Long Nav or Short Nav?: Student Responses to Two Different Navigational Interface Designs in LibGuides Version 2

This study used two successive phases of usability testing to evaluate two different versions of a Communication 430 course LibGuide. The first version of this guide had a longer, more visually complex navigation menu, with more course-related research information directly accessible through this menu. The second version had a shorter, less complex menu that offered less directly accessible information. Twenty-four of the 33 students enrolled in the class (73%) tested either one version or the other for usability in completing tasks that simulate course-related research assignments, ultimately indicating they found the longer navigation menu more usable. This paper may be the first to describe the engagement of students enrolled in a course in testing a LibGuide dedicated specifically to that course. As such, it will be of interest to many academic librarians and instructional design professionals.     

高校博物馆研学旅行的发展历程、现实境况与优化策略

高校博物馆研学旅行的发展历经蓄势积淀、起步发展阶段,目前正处于快速发展阶段。我国高校博物馆研学旅行教育资源丰富,研学旅行市场需求旺盛,但在高校博物馆研学课程建设和研学配套资源供给方面存在欠缺,影响高校博物馆高质量研学旅行活动的开展。鉴于此,本文从立足独特馆藏资源、抓住时代发展机遇、加强研学课程开发、优化研学配套资源供给等四个方面提出新时期高校博物馆研学旅行的优化策略,以期打造高质量的高校博物馆研学旅行活动,充分释放高校博物馆的教育潜能。     

The Development and Evaluation of Procedures to Assess Child Self-report Item Validity

Cognitive pretesting (CP) is an interview methodology for pretesting the validity of items during the development of self-report instruments. The present research evaluates a systematic approach to the analysis of CP data. Materials and procedures were developed to rate self-report item performance with CP interview text data. Five raters were trained in the application of that system. Estimates of inter-rater reliability found acceptable to substantial levels of inter-rater agreement. Results from the present study suggest that excellent inter-rater reliability can be achieved in the evaluation of CP data. Guidelines for systematically rating the qualitative data collected using CP methods are provided. Future research should focus on empirical demonstrations of how such rating procedures can lead to improvements in self-report instruments.     

The portole project: supporting e-learning

The PORTOLE (Providing Online Resources To Online Learning Environments) Project was a JISC-funded project which sought to produce a range of tools for tutors which could be used to enable them to discover information resources and to embed these into their course modules from within a University Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The VLE in use at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford is the Bodington system. A key deliverable of the Project was to produce tools that were designed with ease of incorporation into other VLE environments in mind. This paper discusses the background to the project and the key outcomes. A working service has been developed and is now being tested and evaluated with academic staff.     

Open learning formats in high performance training

Corporate training strategies which seek to improve the performances of organisations and their employees are now likely to incorporate a number of open learning formats. Where training strategies are geared to improving skill performances, and where the productivity of organisations depends upon such improvements, the use of open learning becomes vital. In this article, Peter Bowen, Company Training Manager of W. H. Smith & Son Limited and a Director of Management Performance Limited, considers the practice and promise of open learning as an instrument of performance training. His argument is based upon recent experience with print and computer‐based learning systems in W. H. Smith.     

Empathic design: imagining the cognitive and emotional learner experience

Educational technology research and development - In an effort to create meaningful user experiences, instructional designers participate in continuous projection and reflection during design....     

Using student-generated questions for student-centred assessment

In small groups, medical students were involved in generating questions to contribute to an online item bank. This study sought to support collaborative question‐writing and enhance students’ metacognitive abilities, in particular, their ability to self‐regulate learning and moderate understanding of subject material. The study focused on supporting students to write questions requiring higher order cognitive processes. End‐of‐year formal examinations comprised 25% student‐generated questions (SGQs), while mid‐year examination items were completely unseen. Data were gathered from repeated administration of a questionnaire and from examination results. No statistically significant changes were identified in self‐rated monitoring of understanding and regulation of learning. The activity of generating questions supported students to work collaboratively in developing questions and answers. The bank of questions was appreciated by students as a source of revision material, even though it was not strongly focused on higher order processes. Based on scores, it would appear that many students chose to memorise the question bank as a ‘high‐yield’ strategy for mark inflation, paradoxically favouring surface rather than deep learning. The study has not identified directly improvements in metacognitive capacity and this is an area for further investigation. Continual refinement of the study method will be undertaken, with an emphasis on education of students in developing questions addressing higher order cognitive processes. Although students may have memorised the questions and answers, there is no evidence that they do not understand the information.