An investigation of blended learning to support reading instruction in elementary schools

Educational technology research and development - Research is needed to address the possible benefits of blended learning as a form of reading instruction in elementary schools. Blended learning...     

Development of a ubiquitous learning platform based on a real‐time help‐seeking mechanism

The popularity of mobile devices has encouraged the advance of ubiquitous learning, in which students are situated in a real‐world learning environment with support from the digital world via the use of mobile, wireless communications, or even sensing technologies. Most of the ubiquitous learning systems are implemented with high‐cost sensing devices for detecting the locations or behaviours of learners; moreover, these systems mainly focus on providing learning guidance or learning materials, while facilities for supporting mutual help among students are usually ignored. In this study, we propose a context‐aware ubiquitous learning platform (CULP) which uses low‐cost cell phones with embedded cameras and Internet service to support ubiquitous learning. CULP is able to provide instant support for learners in the ubiquitous learning activity; that is, learners can receive help from the right people via the hints given by the learning system when they encounter problems during their learning activities. The experimental results of a Personal Computer‐Assembling course show that, with the assistance of the new learning platform, both the learning efficiency and the learning achievement of the students were significantly improved.     

#poetryisnotdead: understanding Instagram poetry within a transliteracies framework

Adolescents are more connected to the globalised world than ever before, with an increased prevalence of social media use amongst youth. Young people are composing multimodal creative works, including digital poetry, to share with an online audience, using platforms such as Instagram. Drawing on transliteracies theory, this case study found that three main themes appeared regarding the nature of literacy practices on Instagram. Community and interactivity were important to poets, especially in regard to feedback. The platform and complementary apps, especially those used for photo editing, afforded poets agency and fostered multimodality when composing, thus highlighting the changing nature of digitised writing practices. Value was placed on the mobility and accessibility of Instagram as a mobile app, for composing and consuming digital poetry. Young people may therefore be considered innovators of multimodal writing who employ ever‐evolving technologies to engage in authentic literacy practices in digital spaces. As a result, this study suggests that the implications of Instapoetry on English pedagogy include the increased exposure and relevance of poetry writing and appreciation, a space for student‐centred writing, reading, and analysis of poems, as well as a relevant method of peer review and collaboration.     

Examining the Creative Arts Doctorate in Australia: Implications for supervisors

Abstract

One of the significant roles performed by the higher degree research (HDR) supervisor is to assist students to prepare their dissertations for examination. At a time when there is increasing interest in how the academy manages the transition of creative arts HDR candidates from apprentice to peer, there is also concern about the processes, practices, and policies associated with this largely under-researched area of research training. In a recent national Office of Learning and Teaching funded project, we investigated the policy expectations, expert and peer beliefs and expectations, and examiners’ practice around HDR examination, and canvassed the creative arts academic community for their recommendations on best practice in the examination of creative arts doctorates. An unexpected finding was the role of the HDR supervisor in relation to these key areas, and the impact of supervisors upon the examination of students’ theses. This article presents our findings with special reference to the role, understandings, and aspirations of HDR supervisors in the context, and process, of preparing their students for creative arts HDR examination.     

A handheld preconcentrator for the rapid collection of cancerous cells using dielectrophoresis generated by circular microelectrodes in stepping electric fields

The ability to concentrate biological cells, such as circulating tumor cells, circulating fetal cells, and stem cells, is an important issue in medical diagnostics and characterization. The present study develops a handheld device capable of effectively preconcentrating cancerous cells. Circular microelectrodes were designed to generate a stepping electric field by switching the electric field to an adjacent electrode pair by relays. Cancerous cells with a positive dielectrophoretic response are guided toward the center of the circular microelectrodes due to the region of high electric field between the adjacent electrodes being gradually decreased in the direction of the stepping electric field. Numerical simulations of the electric fields were performed to demonstrate the concept of the proposed design. The preconcentration of HeLa cells, which are a human cervical carcinoma cell line, was achieved in 160 s with an efficiency of around 76%, with an applied peak-to-peak voltage of 16 V at a frequency of 1 MHz.     

Free to Learn: Helping Ex-Offenders with Reentry

Denver Public Library has taken an active role in providing services for people who have served time in prison or jail. The program Free to Learn focuses on providing resources and training to help ex-offenders with entering or reentering the workforce. Educating library staff on how to help felons also plays a critical role in the success of the program. This article provides information on how Denver Public Library helps ex-offenders apply for a job and respond to “the felony question.”     

An ontology of RPL: improving non-traditional learners' access to the recognition of prior learning through a philosophy of recognition

This article considers the underachievement of RPL in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system, in terms of its apparent failure to reach and achieve outcomes for marginalised groups. It notes a range of analyses that are currently used to address this concern and draws on doctoral research in progress to highlight ontological questions that are brought to the process by RPL candidates. Axel Honneth's theory of recognition is then introduced as a means to shed light on these issues. Viewing RPL through the lens of a philosophy of recognition and the concept of ontological security the article asks questions about the nature and effects of the assessor–candidate relationship, inviting consideration of this relationship as an intersubjective exchange within a wider, more fundamental ‘struggle for recognition’. It is argued that a more ontological perspective could provide a framework for increasing access to and successful completion of RPL by non-traditional learners.     

Factors Influencing Interest in Research among Criminal Justice Students

This study explores factors influencing research interest (RI) among criminal justice students. The participants were 328 students at a mid‐western university. Results of a path analysis indicated that quantitative and computer skills and writing skills were significant predictors of RI. Statistics anxiety was a significant negative predictor of research design skills, practical research skills, and quantitative and computer skills. It also indirectly predicted RI via quantitative and computer skills. Statistics self‐efficacy was a significant predictor of research design skills, practical research skills, quantitative and computer skills, and writing skills, and also indirectly predicted RI via quantitative and computer skills as well as writing skills.