The differential impact of observational learning and practice-based learning on the development of oral presentation skills in higher education

The present study focuses on the design and evaluation of an innovative instructional approach to developing oral presentation skills. The intervention builds on the observational learning theoretical perspective. This perspective is contrasted with the traditional training and practice approach. Two sequencing approaches – learners starting with observational learning versus learners starting with practice opportunities only – were compared. It was hypothesised that learners starting with observational learning would outperform learners in the practice only condition. The results suggest a significant differential impact on development of oral presentation skills. This impact of the observational learning training approach is only found in a limited number of evaluation criteria. Results additionally suggest that students are highly motivated to learn this type of skill. Interaction effects between student characteristics and instructional interventions were not significant.     

Using mid-semester course evaluation as a feedback tool for improving learning and teaching in higher education

The way in which mid-semester course evaluations are structured, administered and reported is important for generating rich and high-quality student feedback for the enhancement of learning and teaching. Mid-semester evaluations usually contain open-ended questions that trigger more elaborative feedback about what is going on in a class than that from end-of-semester evaluations with Likert scale-type questions. The anonymity of the process for students and the confidentiality of the process for instructors make the process more reflective for students and less stressful for instructors. This study describes how the mid-semester course evaluation process can be used as a feedback tool for improving the quality of teaching and learning at an institutional level. Through a longitudinal analysis of 341 mid-semester course evaluation reports, positive areas and areas of concern with respect to learning and teaching were identified, and changes in student evaluations over the years were examined meticulously to make an overall evaluation of the quality of learning and teaching at a non-profit Turkish university. This research showed that the value of mid-semester course evaluations can go beyond course-level if we use open-ended questions and are able to gather the reports together to make some comprehensive analysis at university level.     

大学英语口语情境式教学探论

文章结合分析大学英语口语教学中存在的问题,探讨了建构主义理论下的情境式教学对大学英语口语教学的启示作用,即把学习者作为学习的主体沉浸在英语的语言环境或情境中愉快的体验英语,逐渐形成英语思维习惯,最终实现其语言能力向口头交际能力的转化。     

学习风格理论与外语教学实践研究

阐述学习风格与认知风格的区别，系统介绍学习风格的分类与类型，纠正长期以来人们对学习风格的错误认识，并以社会建构主义为理论框架，提出在外语教学实践中，使教学风格与学习风格相匹配的重要性和具体实施建议。     

Constructivism in School Science Education: Powerful Model or the Most Dangerous Intellectual Tendency?

This paper explores and challenges a numberof the assumptions and claims commonly associated with a constructivist approach to school scienceeducation, e.g., that constructivist ideas aboutlearning require a progressive pedagogy or that`active learning' demands engaging students withpractical activities. It suggests that constructivistideas have a particular appeal within primaryeducation because they help to justify classroompractices and activities that primary school teachers,for a variety of other reasons, regard as important.It is suggested that the recent dominant emphasis uponconstructivism in science education has narrowed boththe professional and the research agenda relating toschool science teaching. The paper argues for greaterclarity and precision when referring to constructivistideas in science education and for a betterunderstanding of the role that learning theoriesshould play in influencing the ways in which scienceis taught in schools.     

支架式教学法及其在对外汉语中级口语教学中的应用

建构主义教学模式下的支架式教学法提倡“教师指导下的,以学生为中心的学习“,强调利用情境、合作、交流等环境要素为学生搭建合理的可以不断向上攀缘的支架,以形成对知识的意义建构,其理论为教师组织对外汉语中级口语课的教学活动提供了很好的指导.本文以两堂口语课的课堂教学设计为实例,探讨如何用支架式教学法组织对外汉语中级口语教学.     

大学英语体验式教学的教育原理探究

体验式教学是以学生为中心,以建构主义理论为指导的教学模式.本文分析了体验式教学在大学英语课堂的应用与实践,探讨了其教育学原理,并进一步指出体验式大学英语课堂所面临的问题与挑战.     

The misuses and effective uses of constructivist teaching

Constructivism has emerged as a very powerful model for explaining how knowledge is produced in the world as well as how students learn. Moreover, constructivist teaching practices are becoming more prevalent in teacher education programs and public schools across the nation, while demonstrating significant success in promoting student learning. In this essay, the author takes a serious look at constructivist teaching practices highlighting both the promises and potential problems of these practices. The author argues that constructivist teaching has often been misinterpreted and misused, resulting in learning practices that neither challenge students nor address their needs. He outlines some of the ways in which constructivism has been misconstrued and analyzes several ways in which constructivist teaching has been misused. The author also presents two examples that illustrate the effective use of constructivist teaching and explains what makes them successful.     

建构主义理论下的小学英语教学模式研究

本文在分析建构主义理论内涵及其与传统小学英语教学差异的基础上,分析介绍了以建构主义理论为基础的支架式教学模式、抛锚式教学模式和随机访问式教学模式,意在指明建构主义教学方法的广泛应用是小学英语教学方法发展的必然趋势,将对其教学实践产生深远的影响。     

Peer and self-assessment applied to oral presentations from a multidisciplinary perspective

This article analyses the use of peer and self-assessment in oral presentations as complementary tools to assessment by the professor. The analysis is based on a study conducted at the University of Girona (Spain) in seven different degree subjects and fields of knowledge. We designed and implemented two instruments to measure students’ peer and self-assessment, and a rubric to guide the assessment process. Results were compared with the marks awarded by the professor. In contrast with studies by other authors, which show a high correlation between these different assessment systems, our study revealed significant deviations. Applying peer and self-assessment to oral presentation activities also demonstrates their formative value above and beyond their summative usefulness.     

A constructivist approach to studying the bullwhip effect by simulating the supply chain

The Cider Game is a simulator for a supply chain-related learning environment. Its main feature is that it provides support to students in the constructivist discovery process when learning how to make logistics decisions, at the same time as noting the occurrence of the bullwhip phenomenon. This learning environment seeks a balance between direct instruction in the learning process on the part of the tutor, and a suitable and sufficient degree of freedom to regulate independent learning on the part of students. This article describes the basic learning mechanisms using the Cider Game and the graphical learning environments that it provides. We describe the functionality provided by this application, and analyse the effect over the rational understanding of the bullwhip phenomenon by the students and whether they are able to make decisions to minimise its impact, studying the differences when that decision-making learning is done individually or in groups.     

建构主义学习理论与化学课堂教学

建构性学习是一种自我调节的学习,建构主义学习理论强调在教学中应以学生为中心,教师是意义建构的帮助者,在课堂教学实践中利用情境、协作、对话、意义建构等要素充分发挥学生的主动性、积极性和创新精神,使学生能有效地实现对所学知识的意义建构。根据建构主义学习理论,对化学教学方式方法进行探讨。能使化学教学更好地适应时代和社会的要求。     

The significance of constructivist classroom practice in national curricular design

Evidence of the value of constructivist theory in the classroom is especially important for educational practice in areas of poverty and social challenge. Research was undertaken in 2010 into the application of constructivist theory on instructional design. The findings of this research are particularly relevant to the current curricular crisis in South Africa which threatens to side-line constructivist priorities and return learners to rote learning from textbooks. The findings are situated here within the national debate over curricular design and instructional models. Placing instructional design within the larger context of national pedagogical contestation provides important evidence of the central role of Freirean imperatives for South Africa’s educational future. This article indicates that a constructivist framework, when pertinently arranged, provides holistic and sustainable procedures for knowledge creation. The findings from the research project showed that, in an environment conducive to learning, learners become self-motivated and better able to master the next phase of the curriculum. As a result of the constructivist framing, participants grew into strategic and effective learners who took responsibility for their own learning. These findings add weight to the call for reconsideration of constructivist foundations in national curriculum design.     

A new tool for practitioner-led evaluation of teacher professional development

Schools and education systems are being challenged to improve the evaluation of teacher professional development, yet there is a lack of practical tools for doing so. This article describes the development and validation of a new instrument to assess teachers’ perceptions of the impact of professional development. This instrument, designed to be time- and cost-effective, was theoretically grounded and, as evidenced by the results reported in this article, psychometrically sound. The instrument was completed twice (examining different types of professional development) by 393 teachers. The results for both data-sets demonstrated a strong factor structure with good internal consistency for all scales. Further data analysis indicated that the scales could effectively distinguish between the experiences of different groups of teachers. The finalised instrument, named the Impact of Teacher Professional Development Questionnaire, is presented in full, and the practical advantages and limitations of the instrument are discussed.     

从建构主义谈大学生英语口语学习方法的优化

本文以建构主义观点为基础提出了大学英语口语学习的优化方法。以建构主义及其学习理论为本,分析了大学新生在英语口语学习方法上存在的障碍和问题,提出了从建构主义学习观出发,英语口语学习策略的三个方面——改变＂被动接受型＂学习为＂主动探究型＂学习;改变＂个人奋斗式＂学习,提倡＂社会合作型＂的学习;改变＂去情境＂的学习,创造＂情境化＂的学习来提高大学生英语口语学习的效率。     

A proposed methodology for contextualised evaluation in higher education

This paper aims to inspire stakeholders working with quality of higher education (such as members of study boards, study programme directors, curriculum developers and teachers) to critically consider their evaluation methods in relation to a focus on student learning. We argue that many of the existing methods of evaluation in higher education are underpinned by a conception of learning that is de‐contextualised. As a consequence, many data collection methods do not address aspects that affect students’ learning. This is problematic because the core aim of higher education is to facilitate student learning. We propose a contextualised evaluation methodology, guided by 10 key questions, which can help evaluators address concepts and questions of student learning in their evaluations.     

Validation of the diagnostic tool for assessing Tertiary students’ readiness for online learning

Increasing numbers of educational institutions are adopting an online approach to teaching and learning; however, little regard has been given to the prerequisite personal and technical qualities required for academic achievement and satisfaction within this environment. In recognition of this, researchers have been exploring the design, development and testing of diagnostic tools to assess student readiness for online learning. This study builds on previous work by the authors to further validate their diagnostic tool for assessing Tertiary students’ readiness for online learning (TSROL) which has four subscales: ‘Technical skills’, ‘Computer self‐efficacy’, ‘Learner preferences’ and ‘Attitudes towards computers’. Factor and reliability analyses revealed that Technical skills and Computer self‐efficacy possessed good reliability and validity, and ‘Attitudes towards computers’ fair reliability and validity. However, ‘Learner preferences’ required revision as it possessed poor reliability and validity. Analysing the demographic data revealed that older students had lower Technical Skills and computer self‐efficacy than younger students. The TSROL can be improved by adopting a more multidimensional interpretation of the Learning preferences and Attitudes towards computers subscales.     

A constructivist approach in a blended e-learning environment for statistics

In this study, we report on the students' evaluation of a self-constructed constructivist e-learning environment for statistics, the compendium platform (CP). The system was built to endorse deeper learning with the incorporation of statistical reproducibility and peer review practices. The deployment of the CP, with interactive workshops and group assignments, immerses students in a novel blended e-learning experience. Based on the Delone and McLean framework, we tested an explanatory success model with a sample of 607 business students, collected during three consecutive academic years. The results indicate that system quality and teacher support are the most important success factors, directly or indirectly contributing to a higher degree of relative advantage and satisfaction, both of which strongly determine continuous intention to use. The findings ascertain the usability and acceptance of the CP and promote a more radical constructivist approach to the teaching of statistics, but also other subjects.     

建构主义学习理论在英语教与学中的应用

结合英语教学的特点与笔者在教学上的切身体会,本文分析了教师教学及学生学习与建构主义理论之间的关系,阐述了建构主义学习理论下教师和学生的角色,系统论述了建构主义理论在英语教与学中的应用,及该理论对培养学生自主学习的终身习惯的创新意义。     

The performance of a student evaluation of teaching system

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) is now commonplace in many universities internationally. While much effort has been devoted to examining the statistical validity of SET instruments, there has been limited examination of the methodological and consequential validity (together referred to as ‘utility’) of the ways in which SET data are used. This paper examines the SET system at Deakin University from the perspective of utility. It draws on publicly available SET results for an entire annual cycle of unit offerings. Consideration is given to the representativeness of the data produced, and to the utility of the data reported, by the system. While this investigation focuses on the SET system currently employed at Deakin University, it offers both an analysis methodology and conclusions that can be applied more generally.