Using the “Indicators of Engaged Learning Online” Framework to Evaluate Online Course Quality

This article is a case study of the use of the Indicators of Engaged Learning Online (IELO) framework (See Appendix 1) as a guide to evaluate the quality of online courses. The framework lends itself well to measures of engagement, particularly, in terms of online course design because of its comprehensiveness. Six online courses were evaluated for quality in terms of engaged learning based on thirty indicators contained within the framework. Results ranged from a score of 21 to 71 out of a potential total score of 90. This 0–90 scale represented a continuum of passive to engaged learning. The purpose of the pilot study was to explore how the Indicators of Engaged Learning Online (IELO) framework could be used as a tool for evaluating the quality of online courses by instructional designers (IDs) and instructors. Insights into the practical use of the IELO framework and the need for improved guidelines for IDs and instructors as they assess the amount of student engagement designed in a course are provided. Recommendations for practice have implications for both aspects of engagement: how a course is designed and how it is delivered.     

An Investigation of Factors That Contribute to Student Satisfaction From Online Courses＂ An Example of an Online Accounting Course

Although most courses are offered in the traditional synchronous way where teaching and learning mainly take place in the classroom, the Internet has proven to be an effective tool in learning. The demand of online courses is constantly growing, however, there is a paucity of research of online delivery success factors, especially of accounting courses. The aim of this paper was to investigate＇the factors that contribute to student satisfaction from online teaching and learning of an accounting course. This study was conducted at a university in the United States （U.S.） amongst 80 students enrolled in an online accounting course over a period of two semesters. The quantitative data are based on the students＇ course evaluation forms of the instructor＇s teaching and overall satisfaction with the course. The findings suggest that the students found the asynchronous online teaching and learning interesting and challenging. The factors that mainly contribute to student satisfaction include the instructor＇s preparation for the course and her availability to students, the clear grading criteria, the assignment which they found useful, and the other resources that were available online. They value the least the development of writing skills. Additionally, this study proposes that there is a positive significant correlation between the instructor＇s overall performance and the overall student satisfaction from the course. The instructor＇s performance, availability, and easy to use technology enhance the learning and teaching from online pedagogies.     

Who Benefits From a Foundational Logic Course? Effects on Undergraduate Course Performance

Being able to understand and evaluate arguments in different modalities and in different disciplines is thought to be a key component of students’ academic success in college. However, many students do not receive explicit instruction in the basic concepts and rules of argumentation. Using a difference-in-differences approach with a multicohort longitudinal data set of almost 15,000 undergraduates beginning in health and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related fields at a research university, we examined changes in relative performance of students after enrolling in an introductory logic course. We find that students improved their grade point average (GPA) after taking the course, especially if they begin college with low academic achievement (Cohen’s d?=?0.18). Our results are consistent with the idea that acquiring foundational skills, in particular general skills in argumentation, prepares STEM students for future learning.     

From “survival” to “leadership”: the practice of civic education in Australia

This chapter describes the study as it was conducted in three public high schools in Sydney: a governmental comprehensive high school, a non-government or private high school, and a government “selective school”. The results suggest that civic education revolved around an identifiable, yet not clearly articulated, set of civic values. For teachers, civic education's main goal was to prepare students for harmonious integration into Australia's highly multicultural society, to maintain and reinforce social cohesion, and, consequently, to foster acceptance of diversity. For students, civic education was an enigma. Although they participated in civic education experiences they could rarely identify them as such. Furthermore, few students could identify subject matter of civic education through what was taught in school subjects.     

From arithmetical thought to algebraic thought: The role of the “variable”

The introduction of the concept of the variable represents a critical point in the arithmetic–algebraic transition. This concept is complex because it is used with different meanings in different situations. Its management depends on the particular way of using it in problem-solving. The aim of this paper was to analyse whether the notion of “unknown” interferes with the interpretation of the variable “in functional relation” and the kinds of languages used by the students in problem-solving. We also wanted to study the concept of the variable in the process of translation from algebraic language into natural language. We present two experimental studies. In the first one, we administered a questionnaire to 111 students aged 16–19 years. Drawing on the conclusions of this research we carried out the second study with two pairs of students aged 16–17 years.

“Hebdo-Chim,” a Web Application to Support Learning in a Chemistry Methods Pre-Service Course

The potential of the Internet for Education has been enthusiastically reported by many. It is clear, though, that science educators need to be prepared and supported in order to adopt it, as is the case with any innovation. But first they should be motivated; and one way to do this is by letting them experience the benefits of the innovation in their own learning. By showing them appropriate uses, no matter how modest, in teacher preparation courses, we can motivate and influence future science teachers; they, like any teachers, tend to model what is taught by example. This paper describes one use of the Web in support of learning in a course in Chemistry Methods for pre-service teachers at Université de Montréal. Designed as a weekly, it is a site meant to be an integral, if not central, part of the course. In addition to permanent access to links and course outline, course notes and information relevant to each class were posted every week. An assignment involving a treasure hunt on the Web is also described.     

From Getting “Fired” to Becoming a Collaborator: A Case of the Coconstruction of Identity and Engagement in a Project-Based Mathematics Classroom

This article investigates the coconstruction of student identity and engagement in the case of a 9th grader in a project-based algebra classroom that afforded students a great deal of autonomy. The focal student, Terrance, utilized classroom resources to serve both project-related and social functions as he interacted with his peers during multiweek projects. As a result, his positioning within his group and patterns of engagement in the mathematics projects shifted dramatically across the academic year. The article ends with a discussion of student autonomy as a potentially powerful feature of hybrid classrooms.     

Essential Criteria to Characterize Constructivist Teaching: Derived from a review of the literature and applied to five constructivist‐teaching method articles

Constructivism is an important theory of learning that is used to guide the development of new teaching methods, particularly in science education. However, because it is a theory of learning and not of teaching, constructivism is often either misused or misunderstood. Here we describe the four essential features of constructivism: eliciting prior knowledge, creating cognitive dissonance, application of new knowledge with feedback, and reflection on learning. We then use the criteria we developed to evaluate five representative published articles that claim to describe and test constructivist teaching methods. Of these five articles, we demonstrate that three do not adhere to the constructivist criteria, whereas two provide strong examples of how constructivism can be employed as a teaching method. We suggest that application of the four essential criteria will be a useful tool for all professional educators who plan to implement or evaluate constructivist teaching methods.     

From the “Revolutionary” to “Modernity” ——the Research on the Political System since the Founding of PRC

改革开放以来的中国政治实践表明,政治行为变化诱导政治系统及其子系统发生局部或全部的变迁,这种变迁既是原有政治系统的一种部分性延续,也是新系统结构渐成雏形的开端.除政治系统的外部环境发生改变外,新中国建立的组织化的政治系统自身的生存与维系产生困境,其内部的结构张力是导致系统变迁的关键性要素.当封闭的政治环境向半开放或开放的条件转变,在内外部因素共同作用的情景下,政治系统经历了由领袖权威式结构的“让位”到以“民族-国家”为核心的结构性“归位”,由政治系统核心因素替换引发的系统变迁标志着中国的政治系统开始了性质与行为方式的变化.     

Toward “Good Enough Methods” for Autoethnography in a Graduate Education Course: Trying to Resist the Matrix with Another Promising Red Pill

Educational research suggests that the response biases of educators can negatively influence student performance and aptitude (Blanchett 2006 Blanchett, Wanda. 2006. “Disproportionate Representation of African American Students in Special Education: Acknowledging the Role of White Privilege and Racism.”. Educational Researcher, 35: 24–28. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Bloom 2001 Bloom, Leslie. 2001. “I'm Poor, I'm Single, I'm a Mom and Deserve Respect: Advocating Schools as and With Mothers in Poverty.”. Educational Studies, 32: 30–316.  [Google Scholar]; Darity et al. 2001 Darity, William, Castellino, Domini and Tyson, Karolyn. 2001. Report on Increasing Opportunity to Learn via Access to Rigorous Courses and Programs: One Strategy for Closing the Achievement Gap for At-risk and Ethnic Minority Students, Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.  [Google Scholar]; Gordon 2005 Gordon, Jenny. 2005. “Inadvertent Complicity: Colorblindness in Teacher Education.”. Educational Studies, 38: 135–152. October[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]; and Skiba et al. 2000 Skiba, Russell J., Robert, S. Michael, Abra, C. Nardo and Peterson, Reece. 2000. The Color of Discipline: Sources of Racial and Gender Disproportionality in School Punishment (Report #SRS1), Bloomington: Indiana Education Policy Center.  [Google Scholar]). This article introduces “good enough methods” for autoethnography as an alternative approach to this problem. Luttrell (2000 Luttrell, Wendy. 2000. “Good Enough Methods for Ethnographic Research.”. Harvard Educational Review, 70: 499–523. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 13) conceptualizes “good enough methods” researchers as those seeking to understand and appreciate difference and accept errors often made because of their blind spots and intense involvement. Evidence of this approach via autoethnography is provided here from cases of graduate student-practitioners and their Intergroup/Intercultural Education professor. Moreover, the article highlights (a) a connection of autoethnography to research in Education, (b) five key decisions of a “good enough methods” approach to autoethnography, and (c) how this approach can be applied to expose and address educator biases relating to “the matrix” (Hill-Collins 1990 Hill-Collins, Patricia. 1990. “Black Feminist Thought in the Matrix of Domination.”. In Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment, 221–238. London: HarperCollins. Patricia Hill–Collins [Google Scholar]) of race, class, and gender.     

Adding a Statistical Wrench to the “Toolbox”

This paper demonstrates a formal statistical test that can be used to help researchers make decisions about alternative statistical model specifications. This test is commonly used by researchers who would like to test whether adding new variables to a model improves the model fit. However, we demonstrate that this formal test can also be employed when alternative representations of variables or constructs are considered for inclusion in a regression. An empirical example is provided using information from a widely cited US Department of Education report. Substantively, we find evidence that an alternative representation of an important policy variable would have been a better fit to the data than the index that was used in the analysis conducted in the report.

Designing the ideal school as a transformative process: an approach to promoting teacher identity in pre-service teachers

This paper presents an approach to planning academic courses for pre-service teachers and for researching development of teacher identity. The approach was implemented in a course, conducted in an Israeli Master Teach program, designed to foster pre-service teacher identity transformation. The research described here addresses two questions: (1) To what extent does the approach contribute to the understanding of teacher identity formation? (2) Using this approach, how can pre-service teacher educators support teacher identity transformation? Using a metaphorical tool, students designed their ‘ideal school’ at the beginning and at the end of the course. Identity transformation was evaluated by comparing their designs. Demonstration of this approach methodology is presented through an analysis of the designs of one female student. Findings highlight the potential of this approach to reveal and cope with obstacles inhibiting transformative learning: narrow, imbalanced, inconsistent, and shallow perspective; rigid patterns of thinking; and lack of emotional awareness.     

Teaching Online: Applying Need Theory to the Work–Family Interface

Using Warner and Hausdorf’s (2009) framework, the authors empirically examined work–life balance and work outcomes among collegiate faculty teaching courses online. Quantitative and qualitative results from 138 online instructors demonstrated that basic psychological need satisfaction was related to higher levels of work–family enrichment, job satisfaction, performance, and intention to teach online courses again and lower levels of work–family conflict and stress. Work support was also related to job satisfaction, performance, and stress but was not related to work–family balance. These findings are important as universities are seeking ways to promote involvement with online education.     

Teachers’ Beliefs About Grading Practices and a Constructivist Approach to Teaching

We examined novice teachers’ beliefs about grading and constructivist teaching approaches. Adapting an existing instrument designed to assess preservice teachers’ grading beliefs that deviate from recommended practices, we administered the Survey of Grading Beliefs to 203 inservice teachers. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a 3-factor model with a structure similar to that found in prior research; differences between the 2 samples were noted. Teachers who endorsed grading beliefs characterized as “academic enabling” tended to endorse constructivist teaching approaches. To better understand the underlying reasoning of the academic enabling factor, we conducted qualitative research with 6 additional teachers. Results revealed that teachers’ reasons for grading judgments were strategic, analytical, and thoughtful, not haphazard. This study provides empirical evidence about the nature of novice teachers’ beliefs about grading, how they relate to constructivist teaching beliefs, and how they may compare to the beliefs of preservice teachers.