An investigation of the role of background music in IVWs for learning

Empirical evidence is needed to corroborate the intuitions of gamers and game developers in understanding the benefits of Immersive Virtual Worlds (IVWs) as a learning environment and the role that music plays within these environments. We report an investigation to determine if background music of the genre typically found in computer‐based role‐playing games has an effect on learning in a computer‐animated history lesson about the Macquarie Lighthouse within an IVW. In Experiment 1, music stimuli were created from four different computer game soundtracks. Seventy‐two undergraduate students watched the presentation and completed a survey including biographical details, questions on the historical material presented and questions relating to their perceived level of immersion. While the tempo and pitch of the music was unrelated to learning, music conditions resulted in a higher number of accurately remembered facts than the no music condition. One soundtrack showed a statistically significant improvement in memorisation of facts over other music conditions. Also an interaction between the levels of perceived immersion and ability to accurately remember facts was observed. Experiment 2, involving 48 undergraduate students, further investigated the effect of music, sense of immersion and how different display systems affect memory for facts

Estimating non-response bias in a web-based survey of technology acceptance : a case study of unit guide information systems

Surveys are mostly challenged by response rates. Among the various types of survey research, web-based (internet-based/electronic/online) surveys are commonly used for data collection for a geographically diverse population. In surveys with high/low response rates, non-response bias can be a major concern. While it is not always possible to measure the actual bias due to non-response there are different approaches and techniques that help to identify reasons of non-response bias. The aims of this paper are twofold. (1) To provide an appropriate, interesting and important non-response bias case study for future web-based surveys that will provide guidance to other Information Systems researchers. The case-study concerns an online-survey to evaluate a technology acceptance model for Unit Guide Information systems (UGIS). (2) To discuss how nonresponse bias in a web-based technology acceptance study of an information system (UGIS in this case) can be contained and managed.<br /

Panel 10 Rural Heritage Places in Turkey: Different Contexts | Diverse Issues | Distinct Responses

Rural heritage places are social, cultural, economic and natural environments shaped according to the habitat in which they are located. Thus, they are unique places where people and natural environment are in constant interaction. However, rural heritage places in Turkey, face with various problems similar to those in the world such as depopulation, changes in policies for agricultural production and excessive cultural tourism. In the panel; complex physical, social and economic structure of rural heritage places and the problems that they are faced with today will be discussed with reference to three different villages from different regions of Turkey. The selected rural heritage places for this study are Kemer in Aegean Region, Taşkale in Central Anatolia Region and Gaziköy in Thrace. These three cases are selected as the representatives of rural heritage places in Turkey with different contexts and diverse conservation issues due to their differing natural, architectural, social and economic features, values and problems. Kemer is a continuously settled village with very well-preserved physical environment which is currently under the threat of being abandoned due to decrease in economic income based on agricultural production. On the contrary, Gaziköy (Ganos) represents the villages where the rural life and production is very well preserved while physical environment is under the threat of being damaged both due to continuous use as well as strict conservation policies. Taşkale preserves its physical environment as well as its inhabitants. However, due to its spectacular natural and manmade properties, it is defined as a conservation and cultural tourism development area through the top down decisions of the central government and thus lost its rural spirit. Accordingly, the panel discussion is composed of following presentations: (i) From Understanding to Action for Conservation and Sustainability of A Rural Heritage Place: Kemer, Turkey (ii) A Multi-layered Rural Settlement Resisting to Sustain the Rural Habitat: Gaziköy, Turkey (iii) Contradictions Between Local Values and Top-down Conservation Priorities: Taşkale, Turkey In the panel, following the presentation of the theme and conceptual framework by the organisers, each case will be explained in detail. The presentations in the panel will firstly introduce the features, values and problems. Eventually, the responses for conservation and sustainability of each of these rural heritage places developed will be presented and discussed

Predicting the acceptance of unit guide information systems

Information Systems can play an important role in ensuring and improving the quality of education provided. However, lack of acceptance of these information systems and resistance of technology innovations by the end users limit the expected benefits of the system. This research attempts to identify the key determinants for the acceptance of the Unit Guide Information Systems (UGIS) in the Australian higher education sector. The technology acceptance model (TAM), social cognitive theory (SCT) and model of PC utilization (MPCU) are combined to provide a new framework for this analysis. Results of the study are consistent with the technology acceptance factors for explaining the behavioural intention of the academics. The study also shows the effects of application specific self-efficacy, application specific anxiety and social influence on the acceptance of UGIS. Implications of the results are discussed within the context of unit guides and curriculum mapping.<br /

A Student Retention Model: Empirical, Theoretical and Pragmatic Considerations

This research-in-progress paper draws on an extensive body of literature related to student retention. The purpose of this study is to develop a student retention model utilising student demographic data and a combination of data from student information systems, course management systems and other similar tools to accurately predict academic success of students at our own institution. Our research extends Tinto’s model by incorporating a number of components from Bean’s, Astin’s and Swail’s model. Our proposed eclectic model consists of seven components, identified as determinants of student retention. The strength in the model lies in its ability to help institutions work proactively to support student retention and achievement. The proposed research methodology to be used in this study is “a mixed-methods concurrent triangulation strategy”. The results are expected to indicate which of the factors are most important in developing an information system to predict and suggest interventions to improve retention

Student Preferences and Attitudes to the Use of Early Alerts

Learning analytics is receiving increased attention because it offers to assist higher educational institutions in improving and increasing student success by automating the identification of at-risk students, thereby enabling interventions. While learning analytics research has focused on detection and appropriate interventions, such as early alerts, there has been little investigation of student attitudes and preferences towards receiving early alerts. In this paper, we report the results of a study involving three first year units that sought to determine the opinions and preferences of students on their attitudes towards the interventions; how to best contact students; their academic issues; type(s) and quality of communication with the teaching staff; and types of university services required and received. We found that the majority of students did want to be alerted, preferred to receive alerts as soon as performance was unsatisfactory, and strongly preferred to be alerted via email, then face-to-face then phone

Panel 10. Paper 10.2: Contradictions Between Local Values and Top-down Conservation Priorities: Taşkale, Turkey

Taşkale village, located on a valley, has been formed by having direct relations with nature within its own dynamics. In its historical continuum, there has always been active and continuous use of places even though functions change in time. The initial settlement starts in rock-cut spaces, then the settlement moves towards the slope of the valley in front of the rock formation. The rock formation has been used for various purposes of inhabitation, storage and worshipping since prehistoric times onwards. The church carved in the rock is still in active use today as a mosque and the rock-cut granaries are used to store agricultural products. The surrounding landscape is also actively used by the inhabitants for agriculture and husbandry purposes. In addition to the active use of the landscape, there are strong intangible relations by inhabitants with nature and their living environment. This is mainly because ongoing life is dependent on nature both for economic and socio-cultural activities. To conclude, Taşkale Village embraces multiple historical, cultural, socio-economic and spiritual values. However, after the recognition of these multiple local heritage values, conservation site decisions are designated by the central government. Even though these decisions are given for the sake of conservation, the regulations prevent the daily use of these places and abide the conservation actions into set of rules that are contradicting with the ongoing local lifecycle. Besides, state visions about development and economic-benefit oriented tourism policies affect the physical and also socio-economic structure of the village. In the end, contradictions occur between the local values and top-down conservation and development priorities. Due to these contradictions, the inhabitants, who are the active users and guardians of their living environment start to abandon these places, mainly because they cannot continue their daily life activities. Consequently, these places are degraded and lost in time. Within the content of this paper, contradictory values and priorities between locals and decision makers that affect the future of the rural landscapes will be open to discussion deriving from the experiences learnt from the case of Taşkale Village

Peer learning beyond the curriculum in university statistics courses

Peer learning in statistics can occur in a variety of settings, including class collaborations and assessment in the form of group projects. Most reports indicate that it has positive effects on learning. However, peer learning can also be organised by students themselves outside course requirements, to similar positive effect. In this paper, we investigate this second form, sometimes referred to as ‘peer learning beyond the curriculum’. The parameters of the project were derived from a similar study in the discipline of music, conceived as an action research collaboration between students and academics. A series of focus group interviews was carried out with students in a range of university statistics classes, introductory and later-year, majoring in statistics or studying statistics as a component of another discipline. These were arranged and run by a group of statistics students participating as researchers and peer learners in a ‘vertical’ research team that also included more experienced academics from statistics and other disciplines. The team found that first-year students were well aware of the academic and social benefits of forming study groups to support each other’s statistics learning, and they gave clear advice to future students to do so. By contrast, peer learning in later-year classes played a more nuanced role that seemed to depend on the major discipline in which statistics was being studied – possibly due to the particular aspects of statistics that were in focus. Comparisons with peer learning in other disciplines shed more light on the various ways that peer learning in statistics can be utilised in different contexts, and suggest various implications for improving statistics pedagogy

Changing Student Attitudes and Behaviours to Academic Integrity through Reflection with a Conversational Agent

Facilitated by technology, breaches of academic integrity take many different forms such as using the information as it is, collusion, fabricating information, and contract cheating. To counteract, universities offer academic integrity modules, policies, and procedures for students to follow on their websites. However, academic misconduct is still rampant. With advancements in technology, higher education institutions have an opportunity to promote ethical principles in innovative ways. In this paper, we present a work-in-progress collaborative project that proposes use of an artificially intelligent pedagogical conversational agent. The approach seeks to augment existing ways of educating students about academic integrity concepts by seeking to change their underlying motivations and beliefs about academic integrity and the consequences of misconduct through reflective review and discussion of the reasons why, consequences of and alternatives to committing academic misconduct

A Review of the Aims and Principles of Guidance Activities in Schools

Guidance is the activities carried out by experts to find solutions to people’s problems and support their developmental processes. In order for these activities to be carried out correctly, some principles and objectives must be taken into account. The fact that all people need help in their developmental processes and that each person is a case is the most important principle of guidance. All activities are shaped around this principle. With the adoption of this principle, the help people need can be given more effectively. In addition, preparing people for the future as the modern world needs is the foremost aim of guidance