Motivating learners in open and distance learning: do we need a new theory of learner support?

This paper calls for a new theory of learner support in distance learning based on recent findings in the fields of learning and motivational psychology. It surveys some current learning motivation theories and proposes that models drawn from the relatively new field of Positive Psychology, such as the ‘Strengths Approach’, together with Dweck’s Self Theory and Anderson’s insistence on proactive support, could be developed into a ‘Proactive Motivational Support’ theory. Such a theory might enable distance educators to support learners more successfully than existing models of learning skills development and remedial support. The paper then reports on further findings from experiments (one previously described in Open Learning), using these approaches in the UK Open University. These findings confirm the previous results, showing significant increases in retention that, in the context of the Open University’s funding arrangements, appear to be at least self‐financing.     

Illusions of consensus: New South Wales stakeholders' constructions of the identity of history

This article analyses the relationships between the perspectives of stakeholders involved in the development of the 1998 New South Wales Stages 4–5 history syllabus. It examined four key issues that emerged in the debates about history education during the review and found that stakeholders' views diverged significantly on three of these issues. While loose coalitions formed around particular issues, stakeholders provided different rationales for their positions, and coalitions re-formed on other debates. The analysis highlights the divergence between stakeholders and between the Commonwealth and state governments and stakeholders on the desirable content and goals of history education. The findings indicate that consultation might not produce consensus, and that even the appearance of consensus can be grounded in substantively and philosophically different premises. In practical terms, the findings suggest that if the purpose of consultation as a method of curriculum development is to produce a syllabus that reflects the diverse perspectives held by stakeholders, then the syllabus structure needs to make provision for content options as well as common core areas of study.     

The influence of student learning characteristics on purchase of paper book and eBook for university study and personal interest

First-year university students (n = 199) completed an online questionnaire that queried their purchase of paper books and eBooks for university study and personal interest. The questionnaire also required students to rate their learning characteristics including reading strategies, study self-regulation, learning control beliefs and achievement motivation. Self-reported student learning characteristic scores were associated with self-reported book purchases. For example, as student extrinsic motivation scores increased, number of paper books purchased for university study tended to increase. As student learning control belief scores increased, purchase of eBooks for university study tended to increase. Collectively, such results lend support to the conclusion that education students who embrace emerging technologies such as eBooks and who read for leisure perceive themselves as more able learners than students who do not embrace emerging technologies such as eBooks and who do not read for leisure.     

移动学习的案例研究及内容分析——以mGage项目为例

文章首先对移动学习在中小学课堂中的应用、移动学习的形式和信息设计进行了文献综述。在此基础上,又对美国圣地亚哥州立大学教育技术系开展的mGage项目进行了案例分析。研究者设计出一套详细的评价工具,从视觉吸引力、认知过程、资源质量等16个维度评估学生的WebQuest作品。结果显示,参加移动学习的实验组的得分明显高于对照组。统计分析表明,使用移动设备进行学习的实验组,除了在工具使用维度上具有明显优势外,在认知过程维度和资源质量维度的得分也胜过对照组。文章最后对研究进行了反思总结并展望了下一阶段的研究工作,以期为移动学习进入中小学课堂提供有意义的借鉴。     

Practitioner-centred research and the Ph.D.

This paper is about Ph.Ds, practitioner-centred research and action learning. The aim of this paper is to help develop a framework for those completing doctorates based on action learning. The paper explores relationships between the personal learning of action learning participants and the public knowledge associated with conventional research. It concludes that the new professional doctorates based on action learning offer a way of integrating evidence-based practice with practice-based evidence.