Iterative approach to implicit student-generated mobile learning to promote visual literacy and peer mediated learning

This paper aims to report early findings of the second iteration of an implicit student-generated mobile learning project that promotes visual literacy and peer mediated learning. The first iteration was conducted with first year health science students at the University of Queensland, Australia, in 2013. We found that while the video assessment task may have aided learning for each student around their specific chosen topic, overall course learning outcomes did not improve. This was perhaps due to a failure of the peer mediated learning aspect of the learning activity. Furthermore, the labour intensive nature of the task may have attenuated overall performance in the course. Acting on these findings, we adjusted the visually based, peer-to-peer mobile learning activity accordingly. The revised assessment task was reintroduced in 2nd semester 2014, and early findings on the efficacy of the revised task on learning will be presented at the ascilite 2014 conference

Engaging undergraduate students in an online science course: the relationship between instructor prompt and student engagement in synchronous class sessions

The number of online courses in higher education is on the rise; however, empirical evidence elucidating best practices for synchronous online instruction is needed to implement these courses. The purpose of this dissertation was to perform a mixed-method investigation into the relationships between instructor prompt and student engagement in 5 areas based on the 7 Principles of Good Practices in Undergraduate Education using recorded chat, video, and audio transcripts of two recent fully online nutrition courses. A total of 25 previously recorded synchronous sessions including oral and textual chat interactions were transcribed. Every line of student interaction was determined to be either superficial or containing evidence of at least one instance of engagement. Every line of instructor interaction was concurrently coded for at least one of the following forms of prompt: social, organizational, intellectual. Inter-tester reliability of coded interactions was determined to be excellent (Cohen\u27s kappa = 0.91) on a 5% sample of the entire dataset before comprehensive analysis continued. In total, 172,380 words were exchanged through 13,394 oral and text interactions across all class sessions. With 54% of student interactions deemed superficial the remainder produced a total of 8,906 student engagements. There were 4,125 instructor prompts composed of 48% intellectual, 30% organizational, and 22% social cues. Pearson correlations were performed to investigate relationships between prompt and engagement across class sessions. Intellectual prompts were the best predictor of faculty interactions, active and collaborative learning, and academic challenge (r=0.77, r=0.78, r=0.54 respectively); organizational prompts were the best predictor of enriching academic experiences (r=0.72); and social prompts were the best predictor of supportive campus environments (r=0.79) with all of these being significant (p\u3c0.01). No category of engagement was significantly correlated to class performance. Online synchronous class sessions can promote high levels of student engagement. A variety of instructor prompts must be used in order to promote student engagement across a number of different categories. Finally, care should be taken in order to craft and facilitate learning activities in synchronous online class sessions in order to achieve desired learning outcomes

Transforming pre-service teacher curriculum: observation through a TPACK lens

This paper will discuss an international online collaborative learning experience through the lens of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The teacher knowledge required to effectively provide transformative learning experiences for 21st century learners in a digital world is complex, situated and changing. The discussion looks beyond the opportunity for knowledge development of content, pedagogy and technology as components of TPACK towards the interaction between those three components. Implications for practice are also discussed. In today’s technology infused classrooms it is within the realms of teacher educators, practising teaching and pre-service teachers explore and address effective practices using technology to enhance learning

Teaching and learning in virtual worlds: is it worth the effort?

Educators have been quick to spot the enormous potential afforded by virtual worlds for situated and authentic learning, practising tasks with potentially serious consequences in the real world and for bringing geographically dispersed faculty and students together in the same space (Gee, 2007; Johnson and Levine, 2008). Though this potential has largely been realised, it generally isn’t without cost in terms of lack of institutional buy-in, steep learning curves for all participants, and lack of a sound theoretical framework to support learning activities (Campbell, 2009; Cheal, 2007; Kluge & Riley, 2008). This symposium will explore the affordances and issues associated with teaching and learning in virtual worlds, all the time considering the question: is it worth the effort

Laboratory 3.0: manufacturing technologies laboratory virtualization with a student-centred methodology

This paper presents a blended-learning strategy for improving the teaching method applied in the laboratory subject Manufacturing Technologies. The teaching method has been changed from a predominantly teacher-centred to an active learning system with a student-centred focus and e-learning activities. In face-to-face classes, a game-based learning platform has been used. This methodology ensured engaging classes at the same time that provided a useful live feedback for students and teachers. The virtualization of the laboratory was achieved by two different e-learning activities, self-assessment tasks and video clips. These e-learning tools have been used not only to improve the students’ learning but also to enhance their motivation. The results from academic outputs show a significant improvement after the new blended learning method is applied. Moreover, a student satisfaction survey shows the positive impact of the methodology on the students’ engagement and motivationPeer Reviewe

Moving Toward Blended Learning: A Multiple Case Design Based Research Study In Higher Education

The purpose of this multiple case design-based research study was to determine what elements were needed to assist two higher education instructors inexperienced in designing and teaching a blended learning course to successfully create and implement it, to document the instructors’ perceptions about their first experience of teaching a blended learning course, and to reveal how this blended learning course influenced student satisfaction. The goal of the study was to iteratively design, develop, implement, evaluate and redesign a desired blended learning course based on constructivist design theory, cognitive learning theory, and ARCS motivational design theory over the three iterative phases. This design-based research approach used a mixed study of quantitative and qualitative research methods including student surveys, instructor interviews, learning environment and observations. Quantitative data in terms of determining any change in the level of students’ motivation between the beginning of the semester and the end of the semester, and students’ motivational attitude toward the use of instructional activities and tools at the fifth and tenth week of the semester was collected. Multiple choice comprehensive pretest and posttest surveys were given to students to detect changes in their motivation level, and a multiple choice comprehensive survey was given to students to detect their motivational attitude. Qualitative data in terms of identifying the need of appropriate technological processes and resources to create a desired blended learning course, enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the blended learning course, and revealing instructor perceptions about teaching a blended learning course was collected over the three iterative designed intervention phases. Instructor perceptions were captured through in-depth interviews, and the strengths and weaknesses of the blended learning environment were ascertained through observations. The results of this study demonstrated Blackboard Learn (Learning Management System) and Google Documents were two beneficial learning resources to create a desired blended learning environment. The design and implementation of these learning resources enabled the instructors to shift from a passive teaching style to an active teaching style. Students became active and interactive learners through the adoption of active learning approaches and transactional collaborative learning approaches in the designed blended learning environments. Through the process of three iterative design cycles, the blended learning environments were modified to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of learning activities and maximize the quality of learning and teaching experiences. The results also revealed that the instructors’ overall perception was positive toward taking part in combining online and face-to-face learning and they were satisfied with teaching a blended learning course. Lastly, findings from the paired t-test completed in SPSS which compared the students’ motivation level in the beginning of the semester and the end of the semester were not statistically significant in both cases

Systems Modeling As A Means Of Building Accuate Mental Models Of Physiology Core Concepts In Undergraduate And Graduate Health Sciences Students

Accurate medical and health sciences problem solving relies upon a solid foundation of basic sciences content knowledge, primarily physiology. Yet, due to its nature as a dynamic system of interconnected, networked, concepts, physiology is often difficult for students to master. The three studies in this dissertation explore the use of a cognitive tool, systems modeling, to facilitate the development of an accurate mental model of physiology content knowledge in undergraduate and graduate physiology students. In the first study, undergraduate physiology student participation within online asynchronous peer group systems modeling activities was associated with progressive improvement on multiple choice question answer accuracy in the modeling condition versus the written discussion post condition. In the second study, graduate physician assistant students ranked systems modeling to be the top strategy for learning physiology content in the basic sciences year of study and the second to top strategy for retaining that content into the clinical year. In the third study, graduate physician assistant students demonstrated increased use of integrated core concept terms, after systems modeling activity participation, when describing the pathophysiology threshold concept of inflammation in writing. Together, these three studies provide evidence that the systems modeling strategy is an effective cognitive tool that contributes to improved student learning and retention of physiology content through visualization and subsequent refinement of the learner’s mental model of the problem space