A Web adaptive educational system for people with hearing difficulties

In this paper we present a web adaptive educational tool for the Greek Sign Language. The design and the implementation of the tool were partially funded by national bodies. The paper presents the architecture of the tool, in an abstract way and briefly describes its functionality. The interaction process followed is also presented.     

The effects of two different swimming training periodization on physiological parameters at various exercise intensities

This study analysed the effects of two different periodization strategies on physiological parameters at various exercise intensities in competitive swimmers. Seventeen athletes of both sexes were divided to two groups, the traditional periodization (TPG, n?=?7) and the reverse periodization group (RPG, n?=?10). Each group followed a 10-week training period based on the two different periodization strategies. Before and after training, swimming velocity (SV), energy expenditure (EE), energy cost (EC) and percentage of aerobic (%Aer) and anaerobic (%An) energy contribution to the swimming intensities corresponding to the aerobic threshold (AerT), the anaerobic threshold (AnT) and the velocity at maximal oxygen uptake (vVO₂max) were measured. Both groups increased the %An at the AerT and AnT intensity (P?≤?.05). In contrast, at the AnT intensity, EE and EC were only increased in TPG. Complementary, %Aer, %An, EE and EC at vVO₂max did not alter in both groups (P?>?.05); no changes were observed in SV in TPG and RPG at all three intensities. These results indicate that both periodization schemes confer almost analogous adaptations in specific physiological parameters in competitive swimmers. However, given the large difference in the total training volume between the two groups, it is suggested that the implementation of the reverse periodization model is an effective and time-efficient strategy to improve performance mainly for swimming events where the AnT is an important performance indicator.     

The motivating role of positive feedback in sport and physical education: evidence for a motivational model

Based on self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), an experimental study with middle school students participating in a physical education task and a correlational study with highly talented sport students investigated the motivating role of positive competence feedback on participants' well-being, performance, and intention to participate. In Study 1, structural equation modeling favored the hypothesized motivational model, in which, after controlling for pretask perceived competence and competence valuation, feedback positively predicted competence satisfaction, which in turn predicted higher levels of vitality and greater intentions to participate, through the mediation of autonomous motivation. No effects on performance were found. Study 2 further showed that autonomous motivation mediated the relation between competence satisfaction and well-being, whereas a motivation mediated the negative relation between competence satisfaction and ill-being and rated performance. The discussion focuses on the motivational role of competence feedback in sports and physical education settings.     

Self-regulated learning and performance calibration among elementary physical education students

This study examined the effectiveness of a social-cognitive training model of self-regulation on students’ dribbling performance, calibration accuracy, and motivational beliefs. Participants were 120 fifth and sixth graders. Students who sequentially experienced emulative and self-control practice setting either process or performance goals at the emulation or at the self-control level improved their dribbling performance and motivational beliefs from pre- to post-test. Students overestimated their performance except for those in the process goal condition who underestimated it. These findings support the effectiveness of this training model and are discussed with reference to the self-regulation and performance calibration development in physical education.     

The CourseMarker CBA System: Improvements over Ceilidh

This document reports on the results of re-designing and re-implementing the Ceilidh courseware system. It highlights the limitations identified in the thirteen years of Ceilidh's use at the University of Nottingham. It also illustrates how most of these limitations have been resolved by re-designing Ceilidh's architecture and improving various aspects of the marking and administrating processes. The new system, entitled CourseMarker, offers enhanced functionality by adding useful features that have long been needed by Ceilidh's community. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the changes and a brief report on the experience of CourseMarker's use over the last three years. Finally, recent developments and future directions are discussed.     

Representational Flexibility and Problem-Solving Ability in Fraction and Decimal Number Addition: A Structural Model

The aim of this study was to propose and validate a structural model in fraction and decimal number addition, which is founded primarily on a synthesis of major theoretical approaches in the field of representations in Mathematics and also on previous research on the learning of fractions and decimals. The study was conducted among 1701 primary and secondary school students. Eight components, which all involve representational transformations, were encompassed under the construct of representational flexibility in fraction and decimal number addition. This structure reveals that, for both concepts, the representational transformation competences of recognition and conversion, and therefore representational flexibility as well, were affected by the complexity of the concepts involved and the direction of the conversion, respectively. Results also showed that two first-order factors were needed to explain the problem-solving ability in fraction and decimal number addition, indicating the differential effect of the modes of representation that is diagrammatic and verbal form on problem-solving ability irrespective of the concepts involved, as in the case of the conversions. Representational flexibility and problem-solving ability were found to be major components of students’ representational thinking of fraction and decimal number addition. The proposed framework was invariant across the primary and secondary school students. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

The effectiveness of virtual and augmented reality in health sciences and medical anatomy

Although cadavers constitute the gold standard for teaching anatomy to medical and health science students, there are substantial financial, ethical, and supervisory constraints on their use. In addition, although anatomy remains one of the fundamental areas of medical education, universities have decreased the hours allocated to teaching gross anatomy in favor of applied clinical work. The release of virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices allows learning to occur through hands‐on immersive experiences. The aim of this research was to assess whether learning structural anatomy utilizing VR or AR is as effective as tablet‐based (TB) applications, and whether these modes allowed enhanced student learning, engagement and performance. Participants (n = 59) were randomly allocated to one of the three learning modes: VR, AR, or TB and completed a lesson on skull anatomy, after which they completed an anatomical knowledge assessment. Student perceptions of each learning mode and any adverse effects experienced were recorded. No significant differences were found between mean assessment scores in VR, AR, or TB. During the lessons however, VR participants were more likely to exhibit adverse effects such as headaches (25% in VR P < 0.05), dizziness (40% in VR, P < 0.001), or blurred vision (35% in VR, P < 0.01). Both VR and AR are as valuable for teaching anatomy as tablet devices, but also promote intrinsic benefits such as increased learner immersion and engagement. These outcomes show great promise for the effective use of virtual and augmented reality as means to supplement lesson content in anatomical education. Anat Sci Educ 10: 549–559. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

Experimental longitudinal test of the influence of autonomy-supportive teaching on motivation for participation in elementary school physical education

The present study examined the efficacy of autonomy-supportive teaching during elementary school physical education (PE) in influencing pupils’ enjoyment, fear of failure, boredom and effort. A sample of 54 pupils attending fifth and sixth grades comprised the control group (typical instruction; n = 27) and the experimental group (autonomy-supportive instruction; n = 27). Pupils’ responses were provided four times during a school trimester on perceived autonomy-support provided by the PE teacher, fulfilment of psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, behavioural regulations for PE participation, enjoyment, fear of failure, boredom and effort. In the autonomy-support condition, levels of the positive motivational indexes remained relatively stable during the trimester. Motivational deterioration was evident for the control group, and especially during the middle and the end of the trimester. Autonomy-supportive teaching leads to enhanced levels of motivation compared to non-autonomy-supportive teaching that may lead to gradual decline of motivation for PE participation.     

Measuring ocean literacy in pre-service teachers: psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Survey of Ocean Literacy and Experience (SOLE)

The aim of the present study was to respond to the increasing demand for comprehensive tools for the measurement of ocean literacy, by investigating the psychometric characteristics of a Greek version of the Survey of Ocean Literacy and Experience (SOLE), an instrument that assesses conceptual understanding of general ocean sciences content, focusing on the knowledge component. Four hundred twenty-one pre-service primary school teachers participated in a cross-sectional study. The dichotomous Rasch model was used to examine the measurement properties of the SOLE, namely, person-item targeting and separation, reliability, dimensionality and differential item functioning (DIF). Steps were taken to improve the instrument, where any of these attributes were outside acceptable ranges. Results suggested that a modified SOLE showed an adequate fit to the Rasch model, is unidimensional, free of DIF, and is particularly well-suited to the population under study. Our findings suggest that the SOLE constitutes a valuable tool which can be applied to a different cultural context and population. The proposed use of the instrument could contribute to the assessment of the quality of marine education in school-based and non-formal education contexts and to the cross-cultural comparison of ocean literacy, which are prerequisites for the improvement of ocean literacy.