Computer: The use of computer‐mediated communication in training students in group problem‐solving and decision‐making techniques

Abstract

A cost‐effectiveness analysis of training Army National Guard soldiers by audio teletraining technology was conducted. The trainees were n = 225 soldiers nationwide. About half of the trainees received training in a three‐week Unit Clerk Course through traditional residence training, and the remainder received the same instruction through audio teletraining. Objective performance data were collected from written tests on sixteen of the forty‐seven tasks taught. The percentage of trainees in the audio teletraining group that reached criterion (93%) on the first test was significantly higher (by statistical test) than the residence group (85%). In comparing costs, the audio teletraining group had lower training costs per trainee. Projected on an annual basis, the Army National Guard can save $292,404 per year through the use of audio teletraining for the Unit Clerk Course.     

Diffusion of Computer‐based Technologies: getting the best start

ABSTRACT

The issues surrounding the diffusion of technology within our public schools are wide‐ranging and as diverse as the student populations which we seek to influence. Designing efficient and effective teacher training for classroom technology applications is, consequently, an important consideration for ‘school reformers.’ This paper addresses, in significant detail, the instructional design process which was utilized for the development and delivery of one successful teacher technology training effort for a medium‐sized school district. Special emphasis was placed on the results of extensive learner analyses throughout the design effort.     

Contextual challenges of implementing learner‐centred pedagogy: the case of the problem‐solving approach in Uganda

This article explores teachers’ experiences of implementing the problem‐solving approach; a learner centred pedagogic innovation prescribed by a centrally mandated curriculum in Uganda. It presents teachers’ interpretations of the pedagogic principles suggested by the innovation as well as their accounts of challenges of implementing the pedagogic approach. The findings suggest that the teachers’ implementation of the problem‐solving approach was far more regulated by contextual affordances and constraints within schools and the broader education system and society than by their interpretations of the official curriculum. These findings highlight the influence of structural contextual factors in regulating pedagogic practice and teachers’ take‐up of learner‐centred pedagogies in Africa. The evidence from this paper suggests the need for education researchers in developing countries such as Uganda to focus on helping teachers develop strategies for teaching large classes as learner‐centred pedagogies have a bleak future in the region.     

The digital skills paradox: how do digitally excluded youth develop skills to use the internet?

Digital skills are an important aspect of ensuring that all young people are digitally included. Yet, there tends to be an assumption in popular discourse that young people can simply learn these skills by themselves. While experience of technologies forms an important part of the learning process, other resources (i.e., access to technology and support networks) plus clear motivations are required. Through in-depth interviews with 20 young people who are digitally excluded, this paper highlights the kinds of digital skills these young people find problematic, and the reasons why they find developing these skills so challenging. We demonstrate how poor access to technology, limited support networks and their current situation prevent these young people from gaining the experiences they need to support the development of their digital skills; and how lack of experience and inadequate skills limit the extent to which they perceive the internet to be valuable in their lives. These individual experiences, shaped very much by the wider social structure of which they are part, show how young people cannot simply be left to learn digital skills by themselves and that intervention is required to try to address some of the digital inequalities apparent in younger generations.     

PISA 2012: how do results for the paper and computer tests compare?

The Programme for International Assessment (PISA) is an important cross-national study of 15-year olds academic achievement. Although it has traditionally been conducted using paper-and-pencil tests, the vast majority of countries will use computer-based assessment from 2015. In this paper, we consider how cross-country comparisons of children’s skills differ between paper and computer versions of the PISA mathematics test. Using data from PISA 2012, where more than 200,000 children from 32 economies completed both paper and computer versions of the mathematics assessment, we find important and interesting differences between the two sets of results. This includes a substantial drop of more than 50 PISA test points (half a standard deviation) in the average performance of children from Shanghai-China. Moreover, by considering children’s responses to particular test items, we show how differences are unlikely to be solely due to the interactive nature of certain computer test questions. The paper concludes with a discussion of what the findings imply for interpretation of PISA results in 2015 and beyond.     

Improving the academic outcomes of undergraduate ESL students: the case for discipline‐based academic skills programs

This article examines the impact of an adjunct English language tutorial program on the academic performance of first‐year Architecture students. With increasing numbers of international students enrolling in Australian universities, language and academic skills programs have shifted from generic to more discipline‐specific models; however, there has been little research on the effects of these programs on ESL students' academic performance. This study uses a mixed‐method approach to evaluate the effectiveness of an English as a second language (ESL) intervention program. Findings indicate that students value a highly discipline‐specific approach to language and academic skills support and that regular participation in a content‐based ESL program can lead to positive learning outcomes for students. Preliminary findings also suggest that there are positive longer‐term benefits on students' academic outcomes. The authors suggest the need for longitudinal studies on the impact of discipline‐based programs for ESL students.     

Formative computer‐based assessment in higher education: the effectiveness of feedback in supporting student learning

A formative computer‐based assessment (CBA) was one of three instruments used for assessment in a Bachelor of Education course at Queen’s University (Ontario, Canada) with an enrolment of approximately 700 students. The formative framework fostered a self‐regulated learning environment whereby feedback on the CBA was used to support rather than measure student learning. The four types of feedback embedded in the CBA included: (a) directing students to a resource, (b) rephrasing a question, (c) providing additional information and (d) providing the correct answer. Although students originally reported positive experiences with the formative CBA, two follow‐up surveys revealed that they found the four types of feedback to be moderately effective in supporting their learning.     

Reclaiming the self: how Korean housewives make meaning of their experience of re‐entering higher education

Well‐educated Korean women are returning to higher education in unprecedented numbers with the motivation of recovering their personal identity. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the ways in which this experience is meaningful to these re‐entry women. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 13 Korean full‐time housewives aged 25 to 45 who already had a bachelor’s degree but enrolled at university. The constant comparative method was employed for data analysis. The major findings of this study were that the re‐entry experiences were meaningful for the participants in that they re‐established themselves as independent individuals, dispelled a sense of isolation, obtained a sense of accomplishment, gained recognition and structured their everyday lives. These experiences are perceived as meaningful because attending university addressed the sources of discontent in their lives.     

How do the different study profiles of first-year students predict their study success,study progress and the completion of degrees?

The relationship between study success and the nature of 550 first-year law students’ study processes was investigated using a modified version of the Approaches to Learning and Studying Inventory. The students were classified into four study profiles according to their approaches to learning, indicating the nature of their study processes. In addition, the students were divided into six study success groups on the basis of their earned study credits and grade point average. The results showed that both approaches to learning and study success in the first study year predicted graduation time and the completion of the degree. Thus, it is important that faculties actively use measures, such as the inventory used in the present study, to promote first-year students’ awareness of their study practices and support the progress of their studies. Individual students need tailored guidance in transitioning to university studies and identifying the demands of the study programme.     

Towards state‐mandated testing in Germany: how do teachers assess the pedagogical relevance of performance feedback information?

The paper analyses how teachers view state‐mandated tests in Baden‐Württemberg, a large state in the south‐west of Germany. For the first time in 2006, public secondary schools were bound by law to administer Vergleichsarbeiten [state‐wide tests] in up to three relevant subjects after Grade 6. Scholars in the field of school improvement emphasise that there is a gap between performance feedback provided by external tests and how this information is internally processed. To bridge this gap, a crucial precondition is that teachers must accept state‐wide testing as a useful instrument for improving the performance of schools. To examine how teachers view the pedagogical relevance of performance feedback information, 256 secondary schools were approached, and an anonymous questionnaire was completed by a representative sample of 307 teachers with Grade 6 classes. Analysis of the quantitative data reveals that teachers in general secondary schools (the lower level of the academically streamed secondary system) are more open‐minded towards the tests than their colleagues in intermediate schools or in grammar schools (the highest level). Even so, only a small percentage of teachers in general secondary schools acknowledge the pedagogical relevance of performance feedback information for improving teaching strategies. This result suggests that state‐mandated testing in Baden‐Württemberg is highly unlikely to initiate or support school improvement activities for the time being.     

Classroom Implementation of Context‐based Chemistry Education by Teachers: The relation between experiences of teachers and the design of materials

Worldwide, a tendency is visible in which upper secondary science curricula are innovated in the direction of context‐based education. Crucial to these innovations is the way teachers interact with newly developed teaching materials and implement them in classroom practice. The focus of our research is to identify characteristics of the interaction between innovative context‐based materials and teachers that hinder or facilitate classroom implementation as intended by the designers. Four cases of classroom implementation by four experienced teachers with different degrees of experiences in context‐based education, all implementing ‘Chemie im Kontext’ (CHiK) teaching materials, were carried out using a previously developed framework for analysis. It was found that a crucial aspect of CHiK, that of taking students' questions and using them as an orientation as the ‘focal event’ for the following lessons, was difficult to implement. The employed contexts are too general and broad to be effectively applicable as a setting in which activities such as students developing their own ideas and exploring them logically take place. Therefore, it is recommended that extensive teacher professionalization is required on this aspect to show teachers its value and to increase their repertoire of necessary teaching activities.     

Efficacy of the cellfield Intervention for reading difficulties: An integrated computer‐based approach targeting deficits associated with dyslexia

Abstract

Despite contemporary research on dyslexia moving toward multi‐deficit hypotheses, intervention studies tend to focus on specific causal mechanisms. The Cellfield Intervention, which involves computer‐based activities designed to remediate multiple deficits concurrently, is evaluated in the present paper. Participants were 262 Australian school children (187 males, 75 females; mean age 11.05) who undertook the ten intervention sessions at the Cellfield Clinic in 26 mean days between pre‐ and post‐ test, during a 24 month period. Pre‐ and post‐intervention data were collected using the Wide Range Achievement Test, the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests ‐ Revised, the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability, and ocular assessments. Significant gains (p < .05) were made in all three sets of dependent measures analyzed (i.e., reading‐related skills, oral reading proficiency, and ocular measures) providing some support for the efficacy of an integrated approach to the treatment of reading difficulties.     

What are the characteristics of nature preschools in Norway,and how do they organize their daily activities?

This study provides basic information about how Norwegian nature preschools differ from other Norwegian preschools and how they organize their daily activities. Fifty-six nature preschools and 52 other preschools were included in the study. A total of 106 headmasters and 98 pedagogical leaders filled out questionnaires about the characteristics of their preschool and the characteristics of their preschool’s outdoor activities. Two women and four men from nature preschools were interviewed about organizing a nature preschool. Most nature preschools are private and have less children and staff than other preschools. Nature preschools have more reference areas in nature and visit these areas more frequently than other preschools. Nature preschools spend a large amount of time in nature and have routines and rules that allow the children a significant amount of trust.     

The ongoing education of engineering practitioners: how do they perceive the usefulness of academic research?

This study explores the usefulness of academic research to engineering practitioners. Issues such as knowledge transfer, the research-practice gap and the changing social/political environment are discussed. An empirical survey of practitioners is analysed to better understand the engineering professions use of academic material, such as research journals, with the medical profession acting as the benchmark. The study also examines the future role for academia from the perspective of practitioners, with areas such as engagement, relevance, dissemination and education highlighted. While the study found there was a reasonable level of utilisation of academic material, there are still some significant gaps. The study brings to the fore the issue of relevance in applied research fields and highlights the need to evaluate the usefulness of our research to practitioners and the betterment of society.     

The mathematics skills of school children: how does England compare to the high-performing East Asian jurisdictions?

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in Mathematics and Science Study are two highly respected studies of school pupils’ academic achievement. English policy-makers have been disappointed with school children’s performance on these tests, particularly in comparison to the strong results of young people from East Asia. In this paper, we provide new insight into the England–East Asia gap in school children’s mathematics skills. We do so by considering how cross-national differences in math test scores change between ages 10 and 16. Our results suggest that, although average math test scores are higher in East Asian countries, this achievement gap does not increase between ages 10 and 16. We thus conclude that reforming the secondary school system may not be the most effective way for England to ‘catch up’ with the East Asian nations in the PISA math rankings. Rather, earlier intervention, during pre-school and primary school, may be needed instead.     

Making connections among multiple visual representations: how do sense-making skills and perceptual fluency relate to learning of chemistry knowledge?

To learn content knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math domains, students need to make connections among visual representations. This article considers two kinds of connection-making skills: (1) sense-making skills that allow students to verbally explain mappings among representations and (2) perceptual fluency in connection making that allows students to fast and effortlessly use perceptual features to make connections among representations. These different connection-making skills are acquired via different types of learning processes. Therefore, they require different types of instructional support: sense-making activities and fluency-building activities. Because separate lines of research have focused either on sense-making skills or on perceptual fluency, we know little about how these connection-making skills interact when students learn domain knowledge. This article describes two experiments that address this question in the context of undergraduate chemistry learning. In Experiment 1, 95 students were randomly assigned to four conditions that varied whether or not students received sense-making activities and fluency-building activities. In Experiment 2, 101 students were randomly assigned to five conditions that varied whether or not and in which sequence students received sense-making and fluency-building activities. Results show advantages for sense-making and fluency-building activities compared to the control condition only for students with high prior chemistry knowledge. These findings provide new insights into potential boundary conditions for the effectiveness of different types of instructional activities that support students in making connections among multiple visual representations.     

Reliability and Validity of Play‐based Observations: relationship between the PLAY behaviour observation system and standardised measures of cognitive and social skills

Little, if any, examination of the reliability and validity of play‐based assessment exists in the current literature. Thus, the present study specifically examined the relationship between scores obtained on a classroom‐based play observation system and standardised measures of cognitive and social competence with preschool children. High reliability between observers was established for the play‐based assessment measure. In addition, concurrent validity was assessed by comparing scores on the PLA Y assessment measure with scores the children obtained on the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) and Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS‐T). Significant positive correlations in the predicted directions were obtained: Children rated as more cognitively and socially competent were found to engage in higher levels of play behaviours (e.g. associative‐constructive and co‐operative‐dramatic), while children identified as less cognitively and socially competent engaged in lower levels of play behaviours (e.g. solitary‐functional and onlooker). The study suggests that, when operationally defined play observation methods were used, observers were able to record accurately the level of play exhibited by each child, and these play behaviours did reflect the child's current cognitive and social developmental functioning.     

Inclusive education in Spain: how do skills,resources, and supports affect regular education teachers’ perceptions of inclusion?

This study examined regular education teachers’ perceptions of inclusion in elementary and secondary schools in Spain and how these perceptions may differ depending on teaching experience, skills, and the availability of resources and supports. Stratified random sampling procedures were used to draw a representative sample of 336 general education teachers (68 kindergarten, 133 elementary, and 135 secondary teachers) from the province of Alicante. The results indicated the acceptance of the principles of inclusion, although teacher skills, time, material resources, and personal supports for inclusion were deemed insufficient. Kindergarten and elementary teachers showed more positive perceptions of inclusion than secondary education teachers, and so did teachers with more personal supports and material resources than those with less supports and resources. The results are discussed in terms of its implications for practice in order to promote more inclusive classrooms in Spain.