Improving the Learning Process in the Higher Education Through the Use of a Predictive Tool (Dashboard)

Improving the learning process in the high education through the use of a predictive tool (dashboard). De Jesús Liriano, Rubėn and Sevillano, María C., 2018: A Florida Distance Learning Association Journal (FDLA) Paper to be published in a special section of the US Distance Learning Association Professional Journal Distance Learning. Interaction/Predictive Tools/Dashboard/Evaluation Learning Process/Automated Process/eLearning Environment/Learning Environment/Learning Management System (LMS)/Cloud Computing/ Learning Performance, and Learning Analytics. The purpose of this study was the initial step in providing a clear understanding of the use of a predictive tool (dashboard) to improving the learning process in the higher education field. Through further applications and research, the predictive tool must be refined to increase accuracy, and provide expeditious, reliable feedback about the students’ progress in an online environment. This information will benefit e-learning facilitators in the following ways: 1) knowing their students and, therefore, identifying how best to deliver content to them; 2) applying the right predictive tool to capitalizing on the new experience and new opportunity; 3) taking value-added approaches to student engagement; 4) bridging connections in a precise manner between enriched content and e-learning; and 5) transforming e-learning into digital experience

Computer model for the cardiovascular system: development of an e-learning tool for teaching of medical students

BACKGROUND: This study combined themes in cardiovascular modelling, clinical cardiology and e-learning to create an on-line environment that would assist undergraduate medical students in understanding key physiological and pathophysiological processes in the cardiovascular system. METHODS: An interactive on-line environment was developed incorporating a lumped-parameter mathematical model of the human cardiovascular system. The model outputs were used to characterise the progression of key disease processes and allowed students to classify disease severity with the aim of improving their understanding of abnormal physiology in a clinical context. Access to the on-line environment was offered to students at all stages of undergraduate training as an adjunct to routine lectures and tutorials in cardiac pathophysiology. Student feedback was collected on this novel on-line material in the course of routine audits of teaching delivery. RESULTS: Medical students, irrespective of their stage of undergraduate training, reported that they found the models and the environment interesting and a positive experience. After exposure to the environment, there was a statistically significant improvement in student performance on a series of 6 questions based on cardiovascular medicine, with a 33% and 22% increase in the number of questions answered correctly, p < 0.0001 and p < 0.001 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Considerable improvement was found in students' knowledge and understanding during assessment after exposure to the e-learning environment. Opportunities exist for development of similar environments in other fields of medicine, refinement of the existing environment and further engagement with student cohorts. This work combines some exciting and developing fields in medical education, but routine adoption of these types of tool will be possible only with the engagement of all stake-holders, from educationalists, clinicians, modellers to, most importantly, medical students

Using moodle analytics for continuous e-assessment in a financial mathematics course at Polytechnic of Porto

The relevance of electronic learning, commonly called e-learning, has been growing exponentially in the last decade. Virtual learning environments (VLEs) disclosed new paths for interactions and motivation promotion, offering basic learning analytics functions and are becoming progressively popular. Moodle (acronym for Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is one of the most used VLEs, it is a free learning management system distributed as Open Source. The VLE Moodle gives professors access to an “endless” use and performance database like the number of downloads for each resource, participation of students in courses, statistics of performed quizzes, among others. The data stored by Moodle offers a good and handy source for learning analytics. One popular definition, from the First International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge in 2011, states that “Learning Analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about students and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimizing learning and the environments in which it occurs”. Thus, using appropriate learning analytics methods and techniques, it would be helpful to analyze what particular learning activities or tools were practically used by students in Moodle, and to what extent. Considering the importance of the student engagement and the benefits of continuous assessment in higher education, as well as the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) on educational processes, it is important to integrate technology into continuous assessment practices. Since student engagement is connected to the quality of the student experience, increasing it is one way of enhancing quality in a higher education institution. In this study, will be demonstrated how the use of several educational resources and a low-stakes continuous weekly e-assessment in Moodle had a positive influence on student engagement in a second year undergraduate Financial Mathematics Course. Students felt that their increased engagement and improved learning was a straight result of this method. Furthermore, this suggests that wisely planned assignments and assessments can be used to increase student engagement and learning, and, as a result, contribute to improving the quality of student experience and success.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Peran growth mindset dan dukungan orang tua terhadap keterlibatan siswa selama pembelajaran daring

Abstract Student engagement is influenced by external factors such as parental support and internal factors such as belief about the malleability of one’s own ability (growth mindset). This research examines the effect of parental support and a growth mindset on student engagement among junior high school students who conducted online learning. The data of this quantitative research were collected through an online survey of junior high school students in Indonesia (n = 434, male = 148) using three scales: (1) Student Engagement in E-learning Environment, (2) Growth mindset, and (3) Perceived Parental Academic Support Scale. The data was then analysed using multiple regression. The result showed that a growth mindset and parental support significantly affect student engagement during online learning both together or partially. This study's results positively impact the development of distance learning through parental support and a growth mindset. Parents need to pay attention to the dimensions of social support. This study also becomes recommendation for schools to provide home-based learning programs that involve interaction and discussion between students and parents. It can be a positive input for teachers to implement feedback strategies that focus on improving behaviour. Keywords: COVID-19; Growth mindset; Online learning; Parental support; Student engagement &nbsp; Abstrak Adanya keterlibatan siswa dapat dipengaruhi oleh faktor eksternal seperti dukungan orang tua dan faktor internal seperti keyakinan bahwa kemampuan dan potensi diri dapat dikembangkan (growth mindset). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap peran dukungan orang tua dan growth mindset terhadap keterlibatan siswa SMP di Indonesia. Penelitian ini bersifat kuantitatif dengan metode pengumpulan data berupa survei melalui skala yang disebar secara daring pada siswa SMP di Indonesia yang menjalani pembelajaran PJJ (n = 434; laki-laki = 148).&nbsp; Adapun skala yang digunakan adalah (1) student engagement in e-learning environment, (2) Skala growth mindset, dan (3) Perceived Parental Academic Support Scale. Data yang diperoleh kemudian dianalisis menggunakan analisis regresi berganda. Hasil menunjukkan dukungan orang tua dan growth mindset berpengaruh signifikan terhadap keterlibatan siswa SMP selama pembelajaran jarak jauh baik secara bersama-sama maupun sendiri-sendiri. Penelitian ini memiliki dampak positif pada perkembangan pembelajaran jarak jauh melalui dukungan orang tua dan growth mindset. Orang tua perlu memperhatikan dimensi-dimensi dukungan sosial. Penelitian ini juga menjadi rekomendasi bagi Pihak sekolah untuk memberikan program pembelajaran berbasis aktivitas di rumah (home based learning) yang melibatkan interaksi dan diskusi antara siswa dengan orang tua, serta dapat menjadi input bagi guru untuk menerapkan strategi pemberian umpan balik yang berfokus pada perbaikan perilaku maupun hasil pekerjaan. Kata Kunci: COVID-19; Dukungan orang tua; Growth mindset; Keterlibatan siswa; Pembelajaran darin

Editorial

We are presenting you this issue of ABAC ODI JOURNAL Vision . Action. Outcome with ten articles on topics &nbsp;on managing innovation in teaching on various levels and disciplines such as the arts, language, &nbsp;and film ; &nbsp;as well as research articles on organization development interventions that generated change on organizations . Hui Tan and &nbsp;Laura Brahmakasikara’s &nbsp;article “ A Blended Learning Design to Improve Non-Music Students’ Knowledge of Chinese Traditional Music in Hunan Agriculture University” is a quasi-experiment research that &nbsp;determined how blended Chinese Traditional Music Appreciation Course using Superstar Learning Application &nbsp;improves the Chinese traditional music knowledge of non-music majors. The article “Factors Influencing the Use of Ubiquitous Learning in Higher Education in Sichuan, China in the Aftermath of Covid-19 Pandemic” by&nbsp; Meizi Huang &nbsp;utilized confirmation factor analysis and structural equation modeling on data &nbsp;analysis . Results showed that intention to use has the strongest effect on actual system use; &nbsp;effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and social influence except performance expectancy has positive affect the intention to use u-learning. Zhao Lina and &nbsp;Laura Brahmakasikara’s&nbsp; article “ Adopting a Blended Learning Approach for Teaching &nbsp;Chinese Classical Dance” explored the effectiveness of the blended Chinese classical dance course in improving the dance performance of dance students at the College of Art and Design at Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, China. “An Application of Video Recording Technology&nbsp;&nbsp; to Enhance the Key Leader Engagement Performance&nbsp; at SWCS” written by Timothy Guy Burgess involved the introduction of video recording technology into a classroom of military students to enhance Key Leader Engagement (KLE) performance. The research determined the effectiveness of using video recording technology in improving the students' level of performance in the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification at the U.S. Army Special Warfare Center and School. Jianjun Xue and Watana Vinitwatanakhun’s article “ Improving Students’ English Proficiency by Enhancing the Motivation through Organization Development Intervention— An Action Research Study of a Local University in China”&nbsp; discusses how &nbsp;organization development interventions enhance students’ language learning motivation .&nbsp; Results show that &nbsp;language learning motivation has significant impacts on students’ language proficiency. The article “ Reflective Coaching for the Development of Pedagogical Content Knowledge of&nbsp;&nbsp; Biology Teachers in Thailand” by Nunnapat Thilaworrakan and &nbsp;Ladapa Ladachart is qualitative research that explored &nbsp;the effects of reflective coaching on developing pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of biology teachers regarding cell biology.&nbsp; The article authored by Thida Tin and &nbsp;Papitchaya Wisankosol on “Enhancing Supportive Leadership, Affective Organizational Commitment,&nbsp;&nbsp; and Work Engagement: A Participatory Action Research Approach” &nbsp;reports how work engagement and affective commitment were enhanced through &nbsp;organizational development interventions (ODI) at the Gold Power Company Limited (GPCL).&nbsp;&nbsp; The results indicate that the use of &nbsp;ODI improved supportive leadership . affective organizational commitment, and work engagement . The article &nbsp;of Mohammad Shazzad Hossain and &nbsp;Chompu Nuangjamnong on the&nbsp; “Development of E-Readiness Scale in Blended Learning in Filmmaking Program for a Private University in Bangladesh – Initial Stage”&nbsp; develop a unified scale to assess the higher education institute's e-readiness &nbsp;that will identify their strengths and weaknesses and formulate a plan for creating an e-learning environment. The results indicated that the compiled instruments are good to excellent and that the &nbsp;institutional e-readiness scale could assess the e-readiness of other universities in Bangladesh. The &nbsp;research &nbsp;“ Improving EFL Students’ Critical Thinking Skills through Organization Development Intervention Strategies &nbsp;at Zhejiang Yuexiu University in China” by&nbsp; Chen Yang and &nbsp;Joanne C. &nbsp;Preston &nbsp;is a&nbsp; quasi-experimental design that &nbsp;determined the effectiveness of Organization Development Intervention(ODI) in developing second-year EFL students’ CT skills in a private university in China.&nbsp; The findings reveal that collaborative learning is useful in &nbsp;developing the &nbsp;students’ CT skills, &nbsp;while &nbsp;instructors need to utilize &nbsp;various techniques to foster team members’ collaboration skills. The 10th article&nbsp; by Thein Than Toe and &nbsp;Somchai Tantasanee on “The &nbsp;Impact of Organizational Learning and Organizational Innovation on Organizational Performance: A Case of an Internet Service Provider in Myanmar “ &nbsp;is a mixed method research&nbsp; that showed that organizational innovation has greater impact on organizational performance than organizational learning; organizational learning impacts organizational innovation . The &nbsp;qualitative findings implied that the organization chosen for the research must take on initiatives to &nbsp;&nbsp;promote organizational learning and innovation . The contributions of our authors to this issue &nbsp;are valuable for &nbsp;knowledge sharing of their research on various disciplines and &nbsp;methodologies.&nbsp; &nbsp;We hope that their research will be beneficial to our readers and as support in furthering future related research

Developing student’s accounting competencies using Astin’s I-E-O model: an identification of key educational inputs based on Indonesian student perspectives

This paper discusses a model for developing Students’ Accounting Competencies (SAC) using Astin’s Input-Environment-Outcome (I-E-O) model. SAC based on AICPA core competency is considered important due to business and environment changes. Student Motivation, Student Previous Achievement, Student Demographic Characteristics, Learning Facilities, and Comfort of Class Size are educational inputs. Student Engagement and SAC are proxies for Environment and Outcome respectively. Empirically, the aforementioned educational inputs except Student Demographic Characteristics are important inputs for improving SAC. Student Engagement effectively mediates the influence of inputs on SAC. The I-E-O model is appropriate for analysing relationships among a single input, Student Engagement, and SAC. This model becomes less powerful for analysing simultaneous relationships among multiple inputs, Student Engagement, and SAC. Future research on using other assessments for gauging SAC, identifying other significant inputs, identifying the impact of real class size on Student Engagement and SAC, and developing Student Engagement for accounting courses are required

Using an online formative assessment framework to enhance student engagement: a learning outcomes approach

Students learn best when they are fully engaged in the learning process, are motivated to test their current level of learning against known standards, and are offered targeted and timely support to help address subsequent personal learning needs. The most usual way to do this is through the use of assessment, but this in itself can act as an overbearing influence on what and how students learn, rather than providing an holistic support mechanism that encourages continuous reflective learning. Summative assessment provides a quantitative measure of learning at specific points in time, but may not encourage students to focus on specific strengths and weaknesses in need of attention. Formative assessment can provide specific reflective and feed-forward support, but given the time-poor nature of many students, is this perceived as a useful part of the learning process? This paper presents an overview of work in progress (funded by Centre for Open Learning in Maths, Science, Computing and Technology CETL at The Open University), on the development and implementation of an online interactive formative assessment framework, that has designed from a constructivist perspective, to promote student engagement and understanding of academic progression, using an learning outcomes approach. The framework specifically aims to enhance student awareness, understanding and recognition of competency levels, and to allow testing of ongoing academic progress at predetermined and self-selected points throughout the year. Each assessment makes explicit links to other components of the course including the summative assessment strategy, as a means of providing an integrated approach to learning. By working through the formative assessments it is hoped that students will become more self-directed and confident in their learning skills and abilities, which in turn should improve retention. The framework uses OpenMark (a web-based system developed within the Open University) in which students have up to three attempts to correctly answer each question, and are offered instantaneous and targeted feedback after each incorrect attempt. The system collects information on the answers submitted, and the time taken to complete each question, offering valuable insight into how (and which) students are engaging with the assessment and course materials. This data permits new targeted feedback to be added in response to common errors, as well as additional support mechanisms to be incorporated in response to specific skills or content that is poorly demonstrated. All feedback in the framework is formative, commenting on how well each of the learning outcomes tested over a period of study has been demonstrated, as well as the overall level of academic competency attained at that point in time. At present, the framework encompasses seven interactive assessments (linked to fortnightly periods of study), consisting of ten variable-format questions (set at two levels of academic complexity). A planned eighth assessment will randomly select questions from preceding assessments, offering an instantaneous interactive revision tool. Preliminary results indicate that students not only rate the assessments as enjoyable, but are revisiting specific assessments as a means of enhancing previous outcomes and checking their progression on aspects they previously had difficulties with

Learning from Turnaround Middle Schools: Strategies for Success

In New York City and around the nation, there is intense interest in the question of what it takes to turn around a low-performing school. This study focused on two sets of initially low-performing NYC middle schools. The first group (the "turnaround schools") exhibited significant growth in academic performance between 2006 and 2010, while the other group saw minimal growth or remained stagnant during the same period. To gain an understanding of how the turnaround schools improved, researchers conducted in-depth interviews with principals and focus groups with teachers in both sets of schools. This report presents a rich picture of the conditions and strategies that enabled the turnaround schools to boost student achievement. Specifically, it identifies three interrelated "essential conditions" that were largely principal driven: aligning needs with goals, creating a positive work environment, and addressing student discipline and safety. These essential conditions, in turn, set the stage for implementing specific strategies to improve teaching and learning: developing teachers internally, creating small learning communities, targeting student sub-populations, and using data to inform instruction. The report also describes several ongoing challenges faced by all the schools. Finally, it draws on the study's findings to make recommendations for improving the effectiveness of middle schools here in New York City and around the country. The study is part of an ongoing focus on the middle grades for the Research Alliance

Evidence of impact of sustainable schools

Evidence of the impact of sustainable schools is supported by growing research, policy, and practitioner literature, in the main from the UK but also internationally. Multiple sources of evidence now show that being a sustainable school raises standards and enhances well-being. This is because sustainable schools engage young people in their learning therefore improving motivation and behaviour; they also promote healthy school environments and lifestyles. In addition, the evidence shows that sustainable schools advance community cohesion by making valuable connections between the school and its parents, carers and the wider community