Learning styles: Individualizing computer‐based learning environments

In spite of its importance, learning style is a factor that has been largely ignored in the design of educational software. Two issues concerning a specific set of learning styles, described by Honey and Mumford (1986), are considered here. The first relates to measurement and validity. This is discussed in the context of a longitudinal study to test the predictive validity of the questionnaire items against various measures of academic performance, such as course choice and level of attainment in different subjects. The second issue looks at how the learning styles can be used in computer‐based learning environments. A re‐examination of the four learning styles (Activist, Pragmatist, Reflector and Theorist) suggests that they can usefully be characterized using two orthogonal dimensions. Using a limited number of pedagogical building blocks, this characterization has allowed the development of a teaching strategy suitable for each of the learning styles. Further work is discussed, which will use a multi‐strategy basic algebra tutor to assess the effect of matching teaching strategy to learning style

The role of learning goals in the design of ILEs: some issues to consider

Part of the motivation behind the evolution of learning environments is the idea of providing students with individualized instructional strategies that allow them to learn as much as possible. It has been suggested that the goals an individual holds create a framework or orientation from which they react and respond to events. There is a large evidence-based literature which supports the notion of mastery and performance approaches to learning and which identifies distinct behavioural patterns associated with each. However, it remains unclear how these orientations manifest themselves within the individual: an important question to address when applying goal theory to the development of a goal-sensitive learner model. This paper exposes some of these issues by describing two empirical studies. They approach the subject from different perspectives, one from the implementation of an affective computing system and the other a classroom-based study, have both encountered the same empirical and theoretical problems: the dispositional/situational aspect and the dimensionality of goal orientation

Learning styles and courseware design

In this paper we examine how (courseware) can accommodate differences in preferred learning style. A review of the literature on learning styles is followed by a discussion of the implications of being able to accurately classify learners, and key issues that must be addressed are raised. We then present two courseware design solutions that take into account individual learning‐style preference: the first follows on from traditional research in this area and assumes that learners can be classified in advance. The second solution takes account of the issues raised previously. We conclude by discussing the feasibility of adapting learning to suit the needs of individual learners, and suggest further research investigating the relationship between preferred learning style and the design of effective interactive learning environments

Designing software to maximize learning1

This paper starts from the assumption that any evaluation of educational software should focus on whether or not, and the extent to which, it maximizes learning. It is particularly concerned with the impact of software on the quality of learning. The paper reviews key texts in the literature on learning, including some which relate directly to software development, and suggests ways in which a range of learning theories can inform the process of software design. The paper sets out to make a contribution to both the design and the evaluation of educational software

Between the Lines: documenting the multiple dimensions of computer supported collaborations

When we consider the possibilities for the design and evaluation of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) we probably constrain the CS in CSCL to situations in which learners, or groups of learners collaborate with each other around a single computer, across a local intranet or via the global internet. We probably also consider situations in which the computer itself acts as a collaborative partner giving hints and tips either with or without the addition of an animated pedagogical agent. However, there are now many possibilities for CSCL applications to be offered to learners through computing technology that is something other than a desktop computer, such as the TV or a digital toy. In order to understand how such complex and novel interactions work, we need tools to map out the multiple dimensions of collaboration using a whole variety of technologies. This paper discusses the evolution of a documentation technique for collaborative interactions from its roots in a situation where a single learner is collaborating with a software learning partner, through its second generation: group use of multimedia, to its current test-bed: young children using digital toys and associated software. We will explore some of the challenges these different learning situations pose for those involved in the evaluation of collaborative learning

Moodle and affective computing : knowing who´s on the other side

In traditional learning, teachers can easily get an insight into how their students work and learn, and how they interact in the classroom. However, in online learning, it is more difficult for teachers to see how individual students behave and learn, and very important, their mood to do it. Student’s emotions like self-esteem, motivation, commitment, and others that are believed to be determinant in student’s performance can not be ignored, as they are known (affective states and also learning styles) to greatly influence student´s learning. This paper deals with the student’s behavioural and affective aspects in virtual learning environments to enhance the students’ learning, gain and experience. The goal is to achieve a similar performance to a skilled teacher that can modify the learning path and his teaching style according to the feedback signals provided by the students - which include cognitive, emotional and motivational aspects. This can be done through the recognition of students actual mood, and we propose a framework to implement and address such issues in Moodle

An Investigation into the Placement of Fifth Grade Students with Third Grade Students in a Peer-tutoring Environment

This study was designed to see if positive self-concept benefits could be gained in a peer tutoring setting by either or both the tutor and the tutee. The subjects consisted of 14, third and fifth grade students from a rural elementary school in Western New York. The students were given pre and post tests of the Piers-Harris Children\u27s Self-Concept Scale to assess their overall self-concept. Students meet for ten weeks in their tutor/tutee pairs. Data were also collected from journal entries and interviews. The experimental study was analyzed using quantitative methods. Results from the t test indicated that there were no statistically significant mean score differences between pre and posttests of the self-concept scale. However, observations made through journal entries and interviews showed some gains in self-concept

School teachers\u27 perspectives on homework: a comparative study

Homework practices vary widely among teachers. Some teachers make well planned assignments that combine learning and pleasure. Others use homework as a routine to provide students with drills on important activities. These wide variations stem from the teachers\u27 different attitudes and opinions on homework. This research examines the perspectives of teachers, working in schools operating in Egypt whether Languagel or International, on homework. It compares the view points and practices of teachers working in Egyptian Language Schools to those of teachers working in International Schools located in Cairo. The research addresses the question: What are teachers\u27 perspectives and practices of homework in schools, whether Language or International, within the upper elementary and middle school grades operating in Cairo, Egypt? This study analyzes quantitative data through a survey distributed to teachers working in Language and International Schools. The study findings indicate that teachers\u27 opinions and practices of homework do not significantly vary in these settings. Homework has its own culture that affects teachers\u27perceptions and practices, regardless of the setting. The study concludes with a series of recommendations that would enable teachers to improve the quality of homework as well as help students be successful with it

Creative Expressive Writing and Perceived Self-Efficacy in the Writing Center—A Tutor’s Narrative

You know the story…the one about a curious little girl, captivated by a little white rabbit? Like young Alice, my curiosity compelled me to follow my own white rabbit down an unknown path, at least to me. It found me when I attained an internship in our university writing center the fall of 2012. And down the rabbit-hole, I fell. My adventures in writing center wonderland grew into an infatuation with writing—the tutoring of, the process of, the pedagogies of, the praxis of. Many discourses of writing pull at me, begging to be consumed and adapted to suit the situation. This infatuation led me down a path in which I could prepare myself for the rigors of graduate research, through the McNair Scholars Program, in 2013. For nearly two years, I developed and attained a summer research fellowship where I had the opportunity to explore the intersections of creative expressive writing, perceived selfefficacy, and the theory/practice of tutoring writing. I sought insight into new ways of combatting writing apprehension, both for my clients in the writing center, in addition to new apprehensions I was feeling as a writer/researcher/tutor. This exploration pulled me in directions that were unexpected, forcing me to face anxieties that I’d managed to suppress for many years. I found that intentionally applying low-stakes creative writing activities into the writing center consultation brought even more relevance to undergraduate creative writing programs. Moreover, making creative writing studies more transparent brings levity to the seriousness that often stigmatizes writing center praxis, fosters writing development across the curriculum, and shifts the writing center focus on perceived self-efficacy. This essay is a culmination of my research experience—it shares some insight into case studies documented over the Summer of 2014, my reflection of my research development—and intends to demonstrate the ongoing value of narrative inquiry, the methods of my madness