Student activity and learning outcomes in a virtual learning environment

The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between degree of participation and learning outcomes in an e-learning course on medical informatics. Overall activity in using course materials and degree of participation in the discussion forums of an online course were studied among 39 medical students. Students were able to utilise the course material in discussion groups focusing on the lectures, quizzes and students’ own notes. Each student’s data recording of activities and individual participation in discussion in the online course was analysed in order to assess which activities predicted learning outcome. Higher course grades were associated with studying the course material frequently and also with regular participation in reading postings and replying to them. There were no connections between learning outcome and the students’ original contributions to the discussion forums. There were no statistically significant differences between male and female students in how they utilised the various components of the learning material.     

Student Strategies for Learning Computer Programming: Implications for Pedagogy in Informatics

In the context of the debate about the extent to which secondary school Informatics curricula should include specifically vocational content, this paper explores the possibility that in Informatics teaching, there is value in adopting pedagogical approaches, rather than curriculum content, based on practice in industry and business settings. This paper reports research findings that raise questions about the widely held assumption that students will gain their programming knowledge and skills predominantly from classroom activities undertaken at the instigation of the Informatics teacher. Investigation of sources of students' information about programming skills and knowledge indicates that such an assumption is not well founded, and leads to the suggestion that innovative approaches to pedagogy in this area should be explored.Two studies, each a part of a larger project, are reported here. The first showed that a group of Grade 5 students, skilled programmers in the MicroWorlds multimedia programming environment, sought and acquired programming skills and techniques from a wide variety of sources, many of which were not classroom based. The second reports a formalisation of this model of student initiated seeking among a range of resource people for immediately needed expert advice. This was observed in a deliberately constructionist learning environment in an after-school Computer Clubhouse where students are supported by mentors with different specialist areas of expertise as well as by a teacher.The importance of these issues for Informatics teaching, assessment, course design and evaluation, and for the preparation of Informatics teachers is considered, and the need for further research in this area is outlined.     

Autonomy versus affirmative action: What price social justice?

This study measures all the marginal direct and indirect costs of an affirmative action/equal employment opportunity (AA/EEO) program at a single institution through cost analysis procedures identifying cost generating variables in three categories: personnel, operating expenses, and capital outlay replacement value. Costs were weighed against benefits, as measured by number of women and minorities hired. Since costs and benefits should be evaluated only in relation to effectiveness of implementation procedures, program administration was assessed through a series of interviews with faculty chairs. Total compliance costs incurred for the university in one budget cycle amounted to 0.4% of the total institutional budget, and the great majority of these costs were expended indirectly, in faculty time. Representation of women and minorities was increased by approximately 1.9%, despite lack of strong leadership from the central administration and haphazard program administration. Although the costs incurred in implementing AA/EEO are negliglible compared to other social justice legislation, educators still decry its expense. Thus, we argue that educators are not concerned with the actual dollar outlay for AA/ EEO but instead use its intangible educational costs as a symbolic issue in their struggle with the state over university autonomy.     

Effects of Response Cost Contingencies on Thumbsucking and Related Behaviours in the Classroom

Thumbsucking and two related behaviours (head rubbing and object mouthing) were observed in two 7‐year‐old girls in classroom settings. Using a mixed multiple baseline across subjects and ABAB design, a response cost procedure was applied by the classroom teachers to the thumbsucking behaviour. The procedure reduced thumbsucking, and as long as it continued to be applied with one of the children her thumbsucking behaviour remained at low levels. Data obtained on the other two behaviours were consistent with but did not provide definitive support for spill‐over effects for head rubbing and behavioural contrast effects for object mouthing. In addition to demonstrating the effects of the treatment procedure, these results emphasise the importance of using multiple measures in applied studies of punishment and self‐stimulatory behaviours.