THE CONSTANT ERROR OF THE HALO IN EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES RESEARCH

Students' reports of their learning anddevelopment play an important role in research andassessment in higher education. Assessment researchfrequently asks students questions about gains madeduring college to identify dimensions of gains andthen examines relationships between college experiencesand gains. A growing body of research suggests thatcorrelations between ratings of gains and college experiences may be an artifact of a constanterror of the halo. The present research examines whetherhalo error underlies students' self reports of gains,the significance of the halo error, and the effect of halo error on relationships between collegeexperiences and educational outcomes. Results confirmthat halo error may be an important component instudents' ratings of their learning and development. Moreover, halo error may obscure relationshipsbetween college experiences and educationaloutcomes.     

学习支持服务对MOOC课程持续学习意愿的影响研究——基于ACSI-ECM模型的视角

在线学习支持服务是影响MOOC课程学习效果的重要因素。研究结合ACSI模型和ECM模型,构建学习支持服务对MOOC课程持续学习意愿的影响模型,以273位MOOC课程学习者为研究对象,通过结构方程模型分析和中介效应分析确定变量间结构与数量关系。研究结果表明:感知质量、感知价值和学习支持服务满意度显著影响MOOC课程持续学习意愿;期望确认、感知质量和感知价值显著影响MOOC课程学习支持服务满意度,并以学习支持服务满意度为中介变量间接影响持续学习意愿;期望确认对感知质量具有显著影响。在此基础上,结合当前MOOC课程发展提出若干建议,为促进MOOC课程学习者持续学习意愿的提升提供参考。     

Satisfaction and completion in correspondence study: The influence of instructional and student‐support services

Abstract

Correspondence education can provide college‐level instruction that is efficient, economical, and sensitive to the changing needs of traditional and adult learners. However, to ensure the development of the educational environment necessary for effective education to occur, providers need to be aware of factors that contribute to student satisfaction and persistence in correspondence education. This article examines the relationship between student satisfaction and course completion in relation to the provision and perceived quality of instructional and student‐support services.     

Reflectors as online extraverts?

Increasingly, online learning is perceived as an effective method of instruction. Much recent educational research has focused on examining the purposes and situations for which online education is best suited. In this paper, students enrolled in two online courses are compared with their peers enrolled in equivalent classroom‐based courses to investigate aspects of the relationship between learning style and mode of delivery. Student satisfaction measures are taken from participants in both modes of delivery and compared with student learning style. Feedback from the ‘Reflector’ learning style demonstrates higher satisfaction levels with the online mode of delivery compared with their matched counterparts following equivalent classroom‐based courses. Therefore, whilst ‘Reflectors’ might be regarded as Introverts in the traditional classroom setting, the additional time for reflection offered by online delivery makes this group more likely to contribute to online discussion, report higher satisfaction levels and generally behave more like online Extraverts.     

基于TAM模型的大学生移动学习行为意愿研究

随着无线通信技术的高速发展和各式各样移动通信设备的普及应用,移动学习成为近年来教育技术学领域研究的热点。整体上,感知有用性、感知易用性和感知趣味性对大学生移动学习行为意愿有直接显著的影响。因此,教育工作者在开展移动学习活动和开发移动学习资源的过程中应当充分考虑移动通信设备的易用性、有用性与趣味性等潜在的影响因素,以提高大学生对移动学习的接受度和使用意愿。     

Perceived teacher feedback and academic performance: the mediating effect of learning engagement and moderating effect of assessment characteristics

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the mediating effect of learning engagement on the relationship between perceived teacher feedback and college students’ academic performance, and the moderating effect of assessment characteristics on the relationship between perceived teacher feedback and learning engagement. A sample of 2,458 students in a university in mainland China was studied. Results indicated that perceived teacher feedback had a positive impact on students’ academic performance; learning engagement had a mediating effect on the relationship between perceived teacher feedback and students’ academic performance; and assessment frequency, difficulty and diversity had moderating effects between perceived teacher feedback and learning engagement. With the three factors of high frequency, difficulty and diversity assessment, perceived teacher feedback was more likely to improve students’ learning engagement. In contrast, feedback without these three factors could decrease or have no impact on students’ learning engagement. This indicates that teacher feedback indirectly affects college students’ academic performance by promoting their learning engagement, and is more effective when the frequency, difficulty or diversity of assessments is high.     

Sense of community, perceived cognitive learning, and persistence in asynchronous learning networks

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between sense of community and cognitive learning in an online educational environment. Study participants consisted of 314 students enrolled in 26 graduate education and leadership courses taught at a distance using the Blackboard.com^SM e-learning system. Study results provided evidence that a significant relationship exists between classroom community and perceived cognitive learning. Online learners who have stronger sense of community and perceive greater cognitive learning should feel less isolated and have greater satisfaction with their academic programs, possibly resulting in fewer dropouts.     

The effects of background,coursework, and involvement on students' grades and satisfaction

Research during the 1970s and 1980s identifies grades and satisfaction with college as important educational outcomes, both in their own right and because of their relationship to other outcomes such as persistence. Building on previous research, this article examines the relationship between grades and satisfaction using a latent variable model that includes a variety of factors found to influence grades and satisfaction. The covariance structure analyses indicate that the model provides an accurate representation of the data and explains a substantial proportion of the variance in satisfaction and grades. Results suggest that satisfaction exerts a stronger influence on grades than grades exert on satisfaction. These findings suggest that popular recursive models of educational outcomes should be reevaluated, and that non-recursive models may provide a more accurate representation of educational effects.Presented at the Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Louisville, KY, May 13–16, 1990. CARD Research Report No. 90-05.     

College students’ homework and academic achievement: The mediating role of self-regulatory beliefs

The influence of homework experiences on students’ academic grades was studied with 223 college students. Students’ self-efficacy for learning and perceived responsibility beliefs were included as mediating variables in this research. The students’ homework influenced their achievement indirectly via these two self-regulatory beliefs as well as directly. Self-efficacy for learning, although moderately correlated with perceptions of responsibility, predicted course grades more strongly than the latter variable. No gender differences were found for any of the variables, a finding that extends prior research based on high school girls. Educational implications about the importance of students’ homework completion and its relationship to college students’ development of self-regulation and positive self-efficacy beliefs is discussed from a social cognitive perspective.     

Relationships among sense of classroom community,perceived cognitive learning and satisfaction of students at an e-learning course

This study aims to determine whether there is a relationship between students' sense of community, perceived cognitive learning, and satisfaction in an e-learning course. Additionally, the relationship of these variables with Internet self-efficacy and final examination scores is investigated. The participants were 88 students enrolled in elementary level English as a Foreign Language course of the distance education program at a higher education institution in Turkey. The results of the study suggest that sense of community and course satisfactions are strongly related to each other. Moreover, students' course satisfaction is highly related to their perceived cognitive learning. Students' perceived cognitive learning was observed to have a very strong relationship with learner-to-content interaction, while learner-to-learner interaction was at medium level and learner-to-instructor interaction was weak.     

Online self-assessment with feedback and metacognitive knowledge

The present work describes an experience of educational innovation in a university context. Its aim was to determine the relationship between students’ frequency of use of online self-assessment with feedback and their final performance on the course, taking into account both learners’ motivation and perceived usefulness of these resources for their learning process. Furthermore, we studied the relationship between metacognitive variables and academic performance and/or execution of activities aimed at learning the course content. To this end we created self-assessment material with the Hot Potatoes educational program and assessed the degree to which students took advantage of the tool, their satisfaction with it and their perceived knowledge, using ad hoc questionnaires. The results indicate better academic performance in those students that use interactive self-assessment. It should be pointed out that even students with low motivation levels made use of this teaching tool. Finally, a relationship was found between metacognitive variables and students’ effort and performance. We discuss the need to include self-assessment in the curriculum, with a view to improving students’ metacognitive knowledge.     

Users’ continuance intention of virtual learning community services: the moderating role of usage experience

Users’ continuance intention plays a significant role in the process of information system (IS) service, especially virtual learning community (VLC) services. Following the IS success model and IS post-acceptance model, this study explores the determinants of users’ intention to continue using VLCs’ service from the perspective of quality, including perceived information quality (completeness, relevance and timeless) together with perceived interaction quality (responsiveness and connectedness) and focuses on the moderating effect of usage experience. The research hypotheses are empirically validated by using the responses received from a survey of 313 college students and the research model is assessed by structural equation model. The results show that perceived information quality and perceived interaction quality can directly affect perceived usefulness (PU), perceived satisfaction and ultimately determine users’ continuance intention. In addition, the findings verify that usage experience plays an important moderating role. The impact of PU on continuance intention is greater for low-experience users. In contrast, the impact of information satisfaction and interaction satisfaction on continuance intention is greater for high-experience users.     

基础教育研究聚焦何处——从近两年教育科学规划课题申报与立项看我国基础教育研究的趋势与导向

以全国教育科学"十一五"规划2006、2007年度基础教育领域的课题申报材料为分析对象,分析最近两年我国基础教育问题研究的基本意向。在选题与申报方面,研究者开始关注到教学与课程的关系,关注到教学改革、课程推进与教师成长的密切关系;高考与高中改革相关联的课题意向较少;学校层面的整体性、结构性的变革需要加强;基础教育改革研究的理论品性提升问题也有待进入研究者的视野。     

The Impacts of System and Human Factors on Online Learning Systems Use and Learner Satisfaction

Success in an online learning environment is tied to both human and system factors. This study illuminates the unique contributions of human factors (comfort with online learning, self‐management of learning, and perceived Web self‐efficacy) to online learning system success, which is measured in terms of usage and satisfaction. The research model was tested employing SEM on a sample of 674 college students enrolled in at least one online course. The factors of comfort with online learning and perceived Web self‐efficacy were significant predictors of satisfaction. Comfort with online learning was significant in predicting usage. The impact of demographic variables was examined.     

Perspectives from graduate students on effective teaching methods: a case study from a Vietnamese Transnational University

Abstract

Vietnam is emerging as an accelerated economic and political society with an increased global presence; thus, increased attention has been given to producing qualified college graduates who can contribute to the growing global economy. Yet challenges exist due to lack of educational infrastructure and ineffective teaching practices. As a result, the Vietnamese government embraces international collaborations in higher education as a way to address educational needs; however, although research exists on policy implications and government priorities, very little is known about how students perceive the teaching methods provided at these collaborative transnational universities. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine graduate students’ perceived effectiveness of teaching methods at Vietnamese-German University (VGU), a predominantly technology and engineering university that is an international collaboration between Vietnam and Germany. We seek to answer the research question of, ‘how is the use of student-centred practices effective in an international learning environment?’ Findings from graduate students indicate that collaborative learning, specifically through group work and modified flipped classrooms, are effective ways to maximise student learning. Implications for practice and future research are discussed as ways to emphasise the benefits of student-centred teaching and learning at transnational collaborative universities.     

College Student Psycho‐Educational Functioning and Satisfaction with Online Study Groups

As part of required coursework, 112 students in an educational psychology course made asynchronous postings to online study groups. Students permitted their course marks to be used for research purposes and completed a questionnaire that assessed a range of psycho‐educational characteristics as well as personal interpretations of the online study group experience. Students did not perceive the benefits of online study groups equally, but such evaluation was not associated with academic achievement. Results suggest that psycho‐educational functioning relative to satisfaction with online study groups is similar to psycho‐educational functioning relative to satisfaction with learning events generally. In this regard, the difference between student functioning in virtual and real learning environments may not be as apparent as has been suggested.     

Factors affecting perceived learning of engineering students in problem based learning supported by business simulation

Although literature about problem based learning (PBL) is not scarce, there is little research on experiences about learning methodologies that combine PBL and the use of simulation tools. This lack of studies is even more notable in the case of engineering courses. The motivation for this study is to show how such a combination of PBL and simulation has been designed in a group work course for engineers and to analyze how the underlying factors of this methodology are related to perceived learning. This exploratory study focuses on how perceived enjoyment, interaction, collaborative learning, perceived satisfaction, and time dedicated to the course affect the learning perceived by the students in an engineer's degree course. The outcomes of this pilot study show that only three of these factors (satisfaction, time dedication, and collaborative learning) affect the students' perceived learning. Despite the high ratings obtained for interaction and perceived enjoyment, no significant relation between these factors and perceived learning was found. The reasons behind these findings are discussed.     

Measuring the research experience of research postgraduate students in Hong Kong

To date, there has been little research in non-Western contexts exploring the research experience of research higher degree (RHD) students and the effect of research experience on student outcomes. The purposes of this study were to validate the Student Research Experience Questionnaire (SREQ) developed in Australia in the Hong Kong context and to explore the relationships between student research experiences and their perceived skill development and overall satisfaction with their research degree experiences. Data were collected from 599 RHD students. The results supported the construct validity of four SREQ scales (supervision, infrastructure, intellectual climate and skill development). The results of the structural equation modelling suggested that supervision related to students' perceived skill development and overall satisfaction, while intellectual climate and infrastructure were related to overall satisfaction only. The data provide a better understanding of how we can promote positive learning outcomes of RHD students.     

Investigating learner attitudes toward e-books as learning tools: based on the activity theory approach

This paper investigates the use of e-books as learning tools in terms of learner satisfaction, usefulness, behavioral intention, and learning effectiveness. Based on the activity theory approach, this research develops a research model to understand learner attitudes toward e-books in two physical sizes: 10″ and 7″. Results suggest that screen size could affect learners' perceived self-efficacy in using 10″ and 7″ e-books. Interactive learning environments, acceptable screen size, perceived self-regulation, and self-efficacy could positively influence perceived satisfaction with and usefulness of e-books as learning tools. Perceived satisfaction and usefulness are crucial factors in learner behavioral intention which, in turn, contributes to learning effectiveness. The paper also proposes a conceptual research model based on the activity theory approach.