Using Concept Maps to Facilitate Collaborative Simulation-Based Inquiry Learning

This study investigates the effect of a shared concept-mapping task on high school students' learning about kinematics in a collaborative simulation-based inquiry setting. Pairs of students were randomly assigned to a concept-mapping condition (12 pairs) or a control condition (13 pairs). Students in the concept-mapping condition had a computer-supported collaborative concept-mapping tool that aimed to integrate concepts and propositions. Students in the control condition used the same learning environment without the concept-mapping tool. Students' interactions with each other and with the simulation were tracked by log files. Learning was assessed with tests of intuitive and structural knowledge and a proposition test. Students in the concept-mapping condition exchanged significantly more chat messages related to experimentation, interpretation, and drawing conclusions and were more engaged in integration-oriented consensus building, which regression analysis showed to be positively related to learning gains for both intuitive and structural knowledge. Students in the concept-mapping condition outperformed their peers on the intuitive and structural knowledge tests. These results suggest that concept maps can positively influence consensus-building activities and learning in a collaborative inquiry-learning setting. The findings of the current study thereby contribute to the ongoing debate about (shared) graphical representations as scaffolds for collaborative learning.     

用信息技术促进有意义的学习

本文从讨论有意义学习的定义和特点出发,分析了有意义学习与传统学习的差异,在论述用信息技术支持学习的理论基础上,建构和阐释了用信息技术支持有意义学习的应用框架,描述了运用信息技术支持有意义学习的方法.文章认为,恰当地运用信息技术,有助于促进学习者有意义学习和高阶思维能力的发展.     

视频研究在教师学习与专业发展中的运用

视频研究是学习科学研究中倡导的运用视频技术探究学习、教学与教育过程的一种重要方法。通过研究者运用视频研究促进在职教师的学习与专业发展的一个案例,具体描述了该案例中面向4位教师的视频研究活动的设计与实施,并基于对教师视频研究活动中的话语分析,发现有效的视频研究活动设计能够促进教师:(1)转变原有观念,发展教学理解与专长;(2)主动参与学习,对新知的获得持积极倾向;(3)发展视频研究的意识,获得视频研究的方法和策略。最后就视频研究在教师学习与专业发展中的有效设计与运用问题进行了讨论。     

Using Children's Picture Books as Tools to Facilitate Undergraduates' Learning

Abstract. The purpose of this article is to explore the use of children's picture book literature as a tool to teach undergraduate students. The research takes place in the context of an undergraduate educational psychology course that focuses on theories of learning and development. Students' written comments and scaled responses indicate that they view these books as effective tools for enhancing their learning.     

Lessons From the Classroom: Using a Cooperative Learning Arrangement to Facilitate Consultation

The literature supports a collaborative approach for instructing special education students. Further, instruction should promote self-regulated learners who are involved participants in goal-directed, self-motivated, collaborative activities. Given the foregoing, we developed a program for upper elementary language/learning impaired students. Our program included (a) a collaborative model of service that also involves the learner, (b) mechanisms of transfer of strategies from the resource room to the classroom, (c) mechanisms to enhance learner self-regulation, and (d) instruction in comprehension strategies. As a result of this program, students improved their comprehension ability and their ability to self-assess and regulate. Communication among team members was greatly enhanced.     

控制适度焦虑的英语学习对策

焦虑对外语学习的影响显而易见。从情感因素的角度研究焦虑与外语学习的关系，有利于教师在外语学习中创设良好的教学环境，对消除学生焦虑过高或不足、保持适度焦虑、促进外语学习有积极意义。     

Interactive Example-Based Learning Environments: Using Interactive Elements to Encourage Effective Processing of Worked Examples

This review describes parts of our research program on example-based learning that relates to recent efforts to incorporate interactive elements into learning environments designed to support learning from worked-out examples. Since most learners spontaneously study or process examples in a very passive or superficial manner, this review focuses on how a variety of specific interactive elements in example-based leaning environments are capable of encouraging learners to actively process the examples. The review begins with an overview of the literature on worked examples and the associated self-explanation, which is important given that the quality of self-explanation is a major factor in determining whether learners benefit from studying examples. The review notes that example-based learning environments tend to be effective but often promote passive processing. It then highlights the strengths and limitations of three types interactivity introduced to example-based learning environments. The review concludes with a discussion of the role that these interactive elements play in these learning environments.     

Integrating the Learning of Mathematics and Science Using Interactive Teaching and Learning Strategies

To help students grasp the intimate connections that exist between mathematics and its applications in other disciplines a library of interactive learning modules was developed. This library covers the mathematical areas normally studied by undergraduate students and is used in science courses at all levels. Moreover, the library is designed not just to provide critical connections across disciplines but to also provide longitudinal subject reinforcement as students progress in their studies. In the process of developing the modules a complete editing and publishing system was constructed that is optimized for automated maintenance and upgradeability of materials. The result is a single integrated production system for web-based educational materials. Included in this is a rigorous assessment program, involving both internal and external evaluations of each module. As will be seen, the formative evaluation obtained during the development of the library resulted in the modules successfully bridging multiple disciplines and breaking down the disciplinary barriers commonly found in their math and non-math courses.     

Videoconferencing: A New Opportunity to Facilitate Learning

The use of distance learning techniques as a means of delivering instruction in higher education classrooms has become increasingly popular with the growing diversity of today's college students. Videoconferencing has been used as a tool to facilitate the simultaneous communication of individuals across varying geographic regions through the use of telecommunication technologies that allow two-way video and audio transmissions. In this article, the authors share their journey into the world of learning about videoconferencing as a way to facilitate the teaching of courses in their newly designed hybrid program. They outline methods for selecting videoconferencing programs, provide specific steps for using a videoconferencing tool across various educational contexts, and discuss other creative ideas for using videoconferencing in PK–12 settings and beyond.     

对语法教学的反思与探究

语法教学在外语教学中的作用和地位以及如何进行语法教学,一直是语言学界争论的焦点.在我国外语教学史上,曾有过过分强调语法教学的时期,也有过过分忽略语法教学的时期,都对外语教学造成不良影响.在缺乏真实语言环境条件下,语法教学是不可或缺的.外语教师应该不断学习各种新的教学思想,运用多种教学途径,积极开展行动研究,根据学生的年龄特点和语言水平,采用不同的教学策略.     

浅谈如何提高学生使用E-learning平台进行互动学习的积极性

E-learning平台作为一个方便易用、功能全面的教学互动平台,已经在越来越多的高校中得到了广泛使用,但是如何发挥好该平台的互动功能,提高学生进行互动学习的积极性,一直是平台使用过程中的难点。本文笔者将自己多年使用E-learning平台进行互动教学的经验进行了总结,从"重视度的提升、习惯的养成、榜样的力量和角色的转换"这几个方面详细阐述了如何调动学生的积极性,让学生主动使用E-learning平台进行学习。     

用C语言开发交互学习网络平台上的LDAP认证

在简要介绍LDAP的相关技术的基础上,用C语言开发LDAP实现面向对象的交互学习网络平台用户认证,从而设计一种基于LDAP协议的,适用性广、通用性强的高效、安全的用户登录系统。     

运用新课程理念,培养学生"自主学习"

新课程理念是通过改革教学方法,给每一个学生提供平等的学习机会,让每一位学生以轻松愉快的心理去学习,去了解科学探究的基本过程和方法,并逐步形成科学探究能力、合作精神和社会责任感。"自主学习"是指以学生自主的学习为主,通过对信息的自主开发,培养学生的独立学习和自主探索的能力。运用新课程理念,创设动态的、开放的、主动的、涉及多种媒体的信息为学习对象,有利于培养学生"自主学习"。     

认知主义学习观与情境主义学习观

认知主义学习观与情境主义学习观是影响当今教育的两种主要的学习观.由于两种学习观在什么是知识、怎样理解动机与迁移等理论方面存在分歧,从而,产生了不同的教育环境,形成了不同的课程设计以及不同的评价方法.两种学习观既有对立的方面,但也有统一的地方.     

Interactive Learning Using Expert System Quizzes on the Internet

Abstracts

English: HTML and JavaScript web pages interactively pose questions at random with multiple choice answers. Questions are ranked for difficulty based on prior student tests. During a quiz, the system tracks the percentage of correct answers and adjusts the difficulty of questions appropriately. A compiled BASIC program allows teachers to make specialized web quizzes from text files of questions and answers, without needing to know HTML, JavaScript and BASIC programming languages.     

观念转变与高校档案建设

高校档案管理工作中存在的问题已引起人们广泛的关注,针对这些存在的问题,人们也提出了许多相应的对策和措施,但收效甚微。追其原因,在于这些研究没有抓住问题的关键,即没有在如何转变人们的观念这一问题上下工夫。倘若在如何转变观念上,能进行深入的研究与思考,那么,高校档案管理工作中的问题将会得到一定程度的解决。     

Concept Learning and Concept Teaching

This article presents a theory of concept learning and development and a design for teaching concepts. It gives an overview of 30 years of programmatic research that eventuated in the initial formulation of the theory and the design and in subsequent refinements. The last refinement is presented in this article. The principles of learning incorporated in the theory are based on classroom experiments that identified the variables that facilitate concept learning at each of four successively higher levels of understanding: concrete, identity, classificatory, and formal. The development aspect of the theory indicates that individuals progress from one level to the next as they become capable of carrying out various mental processes. Both normative conceptual development during the school years, grades 1 to 12, and individual differences in the rate of development are identified. Principles for teaching concepts that take into account the learning and development aspects of the theory follow. The article closes with an indication of the powerful effects of focused concept instruction, preschool through college.     

Classroom Strategies That Facilitate Transfer of Learning to the Workplace

Organizations have frequently expressed the need for employees who can learn and work effectively in a team environment. This article discusses a process by which an educational program has responded to this challenge. The program used experiential learning, transfer of learning, and team learning theories as the framework for designing a holistic, integrative, and experiential process by which students could transfer their classroom learning to workplace activities. Implications for higher education are discussed.Brenda S. Gardner: Director of the Master of Education program in Human Resource Development     

Using Technology to Facilitate Differentiated High School Science Instruction

This qualitative investigation explored the beliefs and practices of one secondary science teacher, Diane, who differentiated instruction and studied how technology facilitated her differentiation. Diane was selected based on the results of a previous study, in which data indicated that Diane understood how to design and implement proactively planned, flexible, engaging instructional activities in response to students’ learning needs better than the other study participants. Data for the present study included 3 h of semi-structured interview responses, 37.5 h of observations of science instruction, and other artifacts such as instructional materials. This variety of data allowed for triangulation of the evidence. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Results indicated that technology played an integral role in Diane’s planning and implementation of differentiated science lessons. The technology-enhanced differentiated lessons employed by Diane typically attended to students’ different learning profiles or interest through modification of process or product. This study provides practical strategies for science teachers beginning to differentiate instruction, and recommendations for science teacher educators and school and district administrators. Future research should explore student outcomes, supports for effective formative assessment, and technology-enhanced readiness differentiation among secondary science teachers.