Exploring The Influences on Cyber Education in a Bilingual Higher Institution

This paper presents the research study which explores the variables influencing the learning effectiveness of the students taking an online introductory information technology course in cyber education in a bilingual higher education institution in Hong Kong. These variables are: (1) student's English proficiency, (2) instructor's guidance in an online discussion forum and (3) peer students' collaboration in an online discussion forum. Correlation analysis was adopted to identify whether any of these variables could be potential factors on the students 'learning performance while multiple regression analysis was performed to explore the combined effect of these variables on the students' learning performance. Validity and reliability of this research study are highlighted in this paper. Finally, the research findings are discussed

Artists Becoming Teachers: Expressions of Identity Transformation in a Virtual Forum

This article is an investigation of art and design graduates' identities as they embark upon their training as teachers. The expressive, 'confessional' nature of forum posts from their Virtual Learning Environment are analysed in relation to the students' identity transformation into teachers. This transition is profound in the case of artist teachers, for whom the contrast between their practice as a critical artist and that of a regulated professional can be severe. The usage of these socially-oriented virtual forums, and the students' identity transition is analysed in terms of identity theorists such as Butler, hooks and Wenger. There are problems of expression that are brought about by the juxtaposition of visually and spatially adept artist-learners constrained within a largely textual environment, yet this impediment appears to be ameliorated by their social-expressive exploitation of the forums

Variability in University Students’ Use of Technology: An 'Approaches to Learning' Perspective

This study reports the results of a cross-case study analysis of how students’ approaches to learning are demonstrated in blended learning environments. It was initially propositioned that approaches to learning as key determinants of the quality of student learning outcomes are demonstrated specifically in how students utilise technology in blended learning contexts. Three case studies were conducted in a teaching-focused university and the findings of each case were examined across the case studies to determine their relatability. Prominent themes from the cases showed that a deep approach can be consistent with an intentionally selective use of facilities within the online environment. Similarly, a strategic approach can also be consistent with overall higher levels of online activity. Conclusions highlight that approaches to learning within a blended learning context are dependent on the level and the quality of the face-to-face as well as online instruction

Temporal issues in e-learning research: A literature review

Time is a critical factor in learning, but time is also a very complicated factor that has many facets. Time can be as follows: time needed to prepare a course or lesson (ie, for the instructor to gather materials and design/develop a course or lesson), time needed to follow a course or lesson (ie, the planned, nominal study time that the institution allots for the learner in minutes and/or hours per day or the number of weeks per semester/year that the course encompasses), lifetime of a course (ie, how long a course can be used before it needs to be revised and/or is out of date), time that a student needs for study (ie, both in and out of class), time that an instructor needs and/or uses to teach a course (ie, the number of hours per day both during and beyond the “school” day for preparation, correction, feedback and marking of products and exams), “transaction” time costs (eg, the amount of travel time needed to attend a course or to log into an online course) and even time that a learner can make effective use of the knowledge gained (ie, half-life of the information in a course). Time can also be seen as an effectiveness factor (ie, the amount learned in a specific time period; learning more in the same time period is more effective learning) and/or efficiency factor (ie, the amount of time needed to learn something; learning the same amount in less time is more efficient learning). Time can, finally, be seen as a solitary factor or as part of a temporal pattern inwhich other factors play a role such aswork time, family time, down time, etc

Modelo explicativo del efecto de los enfoques de aprendizaje sobre el rendimiento y el papel modulador de la dedicación temporal

p. 447-462La investigación previa pone de manifiesto cierta influencia de los enfoques de aprendizaje sobre el rendimiento, asociándose generalmente el enfoque profundo a aprendizajes de mayor calidad y el superficial a menores rendimientos. El objetivo de este estudio es profundizar en los mecanismos que intervienen en esta relación, analizando el papel modulador del tiempo de dedicaciónN

Explorando uma outra cultura : concepções de aprendizagem nas crianças de etnia cigana

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia (área de especialização em Psicologia Escolar e da Educação)O principal foco deste estudo passa pela análise das concepções de aprendizagem na etnia cigana. Assim, pretende-se verificar que tipo de concepções possuem os alunos ciganos e averiguar acerca da mudança dos seus discursos pela frequência do programa Sarilhos do Amarelo (Rosário, Nuñez & González-Pienda, 2007a). Pela revisão bibliográfica efectuada verificou-se que as concepções de aprendizagem afectam as próprias abordagens à aprendizagem, e vice-versa, exercendo também influência sobre a motivação e o rendimento académico. A aprendizagem e, em consequência, as concepções de aprendizagem, podem ser influenciadas pela cultura, o que nos remete para a importância de estudar a cultura cigana e percepcionar que relações existem entre estes conceitos e a etnia. As crenças mantidas pelos ciganos acerca da escolarização, dos professores e da própria escola actuam como factores inibidores do seu sucesso escolar, não esquecendo a importância dada às suas tradições e costumes (e.g., casamento precoce). Estes factores podem actuar no sentido de impulsionar concepções superficiais, pois os objectivos dos ciganos são essencialmente instrumentais, o que constitui um problema, pois não nos esqueçamos do elevado nível de iliteracia, absentismo e insucesso escolar. O que, em conjunto com a ausência de estudos sobre as concepções de aprendizagem em comunidades minoritárias como a etnia cigana, apontam para a necessidade de repensar esta problemática. De forma a analisar as semelhanças e diferenças das concepções de aprendizagem dos alunos ciganos, procedeu-se à realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas, cujo conteúdo foi analisado segundo uma linha fenomenográfica que nos permitiu obter uma descrição de segunda ordem das concepções de aprendizagem, isto é, permitiu-nos analisar o mundo e a experiencia do aprender através da perspectiva dos alunos ciganos. Este estudo constitui um estudo de caso, permitindo uma visão compreensiva e integradora do fenómeno. Com este estudo podemos concluir que os alunos ciganos, pela característica instrumental dos seus objectivos e pelas concepções superficiais demonstradas, provavelmente adoptam abordagens superficiais nas tarefas de aprendizagem. As influências sociais assim como a experiência positiva, salientadas pelos alunos, podem actuar como factores chave na promoção de sucesso destes. O programa Sarilhos do Amarelo (Rosário et al., 2007a) revelou ser eficaz no sentido do ensino e promoção de competências auto-regulatórias, o que, em consequência, poderá promover uma aprendizagem mais rica, passando por uma mudança nas próprias concepções de aprendizagem.The main focus of this study goes through the analysis of the learning conceptions in Gypsies. We intend to verify which type of conceptions the gypsies students possess and inquire about the change in their speeches, by the frequency of the program's Sarilhos do Amarelo (Rosário, Nuñez & González- Pienda, 2007a). By the literature‟s review carried out, it‟s been verified that the conceptions of learning affect their approaches to learning, and vice versa, also exerting influence on the motivation and the academic‟ s achievement. Learning, and consequently the conceptions of learning, may be influenced by culture, which brings us to the importance of studying the gypsy‟s culture and perceiving that there are relationships between these concepts and ethnicity. The beliefs held by Gypsies, about schooling, teachers and the school itself may act as inhibiting factors of their academic‟s success, not forgetting the importance attached to their traditions and customs (e.g., early marriage). These factors may act, in the way to impulse shallow conceptions, because the objectives of the gypsies are primarily instrumental, which constitutes a problem, adding the high level of illiteracy, truancy and academic failure. And, together with the absence of studies on conceptions of learning in minority communities like the Gypsy, point us to the need to rethink this issue. In order to examine the similarities and differences of the learning concepts of gypsy students, we proceeded to the performing of interviews, whose contents were analyzed by a phenomenographic framework, that allowed us to obtain a second order description of the learning concepts, in other words allowed us to analyze the world and the experience of learning through the perspective of Gypsy students. This study forms a case-study, allowing a comprehensive and inclusive vision of the phenomenon. With this study, we conclude that the Gyps students, by their instrumental characteristic of their objectives and the shallow concepts demonstrated, probably adopting shallow approaches in learning tasks. The social influences, and the positive experience, highlighted by the students, may act as key factors in promotion of their success. The program Sarilhos do Amarelo (Rosário et al., 2007a), proved, itself, effective in teaching and promoting self-regulatory competences, which, consequently, may promote a richer learning, through a change in the very conceptions of learning

Exploración de las relaciones entre los enfoques de aprendizaje, el tiempo dedicado a las tareas y el rendimiento en el Prácticum de los títulos de educación

Tesis por compendio de publicaciones[ES]La integración de la enseñanza universitaria en el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EESS) supuso la adopción de dos aspectos relevantes que se tratan en esta tesis doctoral: los ECTS y la generalización del Prácticum a todas las nuevas titulaciones o Grados. Basándonos en la Teoría SAL (Student Approaches to Learning), concretamente en el Modelo 3P de Biggs incluimos en nuestro estudio los “enfoques de aprendizaje” como variable moduladora del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Los objetivos básicos de este trabajo son: • Conocer las actividades que los estudiantes deben llevar a cabo para realizar satisfactoriamente la asignatura Prácticum y calcular el tiempo que dedican a cada una de ellas (workload). • Analizar las relaciones entre enfoques de aprendizaje, tiempo dedicado a las actividades del Prácticum y el rendimiento. • Profundizar en los mecanismos que intervienen en la relación enfoques de aprendizaje-rendimiento utilizando el tiempo dedicado a la tarea como variable moduladora. Se usa una metodología cuantitativa descriptiva con un diseño de encuesta longitudinal en el que participan 684 estudiantes que cursaron la asignatura Prácticum, de los Títulos de Magisterio de la Universidad de León, entre los años 2007 y 2010. Los instrumentos de medida utilizados son: El Cuestionario de estimación de tiempos elaborado para este trabajo, y el R-SPQ-2F de Biggs, Kember y Leung (2001) en su versión española adaptado por Hernández-Pina, García-Sanz y Maquilón (2005) para medir enfoques de aprendizaje. Los principales resultados indican una clara tendencia a una mayor dedicación temporal por parte de los alumnos con enfoques más profundos y menor en el caso de los más superficiales, así como algunas diferencias en las calificaciones obtenidas por los alumnos en función de sus puntuaciones en los enfoques de aprendizaje y tiempos dedicados. Además, los resultados del análisis de sendas confirman que los enfoques de aprendizaje influyen en el rendimiento. El enfoque superficial produce un efecto directo asociado a peores resultados y ambos enfoques influyen indirectamente a través de su efecto sobre los tiempos de dedicación. Como conclusión general cabe reseñar la importancia que en el proceso enseñanza aprendizaje tiene el cómo el estudiante percibe la tarea, los métodos de enseñanza utilizados, y los sistemas de evaluación elegidos, y su influencia en la calidad del aprendizaje

Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students' Choice and Use of Technology in Undertaking Collaborative Presentations

This case study explored students' preferences and use of technology for collaborative learning. The participants were third year physiotherapy undergraduate students working in small groups to produce a weekly seminar presentation (n=86). The main study was carried out in 2007/8. The groups were organised based on students' expressed preference for using technology. Data collection tools were interviews, questionnaires, observation and analysis of online natural trails. Ethical approval was granted by HPMEC in 2006. Students' choice of technology related to past experience, efficiency, quality of interaction, inclusivity and they used the technology online provided by the university rather than open source. They highly valued the specialised collaborative classroom that included computers and data projectors that enabled a group to visualise their output and connect to their online group sites. They used the online environment (the University's MLE) largely as a repository, 'offloading' some of the organisational components of collaboration and for knowledge acquisition, using the face-to-face meetings for interaction and co-construction. They used asynchronous discussion facilities for basic administration. Students wanted their education and social technologies e.g. Facebook kept separate. What differed in the groups was the level of face-to-face interaction to undertake the task collaboratively, as opposed to sub-dividing the task and working more cooperatively. The students were committed to collaborative working, but were focussed on face-to-face for co-construction of knowledge, which may relate to the professional culture and programme design. This study has implications for the introduction of technologies into health courses. Students need formative experience in other online technologies so that graduates can participate effectively in continuing professional activities. This needs to be introduced in an authentic situation such as when students are on placement and unable to meet face-to-face. Further research into what technologies may support collaborative learning for health students