Evaluating online conversation in an asynchronous learning environment: An application of Grice's cooperative principle

This study goes beyond student perceptions of online learning experiences, satisfaction, and attitudes, to examine the actual participation and dynamics that occur in online discussions and their relationship to student learning outcomes. A content analysis approach was used to investigate students' socio-cognitive processes in an online graduate-level English grammar class. Student postings were rated using a newly developed Gricean Cooperative Principle scoring rubric to assess student participation as determined by four maxims: Quantity, Quality, Relevance, and Manner. Results suggest that Quality is the most important criterion for predicting direct responses to a posting. Students with high average Quality scores also received higher final course grades than did their counterparts. In addition, students with high scores for Manner earned higher conference grades than did their counterparts.     

Relationships between students' and instructional variables with satisfaction and learning from a Web-based course

The author discusses the results of a study about the effect of students' and instructional variables on satisfaction and achievement in a Web-based course. Results indicated that gender, age, learning styles, time spent on the course, and perceptions of student–student interactions, course activities, and asynchronous Web-based conferences were not related to satisfaction and learning outcomes. Those students who entered the course with better Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) scores achieved higher final grades in the course, but did not express more satisfaction with the learning environment. Computer experience did not influence achievement but experienced computer users were more satisfied with the course. Students who perceived the student–instructor interactions positively felt that their discussion group had performed well during the conferences, and viewed the learning materials used in the conferences positively improved grades and were more satisfied with the course. Students expected instructor-led learning. There is a need to explicitly design an organising strategy to assist students in completing the problem-based learning processes during the Web-based conferences.     

Development of a Semantic Differential to Assess the Attitude of Secondary School and College Students

The inquiry sought to develop a semantic differential (SD) for use in assessing attitude and attitude change among secondary school and college students. It included thirty-five bipolar adjectives, each using a 7-point ordinal scale, for student rating purposes. Three concepts were used in the study: teacher, learning, and student. A Likert type scoring was accomplished with part scores for each of the separate concepts, and with the total score being the sum of the three part scores. A comparison between pre- and post-college course attitudes was made involving 237 students, which showed significant change only for the concept “student” (Me as a student). Internal reliability indexes were obtained usingthe Kuder -Richardson(K-R) Formula 20 for part scores ranging from r = .421 to .610; and for the total score ranging from r = .928 to .960. Inter correlations of part scores for pretest ranged from r = .530 to .584; and for posttest r = .620 to .707. There is evidence of greater homogeneity for post-course concepts than for pre-course concepts used in the evaluation, i. e., teacher, learning, and student.     

What changes,and for whom? A study of the impact of learning analytics-based process feedback in a large course

Recent developments in educational technologies have provided a viable solution to the challenges associated with scaling personalised feedback to students. However, there is currently little empirical evidence about the impact such scaled feedback has on student learning progress and study behaviour. This paper presents the findings of a study that looked at the impact of a learning analytics (LA)-based feedback system on students' self-regulated learning and academic achievement in a large, first-year undergraduate course. Using the COPES model of self-regulated learning (SRL), we analysed the learning operations of students, by way of log data from the learning management system and e-book, as well as the products of SRL, namely, performance on course assessments, from three years of course offerings. The latest course offering involved an intervention condition that made use of an educational technology to provide LA-based process feedback. Propensity score matching was employed to match a control group to the student cohort enrolled in the latest course offering, creating two equal-sized groups of students who received the feedback (the experimental group) and those who did not (the control group). Growth mixture modelling and mixed between-within ANOVA were also employed to identify differences in the patterns of online self-regulated learning operations over the course of the semester. The results showed that the experimental group showed significantly different patterns in their learning operations and performed better in terms of final grades. Moreover, there was no difference in the effect of feedback on final grades among students with different prior academic achievement scores, indicating that the LA-based feedback deployed in this course is able to support students’ learning, regardless of prior academic standing.     

Pedagogical Agents as Learning Companions: The Role of Agent Competency and Type of Interaction

This study was designed to examine the effects of the competency (low vs. high) and interaction type (proactive vs. responsive) of pedagogical agents as learning companions (PALs) on learning, self-efficacy, and attitudes. Participants were 72 undergraduates in an introductory computer-literacy course who were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: Low-Proactive, Low-Responsive, High-Proactive, and High-Responsive. Results indicated a main effect for PAL competency. Students who worked with the high-competency PAL in both proactive and responsive conditions achieved higher scores in applying what they had learned and showed more positive attitudes toward the PAL. However, students who worked with the low-competency PAL reported significantly enhanced self-efficacy beliefs in the learning tasks. Also, there was a main effect far PAL interaction type. A proactive PAL had a significantly positive impact on recall. These different results on learning and motivational outcomes suggest that the competency and interaction type of a PAL should be designed according to the desired learning and motivational goals.     

Examining the relationship among student perception of support, course satisfaction, and learning outcomes in online learning

Support for student learning is a key element in optimizing student learning experiences in any learning environment and its importance has been widely discussed. This study looked at student support, particularly in the course context, focusing mainly on guidance provided to students within a course. Three categories of support were identified and used for the purpose of this study: instructional, peer, and technical support. A total of 110 students completed an online survey on students' perceptions of support and course satisfaction in an undergraduate online course at a large southeastern university. The results showed perceived support was significantly related to their overall satisfaction of the online course. The findings of this study suggest that teachers should communicate what types of support are available to students and provide an easy way of accessing and taking advantage of the support.     

Exploring anatomy and physiology using iPad applications

This study examined the use of iPads with anatomy applications (apps) in the laboratory sections of the largest undergraduate course at the university, Anatomy and Physiology, serving more than 300 students. The majority of these students were nursing, exercise science/physical education and biology majors. With a student survey (student opinion) and student practicum grades as metrics, this study determined whether the introduction of this novel mobile technology improved student grades and aided the students in learning the course material. The results indicated that students’ grades improved with the introduction of the iPads, and 78% of the students reported that the iPads facilitated their ability to learn the course material. There was a positive association between frequency of app use and standardized mastery of the course material, as students who used the apps more frequently scored higher and indicated that they felt as though they had learned the material more comprehensively. Owning or having an iPad at home did not have a significant effect on the learning of the material. The general consensus by students was that iPad anatomy apps should be used frequently to better develop student understanding of the course material. Anat Sci Educ 11: 336–345. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

Student Learning and Performance in Information Systems Courses: The Role of Academic Motivation

Despite the need for information technology knowledge in the business world today, enrollments in information systems (IS) courses have been consistently declining. Student performance in lower level IS courses and student assumptions about the level of difficulty of the courses seem to be reasons for lower enrollments. To understand how student motivation may explain learning outcomes in introductory IS courses, this study investigates the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic academic motivations as framed by self‐determination theory on two measures of learning outcomes: (1) student self‐reported measures of learning and (2) actual grades obtained in courses and course components. Using 269 student responses collected in a second‐year undergraduate core course and a first‐year MBA core course, both of which are offered in a traditional face‐to‐face classroom environment, study hypotheses are analyzed. Results indicate that the motivational model explains both the affective and cognitive perceptions of learning held by students. In examining overall grades and grades in course components, the motivational model, however, was unable to sufficiently explain student performance. Data also indicate that there are significant differences between undergraduate and graduate students in terms of their motivation and learning outcomes.     

The Value-Driven Meaning of Grades

A multiple case study approach was used to investigate how grades were assigned by teachers and used by students and parents. This study reported that the interpretation and use of a grade is driven by the value students, parents, and teachers attach to grades. Because high grades were valued, students faced negative consequences for low grades. Parents and teachers, therefore, used grades to control student performance of those students who also valued high grades. Students who did not value grades were controlled by other outside factors they valued. Parents and teachers used both reward and coercive power to control expected student outcomes. This exertion of power resulted in students not valuing the learning process. Instead, they were motivated to perform to receive an extrinsic reward or a high grade and to avoid punishments from things they valued.     

Students’ perceptions of clickers as an instructional tool to promote active learning

The purpose of this study was to evaluate students’ perceptions of clickers as an instructional tool to promote active learning in a Physical Geography undergraduate class. A convenience sample of 24 undergraduate students registered in a physical geography course was assigned clickers to answer chapter quizzes in class for 15 weeks during the semester. Data from student interviews, student surveys, and exam grades were used to analyze the findings. Overall, students were satisfied and gave high approval ratings for the use of clickers, particularly for enhancing their participation and engagement in class lectures. The study findings show that clickers promote student engagement in the teaching and learning process. However, students did not find clickers to be a motivating factor to study more for the course. The implications for the use of clickers as instructional tools to improve active teaching and learning in technology-rich classrooms are also discussed.     

Narrated Dissection Videos and Peer-Mentoring to Enhance Anatomy Performance of Underrepresented Minority Students in Physical Therapy Education

Three-dimensional virtual technology (3DVT) educational tools and peer-tutoring have proven to be effective teaching strategies in improving student learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) compare the anatomy academic performance between underrepresented minority (URM) and non-minority (non-URM) students, (2) compare the voluntary use of 3DVT dissection videos and peer-mentoring between these two cohorts, and (3) estimate the association between the use of these teaching strategies on anatomy examinations and course grades at a school of physical therapy. Three-dimensional virtual technology narrated dissection videos and peer-mentoring were made available to all students. Time accessing the video and attending peer-mentoring sessions was measured throughout the course for all students. Three practical and four written examinations and the final course grade were calculated. Numerous one-way ANOVAs were used to compare examination/course grades between student cohorts (URM and non-URM) and usage of the two educational strategies (3DVT and peer-mentoring). Multiple linear regressions were performed with teaching strategies as predictors and grades as outcomes. Underrepresented minority students demonstrated significantly lower practical examination scores (P = 0.04), lower final course grades (P = 0.01), and a greater use of mentorship hours (P = 0.001) compared to non-URM. The regression models with both predictors (3DVT and peer-mentoring) combined demonstrated the greatest association with grades for both URM and non-URM. For both groups of students, the association between predictors and practical examination scores, although fair, was not statistically significant. Peer-mentoring seems to be the most effective teaching strategy in helping URM students succeed in anatomy.     

Student evaluations of teaching: effects of the Big Five personality traits,grades and the validity hypothesis

The purpose of the current study was to examine whether the Big Five personality traits and expected student grades relate to student evaluations of teachers and courses at the college level. Extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness were found to be personality traits favoured in instructors, whereas neuroticism was not. A significant correlation was found between the students’ expected grades in the course and student evaluations of the course, but not the evaluations of the instructor. When the effect of students’ perceived amount of learning was taken into account, no significant effect of grades was found on teacher ratings. Personality explained variance in teacher and course evaluations over and above grades and perceived learning.     

Facilitating learning in large lecture classes: testing the "teaching team" approach to peer learning

We tested the effect of voluntary peer-facilitated study groups on student learning in large introductory biology lecture classes. The peer facilitators (preceptors) were trained as part of a Teaching Team (faculty, graduate assistants, and preceptors) by faculty and Learning Center staff. Each preceptor offered one weekly study group to all students in the class. All individual study groups were similar in that they applied active-learning strategies to the class material, but they differed in the actual topics or questions discussed, which were chosen by the individual study groups. Study group participation was correlated with reduced failing grades and course dropout rates in both semesters, and participants scored better on the final exam and earned higher course grades than nonparticipants. In the spring semester the higher scores were clearly due to a significant study group effect beyond ability (grade point average). In contrast, the fall study groups had a small but nonsignificant effect after accounting for student ability. We discuss the differences between the two semesters and offer suggestions on how to implement teaching teams to optimize learning outcomes, including student feedback on study groups.     

Teaching Effectiveness: The relationship between reaction and learning evaluation criteria

This study used a pre/post design to assess student learning for the purposes of examining relationships among student grades, student learning, and student evaluations of teaching. These relationships were reframed in terms of reaction (Level I) and learning (Level II) evaluation criteria. Participants were 652 undergraduate students enrolled in seven sections of an introductory psychology course. Our results indicated a medium relationship between student grades and the pre/post learning measure. In addition, a small relationship was observed between student ratings of teaching effectiveness and a pre/post measure of learning. We conclude that student ratings and learning measures assess different aspects of teaching effectiveness and should not be used interchangeably. The most appropriate criterion for assessing teaching effectiveness is a function of the goal of evaluation. However, reaction and learning measures may be used in conjunction to obtain a more complete picture of instructor effectiveness.     

Middle school students’ attitudes toward physical education

The purpose of this study was to determine middle school students’ attitudes toward physical education using an attitude instrument grounded in attitude theory. In addition, this investigation also sought to ascertain if gender and grade level influence student attitudes toward the subject matter. Participants for this study were 995 students from grades 6 to 8. A previously validated attitude instrument based on a two-component view of attitude with scores that showed evidence of reliability and validity was used. Overall all students had moderately positive attitudes toward physical education. There was, however, a decline in attitude scores as students progressed in grade level. Higher grades had lower mean scores.     

Curriculum-based measurement in the content areas: vocabulary matching as an indicator of progress in social studies learning

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of curriculum-based measures as indicator of growth in content-area learning. Participants were 58 students in 2 seventh-grade social studies classes. CBM measures were student- and administrator-read vocabulary-matching probes. Criterion measures were performance on a knowledge test, the social studies subtest of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), and student grades. Both the student- and examiner-read measures reflected change in performance; however, only the student-read measure resulted in interindividual differences in growth rates. Significant relations were found between the growth rates generated by the student-read vocabulary measure and student course grades, ITBS scores, and growth on the knowledge test. These results support the validity of a vocabulary-matching measure as an indicator of student learning in the content areas. The results are discussed in terms of the use of CBM as a system for monitoring performance and evaluating interventions for students with learning disabilities in content-area classrooms.     

A predictive study of learner satisfaction and outcomes in face-to-face,satellite broadcast,and live video-streaming learning environments

This study was conducted to assess the predictive relationships among delivery mode (DM), self-perceived learner-to-teacher interaction, self-rated computer skill, prior distance learning experience, and learners' satisfaction and outcomes. Participants were enrolled in courses which used three different DMs: face-to-face, satellite broadcasting, and live video-streaming (LVS). In each case, the course was offered simultaneously by the same teacher via all three formats. The results indicated no predictive utility of delivery mode for self-perceived learner-to-teacher interaction. On the other hand, the results supported the validity of self-perceived learner-to-teacher interaction as a predictor for student satisfaction and learning outcomes (measured by course final grades). To a lesser extent, self-rated computer skills and the number of distance learning courses taken played a weak role in learning outcomes and students' satisfaction. Overall, findings from the study support prior research that has reported the importance of learner-to-teacher interaction in learning outcomes and satisfaction of distance education students.     

Homework in the Home: How Student, Family, and Parenting-Style Differences Relate to the Homework Process

Parents (n = 709) were surveyed about involvement in their child's homework. A factor analysis revealed three dimensions of homework involvement similar to those found in more general studies of parenting style. These dimensions are autonomy support, direct involvement, and elimination of distractions. A fourth dimension, parental interference, differentiated itself from autonomy support for students in higher grades. Two-thirds of parents reported some negative or inappropriate form of involvement. Parenting style for homework was then related to student and family characteristics and student schooling outcomes. Results indicated parents with students in higher grade levels reported giving students more homework autonomy and less involvement of all other types. Parents in poorer families reported less support for autonomy and more interference. Parents reported less elimination of distractions when an adult was not at home after school and, for elementary school students, when there were more than one child living in the home. Elementary school parents of males reported more direct involvement in homework, while high school parents of females reported more direct involvement. More parental support for autonomy was associated with higher standardized test scores, higher class grades, and more homework completed. More positive parent involvement was associated with lower test scores and lower class grades, especially for elementary school students. Student attitudes toward homework were unrelated to parenting style for homework. Stage–environment fit theory and conceptions of families as varying in resources to support children are used to explain the findings and draw implications for parent behavior and educational practice.     

The Impact of Instructional Design on College Students’ Cognitive Load and Learning Outcomes in a Large Food Science and Human Nutrition Course

The effective design of course materials is critical for student learning, especially for large lecture introductory courses. This quantitative study was designed to explore the effect multimedia and content difficulty has on students’ cognitive load and learning outcomes. College students (n = 268) were randomized into 1 of 3 multimedia groups: text + graphics (Group 1–TG); audio + text + graphics (Group 2–ATG); or video + audio + text + graphics (Group 3–VATG). Participants answered a demographic survey and pretests before viewing 2 food science supplemental lecture materials (i.e., water mobility and amino acid structures) and completing the cognitive load instrument and post‐tests within a noncontrolled setting. Cognitive load scores were tabulated and compared using a 3 × 3 ANOVA and Tukey post hoc analysis across multimedia groups and food science supplemental lecture materials. Based on the post hoc, students in Group 1–TG had higher intrinsic cognitive load scores than Group 2–ATG (ANOVA, P < 0.05). Cognitive load and post‐test scores were tabulated and compared using a spearman correlation across groups. In Group 1–TG, students that reported less intrinsic cognitive load had higher post‐test scores. Also, students that reported more germane cognitive load had higher post‐test scores. In Groups 2–ATG and 3–VATG, students that reported less extraneous cognitive load had higher post‐test scores (ANOVA, P < 0.05).     

Guiding a diverse mix of first-year business students: implications for university administrators,instructors and students

This article describes a collaborative research project by the institutional research group and a team of faculty members at a Canadian university. In response to an increasingly diverse mix of students, the researchers set out to develop an understanding of relationships between student characteristics, categorized as demographic differences, personal attributes and academic preparedness, and student outcomes measured by both grades and student perceptions. Significant differences were found in grades outcomes based on characteristics such as international status, secondary school grades, study habits and writing skills. However, these differences were not evident in student perceptions of course value or learning achievement. This study has important implications for university administrators (recruiting, intake assessment and student support), instructors (understanding of diversity characteristics and how students perceive learning experience) and for students, who can be given an opportunity to better understand how their own personal characteristics might affect their learning experiences and outcomes.