Making sense of learner and learning Big Data: reviewing five years of Data Wrangling at the Open University UK

Most distance learning institutions collect vast amounts of learning data. Making sense of this ‘Big Data’ can be a challenge, in particular when data are stored at different data warehouses and require advanced statistical skills to interpret complex patterns of data. As a leading institute on learning analytics, the Open University UK instigated in 2012 a Data Wrangling initiative. This provided every Faculty with a dedicated academic with expertise data analysis and whose task is to provide strategic, pedagogical and sense-making advice to staff and senior management. Given substantial changes within the OU (e.g. new Faculty structure, real-time dashboards, two large-scale adoptions of predictive analytics approaches, increased reliance on analytics), this embedded case study provides an in-depth review of lessons learned of five years of data wrangling. We will elaborate on the design of the new structure, its strengths and potential weaknesses, and affordances to be adopted by other institutions.     

Pedagogical practices of NetNZ teachers for supporting online distance learners

A supportive online learning environment entails teachers using effective pedagogical practices to meet the needs of their students and developing a positive teacher–student relationship to foster learner motivation and engagement. This paper reports a study investigating how 32 secondary teachers in New Zealand taught their online distance classes and how they related to their students. These classes were administered by NetNZ, an online distance education community. An online survey conducted in 2016 found that NetNZ teachers used inquiry-based practices including flipped learning and knowledge-building pedagogies to support agency, autonomy, collaboration, and community development. They also used synchronous and asynchronous communication technologies to overcome barriers of relationship building in online settings. NetNZ was unique in delivering distance education in the New Zealand context in that it used a community approach to encourage a more active participation of its member schools and teachers in delivering distance courses to secondary students.     

混合式学习环境下学生网上讨论的成效及影响因素研究

混合式学习能够整合课堂面授学习方式与在线学习方式的优势,被认为是高等教育机构应对未来挑战和实现教育创新的有效而风险较低的策略。以北京大学一门通选课作为研究案例,针对混合式教学环境下学生网上讨论的成效及影响因素进行的实证研究发现：混合式教学中的网上讨论确实可以为教学提供帮助,总体来看,学生在＂知识＂和＂理解＂这两个低阶思维能力方面获得了较大的提高,而在＂分析＂、＂综合＂、＂评价＂等高阶思维能力方面并没有得到普遍的提高;＂讨论话题设置＂和＂个体对网上讨论的态度＂是影响网上讨论成效的最显著因素,＂对讨论的激励机制＂对网上讨论成效也有较大影响。     

融合国际理解教育思想的国际远程协作学习研究与实践

国际理解教育是一种引进与输出相统一的教育,其目标是通过对人才的国际化培养,最终在全球建立一种＂和平文化＂。我国当前高等教育的人才培养模式,已经不能满足社会对国际化人才数量和质量的需求,而开展国际理解教育正是实现此目标的重要培养途径之一。中国东北师范大学现代教育技术研究所与日本冈山理科大学研究所采用视频会议系统和社会性软件为中日两国学生提供了实时交流和非实时交流的远程协作平台,历时5年的项目研究表明,中方学生在知识视野、认知技能、情感态度及价值观三个层面的国际理解能力都有明显的提高。我国高等教育院校和机构在培养国际化人才的过程中,应进一步强调开放式学习的理念,创新高等教育教学模式,强化国际理解教育的人才培养目标,构建稳定的国际交流体系。     

国外远程教育研究的重点和发展趋势——基于国外远程教育研究成果的定量分析

ERIC数据库是教育领域中最大、最负盛名的国际级教育类资料库。ERIC数据库收录的远程教育类研究成果始于1972年,截至2010年,共12402篇文献。这些文献通过文献计量分析发现：国外远程教育研究已步入研究成果产出相对稳定的成熟期;文献来源渠道众多,以学术期刊为主;文献类型丰富,以期刊论文和研究报告为主;研究内容广泛,教育层次、教学设计、教学方法、相关技术的研究以及技术在远程教育中的应用研究一直是该领域的重点研究内容。当前国外远程教育的应用已经发展到大学以及研究生教育,研究逐渐向传统教育转变,开始关注教育政策、师生关系、互动、混合学习以及新技术在远程教育中的应用。     

基于复杂网络方法的远程教育网站实证研究

目前我国远程教育网站存在资源数量多,但内容联系不够紧密、信息搜索耗时长、信息的安全性与网站的稳定性较差等问题。复杂网络研究可以通过实证方法度量网络的结构特征和形成规则．进而预测网络系统的行为。中关远程教育网站经复杂网络方法实证分析发现：远程教育网站的建设要有统一的规划,要注意信息的排布、层次结构的架构以及内容的联系,提高信息的利用率,并建立有效的病毒防护和故障排除机制。利用复杂网络的链路预测方法和免疫策略还可以在远程教育网站中实现推荐机制和病毒防护。     

基于m-相依序列的学习机器相对一致收敛的界

为了研究m-相依序列下学习机器的推广性能,把基于独立同分布的结果推广到m-相依序列,建立采用ERM算法的学习机器的经验风险到它的期望风险相对一致收敛速率的界.并对m-相依序列现有的结论进行改进,得到了m-相依序列下,采用经验风险最小化算法学习机器的推广性能的界.     

高职非英语专业新生英语词汇学习策略运用的研究

笔者从学生默写、作业和试卷中发现高职学生在词汇记忆和运用上存在不少问题,本文试采用问卷和采访两种方式,对高职某班非英语专业新生的英语词汇学习策略的运用进行了调查。在此基础上,本文提出了培养和提高学生词汇记忆能力和词汇运用能力的建议。     

Comparing active delay and procrastination from a self-regulated learning perspective

Researchers have proposed that the act of postponing academic work may be divided into a traditional definition of procrastination, viewed as maladaptive, and adaptive forms of delay. Adaptive forms of delay may be more consistent with certain facets of self-regulated learning. The current study investigated this issue by examining whether the relations between aspects of self-regulated learning and active delay may be distinct from the relations these aspects of self-regulated learning have with procrastination. Among 206 undergraduates, procrastination was positively predicted by mastery-avoidance goals and negatively by metacognitive strategy usage, whereas active delay was negatively predicted by avoidance goals and positively by self-efficacy. Furthermore, students who reported higher levels of active delay also received better grades. These findings provide support that active delay is a distinct form of delay from procrastination that may be more positive due to its associations with some adaptive self-regulatory processes and academic achievement.     

信息环境下西部地区大学生英语学习现状及其原因分析——以四川外语学院为例

信息技术影响到外语教与学的方方面面。对学生进行调查后发现,近半数学生喜欢通过网络和手机等电子工具学习英语;有1／3左右的学生喜欢通过虚拟学习环境学习英语;只有很少一部分学生喜欢去自主学习中心学习英语。从学生视角对造成上述现象原因进行分析有助于帮助学生提高学习能力。