Teacher self-report on learner engagement strategies in the early years classroom

Effective engagement of young children in the classroom is a critical step toward achieving positive learning outcomes. The Learning and Engagement Questionnaire (LEQ) was developed by the first two authors to identify ways in which teachers strive to engage learners in the classroom. In this study, the factor structure of the LEQ is examined. Participants were 274 teachers of children in their first 3 years of formal schooling. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted and supported a five factor solution: Goal Directed Learning; Task Selection; Teacher Responsiveness; Intensive Teaching; and Planning the Learning Environment.     

The role of student-generated externalizations in strategic multimedia learning and how current (web-)technology fails to support learner engagement

In two studies, we investigated how learning strategies can support learning from multimedia. In the first study, 112 students learned from a web-based learning environment. On the basis of a strategy, one group of students took typewritten notes. The second group of students wrote a summary. Producing typewritten notes did not benefit learning any more than writing a summary. In the second study, 100 students learned the same subject matter from print. On the basis of a strategy, the first group produced written notes, the second group highlighted, wrote notes, and produced sketches. The third group wrote a summary. The students who highlighted, wrote notes, and produced sketches outperformed the other students. The students who produced written notes only did not learn more successfully than those who wrote a summary. The results suggest that externalizations in general and sketches in particular may play an important role in multimedia learning.     

Special issue introduction

Journal of Career Development -     

What affects learner engagement in flipped learning and what predicts its outcomes?

The current popularity of flipped learning may be attributed to its reported successes in bringing about enhanced learner engagement and positive learning outcomes. This study aims to improve our understanding of flipped learning (FL) outcomes by examining factors of learner engagement, academic capability, and epistemological beliefs. Data were collected and statistically analyzed from 231 undergraduate students enrolled in a general biology or general chemistry course at a Korean university implemented with the FL model. The results indicated that learners’ epistemological beliefs influenced neither pre-class nor in-class engagement, but that academic capability did affect both pre-class and in-class engagement. Only content/learning-related outcomes, not generic competencies or satisfaction, were affected by both academic capability and epistemological beliefs. Both pre-class and in-class engagement levels affected most types of FL outcomes except generic competencies, which were only affected by the extent of in-class engagement. Learners’ affective engagement was not influenced by epistemological beliefs, but directly and indirectly affected FL outcomes via behavioral and cognitive engagement. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed along with recommendations.     

Contemporary developments in educational technology design and evaluation: Special issue part II

This special issue of the research section of ETR&D represents the second grouping of papers solicited from national leaders in educational technology research and design. The first grouping, which appeared in Volume 46, Number 4, 1998, contained papers by Rita Richey, “The Pursuit of Useable Knowledge in Instructional Technology”; Mitchel Resnick, “Digital Manipulatives: Tools for Lifelong Kindergarten”; and Ben Shneiderman and colleagues, “Emergent Patterns of Teaching/Learning in Electronic Classrooms.”     

Placement-based learning and learner engagement: findings from a new university in the UK

This paper addresses the potential for engaged learning among final-year undergraduate Education Studies students at a new, post-1992. It discusses a case study analysis of a ‘Directed Experiential Learning’ (DEL) intervention in the final year of an education studies degree designed to engage and motivate students and emphasise the links between theory and practice for them. Implementation took place in 2012–2013 with a cohort of 37 students and quantitative and qualitative analysis was performed afterwards to investigate the perspectives of students (online questionnaire and interview with 2 students) and tutors (4 individual interviews) on the DEL approach applied. The study described should be of particular interest to those teaching on and designing third level education studies programmes as well as related disciplines that might participate in integrated working arrangements in practice (e.g. nursing, social care).