安徽电大网上学习环境的调查研究

为保证网上教学的质量,帮助教师对网上课程的教学环境进行评定,改善和增进网上教学的实践,为远程学习者提供一个良好的网上教学课程的学习环境,利用香港公开大学提供的<远程网上学习环境量表>,选择安徽电大开放教育学院法学、金融学两个本科专业的学习者作为调查对象,对安徽电大开设的<消费者权益保护法>、<中国法律思想史>、<信托与租赁>、<国际结算>等四门网络课程进行问卷调查,得出如下结论:一是学习者对网上教学环境满意度较高;二是网络支撑环境较好,但缺乏网络知识常见问题解答;三是网络课程灵活性较高;四是网络教学能够促进师生、学习者之间的交互,但以学习者之间交互为基础的协作性学习氛围尚未形成,基于网络的布置、提交作业也未实现.围绕结论,文章作了进一步的讨论.     

Latent semantic analysis as a tool for learner positioning in learning networks for lifelong learning

As we move towards distributed, self‐organised learning networks for lifelong learning to which multiple providers contribute content, there is a need to develop new techniques to determine where learners can be positioned in these networks. Positioning requires us to map characteristics of the learner onto characteristics of learning materials and curricula. Considering the nature of the network envisaged, maintaining data on these characteristics and ensuring their integrity are difficult tasks. In this article we review the usability of Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) to generate a common semantic framework for characteristics of the learner, learning materials and curricula. Although LSA is a promising technique we identify several research topics that must be addressed before it can be used for learner positioning.     

Learning science with an interactive simulator: negotiating the practice-theory barrier

This article investigates how interactive representations can be used to enhance conceptual learning. It is a naturalistic study of 14 students in four groups aged 16–17 years working with an interactive simulator. The article is based on qualitative data to enable analyses of the students’ processes of conceptual learning as interactive sense-making, as discussions, verbalisation and use. The activities of the learners are studied in detail from a socio-constructive perspective with regard to how they relate previous knowledge and experiences to theory, investigating the progress of conceptual learning inspired by the notion of a coordination class (diSessa, A. A., &; Sherin, B. L. [1998]. What changes in conceptual change? International Journal of Science Education, 20(10), 1155–1191. doi:10.1080/0950069980201002). This process brings design issues related to conceptual learning to the fore. The study points towards a revised inquiry approach in which a digital representation can be used to negotiate a meeting point between theory, previous experience and knowledge, and be instrumental in conceptual sense-making.     

I don’t need peer support: effective tutoring in blended learning environments for part-time,adult learners

ABSTRACT

Given the rise of social media engagement within society, there are challenges for tutors in blended and online contexts to provide opportunities for social constructivist learning experiences within their institutional learning environments. This article proposes a module approach to teaching, learning and assessment for learners undertaking part-time, vocationally related degrees. A mixed methods approach was adopted to conduct a detailed exploration of eight tutors’ practice with data gathered from three principal sources. Interviews with tutors explored their approaches to delivery and considered factors that impacted on quality; students’ perceptions of their learning experiences were assessed using an attitude survey; and an analysis of the content and communications in the virtual learning environment provided insight into tutors’ online practice. Analysis of modules suggested limited online peer-to-peer interaction, with tutors noting the difficulties of promoting engagement. The article argues for a constructivist approach in this context with a need for tutors to promote a simple module structure, focused around assessment, that creates space for learning. This structure appeared appropriate for these learners, enabling them to manage the influence of daily events, together with pressures and time constraints of work. The findings could aid tutors in designing and delivering courses for similar groups of learners.     

联通主义学习中社会交互与话题交互的网络化特征

在互联网推动教育变革的进程中,相关的实践和理论都需进行新的尝试和探索。作为“互联网+”时代的重要学习理论,联通主义的教学实践和研究在我国尚处于起步阶段,亟需相关工作推进理论和实践的发展。本研究以“互联网+教育:理论与实践的对话Ⅱ”这门cMOOC课程的主题一为例,运用网络分析方法,对学习者社会交互和话题交互的网络化特征进行了剖析。研究发现,课程促进者的参与推动了交互网络中连接关系的建立,使得网络的初始值能对整个学习交互网络塑造产生非线性影响。在这一影响过程中,学习者的参与度与交互网络结构的紧密程度并非传统意义上的线性关系,而是网络交互结构越紧密(密度越大)就越会在之后带动更多的学习者参与讨论学习。这说明,联通主义指导下的学习,需要我们从动态的视角去观察学习者学习,学习者的交互与联通是在变化中展开的。在社会网络的连接中,草根学习者贡献的话题也通过连接形成了类似知识概念图的网状结构,这样的知识结构能够较好地表征由下而上的群体智慧(知识的草根性)。很多相似的概念在动态性生成过程中会慢慢地聚合,而非依据专家的经验来划分知识的体系。对cMOOC课程更长时间地观察与调研,可以更真实地发现知识演化的规律。     

Usage patterns discovery from a web log in an Indian e-learning site: A case study

An important research area in education and technology is how the learners use e-learning. By exploring the various factors and relationships between them, we can get an insight into the learners’ behaviors for delivering tailored e-content required by them. Although many tools exist to record detailed navigational activities, they don’t explore the learners’ usage patterns for an adaptive e-learning site. The previous web log data analyses, done so far, have been very limited in their scope as they lack detailed empirical results on the learning technology usage. This paper discusses the detailed results of a case study of web data mining in a specific e-learning application. The main objective of this study is to conduct research on usability and effectiveness of the e-content by analyzing the web log. For this, a suitable data set was retrieved from raw web log records, to which various web mining & statistical techniques could be applied. We have evaluated different features of e-content that can lead to better learning outcomes for the learners, by understanding their navigational behaviors, their interaction with system and their area of interest. We found, for example, what sequence of topics were the most liked and the least liked by the learners; we also found that these patterns, lead us to hypothesize, the correlation and regression analysis between the average time, test score and total attempts.     

Networked Learning and Learning Analytics: A Study on the Employment of Facebook in a Virtual Training Program

The growing popularity of Social Networking Sites (SNS) that are embedded with networked infrastructures serves as an ideal platform for developing a networked learning environment connecting geographically dispersed learners. Unlike the traditional learning systems which provide only limited sources of data, the learners engaged in virtual networked social environments tend to produce huge volumes of digital footprints that cannot be analyzed using conventional analytical techniques. Two new branches of analytical sciences – Educational Data Mining (EDM) and Learning Analytics (LA) – are being employed for processing digital data derived from online educational platforms in order to obtain meaningful inferences and data-driven insights.

Hence, the present experimental study involving a small group of geographically dispersed learners intend to examine the engagement level and interaction patterns that occur within a feminist networked learning environment created in Facebook using popular EDM and learning analytical techniques such as K-means Clustering, Social network analysis and correlation mining. Upon analysis, it was found that the peer network influence played a vital role in activating passive learners, eventually leading to the development of a closely bound networked learning community over time.     

Increasing struggling learners’ self‐efficacy: what tutors can do and say

Self‐efficacy is essential to motivation and learning. Compared to students with weak self‐efficacy for academics, students with strong self‐efficacy have higher motivation, make greater effort, persist longer, and achieve more. Unfortunately, struggling learners with weak self‐efficacy often avoid academic tasks or give up prematurely, reducing the likelihood of academic success. Because tutoring usually occurs in one‐to‐one or small group situations, adult tutors are in an excellent position to enhance struggling learners’ self‐efficacy which, in turn, can improve academic outcomes. To achieve this, tutors need to understand the importance of self‐efficacy, its sources, and how to strengthen weak or flagging self‐efficacy. To assist tutors in strengthening learners’ self‐efficacy, this article discusses (a) the importance and sources of self‐efficacy, (b) instructional principles derived from these sources, and (c) topics for future research.     

Instructor-provided summary infographics to support online learning

Infographics are a visualisation tool that can be used to improve retention, comprehension and appeal of complex concepts. The rise of infographic use in education has facilitated new forms of application and design of these tools. Instructor-provided summary infographics are a new form of infographic, whereby key learning objectives and content are summarised in graphical form at the end of a lesson. However, it is unknown whether these types of infographics can support learning in online environments. This exploratory research investigates student perceptions, retention, applications and activity generation of instructor-provided summary infographics in a massive online learning environment. Using both post-course learner survey data (n = 1,899) and text mining analysis (n = 72,490 words), results present how learners perceived instructor-provided summary infographics as useful and appealing for retaining, clarifying and understanding learning concepts. The research contributes a novel understanding of summary infographics in online learning environments, and supports their use as a design tool for educational delivery in the online space.     

Effects of learner–instructor relationship-building strategies in online video instruction

Although research has demonstrated that an increased rapport between instructors and learners can positively relate with increased learning gains, perhaps mediated by the positive attitudes toward the course and self-efficacy beliefs in the coursework, little has been done to test what instructional strategies might increase this rapport in online video-based instruction. This study compared online video-based instruction that made use of relationship-building strategies with online video-based instruction that did not use those strategies. The two instructions were identical in every other way. The results show that the attitudes of the college students were positively affected by the relationship building strategies in a statistically significant way (p = .025) and that learning gains were also positively affected at a very near-significant level (p = .052). The implications of the findings are discussed.     

Can ICT reduce social exclusion? The case of an adults' English language learning programme

Strong claims are made for ICT‐based lifelong learning as an effective way of reducing the exclusion of various groups in society, yet, there is very little research to support these claims. Empirical research is needed, including qualitative studies of the experiences of socially excluded learners using ICT. This article reports the findings of such a study in relation to learners from one socially excluded group, adults from ethnic minority backgrounds, who are disproportionately deprived and often excluded by language. The article discusses the study of the experiences and perceptions of adults learning English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) through ICT in seven different learning centres in England. The findings show that technology is insufficient to overcome existing inequalities in access to learning, and to engage learners who would not otherwise undertake formal learning, but ICT‐based learning can reduce some aspects of social exclusion in terms of encouraging minority ethnic group learners to speak more within the host community. ICT‐based learning offers a space for language learning and practice, which is often absent in traditional ESOL classrooms and in the every day lives of these excluded groups. Learning is a social practice in which the level of commitment of tutors to encouraging the use of these media and creating a safe and private space for learning affects the range of learning activities with which learners engage and the impact of these on their everyday use of English.     

Overcoming age barriers: motivation for mature adults’ engagement in education

ABSTRACT

Education is the main vehicle for empowering adults, and can contribute to community wellbeing. However, regarding mature adults (MAs) (over 45 years old), age has been identified in various studies as a significant barrier to accessing educational activities. This paper focuses on MAs’ motivations to learn through an exploratory survey undertaken in six European countries. A K-means cluster analysis based on 16 variables has been run on n = 846 valid cases. Four clusters describing distinctive behaviours and attitudes of MAs towards learning activities were identified. The study confirms that MAs’ motivations to learn are very diverse, overcoming some of the so-called myths of global aging, such as the homogeneity of MAs or the correlation between age and a decline in motivation to learn. Furthermore, analysing the main motivations of MA learners can be useful for adapting education to cater to their specific needs, boosting a more inclusive education, and promoting MAs’ empowerment.     

远程教育中网络学习环境和信息资源建设

网络学习环境主要强调通过教学策略和网上各种学习资源支持学习者的学习活动,网络环境下学习的基本特点是一种基于资源的学习;网上信息资源的建设就是将网上信息通过管理、整序、加工,为远程学习者方便地搜集信息、利用网络信息资源进行有效的学习提供信息服务,使网上信息资源成为远程学习者开放的和共享的教育资源。     

Critical and creative thinking as learning processes at top-ranking Chinese middle schools: possibilities and required improvements

Fostering and enabling critical and creative thinking of students is considered an important goal, and it is assumed that in particular, talented students have considerable potential for applying such high-level cognitive processes for learning in classrooms. However, Chinese students are often considered as rote learners, and that learning environments at Chinese schools will not allow thinking critically and creatively. The present exploratory study examines these assumptions with students at top-ranking middle schools in mainland China who have been selected for their high achievement scores in the examinations required for acceptance to such schools. Our findings in eight large mathematics classrooms (n = 381) strongly suggest that it is possible to acquire knowledge by thinking critically and creatively in these traditionally instructed classes, and that higher achieving students use such processes more intensively than lower achieving students. In addition, the study provides pathways for promoting these high-level cognitive processes for learning in particularly with lower achieving students. Finally, the results indicate that the extracurricular activities that are prescribed to all students at Chinese middle schools should be redesigned to offer more opportunities for critical and creative thinking.     

网上学习小组特性的研究

网上小组学习是远程教育一种重要的协同学习形式,而网上学习小组的特性(如学习小组的组织结构、组员对小组活动促进学习的认识、情感因素,以及对教师的期待等)会影响到活动的效果。但目前国内外有关网上学习小组的实证研究较为鲜见。本研究通过教学试验、问卷调查和书面访谈后发现,成功的学习小组规模要适中,组员的水平、志趣、背景等有一定差异,对网上小组活动在学习上的促进作用认同程度高,能处理好协作与自主、认知与情感、个人成就与集体荣誉等关系,形成一个平等、互动、宽松、愉悦的虚拟学习社区。同时,教师从学习活动的设计、组织到整个过程都要“积极干预”,既解疑释惑、传授知识又培养正确的学习技巧,同时,也要体现人文关怀,肯定成绩,指出不足,营造学习氛围,鼓励大胆创新。     

Response of students to statement bank feedback: the impact of assessment literacy on performances in summative tasks

Efficiency gains arising from the use of electronic marking tools that allow tutors to select comments from a statement bank are well documented, but how students use this type of feedback remains under explored. Natural science students (N = 161) were emailed feedback reports on a spreadsheet assessment that included an invitation to reply placed at different positions. Outcomes suggest that students either read feedback completely, or not at all. Although mean marks for repliers (M = 75.5%, N = 39) and non-repliers (M = 57.2%, N = 68) were significantly different (p < .01), these two groups possessed equivalent attendance records and similar submission rates and performances in a contemporaneous formatively assessed laboratory report. Notably, average marks for a follow-up summative laboratory report, using the same assessment criteria as the formative task, were 10% higher for students who replied to the original invite. It is concluded that the repliers represent a group of assessment literate students, and that statement bank feedback can foster learning: a simple ‘fire’ analogy for feedback is advanced that advocates high-quality information on progress (fuel) and a curricular atmosphere conducive to learning (oxygen). However, only if students are assessment literate (ignition) will feedback illuminate.     

试论远程教育中的个性化教育

远程教育从起步到今天,孜孜以求的一直是个性化学习的教育方法,因人而异的学习原则和具有个性特色的学生与学生之间、学生与教师之间的间接交流和联系。以学生为中心,发展学生自主学习的能力,已被视为素质教育、终身教育的重要观点。     

Extending the Scaffolding Metaphor

A brief overview overview is provided of how the scaffolding metaphor has been defined in educational contexts. This includes a discussion of what theories guide decision-making regarding what to scaffold as well as considerations as to whom or what does the scaffolding (human teachers, peers and tutors or computer tutors or support tools designed for learning environments). The scaffolding construct intersects instruction and assessment in that instructors assess learners to determine what type or level of scaffold is sufficient to help learners reach their potential. Such assessments are dynamic and ongoing and can occur through dialogue and social interactions with or without the use of technology. Hence scaffolds are provided when and where necessary but they are also removed when evidence of learning exists. This article describes how the contributors to this issue have extended the scaffolding metaphor to open-ended technology based environments. Empirical studies are reviewed with regard to how they extend the scaffolding metaphor in terms of the theories that guide the design of scaffolds, the metrics designed to assess how scaffolding affects learning and in terms of teaching scaffolding techniques to others.     

Making the most of others: autonomous interdependence in adult beginner distance language learners

Autonomy in language learning does not simply equate with independence, as language learning is a social activity that requires interaction with others. This also applies just as much to distance language learners, who need to reconcile independent language learning and interdependence with others. This article draws on findings from 43 mid-course interviews with adult beginner distance learners of French, Spanish, and German, and focuses on ways in which they engage with tutors and with other students, and the extent to which these interactions enhance their learning. It shows that many students are prepared to seek clarification from their tutors, but not strategic advice in areas of learning that are likely to be most problematic. It also highlights how feelings about working with other students can enhance or restrict progress toward autonomous interdependence. Finally, it considers ways for facilitating greater learner control in these key aspects of their studies.