Distance learners’ multiple goals,learning and achievement in different learning situations

Can mastery and performance-approach goals predict distance learners’ learning and achievement in different learning situations over an academic year? Using a prospective longitudinal design, the current study examined this research question using a cohort of distance learners in Hong Kong. Two hundred and seventy-two distance learners completed three survey questionnaires at the beginning, in the middle and towards the end of an academic year. Regression analyses found that distance learners’ mastery and performance-approach goals at the beginning of the academic year predicted learning interest and the use of regulatory strategies in subsequent surveyed points after controlling for the effects of the age factor and self-efficacy levels.     

Tutorial Learning for the New Century

This paper begins with visions of the future of learning. It then considered current and new paradigms concerning technology and learning. It gives particular emphasis to highly interactive tutorial learning, for very large numbers of students in distance learning situations. Then it considers schools and universities in terms of the new paradigms. It ends with a brief plan for attaining this new learning system.     

略论远程开放教育辅导教师素质的提高

随着“人才培养模式改革和开放教育试点”工作的进行,广播电视大学将成为现代远程开放教育的主力军。但是,许多电大辅导员在新的教育形式下却感到力不从心。本文论述了远程开放教育对教师的影响和新形式下电大辅导教师的定位,同时提出了提高电大辅导教师自身素质的基本途径。     

Comparing Student Evaluations of Distance Learning and Standard Classroom Courses in Graduate Social Work Education

Abstract

This study compared the student course evaluations of standard education and distance learning courses in the school of social work of one southern university. The sample included 14 distance learning (DL) and 122 standard education courses. A 20-item quantitative student course evaluation and a 7-item qualitative questionnaire were used to compare differences between social work courses taught in a standard classroom setting with those taught using distance learning technology. Comparisons of identical courses taught in both formats found that students rated distance learning higher than the standard classroom for a course having predominantly lecture content. Conversely, ratings for clinical practice courses were just the opposite with lower ratings for distance learning than the standard classroom. Results of a qualitative survey (n = 39) of students conducted at the end of a course taught by distance learning found that 73% of the students felt that distance learning technology interfered with class participation. However, 73% of the students felt the instructor handled technological problems in a professional and patient manner. Although 54% of the students reported that they would take another course by distance learning, more research is needed to determine what social work courses can be most effectively taught by distance and classroom formats.     

再造学员间网上聚会以创造更好的学生支持服务环境

本文旨在阐述以瑞典民众高中和学习协会为独特形式的瑞典非正规成人教育中远程教育的特征。依据瑞典民众高中和学习协会的办学哲学思想,“会议式学习”是建构式学习的基石,特别是当学习的目的不是为了应付考试而进行信息复制时,更是如此。当学生需要进行分析和批判性地讨论时,他们需要组织小组会议以取得对论题的深刻理解。“会议式学习”这一独特特征在瑞典民众高中和学习协会中的实践已有一个世纪之久。现在,这种在修课学员之间组织小组面对面会议又在现代远程教育中再现,以创造一个更灵活的学习环境,促进深层次学习和提供更好的学生支持服务。瑞典民众高中的教师和学习圈的圈长越来越意识到,在现代化的信息技术的辅助下,创造远程的更好的学习条件是可能的。他们还认识到,创建一个学员们可以聚会、互相学习并相互给予更好支持的虚拟网上论坛也是可能的。而且,实践结果越来越清楚地显示出:远程学习并不只是第二等的选择,与面对面的会议相比,两者各具优点。     

Curricular reforms guide schools: but, where to?

The article deals with a particular aspect of the competencies-based approach in the curricula of basic and secondary education: the role of complex situations in learning. What should their role be so that education systems gain both in effectiveness and equity? Many research outcomes have shown that it is important to stress first and foremost complex “post” situations in learning knowledge, know-how and life-skills. It is a matter of complex situations (integrative pedagogy) in which the pupil is invited to use the knowledge, know-how and life-skills already acquired, not as ends in themselves, but as resources that the pupils employ to confront the complexity of their environment. It shows to what extent using the problem-solving approach to inculcate knowledge and know-how, in other words using complex situations for “prior” learning, represents a less suitable innovation.     

Audio teleconferencing and the adult learner: Strategies for effective practice

Abstract

Audio teleconferencing is a distance learning delivery system that has often been overlooked by educational institutions and other organizations. However, the trend toward adoption of “high‐end” (and high cost) delivery systems is giving way to a new trend toward appropriate selection of a delivery system based on course content, course design, and intended audience. This article takes a close look at audio teleconferencing as a viable option for many distance learning situations, discusses the importance of the audio component in distance learning, and suggests management and delivery strategies for organizations considering this medium.     

活动理论视域下远程学习目标结构之建构冰

当前远程学习的课程设计普遍存在目标设计缺失的现象,这可能源于人们对远程学习目标“是何”及“如何”运作的认识不够,从而导致学习者面临学习失败的风险。探讨远程学习目标“是何”是研究“如何”的先决条件。远程学习目标结构研究,旨在探讨远程学习目标的类别及其关系。活动理论是一种重在把活动系统作为分析单位的分析模式,迄今为止经历了“中介说”、“层次说”、“要素说”三代发展历程,为人们重新认识远程学习的目标结构提供了新的视角。它提示人们可以从活动层中的“过程”与“结果”维度去认识远程学习的目标结构,并从行动层中提取描述远程学习过程目标的5个要素：主体、客体、工具、行为、时间,建构出远程学习“过程一结果”目标结构的分析框架。远程学习目标结构可以帮助学习者在学习之初对远程学习结果及实现结果的过程做出规划,为之后的目标实施及评价提供保障,规避学习失败的风险。     

Models,metaphors and measures: issues in distance learning

English: Theoretical models serve several important functions in science. Building theoretical models which can be applied in distance learning situations should be a major activity for researchers and practitioners. At present, the design, delivery, assessment and evaluation of distance learning is pragmatic and not theoretical, based on historical practice and not careful analysis. Analysis of distance learning within and across paradigms - behaviourist and constructivist - should be a major activity in order to create designs and delivery systems that explain and promote learning within distance learning situations.

Francais:Les modèles théoriques remplissent plusiers fonctions importantes en science. La construction de modèles théoriques qui peuvenet être appliqués dans les situations d'enseignement à distance devait être une activité majeure pour les chercheurs et les practiciens. Pour le moment, la conception, la diffusion, l'estimation et l'évaluation de l'enseignement à distance sont pragmatiques et non théoriques, basées sur des pratiques historiques et non sur des analyses soignées. L'enseignement à distance dans, et au travers des paradigmes, behaviouristes et constructivistes, devrait être une activité majeure de façon à créer des systèmes de conception et de diffusion qui expliquent et assurent la promotion dans les situations d'enseignement à distance.

Deutsch: Theoretische modelle werden für viele wichtige funktionen in der wissenschaft gebraucht. Daher sollte die konstruktion theoretischer modelle, die in DL-situationen angewandt werden können, su den hauptaktivitäten von forschern und praktikern gehören. Zur zeit ist das design, die zustellung, die bewertung und die auswertung von DL nur pragmatisch, nicht theoriegestützt, eher auf ‘historischer’ praxis als auf gewissenhafter analyse beruhend. Die analyse von DL im rahmen von paradigmen sollte jedoch ein hauptansatz sein, um design und distributionssysteme zu entwickeln, die das lernen in DLsituationen erklären und fördern.     

远程学习者远程学习自我效能感的调查研究

为了明晰远程学习者在远程学习自我效能感方面的一些特点,做了一个远程学习自我效能感的调查问卷。将编制的问卷选取远程学习者进行测试。结果发现该问卷具有良好的信度和效度。此外,研究还发现远程学习者的远程学习效能感总得分在1.5以上,其中计算机操作效能感、情绪管理效能感、时间管理效能感得分相对偏低。     

Toward an understanding of academic self‐concept in distance education

Abstract

Academic self‐concept has been demonstrated to influence student success in distance education. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of academic self‐concept in distance education and to determine its enhancers and detractors. It was determined that this construct is dynamic and multi‐faceted: the process of both learning as an adult and learning at a distance, as well as the content studied, influences academic self‐concept. Implications for both practice and further research are discussed.     

Influences on the Orientations to Learning of Distance Education Students in Australia

The orientation of learners, which takes into account their environment and how they take control over their studies, is an important factor in deciding which methods the student will adopt in their learning. To determine the factors which influence the orientations of students studying at a distance, three groups of chemistry students at two Australian universities were studied using a qualitative grounded theory method methodology. It was found that the major influences could be divided into two main categories: independence and study environment. Isolation from the university due to geographical distance and issues of time had made these students independent learners who did not require interaction with other students, or with their lecturers, except when initiated by them. To maintain their interest they had to be highly motivated and this motivation was found to be mainly intrinsic. The students chose to study by distance education, accepted isolation as a part of this choice, and had devised strategies to overcome this. Several different study environments were identified. The major constraints to study were space limitations, work commitments, and family commitments, with the latter being of most concern. In general the students had adopted different strategies to work around these restrictions. Overall, although the students were predisposed to adopt a deep learning approach, they were particularly concerned with their efficiency of learning, which led them to adopt a strategic approach, using both deep and surface approaches depending on their circumstances at the time.     

虚拟学习空间与真实学习空间

虚拟学习空间与真实学习空间的区别,宜以学习空间所涉及的人、物或事在学习中是否为真正触及到该人、物或事的本身来划分。从这个意义上说,虚拟学习空间并非远程教育(特别是网络教育)领域中专有的术语,传统的课堂教育也有利用虚拟学习空间的问题。两种学习空间各有优点与缺陷,只强调或忽视任何一种学习空间都是不恰当的。随着高科技的发展,虚拟学习空间肯定会得到越来越多的利用,但真实学习空间的利用始终不应放弃,更不会消失。它们之间存在着互补性,我们要根据具体的情况与条件取长补短地交替利用,以达到提高教学效果的目的。     

The Application of an Adaptive Web-Based Learning Environment on Oxidation–Reduction Reactions

The World Wide Web is increasingly being used as a vehicle for flexible learning, where learning is seen to be free from time, geographical, and participation constraints. In addition to flexibility, the Web facilitates student-centered approaches, creating a motivating and active learning environment. The purpose of this study is to set up an adaptive learning environment on Internet and to experiment with the most suitable methods and applications. Our goal is to provide a better solution with regard to the related distance learning research. All the resources and background are from current relevant documents on the theory of asynchronous distance education. We set up an adaptive Internet learning system based on learning theory and related learning models. Our research targets are those students who took the ‘Life Chemistry’ course for the asynchronous distance education environment at Providence University at Taiwan. The students were divided randomly into two groups: the experimental group, which was in an adaptive learning environment and the controlled group, which was in a non-adaptive one. We used the American Chemistry Society Test Bank as our research tool and used SPSS to analyse the data we obtained. Results show that the experimental group in the adaptive learning environment out-performs the controlled group. In addition, those students who are field independent learning types, have higher pre-knowledge, are male, in science departments and have a longer study time span in an adaptive learning environment show much greater achievement levels than those in the opposite situations.     

远程开放教育新生学习自主性发展行动研究

为探索开放教育中新生学习自主性发展的途径与模式,在开放教育试点专升本英语专业"高级日常英语"课程辅导中开展新生学习自主性行动研究的实践.研究发现,通过教师的远程和面授辅导及参加网上交流活动,开放教育新生逐渐适应了远程学习模式,从被动学习向主动学习过渡,从过分依赖面授课辅导向教师帮助下的自主学习过渡,为开展以后的远程学习奠定了基础.     

Some Reflections on Motivating Situations and Situational Teaching

Debates about the crisis of school teaching in the Western world have focused more on education as a state of the art and on psychological problems of either teachers or pupils than on situational features which are of importance for teaching and learning situations. In applying K. R. Popper's propensity theory and his idea of situational logic, a preliminary analysis of problem situations is attempted with the aim of identifying biopsychological situational elements in children's preschool life‐conditions that could be simulated at school in their first years thereby enabling them to draw upon already acquired knowledge and skills. Two principal ways of acquiring experience — one instructive, the other selective — are described and discussed in relation to learning, exploration and play. It is argued that, while selection procedures are found in exploration, play and the like, instruction procedures are most often used in teaching situations despite growing evidence that instruction learning is less motivating than learning by action and selection, as various experiences with situational teaching indicate.     

Alltagssituationen und Experimente: Was sind geeignete naturwissenschaftliche Lerngelegenheiten für Kindergartenkinder?

Natural sciences are an educational topic in kindergartens. At the same time, little is known about how to promote and facilitate the learning of natural sciences for children in kindergarten. This contribution reports on a quasi-experimental study with 245 children, which compares the learning situations ‘experiments’ with ‘discussions on the relevance of the natural sciences in daily life’. Three experimental groups, in which the learning situations were varied, where compared with a control and a baseline group. Children in the last year of kindergarten took part in three 90-minute learning settings on the topics ‘melting and freezing water’, ‘evaporation and condensation of water’ and ‘solubility and insolubility in water’. Learning gains were measured using a pre-post-design with a Rasch-scaling. Cognitive performance and family background were controlled for. A significant benefit in comparison to the control and baseline groups could only be found for a combination of both learning situations.     

适应技术平台和学习环境的网络课程设计方案——再论教师学习使用的网络课程资源开发

继论面向学习者特征,仍以中央电大教师教育类一门网络课程(作为教师教育必修课程的“课程与教学论”网络课程)的后续设计为例,分析讨论了开发设计网络课程必须适应的网络技术平台环境及其使用条件等因素,强调必须在真实学习需求的引导下,开发适宜运用的远程教育学习产品,重视教学系统现实条件的要求,以提高教师教育学习资源的普适性。     

The Application of an Adaptive,Web-based Learning Environment on Oxidation-reduction Reactions

The World Wide Web is increasingly being used as a vehicle for flexible learning, where learning is seen to be free from time, geographical, and participation constraints. In addition to flexibility, the Web facilitates student-centered approaches, creating a motivating and active learning environment. The purpose of this study is to set up an adaptive learning environment on Internet and to experiment with the most suitable methods and applications. Our goal is to provide a better solution with regard to the related distance learning research. All the resources and background are from current relevant documents on the theory of asynchronous distance education. We set up an adaptive Internet learning system based on learning theory and related learning models. Our research targets are those students who took the ‘life chemistry’ course for the asynchronous distance education environment at Providence University in Taiwan. The students were divided randomly into two groups: the experimental group, which was in an adaptive learning environment, and the controlled group, which was in a non-adaptive one. We used the American Chemistry Society test bank as our research tool and used SPSS to analyse the data we obtained. Results show that the experimental group in the adaptive learning environment out-performs the controlled group. In addition, those students who are field independent learning types, have higher pre-knowledge, are male, in science departments and have a longer study time span in an adaptive learning environment show much greater achievement levels than those in the opposite situations.     

Tutors’ influence on distance language students’ learning motivation: voices from learners and tutors

Teachers’ influence on students’ learning motivation is a well-researched topic. Nevertheless, the majority of such studies are situated in the conventional learning context despite the rapid growth of distance language learning. This study set out to investigate tutors’ influence on students’ learning motivation in the Chinese distance language learning context. It attempted to gain a balanced picture of the issue under study by taking both student and tutor views into account. Findings from this study indicate that teaching competence, personal characteristics, subject matter expertise, and tutor–student relationship were four tutor-related factors which affected students’ learning motivation, reinforcing results of previous studies. Nevertheless, mismatches were found between students and tutors in relation to the influence of particular aspects of teaching competence, personal characteristics, and subject matter expertise. Implications from the study are considered in this article.