Students' epistemologies about experimental physics: Validating the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics

Student learning in instructional physics labs represents a growing area of research that includes investigations of students' beliefs and expectations about the nature of experimental physics. To directly probe students' epistemologies about experimental physics and support broader lab transformation efforts at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) and elsewhere, we developed the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS). Previous work with this assessment has included establishing the accuracy and clarity of the instrument through student interviews and preliminary testing. Several years of data collection at multiple institutions has resulted in a growing national data set of student responses. Here, we report on results of the analysis of these data to investigate the statistical validity and reliability of the E-CLASS as a measure of students' epistemologies for a broad student population. We find that the E-CLASS demonstrates an acceptable level of both validity and reliability on measures of, item and test discrimination, test-retest reliability, partial-sample reliability, internal consistency, concurrent validity, and convergent validity. We also examine students' responses using Principal Component Analysis and find that, as expected, the E-CLASS does not exhibit strong factors.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, 7 tables, submitted to Phys. Rev. ST - PE

An empirical study on behavioural intention to reuse e-learning systems in rural China

The learner’s acceptance of e-learning systems has received extensive attention in prior studies, but how their experience of using e-learning systems impacts on their behavioural intention to reuse those systems has attracted limited research. As the applications of e-learning are still gaining momentum in developing countries, such as China, it is necessary to examine the relationships between e-learners’ experience and perceptions and their behavioural intention to reuse, because it is argued that system reuse is an important indicator of the system’s success. Therefore, a better understanding of the multiple factors affecting the e-learner’s intention to reuse could help e-learning system researchers and providers to develop more effective and acceptable e-learning systems. Underpinned by the information system success model, technology acceptance model and self-efficacy theory, a theoretical framework was developed to investigate the learner’s behavioural intention to reuse e-learning systems. A total of 280 e-learners were surveyed to validate the measurements and proposed research model. The results demonstrated that e-learning service quality, course quality, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and self-efficacy had direct effects on users’ behavioural intention to reuse. System functionality and system response have an indirect effect, but system interactivity had no significant effect. Furthermore, self-efficacy affected perceived ease of use that positively influenced perceived usefulness

Impact of online learning on student effort and persistence in technical college students

Includes bibliographical references

Merton College: report from the Inspectorate (FEFC inspection report; 31/96 and 91/00)

The Further Education Funding Council has a legal duty to make sure further education in England is properly assessed. The FEFC’s inspectorate inspects and reports on each college of further education according to a four-year cycle. This record comprises the reports for periods 1995-96 and 1999-2000

Measuring University Web Site Quality: A Development of a User-Perceived Instrument and its Initial Implementation to Web sites of Accounting Departments in New Zealand's Universities

The emergent popularity of Web technologies and their applications have created vast opportunities for organisations, including institutions of higher education, to stretch out for broader customers and create greater networking relationships. The global and far-reaching nature of the Web, its various interactive capabilities, and the rapid growth of the Web use worldwide have made university Web sites more essential for promotion and commercial purposes. However, it has been acknowledged that in order to gain the benefits from Web utilisation, a well-designed Web site is needed. Previous studies on quality of Web sites are not lacking, but most of them have been focussed mainly on business Web sites. Empirical research that focuses on the Web site quality of institutions of higher education has been scarce. In this study, an instrument for measuring university Web site quality was developed and validated by taking into account both the perspectives of the users and the importance of its informational content. The instrument was subsequently put to the test by implementing it for measuring and ranking the quality of Web sites of Accounting Departments in New Zealand's universities. The results from this initial application substantiated the validity and reliability of the instrument.University Web sites, Web site quality, Instrument development, Accounting Department Web sites ranking

Profiles of reform in the teaching of calculus: A study of the implementation of materials developed by the Calculus Consortium Based at Harvard (CCH) Curriculum Project

The research question addressed in this study is: What profiles of interpretation and implementation of reform in the teaching of calculus emerge from data obtained from mathematics faculty members using Calculus Consortium Based at Harvard (CCH) Curriculum Project materials? Site liaisons from mathematics departments using CCH Curriculum Project materials in 117 academic institutions, consisting of 13 secondary schools, 30 two-year colleges, 19 doctoral and research universities, and 55 other colleges and universities, completed Initial and Site Liaison Surveys. Site liaisons and 266 other instructors from 117 academic institutions completed a Faculty Survey. Six clustering scales were developed from the survey instruments that incorporated goals for reform in calculus curriculum and instruction: CONCEPTS, an emphasis on students\u27 conceptual understanding of the central ideas of calculus; APPROACH, visual, numeric, and analytic approach to all topics and real-world experiences; TEACHING, use of alternative classroom teaching practices; ASSESSMENT, use of alternative student assessment methods; TECHNOLOGY, use of calculators and computers in calculus courses; and ACCESS, accessibility of calculus to students traditionally underrepresented in calculus. Cluster analysis, using data from the surveys, identified eight groups or clusters of academic institutions. The institutions within each cluster exhibited similar patterns of interpretation and implementation of reform on the six clustering scales. Thirteen validating scales, incorporating survey items not used in the cluster analysis, were used to validate cluster solution. The study provides in-depth descriptions of each cluster from the perspectives of the participants, using participant comments that relate to each of the scales. The different patterns of reform that are revealed in the cluster descriptions demonstrate that faculty members emphasize different aspects of reform that are meaningful and important to them in their contextual situation. The study is an effort to help the reader better understand reform in calculus curriculum and instruction and recognize the complexities faced by those engaged in the reform process