Can tablet computers enhance learning in further education?

Interest in the potential benefits of providing tablet computers to students has grown in recent years, both in UK institutions, and across the world. Limited research studies have been reported in higher education (HE), and primary and secondary school settings, tentatively suggesting a range of positive impacts on learners, but little conclusive research has been published on the introduction of tablets in further education (FE). This article presents a case study of a single, mid-size English FE college, which piloted the provision of tablets to bounded groups of students and teachers in four diverse curriculum areas. The author was invited to help design the college’s evaluation of the pilot, which would inform a potential business case to extend the pilot to all students. One element was a qualitative research project, with data captured through a series of focus group interviews with all 64 students who received tablets, and separate interviews with their ten teachers. Findings are reported here, exploring the extent to which students and teachers perceived learning benefits from the tablets: for some learners, this was reported as enhancing the organisation of learning; supporting greater independence of learning and enabling more purposive learning. Barriers to learning enhancement were also identified, including institutional issues (frustration with technical infrastructure), and individual learner disengagement (distraction and surface engagement with mere ‘novelty’). Concluding that the tablets’ clear benefits were not automatically transformative, and engagement was not uniform, findings are relevant to FE managers and leaders of other institutions considering tablets as a possible learning panacea.     

Cultural problems in minority education: Their interpretations and consequences—Part one: Theoretical background

Culture has featured prominently in minority educational research, policies, and intervention since the early 1960s. It is receiving even more attention today in minority education discourse due to the emergence of cultural diversity and multicultural education as popular national issues. A careful analysis of the new discourse suggests, however, that the issue has shifted from how cultural differences enhance or deter the school adjustment and academic performance of minority children to the problem of cultural hegemony and representation in school curriculum and other domains of education. But cultural diversity and multicultural education are only a partial solution to the problems of culture in minority education. This essay is in two parts. In part one I argue for a reconsideration of the earlier question about how culture affects minority school adjustment and academic performance. I also proposecultural frame of reference as a new level of analysis of the cultural problems that confront minority students at school. In part two I illustrate my points with two case studies from Minority Education Project in Oakland, California.     

Evaluating a computer‐based reading programme with children with Intellectual Disabilities: feasibility and pilot research

Increasing evidence indicates that individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) might benefit from phonics‐based reading instruction. However, research and instruction in this field has predominantly focused on sight word reading. Models for complex interventions recommend that feasibility research be conducted prior to conducting randomised studies to assess efficacy of interventions (Thabane et al., 2010). The aim of the current paper is therefore to investigate feasibility questions relating to conducting a full‐scale randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluation of an online, phonics‐based reading programme (Headsprout^? Early Reading; HER) with children with ID. Employing a randomised pre‐test post‐test group design, this study explores and trials important aspects of a RCT evaluation to inform a full‐scale RCT. We also found that HER had a significant effect on reading skills when compared with ‘education as usual’, with large effect sizes on the main outcome measure. This indicates that further, more robust evaluations using HER with children with ID are a worthwhile pursuit.     

The Misspecification of the Covariance Structures in Multilevel Models for Single-Case Data: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study

The impact of misspecifying covariance matrices at the second and third levels of the three-level model is evaluated. Results indicate that ignoring existing covariance has no effect on the treatment effect estimate. In addition, the between-case variance estimates are unbiased when covariance is either modeled or ignored. If the research interest lies in the between-study variance estimate, including at least 30 studies is warranted. Modeling covariance does not result in less biased between-study variance estimates as the between-study covariance estimate is biased. When the research interest lies in the between-case covariance, the model including covariance results in unbiased between-case variance estimates. The three-level model appears to be less appropriate for estimating between-study variance if fewer than 30 studies are included.     

A longitudinal study of attitudes of students and parents coincident with court-ordered school desegregation

Attitudinal data were collected for a sample of 492 parents and public school children before implementation of a metropolitan desegregation plan and for 2 years after implementation. The variables measured included racial attitudes, feelings out desegregation, and school-related attitudes. There were small but significant changes on 7 of the 11 measures, with most of the changes occurring during the first year. There were race and grade-level differences on some of the variables before desegregation, but race and grade level were generally not related to changes over time.This research has been supported by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, Division of Social Sciences.     

The effect of distributed monitoring exercises and feedback on performance, monitoring accuracy, and self-efficacy

Monitoring one’s own study processes accurately is important in self-regulated learning. This study compared a treatment (N = 45) and comparison class (N = 39) on the effects of monitoring exercises and feedback on calibration and test performance over a 16-week undergraduate course. Path analyses revealed a significant influence of the intervention on class performance, calibration, and self-efficacy. The results suggest the appropriateness of integrating distributed metacognitive exercises in class content and the fundamental role of monitoring ability in performance-based course outcomes and self-efficacy.     

Mental toughness and transitions to high school and to undergraduate study

Mental toughness can be conceptualised as a set of attributes that allow people to deal effectively with challenges, stressors and pressure. Recent work has suggested that it may be a valuable construct to consider within educational settings. The current studies explored the associations between mental toughness and educational transitions. Study 1 examined the relationships between mental toughness and concerns about moving to a new school in 105 children aged 12–13 years of age. The results revealed significant relationships between several aspects of mental toughness, but particularly confidence in abilities, and children’s concerns. Study 2 examined the relationships between mental toughness and adjustment to university in 200 undergraduate students at various stages of their course. The results revealed a role for several aspects of mental toughness; commitment, control of life, control of emotion, confidence in abilities and interpersonal confidence. The results are discussed in terms of implications for educational practice. It is suggested that measures of mental toughness could be used to identify individuals who may benefit from additional support during transition to a new school or to university, and that future research should explore the potential benefits of mental toughness training.     

Conceptual change through vicarious learning in an authentic physics setting

Recent research on principles of best practice for designing effective multimedia instruction has rarely taken into account students’ alternative conceptions, which are known to strongly influence learning. The goal of this study was to determine how well students of quantum mechanics could learn ‘vicariously’ by watching a student-tutor dialogue based on alternative conceptions. Two video treatments were created to summarize key aspects of quantum tunneling, a fundamental quantum mechanical phenomenon. One video depicted a student-tutor dialogue, incorporating many of the common alternative conceptions on the topic, and resolving inconsistencies in reasoning through discussion. The other presented the same correct physics material in an expository style without alternative conceptions. Second year physics students were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments and were tested before and after watching the video during a lecture. Results show a statistically significant (p < .01) advantage for the learners in the dialogue treatment (d = 0.71). Follow-up interviews of students yielded insight into the affective and cognitive benefits of the dialogue video.