Useful academic references for data mining and usage statistics

Relates to the following software for analysing Blackboard stats http://www.edshare.soton.ac.uk/11134/ Is supporting material for the following podcast: http://youtu.be/yHxCzjiYBo

The Role of a Mobile App for Listening Comprehension Training in Distance Learning to Sustain Student Motivation

In this article the importance of listening comprehension for language students is discussed and the possible benefits of using a mobile app to motivate its practice and development are considered. The Audio News Trainer (ANT) is presented as an example of this type of app that uses the news domain as the source of audio recordings. Three research questions related to the use of this app are outlined regarding the effectiveness of the news domain for motivating the practice of listening comprehension, whether social media (such as Facebook) can increase the motivation, and how the students’ exposure to the target language can be prolonged here. An experiment is undertaken that provides data (obtained by interaction with the app and from pre- and post-questionnaires) which appear, based upon initial analyses, to support both the use of ANT to motivate the prolonged practice of listening comprehension and also the potential of social media-based interaction in second language learning nowadays

Breaking the boundaries of space and time: A review of applications of bring-your-own-device in higher education

Throughout history, various technologies have been used to bridge the boundaries of time and space, from 19th-century postcard education to present day mobile technology. Previous reviews examining the first decade of the new millennium showed many research projects using institutionally owned equipment, mostly supporting a teacher-centred approach and with a focus on content delivery. With the rapid development of small, portable and smart devices since 2007, devices becoming ubiquitous in the lives of students of today, has the focus of research changed? This paper reviews journal articles published 2009-2014 with the aim to examine how mobile devices are applied to bridge the boundaries of space and time in higher educational settings, and thereby supporting networked learning for the campus classroom as well as the online student. A search in major databases for English language journal articles was conducted with phrases "mobile learning" and "higher education". We found 109 articles indicating some form of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) philosophy. Categorizations were made primarily based on the abstracts. About 85 per cent of the articles were empirical in nature. Another eight per cent were theoretical and/or argumentative. The remaining articles were reviews, method development or meta-analyses. Subjects of study in the empirical articles were primarily students, but also faculty or a combination of those appears. Geographically, most studies are concentrated in the English-speaking parts of the world, although for instance Sub-Saharan Africa could benefit from development in this area. Not surprisingly, the top three countries by number of publications are USA, UK and Australia. About a third of the articles did not deal with the dimensions of time and space explicitly. Several of the non-empirical articles are among them, and so are a group of empirical articles that examined behavioural intents, perceptions, and attitudes amongst students and faculty. The principal phenomena studied with respect to the bridging of time and space was social media, the most common variety being podcasting, followed by text- and instant-messaging and social networking. Another group addressed how learning management and support systems could be developed to better support flexibility in time and space, or attitudes, intentions and perceptions regarding mobile learning implementations. Results indicate a shift from teacher-centred content delivery approaches towards student-centred communicative approaches. Recent improvements in network infrastructure and device usability seem to afford this development for teachers and students alike. However, a more thorough analysis of the material is required to validate such a claim

Podcasts, An Increasingly Effective Media Tool

The importance of the world staying connected and up-to-date on current news and new information is only going to continue as technology improves and people look for new sources of education. As we see so many things shift online during the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s only natural that news would continue to shift that way as well. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, podcasts were an alternate source of information that was becoming more and more popular. While the information distributed by podcasts and social media may not be as complete as news from stereotypical sources, they are much more effective because they are more accessible, better at capturing the audience’s attention, and can be used to educate people on important issues or start a conversation

If I Upload it, will They Come? using Lazy User Theory to Explain Student Use of Optional Online Learning Resources

Instructors are encouraged to provide a rich array of complementary learning resources to students to cater to their different learning styles. More and more of these resources are being made available online. The way students choose amongst different optional learning resources is poorly understood. The paper reports the findings of a study that examined differences in student perceptions of different web-based learning support services such as groupware and online courses. Based on a sample of 55 undergraduate business school students in an e-commerce major, the findings indicate that effort minimization strongly influences student use of administrative services but less so more learning related services. The results have important implications for trainers and teachers involved in the design and implementation of web based learning resources and services. Keywords: Learning resources, learning management system, lazy user theory, technology acceptance mode

Factors influencing the implementation, adoption, use, sustainability and scalability of mLearning for medical and nursing education: a systematic review protocol

Background: mLearning is increasingly presented as an attractive novel educational strategy for medical and nursing education. Yet, evidence base for its effectiveness or factors which influence use, success, implementation or adoption are not clear. We aim to synthesise findings from qualitative studies to provide insight into the factors (barriers and facilitators) influencing adoption, implementation and use of mobile devices for learning in medical and nursing education. The review also aims to identify factors or actions which are considered to optimise the experience and satisfaction of educators and learners in using mobile technologies for medical and nursing education and to identify strategies for improving mLearning interventions for medical and nursing education. / Methods: A systematic search will be conducted across a range of databases for studies describing or evaluating the experiences, barriers, facilitators and factors pertaining to the use of mLearning for medical and nursing education. The framework synthesis approach will be used to organise and bring different components of the results together. The confidence in the qualitative review findings will be assessed using the CERQual approach. / Discussion: This study will contribute to the planning and design of effective mLearning and the development of mLearning guidelines for medical and nursing education. / Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD4201603541

Making Sense of Video Analytics: Lessons Learned from Clickstream Interactions, Attitudes, and Learning Outcome in a Video-Assisted Course

Online video lectures have been considered an instructional media for various pedagogic approaches, such as the flipped classroom and open online courses. In comparison to other instructional media, online video affords the opportunity for recording student clickstream patterns within a video lecture. Video analytics within lecture videos may provide insights into student learning performance and inform the improvement of video-assisted teaching tactics. Nevertheless, video analytics are not accessible to learning stakeholders, such as researchers and educators, mainly because online video platforms do not broadly share the interactions of the users with their systems. For this purpose, we have designed an open-access video analytics system for use in a video-assisted course. In this paper, we present a longitudinal study, which provides valuable insights through the lens of the collected video analytics. In particular, we found that there is a relationship between video navigation (repeated views) and the level of cognition/thinking required for a specific video segment. Our results indicated that learning performance progress was slightly improved and stabilized after the third week of the video-assisted course. We also found that attitudes regarding easiness, usability, usefulness, and acceptance of this type of course remained at the same levels throughout the course. Finally, we triangulate analytics from diverse sources, discuss them, and provide the lessons learned for further development and refinement of video-assisted courses and practices

Considerations in the Use of Podcasts for Teaching and Learning in Occupational Therapy: A Scoping Study

Evidence-based practice integrates and supports the best interventions in clinical practice. However, a gap of about ten years may elapse between the production of evidence and integration of best practices in clinical settings. Some technologies, such as podcasting, have become increasingly popular and are emerging as an innovative teaching modality that can support knowledge acquisition and integration. This scoping study gathered and synthesized the information in the literature regarding the use of podcasts by occupational therapy clinicians and students as a means for teaching and learning evidence-based knowledge. A scoping study approach was used following the five stages defined by Arksey and O\u27Malley. In four databases and using 40 keywords, two team members selected and cross-checked articles. Two team members also extracted data and analyzed them in the form of descriptive statistics and salience (recurrence and importance). Of the 46 articles selected, seven broad categories of 20 important themes related to the use of podcasting were identified: facilitators and obstacles to podcast use, advantages and disadvantages of podcasts, effects of podcasts, potential utility of podcasts, and elements to consider for podcast creation. Podcasting is an innovative and appropriate modality for the retention of knowledge and the optimization of practical skills. It differs from traditional methods in its ease of access and portability. Many positive effects have been associated with its use. However, podcasts should not replace class attendance or other active learning opportunities

Podcasting in Teaching Mathematics. Educational Mobile Application “Mathematics is Around Us. Mathematical Podcasts”

В статье обосновывается актуальность использования технологии подкастинга в процессе обучения математике. Представлено описание структуры и контента разработанного авторами образовательного мобильного приложения «Математика вокруг нас. Математические подкасты», предлагаемого к использованию в качестве средства обучения в основной школе.The article substantiates the relevance of using podcasting technology in the process of teaching mathematics. The description of the structure and content of the educational mobile application "Mathematics is around us. Mathematical podcasts" developed by the authors is presented. The developed application is proposed for the use as a learning tool in middle school