Analysis of McCarthy Learning Styles and Integration of Critical and Creative Thinking

Bernice McCarthy has devised an instructional and organizational model that has been used in the United States since 1979. The model addresses an experiential cycle of learning that takes one from personal meaning to creativity. The use of this model helps people to understand and respect others, to communicate, and to think at higher levels. This thesis offers the McCarthy model as a foundation for structuring learning experiences. It begins with a literature review which discusses the theoretical origins of McCarthy\u27s model. In evaluating this model for its inherent critical and creative thinking skills, however, the author finds several areas that could be improved. These areas are designing activities which intentionally teach specific thinking skills along with subject content and providing more opportunities for student metacognition along with identification of the thinking skills and processes. The author further recommends that the use of free/open ended exploration in the start of any activity or exercise, would improve self directed learning along with critical and creative thinking skills and organizational skills. This may lead to greater student interest and learning. Attention to these ideas is found in the author\u27s restructuring of a McCarthy sample lesson. The author also fashions general guidelines for the further integration of thinking skill practices concerning individual styles of learning. Further application is provided for the reader in the author\u27s development of one critical and creative thinking skills lesson that is imbedded in learning about chicken feathers. Lesson activities incorporate cooperative learning strategies that foster group decision making skills. The fundamental requirements of our democratic society provide an effective rationale for focusing on thinking. Democracy, rests on informed, thoughtful, creative citizens. Teaching for thinking and creativity is essential and must include all learning styles. Teaching to this end can result with skilled thinkers, who are able to cope better with personal and societal problems, and furthermore, live as innovative lifelong learners who remain open to new experiences and ideas throughout life

Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework

Machado, D. S-M., & Santos, V. (2023). Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework. International Journal of Automation and Smart Technology, 13(1), [2423]. https://doi.org/10.5875/ausmt.v13i1.2423The article finds context and the current state of the art in a systematic literature review on intelligent systems employing PRISMA Methodology which is complemented with narrative literature review on disabilities, digital accessibility and legal and standards context. The main conclusion from this review was the existing gap between the available knowledge, standards, and law and what is put into practice in higher education institutions in Portugal. Design Science Research Methodology was applied to output an Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework aiming to help higher education professors to share accessible pedagogic content and deliver on-line and presential classes with a high level of accessibility for students with different types of disabilities, assessing the uploaded content with Web content Accessibility Guidelines 3.0, clustering students according to their profile, conscient feedback and emotional assessment during content consumption, applying predictive models and signaling students at risk of failing classes according to study habits and finally applying a recommender system. The framework was validated by a focus group to which experts in digital accessibility, information systems and a disabled PhD graduate.publishersversionpublishe

System design and architecture of an online, adaptive, and personalized learning platform

Thesis (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-82).The author proposes that personalized learning can be brought to traditional and nontraditional learners through a new type of asynchronous learning platform called Guided Learning Pathways (GLP). The GLP platform allows learners to intelligently traverse a vast field of learning resources, emphasizing content only of direct relevance to the learner and presenting it in a way that matches the learner's pedagogical preference and contextual interests. GLP allows learners to advance towards individual learning goals at their own pace, with learning materials catered to each learner's interests and motivations. Learning communities would support learners moving through similar topics. This thesis describes the software system design and architecture required to support Guided Learning Pathways. The author provides detailed information on eight software applications within GLP, including specific learning benefits and features of each. These applications include content maps, learning nuggets, and nugget recommendation algorithms. A learner scenario helps readers visualize the functionality of the platform. To describe the platform's software architecture, the author provides conceptual data models, process flow models, and service group definitions. This thesis also provides a discussion on the potential social impact of GLP in two areas: higher education institutions and the broader economy.by Cole J. Shaw.S.M.in Technology and Polic

Interactive learning systems for higher education: Learning styles and students' attitude

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This dissertation reports research concerning the adaptation of learning systems to students' different learning styles (LSs), particularly in relation to the analysis and planning of Interactive Learning Systems (ILSs). Given the primacy of Interactive Learning and its pedagogical implication on educational designs, the motivation for this research is better understanding of students' different learning preferences and perceptions of Computer Mediated Learning Interactions (CMLIs), as this may present some insights into what and how interactivity can be incorporated more purposefully and efficiently into learning systems designs. This research undertakes a review of the literature relating to LSs' theories, which have been used to explore how individual learners approach learning, as well as different Learning Interactions in relation to Interactive Learning Systems (ILSs). The work undertaken in this research makes its contribution to the field in that it represents one of the first explicit investigations of the relationship between students' LSs (Active-Reflective/Visual Verbal dimensions) and their attitude towards different CMLIs that constitute essential part of ILSs, in terms of use, perceptions and learning preferences, from the users' (learners) perspective rather than the teachers and/or designers of these systems. The research provides evidence to support the differing views of learners of different LSs as well as evidence of common attitudes towards certain CMLIs. However, it warns against and highlights some of the limitations of using the LSs in isolation and the importance of considering other factors and aspects of students' individual differences. A model is proposed to guide the planning and design of ILSs, and to raise the designers' and teachers' awareness of learners' differences and call upon them to take necessary steps to consider actual learners' LSs in the learning design. Implications of the findings in terms of interactivity design considerations are discussed; research limitations and recommendations for future work are made

Technologies to enhance self-directed learning from hypertext

With the growing popularity of the World Wide Web, materials presented to learners in the form of hypertext have become a major instructional resource. Despite the potential of hypertext to facilitate access to learning materials, self-directed learning from hypertext is often associated with many concerns. Self-directed learners, due to their different viewpoints, may follow different navigation paths, and thus they will have different interactions with knowledge. Therefore, learners can end up being disoriented or cognitively-overloaded due to the potential gap between what they need and what actually exists on the Web. In addition, while a lot of research has gone into supporting the task of finding web resources, less attention has been paid to the task of supporting the interpretation of Web pages. The inability to interpret the content of pages leads learners to interrupt their current browsing activities to seek help from other human resources or explanatory learning materials. Such activity can weaken learner engagement and lower their motivation to learn. This thesis aims to promote self-directed learning from hypertext resources by proposing solutions to the above problems. It first presents Knowledge Puzzle, a tool that proposes a constructivist approach to learn from the Web. Its main contribution to Web-based learning is that self-directed learners will be able to adapt the path of instruction and the structure of hypertext to their way of thinking, regardless of how the Web content is delivered. This can effectively reduce the gap between what they need and what exists on the Web. SWLinker is another system proposed in this thesis with the aim of supporting the interpretation of Web pages using ontology based semantic annotation. It is an extension to the Internet Explorer Web browser that automatically creates a semantic layer of explanatory information and instructional guidance over Web pages. It also aims to break the conventional view of Web browsing as an individual activity by leveraging the notion of ontology-based collaborative browsing. Both of the tools presented in this thesis were evaluated by students within the context of particular learning tasks. The results show that they effectively fulfilled the intended goals by facilitating learning from hypertext without introducing high overheads in terms of usability or browsing efforts

A Longitudinal Study on Boosting Students’ Performance with a Learning Companion

This study examines the impact of a coded virtual learning companion (LC) that interacts with students of an introductory information systems class throughout the semester. The LC is designed to motivate, advise on time management strategies, and study collaboratively. We conducted a between-subject longitudinal field experiment to investigate the LC’s impact on student motivation, time management, and learning outcomes. Statistical analysis, including a PLS-SEM model, shows that the LC significantly (p \u3c 0.05) improves extrinsic motivation, challenge, short-term planning, and time attitudes. A multiple mediator analysis confirms the role of motivation and time management as mediators between LC use and learning outcomes (subjective knowledge and exam scores). In addition, we conducted a qualitative workshop with the target group to identify barriers to LC adoption and derive mitigation strategies. Overall, our study reveals great potential to facilitate learning with LCs in higher education