Competition in individualized CAI

Designers of computer-based practice systems give primary attention to aspects of cognitive learning. However, observations of students practicing arithmetic, with two CAI systems widely used in Israel, revealed factors in the computer learning environment that substantially affected students' social behavior, particularly with respect to competition and cooperation in the course of learning. A questionnaire was designed on the basis of the observations to examine the effects of these factors in CAI work. It was administered to 457 fourth graders in 16 classes (two CAI systems x two SES categories x two schools x two classes). While neither CAI system was intended to foster competition, the observations and questionnaire data suggested that one encourages social comparison and competition whereas the other discourages these features and encourages cooperation and peer help. Boys appear to be significantly more competitive than girls. One system, compared with the other, significantly increases competitive behavior of high achievers (but not of low achievers); results in teachers' greater encouragement of social comparison and competition among students; and, as used in the schools we studied, causes disadvantaged students rather than advantaged students to develop negative feelings because of low CAI performance. The other system discourages competitive behavior and encourages cooperation. All these findings bear important implications for the instructional design of computer-based learning environments.     

The department-wide approach to improving faculty instruction in higher education: A qualitative evaluation

This study applies qualitative methods to evaluate a model for the improvement of university teaching. According to this model, a departmental instruction specialist comprehensively treats issues concerning the quality of instruction within the department. This specialist gets to personally know all faculty members in need of teaching improvement and initiates preventive measures prior to the development of severe problems in instruction. Two years of implementation in the Physics Department at Tel Aviv University have shown an increase in quality of instruction and in faculty motivation and attitudes toward both instruction and students, suggesting that this approach has potential for department-wide teaching improvement. This article illustrates the complexities of the processes underlying teaching improvement, the longitudinal effort required to comprehensively improve instruction, and the reasons for failure and success in these efforts.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association, Atlanta, GA, April 1993.     

Using a single score for summative teacher evaluation by students

In spite of the hundreds of studies done on teacher evaluation by student ratings, there are still several major controversial issues of how to construct evaluation instruments that best serve their purpose. The present study contributes to one of the ongoing debates of recent years that addresses the number of teaching dimensions to be considered in decision making, namely, whether to use a single score or multiple scores for teacher evaluation. The study demonstrates using a short form on which the global score overall teaching performance can almost perfectly predict the mean of all teacher-attribute items. The questionnaire used in this study was administered eight times—twice a semester for two years—for all faculty members and TAs in the departments of physics and chemistry at Tel Aviv University. The composition of teacher attribute items was different for the faculty members and TAs, reflecting their different teaching functions—lectures versus recitation problem solving. Results show that while for the faculty the global score can simply replace the mean of all instructor-attribute items and serve as a single score that faithfully represents all dimensions of teacher ratings, for the TAs, a linear transformation is needed.     

Becoming a better teacher: A case of changing the pedagogical knowledge and beliefs of law professors

Two instructors, given the lowest ratings by students in theschool of law at a research university in Israel, were interviewed,rated by students, and videotaped in classes twice: before and afterthey went through a treatment for improving instruction. Throughout theintervention period, several of their students were also interviewedregarding their instruction. Ratings by students of the same course inthe years previous to, and following, the treatment were also recorded.An analysis of the pre-treatment data identified three general factorsthat diminished students' ability to pay attention to and understandtheir teaching, thus causing their teaching to be perceived by studentsas poor. These three factors were: personal characteristics andaptitudes that negatively affect classroom behavior; lack ofsufficient pedagogical knowledge, and damaging thinking and beliefsregarding instruction and students. The four-month intensive treatmentshowed success in modifying and changing for the better most of thedamaging factors and in increasing instructional effectiveness. Thesignificant increase in student satisfaction from instruction thatresulted from the intervention was maintained for at least eight monthsafter the end of treatment. A principal conclusion is that for improvinginstruction of teachers perceived as poor by students, it is necessaryto modify not only the teachers' classroom behaviors but also theirpersonal characteristics and their beliefs about teaching and students– especially those that damage the effectiveness of theirinstruction.     

Who Prefers What? Disciplinary Differences in Students' Preferred Approaches to Teaching and Learning Styles

This study develops a tool for identifying students' preferred teaching approaches, with high internal consistency for the scales involved. We examined these preferences in relation to students' approaches to learning and to two academic disciplines with contrasting academic environments. The sample consisted of 175 engineering and education undergraduates at a major university in Israel. Responses to our questionnaire revealed students' preferences for four approaches that correspond to the four main instructional approaches that had been identified in research based on teachers' sources. Students' most favored teaching approach is the lecturer who is organized, clear, and interesting, and the second, with a large gap from the first, is the instructor who provides for students' needs in learning. The two approaches least favored are information-transmission and promotion of self-regulation. Students with different approaches to learning preferred teaching approaches that best served their learning approaches. There were few discipline-related differences in students' preferences, in spite of the very different learning environments. However, all participants preferred teaching approaches that they perceived as beneficial for learning but that they had not often experienced, if at all.     

The computer as a tutor — can it adapt to the individual learner?

Educational literature indicates that computers have not yet completely fulfilled the promise for systematic individualization of instruction. We offer here a partial explanation for this, based on observations of elementary-school children doing computer-managed drill and practice in arithmetic in four different CAI systems. A general model for adaptation of instruction to the learner, using computerized management of practice, is presented. Our data show that the key elements of this process — the software-based students' evaluations and the subsequent decisions — are sometimes inaccurate or even totally wrong and result in presentation of inappropriate material or feedback to the learner. We suggest the incorporation of human teachers into the evaluation and decision-making process.This paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston, April, 1990.     

Improving instruction of veteran physics professors

In spite of the abundance of publications describing university faculty development programs and activities, little is known about the effectiveness of such programs on specific disciplines or subject areas. The fact that differences have been identified in the dimensions on which students of different university departments rate their teachers suggests that instructors of different departments need different types of programs for teaching improvement. This article describes a study that has looked into methods for improving instruction of university physics full professors with many years of teaching experience. Two methods for this aim were examined for effectiveness: a workshop and individualized consultation, both augmenting students' midterm ratings of their instructors. Analysis of pre- and postworkshop questionnaires reveals impressive improvement on the majority of items, particularly those of specific teaching techniques discussed in the workshop, but not on the global ratings of the teacher. The special consultation procedure has been shown to bring about substantial increase on overall teaching performance. We conclude that veteran teachers are often unable to improve significantly their overall teaching performance when provided with midterm feedback from students' questionnaires or when participating in a workshop for teaching improvement. Improving their instruction requires substantial and continuous expert consultation as well as investing substantial time and efforts of their own.     

Effects of audiovisual stimuli on learning through microcomputer-based class presentation

This study examined the differential effects of color, animation and nonverbal sounds incorporated into microcomputer software, on the learning of geometric concepts. The experimental software provided teachers with a detailed lesson outline to be used with one large-screen monitor for whole-class instruction. The stimulus version of the software used all three audiovisual factors as one cueing factor. The no-stimulus version presented the same screen display except in monochrome, with no animations or sound. Ninety-two ninth-grade students, randomly assigned to two treatment groups, answered two aptitude tests, two geometric pre-tests, two geometric immediate post-tests and two one-month delayed post-tests. Two 40-minute computer-guided lessons were delivered by the same teacher using the same software varying only the stimulus treatment. Results revealed significantly better immediate and delayed learning of the stimulus group over the other group. Beneficial effects of the stimulus treatment showed to be inconsistent across post-tests for the learning of either low- or high-aptitude students.     

Self learning of negative number concepts by lower division elementary students through solving computer-provided numerical problems

Research has identified difficulties in students' understanding of concepts of either signed or negative numbers and in operations on these numbers. The present study examines the feasibility of teaching certain negative number concepts and procedures to students of a much younger age than is presently done in schools. The method suggested employs the computer for promoting autonomous learning processes through solving challenging problems that are adapted to students' aptitudes, using the number line as an intuitive model. Two fourth grade classes served as the treatment and no-treatment groups. The findings support prior evidence that students have pre-instructional intuitions and informal knowledge of negative numbers and can perform simple operations on them. Such knowledge and intuitions show for high achievers to a much larger extent than for low achievers. Students' related misconceptions are also identified. Pre- and post-treatment tests and interviews reveal that students who received the treatment gained significantly more than those in the no-treatment group regarding all but one of the concepts and procedures of the negative numbers and on the overall score on the test. Low achievers gained at least as much as the high achievers, indicating that the method used here of adjusting the level of challenge to students' aptitude works well. Performing operations on negative numbers proves to be particularly difficult for the lower-achieving students.This research was supported by the BASIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION administered by the ISRAEL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES.