The Effects of The Problem-Based Learnıng Supported by Experiments in Science Course: Students' Inquiry Learning and Reflective Thinking Skills

This study aims to investigate the effect of the problem-based learning method supported by experiments on the inquiry learning skills of secondary school students and their reflective thinking skills for problem-solving. This research uses a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group. This study consists of 21 students in the experimental group and 22 students in the control group from the sixth grade of a public secondary school in Turkey. The inquiry learning skills and reflective thinking skills scale for problem-solving were used as data collection tools in the research. The Electricity Transmission unit was carried out in the experimental group with problem-based learning scenarios supported by the experiment. Activities based on the science course curriculum were carried out in the control group. SPSS-21 was used to analyze the data. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the post-test scores of the inquiry learning skills scale of the students in the experimental group differed statistically significantly from those of the control group students, and this difference was in favor of the experimental group. No significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups in post-test scores regarding reflective thinking skills for problem-solving

Student perceptions and learning approaches of using blogs in IT education for reflection and knowledge construction

Blogging is a commonly-used tool in supporting reflection in student learning. The present research explored the possibility of using blogs as an assessment tool for promoting self-reflection and knowledge construction to the associate-degree students from four different cohorts who were taught by the researcher. Students were required to write reflective journals weekly in their blog as part of the course assessment. The primary goal of the study was to explore any evidence of the student constructing knowledge via the blogging exercises and evaluate the blogging technology in promoting in-depth self-reflection. The research adopted a mixed research method which combines both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study included a questionnaire which is composed of two previously developed questionnaires, the Reflection Questionnaire (RQ) (Kember, 2000) and the Revised Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) (Biggs et al., 2001) for exploring the relationships between students’ perceptions of blogging and their learning approaches and their level of reflective thinking. The results would then triangulate with the findings of content analysis of blog posts and student interviews. The study showed that deep approach scores and scores of reflective thinking scales have been found as a significant contribution to the explanation of the portfolio and total course marks. It also showed that there is strong relationship between the learning approach and the students’ habit of reflective thinking. By comparing the pre-teaching with post-teaching scores, it is found that a positive change in the total scores of deep approach in particular in deep strategy subscale and a positive change in the total scores of higher levels of reflective thinking (reflection and critical reflection). Furthermore, the results showed that a negative change in the total scores of the lowest level of reflective thinking – habitual action. These implied that blogging may motivate students to learn deeper and drive them to think reflectively

Students' perceptions of learning through assessment for learning and technology.

This study investigates the implementation of the concept of assessment for learning in the context of computer education courses in teacher education in Macau. It aims to promote reflection in students' learning with the use of technology. The concept of assessment for learning was infused into the courses taught by the researcher. Opportunities for self-assessment, peer-assessment and constructive feedback were set up for students to examine their own learning through the online technoiogy, of blogging and digital portfolios. One hundred and seventeen teachers and teacher candidates, taking Computer, Applications, Educational Technology and Information Technology in Education experienced a curriculum based on the concept of assessment for learning for a period of thirteen to fourteen weeks. Nineteen of them experienced a longer period of about twenty-seven weeks. Students were requested to reflect on the course content weekly using blogs and the journal content of the blogs serves as the main source for data analysis. In addition, a questionnaire was given to students to seek their v'iew on the use of blogs for reflection and communication purposes. Analysis of data from different sources such as questionnaire, students' journals and their digital learning portfolios show that students do engage in the reflective process. However, the quality of reflection for most students was not deep. Students did make use of the journal to communicate with. the tutor. The communication pattern of students using online environment shows that they support their peers by words of encouragement, affirmation and empathy. Students value the feedback provided by both the tutor and their classmates. Major problems encountered by students are: the requirement to write a weekly journal and knowledge of what constitutes reflective journal content. The study concludes that assessment for learning is a viable approach that can be supported through blog and digital portfolios. However, the successful implementation of the assessment for learning requires the active facilitation of the tutor to engage students in the process of reflection and communication.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

The SAMR model for the development of learning device innovations in the subject of applying electronic circuits

Abstrak: Pengembangan dan penelitian ini menghasilkan perangkatapembelajaran dengan model SAMR (substitution, augmentation, modification, redefinition) untuk mengintegasikanateknologi agar pembelajaranalebih inovatif danakreatif serta meningkatkan pemahaman siswa. Prosedur pengembangan perangkat pembelajaran menggunakan metode pengembangan research and development (R&D) dan pendekatan model SAMR. Teknik pengumpulanadata dilakukan dengan observasiadan angket. Tahap pengujianakelayakan dilakukanaoleh ahli media, ahli desain, ahli materi, temanasejawat dan siswa. Hasil penilaian kelayakan ahli desain diperoleh prosentase 95,5 (valid). Ahli materiadiperoleh prosentase 93,8 (valid). Ahli media diperoleh prosentase 83,8 (valid). Uji kepraktisan oleh teman sejawat diperoleh prosentase 91,7 (baik). Hasil respon terhadap produk di kelompok kecil diperoleh prosentase 98,9 (baik)  dan uji coba kelompok besar diperoleh prosentasea97,5 (baik). Hasil data dan analisis penelitian, disimpulkan bahwa pengembangan perangkat pembelajaran penerapan rangkaian elektronika dengan model SAMR kelas XI memudahkan siswa dan guru berkolaborasi mencapai tujuan pembelajaran dan mengembangkan kreatifitas dan inovasi siswa dengan mengintegrasikan teknologi serta dapat diterapkan dalam pembelajaran lainnya.Abstract: By incorporating technology, this Research and Development creates learning aids that use the SAMR (substitution, augmentation, modification, redefinition) model to make learning more original and creative while improving student's knowledge. The SAMR model approach and the Research and Development (R&D) method were used in the process of creating learning tools. Questionnaires and observation were used as data-collecting tools. Media specialists, design experts, material experts, coworkers, and students participated in the feasibility testing stage. A percentage of 95.5 (valid) was attained in the design expert feasibility evaluation results. Experts in material score 93.8 (valid). A valid percentage of 83.8 was given by media professionals. Colleagues' practicality test scored 91.7 out of 100, which is good. The results of the response to the product in the small group obtained a percentage of 98.9 (good), and in large group trials, it was 97.5 (good). The results of the research data and analysis concluded that the development of learning tools applying electronic circuits using the class XI SAMR model makes it easier for students and teachers to collaborate in achieving learning goals and develops student creativity and innovation by integrating technology and can be applied in other learning

Using weblogging to develop schema-based English reading skills of Chinese students in Hong Kong secondary schools

This thesis investigates how far weblogging can be used to develop schema English reading skills of Chinese secondary school students in Hong Kong. The theoretical foundation of the research design is built on a sociocultural model originating in Constructivism within which communication through discussion or sharing of ideas is the preferred approach for second language learning. Constructivists’ theory integrates reading, schema, and weblogging that are the three core concepts to be examined in my research. The examination is facilitated by the methodological framework that adopts a mixed methods approach involving case study and experimental study methods. An experiment was conducted among eight sample case Chinese students of which four students formed an online community of practice on weblog so that they could experience reflective learning while using their schemata in reading English texts. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the experiment and case studies. Analysis of these data had considered individual differences of Chinese students in the process of English reading skills development. The analyzed results give evidences to address the research purposes and questions on exploring the relationship between weblogging and second language textual development, in particular schema-based English reading skills of Chinese students. Major findings of the research reveal how weblogging can facilitate schema development in reading and explain to what extent weblogging can be used as a useful means to develop schema-based reading skills in the context of second language learning

The Effect of Using Weblog on Enhancing Palestinian Eleventh Graders' English Writing Performance and their Attitudes towards Writing

This study aimed at investigating the effect of using the weblog as a teaching and learning tool supportive to the process writing approach on enhancing Palestinian eleventh graders’ English writing performance in general and writing product skills and writing processes in particular and improving their attitudes towards writing in English. To achieve this aim, the researcher followed a quasi-experimental approach so she chose a purposive sample of 40 EFL female students studying at Dallal Al Mughrabi Secondary "A" Girls' School in the Directorate of Education-East Gaza. The participants were divided into two equivalent groups: a control group of 20 students, and an experimental one of 20 students. The two groups were equivalent in terms of their age, previous learning, and achievement in English language in general and achievement in English writing in particular and in the use of the writing processes. The researcher used three tools. The first tool was a writing attitudes scale to explore students' attitudes towards writing in English before and after the intervention. The second tool was a process writing questionnaire to find out to which degree students use the writing processes before and after the intervention. The third tool was a writing achievement test to measure students' writing performance in general and their writing product skills in particular before and after the intervention. In addition, the weblog was used as a teaching and learning tool supportive to the process writing approach for explaining the writing lessons included in the second-term of English for Palestine 11. The collected data were analyzed and treated statistically through the use of SPSS. The findings of the study revealed that there were statistically significant differences between the mean scores attained by the experimental group and those by the control group in the post writing achievement test in favor of the experimental group. This showed a remarkable improvement in English writing performance of the experimental group students in general and in their writing product skills in particular as compared with the control group students. Moreover, the findings indicated that that there were statistically significant differences between the mean scores attained by the experimental group and those by the control group in the process writing questionnaire in favor of the experimental group. This showed a statistically significant increase in the students' use of the writing processes as a result of the use of the weblog in the writing classroom. Likewise, the findings indicated that there were statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the experimental group on the writing attitudes scale before and after the experiment in favor of the after administration of the experiment. This means that the participants' attitudes towards English writing after the implementation of the weblog positively changed. Additionally, implementing the effect size equation, the study revealed that the weblog project had a large effect size in favor of the experimental group. In light of those findings, the researcher recommended the necessity of using the weblog in teaching English writing to attain better results in students' English writing achievement, to enable them to use the writing processes and to develop their attitudes towards English writing. Also, the researcher suggested that further researches should be conducted to explore the effect of the use of the weblog on different English language skills and other school subjects

Protocols for Online Teaching of Thucydides: The ‘Final Word’ Case Study

This paper sets out to describe and analyze issues relating to the role of new literacies and technologies in the teaching process. More specifically, the article deals with how the educational design process of Ancient Greek changes through the implementation of technology by using online discussion protocols. These were utilized as a tool for active learning and as an alternative proposal for teaching in the text of Thucydides ‘Epitaphios’ (Funeral Oration of Pericles), in the third grade of Lyceum at an Athens school during the 2013-2014 school year. The significance of this teaching proposal based on two facts: it is compatible with the philosophy that governs the New Curriculum for the lesson of Ancient Greek and secondly the need to modernize the teaching methodology of this lesson taking into account the new technological facts in the context of digital literacy. The reference point was the highlighting of the social and political character of this text and their projections in the contemporary era. The evaluation of the students’ activities showed that students collaborated to a satisfactory degree, approached knowledge constructively, structured and restructured it, while generating their own interpretations, comparisons and conclusions. Keywords: Ancient Greek literature; teaching methods; literacy; New Technologies

The English as a foreign language writing classroom and weblog :the effect of computer-mediated communication on attitudes of students and implication for EFL learning

PhD ThesisInnovative forms of communication technology have generated new educational models and learning environments. Existing literature includes much discussion concerning the consequences of using communication technology in the context of second language learning. However, recent research has not reached any convincing conclusion about the effects of communication technology in EFL teaching and learning. There are still many variables that need to be accounted for when the use of technology occurs in real-life educational environments, particularly when the adoption of a newly developed communication technology - the Weblog - could / may work better for language learners under specific circumstances. This empirical study focused on whether the use of Weblogs positively changes the learners' attitudes towards EFL writing and their informal use of the English language. Once the focus of this study had been established, the research questions and hypotheses were then addressed as a means of examining the effect of Weblogs. A quasi-experimentarl esearchd esignw as applied with a mixed-methodsa pproacht o elicit data from 119 EFL students in two universities in Taiwan. The collected data included 112p re- and 102 post- GEPT exam papers,1 19 questionnairer esponsesa nd the qualitative data of interviews with 24 research participants. These data were then analysed using inductive (qualitative logic) and deductive (quantitative logic) methods to find out the consequences of the research assumptions. The results corroborate the theoretical findings on the significance of computer-mediated communication in learners' affective learning. In other words, the use of Weblogs influenced the learners' attitudes towards EFL writing. The combination of quantitative and qualitative findings suggested that Weblog technology engages learners in active reading and encourages learners' reflectivity, collaboration, and participation in EFL writing. Finally, the results also echo the theoretical concerns about the learners' self-efficacy and language register in the context of second language writin