Passing the California High School Exit Exam: Have Recent Policies Improved Student Performance?

This report evaluates the effectiveness of three support services in helping struggling students pass the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE). The report highlights the need to help students before they first take the exam in grade 10 and introduces the CAHSEE Early Warning Model, a forecasting tool to identify at-risk students in earlier grades

Open, Online, Calculus Help Forums: Learning About and From a Public Conversation

This study is an exploration of participation, community, and mathematical understanding in an open, online, calculus help forum. These forums, populated by members from around the world, are locations where students post queries from their coursework and receive assistance from volunteer tutors. The site under investigation has a spontaneous participation structure, meaning that any forum member can respond to a query and contribute to an ongoing discussion. From earlier work, we know that such forums foster mathematical dialogue, contain exchanges with sophisticated pedagogical moves, and exhibit a strong sense of community. In this study, we delve deeper into the functional aspects of activity (such as student positioning and pedagogical moves), the benefits that accrue from participation in tutoring as a communal activity, and the mathematical understanding that is evident in the way problems on limit and related rates are framed and solutions constructed. Based on an observational methodology, we find that the forum provides tutoring for students and support for tutors that is unique from our expectations of other learning environments, such as one-on-one tutoring and computer-based tutoring systems. Students position themselves with authority in the exchanges by making assertions and proposals of action, questioning or challenging others' proposals, and indicating when resolution has been achieved. Tutors, who generally have more experience and expertise than students, provide mathematical guidance, and, in exemplary exchanges, draw the student into making a mathematical discovery. The dedication of tutors to the forum community was evident in the presence of authentic, honest mathematical practices, in the generous provision of alternative perspectives on problems, and in the sincere correction of errors. Some student participants picked up on these aspects of community and expressed excitement and appreciation for this taste of mathematical discourse. The primary contribution of the tutors was their assistance in supporting students as they constructed productive framings for the exercises, and this was the help that students were most in need of. As a result of eavesdropping on this public conversation, we conclude that the forums are a public conversation that should be listened to by educational researchers, teachers, and designers of tutoring systems

Effect of Inquiry and Problem Based Pedagogy on Learning: Evidence from 10 Field Experiments in Four Countries

This paper uses data from 10 at-scale field experiments in four countries to estimate the effect of inquiry-and problem-based pedagogy (IPP) on students’ mathematics and science test scores. IPP creates active problem-solving opportunities in settings that provide meaning to the child. Students learn by collaboratively solving real-life problems, developing explanations, and communicating ideas. Using individual-level data on 17,006 students, the analysis finds that after seven months IPP increased mathematics and science scores by 0.18 and 0.14 standard deviations, respectively, and by 0.39 and 0.23 standard deviations, respectively, after four years. We also identify important gender learning gaps with boys benefiting substantially more than girls. Our approach not only provides strong causal evidence, but also high external validity. These 10 experiments in four countries allow us to examine the effects of IPP across a wide set of geographic, socioeconomic, teacher background, and age/grade contexts (i.e., preschool and third and fourth grades). The results prove to be robust across these different contexts. The 10 RCTs were registered in the American Economic Association Registry for randomized control trials. See the supplementary materials for trial numbers

Examining the Effectiveness of Explicit, Systematic Mathematics Vocabulary Instruction for Students with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities in a Specialized Setting

Many students in the United States are not proficient in mathematics. Mathematics vocabulary is one area that may impact students’ understanding of and engagement with mathematics. This dissertation investigated the implementation, effectiveness, and teacher’s perceptions of a program for teaching mathematics vocabulary necessary for fourth grade and beyond. This study randomly assigned 30 students (11-14 years old) to receive mathematics vocabulary instruction or not. Three teachers at a school for students with learning difficulties and disabilities administered mathematics vocabulary and mathematics achievement tests to all of their students before teaching the program to 17 of the students. A research assistant and I observed the teachers, and all of the teachers shared their perceptions of the lessons via a survey. Results show that the teachers taught the lessons as intended and that the students who received the lessons did better on the post-test than students who did not receive the lessons. Results from the survey suggest the teachers found the intervention acceptable, easy to use, and plan to use it or something similar to teach mathematics vocabulary in the future

Writing their way to the university: An investigation of Chinese high school students\u27 preparation for writing in English in high schools, cram schools, and online

In this dissertation, drawing from activity theory, I investigate how Chinese students prepared themselves for undergraduate studies in U.S. universities in terms of English writing from three perspectives: English writing instruction in high schools, private supplementary tutoring (PST) in English writing in cram schools, and experience with writing online and using online resources. On the basis of data from a questionnaire, interviews, classroom observations, and examinations of written materials and a forum, I provide a picture of the writing instruction experience and writing background that Chinese students bring to writing classrooms in U.S. universities. It was found that other than writing instruction in high schools that was assumed to be the main source of support for students, PST in English writing students received in cram schools was dominant in the process of preparing themselves for English writing. Online resources were also important for students although students used them mainly for test preparation rather than for improving their English writing ability. What Chinese students have achieved and are not prepared to do in English writing are also discussed in terms of aspects of writing, perceptions of a good piece of writing, amount of writing, genres of writing, feedback, and writing pedagogy. I hope this dissertation will shed light on second language writing teaching in the U.S. as well as in China and second language writing researc

인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼 사용에 대한 중국 교사의 인식

학위논문 (석사) -- 서울대학교 대학원 : 사범대학 교육학과, 2021. 2. 조영환.최근 교육 분야에서 인공지능(AI)의 도입이 큰 관심을 끌고 있다. 특히 AI 기술과 학습 분석이 결합한 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼은 지금껏 실현되기 어려웠던 맞춤형 학습(personalized learning)과 적응적 학습(adaptive learning)에 도움이 될 수 있도록 발전하고 있다. 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼(AI-based education platform)은 학습자의 행동 추적 등을 통해 이들의 특성을 분석하고 진단을 제공한 뒤 분석 결과를 토대로 학습자에게 인지 수준에 맞는 맞춤형 학습자원과 피드백을 제공한다. 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼은 교사와 학생에게 실시간 학습 데이터와 분석 결과, 그리고 피드백을 제공할 수 있어 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼이 맞춤형 학습에 긍정적인 의미가 있다는 선행 연구도 있었다. 그럼에도 불구하고, 기존 연구는 모델 개발의 차원에서나 엄밀한 실험실 환경에서 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼의 효과를 연구해왔으며, 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼에 대한 교사의 인식과 관련된 연구는 드물었다. 교사는 인공지능 교육 기술의 사용자이기 때문에 인공지능 교육 기술의 교육 도입에 있어 교사들의 인식과 의견은 중요하다. 본 연구는 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼을 활용하는 것에 대한 교사들의 인식을 탐구하였다. 아래 연구 문제를 다루기 위해 질적 연구를 시행하였다. 첫째, 중국 교사들은 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼이 중학교 교육에 활용 있어 어떠한 장점이 있다고 인식하는가? 둘째, 중국 교사들은 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼과 중학교 교수 활동 요소 간 어떠한 모순이 있다고 인식하는가? 셋째, 중국 교사들은 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼을 중학교 교육에 도입할 때 무엇이 필요하다고 인식하는가? 본 연구는 중국 교사들을 연구대상으로 온라인 심층 면담을 하였다. 문헌 리뷰를 통해 면담 질문지를 설계하되 눈덩이표집법 (snowball sampling)을 통해 중국 중학교 교사 14명을 연구참여자로 선정하였다. 선정된 교사들은 모두 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼 사용 경험이 있으며 각 교사를 대상으로 약 1시간 정도 면담을 진행하고 녹음하였다. 면담이 끝난 후 녹음 내용을 전사하였으며, 주제분석을 사용하여 면담 내용을 초기 코드 생성하고 면담 자료 속에서 주제를 도출하였다. 특히 연구 문제 2번의 경우, 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼 활용과 교수 학습활동 내 여러 요소 간의 모순을 분석하기 위해 활동이론을 연구의 틀로 이용하였다. 최종적으로 연구문제 1에 대한 주제 4개, 연구문제 2에 대한 주제 6개, 연구문제 3에 대한 주제 4개를 도출하였다. 연구 결과로 교사들은 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼의 장점에 대해 즉각적인 피드백 제공, 교수학습 지원, 교사의 업무량 감소 등으로 인식하였고, 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼이 다양한 교수학습 자원을 통합할 수 있다고 인식하였다. 아울러 교사들은 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼의 사용에 있어 기존의 교수학습 활동과 상충된 부분이 있다는 점을 인식하였다. 교사들은 기존 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼의 추천 모델이 차별화된 학생들에게 잘 적용되지 못한다는 것을 인식하였다. 그리고 기존 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼이 다양한 학습 자원을 잘 분류되지 못하기 때문에 교사들이 사용하기 불편하다. 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼을 이용할 때 교사의 지적재산권을 보호하기 위한 명확한 규제가 부족하다고 인식하였다. 이와 함께 학부모들은 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼을 사용함으로써 발생할 수 있는 학습자의 인터넷 남용과 시력 저하 문제를 우려하였다. 또 중국의 사회문화적 배경과 교육 특성으로 인해 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼을 활용하는 데 학생들의 글씨 쓰기 능력에 영향을 미칠 수 있으며, 학교 내 전자기기 사용 제한도 데이터 수집의 지속성과 효율성에 영향을 미칠 수 있다고 인식하였다. 교사들은 위의 문제들이 인공지능 교육 플랫폼 사용에 대한 규칙 마련과 인공지능 기술을 개선함으로써 완화될 수 있다고 인식하였다. 또한 교사의 실제 요구에 맞게 개발될 수 있도록 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼 개발 과정에 교육 전문가와 교사가 참여할 필요가 있다. 본 연구는 중국 교사들이 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼에 대한 인식을 탐색하였으며, 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼이 교수학습에서의 장점과 문제점을 밝혔다. 아울러 본 연구는 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼이 교육 분야에 대규모로 도입될 수 있도록 규칙, 인공지능 기술, 그리고 교육 공학의 차원에서 사용 규범과 기술 개선을 제안하였다. 본 연구를 통해 탐색한 내용이 향후 교육 분야의 인공지능 기반 교육 플랫폼 도입에 활용된다면 인공지능 교육 기술에 관한 연구의 발전에도 기여할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.In recent years, the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has attracted widespread attention. In particular, the AI-based education platform based on the combination of AI technology and learning analysis brings new light to the long-standing difficulties in personalized learning and adaptive learning. The AI-based education platform analyzes learners' characteristics by collecting their data and tracking their learning behavior. It then generates cognitive diagnosis for learners and provides them with personalized learning resources and adaptive feedback that match their cognitive level based on systematic analysis. With the help of the AI-based education platform, teachers and students can get real-time educational data and analysis result，as well as the feedback and treatment corresponding to the results. Previous studies have already demonstrated and proved its positive significance to personalized learning. However, these studies mostly start from a model development perspective or in a rigorous laboratory environment. There has been little research on teachers' perceptions of AI-based education platform. As a direct user of AI educational technologies, teachers' perceptions and suggestions are vital for introducing AIEd in education. In this study, the researcher explored teachers' perceptions of using AI-based education platform in teaching. The study conducted qualitative research to address the following research questions: 1) How do Chinese teachers perceive the advantages of AI-based education platforms for teaching and learning in secondary school? 2) How do Chinese teachers perceive the contradictions between AI-based education platforms and the secondary school system? 3）How do Chinese teachers suggest applying AI-based education platforms in secondary school? And it referred to the in-depth online interview with Chinese teachers who had experience with AI-based education platform. Interview questions were constructed through the literature review, and 14 secondary school teachers were selected by the snowball sampling method. The interviews lasted for an average of one hour per teacher and were transcribed from the audio recordings to text documents when finished. Afterward, the data were analyzed using thematic analysis, including generating initial codes, searching and reviewing the categories, and deriving the themes finally. Notably, for research question two, the researcher used the activity theory framework to analyze the contradictions among the use of the AI-based education platform and the various elements of the teaching and learning activities. Finally, four themes for research question 1, six themes for research question 2, and four themes for research question 3 were derived. As for the advantages, teachers believe that AI-based education platforms can provide instant feedback, targeted and systematic teaching support, and reduce teachers' workload. At the same time, AI-based education platforms can also integrate teaching resources in different areas. Teachers also recognized that the AI-based education platforms might trigger contradictions in existing teaching activities. They are aware of the situation that the recommended model of the AI-based education platform is not suitable for all levels of students; that a large number of learning resources are not classified properly enough to meet the needs of teachers, and that there lack clear rules and regulations to protect teachers' intellectual property rights when using the platform. Besides, parents are also concerned about the potential risk of internet addiction and vision problems using AI-based education platforms. Moreover, the use of the AI-based education platform may also affect students' ability to write Chinese characters due to the socio-historical background and educational characteristics in China. Furthermore, the restricted use of electronic devices on campus may also impact the consistent and effective education data collection. Teachers believe that these problems can be solved by improving rules and AI technology. Moreover, to make the platform more in line with the actual teaching requirements, teachers and education experts can also be involved in the development process of AI-based education platform. This study explored how Chinese teachers perceive the AI-based education platform and found that the AI-based education platform was conducive to personalized teaching and learning. At the same time, this study put forward some suggestions from the perspective of rules, AI technology, and educational technology, hoping to provide a good value for the future large-scale introduction of AI-based education platforms in education.CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1. Problem Statement 1 1.2. Purpose of Research 7 1.3. Definition of Terms 8 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 10 2.1. AI in Education 10 2.1.1 AI for Learning and Teaching 10 2.1.2 AI-based Education Platform 14 2.1.3 Teachers' Perception on AI-based Education Platform 18 2.2. Activity Theory 20 CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHOD 23 3.1. Research Design 23 3.2. Participants 25 3.3. Instrumentation 26 3.3.1 Potential Value of AI System in Education 26 3.4. Data Collection 33 3.5. Data Analysis 34 CHAPTER 4. FINDINGS 36 4.1. Advantages of Using AI-based Education Platform 36 4.1.1 Instant Feedback 37 4.1.2 Targeted and Systematic Teaching Support 42 4.1.3 Educational Resources Sharing 46 4.1.4 Reducing Workload 49 4.2. Tensions of Using AI-based Education Platform 51 4.2.1 Inadequately Meet the Needs of Teachers 52 4.2.2 Failure to Satisfy Low and High Achievers 54 4.2.3 Intellectual Property Violation 56 4.2.4 Guardian's Concern 57 4.2.5 School Rules about the Use of Electronic Devices 58 4.2.6 Implication for Chinese Character Education 59 4.3. Suggestion of Using AI-based Education Platform 61 4.3.1 Improving Rules of Using the AI-based Education Platform 61 4.3.2 Improving Rules of Protecting Teachers Right 62 4.3.3 Improving AI Technology 64 4.3.4 Participatory Design 66 CHAPTER 5. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 68 5.1. Discussion 68 5.2. Conclusion 72 REFERENCE 75 APPENDIX 1 98 APPENDIX 2 100 국문초록 112Maste

Russian perspectives of online learning technologies in higher education: An empirical study of a MOOC

There has been a rapid growth of massive open online courses (MOOCs) in the global education market in the last decade. Online learning technologies are becoming increasingly widespread in the non-formal education sector and in higher and supplementary vocational education. The use of MOOCs in Russia to support the delivery of educational programmes at university level opens opportunities in terms of expanding the educational choice for students, the development of virtual academic mobility, reduction in the cost of educational services, and improvement in the accessibility of education. However, the effectiveness of using different online learning technologies at university level, and the consequences of their widespread adoption, has not been sufficiently explored. In this research study, a comparative analysis is made of the effects of different online learning models on student educational outcomes in a university setting. A study was undertaken in which different groups of students at the Ural Federal University, Russia, were encouraged to study technical and humanities disciplines using a framework of blended learning, and online learning with tutoring support. The results of the study were compared with the results of a reference (control) group of students who studied the same disciplines in a traditionally taught model. It was found that both models (blended and online) of MOOC implementation demonstrated greater learning gains, in comparison with the traditional model. For engineering and technical disciplines, there was no statistically significant difference between blended or online learning technologies. For the humanities discipline, where the communicative component of the learning process was significant, the blended learning technology produced better results. Conclusions of this empirical research may be useful for heads of educational organizations and teachers in helping them to make strategic decisions about the modernization of university courses by increasing the effectiveness of the implementation of new educational technologies. The results of this research project will be used for implementing the State Priority Project, ‘The Modern Digital Educational Environment of the Russian Federation’