Effects of online synchronous instruction with an attention monitoring and alarm mechanism on sustained attention and learning performance

Many studies have shown that learners’ sustained attention strongly affects e-learning performance, particularly during online synchronous instruction. This work thus develops a novel attention monitoring and alarm mechanism (AMAM) based on brainwave signals to improve learning performance via monitoring the attention state of individual learners and helping online instructors or teaching assistants to improve the sustained attention levels of learners with low-attention states as they perform online synchronous instruction activities. Totally, 83 and 65 Grade 7 students were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups that respectively underwent online synchronous instruction with and without AMAM support. Analytical results reveal that the experimental group of learners exhibited significantly better learning performance and sustained attention than those in the control group, verifying that the AMAM efficiently promotes the learning performance and sustained attention of learners. Moreover, the proposed AMAM was more helpful in improving the learning performance of female learners than those of male learners and improved the sustained attention of both male and female learners. Furthermore, the sustained attention, frequency of attention alarms, and learning performance of the learners in the experimental group were strongly correlated, and the sustained attention and frequency of attention alarms strongly predicted learning performance.     

Crib sheets and exam performance in a data structures course

In this paper, we study the relationship between the use of “crib sheets” or “cheat sheets” and performance on in-class exams. Our extensive survey of the existing literature shows that it is not decisive on the questions of when or whether crib sheets actually help students to either perform better on an exam or better learn the material. We report on our own detailed analysis for a body of crib sheets created for the final exam in a junior-level Data Structures and Algorithms course. We wanted to determine whether there is any feature of the crib sheets that correlates to good exam scores. Exam performance was compared against a number of potential indicators for quality in a crib sheet. We have found that students performed significantly better on questions at the comprehension level of Bloom’s taxonomy when their crib sheet contained good information on the topic, while performance on questions at higher levels of the taxonomy did not show correlation to crib sheet contents. We have also seen that students at certain levels of performance on the final exam (specifically, medium-to-high performance) did relatively better on certain questions than other students at that performance level when they had good coverage of that question’s topic on their crib sheet.     

The effects of flipped instruction on out-of-class study time,exam performance,and student perceptions

This study assessed the impact of flipped instruction on students’ out-of-class study time, exam performance, preference, motivation, and perceptions in two sections of a large undergraduate chemistry course. Flipped instruction caused a shift in student workload without appreciably changing the overall study time. The treatment impact on student performance gradually diminished over time, showing a small but statistically significant effect with the final exam. No marked interaction was identified, indicating that flipped instruction benefited students of diverse backgrounds uniformly. Students in the flipped section showed mixed feelings with about one fifth of them displaying polarized attitudes. Open-ended student survey responses revealed non-compliance with pre-class studying as a serious implementation issue: By slowing down the overall pace of the class, it negatively affected students with different study behaviors and characteristics in ways that partly explained the small, diminishing treatment effect and absence of marked interaction.     

论大学英语分级教学模式对学生自主学习习惯的影响

随着教学改革的进展,许多高校都进行了新的教学改革以期达到相应的教学目的.分级教学模式的运用也是高校教学改革的结果.分级教学是因材施教的体现,同时也是学生个性自主学习习惯培养的需要:教师力求通过这种教学模式,使学生学会学习,达到愿学、乐学、会学、善学的目的.通过对独立学院分级教学实施的情况及其对学生个性化自主学习习惯的影响的调查分析发现,分级教学是一种提高学生个性自主学习能力的有效的教学模式,值得推广.     

大学英语四六级考试中翻译试题情况的调查研究

本文通过对大连大学130名非英语专业大学生的问卷调查和分析,旨在了解非英语专业的大学生在面对新翻译试题的态度与看法及其在翻译中所遇到的问题,进而想了解他们对翻译策略的了解以及应用、对翻译策略作用的看法。     

一道中考题的探究与思考

通过对2009年福州市中考一道数学试题的探析,分析学生答卷以及学习中存在的问题,探讨培养学生解题能力与总复习备考的建议.     

电大远程教育中的阻碍因素分析

对广播电视大学开展远程教育过程的阻碍因素进行分析，提出了阻碍电大开展远程教育的六大因素。     

教师态势语应用的原则和技巧研究

态势语是一种通过人的面部表情、体态动作、服装饰品、空间位置而传递信息的伴随性语言。它同时作用于学生的视觉和听觉,极大地拓宽了信息传播渠道,起到补充信息、沟通情感、集中学生注意力的重要作用。它是整个教学环节不可或缺的重要一环,但在课堂教学多媒体程度越来越高的今天,态势语的运用却有了退化的倾向。因此,为保证教学质量,创设互动课堂,教师应加强态势语表达技巧,提高态势语表达水平。     

GCSE exam stress: student perceptions of the effects on wellbeing and performance

ABSTRACT

In the UK education system, an ‘audit culture’ has led to pressures being placed on students to achieve high grades in their GCSEs. It has been suggested that schools are required to achieve good academic results and look after their students’ wellbeing, causing a conflict in relation to public examinations, such as GCSEs. School staff support both performance and wellbeing by preparing students for exams. However, research suggests that there is a danger that many underperform, or are negatively affected (emotionally) by exam stress, or both. This paper describes a research project within the UK. The aims of which were to explore the views of students who had recently taken GCSE exams, to gain an understanding of how they felt their GCSE experiences affected their wellbeing and performance, to find out what factors contributed to or alleviated their levels of exam stress, and whether theories relating to exam stress such as Achievement Goal Theory could be used to explain the individual differences in levels of exam stress. Findings and conclusions provided ways to improve the support for students during their GCSEs, improving academic performance and wellbeing.     

体育教学中实现学生注意力最佳化控制的研究

注意是认知的前提与必要条件,是影响教学质量和效果的重要心理原因之一.文章主要运用体育控制论的原理与方法,从心理学的角度探讨了体育教学中学生注意力分散的原因及其表现,并针对性地提出一些控制的方法与手段.     

The impact of stereoscopic imagery and motion on anatomical structure recognition and visual attention performance

Gross anatomy is located in a three‐dimensional space. Visualizing aspects of structures in gross anatomy education should aim to provide information that best resembles their original spatial proportions. Stereoscopic three‐dimensional imagery might offer possibilities to implement this aim, though some research has revealed potential impairments that may result from observing stereoscopic visualizations, such as discomfort. However, possible impairments of working memory such as decreased visual attention performance due to applying this technology in gross anatomy education have not yet been investigated. Similarly, in gross anatomy education the impact of stereoscopic imagery on learners’ recognition of anatomical‐spatial relationships and the impact of different presentation formats have only been investigated in a small number of studies. In this study, the performance of 171 teacher trainees working on the anatomy of hearing was examined, either with non‐stereoscopic or stereoscopic imagery. Static and dynamic picture presentations were applied. Overall, benefits for stereoscopic imagery on estimating anatomical‐spatial relations were found. The performance on a visual attention test indicates that the impact of stereoscopic visualizations on the human cognitive system varies more from person to person compared to non‐stereoscopic visualizations. In addition, combinations of temporarily moving pictures and stereoscopic imagery lead to decreased visual attention performance compared to combinations of moving pictures and non‐stereoscopic imagery. Anat Sci Educ 11: 15–24. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

中学化学中的离子反应与高考中的离子反应方程式

This thesis discusses the judgment of the ionic reaction and ionic reaction representation.     

Approaches to studying and academic performance in short-essay exams

Previous research has generallyfailed to find a relation between the waystudents approach the task of studying andtheir exam grades. The present studyinvestigated why it is that a deep approach tostudying, which has been shown to result in ahigher quality of learning, does notconsistently result in higher exam grades. Theparticipants in the study were 49 third-yearpsychology students. They completedquestionnaires that assessed approaches tostudying, motivation, and intelligence. Theirfinal exam marks, along with indicators of thequality of their final exam responses and thequantity of information reproduced in the finalexam were used as indicators of academicperformance. The results showed that the deepstudy approach was linearly related to thequality of exam responses, but quadraticallyrelated to the quantity of informationreproduced. The use of the deep approach was nomore effective in facilitating high exam marksfor questions that emphasised understanding ofthe study material than for questions thatemphasised reproduction of it. Taken together,these findings suggest that students who usehigh levels of the deep approach fail toconsistently achieve higher exam grades becauseof deficiencies in the quantity of theirresponses, rather than because of theinsensitivity of exams to students'understanding of the study material.     

Modeling collective attention in online and flexible learning environments

Understanding how collective attention flow circulates amid an over-abundance of knowledge is a key to designing new and better forms of online and flexible learning experiences. This study adopted an open flow network model and the associated distance metrics to gain an understanding of collective attention flow using clickstream data in a massive open online course. Various patterns and dynamics of attention flow were identified and are discussed here in relation to learning performance. The results show that the effective accumulation, circulation, and dissipation of attention flow are important contributors to academic attainment. Understanding the patterns and dynamics of attention flow will allow us to design cost-effective learning resources to prevent learners from becoming overloaded.     

兰州市2003至2007年中考化学试题中计算题的对比分析

通过近五年来兰州市中考化学试卷中计算题所占平均权重及相关情况的深入分析研究,针对性的提出了加强初中化学计算教学的新思路,以期对这一模块的教学有所启示.     

Influence of science instruction reform on academic performance of eighth grade students in Chinese inner-Mongolia autonomous region

Abstract

The Chinese government has implemented centralised science curriculum standards to change science teaching from a didactic to inquiry-based approach to support all students in acquiring science literacy. Framed through theoretical perspectives of inquiry-based instruction and cultural pedagogy, this study examined the influence and impact of these reforms on Chinese science teaching and the performance of 8th grade Chinese students in the Inner-Mongolia Autonomous Regions using instruments developed by TIMSS 2007. It revealed that mixed, lecture-based, more inquiry-based and practice-based science teaching approaches were popularly practiced in classrooms, with the mixed-teaching approach being the most popular. While a mixed approach was positively associated with performance, the frequent practice of a more inquiry-based approach had a significant negative relationship. Neither lecture-based nor practiced-based teaching approaches were found to be related to performance. This finding questions the assumption that inquiry-based science teaching is central to improving the science performance of all students in China.     

Teaching at-risk students to read using specialized techniques in the regular classroom

The reading achievement of at-risk first, second, and third grade students participating in a systematic, sequential, multi-sensory, synthetic, phonetically-based approach to reading (Project Read) was compared with that of control group students instructed through the use of traditional basal readers. Data were analyzed for both the full study and a sub-group in which the teacher variable was controlled. Significant differences were found at first grade for all subtests and the total reading achievement of treatment group students. First grade students reached achievement levels thought possible only through tutoring.     

Avoiding repetitions reduces ADHD children's management problems in the classroom

Abstract

Students with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often exhibit non-compliance that presents a significant management problem for classroom teachers. Student behavior management training programs suggest that reducing repetitions of commands improves student compliance. To examine this claim, 86 teachers of ADHD students between the ages of 5 and 10 were randomized into treatment and control groups. Barkley's procedure for reducing repetitions was administered in the treatment group. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that children in the treatment group exhibited a significant reduction in non-compliance (p> 0.002), while children in the control group did not. These results suggest that Barkley's technique is effective and should be recommended to teachers of ADHD children.     

新时期生物课堂教学的再思考

《课程标准》在课程体系构建上有重大突破,至使当前生物课堂教学存在诸如探究活动课安排,教材把握,进度安排,教师素质提高等问题．结合教学实践,在探讨了相应对策的同时,阐述重建新型的师生关系和调整课堂教学策略．     

关于中国现代史课堂教学方法的几点尝试

中国现代史课堂教学方法改革是一项十分复杂艰巨的系统工程。用新兴边缘学科分析、推理、归纳、专题授课;发挥学生学习主体作用,开发学生思维创新能力,注重素质教育;是中国现代史课堂教学方法改革的有效途径之一。