Teacher education in the generative virtual classroom: developing learning theories through a web‐delivered,technology‐and‐science education context

This paper reports the use of a research‐based, web‐delivered, technology‐and‐science education context (the Generative Virtual Classroom) in which student‐teachers can develop their ability to recognize, describe, analyse and theorize learning. Addressing well‐recognized concerns about narrowly conceived, anachronistic and ineffective technology‐and‐science education, this e‐learning environment aims to use advanced technologies for learning, to bring about larger scale improvement in classroom practice than has so far been effected by direct intervention through teacher education. Student‐teachers' short, intensive engagement with the Generative Virtual Classroom during their practice teaching is examined. Findings affirm the worth of this research‐based e‐learning system for teacher education and the power of a biologically based, generative theory to make sense of the learning that occurred.     

The value simulation‐based learning added to machining technology in Singapore

This study seeks to understand the value simulation‐based learning (SBL) added to the learning of Machining Technology in a 15‐week core subject course offered to university students. The research questions were: (1) How did SBL enhance classroom learning? (2) How did SBL help participants in their test? (3) How did SBL prepare participants for workshop practice? The findings suggest that SBL enlivened the learning of Machining Technology, and promoted autonomous and mastery learning. SBL made a deep impression on the participants’ visual experience, helping them remember the machine processes. SBL also helped learners to conceptualize their answers and provided them with opportunities to become familiar with the conventional machines before workshop practice. An infusion of SBL has the potential to add value to the learning of Machining Technology.     

Evaluating computer‐based assessment in a risk‐based model

There are three purposes for evaluation: evaluation for action to aid the decision making process, evaluation for understanding to further enhance enlightenment and evaluation for control to ensure compliance to standards. This article argues that the primary function of evaluation in the ‘Catherine Wheel’ computer‐based assessment (CBA) cyclic model is evaluation for action and secondary functions are evaluation for understanding and control. By studying segment and cyclic dependencies, conducting a risk analysis and identifying key stakeholders it is possible to identify where action evaluation has the most effect, what is required to be evaluated, who will perform the action and how it will be controlled. Each segment and cycle in the CBA model must therefore be monitored and the observations made must have meaning for the elimination or reduction of pedagogic, operational, technical non web‐based, web‐based and financial risks. It is important to consider stakeholders because they have differing views on what is most important in the evaluation process and inevitably will be involved in the evaluation process itself. CBA system stakeholders include management, academic, support and administrative staff together with external verifiers and students. The information gained from these stakeholders provides quality enhancement and assurance and forms the basis for change.     

The evaluation of computer‐mediated technology by second language teachers: collaboration and interaction in CALL

This study presents the results of a web‐based questionnaire administered to 166 second language teachers and designed to obtain information about their use and needs of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as related to language learning (LL). Analyses revealed that, although teachers believe that second language acquisition is primarily driven by social interaction, they seldom use computers as a means to foster collaboration or interaction. ICTs are thought to be very helpful in individual learning scenarios but not for the interactive dimension of LL. Very few teachers incorporate interaction‐oriented digital tools in their language teaching, probably due to their self‐acknowledged deficient training in ICTs. However, instructors stated that they would like to introduce new interaction tools in their computer‐aided courses, which clearly shows the need for both teachers’ training in ICT and the technological development of proper interactive functionalities.

Die Auswertung computervermittelter Technik von Zweit‐Sprachlehrern: Kollaboration und Interaktion in CALL

Diese Studie zeigt die Ergebnisse einer Umfrage, die dafür entworfen wurde, Information darüber zu erhalten, die etwa Zweit Sprachlehrer verwenden, und den Bedarf an Informations‐ und Kommunikationstechniken (ICTs), die mit Sprachlernen (LL) generell verbunden sind. Analysen ergaben, dass, obwohl Lehrer glauben, dass der Erwerb einer zweiten Sprache in erster Linie von sozialer Interaktion angetrieben wird, sie selten Computer als Hilfsmittel verwenden, um Kollaboration oder Interaktion zu fördern. Es wird angenommen, dass ICTs sehr in einzelnen Lernzenarien, aber nicht für die interaktive Dimension von LL hilfreich sein kann. Sehr wenige Lehrer integrieren interaktionsorientierte digitale Werkzeuge in ihre – möglicherweise durch ihre selbstanerkannte unzulängliche Ausbildung in ICT – eigene Sprachlehre. Jedoch gaben Ausbilder an, dass sie neue Interaktionswerkzeuge in ihren computergestützten Verläufen einführen möchten. Das zeigt den Bedarf nach Ausbildung beider eindeutig: Lehrer in ICT und der technologischen Entwicklung von korrekten interaktiven Funktionalitäten.

L’évaluation dela technologie informatisée chez les professeurs de langue seconde :collaboration et interaction dans l’enseignement des langues assisté par ordinateur (CALL)

Cette étude présente les résultats d’une enquête conçue pour recueillir des renseignements sur la façon dont les professeurs de langue seconde utilisent et ont besoin des TICE spécifiques pour l’apprentissage linguistique.

Des analyses ont révélé que les professeurs utilisent rarement les ordinateurs pour stimuler la collaboration et l’interaction et ce, bien qu’ils croient que l’acquisition d’une langue seconde est avant tout entraînée par l’interaction humaine. Ils pensent que les TICE sont très utiles dans des situations d’apprentissage individuel mais pas pour la dimension interactive de l’apprentissage des langues. Très peu nombreux sont les professeurs qui intègrent des outils numériques à orientation interactive dans leurs cours de langues, ceci étant probablement dÛ à une formation informatique déficiente qu’ils reconnaissent eux‐mêmes. Certains professeurs ont toutefois indiqué qu’ils voudraient introduire de nouveaux outils interactifs dans leurs cours assistés par ordinateur ce qui fait clairement apparaître le double besoin de formation aux TICE pour les professeurs et d’un développement technique de fonctionnalités interactives appropriées.

Una evaluación de la tecnología basada en ordenadores por parte de los profesores de la segunda lengua: colaboración y interracción en aprendizaje de idiomas asistido por ordenador

Esta investigación presenta los resultados de una encuesta diseñada para conseguir información sobre las necesidades específicas para el aprendizaje de lenguas y el uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TICs) por parte de 166 profesores de segunda lengua. Los análisis han revelado que, aunque los profesores creen que la adquisición de una segunda lengua está fundamentalmente impulsada por la interacción social, en realidad hacen poco uso del ordenador para incentivar la colaboración y la interacción. Los docentes piensan que las TICs son muy útiles para la modalidad de aprendizaje individual pero no para la dimensión interactiva del aprendizaje de idiomas. Son pocos los profesores que incluyen herramientas digitales con orientación interactiva en sus cursos de idiomas, probablemente, como confiesan ellos mismos, debido a las carencias de su propia formación digital. No obstante, algunos profesores señalan que quieren introducir nuevas herramientas interactivas dentro de sus cursos asistidos por ordenador, lo que claramente demuestra la necesidad tanto de una buena formación en TICs para los profesores como del desarrollo tecnológico de nuevas funcionalidades interactivas adecuadas.     

Influence of gender and academic ability in a computer‐based Spanish reading task

In order to determine the effects of gender and scholastic ability on vocabulary retention and reading comprehension in a foreign language, 181 men and women enrolled in a first‐year Spanish course were asked to either read a passage in Spanish on a computer and create annotations for a list of words found in the passage (experimental group), or simply to read the already annotated passage (control group). They were administered vocabulary and reading comprehension tests, and a questionnaire concerning their attitude toward the task. Results showed rather complex interactions between the variables of sex and ability. Although the differences overall failed to achieve statistical significance, an analysis of the attitude questions separately resulted in several significant interactions for gender.     

Interrogative strategies and information exchange in computer‐mediated communication

The explosive growth of Internet and E‐mail use has provided exceptional opportunities for humans to mediate their communication and thus their relationships in new ways. This study reports on a content analysis of interrogative strategies used in E‐mail messages exchanged over six months between intergenerational sets of senior citizens and youngsters. A great deal of relationship development is facilitated by the use of questions which are a core aspect of uncertainty reduction processes. While Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) has been a predominant theoretical position for examining face‐to‐face initial interaction, its utility for examining communication in an asynchronous, computer‐mediated environment was only partially effective. Data analyses focused on politeness of questions, types of questions, and, temporal effects. Results suggest that the interrogative strategies we engage in to achieve interpersonal connectedness are sometimes different in computer‐mediated communication (CMC) and a new standard for transacting relational message exhange may be emerging.     

What is technology? Development and evaluation of a simple instrument for measuring children's conceptions of technology

Technology is important to all aspects of our lives, so helping students develop an accurate understanding of technology should be an educational goal at the K-12 level. Assessments are important tools in reaching this goal. We developed an instrument to measure the technology conceptions of children ages 8–11, the ‘What is Technology’ (WT) instrument. We gathered evidence for the validity of using the WT instrument to measure children's conceptions of technology, including changes due to an intervention, and we describe those changes. We used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to establish scales, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with new samples of subjects to confirm our hypothesised model of children's conceptions. For further evidence, we analyzed and coded the written responses children gave to open-ended questions asking them to explain their understanding of technology, then calculated correlations between these codes and the CFA-confirmed scale measures. We found that children tend to think of technology as artifacts that are powered by electrical energy; however, after instruction most children's conceptions become more consistent with definitions given in educational standards. The instrument is shown to be valid and reliable for its intended use, to assess preadolescent children's conceptions of technology, and evaluate the impact of an intervention.     

Student‐generated assignments about electrical circuits in a computer simulation

In this study we investigated the design of assignments by students as a knowledge‐generating activity. Students were required to design assignments for ‘other students’ in a computer simulation environment about electrical circuits. Assignments consisted of a question, alternatives, and feedback on those alternatives. In this way, subjects were encouraged to engage in processes such as ‘generating questions’, ‘discriminating between examples and non‐examples’, and ‘generating feedback’. The resulting assignments were analysed and different types of assignments were identified. Information on the design process was collected from think‐aloud protocol data. Results showed that students not only designed assignments about facts or procedures, but also about observations made with the simulation. During the design process, subjects actively used their prior knowledge. Students seemed to strengthen their domain knowledge by retrieving and explaining problem‐solving steps, and focus on the dynamic characteristics of the simulated circuits.     

Young adolescents' metacognition and domain knowledge as predictors of hypothesis‐development performance in a computer‐supported context

Recently, the importance of ill‐structured problem‐solving in real‐world contexts has become a focus of educational research. Particularly, the hypothesis‐development process has been examined as one of the keys to developing a high‐quality solution in a problem context. The authors of this study examined predictive relations between young adolescents' metacognition, prior domain knowledge, and hypothesis‐development performance in a computer‐supported environment. Data were collected from 11‐ and 12‐year‐old Korean students (N = 101). A hypothesised model in predicting hypothesis‐development performance was evaluated using structural equation modelling. Both metacognition and prior domain knowledge significantly predicted young adolescents' hypothesis‐development performance. Implications and limitations of the present study and issues, including the experimental design, are discussed.     

Implicit theories of creativity: a comparison of student‐teachers in Hong Kong and Singapore

This study attempts to uncover the beliefs regarding various aspects of creativity among trainee‐teachers in Hong Kong and Singapore. Trainee‐teachers from Hong Kong (N = 188) and Singapore (N = 127) completed a questionnaire on beliefs about creativity. The 30‐item questionnaire covering 15 aspects of beliefs regarding creativity was presented to the respondents as a set of six‐point Likert scales. Through factor analysis, creativity was found to have five dimensions: (1) physiology, (2) generality, (3) culture, (4) individuality and (5) youth. Hong Kong respondents were found to hold more rigid views of creativity than their Singaporean counterparts. In particular, Hong Kong respondents believed more strongly that creativity is dependent on birth order, effort, health, logical thinking and youth and that there is a critical period beyond which creativity may not develop.     

Are parents reliable in reporting child victimization? Comparison of parental and adolescent reports in a matched Chinese household sample

There is ongoing debate about the reliability of parental reports on child victimization. Some studies have shown that they are useful, whereas some others have provided contrary evidence suggesting that parents are not accurate in reporting child victimization, especially when they are the one who inflicted the violence. This study aimed to (a) examine the reliability of parental reports of adolescents’ experiences of victimization, including that inflicted by parents as well as others, by comparing them with self-reports using a parent–child matched sample from China; and (b) explore the possible reasons underlying any disagreement between the parental and adolescent reports. A total of 2,624 parent–adolescent pairs were recruited during 2009 and 2010 in 6 cities in China. Parents were asked to report the victimization experiences of their child using of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire, and these reports were matched with the adolescents’ self-reports of victimization. Low levels of parent–adolescent agreement in reporting were found (Cohen's kappa = .04–.29). Except for sexual violence, parents were significantly less likely to report all types of victimization. Overall, lower levels of agreement were found in the reporting of (a) less severe types of victimization, (b) victimization outside the family, and (c) victimization involving parents as perpetrators. Intimate partner violence between parents was significantly associated with discrepancies between reports. The findings suggest that parents might not be reliable as a single source of information on certain types of adolescent victimization.     

Developing a discourse community of preservice teachers in a technology‐mediated context

Abstract

Through an asynchronous discussion group on the Internet, students were given opportunities to interact in a community of beginning preservice and inservice teachers. They questioned, argued, and negotiated issues generated from their experiences in an introductory educational psychology course and school‐based practicum. This paper reports findings from an investigation into the social dynamics of a technology‐mediated environment and the extent to which community‐building occurred. Using a discourse analysis approach, the data were analyzed to determine the extent to which a technology‐mediated discourse community reflects the five main features that characterize the ethos of classroom communities: respect among members with open exchange of ideas, individual responsibility with communal sharing, shifting roles among members, constructive discussion/making meaning, and a participation framework. Illustrations of each of these categories that demonstrate an overall sense of community among the participants are provided.     

Children's discourse patterns and power relations in teacher‐led and child‐led sharing time

This study investigates children's language and interaction patterns during sharing time in a first grade classroom. When sharing time shifted from a teacher‐led to a child‐led event, corresponding changes appeared in children's language, including in discourse routines, style, content, and frequency of verbal interactions. In child‐led formats, peer culture flourished. Several linguistic routines were developed and used by children as a means of social control, as an agent for group bonding, and as expressions of care and concern. Two different child‐led formats revealed how the event's structure regulated participation and length of turn during sharing sessions. We suggest that teachers create speech situations that children are allowed to control. Such occasions encourage children's language development, learning through language, and the kind of collaboration essential for growth of peer culture.     

Moral education in Hong Kong: Confucian‐parental,Christian‐religious and liberal‐civic influences

A brief review of the social and educational context of Hong Kong shows that the publication of the General guidelines on moral education in schools in 1981, by the Hong Kong Education Department, marked a milestone in the development of moral education. The Guidelines explicitly asserted moral education as one function of schooling, whilst also formally recognizing the home and the community as two main influences. This paper narrates how three moral sources of influence – namely Confucian‐parental, Christian‐religious and liberal‐civic – have shaped the development of moral education in Hong Kong from 1973 to 2003. It then examines in more detail: parental influence at home – the Confucian moral source in Chinese family; schooling influenced by religious sources – taking Christian schools as an example; and the Independent Commission Against Corruption as an official agency for moral education – a liberal source calling for civic morality. In conclusion, the post‐colonial emergence of nationalistic influence in the recently constituted Chinese Special Administrative Region, advocating national identity as the new core value, is traced and the implications for future moral education in Hong Kong are considered.     

Agricultural productivity growth and technology progress in developing country agriculture： case study in China

The goal of this investigation was to analyze the impact of some production variables （input） on agricultural productivity growth （output） in China from 1989-2002. We selected through random sampling Zhejiang Province for our disaggregate analysis with the use of Cobb-Douglas function. The estimation results showed that all key parameters are significant and are of the expected sign. Labor and that capital and land have positive impact on agricultural productivity growth.     

Self‐assessment in a technology‐supported environment: the case of grade 9 geography

We investigated the impact of self‐assessment training on student achievement and on computer self‐efficacy in a technology‐supported learning environment (grade 9 students using Global Information Systems software). We found that self‐assessment had a positive effect on student achievement, accounting for 25% of the variance across three measures. The treatment effect was as large for females as for males and for those with low initial self‐efficacy as it was for those with higher scores. In addition, self‐efficacy increased more in the control than in the treatment group. We interpreted the self‐efficacy results to be a positive outcome of the treatment: teachers may have used self‐assessment training to depress the inflated self‐perceptions of some teenagers.     

Computer: The use of computer‐mediated communication in training students in group problem‐solving and decision‐making techniques

Abstract

A cost‐effectiveness analysis of training Army National Guard soldiers by audio teletraining technology was conducted. The trainees were n = 225 soldiers nationwide. About half of the trainees received training in a three‐week Unit Clerk Course through traditional residence training, and the remainder received the same instruction through audio teletraining. Objective performance data were collected from written tests on sixteen of the forty‐seven tasks taught. The percentage of trainees in the audio teletraining group that reached criterion (93%) on the first test was significantly higher (by statistical test) than the residence group (85%). In comparing costs, the audio teletraining group had lower training costs per trainee. Projected on an annual basis, the Army National Guard can save $292,404 per year through the use of audio teletraining for the Unit Clerk Course.     

The design and development of a multimedia case‐based environment on parental engagement

The purpose of this paper is to present the rationale and principles that guided the design and development of PARENTS, a multimedia case‐based environment. Following a development research approach, the tenets of constructivist learning, and the advantages of case‐based instruction, we developed a multimedia program in which we utilized and incorporated the findings of the longitudinal study Ecologies of Parental Engagement (EPE). EPE focused on parents in high‐poverty urban communities and the roles they play in elementary schools that are active in implementing reform‐based science education. The main purpose of the multimedia program PARENTS was to help preservice science teachers to explore and reflect on themes of parental engagement in high‐poverty urban school settings. In this paper, we present the design and conceptual framework behind the first prototype of PARENTS.

Conception et développement d'un environnement multimedia sur l'implication des parents fondé sur des études de cas

Le but de cet article est de présenter le raisonnement et les principes qui ont orienté la conception et le développement de PARENTS, qui est un environnement multimedia fondé sur des études de cas. En suivant une approche “recherche et développement”, les principes de l'apprentissage constructiviste et les points forts de l'enseignement basé sur les études de cas, nous avons mis au point un programme multimedia dans lequel nous avons utilisé et intégré les résultats d'une enquête longitudinale – Ecologies de l'Engagement Parental (EPE). EPE a porté sur les parents se trouvant dans des communautés urbaines très pauvres et sur le rôle qu'ils jouent dans des écoles élémentaires engagées dans la mise en ?uvre des réformes de l'enseignement des sciences. Le but principal du programme multimedia PARENTS était d'aider les enseignants de sciences en formation initiale à explorer et à réfléchir sur la thématique de l'engagement parental dans les écoles se trouvant dans des zones urbaines de grande pauvreté.

Entwurf und Entwicklung eines multimedia Fall‐ basierten Umfelds auf das elterliche Engagement

Dieser Beitrag soll die Gründe und Prinzipien aufzeigen, die zu Entwurf und Entwicklung von PARENTS, einer Multimedia‐Fall‐basierten Umgebung, geführt haben. Nach der Entwicklung eines Forschungs‐Ansatzes auf den Grundsätzen des konstruktivistischen Lernens, und dem Berücksichtigen der Vorteile fall‐basierter Anweisungen entwickelten wir ein Multimediaprogramm, in dem wir die Ergebnisse einer Langzeitstudie – Ecologies of Parental Engagement (EPE) – nutzten und einfügten. EPE ist auf Eltern in städtischen Gemeinden mit großer Armut ausgerichtet und auf ihre Rolle, die sie in Grundschulen mit reformbasiertem naturwissenschaftlichem Unterricht spielen können. Der Hauptzweck des Multimediaprogramms PARENTS war, in Ausbildung befindlichen Lehrern für Naturwissenschaften zu helfen, auf dem Gebiet des elterlichen Engagements in sehr armen städtischen Schulbereichen zu forschen und zu reflektieren.

Diseño y Desarrollo de un entorno multimedia basado en estudios de casos sobre el compromiso de los padres

El propósito del presente artículo es de presentar los fundamentos y principios que han orientado el diseño y desarrollo de PADRES, un entorno multimedia basado en estudios de casos. Siguiendo una metodología de investigación y desarrollo y también los principios del aprendizaje constructivista así como las ventajas de la instrucción basada en estudios de casos, hemos desarrollado un programa multimedia en el cual hemos utilizado y integrado los resultados de una encuesta longitudinal – Ecologías del Compromiso de los Padres (EPE). EPE trata de esos padres que viven en comunidades urbanas muy pobres y del papel que desempeñan en las escuelas primarias que se han comprometido a poner en práctica las reformas de la enseñanza de las ciencias. El objetivo principal del programa multimedia PADRES (PARENTS) era de ayudar a los futuros profesores de ciencias para explorar y reflexionar sobre la temática del compromiso paterno en las escuelas ubicadas en zonas urbanas extremamente pobres.     

Teaching mixed‐mode: a case study in remote delivery of computer science in Africa

In February 2003, RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, commenced delivery of a Computer Science diploma and degree programme using mixed mode delivery to 250 university students in sub‐Saharan Africa, through a World Bank funded project designed for the African Virtual University (AVU). The project is a unique experience made possible by collaboration and co‐operation between Australian and African partners and incorporating a student‐centred philosophy and mixed‐mode delivery. The project also has an ongoing commitment to building African capacity for online development and delivery of courseware through a defined capacity building programme for the University of Dar es Salaam, (UDSM), which will take over the project in 2007. This paper discusses the relevant philosophies of the major partners in the project, outlines the components of the mixed mode delivery strategy and identifies the successes and challenges uncovered in the first year of operation.

Enseignement par méthode mixte : Une étude de cas sur les cours par correspondance de sciences d’informatique en Afrique

En février 2003, l’université RMIT de Melbourne en Australie a réalisé un projet pour l’Université Virtuelle Africaine (AVU) fondé par la Banque mondiale qui a permit à 250 étudiants d’universités de la région sous‐saharienne d’Afrique d’obtenir un grade universitaire en sciences d’informatique en participant a un cours par correspondance. Ce projet est une expérience unique qui a été rendue possible par une collaboration et coopération entre des partenaires australiens et africains et par l’incorporation d’une philosophie orientée sur les étudiants et d’assistance par méthodes mixtes de diffusion. Ce projet à une obligation permanente d’améliorer la productivité africaine du développement en ligne et de la diffusion de matériaux de cours en ligne, ce qui est effectué par un programme d’augmentation de la productivité défini pour l’Université de Dar es Salaam (UDSM), qui va assumer ce projet en 2007. Cet exposé décrit les philosophies principales des partenaires de ce projet, esquisse les composants de cette stratégie de diffusion à méthode mixte et identifie les succès et les défis découverts lors de la première année d’opération.

Unterrichten kombinierter Methoden: eine Fallstudie zum Fernstudium der Computerwissenschaften in Afrika

Im Februar 2003 begann die RMIT Universität in Melbourne in Australien mit Hilfe eines durch die Weltbank gegründeten Projekts für die Afrikanische Virtuelle Universität (AVU) mit einer kombinierten Methode der Wissensvermittlung 250 Studenten aus der unteren Sahara‐Region in Afrika die Teilnahme an einem Fernstudiumsprogramm mit einem Abschluss in Computerwissenschaften zu ermöglichen. Bei diese Projekt handelt es sich um eine einzigartige Erfahrung, die durch die Zusammenarbeit zwischen australischen und afrikanischen Partnern ermöglicht wurde und die die auf Studenten ausgerichtete Philosophie und die kombinierte Form der Wissensvermittlung einbezieht. Dieses Projekt hat die ständige Verpflichtung, die afrikanische Leistungsfähigkeit der Online‐Bildung und die Verfügbarkeit von Kursmaterialien zu verbessern, und zwar über ein definiertes Aufbauprogramm für die Universität Dar es Salaam (UDSM), die dieses Projekt 2007 übernehmen wird. Dieser Bericht erläutert die relevanten Kernphilosophien der Hauptpartner des Projekts, beschreibt die Komponenten der kombinierten Methode der Wissensvermittlung und identifiziert die Erfolge und Herausforderungen, die im Laufe des ersten Jahres erkannt wurden.