远程网络课程质量保证之个案研究

本通过描述一个计算机网络课程的案例，分析如何利用一个创新、高质量及学习主导的教学环境来提高学生的参与和投入。该课程由香港一所大学提供，每学期约有180名非计算机系本科生修读。作以各种远程教育的优良实践方法和基准作为基础，对此课程的不同层面进行评价，并针对学生学习情形、行为表现、学习成果及对课程的评价进行了两次追踪调查访问。结果显示，学生在学期中及学期末的行为表现有显的差异。例如，他们使用自评练习的时间由期中考试前的平均每周1．27小时增至期终考试前的2.63小时；考试成绩较好及较差的学生部分别根据其学习成果调节自己的学习态度及方法.本就调查结果，进一步讨论及确定了一些适合本地技术辅助教育的实践方法。     

Identifying Sources of Anxiety in an Introductory Online Undergraduate Chemistry Course

Journal of Science Education and Technology - Learning chemistry in an online environment may have multiple sources of anxiety for students, including chemistry anxiety, math anxiety, computer...     

A Comparison of Online,Video Synchronous,and Traditional Learning Modes for an Introductory Undergraduate Physics Course

While the equivalence between online and traditional classrooms has been well-researched, very little of this includes college-level introductory Physics. Only one study explored Physics at the whole-class level rather than specific course components such as a single lab or a homework platform. In this work, we compared the failure rate, grade distribution, and withdrawal rates in an introductory undergraduate Physics course across several learning modes including traditional face-to-face instruction, synchronous video instruction, and online classes. Statistically significant differences were found for student failure rates, grade distribution, and withdrawal rates but yielded small effect sizes. Post-hoc pair-wise test was run to determine differences between learning modes. Online students had a significantly lower failure rate than students who took the class via synchronous video classroom. While statistically significant differences were found for grade distributions, the pair-wise comparison yielded no statistically significance differences between learning modes when using the more conservative Bonferroni correction in post-hoc testing. Finally, in this study, student withdrawal rates were lowest for students who took the class in person (in-person classroom and synchronous video classroom) than online. Students that persist in an online introductory Physics class are more likely to achieve an A than in other modes. However, the withdrawal rate is higher from online Physics courses. Further research is warranted to better understand the reasons for higher withdrawal rates in online courses. Finding the root cause to help eliminate differences in student performance across learning modes should remain a high priority for education researchers and the education community as a whole.     

Integrating Problem-based Learning in an Introductory College Food Science Course

ABSTRACT: Problem-based learning (PBL) activities incorporated into an introductory food science course can aid in student understanding of basic food science principles while developing students' problem-solving and critical thinking skills. This article describes one example of how problem-based learning was introduced into an introductory food science course designed for food and nutrition majors. Included are the problems that were developed for the course and the observed outcomes of the problem-based learning activities. Integrated problem-based learning aided students in developing communication, problem-solving, self-directed learning, and other desired skills and demonstrates the potential to be an enjoyable and challenging classroom experience for both students and teachers. However, poor problem design, such as introducing numerous problems for one subject area, may generate unanticipated quick answer approaches to solving problems.     

Student Access of Supplemental Multimedia and Success in an Online Course

Institutions are developing online courses that contain rich multimedia, but research shows there is little difference in student achievement when these types of materials are included. However, many studies report the results of the presence, not the access, of multimedia learning objects. In addition, they do not categorize the multimedia as supplemental or required. To better understand the relationship between multimedia inclusion and student success, this study investigates student access of three categories of supplemental multimedia in an online course and uses access data as a filter for comparing student final grades. A summary of statistically significant differences in mean final grades at four levels of supplemental multimedia access is included.     

Students’ Use of Multimedia Activities in an Open University Introductory Science Course

Surveys of students studying an introductory science course at a distance indicated that they had very favourable attitudes to CD‐ROM multimedia activities that are an integral part of the course teaching package. The research reported here focused on how students actually studied as they worked through the activities. Most students worked on the activities at the place indicated in the course materials and they generally studied them in one session. The majority made notes and were satisfied with their value, though only a small number used on‐screen facilities for making their notes. The instructions for navigating through the sequences left only a small number of students unsure of how to proceed. A small number of students also reported being unable to answer the questions in the activities. The Approaches to Studying Inventory (Richardson, 1990) was included in the survey, and it was found that students who adopt a predominantly ‘meaning orientation’ to studying had significantly more favourable attitudes to the multimedia activities than those who adopt a predominantly ‘reproducing orientation’. The latter students had a significantly higher preference for printed material rather than multimedia activities. The limitations of the surveys are identified and suggestions are made for future evaluation and research into students’ experiences in using multimedia activities, and for setting it in a broader framework of students’ patterns of study and learning     

Online Course Design Based on the Cognitive Learning Theory and the Affective Filter Hypothesis

The essay attempts to explore how to design an online English course on the basis of the cognitive learning theory and the affective filter hypothesis. By demonstrating an online course on preparing job interview questions, the essay explains what and why some elements are incorporated in the course and raises some potential problems.     

Food Safety and Regulation: Evaluation of an Online Multimedia Course

ABSTRACT: The effectiveness of, and student attitudes toward, an online Food Safety and Regulation course (WEB) were compared with lecture (LECTURE) and combined lecture/online (COMBINED) courses. All students took identical pre-tests, post-tests, and attitude assessments. No significant differences were detected in pre-test scores. Post-test results for WEB, LECTURE, and COMBINED groups were 65.9±3.02, 67.1±2.62, and 73.5±2.59 (mean±SEM), respectively. After controlling for the pretest, the COMBINED score was significantly higher ( P < 0.05) than the LECTURE and WEB scores. Some student attitude scores in the LECTURE and COMBINED groups were better than the WEB group. The results indicate that students perform as well in the Web-based course as the lecture-based course and that student performance is maximized by combining online and lecture methods.     

虚拟学习环境中的人物情感计算研究

构建虚拟学习环境是实现教育信息化的有效途径之一,本文介绍了虚拟学习环境中虚拟人物特点.同时,依据建构主义学习理论,研究了在虚拟学习环境中虚拟人物的情感及其描述办法,提出了一种基于OCC模型、简单易于实现的情感计算办法.     

Using Biomedically Relevant Multimedia Content in an Introductory Physics Course for Life Science and Pre-health Students

We will describe a one-quarter pilot algebra-based introductory physics course for pre-health and life science majors. The course features videos with biomedical experts and cogent biomedically inspired physics content. The materials were used in a flipped classroom as well as an all-online environment where students interacted with multimedia materials online and prior to engaging in classroom activities. Pre-lecture questions on both the medical content covered in the video media and the physics concepts in the written material were designed to engage students and probe their understanding of physics. The course featured group discussion and peer-lead instruction. Following in-class instruction, students engaged with homework assignments which explore the connections of physics and the medical field in a quantitative manner. Course surveys showed a positive response by the vast majority of students. Students largely indicated that the course helped them to make a connection between physics and the biomedical field. The biomedical focus and different course format were seen as an improvement to previous traditional physics instruction.     

Investigating Flipped Learning: Student Self-Regulated Learning,Perceptions, and Achievement in an Introductory Biology Course

In flipped classrooms, lectures, which are normally delivered in-class, are assigned as homework in the form of videos, and assignments that were traditionally assigned as homework, are done as learning activities in class. It was hypothesized that the effectiveness of the flipped model hinges on a student’s desire and ability to adopt a self-directed learning style. The purpose of this study was twofold; it aimed at examining the relationship between two variables—students’ perceptions of the flipped model and their self-regulated learning (SRL) behaviors—and the impact that these variables have on achievement in a flipped class. For the study, 76 participants from a flipped introductory biology course were asked about their SRL strategy use and perceptions of the flipped model. SRL strategy use was measured using a modified version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ; Wolters et al. 2005), while the flipped perceptions survey was newly derived. Student letter grades were collected as a measure of achievement. Through regression analysis, it was found that students’ perceptions of the flipped model positively predict students’ use of several types of SRL strategies. However, the data did not indicate a relationship between student perceptions and achievement, neither directly nor indirectly, through SRL strategy use. Results suggest that flipped classrooms demonstrate their successes in the active learning sessions through constructivist teaching methods. Video lectures hold an important role in flipped classes, however, students may need to practice SRL skills to become more self-directed and effectively learn from them.     

多模态学习情感计算:动因、框架与建议

学习情感是影响学生认知加工与学习效果的重要因素,如何利用多模态数据开展学习情感计算是当前亟待解决的问题.文章在分析情感计算源起与多模态数据融合的基础上,阐述了多模态情感计算的发展动因,构建了多模态学习情感计算的研究框架,包括以教育场景为导向采集情感数据、依据情感模型展开建模与识别、利用可视化方式表达与反馈情感、结合情感归因来干预与调节学习过程等.基于现有研究案例,将多模态学习情感计算的应用归纳为开发学习情感识别系统、增强智能学习工具、支持学习干预与决策、探索学习情感的作用机制等方面.未来多模态学习情感计算应平衡数据采集侵入性与真实性、提升数据模型可解释性、综合衡量学习状态以及拓展教育应用探索与创新.     

交互式在线学习与多媒体课件制作

介绍基于Internet的交互式在线学习并阐述了交互式多媒体课件的开发过程,着重分析了图像、音频和视频等多媒体元素对制作在Internet上发布的多媒体课件的影响,确定设计用于Internet上交互式在线学习的课件中多媒体的处理原则。     

网络课程再工程的设计与实现

越来越多的大学正逐步把现有的网络课程平台向教育云服务平台过渡,实际上这是一个网络课程系统再工程的过程。在保持原有网络课程系统主要功能的基础上,移植原系统所使用的框架和重构原系统的数据访问层,采用GoogleApp Engine、Google Web Toolkit和Ext-GWT等技术并结合面向服务开发方式,我们成功地实施了把传统技术开发的网络课程再工程到Google云计算平台。随着Google App Engine SDK的不断完善,会有越来越多的优秀框架陆续受到支持,从而降低再工程的难度。     

多媒体在英语课堂教学中的运用与网络学习

随着因特网的普及，多媒体在英语课堂中得到了广泛的应用，同时，学生可以进行网络课堂学习，这极大优化了教学效果。     

Educational Research in an Introductory Astronomy Course

The lecture is a common method used in college instruction, but many teachers are questioning its effectiveness. For this study, two successive spring semester sections of introductory astronomy for non-science majors were studied. The spring 1999 semester was the instructor's first attempt to incorporate innovative instructional techniques to include hands-on, minds-on instruction within the lecture setting. The educational research involved classroom observations, personal interviews, and pre-instruction/post-instruction administration of the Texas Attitude Survey and the Astronomy Diagnostic Test. During the spring 2000 semester, the instructor modified instruction to respond to student concerns from the previous semester. Student scores for the second course showed significant improvement in astronomy content and the institutional course survey, but not in student self-efficacy.     

The Use of Facebook in an Introductory MIS Course: Social Constructivist Learning Environment*

The major objective of this article is to evaluate via a Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) the implementation of a Social Constructivist learning framework for an introductory Management Information System (MIS) course. Facebook was used as a learning artifact to build and foster a learning environment, and a series of features and activities using this artifact were conducted to utilize the social interactions amongst the system's users to foster constructivist learning. Various pedagogic strategies were used to integrate activities occurring both inside and outside of the classroom setting to achieve social learning. All features utilized were evaluated based upon activities and interactions amongst all users. The research findings show great potential for the implemented features, as well as the activities conducted to take advantage of these features, and suggest possible innovative features for use in similar future studies based on feedback from this study's sample group.     

Assessment of Student Learning Associated with Tree Thinking in an Undergraduate Introductory Organismal Biology Course

Phylogenetic trees provide visual representations of ancestor–descendant relationships, a core concept of evolutionary theory. We introduced “tree thinking” into our introductory organismal biology course (freshman/sophomore majors) to help teach organismal diversity within an evolutionary framework. Our instructional strategy consisted of designing and implementing a set of experiences to help students learn to read, interpret, and manipulate phylogenetic trees, with a particular emphasis on using data to evaluate alternative phylogenetic hypotheses (trees). To assess the outcomes of these learning experiences, we designed and implemented a Phylogeny Assessment Tool (PhAT), an open-ended response instrument that asked students to: 1) map characters on phylogenetic trees; 2) apply an objective criterion to decide which of two trees (alternative hypotheses) is “better”; and 3) demonstrate understanding of phylogenetic trees as depictions of ancestor–descendant relationships. A pre–post test design was used with the PhAT to collect data from students in two consecutive Fall semesters. Students in both semesters made significant gains in their abilities to map characters onto phylogenetic trees and to choose between two alternative hypotheses of relationship (trees) by applying the principle of parsimony (Occam''s razor). However, learning gains were much lower in the area of student interpretation of phylogenetic trees as representations of ancestor–descendant relationships.     

Comparing Learning Outcomes and Satisfaction of an Online Algebra-Based Physics Course with a Face-to-Face Course

Journal of Science Education and Technology - This study aimed to compare the online and face-to-face teaching of a required algebra-based physics course for non-physics majors in large-enrollment...     

Work Habits of Students in Traditional and Online Sections of an Introductory Physics Course: A Case Study

The study compares the work habits of two student groups in an introductory physics course, one in traditional and one in online sections. Both groups shared the same online materials and online homework, as well as the same discussion boards and examinations, but one group in addition had traditional lectures. The groups were compared with respect to amount and frequency of access to different online course resources. It was found that with few exceptions, both groups exhibited very similar work habits. Students in the online sections more frequently accessed content pages and more frequently contributed to course discussions. It was also found that regular access of the materials throughout the week, rather than only on homework deadline nights, is a predictor of success on examinations, and that this indicator is more reliable for students in the online sections. Overall, though, the effect of traditional lectures is minimal.