Web-based Intelligent Multimedia Tutoring for High Stakes Achievement Tests

We describe Wayang Outpost, a web-based ITS for the Math section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). It has several distinctive features: help with multimedia animations and sound, problems embedded in narrative and fantasy contexts, alternative teaching strategies for students of different mental rotation abilities and memory retrieval speeds. Our work on adding intelligence for adaptivity is described. Evaluations prove that students learn with the tutor, but learning depends on the interaction of teaching strategies and cognitive abilities. A new adaptive tutor is being built based on evaluation results; surveys results and students’ log files analyses

Sustavan pregled mrežnih okruženja učenja u nastavi Matematike na sekundarnoj razini obrazovanja: stavovi, postignuća, izazovi i moguća rješenja

Web-based learning environments (WBLE) are widely adopted in the context of higher education. Comparatively, little is known about how they are used in high school mathematics curricula. Therefore, this systematic review investigates how WBLEs are applied in high school education and which outcomes this instructional approach has resulted in up to now. 14 related journal publications on high school WBLE are identified and analysed in terms of their WBLE activities, student achievement, attitude, and challenges encountered. The findings suggest that several activities are used in WBLE. WBLE application in high school mathematics education produced a neutral or positive effect on student achievement when compared to traditional classroom-based learning. Students’ attitudes toward WBLE approach are varied. WBLE implementation challenges are classified as student-associated, faculty-associated, and operational. We proposed seven possible solutions to address these challenges based on previous studies. Also, recommendations for future research are discussedMrežna okruženja za učenje (WBLE) široko su prihvaćena u kontekstu visokoga obrazovanja. S druge strane, malo se zna o tome kako se ona koriste u programima matematike u višim razredima osnovnih te u srednjim školama. Stoga se u ovome sustavnom pregledu istražuje kako se WBLE primjenjuje na sekundarnoj razini obrazovanja i koji su dosdašnji rezultati primjene ovog nastavnoga pristupa. Odabrano je 14 relevantnih časopisa o WBLE-u na sekundarnoj razini obrazovanja te analizirano u smislu njihovih WBLE aktivnosti, postignuća učenika, stavova i izazova s kojima se susreću. Rezultati pokazuju da se u WBLE-u koristi nekoliko aktivnosti. Primjena WBLE-a u matematičkom obrazovanju na srednjoškolskoj razini proizvela je neutralan ili pozitivan učinak na učenička postignuća u usporedbi s tradicionalnim učenjem u učionici. Stavovi učenika o WBLE pristupu su različiti. Izazovi primjene WBLE-a javljaju se na razini učenika, nastavnika i organizacije. Na temelju prethodnih studija predložili smo sedam mogućih rješenja kao odgovor na njih. Također, u raspravi dajemo preporuke za buduća istraživanj

Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum

The field of specialization known as the science of learning is not, in fact, one field. Science of learning is a term that serves as an umbrella for many lines of research, theory, and application. A term with an even wider reach is Learning Sciences (Sawyer, 2006). The present book represents a sliver, albeit a substantial one, of the scholarship on the science of learning and its application in educational settings (Science of Instruction, Mayer 2011). Although much, but not all, of what is presented in this book is focused on learning in college and university settings, teachers of all academic levels may find the recommendations made by chapter authors of service. The overarching theme of this book is on the interplay between the science of learning, the science of instruction, and the science of assessment (Mayer, 2011). The science of learning is a systematic and empirical approach to understanding how people learn. More formally, Mayer (2011) defined the science of learning as the “scientific study of how people learn” (p. 3). The science of instruction (Mayer 2011), informed in part by the science of learning, is also on display throughout the book. Mayer defined the science of instruction as the “scientific study of how to help people learn” (p. 3). Finally, the assessment of student learning (e.g., learning, remembering, transferring knowledge) during and after instruction helps us determine the effectiveness of our instructional methods. Mayer defined the science of assessment as the “scientific study of how to determine what people know” (p.3). Most of the research and applications presented in this book are completed within a science of learning framework. Researchers first conducted research to understand how people learn in certain controlled contexts (i.e., in the laboratory) and then they, or others, began to consider how these understandings could be applied in educational settings. Work on the cognitive load theory of learning, which is discussed in depth in several chapters of this book (e.g., Chew; Lee and Kalyuga; Mayer; Renkl), provides an excellent example that documents how science of learning has led to valuable work on the science of instruction. Most of the work described in this book is based on theory and research in cognitive psychology. We might have selected other topics (and, thus, other authors) that have their research base in behavior analysis, computational modeling and computer science, neuroscience, etc. We made the selections we did because the work of our authors ties together nicely and seemed to us to have direct applicability in academic settings

Improving QED-Tutrix by Automating the Generation of Proofs

The idea of assisting teachers with technological tools is not new. Mathematics in general, and geometry in particular, provide interesting challenges when developing educative softwares, both in the education and computer science aspects. QED-Tutrix is an intelligent tutor for geometry offering an interface to help high school students in the resolution of demonstration problems. It focuses on specific goals: 1) to allow the student to freely explore the problem and its figure, 2) to accept proofs elements in any order, 3) to handle a variety of proofs, which can be customized by the teacher, and 4) to be able to help the student at any step of the resolution of the problem, if the need arises. The software is also independent from the intervention of the teacher. QED-Tutrix offers an interesting approach to geometry education, but is currently crippled by the lengthiness of the process of implementing new problems, a task that must still be done manually. Therefore, one of the main focuses of the QED-Tutrix' research team is to ease the implementation of new problems, by automating the tedious step of finding all possible proofs for a given problem. This automation must follow fundamental constraints in order to create problems compatible with QED-Tutrix: 1) readability of the proofs, 2) accessibility at a high school level, and 3) possibility for the teacher to modify the parameters defining the "acceptability" of a proof. We present in this paper the result of our preliminary exploration of possible avenues for this task. Automated theorem proving in geometry is a widely studied subject, and various provers exist. However, our constraints are quite specific and some adaptation would be required to use an existing prover. We have therefore implemented a prototype of automated prover to suit our needs. The future goal is to compare performances and usability in our specific use-case between the existing provers and our implementation.Comment: In Proceedings ThEdu'17, arXiv:1803.0072

A Review of Personalised E-Learning: Towards Supporting Learner Diversity

The realisation of personalised e-learning to suit an individual learner’s diverse learning needs is a concept which has been explored for decades, at great expense, but is still not achievable by non-technical authors. This research reviews the area of personalised e-learning and notes some of the technological challenges which developers may encounter in creating authoring tools for personalised e-learning and some of the pedagogical challenges which authors may encounter when creating personalised e-learning activities to enhance the learning experience of their students. At present educators who wish to create personalised e-learning activities require the assistance of technical experts who are knowledgeable in the area. Even with the help of an expert the creation of personalised e-learning activities still remains a complex process to authors who are new to the concept of tailoring e-learning to suit learner diversity. Before the successful utilisation of adaptive authoring tools can be realised, academic authors need to learn how to effectively use these tools. All learners come to education with a diverse set of characteristics; educators need to decide which learner characteristic(s) they wish to focus on addressing through the use of personalised e-learning activities. Further investigation, evaluation and analyses of authoring tools is required before personalised e-learning to support learner diversity can be achieved by many academics. Research members of the AMAS (2013) project team are currently involved in developing an authoring tool for adaptive activities for e-learning

Web-Mediated Education and Training Environments: A Review of Personalised Interactive Learning.

This chapter reviews the concept of personalised eLearning resources in relation to integrating interactivity into asynchronous learning. Personalised eLearning resources are learning resources which are selected to suit a specific student or trainee’s individual learning requirements. The affordance of personalised eLearning would provide educators with the opportunity to shift away from eLearning content that is retrieved and move towards the provision of personalised interactive content to provide a form of asynchronous learning to suit students at different degree levels. A basic introduction to the concept of ePedagogy in online learning environments is explored and the impacts these systems have on students learning experiences are considered. Issues, controversies, and problems associated with the creation of personalised interactive eLearning resources are examined, and suggested solutions and recommendations to the identified issues, controversies, and problems are reviewed. Personalised interactive asynchronous learning resources could potentially improve students’ learning experiences but more research on the human computer interface of these authoring tools is required before personalised eLearning resources are available for use by non-technical authors

The Effect of a Supplemental, Web Based Program on Student Achievement in a Suburban New York State School District

Since the inception of the Common Core, school districts have sought to implement effective and fiscally responsible ways to support under-performing general education students. The need for supplemental assistance for struggling learners has emerged, particularly when tied to high-stakes testing. To offer appropriate assistance, school districts analyzed the possible ways through which they could support students and boost achievement. One popular method for providing intervention services and supplemental instruction is web-based learning. This study examined the effect of one particular supplemental web based program on student performance. It examined students who used the Castle Learning Online Program at a suburban high school in southern New York State, measured by Regents examinations and final course average. The study explores the explanatory valuables within the sample of students using Castle, such as gender and ethnicity. The results indicated that the use of the Castle program had a statistically significant impact on student performance as measured by New York State Regents examination scores and student final course averages. Furthermore, the results indicate a statistically significant impact in academic performance when controlling for gender and ethnicity. The results and empirical evidence outlined in this study, as well as the recommendations for practice provided in this dissertation, can assist school districts and school administrators in their decision making process regarding web-based programs and interventions for students

The Effect of a Supplemental, Web Based Program on Student Achievement in a Suburban New York State School District

Since the inception of the Common Core, school districts have sought to implement effective and fiscally responsible ways to support under-performing general education students. The need for supplemental assistance for struggling learners has emerged, particularly when tied to high-stakes testing. To offer appropriate assistance, school districts analyzed the possible ways through which they could support students and boost achievement. One popular method for providing intervention services and supplemental instruction is web-based learning. This study examined the effect of one particular supplemental web based program on student performance. It examined students who used the Castle Learning Online Program at a suburban high school in southern New York State, measured by Regents examinations and final course average. The study explores the explanatory valuables within the sample of students using Castle, such as gender and ethnicity. The results indicated that the use of the Castle program had a statistically significant impact on student performance as measured by New York State Regents examination scores and student final course averages. Furthermore, the results indicate a statistically significant impact in academic performance when controlling for gender and ethnicity. The results and empirical evidence outlined in this study, as well as the recommendations for practice provided in this dissertation, can assist school districts and school administrators in their decision making process regarding web-based programs and interventions for students

The Use of ICT for the Assessment of Key Competences

This report assesses current trends in the area of ICT for learning and assessment in view of their value for supporting the assessment of Key Competences. Based on an extensive review of the literature, it provides an overview of current ICT-enabled assessment practices, with a particular focus on more recent developments that support the holistic assessment of Key Competences for Lifelong Learning in Europe. The report presents a number of relevant cases, discusses the potential of emerging technologies, and addresses innovation and policy issues for eAssessment. It considers both summative and formative assessment and considers how ICT can lever the potential of more innovative assessment formats, such as peer-assessment and portfolio assessment and how more recent technological developments, such as Learning Analytics, could, in the future, foster assessment for learning. Reflecting on the use of the different ICT tools and services for each of the eight different Key Competences for Lifelong Learning it derives policy options for further exploiting the potential of ICT for competence-based assessment.JRC.J.3-Information Societ