Chris Dede's response

Abstract

The Division of Criminal Justice at the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) offers an entire criminal justice degree program via distance learning, principally through computer‐based Internet courses. During the Spring 1998 semester, an Internet tutorial was provided during the first week of classes to students in all Internet courses in the program. Its purpose was to familiarize students with basic computer skills and Internet usage. This article focuses on the use of the Internet tutorial in Web‐based courses, including an explanation of the tutorial, a discussion of its benefits for students and faculty, and implications for future computer‐based Internet courses.     

Rethinking Course Assessment: Creating Accountability with Web-Based Tools

The World Wide Web (Web) offers many great tools for instructors of both distance and traditional science courses. These interactive sites primarily provide a service, as opposed to reference information. Instructors can often enhance student performance and course effectiveness by choosing from a wide range of these Web tools. Choosing good Web tools in a research supported assessment framework can result in courses that are more effective without adding significant work for instructors. The keys to success are high standards for student learning, a good assessment model, and quality tools. This paper seeks to describe a mastery learning environment where achievement targets are matched to existing Web-based assessment alternatives.     

Description of a Web-Driven,Problem-Based Learning Environment and Study of the Efficacy of Implementation in Educational Leader Preparation

Abstract

A Web-driven problem-based learning environment and instructional system was conceived and developed to study the marriage of the problem-based learning instructional method and Web technologies for instructional delivery of educational administration content material. The project described herein was undertaken to examine the efficacy of implementing this new mode of instruction in graduate courses in educational leadership. The ultimate goal of this line of research is to enhance the development of applications of Web technologies to support problem-based learning and improve the efficiency and efficacy of this instructional form in practice across higher education settings. This article describes the prototype software, the rationale and theoretical framework supporting its development, the process and results of research conducted during production and beta-testing, and the educational significance of the project.     

Does blended instruction enhance English language learning in developing countries? Evidence from Mexico

Despite steady investment in English language education made by developing countries over the past few decades, results continue to be constrained by lack of high-quality instructors and language learning resources. Thus, using technology in language instruction has increasingly been recognized as a potential approach for addressing these constraints. This study uses administrative data from a large public university in Mexico to examine the impact of a technology-enhanced blended program on students' English course grades and course completion rates. Specifically, we focus on a campus-wide policy change in all compulsory English language courses that replaces half of the traditional face-to-face class time with an interactive online learning environment developed by a leading technology-mediated English language learning and assessment provider. Our results suggest that, compared to traditional face-to-face instruction, blended learning had a significant, positive impact on students' course grades and course completion rates. In addition, the enrollment-teacher ratio increased after replacing half of the face-to-face instructional time with online learning, suggesting that blended learning environments hold promise for providing high-quality and cost-effective language instruction.     

A quantitative cost effectiveness model for Web-supported academic instruction

This paper describes a quantitative cost effectiveness model for Web-supported academic instruction. The model was designed for Web-supported instruction (rather than distance learning only) characterizing most of the traditional higher education institutions. It is based on empirical data (Web logs) of students' and instructors' usage implementing Web-mining techniques. This will enable to quantify the costs and benefits of Web-supported instruction on both the single-course and the campus-wide levels. This paper describes the model's characteristics; the costs and benefits components in six dimensions; the computational mechanism that translates the cost and benefit components into quantitative values referring to university policymakers, instructors, and students; and its development process consists of the model design, creation of the computational mechanism and validation by instructors and students.     

Effects of integrating mobile technology-assisted peer assessment into flipped learning on students’ dance skills and self-efficacy

ABSTRACT

Dance courses aim to not only intensify learners’ dance skills, but also cultivate their personal dancing features, self-confidence, self-reflection ability, creative power, appreciation ability, to name just a few, in order to attain much higher level artistic performance. In the present study, an approach which integrates mobile peer assessment into flipped learning is proposed. Moreover, a 9-week experiment was conducted to explore the effects of the approach on students’ dance skills, self-efficacy, and learning satisfaction. The results indicated that the students learning with the integrated mobile peer assessment and flipped learning approach had better dance skills than those learning with the conventional flipped learning approach and traditional instruction. In terms of self-efficacy, the students learning with the conventional flipped learning approach outperformed those learning with the proposed approach and traditional instruction. In terms of learning satisfaction, the conventional flipped learning approach outperformed the traditional instruction. Discussion and suggestions are provided accordingly. It is suggested that teachers who want to incorporate flipped learning into dance courses may decide whether to combine peer assessment according to the teaching objectives.     

Experiences of learning and satisfaction with teaching of basic courses of ergonomics over Internet—the Ergonetti program

Single courses offered over the Internet have been evaluated over the years, but no reports seem to be available for a group of courses or for entire study programs. Internet learning has increased both in quantity and quality in higher education; not only theoretical but also practical learning can be provided over the Internet. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an entire programme covering basic studies of ergonomics i.e., the Internet-based Ergonetti program of 28 credits provided by the Open University of Kuopio, Finland. The specific aims were to investigate experiences related to learning and how the Internet environment can affect learning, the assignments of workplaces, work communities and environments, and the workload of the courses. An Internet questionnaire including structured and open questions was mailed to the students (n = 46) who were undertaking or had completed the Ergonetti’s Summary-course. The response rate for the questionnaire was 46%. Utilization of learning cycle, combination of the Internet learning environment and the involvement of the workplaces, and the relationship between theory and practices were rated as very successful ways to promote the learning of basics of ergonomics. The involvement of the workplaces and measurements made at the workplaces meant that the workload was well proportioned to the course credits. Based on this relatively limited data it seems that an Internet learning environment when combined with real-world assignments can represent a successful way to provide instruction in a multidisciplinary subject, such as basics of ergonomics.     

Designing effective,contemporary assessment on a flipped educational sciences course

ABSTRACT

Evidence shows flipped learning increases academic performance and student satisfaction. Yet, often practitioners flip instruction but keep traditional curricula and assessment. Assessment in higher education is often via written exams. But these provide limited feedback and do not ask students to put knowledge into practice. This does not support the tenets of flipped learning. For two years, the author flipped instruction but retained traditional curricula and assessment. However, on the author’s current course, all three aspects were redesigned to better support flipped learning. The aim of this research is to test the effectiveness of this redesign regarding student engagement and satisfaction. Thus, it is asked: How, on this course, can meaningful, continuous assessment be provided as well as effective, personalized feedback, while staying in line with the philosophy of flipped learning? Action research took place from September 2016 to June 2017. Quantitative data from a student survey, and qualitative data from a research diary and student focus group were gathered. What emerged is: a little-and-often assessment approach is effective for learning and engagement; tasks must be authentic and test demonstration of knowledge, not memory; quality, not quantity, is key for student learning; and students desire individualized feedback.     

A Conceptual Framework for Organizing Active Learning Experiences in Biology Instruction

Introductory biology courses form a cornerstone of undergraduate instruction. However, the predominantly used lecture approach fails to produce higher-order biology learning. Research shows that active learning strategies can increase student learning, yet few biology instructors use all identified active learning strategies. In this paper, we present a framework to design biology instruction that incorporates all active learning strategies. We review active learning research in undergraduate biology courses, present a framework for organizing active learning strategies, and provide clear implications and future research for designing instruction in introductory undergraduate biology courses.     

网络教育研究中的基本问题

网络教育是当前教育技术学研究的重要方向。网络教育理论研究中的三个基本问题是:网络教育中WEB(互联网)的教育技术学本质、媒体对学习的影响、网络学习环境中的学习控制。在网络教育中WEB在本质上是一种学习环境;媒体并不是学习效果的决定性因素,而媒体运用的方法和教与学过程中的媒体策略才是影响学习效果的因素;在网络学习环境中,完全的学习者控制是不适当的,应通过创设有效的认知支架,帮助学习者作出合理的学习决策。     

Revisiting the effects of project-based learning on students’ academic achievement: A meta-analysis investigating moderators

Project-based learning is generally considered an alternative to traditional, teacher-led instruction. However, there is a noticeable lack of meta-analyses with regard to determining its overall effects on students' academic achievement, and what study features may moderate the impacts of project-based learning. This study thus performed a meta-analysis to synthesize existing research that compared the effects of project-based learning and those of traditional instruction on student academic achievement. Forty-six effect sizes (comparisons) extracted from 30 eligible journal articles published from 1998 to 2017 were analyzed, representing 12,585 students from 189 schools in nine countries. The results showed that the overall mean weighted effect size (d₊) was 0.71, indicating that project-based learning has a medium to large positive effect on students' academic achievement compared with traditional instruction. In addition, the mean effect size was affected by subject area, school location, hours of instruction, and information technology support, but not by educational stage and small group size.     

Constructivist learning and openness to diversity and challenge in higher education environments

The increasing calls for diversity research signal a need to explore contemporary learning and instruction strategies that respond to diversity in courses and curricula. The major objective of this research was to measure the level of openness to diversity and challenge (ODC) among college students as a function of their perceived constructivist learning environment in traditional lecture-based courses (LBE) and seminars (SM). The study included 243 undergraduate students. Data were gathered using the Constructivist Learning in Higher Education Settings scale (CLHES), which measures students’ perceptions of the occurrence of constructivist practices in learning environments along three dimensions of constructive activity, teacher–student interaction and social activity, and the Openness to Diversity and Challenge scale. Structural equation modelling (SEM) results indicated a positive connection between the general factor of CLHES and ODC over and above several pre-entry variables such as gender and culture. According to a further SEM analysis, the social activity variable mainly explained the ODC variable whereas the teacher–student interaction factor was mainly connected to the constructive activity variable. Multivariate analysis of variance results indicated that students enrolled in SM perceived this environment as more constructivist and reported having higher levels of feelings of ODC than LBE students. Interpretation of these findings, in conjunction with theory, applications, and implications for future research are discussed.     

Student technology skills and attitudes towards Internet-based courses: The potential benefits of an internet tutorial

A “Criminal Justice Systems and Processes” course was among nine Internet courses offered at Florida Gulf Coast University during the fall of 1997. This course provided an “Internet tutorial” during the first few weeks of the semester to familiarize students with basic computer skills and Internet use. After evaluating the benefits of providing the tutorial, faculty and administrators adopted the tutorial for use in all Internet courses. During the Summer 1998 semester, a survey was administered to those students registered for Internet-based courses in the Division of Criminal Justice. This article focuses on the use of the Internet tutorial in Internet courses and provides some preliminary information regarding its potential benefit to students. Issues discussed include: (1) an explanation of the Internet tutorial, (2) the benefits of the tutorial to students and faculty, (3) preliminary information regarding the potential baenefits of implementing a technical tutorial, and (4) implications for future computer-based Internet courses.     

Reliability and agreement of student ratings of the classroom environment: A reanalysis of TIMSS data

In educational research, characteristics of the learning environment are generally assessed by asking students to evaluate features of their lessons. The student ratings produced by this simple and efficient research strategy can be analysed from two different perspectives. At the individual level, they represent the individual student’s perception of the learning environment. Scores aggregated to the classroom level reflect perceptions of the shared learning environment, corrected for individual idiosyncrasies. This second approach is often pursued in studies on teaching quality and effectiveness, where student-level ratings are aggregated to the class level to obtain general information about the learning environment. Although this strategy is widely applied in educational research, neither the reliability of aggregated student ratings nor the within-group agreement between the students in a class has been subject to much investigation. The present study introduces and discusses different procedures that have been proposed in the field of organisational psychology to assess the reliability and agreement of students’ ratings of their instruction. The application of the proposed indexes is demonstrated by a reanalysis of student ratings of mathematics instruction obtained in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (N = 2,064 students in 100 classes).

Examining Drivers of Course Performance: An Exploratory Examination of an Introductory CIS Applications Course

The accelerating diffusion of broadband Internet access provides many opportunities for the development of pedagogically robust Web‐based instruction (WBI). While the supporting technology infrastructure of broadband disseminates, the attention of academic researchers focuses upon issues such as the drivers of student usage of WBI. Specifically, the research presented herein examined the impact of WBI on a student's aggregate course performance. We hypothesized that learning independence (LI) is a determinate factor in a student's use of WBI. In this study, we employed structural equation modeling techniques to examine the data and assess the direct and indirect effects of LI on WBI usage. The subjects, students in an introductory Computer Information Systems applications course, used a Web‐based tutorial program for skills instruction. The findings of this study suggest that WBI usage has a significant impact on a student's course performance. Despite its plausibility, the effect of LI on WBI usage was not significant. However, we did conclude that two of the second order factors of the LI construct have a direct effect on a student's performance in the course.