Firm foundations: the effectiveness of an educational psychologist developed intervention targeting early numeracy skills

This study evaluates the efficacy of a mathematics intervention devised by Essex Educational Psychology Service (EPS), UK. The intervention was designed to develop understanding and skills across four key domains within arithmetical development, by applying the principles of errorless learning, distributed practice and teaching to mastery. A quasi-experimental design was used to investigate the success of the intervention in raising the level of arithmetical skills of lower achieving pupils up to National Curriculum Level 2. The results indicated that children engaging with the intervention made significantly more progress than children not engaging with the intervention, with ratio gains of 2.51 in arithmetical skills. In addition, gains were made in mathematical reasoning.     

Exploring the Potential for Students to Develop Self-Awareness through Personalized Learning

Abstract

Personalized learning (PL) and social-emotional learning (SEL) are areas of increasing emphasis in U.S. educational policy and practice. With the goal of examining how these initiatives may be mutually supportive, this exploratory study investigates the potential for a PL experience to help middle school students develop the SEL skill of “self-awareness.” Using qualitative inquiry, we analyze reflective interviews with eleven students engaged in PL using an original self-awareness coding scheme. Our findings offer promising evidence that PL can promote self-awareness, including specific student examples, followed by recommendations for how PL and SEL efforts can be more strategically aligned.     

Large qualitative sample and thematic analysis to redefine student dropout and retention strategy in open online education

Open online education experiences persistently high dropout rates, and the efficacy of dropout interventions has been questioned. Despite considerable research, dropout reasons are not fully understood, and further in-depth investigation has been called for. Prior qualitative retention studies have frequently relied on smaller samples that are unable to generate deeper appreciation of dropout reasons. Over 200 in-depth interviews were therefore conducted with students that had dropped out of open online education. The probability-based qualitative sample facilitated capture of subthemes down to a 5% incidence level or frequency of occurrence. Thematic analysis revealed 41 subthemes within 10 broad dropout reasons. While the broad dropout themes have been identified previously, the subthemes are new and provide richer understanding. This study also captured students' suggestions for what might have prevented their dropout. Thematic analysis identified 19 subthemes within 5 broad intervention themes that respond to the root dropout causes. Many intervention subthemes address personal and learner context dropout factors that have often been considered uncontrollable and unavoidable. This paper therefore redefines dropout in open online education and offers new insights for improving retention. It also provides a strategic framework for evaluating dropouts and prioritising student-informed interventions that respond to the main dropout causes.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• Persistently high open online education dropout suggests existing interventions are ineffective.
• Prior qualitative retention studies identified the main dropout reasons, but small sample sizes failed to generate deeper insights and more in-depth investigation has been called for.

What this paper adds

• A probability-based qualitative sample of 226 participants captured dropout subthemes down to a 5% level of incidence or frequency of occurrence.
• Thematic analysis identified 41 subthemes, within 10 broad dropout reasons. These subthemes are new and offer richer understanding.
• Thematic analysis also identified 19 subthemes within 5 broad dropout intervention areas that students suggested could have prevented their dropout. These include new insights for addressing dropout causes that have often previously been considered unavoidable.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• The strategic framework provides a retention management approach that prioritises responding to the main dropout causes with student-informed interventions.
• This approach and the deeper understanding afforded by robust qualitative investigation should help reduce persistently high dropout rates.

     

Curriculum Mapping in Academic Libraries

Librarians at four different academic institutions concurrently completed curriculum mapping projects using varying methods to analyze their information literacy instruction. Curriculum mapping is a process for systematically evaluating components of an instructional program for cohesiveness, proper sequencing, and goal achievement. There is a dearth of documentation of how this process has applied to an information literacy curriculum; however, the benefits of an organized examination of course progression is clear. The librarians explored curriculum mapping using different methodologies and approaches in order to formulate a more strategic approach to teaching students information literacy skills.