Murder on Grimm Isle: The impact of game narrative design in an educational game‐based learning environment

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of narrative design in a game‐based learning environment. Specifically, this investigation focuses the narrative design in an adventure‐styled, game‐based learning environment for fostering argumentation writing by looking at how the game narrative impacted player/learner (1) intrinsic motivation, (2) curiosity, (3) plausibility and (4) transference of game‐based experiences into prewriting activities. The methodological framework for this qualitative investigation is a case study with grounded theory methodology. The setting is an educational, three‐dimensional, immersive game‐based learning environment titled Murder on Grimm Isle, used to foster argumentation and persuasion writing for Grades 9–14. The participants included 20 college students. The findings of the investigation reveal that intrinsic motivation, curiosity and plausibility were first supported by the game‐like environment, and then sustained through the narrative and the environment. Additionally, game‐based experiences were transferred into prewriting activities. Unanticipated findings revealed some student resistance. The goal of this research is to gain a better understanding of narrative design for game‐based learning environments.     

Bridging the implementation gap: a teacher‐as‐learner approach to teaching and learning policy

A major dilemma facing higher educational institutions around the world is how to achieve quality outcomes for students in an increasingly internationalised and competitive environment. To effect change in teaching and learning, we advocate a teacher‐as‐learner approach to the implementation of teaching and learning policy. Our approach has been influenced by approaches to change management as well as contemporary educational theories, such as constructive alignment and deep and surface approaches to learning. In this paper we use these approaches to evaluate the success of a policy initiative designed to encourage subject coordinators to use a faculty‐endorsed template to embed graduate attributes into their subject outlines. The difficulties experienced by teachers at the disciplinary level in using the subject outline template illustrate how a seemingly positive and well‐intentioned initiative can have a potentially minimal effect on teaching and learning practice and, as a consequence, student learning. We suggest that the Course Experience Questionnaire provides a useful model for evaluating not only teaching but also the management of teaching. As teachers responsible for the implementation of teaching and learning policies, we hope our views will provide a more integrated approach to teaching and learning changes in the higher educational context.     

Learning by viewing versus learning by doing: Evidence‐based guidelines for principled learning environments

A learner‐centered approach is a central feature of instruction based on a constructivist learning model. However, there is some confusion regarding the requirement for behavioral activity as a prerequisite for a learner‐centered environment. We offer evidence in this article that some types of behavioral activity can interfere with cognitive learning processes. We recommend that instructional professionals focus on cognitive activity and summarize evidence‐based methods that support appropriate cognitive activity in behaviorally passive and active learning environments.     

Emotion recognition and communication for reducing second‐language speaking anxiety in a web‐based one‐to‐one synchronous learning environment

e‐Learning is becoming an increasingly popular educational paradigm because of the rapid growth of the Internet. Recent studies have argued that affective modelling (ie, considering a learner's emotional or motivational state) should also be considered while designing learning activities. Many studies indicated that various learning emotions markedly impact learning outcomes. In the language education field, many studies have investigated anxiety associated with learning a second language, noting that anxiety has an adverse effect on the performance of those speaking English as a second language. Therefore, how to reduce anxiety associated with learning a second language to increase learning performance is an important research issue in the language education field. Accordingly, this study employed a sensor, signal processing, wireless communication, system‐on‐chip and machine‐learning techniques in developing an embedded human emotion recognition system based on human pulse signals for detecting three human emotions—nervousness, peace and joy—to help teachers reduce language‐learning anxiety of individual learners in a web‐based one‐to‐one synchronous learning environment. The accuracy rate of the proposed emotion recognition model evaluated by cross‐validation is as high as 79.7136% when filtering out human pulse signals that have bias. Moreover, this study applied the embedded emotion recognition system to assist instructor's teaching in a synchronous English conversation environment by immediately reporting variations in individual learner emotions to the teacher during learning. In this instructional experiment, the teacher can give appropriate learning assistance or guidance based on the emotion states of individual learners. Experimental results indicate that the proposed embedded human emotion recognition system is helpful in reducing language‐based anxiety, thus promoting instruction effectiveness in English conversation classes.     

Assessing learner‐centredness through course syllabi

One attempt to revitalise undergraduate education has been by shifting the dominant pedagogy to a learner‐centred focus and supporting an emphasis on the scholarship of teaching and learning. The discussion regarding efforts to refocus undergraduate education to be more intentional by moving towards a learner‐centred paradigm is encouraging, yet it is crucial to acknowledge that most of the effort and literature on the learner‐centred paradigm and the scholarship of teaching and learning have necessarily focused on strategies for the classroom. It is equally important for administrators to consider the impact of the paradigm shift on their roles. Assessment and evaluation are the very core of the learner‐centred paradigm. Assessment is both the single‐most important gage of learning that drives the educational process and the most effective means of implementing institutional change. In this article, the authors offer a means of assessing the degree of learner‐centredness in current teaching practices through a systematic review of course syllabi. Using a rubric developed for this purpose the authors have reviewed course syllabi in order to develop a benchmark for the degree of learner‐centredness present in current teaching practices and employed the results as a vehicle for planning professional development.     

Work‐based Learning and Universities in the U.K.: a review of current practice and trends

This article is concerned primarily with university‐related work‐based learning in the UK. The authors trace the development of work‐based learning from its early days to the wide variety of styles and scale currently being practised. In the wake of the Dearing Report, they review the experience of work experience and sandwich courses; the move from work experience to work‐based learning; work‐based learning for those in work; and work‐based learning through technological transfer. The authors identify key variables which appear to determine the nature of different styles of work‐based learning including the tension between the twin purposes of international competitiveness and student personal development, and the willingness of the universities to move from their traditional control of the curriculum to allow a greater variety of learning experiences. The authors focus on the emergence of learner‐managed three‐way partnerships between the learner, the university, and the employer based on real‐time, work‐based projects as a way of reconciling economic benefit with personal development as purposes for work‐based learning. The article concludes by identifying some of the key educational issues which such schemes raise and identifies possible future directions in which they might develop.     

Computer‐supported Co‐operative Learning

This article discusses the impact of computer‐supported co‐operative work tools in the building of educational environments and the facilities such tools bring to educational methodologies. It also demonstrates the relationship between this new technique and the learner‐centred approach in education, a participative style of education in which the learner is actively involved in the learning process. At the same time, the article stresses the importance of collaborative learning. The influence of the new information technologies of intelligent multi‐agent systems is discussed in the context of computer‐supported co‐operative and active learning.     

Dimensions of educational transactions in a videoconferencing learning environment

Abstract

Moore's Theory of Transactional Distance suggests that dialogue, structure, and learner autonomy are the key elements delineating the educational transaction in distance learning environments. However, the conceptualizations of these concepts in a telecommunication era have not been systematically addressed. By investigating 121 learners’ experiences with videoconferencing, this study identified the dimensions (factors) constituting dialogue, structure, and learner autonomy in such a learning environment. Exploratory factor analysis using a principal axis factor method was carried out. It was concluded that each of these three concepts represented multi‐faceted ideas. Dialogue consisted of three dimensions: in‐class discussion, out‐of‐class electronic communication, and out‐of‐class face‐to‐face interaction. Structure contained the dimensions of course organization and course delivery. Learner autonomy was comprised of independence and interdependence. The results of this study can inform videoconferencing researchers and practitioners of the factors of the educational transaction that should be considered in videoconferencing courses.     

Monitoring online communication: can the development of convergence and social presence indicate an interactive learning environment?

More units of study are being offered flexibly, using distance education and online facilities, as a consequence of recent educational developments in higher education, with learner expectations of being able to study when they like and where they like, as well as increasing class enrolments and more students studying remotely or part‐time. However, the quality of the learning experience and the efficacy of placing learning activities that require student interaction and discourse in an online environment have been questioned. The concerns raised by educators regarding placing learning activities online are often about the types of learning environments that are being created and the tools available to support student communication in a virtual learning environment. Asynchronous computer‐mediated communication is one means of allowing students to communicate independently of time and place, and to communicate questions, opinions and queries when transferring interactive learning activities to an online environment. The use of threaded, online discussions that allow asynchronous communication has been criticised for not producing the perceived benefits for learners and educators. This paper assesses the use of asynchronous computer‐mediated communication and the degree of convergence and level of social presence as indicators of developing highly responsive and interactive learning environments in the context of an inquiry‐based learning activity, using a case study approach with problem solving and self‐directed research.     

What pedagogical approaches can effectively include children with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms? A systematic literature review

This article reports on a three‐year systematic literature review funded by the UK Training and Development Agency for Schools. In order to begin to answer the question posed by the title of this article, the researchers systematically reviewed the literature with reported outcomes for the academic and social inclusion of pupils with special educational needs. This review process led to a focus upon peer‐group interactions, the nature of teacher and pupil interactions and whole‐class, subject‐based pedagogies. This series of reviews highlights that within the complexities of a diverse mainstream classroom teachers' effectiveness is strongly influenced by their recognition of their responsibility for all learners and the centrality of social interaction to learning, as well as having a shared understanding of characteristics, skills and knowledge associated with a subject. It is also strongly influenced by a facility to plan for and to encourage participation in a communal learning experience through flexible groupings and roles, offering diverse opportunities to engage with concepts and practices using activities the learner finds meaningful. Effective practices are not about the teacher alone, but are rooted in the community of learners – including other practitioners – with whom they work.     

绿色课堂阈限下的高职教育哲学

绿色课堂追求教与学之间关系的和谐化、生态化,强调学生主体性精神、创新意识和实践能力的培养。以传统课堂的四个要素为前提,立足教育实践,抽象出绿色课堂的主体、客体以及本体功能三个方面的理论关系:教师和学生是"绿色"意义的共同决定者,是主体;作为与主体相对应的存在,教育教学活动是客体;课堂环境是这种主体和客体交互作用的场所,其本体功能在于对人的培养。在绿色课堂阈限下,高职教育要建立相互信任的平等的民主的师生关系;强调人本位的教育理念;培养具有稳定的政治素质,以健康的身心为基础、以科技知识和人文综合教育为内容的实践能力突出、富有主体精神和创新意识的全面发展的人才。     

基于课堂教学培养高职学生英语学习自主性

培养学生的自主学习能力是当今教育改革的主要目标之一。该文尝试建立通过课堂教学培养高职学生英语学习自主性的模式,即建立和谐、民主、友好的师生关系,渗透学习策略于日常教学,创造轻松、互助、激励性的自主课堂环境,逐步培养高职学生的自主学习能力。     

Discovering indicators of successful collaboration using tense: Automated extraction of patterns in discourse

This paper describes a technique for locating indicators of success within the data collected from complex learning environments, proposing an application of e‐research to access learner processes and measure and track group progress. The technique combines automated extraction of tense and modality via parts‐of‐speech tagging with a visualisation of the timing and speaker for each utterance developed to code and analyse learner discourse, exploiting the results of previous, non‐automated analyses for validation. The work is developed using a dataset of interactions within a multi‐user virtual environment and extended to a more complex dataset of synchronous chat texts during a collaborative design task. This methodology extends natural language processing into computer‐based collaboration contexts, discovering the linguistic micro‐events that construct the larger phases of successful design‐based learning.     

Using ‘voice’ to understand what college students with intellectual disabilities say about the teaching and learning process

There is a growing awareness of the value of using pupils’ voices in educational research. At primary and second level, the principle of pupil voice has gained in profile over the last decade. However, in higher education, the use of voice in research collaborations remains under‐theorised and under‐utilised. This paper reports on an inclusive phenomenographic study undertaken with college students with intellectual disabilities (ID). It outlines how pupil voice can be used to gain a deeper understanding of the teaching and learning process. The strategies that promoted learner engagement and autonomy include establishing a supportive learning climate or environment, and promoting self‐regulated learning strategies. These findings suggest that the use of pupil voice is fundamental to changing the way teachers think about students with ID and their learning.     

Linking learning theories and learning difficulties

Abstract

Developing effective strategies to support secondary students with learning difficulties is important because they are the most prevalent students with special educational needs in contemporary mainstream classes. A learner‐focused instructional approach that incorporates meaning‐making, student control, and acceptance of errors, combined with explicit instruction will facilitate the learning of students with learning difficulties. This approach derives from an instructional setting model of learning difficulties, as distinct from a deficit model or an inefficient learner model, and draws on principles from constructivist learning theory and whole language theory. Guided by this model and these principles, secondary teachers can design curricula and classroom environments that support the needs of all students.     

User/tutor optimal learning path in e-learning using comprehensive neuro-fuzzy approach

Internet evolution has affected all industrial, commercial, and especially learning activities in the new context of e-learning. Due to cost, time, or flexibility e-learning has been adopted by participators as an alternative training method. By development of computer-based devices and new methods of teaching, e-learning has emerged. The effectiveness of such programs is dependent on powerful learning management systems. In this paper, a neuro-fuzzy approach is proposed based on an evolutionary technique to obtain an optimal learning path for both instructor and learner. The neuro-fuzzy synergy allows the diagnostic model to imitate instructor in diagnosing learners’ characteristics, and equips the intelligent learning environment with reasoning capabilities. These reasoning capabilities can be used to drive pedagogical decisions based on the learning style of the learner. The neuro-fuzzy implementation helps to encode both structured and non-structured knowledge for the instructor. On the other hand, for learners, the neural network approach has been applied to make personalized curriculum profile based on individual learner requirements in a fuzzy environment.     

A Flow Theory Perspective on Learner Motivation and Behavior in Distance Education

Motivating learners to continue to study and enjoy learning is one of the critical factors in distance education. Flow theory is a useful framework for studying the individual experience of learning through using computers. In this study, I examine students’ emotional and cognitive responses to distance learning systems by constructing two models to test the students’ flow states. The first model examines the cause and effect of the flow experience when students use distance learning systems. The second model considers the impact of three types of interaction on the flow experience. A questionnaire‐based field survey is used to test the two models. Data from 253 distance learning students are examined under each of the two models. The results from Model 1 indicate that flow theory works well in a distance learning environment. The results from Model 2 point out that learner–instructor and learner–interface have a positive relationship with flow experience, whereas learner–learner interaction has not shown a significant relationship with flow experience.     

A hypercard based environment for the constructivist teaching of Newtonian physics

Many students have severe difficulties in successfully gaining a good understanding of Newtonian Mechanics. They exhibit deep misconceptions, many of which have developed as pre-instructional ideas on the subject in order to explain observed phenomena and experience. We have been developing a series of computer based systems to address this problem by presenting the learner with flexible routes of learning to help elicit, restructure and understand the concepts involved. The systems are based on our previously described theories of the application of Hypermedia to allow constructivist approaches to learning. We are committed to developing usable, inviting and self-paced packages that allow for individual differences, and levels of communication for students. The system is constructed using off-the-shelf multimedia authoring tools, that allow non-programmers to build educational packages that take account of soundly based theories of learning.