The role of attitudinal factors in mathematical on-line assessments: a study of undergraduate STEM students

This study explores student attitudes to the use of substantive on-line assessments that require mathematical answers. Since there is limited guidance available for their use in a university setting, our goal is to learn what are the important aspects in student acceptance of e-assessments that support learning of mathematical subjects in higher education. To that end we analyse the effects of a variety of attitudinal factors towards such assessments amongst a cross-section of first year students in an English university, using a detailed questionnaire. These students were all previously exposed to on-line assessments containing substantial mathematical work, including testing of and feedback on the algebraic structure of their answers, based on identifiable misconceptions underlying these answers. Since students received highly tailored feedback, the expectation was that the usefulness of this feedback would be the key driver in their usage of educational technology. The results indeed suggest that students find on-line feedback more enjoyable and useful than conventional feedback, but enjoyment and attitude are the two most important factors.     

同伴对话反馈对大学生在线深度学习的影响研究

高校在智能时代的背景下需要更加重视深度学习人才的培养和学生深度学习能力的训练,基于同伴对话反馈的讨论式学习是高校课堂中激发学生高阶思维、加深学习投入度的重要实现途径。研究通过自然状态下的探索性实验探究了基于小组在线讨论活动的同伴对话反馈策略对大学生深度学习的促进作用以及学生在同伴对话反馈过程中存在的表现特征与规律。研究发现:(1)基于小组在线讨论活动的同伴对话反馈策略可以显著促进学生的学习方法从浅表学习转向策略学习和深度学习,尤其对浅表学习者作用较明显,对深度学习者可能存在负面效果;(2)此类活动可以显著促进学生的认知层次从单一或低级多元结构到中高级多元结构的转变,但尚不能激发学生的思维水平发展到更高层次的关联结构和抽象拓展结构;(3)更积极参与活动的深度学习者的认知层次并没有比浅表学习者提升更佳,尽管他们在带动浅表学习者参与和学习方法深化方面有着较为积极的作用。以上发现为高校教师更好地设计混合教学情境下的深度学习活动提供了建议。     

试析网络教育技术对高等教育的影响

网络教育技术的普及对高等教育在教育形式个性化、传统文化倾向与文化多样性、高等教育机会、高等教育社会化与专业化等方面将产生巨大影响。     

Elementos clave para un modelo de aprendizaje basado en proyectos colaborativos online (ABPCL) en la Educación Superior

ABSTRACT

Collaborative learning is a key approach to the development of teaching and learing activities. Project-based learning (PBL) is an approach that encourages the acquisition of skills by the students promoting collaboration among them, since it requires them to solve activities for the development of a specific product. There are various experiences of using this methodology, most of them applied in primary and secondary education, and the few that refer to higher education are carried out in classroom settings. This work presents a case study based on a specific course designed for the acquisition of the digital competence that combines collaborative online learning with PBL and the results obtained from its implementation are explained. The collected data show the success of its application and validates the design presented, highlighting the key elements for fostering collaboration among students.     

论构建面向广大自考生的网上学习社区

网上学习社区技术的发展,为我国高等教育自学考试改善助学薄弱状况、建设学习支持系统以及提高自考生的学习效率和效果提供了可行性.本文先对网上学习社区的概念、理论和研究现状做了简要概述,接着回顾了全国高等教育自学考试指导委员会办公室(简称全国考办)在利用信息技术开展网络助学方面的一些初步探索,最后对如何构建面向广大自考生的网上学习社区提出了几点原则性建议.     

‘Are you listening please?’ The advantages of electronic audio feedback compared to written feedback

Feedback on students' work is, probably, one of the most important aspects of learning, yet students' report, according to the National Union of Students (NUS) Survey of 2008, unhappiness with the feedback process. Students were unhappy with the quality, detail and timing of feedback. This paper examines the benefits of using audio, as opposed to written, feedback in an attempt to overcome student criticisms. Using the Audacity audio software MP3 feedback files were created and sent to 60 students either via a VLE or email. The students were asked to complete an online survey on audio feedback. Twenty‐six students responded. The results were, generally, very positive. The use of audio feedback seemed to have overcome the problems reported by the NUS survey. Students are at least 10 times more likely to open audio files compared to collecting written feedback. The paper concludes with reflections, and advice, on introducing audio feedback.     

Using technology supported learning to develop active learning in higher education： A case study

John Dewey believed that the education should educate individuals ＂not as passive recipients of educational content, but as active makers of meaning, capable of exercising independent judgement and of democratic collaboration＂ （Gregory, 2001, p. 399）. With this philosophical viewpoint, the author strongly believes that teachers should engage students in becoming actively involved and responsible for their own learning. One way in which to get students involved in their own learning is by using technology supported learning. This method is important in relation to the diverse student population now enrolling in universities. This case study was carried out to assess the implementation of technology supported learning within a first year module. Three online tasks were made available for students within this course. A questionnaire was used to solicit information on the online task. The findings suggested that there are many benefits that can be derived from the effective utilization of technology within higher education.     

Exploring Engineering instructors’ views about writing and online tools to support communication in Engineering

To be fully prepared for the professional workplace, Engineering students need to be able to effectively communicate. However, there has been a growing concern in the field about students’ preparedness for this aspect of their future work. It is argued that online writing tools, to engage numbers of students in the writing process, can support feedback on and development of writing in engineering on a larger scale. Through interviews and questionnaires, this study explores engineering academics’ perceptions of writing to better understand how online writing tools may be integrated into their teaching. Results suggest that writing is viewed positively in the discipline, but it is not believed to be essential to success in engineering. Online writing tools were believed to support a larger number of students, but low knowledge of the tools limited academics’ understanding of their usefulness in teaching and learning. Implications for innovation in undergraduate teaching are discussed.     

Quality of Life of Higher Education Students with Learning Disability Studying Online

This study examined how learning challenges encountered within online learning environments affected the quality of life of students with learning disability. A qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with eight students (mean _age = 33.75 years; SD = 8.15), revealed that learning challenges had consequences on students quality of life with regards to levels of stress/anxiety, self-esteem, time available for other activities, personal relationships and financial pressures. A notable finding was that these quality of life concerns were frequently associated with the extra time and effort students invested in their studies as a way of managing the learning challenges encountered. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of self-esteem previously reported for students with learning disability; and underscore the importance of minimising learning barriers, providing study accommodations, and providing multifaceted support programmes that address both academic and emotional/personal concerns.     

Collaborative communication technologies and learning in college courses: which are used,for what purposes,and to what ends?

Web-based communication technologies that enable collaboration and sharing of information among users – such as podcasts, wikis, blogs, message boards, and others – are used commonly in contemporary organizations to increase and manage employee learning. In this investigation, we identify which of these collaborative communication technologies are used in relation to college courses, and with what frequency; we report student evaluations of their use and reasons why students indicate using them. Next, using Keller's ARCS theoretical framework, we examine the role of course-related communication technology use in four dimensions of course-specific motivation. Results indicate that in courses where students perceive that technology is used effectively, motivation to learn is higher than in courses where students perceive technology is used ineffectively – and that technology-related motivation is substantially related to course-specific learning outcomes. Importantly, students reported higher levels of cognitive learning for courses in which technology was perceived as being used effectively than for courses in which communication technology was perceived by students as ineffectively implemented.     

为在线学习提供有效的反馈

在教与学的过程中,学生与教师都会提出反馈,也会收到反馈.课程应该提供不会让人感到威胁的环境,学生在其中能够向教师和其他学生充分地表达自己.学生需要得到针对他们工作和表现的、持续的、及时的反馈.提供有效的反馈有助于保证学生的需求得以满足,有助于保证他们能够开展高质量的学习.(Co-hen,2003:Thurmond 和 Wambach,2004)本文主要讨论的是对学生提供的反馈,而反馈本身也是对学习者的工作和活动的回应,帮助学习者更好地理解他所取得的进步,或帮助学习者改善他的学习或表现.反馈可以在教师和学生之间、学生与学生之间,也可以是学生对自身的长处或改进学习活动的某一方面进行的反思和评价.要使反馈真正有效,对学生提供的反馈应着重于缩小学生当前的表现与期望目标之间的差距.文中所提出的案例均来自于本人在线教学经历过的或访谈在线教师过程中了解到的.     

美国网络高等教育的学习支持服务研究

目前,美国有近90%的传统高校开展网络教育,而且对学术质量的要求与在校生完全相同,其中网络教育中的学习支持服务为其质量保障做出了巨大的贡献.同时,学习支持服务也是远程教育中一个非常重要的研究方向.本文着重研究了美国网络高等教育的学习支持服务情况,将美国网络高等院校的学习支持服务分为学术支持服务、对网络学习者的管理服务和对学习者提供学习资源及技术支持服务三种类型.并分别加以论述.