perspectives and acknowledge their community partners as design partners. Challenges encountered include reconfiguring students' roles and building trustful relationships with their community partners. This study contributes a deeper understanding of the roles of instructional design professionals within larger social contexts. Lessons learned can inform the implementation of the CMID framework in other educational programs.     

Effectiveness of learning objects in various instructional settings

Learning objects (LOs), generally understood as digital learning resources shared and accessed through the Internet and reused in multiple learning contexts, have aroused enthusiasm in the field of educational technology. Although LOs offer many possibilities to change educational practices, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the effectiveness and usefulness of LOs. This paper reports results from three studies on effectiveness of LOs in various instructional settings. According to the results, there exists interaction between the effectiveness of LOs and various instructional arrangements. In order to be effective LOs require carefully designed learning environments and instructional arrangements. LOs themselves do not guarantee high‐quality learning performance and meaningful learning activities. It is the context of use together with instructional arrangements that defines the pedagogical value of LOs.     

An observation study of reading instruction provided to elementary students with learning disabilities in the resource room

This study documents the amount and quality of reading instruction provided to second‐ through fifth‐grade students with learning disabilities provided resource‐room services. Reading instruction provided by 10 special education resource‐room teachers was observed. Findings reveal that teachers and students were on task during instructional time that included phonological awareness, word study, comprehension, reading fluency, and vocabulary instruction of average to high average quality. Although class size was small overall, whole‐group instructional delivery was most common. Students made statistically significant gains in oral reading fluency but did not increase their standard scores on measures of comprehension or word reading. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Incremental validity of thinking styles in predicting academic achievements: an experimental study in hypermedia learning environments

The study examined the incremental validity of thinking styles in predicting academic achievement after controlling for personality and achievement motivation in the hypermedia‐based learning environment. Seventy‐two Chinese college students from Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China, took part in this instructional experiment. The End‐Of‐Semester test was designed to examine the students’ achievement in the course of General Psychology. The results partially supported the hypotheses concerning the relationships between students’ Type I and II thinking styles and their academic achievement in Type I test (including analysis, problem‐solving, and essay tests) and Type II test (including multiple‐choice and cloze tests), and showed that some Type III styles were significantly related to their academic achievement. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that the capacity of thinking styles for explaining and predicting academic achievement was sometimes over and above the sum of personality traits and achievement motivation. Implications for educational practice are discussed.     

Development and evaluation of an interactive electronic laboratory manual for cooperative learning of medical histology

This article describes the development of an interactive computer‐based laboratory manual, created to facilitate the teaching and learning of medical histology. The overarching goal of developing the manual is to facilitate self‐directed group interactivities that actively engage students during laboratory sessions. The design of the manual includes guided instruction for students to navigate virtual slides, exercises for students to monitor learning, and cases to provide clinical relevance. At the end of the laboratory activities, student groups can generate a laboratory report that may be used to provide formative feedback. The instructional value of the manual was evaluated by a questionnaire containing both closed‐ended and open‐ended items. Closed‐ended items using a five‐point Likert‐scale assessed the format and navigation, instructional contents, group process, and learning process. Open‐ended items assessed student's perception on the effectiveness of the manual in facilitating their learning. After implementation for two consecutive years, student evaluation of the manual was highly positive and indicated that it facilitated their learning by reinforcing and clarifying classroom sessions, improved their understanding, facilitated active and cooperative learning, and supported self‐monitoring of their learning. Anat Sci Educ 6: 342–350. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.