Teaching for transfer of assembly language concepts to C programming using computer-based instruction and traditional instruction

The aim of teaching assembly language in a computer application course is to introduce students to abstract concepts before delving into programming details. For a novice, it is difficult to understand and learn assembly language in a short amount of time. Hence, the use of a series of computer-based programs may be helpful. Based on this perspective, a computer-based assembly language program LEARNIT was designed to establish a meaningful introduction for students to programming;The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of using computer-based instruction in learning assembly language at the undergraduate level and (2) to investigate whether learning assembly language by two instructional methods (traditional lecture/demonstration/ practice vs. computer-based instruction) was transferred to writing programs in the C language to the same degree;Forty-nine subjects participated in this study. The experimental group consisted of 25 subjects who received instruction on assembly language using the computer-based program LEARNIT. The control group consisted of 24 subjects who received instruction on assembly language using live instruction (traditional lecture/demonstration/practice);Three types of instruments were designed to measure student\u27s knowledge regarding the computer organization, assembly language, and the ability to program in C language. The results revealed that the subjects\u27 performance on a test covering assembly language was not affected by the instructional method (traditional lecture vs. computer-based instruction) in which they participated. Also, the subjects\u27 performance on a test covering the C language was not affected by the prior learning of assembly language between the experimental and control groups

Design and conversational evaluation of an information technology learning environment based on self-organised-learning

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University, 20/07/1996.From 1990 to 1993 I was engaged as the Information Technology (IT) Workshop manager at Mid-Cornwall College, St. Austell. My mission during this period was to develop a new kind of IT learning environment. The main purpose was - and continues to be - to provide for mixed 'open-access’ student targets wishing to pursue generic IT activities and gain commensurate vocational qualifications. This Open-Learning (OL) environment provides on-the-job curriculum development of IT learning support systems, through a Flexible Learning (FL) management policy. An action research approach based on S-O-L provides both the methodology and technology for implementing a learning organisation. A key objective was institutional change towards the learning management policy of IT, through appropriate deployment of staffing and courseware resources to enable the practice of student centred learning. Another aim was to integrate and mix all target groups of learners together in the same domain, i. e. school leavers with adult returners for the achievement of a cost-effective, well-co-ordinated and productive learning environment. My action research applied the Centre for the Study of Human Learning's (CSHL's) ideas and tools towards the development of the IT Workshop's learning policy. I have sought to make the connection between FL delivery of the generic IT curriculum and the SOL approach towards individual and organisational learning. This came about from the link between the FL philosophy of learner-centred activity and the SOL philosophy of empowering individuals via Learning Conversations. S-O-L'Systems-7' was adopted as a conversational tool for developing the educational roles and practices of the IT Workshop. This influenced my college to make essential environmental changes to the workshop in order to develop these activities. The project also used the Personal Learning Contract (PLC) to manage and enable the 'learning-to-learn' activities of individual IT learners. With the PLC as the central tool for implementing Learning Conversations, there evolved the idea of 'Group Learning Contracts' (GLCs). This led to the practical development of 'Learning Plans' (LPs), such that IT flexible modules could be transferred to the autonomy of the learner. Evaluations from this project included sample case-study evidences of Learning Conversations obtained from individual IT case-load students. Repertory grid feedback conversations of learning experienced by individual staff members taking part in the project were also obtained. Questionnaire results from IT learners was used as another method of feedback, and conversationally evaluated using factor analysis and 'talkback' records. All the action research qualitative evidences were finally analysed using conversational techniques, leading to the overall project 'findings'

Computer-assisted Instruction Software Package for Computer Literacy: Design and Development

Business Educatio

The Virtual Law School, 2.0

Just over twenty years ago I gave a talk to the AALS called The Virtual Law School? Or, How the Internet Will De-skill the Professoriate, and Turn Your Law School Into a Conference Center. I came to the subject because I had been working on internet law, learning about virtual worlds and e-commerce, and about the power of one-to-many communications, and it struck me that a lot of what I had learned applied to education in general and to legal education in particular. It didn\u27t happen. Or at least, it has not happened yet. In this essay I want to revisit my predictions from twenty years ago in order to see why so little has changed (so far). The massive convulsion forced on law teaching because of the social distancing required to prevent COVID-I9 transmission provided an occasion for us all to rethink how we deliver law teaching. After discussing why my predictions failed to manifest before 2020, I will argue that unless the pandemic can be controlled, the market for legal education may force some radical changes on us-whether we like them or not-and that in the main my earlier predictions were not wrong, just premature

TLAD 2010 Proceedings:8th international workshop on teaching, learning and assesment of databases (TLAD)

This is the eighth in the series of highly successful international workshops on the Teaching, Learning and Assessment of Databases (TLAD 2010), which once again is held as a workshop of BNCOD 2010 - the 27th International Information Systems Conference. TLAD 2010 is held on the 28th June at the beautiful Dudhope Castle at the Abertay University, just before BNCOD, and hopes to be just as successful as its predecessors.The teaching of databases is central to all Computing Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems and Information Technology courses, and this year, the workshop aims to continue the tradition of bringing together both database teachers and researchers, in order to share good learning, teaching and assessment practice and experience, and further the growing community amongst database academics. As well as attracting academics from the UK community, the workshop has also been successful in attracting academics from the wider international community, through serving on the programme committee, and attending and presenting papers.This year, the workshop includes an invited talk given by Richard Cooper (of the University of Glasgow) who will present a discussion and some results from the Database Disciplinary Commons which was held in the UK over the academic year. Due to the healthy number of high quality submissions this year, the workshop will also present seven peer reviewed papers, and six refereed poster papers. Of the seven presented papers, three will be presented as full papers and four as short papers. These papers and posters cover a number of themes, including: approaches to teaching databases, e.g. group centered and problem based learning; use of novel case studies, e.g. forensics and XML data; techniques and approaches for improving teaching and student learning processes; assessment techniques, e.g. peer review; methods for improving students abilities to develop database queries and develop E-R diagrams; and e-learning platforms for supporting teaching and learning

Facillitating, teaching and learning of programming with inter-active multimedia.

This thesis investigates effective ways of designing and integrating InteractiveMultimedia (IMM) to facilitate teaching and learning of programming. Drawing on apreliminary investigation in IMM and learning, an initial design and integrationapproach was developed. The architecture and design features of IMM courseware andits integration were modelled to suppOli the learning activities defined by Laurillard'sconversational and Mayes' learning frameworks and to accommodate the needs for thedomain identified at two UK Universities. The approach aimed to improve the quality ofstudent learning with IMM courseware through creating a learning context whichsupports the teaching and learning processes; encourages students to use the coursewarefor learning; and increases their motivation and interests in the subject matter they study.The primary emphasis of this approach lies in integrating IMM for lectures and tutorial.Sequent case studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach insupporting teaching and learning. Two IMM courseware, consisting of resource-orientedand task-oriented materials, were developed and integrated into four programmingmodules at Napier and BruneI Universities. To explore the effects of hyperlinks inproblem-solving contexts, three different variations of the task-oriented material weredeveloped: one without hyperlinks, the second with questions (static), and the third withmodel answers when the questions were answered incorrectly (dynamic).The results suggested that student learning experience was enhanced by the use of theIMM courseware for teaching and learning: their performance and perceptions of thesubject matters improved. Using the IMM courseware in lectures and tutorials enhancedthe teaching and learning processes, promoted active learning and reflective thinking,and created collaborative learning environment. However, weaknesses were alsoidentified in supporting student learning with different knowledge levels. As for thehyperlinks effects, the results showed that the 'dynamic' hyperlinks improved students'performance most effectively. They helped students become aware of theirmisconceptions and correct them through revisiting the resource-oriented material; andin the process reflect on what they learnt in lectures. The 'static' hyperlinks were foundto be beneficial when students did not have sufficient knowledge to test. In addition, theresults revealed various factors affecting student learning with IMM. Among them wasstudents' familiarity with IMM, which emphasised the importance of integrating IMMcourseware in a way that encourages students to use it for learning.The thesis presents a design and integration approach informed by the findings from thecase studies, and proposes a design and integration process with IMM. The processconsists of three phases (designing and integrating IMM, and facilitating learning withIMM) and the factors affecting the phases, and illustrates the relationship between them

TLAD 2010 Proceedings:8th international workshop on teaching, learning and assesment of databases (TLAD)

This is the eighth in the series of highly successful international workshops on the Teaching, Learning and Assessment of Databases (TLAD 2010), which once again is held as a workshop of BNCOD 2010 - the 27th International Information Systems Conference. TLAD 2010 is held on the 28th June at the beautiful Dudhope Castle at the Abertay University, just before BNCOD, and hopes to be just as successful as its predecessors.The teaching of databases is central to all Computing Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems and Information Technology courses, and this year, the workshop aims to continue the tradition of bringing together both database teachers and researchers, in order to share good learning, teaching and assessment practice and experience, and further the growing community amongst database academics. As well as attracting academics from the UK community, the workshop has also been successful in attracting academics from the wider international community, through serving on the programme committee, and attending and presenting papers.This year, the workshop includes an invited talk given by Richard Cooper (of the University of Glasgow) who will present a discussion and some results from the Database Disciplinary Commons which was held in the UK over the academic year. Due to the healthy number of high quality submissions this year, the workshop will also present seven peer reviewed papers, and six refereed poster papers. Of the seven presented papers, three will be presented as full papers and four as short papers. These papers and posters cover a number of themes, including: approaches to teaching databases, e.g. group centered and problem based learning; use of novel case studies, e.g. forensics and XML data; techniques and approaches for improving teaching and student learning processes; assessment techniques, e.g. peer review; methods for improving students abilities to develop database queries and develop E-R diagrams; and e-learning platforms for supporting teaching and learning