Adaptive robotic tutors for scaffolding self-regulated learning

This thesis explores how to utilise social robotic tutors to tackle the problem of providing children with enough personalised scaffolding to develop Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) skills. SRL is an important 21st century skill and correlates with measures of academic performance. The dynamics of social interactions when human tutors are scaffolding SRL are modelled, a computational model for how these strategies can be personalised to the learner is developed, and a framework for long-term SRL guidance from an autonomous social robotic tutor is created. To support the scaffolding of SRL skills the robot uses an Open Learner Model (OLM) visualisation to highlight the developing skills or gaps in learners' knowledge. An OLM shows the learner's competency or skill level on a screen to help the learner reflect on their performance. The robot also supports the development of meta-cognitive planning or forethought by summarising the OLM content and giving feedback on learners' SRL skills. Both short and longer-term studies are presented, which show the benefits of fully autonomous adaptive robotic tutors for scaffolding SRL skills. These benefits include the learners reflecting more on their developing competencies and skills, greater adoption SRL processes, and increased learning gain

“Clinical Supervision with Confidence”: Exploring the potential of MOOCs for faculty development

Background: Postgraduate medical trainees require named clinical supervisors. Given the time pressures and difficulties of geographical access, there is a need to identify appropriate solutions for faculty development. We developed and launched a clinical supervision MOOC (FutureLearn platform) in March 2015. Objective: To assess the potential of the clinical supervision MOOC for faculty development. Methods: Quantitative data was obtained from FutureLearn course analytics and course surveys; qualitative data was obtained from learner feedback within the MOOC. Results: Learners (1,938) from over 75 countries signed up for the MOOC. Of the 899 individuals who began the course, 334 (37.2%) completed. Learners were highly satisfied with the course design and delivery, and enjoyed the opportunities for interprofessional and social learning. Conclusions: MOOCs have great potential for faculty development without geographical boundaries

Culture and Content in French

Instructors in today’s language classrooms face the challenge of preparing globally competent and socially responsible students with transcultural aptitude. As classroom content shifts toward communication, collaboration, and problem solving across cultural, racial, and linguistic boundaries, the teaching of culture is an integral part of foreign language education. This volume offers nontraditional approaches to teaching culture in a complex time when the internet and social networks have blurred geographical, social, and political borders.The authors offer practical advice about teaching culture with kinesthetics, music, improvisation, and communication technologies for different competency levels.The chapters also explore multi-literacies, project-based learning, and discussions on teaching culture through literature, media, and film.The appendices share examples of course syllabi, specific course activities, and extracurricular projects that explore culinary practices, performing arts, pop culture, geolocation, digital literacy, journalism, and civic literacy

Learning through assessment

This book aims to contribute to the discourse of learning through assessment within a self-directed learning environment. It adds to the scholarship of assessment and self-directed learning within a face-to-face and online learning environment. As part of the NWU Self-Directed Learning Book Series, this book is devoted to scholarship in the field of self-directed learning, focusing on ongoing and envisaged assessment practices for self-directed learning through which learning within the 21st century can take place. This book acknowledges and emphasises the role of assessment as a pedagogical tool to foster self-directed learning during face-to-face and online learning situations. The way in which higher education conceptualises teaching, learning and assessment has been inevitably changed due to the COVID- 19 pandemic, and now more than ever we need learners to be self-directed in their learning. Assessment plays a key role in learning and, therefore, we have to identify innovative ways in which learning can be assessed, and which are likely to become the new norm even after the pandemic has been brought under control. The goal of this book, consisting of original research, is to assist with the paradigm shift regarding the purpose of assessment, as well as providing new ideas on assessment strategies, methods and tools appropriate to foster self-directed learning in all modes of delivery

Collaborative Learning and New Media

This book is an essential resource for researchers in the field of applied linguistics as well as practising teachers and teacher trainees in secondary and higher education. It explores collaboration in the foreign language classroom through the use of new media. Combining theoretical, empirical and practical insights into this intricate area of research, the contributions take different approaches across a wide range of international contexts

Culture and Content in French

Instructors in today’s language classrooms face the challenge of preparing globally competent and socially responsible students with transcultural aptitude. As classroom content shifts toward communication, collaboration, and problem solving across cultural, racial, and linguistic boundaries, the teaching of culture is an integral part of foreign language education. This volume offers nontraditional approaches to teaching culture in a complex time when the internet and social networks have blurred geographical, social, and political borders.The authors offer practical advice about teaching culture with kinesthetics, music, improvisation, and communication technologies for different competency levels.The chapters also explore multi-literacies, project-based learning, and discussions on teaching culture through literature, media, and film.The appendices share examples of course syllabi, specific course activities, and extracurricular projects that explore culinary practices, performing arts, pop culture, geolocation, digital literacy, journalism, and civic literacy

Learning through assessment

This book aims to contribute to the discourse of learning through assessment within a self-directed learning environment. It adds to the scholarship of assessment and self-directed learning within a face-to-face and online learning environment. As part of the NWU Self-Directed Learning Book Series, this book is devoted to scholarship in the field of self-directed learning, focusing on ongoing and envisaged assessment practices for self-directed learning through which learning within the 21st century can take place. This book acknowledges and emphasises the role of assessment as a pedagogical tool to foster self-directed learning during face-to-face and online learning situations. The way in which higher education conceptualises teaching, learning and assessment has been inevitably changed due to the COVID- 19 pandemic, and now more than ever we need learners to be self-directed in their learning. Assessment plays a key role in learning and, therefore, we have to identify innovative ways in which learning can be assessed, and which are likely to become the new norm even after the pandemic has been brought under control. The goal of this book, consisting of original research, is to assist with the paradigm shift regarding the purpose of assessment, as well as providing new ideas on assessment strategies, methods and tools appropriate to foster self-directed learning in all modes of delivery

Challenges of rapid migration to fully virtual education in the age of the Corona virus pandemic: experiences from across the world

The social disruption caused by the sudden eruption of the Corona Virus pandemic has shaken the whole world, influencing all levels of education immensely. Notwithstanding there was a lack of preparedness for this global public health emergency which continues to affect all aspects of work and life. The problem is, naturally, multifaceted, fast evolving and complex, affecting everyone, threatening our well-being, the global economy, the environment and all societal and cultural norms and our everyday activities. In a recent UNESCO report it is noted that nearly a billion and a quarter (which is 67,7 % of the total number) of learners have been affected by the Corona Virus pandemic worldwide. The education sector at all levels has been one of the hardest hit sectors particularly as the academic/school year was in full swing. The impact of the pandemic is widespread, representing a health hazard worldwide. Being such, it profoundly affects society as a whole, and its members that are, in particular, i) individuals (the learners, their parents, educators, support staff), ii) schools, training organisations, pedagogical institutions and education systems, iii) quickly transformed policies, methods and pedagogies to serve the newly appeared needs of the latter. Lengthy developments of such scale usually take years of consultation, strategic planning and implementation. In addition to raising awareness across the population of the dangers of the virus transmission and instigating total lockdown, it has been necessary to develop mechanisms for continuing the delivery of education as well as demanding mechanisms for assuring the quality of the educational experience and educational results. There is often scepticism about securing quality standards in such a fast moving situation. Often in the recent past, the perception was that courses and degrees leading to an award are inferior if the course modules (and sometimes its assessment components) were wholly online. Over the last three decades most Higher Education institutions developed both considerable infrastructure and knowhow enabling distance mode delivery schools (Primary and Secondary) had hardly any necessary infrastructure nor adequate knowhow for enabling virtual education. In addition, community education and various training providers were mainly delivered face-to-face and that had to either stop altogether or rapidly convert materials, exercises and tests for online delivery and testing. A high degree of flexibility and commitment was demanded of all involved and particularly from the educators, who undertook to produce new educational materials in order to provide online support to pupils and students. Apart from the delivery mode of education, which is serving for certificated programmes, it is essential to ensure that learners’ needs are thoroughly and continuously addressed and are efficiently supported throughout the Coronavirus or any other future lockdown. The latter can be originated by various causes and reasons that vary in nature, such as natural or socioeconomical. Readiness, thus, in addition to preparedness, is the primary key question and solution when it comes to quality education for any lockdown. In most countries, the compulsory primary and secondary education sectors have been facing a more difficult challenge than that faced by Higher Education. The poor or in many cases non-existent technological infrastructure and low technological expertise of the teachers, instructors and parents, make the delivery of virtual education difficult or even impossible. The latter, coupled with phenomena such as social exclusion and digital divide where thousands of households do not have adequate access to broadband Internet, Wi-Fi infrastructure and personal computers hamper the promising and strenuous virtual solutions. The shockwaves of the sudden demands on all sectors of society and on individuals required rapid decisions and actions. We will not attempt to answer the question “Why was the world unprepared for the onslaught of the Coronavirus pandemic” but need to ascertain the level of preparedness and readiness particularly of the education sector, to effect the required rapid transition. We aimed to identify the challenges, and problems faced by the educators and their institutions. Through first-hand experiences we also identify best practices and solutions reached. Thus we constructed a questionnaire to gather our own responses but also experiences from colleagues and members of our environment, family, friends, and colleagues. This paper reports the first-hand experiences and knowledge of 33 co-authors from 27 institutions and from 13 different countries from Europe, Asia, and Africa. The communication technologies and development platforms used are identified; the challenges faced as well as solutions and best practices are reported. The findings are consolidated into the four areas explored i.e. Development Platforms, Communications Technologies, Challenges/Problems and Solutions/Best Practices. The conclusion summarises the findings into emerging themes and similarities. Reflections on the lasting impact of the effect of Coronavirus on education, limitations of study, and indications of future work complete the paper

Can Learning Geographic Information Systems be Improved for Interdisciplinary Researchers? A Comparative Study of Formal/Informal Learning Approaches and the Relevance of Context

In an increasingly complex world, interdisciplinary approaches in research are becoming necessary to address challenges faced by modern society. Universities are progressively acknowledging this and new collaborative opportunities are being recognised between disciplines. When undertaking Interdisciplinary Research (IDR), words may not have the same meaning in other disciplines and, if a commonly understood methodology of work is not established, there may be confusion or serious misunderstandings. IDR comes with a unique set of challenges and suggested solutions; however, that does not mean they may be implemented so easily. The field of Geography lends itself well to IDR, as it has been described as an integrator for other disciplines. Therefore, a Geographic Information System (GIS) as a spatial analysis tool from Geography may be aligned for IDR. However, GIS in IDR adds another dimension of complexity, as those who need to learn it may have difficulties doing so. GIS educators and educational materials try to help quickly skill people up in new areas; however, how are these efforts perceived by interdisciplinary researchers and can they be improved upon? This research begins by highlighting that challenges in IDR, which relate to issues including conflicts or gaps of knowledge between disciplines, time constraints, differing agendas or personality conflicts. These may be addressed through training and building relationships with other learners. To understand the concepts of learning, various educational theories and learning approaches were reviewed to ascertain ways of framing and presenting educational resources. From older theories, such as behaviourism, to more contemporary ones, such as context based learning, educators can improve their practices and materials to hopefully better suit the learner by understanding who the learner is, what they wish to learn and how they would go about learning it (in this case, GIS). Determining which GIS concepts are of interest to interdisciplinary learners required the use of a standard structure to investigate them. International GIS curricula were evaluated, which included the NCGIA Core Curriculum and its successor the Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge. The Knowledge Areas and descriptions of topics from the latter were selected to frame concepts in a flexible way for activity contexts for this research. With challenges in IDR and suggested solutions highlighted as well as categories of GIS concepts to explore, an analysis of existing IDR studies that used GIS is carried out to determine current approaches to using GIS and where they succeed and fail. This involved gathering information from relevant research articles by mining Google Scholar and a year-long survey, administered online, that asked interdisciplinary researchers that learned GIS how they went about doing so. A more in-depth exploration was then carried out through a series of interviews with interdisciplinary researchers to understand why they learned GIS in the way they did and the contexts they applied it in. Additionally, a review of learning diaries kept by GIS learners to provide insight into their own learning process was carried out. Overview findings from Google Scholar and the survey show difficulties come from gaps in knowledge around GIS and that training opportunities are looked upon favourably. The interviews and learning diaries highlighted that people believed face-to-face training was a time efficient manner of learning, in comparison to informal methods (e.g. internet searches, watching videos, etc.). Altogether, the results showed interest in web GIS platforms and using a GIS to create, analyse and visualise contextually relevant data, which related back to core concepts from the Geographic Information Science & Technology Body of Knowledge. Based on these findings, an online resource was developed to teach GIS concepts identified as important to interdisciplinary researchers, through contextually relevant lessons, minimising on extra-disciplinary information and simplifying GIS terms. This was used to explore contextual relevance of lessons and formal and informal learning approaches with interdisciplinary researchers. It was found that while context may play a role, motivation for learning GIS may be a more important factor. Additionally, training resources must be mindful about language used to improve understanding. This work provides guidance on what to change for GIS learning materials and teaching approaches to better accommodate IDR and learners outside the discipline

Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction towards E-shopping in Malaysia

Online shopping or e-shopping has changed the world of business and quite a few people have decided to work with these features. What their primary concerns precisely and the responses from the globalisation are the competency of incorporation while doing their businesses. E-shopping has also increased substantially in Malaysia in recent years. The rapid increase in the e-commerce industry in Malaysia has created the demand to emphasize on how to increase customer satisfaction while operating in the e-retailing environment. It is very important that customers are satisfied with the website, or else, they would not return. Therefore, a crucial fact to look into is that companies must ensure that their customers are satisfied with their purchases that are really essential from the ecommerce’s point of view. With is in mind, this study aimed at investigating customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed among students randomly selected from various public and private universities located within Klang valley area. Total 369 questionnaires were returned, out of which 341 questionnaires were found usable for further analysis. Finally, SEM was employed to test the hypotheses. This study found that customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia is to a great extent influenced by ease of use, trust, design of the website, online security and e-service quality. Finally, recommendations and future study direction is provided. Keywords: E-shopping, Customer satisfaction, Trust, Online security, E-service quality, Malaysia