Does Class Size Matter? An Exploration into Faculty Perceptions of Teaching High-Enrollment Online Courses

Class size has been a popular topic for decades. There is renewed interest in this topic now with the growth of online learning. Online courses can accommodate hundreds, if not thousands, of students in a single course. Very little research, though, has been conducted recently on class size in online courses and the research that has been conducted is mixed. As the demand for online courses increases, so likely will class size. In this exploratory study, we investigated the perceptions and experiences of 37 faculty teaching high-enrollment online courses. In the following article, we report the results of our inquiry, implications for practice, and areas for additional research.     

Development of an instrument for measuring cognitive conflict in secondary‐level science classes

Based on conceptual change theory, cognitive conflict is known as an important factor in conceptual change even though there are still questions about its positive and negative effects on science learning. However, there is no reliable method by which to assess the cognitive conflict students experience in their learning. The purpose of this research was to develop an instrument for measuring secondary students' cognitive conflict levels as they learned science. The results of this study indicate that our instrument is a valid and reliable tool for measuring cognitive conflict levels. Factor analysis supported the model that cognitive conflict consists of four constructs: recognition of an anomalous situation, interest, anxiety, and cognitive reappraisal of the conflict situation. Implications for instruction and possibilities for future research are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 585–603, 2003     

Facilitating Learning in an Interactive Science Simulation: The Effects of Task Segmentation Guidance on Adults’ Inquiry-Based Learning and Cognitive Load

The current study investigated how a guidance method that segments a complex task into simpler subtasks affects adults’ inquiry-based learning in a science simulation environment. In a multivariate inquiry task, participants were asked to investigate the effects of all variables in one round of inquiry. In another group, participants were guided to investigate the effect of one variable at a time. The results indicate that the guided participants conducted more systematic and comprehensive investigations and reported a lower level of cognitive load compared with the unguided participants. The current findings provide implications for designing simulation-based learning environments to facilitate learning. (Keywords: scientific reasoning, inquiry learning, guidance, science education, cognitive load)     

Designing GIS learning materials for K–12 teachers

Although previous studies have proven the usefulness and effectiveness of geographic information system (GIS) use in the K–12 classroom, the rate of teacher adoption remains low. The identified major barrier to its use is a lack of teachers’ background and experience. To solve this limitation, many organisations have provided GIS-related teacher training using various GIS learning materials. However, most materials have been developed without much consideration for the ‘users’ of these materials. This article introduces a user-centred design (UCD) approach to design and develop GIS learning materials in collaboration with a group of teachers to assist teachers in learning about and implementing GIS effectively in their classrooms. To illustrate this approach, the author presents a case study that involves developing GIS learning materials for middle school social studies teachers in Colorado, USA. As a result, the majority of teachers reported that UCD-based materials were easy to learn and follow.     

A cross-cultural approach to the adoption of open educational resources in higher education

The factors affecting the adoption of open educational resources (OER) in higher education have become a research topic of great interest as OER continue to be widely used in universities, affecting the quality of teaching and learning. The reasons for OER adoption are diverse, across both individual educators and cultural environments. This study explored determinants of OER adoption by university educators in three cultural contexts utilizing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2). Data on educators' behavioral intention to adopt OER were collected from 152 educators in three countries, Korea, Japan and the United States. In every culture, habit was the strongest determinant of this behavioral intention. Other highly significant factors affecting OER adoption by educators varied by culture. In Korea, the strongest determinant was performance expectancy, in Japan it was social influence and in the United States it was price value. The moderating effect of culture was significant on three paths of the model, and the cultural specificity affecting OER adoption was substantial. Theoretical and practical implications related to the UTAUT2 model and OER policy are discussed.     

A Methodological Case Study with Mobile Eye-Tracking of Child Interaction in a Science Museum

The field of instructional design and technology (IDT) aims to understand the interactions occurring among people and learning resources during educational experiences to inform design. This article illustrates the utility of mobile eye-tracking for research with children as a tool for IDT researchers and practitioners. Mobile eye-tracking can collect precise information concerning the learners’ visual attention and interactions in authentic environments, unlike traditional eye-tracking using a laboratory or stationary computer. Mobile eye-tracking also can be used effectively in out-of-school settings where learners walk around and interact with diverse resources. By presenting a qualitative interaction analysis, we illuminate how mobile eye-tracking supports investigating explorations in a hands-on museum. The analysis shows patterns of visual and bodily interactions with exhibits and with family members. Implications include how mobile eye-tracking can contribute to a researcher’s understanding of the child’s idiosyncratic viewpoint to examine in detail learners’ interactions and educational resources’ affordances at various educational settings.     

Concern about forecasts of national faculty shortages and the importance of local studies

The higher education popular press has published several forecasts of faculty shortages due to the mass retirement of expansion era faculty and the forecasted low numbers of doctoral graduates. These forecasts of national shortages encouraged a local study of faculty attrition in a four-campus university system. The local study considered two factors not accounted for in national studies but important locally: whether disciplinary field of study or campus location (urban or rural) has been associated with faculty attrition in the recent past and should therefore be considered when modeling demand for new faculty. Discipline and institution location were found to have no significant effect on the likelihood of faculty to continue employment from year to year when faculty age was controlled. Although retirement rate was expected to increase, no evidence of mass retirements producing an increased demand for new faculty was found. The lack of forecasted increases in demand for faculty locally led to reconsideration of national forecast studies, especially when it was determined that the age distribution of faculty across system campuses was similar to faculty nationwide. This paper questions whether there is sufficient evidence, as presented in the popular press, to support special action to increase the supply of faculty.Presented at the Thirty-first Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, San Francisco, May 26–29, 1991.     

The influence of institutional involvement in international education on United States students

This study is focused on the impact of international education upon United States students. The research question tested was: does the involvement of a US university in international education programs affect the international outlook of United States students? Seven concept areas were developed and tested on a randomly selected group of 663 United States senior students enrolled at six universities: Indiana University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Ohio State University, the University of Illinois at Urbana, and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. The analysis of variance tests used indicated that for the most part the involvement of a university in international education programs does make a difference in the international outlook of United States students.     

Unspoken Stories by North Korean and Korean-American Educators: A Trioethnography on South Korean Education

This paper articulates the challenges of the South Korean education system through a co-constructed narrative, employing duoethnographic methodology. The authors offer critical and contextualized perspectives on their personal and professional observations on the dysfunctional aspects of South Korean education including dehumanization and overachievement. Drawing upon the framework of education for sustainable development, the authors suggest implications for educational reform both at the micro and macro, and practical and conceptual levels. This study is significant in that it considers voices of educators with socio-political backgrounds often marginalized in South Korean society.