Comparing expert and novice concept map construction through a talk-aloud protocol

Concept maps can be used as generative assessment tools to identify changes in learner’s understanding. However, concept map analysis usually only focuses on the final product. This case study used a talk aloud protocol to study and compare the concept map construction processes of novices and experts. Three biology experts (two researchers and one teacher) and three novices (9th and 10th grade high school students) constructed a concept map from a given list of concepts. Screen recording software was used to capture and contrast different stages of the concept map construction process, aligned with audio recordings of talk-aloud utterances. Findings suggest that final concept maps of high performing students cannot be distinguished from expert-generated maps. However, analysis of oral elaborations during the construction process revealed that experts often used the same link labels as novices but associated more complex knowledge with the label. Additionally, some final propositions would be considered incorrect without an additional oral explanation. Analysis of intermediate stages revealed insightful clusters and temporal flows that were no longer identifiable in the final map. Findings suggest extending concept map evaluation by complementing the final product with an analysis of intermediate stages and accompanying elaborations. Additionally, this study highlights that each expert created a different map and that therefore there is no single expert map. This observation is important when considering using a single expert-generated concept map as the reference to evaluate student-generated maps. Findings from study improve our understanding of concept map generation processes and our understanding of knowledge represented in concept maps

Learning Analytics Research: Using Meta-Review to Inform Meta-Synthesis Authors

Research in learning analytics is proliferating as scholars continue to find better and more engaging ways to consider how data can help inform evidence-based decisions for learning and learning environments. With well over a thousand articles published in journals and conferences with respect to learning analytics, only a handful or articles exist that attempt to synthesize the research. Further, a meta-review of those articles reveals a lack of consistency in the scope of included studies, the confluence of educational data mining activities and “big data” as a parameter for inclusion, and the reporting of actual strategies and analytic methods used by the included studies. To fill these gaps within existing reviews of learning analytics research, this metasynthesis follows procedures outlined by Cooper to reveal developments of learning analytics research. The results include a number of metrics showing trends and types of learning analytic studies through 2017 that include which fields are publishing and to what extent, what methods and strategies are employed by these studies, and what domains remain largely yet unexplored

Tools to support self-regulated learning in online environments: literature review

Las habilidades de aprendizaje autorregulado (SRL) son especialmente importantes en los Cursos en línea abiertos masivos (MOOC), donde la orientación de los maestros es escasa, y los estudiantes deben participar en su proceso de aprendizaje tratando de tener éxito y alcanzar sus objetivos de aprendizaje. Sin embargo, desarrollar estrategias de SRL es difícil para los alumnos dada la autonomía que se requiere en este tipo de cursos. Para apoyar a los estudiantes en este proceso, los investigadores han propuesto una variedad de herramientas diseñadas para apoyar ciertos aspectos de la autorregulación en entornos de aprendizaje en línea. Sin embargo, existe una falta de estudio para comprender cuáles son los puntos en común y las diferencias en términos de diseño, cuáles son los resultados en términos del efecto sobre la autorregulación de los alumnos y cuáles podrían aplicarse en los MOOC. Esas son las preguntas que deberían explorarse más a fondo. En este artículo presentamos una revisión sistemática de la literatura donde se analizaron 22 herramientas diseñadas para soportar SRL en entornos en línea. Nuestros hallazgos indican que: (1) la mayoría de los estudios no evalúan el efecto sobre las estrategias de SRL de los alumnos; (2) el uso de visualizaciones interactivas tiene un efecto positivo en la motivación de los alumnos; (3) el uso del componente de comparación social tiene un efecto positivo en el compromiso y la gestión del tiempo; y (4) faltan modelos para relacionar la actividad de los alumnos con las herramientas con las estrategias de SRL. Finalmente, presentamos las lecciones aprendidas para guiar a la comunidad en la implementación de herramientas para apoyar las estrategias de SRL en los MOOC. © 2018, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. (1) la mayoría de los estudios no evalúan el efecto sobre las estrategias de SRL de los alumnos; (2) el uso de visualizaciones interactivas tiene un efecto positivo en la motivación de los alumnos; (3) el uso del componente de comparación social tiene un efecto positivo en el compromiso y la gestión del tiempo; y (4) faltan modelos para relacionar la actividad de los alumnos con las herramientas con las estrategias de SRL. Finalmente, presentamos las lecciones aprendidas para guiar a la comunidad en la implementación de herramientas para apoyar las estrategias de SRL en los MOOC. © 2018, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. (1) la mayoría de los estudios no evalúan el efecto sobre las estrategias de SRL de los alumnos; (2) el uso de visualizaciones interactivas tiene un efecto positivo en la motivación de los alumnos; (3) el uso del componente de comparación social tiene un efecto positivo en el compromiso y la gestión del tiempo; y (4) faltan modelos para relacionar la actividad de los alumnos con las herramientas con las estrategias de SRL. Finalmente, presentamos las lecciones aprendidas para guiar a la comunidad en la implementación de herramientas para apoyar las estrategias de SRL en los MOOC. © 2018, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. y (4) faltan modelos para relacionar la actividad de los alumnos con las herramientas con las estrategias de SRL. Finalmente, presentamos las lecciones aprendidas para guiar a la comunidad en la implementación de herramientas para apoyar las estrategias de SRL en los MOOC. © 2018, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. y (4) faltan modelos para relacionar la actividad de los alumnos con las herramientas con las estrategias de SRL. Finalmente, presentamos las lecciones aprendidas para guiar a la comunidad en la implementación de herramientas para apoyar las estrategias de SRL en los MOOC.Self-regulated learning (SRL) skills are especially important in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), where teacher guidance is scarce, and learners must engage in their learning process trying to succeed and achieve their learning goals. However, developing SRL strategies is difficult for learners given the autonomy that is required in this kind of courses. In order to support learners on this process, researchers have proposed a variety of tools designed to support certain aspects of self-regulation in online learning environments. Nevertheless, there is a lack of study to understand what the commonalities and differences in terms of design are, what the results in terms of the effect on learners’ self-regulation are and which of them could be applied in MOOCs. Those are the questions that should be further explored. In this paper we present a systematic literature review where 22 tools designed to …Leed

Are patient falls in the hospital associated with lunar cycles: a retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND: Falls and associated negative outcomes in hospitalized patients are of significant concerns. The etiology of hospital inpatient falls is multifactorial, including both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Anecdotes from clinical practice exist in which health care professionals express the idea that the number of patient falls increases during times of full moon. The aim of this study was to examine in-hospital patient fall rates and their associations with days of the week, months, seasons and lunar cycles. METHODS: 3,842 fall incident reports of adult in-patients who fell while hospitalized in a 300-bed urban public hospital in Zurich, Switzerland were included. Adjusted fall rates per 1'000 patient days were compared with days of the week, months, and 62 complete lunar cycles from 1999 to 2003. RESULTS: The fall rate per 1000 patient days fluctuated slightly over the entire observation time, ranging from 8.4 falls to 9.7 falls per month (P = 0.757), and from 8.3 falls on Mondays to 9.3 falls on Saturdays (P = 0.587). The fall rate per 1000 patient days within the lunar days ranged from 7.2 falls on lunar day 17 to 10.6 falls on lunar day 20 (P = 0.575). CONCLUSION: The inpatient fall rates in this hospital were neither associated with days of the week, months, or seasons nor with lunar cycles such as full moon or new moon. Preventive strategies should be focused on patients' modifiable fall risk factors and the provision of organizational conditions which support a safe hospital environment