What do faculties specializing in brain and neural sciences think about, and how do they approach, brain-friendly teaching-learning in Iran?

Objective: to investigate the perspectives and experiences of the faculties specializing in brain and neural sciences regarding brain-friendly teaching-learning in Iran. Methods: 17 faculties from 5 universities were selected by purposive sampling (2018). In-depth semi-structured interviews with directed content analysis were used. Results: 31 sub-subcategories, 10 subcategories, and 4 categories were formed according to the “General teaching model”. “Mentorship” was a newly added category. Conclusions: A neuro-educational approach that consider the roles of the learner’s brain uniqueness, executive function facilitation, and the valence system are important to learning. Such learning can be facilitated through cognitive load considerations, repetition, deep questioning, visualization, feedback, and reflection. The contextualized, problem-oriented, social, multi-sensory, experiential, spaced learning, and brain-friendly evaluation must be considered. Mentorship is important for coaching and emotional facilitation

Analyzing groups’ problem-solving process to characterize collaboration within groups

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Developing the role concept for computer-supported collaborative learning

The role concept has attracted a lot of attention as a construct for facilitating and analysing interactions in the context of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). So far much of this research has been carried out in isolation and the focus on roles lacks cohesion. In this article we present a conceptual framework to synthesise the contemporary conceptualisation of roles, by discerning three levels of the role concept: micro (role as task), meso (role as pattern) and macro (role as stance). As a first step to further conceptualise ‘role as a stance’, we present a framework of eight participative stances defined along three dimensions: group size, orientation and effort. The participative stances – Captain, Over-rider, Free-rider, Ghost, Pillar, Generator, Hanger-on and Lurker – were scrutinised on two data sets using qualitative analysis. The stances aim to facilitate meaningful description of student behaviour, stimulate both teacher and student awareness of roles at the macro-level in terms of participative stances, and evaluate or possibly change the participation to collaborative learning on all levels

Exploring participative learner modelling and its effects on learner behaviour

scholarship 64999/111091The educational benefits of involving learners as active players in the learner modelling process have been an important motivation for research on this form of learner modelling, henceforth referred to as participative learner modelling. Such benefits, conceived as the promotion of learners' reflection on and awareness of their own knowledge, have in most cases been asserted on the grounds of system design and supported only by anecdotal evidence. This dissertation explores the issue of whether participative learner modelling actually promotes learners' reflection and awareness. It does so by firstly interpreting 'reflection' and 'awareness' in light of "classical" theories of human cognitive architecture, skill acquisition and meta-cognition, in order to infer changes in learner abilities (and therefore behaviour) amenable to empirical corroboration. The occurrence of such changes is then tested for an implementation of a paradigmatic form of participative learner modelling: allowing learners to inspect and modify their learner models. The domain of application centres on the sensorimotor skill of controlling a pole on a cart and represents a novel type of domain for participative learner modelling. Special attention is paid to evaluating the method developed for constructing learner models and the form of presenting them to learners: the former is based on a method known as behavioural cloning for acquiring expert knowledge by means of machine learning; the latter deals with the modularity of the learner models and the modality and interactivity of their presentation. The outcome of this research suggests that participative learner modelling may increase the abilities of learners to report accurately their problem-solving knowledge and to carry out novel tasks in the same domain—the sort of behavioural changes expected from increased learners' awareness and reflection. More importantly perhaps, the research suggests a viable methodology for examining the educational benefits of participative learner modelling. It also exemplifies the difficulties that such endeavours will face

A Model of Women Literacy Preservation Through Koran Ibu Program

The effect of literacy education is often disappointing, because many participants do not practice their literacy so that it becomes dull. Government has done efforts to preserve literariness through Koran Ibu program. This program is an effort to improve women literacy which is implemented after basic and advanced literacy education through the activity of journalism. The research focus is the improvement of literacy ability of women through Koran Ibu using with case study method. The research's subjetcs are 20 housewives who have completed the basic and advanced literacy education program. The result of the research shows that participants significantly develops the literacy skills, it is indicated from that they are able to participate in Koran Ibu's rubrics with their literary works based on reportage and personal experience. The program is succesful due to the coordination among local participants (Lurah, Camat, PKK of local level), the cooperation with proper stakeholders (university and local tutor), the appropriate approach of adult learning, flexible implementation strategy but planned, and the routine evaluation

Theorising and practitioners in HRD: the role of abductive reasoning

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that abductive reasoning is a typical but usually unrecognised process used by HRD scholars and practitioners alike. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper that explores recent criticism of traditional views of theory-building, based on the privileging of scientific theorising, which has led to a relevance gap between scholars and practitioners. The work of Charles Sanders Peirce and the varieties of an abductive reasoning process are considered. Findings – Abductive reasoning, which precedes induction and deduction, provide a potential connection with HRD practitioners who face difficult problems. Two types of abductive reasoning are explored – existential and analogic. Both offer possibilities for theorising with HRD practitioners. A range of methods for allowing abduction to become more evident with practitioners are presented. The authors consider how abduction can be used in engaged and participative research strategies. Research limitations/implications – While this is a conceptual paper, it does suggest implications for engagement and participation in theorising with HRD practitioners. Practical implications – Abductive reasoning adds to the repertoire of HRD scholars and practitioners. Originality/value – The paper elucidates the value of abductive reasoning and points to how it can become an integral element of theory building in HRD

THE CREATED LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR EMPLOYEES TO ENHANCE QUALITY OF WORK OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN THAILAND

Abstract This article is objected to propose the created learning activities that might enhance quality of work for employees of small businesses in Thailand. Developmental research was applied with triangulation technique: literature and interview. Literature focuses on contextual learning, learning activities, quality of work, and small hotel business in Thailand. The interview purposively samples two employers and two employees from small hotel businesses in Thailand. Both learning and quality of work comprise several dimensions and perspectives. Scholars suggest business management applying them for human-resource and social development. Several research literatures further support that contextual learning can enhance skill, task, relation, and so on. Matched for learning at workplace under the economical conditions, contextual learning activities, learning activities through contextual learning which prioritizes authentic context and daily activities, are confidently created. The result posits six created contextual learning activities applying technology, such as computer and internet that businesses authentically possess on business purpose, as contextual tools to enhance quality of work for employees of small hotel businesses in Thailand. Applying learning activities, concern of target learners is discussed. In order to generalize the research, other target populations, such as resigned employees, employees and employers of bigger-sized hotel businesses or other accommodation businesses, and quantitative methodology are suggested for further studies

Generation Y, Learner Auonomy and the Potential of Web 2.0 Tools for Language Teaching and Learning

This paper critically examines the concept of learner autonomy in the context of a model of language teaching and learning that seeks to exploit the potential of Web 2.0 tools. The development of Web 2.0 tools in language teaching and learning has the potential to greatly enhance the opportunities available for students to make meaningful use of their target language in real time contexts and increasingly, students are turning to the web for their own, independent, language learning. The paper draws on survey and interview data from a group of Australian undergraduate students to establish their needs in terms of developing autonomous learning skills and dispositions

Evaluating the Effectiveness of tutorial dialogue instruction in a Explotary learning context

[Proceedings of] ITS 2006, 8th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems, 26-30 June 2006, Jhongli, Taoyuan County, TaiwanIn this paper we evaluate the instructional effectiveness of tutorial dialogue agents in an exploratory learning setting. We hypothesize that the creative nature of an exploratory learning environment creates an opportunity for the benefits of tutorial dialogue to be more clearly evidenced than in previously published studies. In a previous study we showed an advantage for tutorial dialogue support in an exploratory learning environment where that support was administered by human tutors [9]. Here, using a similar experimental setup and materials, we evaluate the effectiveness of tutorial dialogue agents modeled after the human tutors from that study. The results from this study provide evidence of a significant learning benefit of the dialogue agentsThis project is supported by ONR Cognitive and Neural Sciences Division, Grant number N000140410107proceedingPublicad

Location-based and contextual mobile learning. A STELLAR Small-Scale Study

This study starts from several inputs that the partners have collected from previous and current running research projects and a workshop organised at the STELLAR Alpine Rendevous 2010. In the study, several steps have been taken, firstly a literature review and analysis of existing systems; secondly, mobile learning experts have been involved in a concept mapping study to identify the main challenges that can be solved via mobile learning; and thirdly, an identification of educational patterns based on these examples has been done. Out of this study the partners aim to develop an educational framework for contextual learning as a unifying approach in the field. Therefore one of our central research questions is: how can we investigate, theorise, model and support contextual learning