Integrating interactive multimedia into mathematics course modules for distance education

This study investigated the validity and perceived effectiveness of multimedia courseware designed to deliver lessons to students learning mathematics by distance. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design in which 50 volunteered distance education students pursuing a diploma in basic education at one of 23 study centres of the University of Education, Winneba participated. After students have used the multimedia courseware developed on CD-ROMs within twelve weeks, a perceived learning effectiveness questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analyzed descriptively. The result indicates that courseware was a suitable complementary medium for mathematics lesson delivery by distance in terms of content delivery style; evaluation exercises presentation; motivation; and multimedia effects. It was also revealed that majority of the students learning mathematics by distance perceived multimedia courseware as effective in their learning successes. The inclusion of validated multimedia set-ups to printed text materials for learning mathematics contents by distance is recommended

Adaptive Delivery as a Means to Increase Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes

The process of education involves at its core level the support of Learning, which leads to the acquiring of skills, knowledge, values, and habits. Technology has allowed educators and learners to move to a digital platform. These electronic learning platforms, previously classified as distance learning, have their advantages but also their pitfalls. The adaptive modification of learning systems can provide the student\u27s needs by educators even when the student is outside of the classroom. Community colleges are faced with a dilemma of funding and mission. To survey they to need act as agents to find their own solution. This research study provides an approach to identifying the learning style based on a Learning Style Scale (LSS) developed by Abdollahimohammad and Jaafar (2014). A sample group of 163 college students was selected for the study. This quantitative study was broken into multiple evaluation areas. First, the data from the validated instrument was used to cluster students into learning groups. Second, the experiment used learning style clusters to determine the Engagement effects of a lesson presented to those clusters in a sequenced order of their matched learning styles and unmatched style. The impact of this adaptive delivery provides a user interface and experience based on either Auditory or Visual styles in a feedback method. The feedback adaptation was validated using statistical analysis, and an assessment gauged fluctuations in baseline learning as an improvement and other matched treatment lessons as a higher improvement. Statistical analysis provided justification that a lesson/learner match did provide improved learning outcomes and refuted some criticisms connected to Learning Styles. Learning outcomes increased by 10 to 15 points by the comparison of pretest and posttest scores after the experimental treatment was matched. Unmatched learner/lectures actually decreased scores revealing a significant effect on Learning Outcomes

Learners' Satisfaction, Learning Style Preferences and Effective Use of an OLE

This paper presents the results of an empirical study conducted with a set of students using an online learning environment (OLE) to follow a distance education program. The aim of the study was to find whether students could perform well in examinations using only the Learning Management System (LMS), whether they could use it in an efficient way and whether there was a relationship between students’ learning styles, number of LMS hits and learning achievements. The students were given access to a specially designed course section. The students’ learning achievements were evaluated in two tests at different intervals. The study data were gathered using questionnaires and LMS statistics. We found that once the students got acquainted with the environment they could use the LMS more efficiently and managed to get high scores by only using the LMS. Results associated with the learning style preferences imply that we have designed the learning content and the environment to satisfy and support the learners with different learning style preferences

Learners' Satisfaction, Learning Style Preferences and Effective Use of an OLE

This paper presents the results of an empirical study conducted with a set of students using an online learning environment (OLE) to follow a distance education program. The aim of the study was to find whether students could perform well in examinations using only the Learning Management System (LMS), whether they could use it in an efficient way and whether there was a relationship between studentsâ?? learning styles, number of LMS hits and learning achievements. The students were given access to a specially designed course section. The studentsâ?? learning achievements were evaluated in two tests at different intervals. The study data were gathered using questionnaires and LMS statistics. We found that once the students got acquainted with the environment they could use the LMS more efficiently and managed to get high scores by only using the LMS. Results associated with the learning style preferences imply that we have designed the learning content and the environment to satisfy and support the learners with different learning style preferences

Engineering Mathematics and Virtual Learning Environments: A Case Study of Student Perceptions

The study involved BTec National (level 3) engineering students studying at a large Further Education College in the South West region. The disciplines of Electrical/Electronic, Mechanical, Operations and Maintenance, Manufacturing, Telecommunications and Fabrication where all included in the study. Several students were sent by their employers on day release programmes and apprenticeships, and these formed the majority of the part time students. There were also other employed students who attended full time for terms 1 and 3 as part of a block release programme. The remaining students were full time, and mainly 16-18 years old. The study focused upon the core mathematics module everyone studied, and mathematical resources which were available through a virtual learning environment. The resources used layering, enabling earlier work to be built on and applied. Two separate cohorts were studied after substantial changes had been made to the qualification standards. The main findings were that the mathematics resources were very useful support, had a significant positive impact on student success, and enhanced the student experience. They helped part time students, especially, to improve their confidence and their achievements. The unlimited availability of these resources were a major consideration in their usefulness. The use of layering within the mathematics unit enabled better recall and comprehension.CPD activity funded by City College Plymout

Estudo dos fluxos comunicacionais num sistema colaborativo de objetos de aprendizagem

Doutoramento em Informação e Comunicação em Plataformas DigitaisA convergência tecnológica e de conteúdos está a mudar a lógica de desenvolvimento das tipologias de soluções de formação e a conduzir a modelos mais flexíveis e interativos, com vista a dar resposta aos novos contextos de formação, muito baseados em modelos de negócio que privilegiam a aprendizagem ao longo da vida, numa perspetiva de partilha do saber e do conceito de inteligência coletiva orientada ao contexto de utilização. Associado a uma necessidade acelerada de disseminação e partilha do conhecimento, e num contexto de formação profissional, surge a necessidade de formação rápida também designada por formação just in time ou rapid learning. Este tipo de formação é suportado por uma metodologia de ensino a distância (e-learning) em regime de autoformação, centrado em Learning Management Systems e/ou em sistemas de objetos de aprendizagem. Destas novas necessidades emergentes do processo de aprendizagem, a dimensão transdisciplinar da comunicação tem sido um dos aspetos sublinhados em diversos estudos como determinante para repensar as interações e configurações dos espaços digitais pedagógicos. Neste contexto, o principal objetivo deste estudo é a conceção e validação de um modelo que identifique e caracterize os fluxos comunicacionais mais relevantes em sistemas de objetos de aprendizagem colaborativos. A relevância desses fluxos foi estudada com base numa proposta de um modelo que permita a identificação e caracterização dos fluxos, assim como a perceção da sua eficácia formativa manifestada por utilizadores desse tipo de sistemas. Com vista a operacionalizar o objetivo geral definido para este trabalho, foi realizada uma investigação teórica que enquadra a temática em análise, quer do ponto de vista conceptual, quer do ponto de vista mais prático. A componente empírica teve como base o desenvolvimento de um protótipo funcional de um sistema de objetos de aprendizagem (COLOR – Collaborative Learning Objects Repository), que foi testado em cenário interorganizacional com utilizadores de sistemas de gestão de aprendizagem (LMS). No que diz respeito ao desenho metodológico, a investigação decorreu em duas grandes fases: a primeira fase centrou-se na conceção e desenho de um modelo que permitiu sistematizar os fluxos mais relevantes no sistema e a segunda, de carácter mais prático, onde se fez a conceção, desenvolvimento e validação do protótipo deste sistema em contexto interorganizacional. A execução deste plano metodológico foi suportada, na primeira fase, numa estratégia do tipo investigação-ação de natureza antecipatória (Antecipatory Action Research) e, na segunda fase, numa abordagem do tipo design research. Como resultado da investigação efetuada, propõe-se que a análise das relações que se estabelecem entre os agentes em sistemas de aprendizagem baseados em objetos de aprendizagem se centre na interação, focada em diferentes dimensões do fluxo comunicacional que a suporta, nomeadamente, padrão, contexto, domínio, nível, categoria, direção e iniciativa. Esta proposta baseia-se no princípio que os novos contextos digitais de aprendizagem devem ser capazes de disponibilizar mecanismos funcionais de comunicação ajustados ao ambiente pretendido e adaptados aos agentes do processo. Toda esta dinâmica situa-se num cenário orientado à aprendizagem autorregulada, à colaboração e à pesquisa de informação, fatores que permitem o desenvolvimento de espaços que fomentam a personalização da formação em função das necessidades e perfis dos utilizadores, explorando novas dinâmicas para os canais de comunicação já conhecidos nestes contextos. O trabalho desenvolvido nesta investigação vem sublinhar a importância da comunicação e interação em cenários de mediação tecnológica de suporte à aquisição e transferência de conhecimento em contexto organizacional, e respetivo impacto para os agentes de comunicação que nele participam e que por ele são afetados.Technological and content’s convergence is altering the paradigm of learning solutions development and leading to new models, more flexible and interactive, looking to answer new training contexts, mainly based in business models that privilege lifelong learning, knowledge sharing and the concept of collective intelligence oriented to user context. Along with the need for fast dissemination and sharing of knowledge, in the context of professional training, comes the need for fast training also known as just in time training or rapid learning. This type of training is based on a remote teaching methodology (e-learning) in a self-learning regimen, focused on Learning Management Systems and/or learning objects’ systems. From all these new emerging needs in the learning process, the multidisciplinary dimension of communication has been identified in several studies as one of the most important aspects to rethink the interactions and configurations of digital learning spaces. In this context, the main objective of this study is to conceive and validate a model that can identify and characterize the most relevant communication fluxes in collaborative learning objects’ systems. Those fluxes’ relevance has been studied on the basis of a model proposal which allows identifying and characterizing fluxes, besides perceiving its training effectiveness, as manifested by the system’s users. To achieve this work’s main goal, a theoretical investigation on the theme was performed, both from the conceptual and the practical point of view. The empirical component was based on the development of a functional prototype of a learning objects’ system (COLOR – Collaborative Learning Objects Repository), which was tested in an inter-organizational scenery with real users of learning management systems (LMS). Regarding the methodological design, the investigation took place in two main phases: the first focused on the notion and design of a model which allowed systematizing the most relevant fluxes in the system; and the second, more practical, consisted on the conceptualization, development and validation of this system’s prototype, in an inter-organizational context. The execution of this methodological plan was supported, on the first stage, by an investigation-action type strategy of anticipatory nature (Anticipatory Action Research) and, on the second stage, on a design research type approach. In result of the investigation, it is proposed that the analysis of relationships established between agents in learning systems based in learning objects focuses on the interaction, namely in different dimensions of the communication flux which supports it, such as pattern, context, dominium, level, category, direction and initiative. This proposal is based on the principle under which new digital learning contexts should be able to offer functional communication mechanisms adjusted to the desired environment and adapted to the process agents. This entire dynamics is on a set oriented towards self-regulated learning, collaboration ad information research, factors that allow the development of spaces which promote learning customization according to the users’ needs and profiles, exploring new dynamics for the communication channels already known in these contexts. The work developed under this investigation stresses the importance of communication and interaction in technological mediation sceneries that support the acquisition and transfer of knowledge in organizations, as well as its impact on communication agents that participate and are affected by it