An Approach for Doctoral Students Conducting Context-Specific Review of Literature in IT,ICT, and Educational Technology

Since 1980s the rate of technological change has been phenomenal, creating an impact on the information-seeking behaviors of doctoral students and other researchers. When searching the three fields of Information Technology (IT), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Educational Technology (EdTech), it is like opening a Pandora's Box; the variation in terminology is obvious. This makes searching, managing, and evaluating sources in these interdisciplinary fields challenging, and doctoral students trying to classify and analyze technology related studies can easily be overwhelmed. We offer a systematic, practical approach for reviewing and categorizing the literature by providing key search terms, a list of e-Journals, and an organizational structure for naming and framing studies. Doctoral students navigating their way through the literature review may find our resourcesa table-of-contents, an overview of the technology-related literature, and an annotated excerpt of an examined thesis—useful for writing a critical review.     

Designing and developing a programme-focused assessment strategy: a case study

Abstract

This case study describes the process that the Humanities Programme Team, in Dublin City University’s Open Education Unit, has undertaken with regard to developing a systematic, programme-focused assessment strategy. It charts the development of an Assessment Matrix that facilitated the enhancement of programme coherence in the context of a distributed modular provision model, and facilitated the use of an appropriate range and scaffolding of assessment types in relation to learning outcomes. To conclude, four recommendations on developing a programme-focused assessment strategy are presented: explicitly link assessments to both programme and module learning outcomes; provide adequate supports and resources for those designing and writing assessments; provide those Assessment Writers with appropriate professional development, as well as an opportunity to be part of an assessment writing community; and to embed a programme-focused assessment strategy into a programme’s quality assurance processes.     

Development of a distance education assessment instrument

The study described in this article takes the view that distance education programs are dynamic systems with multiple constituencies. Literature on distance education programs as complex systems and on the critical constituency approach to program evaluation was used to guide the development of a questionnaire designed to assess the components of a distance education program. Instrument development was conducted in four phases using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The data from this study suggest that there are four major components of effectiveness in distance education programs: instruction, management, telecommuting, and support. Within each of these components there are from two to five subcomponents, 14 components in all, which can be used to assess distance education programs. The assessment scale which was developed measures these four components and their subcomponents.     

A Study Of Mathematics Anxiety in Pre-Service Teachers

The study investigated the changes in levels of mathematics anxiety among pre-service teachers in six different sections of a mathematics method courses for early childhood/elementary education pre-service teachers. The changes were a function of using Bruner’s framework of developing conceptual knowledge before procedural knowledge and using manipulatives and other activities to make mathematics concepts more concrete and meaningful. Data were collected using quantitative and qualitative measures. Two hundred forty-six pre-service teachers completed a 98-item Likert-type survey. Informal discussions, informal interviews, and questionnaire-guided narrative interviews were conducted with pre-service teachers. Data revealed a statistically significant reduction in mathematics anxiety in pre-service teachers (p < .001) who completed a mathematics methods course that emphasized Bruner’s model of concept development. Results of the study have implications for teacher education programs concerning how future teachers are trained, the measurement of mathematics anxiety levels among pre-service teachers, and the determination of specific contexts in which mathematics anxiety can be interpreted and reduced.     

Outcomes of an Education and Exercise Program for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes,and Comorbidities that Limit their Mobility: A Preliminary Project Report

Purpose: Some adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have comorbidities and mobility impairments that limit their exercise capacity. In consideration of this, we developed and piloted a program called Active Steps for Diabetes for people with T2DM, comorbidities, and mobility impairments. The purpose of this paper was to report outcomes for the pilot program. Methods: Active Steps for Diabetes, an 8-week program, included instruction on diabetes self-care andgroup and home exercise programs. Twenty-two females (62.7 ± 6.1yrs) with T2DM and self-reported mobility impairments completed the program. Six participants used a walking aid. Outcome measures included two risk factors for coronary artery disease [daily physical activity and body mass index (BMI)], cardiovascular fitness (6-minute walk distance), and knowledge of diabetes-specific exercise guidelines. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare outcomes before and after the program and between participants who did and did not use a walking aid. Results: Active Steps for Diabetes was effective in increasing daily physical activity in both groups of subjects (walking aid group: 2.6 days/week [95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.1 to 3.3]; no walking aid group: 1.9 days/week [95% CI=1.2 to 2.5]). This was accompanied by increases in 6-minute walk distances (walking aid group: 54.0 m [95% CI = 36.4 to 71.6]; no walking aid group: 62.6 m [95% CI=55.7 to 69.4]). Changes in BMI were not significant (walking aid group: −0.4 [95% CI = −1.2 to 0.4]; no walking aid group: −.24[95% CI = −.91 to .44]). Increases in knowledge of diabetes-specific exercise guidelines were observed in both groups (walking aid group: 18.8% [95% CI = 11.3 to 26.4]; no walking aid group: 19.3% [95% CI = 16.1 to 22.5]). Discussion:: Physical inactivity and low cardiovascular fitness are predictors of CAD morbidity and mortality in adults with T2DM. This pilot program suggests that a model for diabetes education, incorporating exercise programs developed by a physical therapist, may increase physical activity, improve endurance, and thereby potentially reduce CAD risk in people with T2DM and mobility impairments from comorbidities.Key Words: type 2 diabetes, physical activity     

The social field(s) of arts education today: living vulnerability in neo-liberal times

The arts are often seen as peripheral to the ‘real business’ of school and schooling. While this has been the case for some time now, the increasing pressures of high-stakes testing and ever-more draconian public funding schemes (particularly in the wake of 9/11) have created something of a ‘perfect storm’ for those working in the arts. Arts proponents today live and operate within a culture of scarcity, having to justify their increasingly marginalized vocations while competing for continually shrinking resources. The result is an often deep-bodied sense of vulnerability, one which saturates the social field (both micro and macro) of arts education in ways not often publicly acknowledged. In this article, I explore this notion of ‘vulnerability’ as a framework for understanding qualitative data which emerged from a three-year arts and education project I conducted in a large, northeast city in the USA beginning in 2003. In so doing, I look to open up a broader discussion about the oft-ignored intersection(s) between the material and aesthetic in arts and education – a discussion which is sober about the future of such work in times of economic scarcity and conservative retrenchment.     

Next generation crosscutting themes: Factors that contribute to students' understandings of size and scale

This study examined the degree to which individual differences in students' (N = 232) concepts of size and scale are explained by factors such as students' innate sense of number, out‐of‐school science experiences, exposure to size and scale instruction, gender identities, and racial/ethnic identities. There is increasing emphasis being placed on the use of crosscutting concepts to promote deep learning in science. A multiple linear regression indicated students' racial/ethnic identities, experiences with scale outside of school, and exposure to size and scale instruction significantly added to the prediction model. Results from this study can both inform the movement toward incorporating crosscutting concepts into pedagogy as well as inform educators, administrators, and other stakeholders of the factors that may shape students' understanding of the cross‐cutting concept of scale, proportion, and quantity.     

Team-Referent Attributions Among Sport Performers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a team-referent attribution scale. Conducted over three studies, Study 1 modified items from McAuley, Duncan, and Russell's (1992) Causal Dimension Scale II by rewording items to reflect team attributions and adding one item per factor. This led to the development of a 16-item scale (Causal Dimension Scale-T, CDS-T). Study 2 tested competing models of attribution theory among a sample of 433 team sport players. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated strongest support for a four-factor model (robust comparative fit index = .961; root mean squared error of approximation = .054). Study 3 tested the predictive validity of the scale among a sample of 201 team players. Results indicated that winners reported more internal and stable attributions than losers. Further, performances perceived as successful were associated with stable attributions. The results of the study, therefore, suggest that the CDS-T provides a valid measure of team-referent attributions in sport.