Constructing Meaning in a Technology-Rich,Global Learning Environment

Abstract

This paper introduces the Global Forum on School Leadership (GFSL) as a Type II application of interactive computing technology suitable for 21st century learners, teachers, and school leaders. Simply put, the concept of the GFSL brings together learners who share a common goal, a common subject area, or a common profession, and encourages them to interact and learn together. Among the many differences that learners bring to the learning task, the one central and very obvious difference upon which the GFSL depends is culture. In the example presented here, the GFSL creates a learning partnership between a class of neophyte school leaders enrolled in a school leader preparation program in the United States and a similar class of students enrolled in a school leader preparation program in Australia (it could be anywhere else in the world). The discussion begins with a focus on the evolution of technology use in schools and the related evolution of learning in technologically rich environments. The GFSL is introduced as a Type II application increasingly necessary in a learning world where a global focus is being forced upon learners and where global understanding and awareness is becoming a basic survival skill. The paper generates a global version of the five characteristics of Type II applications, and concludes with an analysis of the impact of the Global Forum on participants' learning experiences and professional skills.     

The Impact of Scaffolding and Student Achievement Levels in a Problem-based Learning Environment

This study examined how scaffolds and student achievement levels influence inquiry and performance in a problem-based learning environment. The scaffolds were embedded within a hypermedia program that placed students at the center of a problem in which they were trying to become the youngest person to fly around the world in a balloon. One-hundred and eleven seventh grade students enrolled in a science and technology course worked in collaborative groups for a duration of 3 weeks to complete a project that included designing a balloon and a travel plan. Student groups used one of three problem-based, hypermedia programs: (1) a no scaffolding condition that did not provide access to scaffolds, (2) a scaffolding optional condition that provided access to scaffolds, but gave students the choice of whether or not to use them, and (3) a scaffolding required condition required students to complete all available scaffolds. Results revealed that students in the scaffolding optional and scaffolding required conditions performed significantly better than students in the no scaffolding condition on one of the two components of the group project. Results also showed that student achievement levels were significantly related to individual posttest scores; higher-achieving students scored better on the posttest than lower-achieving students. In addition, analyses of group notebooks confirmed qualitative differences between students in the various conditions. Specifically, those in the scaffolding required condition produced more highly organized project notebooks containing a higher percentage of entries directly relevant to the problem. These findings suggest that scaffolds may enhance inquiry and performance, especially when students are required to access and use them.     

Teacher-as-Researcher Reform: Student Achievement and Perceptions of Learning Environment

This study reports the results of a research project conducted as part of high school teachers' efforts to bring about reform of science education in their school. Two classes of Grade 8 students (N = 43) taught by the same teacher were monitored in terms of students' perceptions of their learning environment, achievement levels, and conceptual understanding of research. Quantitative methods (questionnaire, tests and examinations, GPA) and qualitative methods (interviews, videotaped lessons, artifacts) were combined while the learning environment was changed to a student-centered open inquiry format. Not unexpectedly, relationships between the Autonomy and Student-Centeredness scales of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) and immediate (unit test) and delays post-tests (examination subsection) were detected. On the other hand, although student-student interactions in small-groups and whole-class sessions were a significant part of the learning environment, the Negotiation scale was not related to achievement. Three case studies of representative students (in terms of achievement and perceptions of the learning environment) are featured, further underscoring the importance of monitoring reform of teaching at the classroom level.     

新课程改革环境下教育的平等性:家庭社会经济背景对学生学业成绩的影响

以小学数学课程为例,研究追踪考察了参加新课程改革与使用原课程两组学生的家庭社会经济背景与学业成绩的关系。结果表明:(1)对于高层次思维能力,来自不同家庭社会经济背景的使用新课程的学生发展差异表现出逐渐缩小的趋势;而对于来自不同家庭背景的使用原课程的学生,其发展的差异未表现出缩小的趋势;(2)不管是使用新课程还是使用原课程的学生,来自不同家庭背景学生对数学的基本理解与计算能力的发展差异均有缩小的趋势。但与新课程改革的学生相比,来自不同家庭背景原课程的学生在这方面发展差异的缩小趋势更明显。     

“环境保护”专题学习网站的建设应用研究

随着互联网和网络技术的发展,互联网提供了丰富多样的网络教育资源。文章介绍了"环境保护"专题学习网站的建设过程,并在中学进行教学实践作初步探讨。     

学习策略与英语学习成绩的关系研究

本研究利用Oxford编制的英语学习策略量表对177名非英语专业大学生进行调查研究,考察非英语专业大学生英语学习策略与英语学习成绩的关系.结果发现:(1)英语学习策略与英语学习成绩存在显著正相关;(2)元认知策略对英语学习成绩有显著的正向预测作用:(3)元认知策略的性别差异达到显著性水平;(4)认知策略的专业差异达到显著性水平.     

Influence of Redesigning a Learning Environment on Student Perceptions and Learning Strategies

In society, there is a growing need for graduates who possess competencies consistent with deep learning. This means that, amongst other competencies, graduates should be capable of dealing with the complexity of the tasks in which they will engage in professional situations. We tried to increase the depth of students learning by changing the format of a so-called assignment-based learning to a problem-based learning course. The goals of this research were to determine if students, firstly, perceived the redesigned course as being more challenging and, secondly, adjusted their learning strategies towards deeper learning. Participants were two groups of second-year International Business Studies students attending the International Business Strategy course in consecutive years. Students perceptions of the learning environment and their learning strategies were measured in both the original (n = 406 students) and the redesigned course (n = 312 students) using the Ramsden Course Experiences Questionnaire and the Biggs Study Processes Questionnaire. In contrast to our expectations, the results indicated that the students from the redesigned course showed a higher degree of surface learning and a lower level of deep learning than the students from the assignment-based learning course. Additionally, the students perceived the new learning environment to be less positive in terms of the clarity of its goals, the usefulness of the textbook and the workload. Improvement in terms of students perceptions of the learning environment and their learning strategies could be expected to be fostered by the implementation of a more advanced staff development program, focusing the curricular assessment system on problem-solving skills, supporting the students in the development of the skills necessary to cope with the demands of the redesigned course, and giving them more opportunities to experience this instructional approach.     

远程学习环境下的学生辅导对在学率的影响

以色列开放大学（OUI）是一所以远程学习及自学为主的免试入学的高等学院。对所有高等教育机构,尤其是对远程开放教育机构来说,学生的在学率问题是最被关注的。为应对这一问题,OUI决定实施一项保证在学率的项目,其目的是帮助新生解决在学习第一门课程中遇到的困难。新生和高年级的学生组成对子,由高年级的学生在第一学期作为辅导员帮助他们解决困难。本论文介绍了此项目实施情况并展示了接受辅导的学生的学习情况、就学情况、沟通情况以及他们在远程学习环境中的辅导情况。     

网络环境下基于问题学习的专题教学设计与实践

介绍了基于问题学习的基本概念,给出了网络环境下基于问题学习的电路与电子学课程中基本放大电路专题的单元教学设计案例及其教学试验过程,并总结分析了教学试验结果.     

The Effects of a Web-Based Learning Environment on Student Motivation in a High School Earth Science Course

Collaborating closely with a 10th-grade science teacher, we designed a Web-based learning environment (Web-LE) to improve student motivation to learn science. Factors believed to enhance intrinsic motivation (challenge, control, curiosity, and fantasy) were integrated into the instructional design of the Web-based learning tool. The Web-LE was implemented in the teacher’s 10th-grade classroom as a three-day student-centered learning activity. Data collection methods included individual student interviews, teacher interviews, motivation questionnaires, and observations. This study revealed multiple forms of evidence that the Web-LE and the associated learning activity improved student motivation. This study illustrates the benefits of educational researchers working closely with teachers using design-based research methods to successfully solve instructional problems and identify reusable design principles. Design principles for the integration of intrinsic motivation factors into the development of similar Web-LEs are presented as well as directions far future research.     

A Classroom Study on the Relationship Between Student Achievement and Retrieval-Enhanced Learning

Retrieval practice has been shown to produce powerful learning gains in laboratory experiments but has seldom been explored in classrooms as a means of enhancing students’ learning of their course-relevant material. Furthermore, research is lacking concerning the role of individual differences in learning from retrieval. The current study explored the effects of retrieval in a large undergraduate introductory biology course as a function of individual differences in student achievement. Students completed in-class exercises that required them to retrieve course information (e.g., recalling definitions for terms and labeling diagrams) followed by feedback or to simply copy the information without retrieving it. A later quiz over the information showed that high-performing students benefited more from retrieving than copying, whereas middle- and low-performing students benefited more from copying than retrieving. When asked to predict their quiz scores following the in-class exercises, high-performers demonstrated better overall metacognitive calibration compared to middle- or low-performers. These results highlight the importance of individual differences in learning from retrieval and encourage future research using course-relevant material to consider the role of student achievement in classroom-based interventions.     

混合式教学对大学生学习状况影响研究

近几年混合式教学在各高校中如火如荼进行,然而学生在进行混合式学习时逐渐暴露出一些问题,学生自主学习能力的不足往往阻碍教学进展。文章通过文献研究法、问卷调查法与访谈法对学生的学习状况进行调查研究,总结了目前教学中存在的问题并提出针对性建议以促进教学。     

基于课题的学习模式探索

基于课题的学习模式是在建构主义思想的指导下,学习者自己设计并进行研究的一种教学模式。其中教师是一个指导者,学生是在教师指导下通过设计和完成课题来进行学习的。因此,在这种学习模式中,学习者的创造能力、批判思维和知识的综合运用能力能够得到很好的培养。     

学习成绩对大学生职业决策自我效能的影响研究

大学生职业决策自我效能水平影响大学生就业。学习成绩是大学生职业决策自我效能水平的影响因素之一。以南京农业大学工学院学生为例,从自我评价、收集信息、选择目标、制定规划、问题解决5个方面客观评价学习成绩对大学生职业决策自我效能水平的影响,并进行统计分析,提出引导大学生以学习为本、提高职业决策自我效能水平的建议。     

网络自主学习中大学生英语学习策略与学业成绩的元分析

采用元分析方法对国内网络自主学习环境下非英语专业大学生学习策略与英语学习英语成就之间的关系强度进行探讨,并进一步探究自主学习策略分类及学习内容等变量对两者关系的调节作用。结果表明,网络自主学习环境下学习策略与学习成就存在显著的中等相关,在所有学习策略中,元认知策略与学习成绩的相关性最高,英语听力成绩与非认知学习策略呈较为显著的相关性,学习成绩测试类型、学习策略量表类型是调节学习策略与学业成绩关系的潜在因素,出版类型的调节效应不显著。     

泛在移动环境下学生对移动学习项目的反馈

本文总结了俄克拉荷马基督教大学移动学习项目试点一学期后学生的反馈问卷.该学校在美国是最早给学生配发笔记本电脑和智能手机或iPod Touch双重移动设备的学校之一,全校覆盖无线网络.该问卷调查试图了解在如此泛在的网络使用环境下,学生使用移动学习工具和环境的使用习惯及期待.问卷结果显示:整体来说,学生认为这种泛在学习环境对其学习有利;学生使用移动设备主要用于辅助学习、效率改进、信息获取、沟通和娱乐,这些都是学生在校整体学习体验中值得关注的地方.移动设备的更多用途还有待澄清、宣传、演示、培训、支持.此问卷还显示学校和研究者应考虑移动学习项目可支持的多种学习方式和因学习者而异的多种教育用途.     

项目驱动教学法培养学生自主学习能力研究

项目驱动教学法是一种以学生为中心的教学方式。在大学英语教学中引入项目驱动教学法,使学生在教师的指导及同学的合作下,利用必要的学习资料,通过完成一系列任务,获取知识和技能,是培养学生自主学习能力的有效途径之一。     

The Effect of Plain-English Vocabulary on Student Achievement and Classroom Culture in College Science Instruction

This study examined the effect of the translation of traditional scientific vocabulary into plain English on student achievement in college science instruction. The study took place in the context of an introductory microbiology course. Data were collected from course sections instructed with traditional microbiology vocabulary as well as sections instructed with plain-English equivalent terms. Both treatment groups followed the same inquiry-based curriculum. Data collected included written and practical exam scores as well as pre and post-course surveys on subject knowledge and impressions of biology, science, and the course. Students subjected to plain-English instruction performed significantly better on written exams that assessed higher-order abilities to apply and analyze knowledge from the course. They gained similar amounts of lower-order knowledge during the course when compared to peers instructed with standard vocabulary. Results supported the hypothesis that improved achievement in the plain-English treatment was caused by students’ ability to utilize extant neural networks to ground new learning.     

Student Achievement in an Educational Technology Course As Enhanced By Cooperative Learning

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of cooperative learning on students' achievement in an Educational Technology course in an Initial Teacher Training Program. A cooperative learning strategy was compared with the traditional whole class direct instruction approach. Ninety-five first year full-time students at a College of Education constituted the sample. The students' achievement included: academic achievement in the course, quantity measurement in the use of instructional media, and quality rating of utilization of instructional media during their teaching practice. Their attitude change was also assessed by an Attitude Inventory. The results indicated that cooperative learning strategy had a positive effect on academic achievement and quantity measurement in the use of instructional media (F(l,91) = 7.06, p < 0.01; F(l,91) = 4.59, p < 0.05). Cooperative learning strategy also had a positive influence on students' attitudes towards instructional media and their learning condition (F(l,93) = 5.07, p < 0.05; F(l,93) = 6.20, p < 0.05).