Development of information search expertise: Research students' knowledge of databases

Purpose - This paper sets out to report on a study of 12 postgraduate research students' development of information search expertise. It focuses on students' perceived importance and growth of knowledge of different databases as they progress through their studies. Design/methodology/approach - Taking an in-depth longitudinal approach, this study makes use of surveys, direct observations of students' searching of various databases, students' verbalization of their thoughts while searching databases and interviews during a one-year period. The paper focuses on analyzing the data from surveying and interviewing the students with regard to their use of databases. Findings - It was found that many students were initially unfamiliar with many of the databases important to them and that the familiarity developed during the year contributed importantly to their development of information search expertise. This suggests that much work has to be done to inform and instruct students about these "treasures". Research limitations/implications - This study adopted an in-depth longitudinal approach to study 12 students. Although it reveals various interesting observations and findings, it lacks the power of generalization due to its small sample size. Based on the results of this study, it would be meaningful to carry out further studies with a bigger sample to see whether the findings identified in this study will still hold true. Originality/value - Based on the findings, this paper further identifies features that may increase the usefulness of a journal database and makes suggestions on ways to improve library support for the effective use of databases.postprin

Why do some students learn better than others in digital game based learning? The role of hope and social support

Symposium’s Main Theme : Learning without Limits?Growing evidence suggests the technically-enriched educational games can enhance students’ learning motivation and interest. However, a paper that successfully explains the variation in students’ performance in similar setting is still very rare. This study aims to fill in the gap by proposing the question “why do some students learn better than others in the digital game based learning?”. Hong Kong secondary school students (N = 384) participated in the study and answered questionnaires about their psychological factors as well as their overall reflections after playing the digital sexuality education game. Preliminary results suggested that the role of hope and social support predicted the students’ learning outcomes in the game; while taking the mediation role of games usability into account, it partially mediated the relationship between the psychological factors and learning objectives. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.postprin

Development of information search expertise: Postgraduates' knowledge of searching skills

This paper reports on a study of the development of information searching expertise by 12 postgraduate research students. Six of the students were studying education, and six were studying engineering. The paper focuses on the students' perception of the importance of searching skills and the growth of their knowledge with these skills as they progressed through their studies. The study takes a longitudinal approach, using surveys, interviews, direct observations of students' searching behavior, as well as analysis of their thoughts over a one-year period. Findings reveal that, in the beginning, students performed more questionable subject searches and fewer keyword searches; later, as they understood more about subject searching and the power of keyword searches, they performed fewer subject searches but with greater accuracy and more keyword searches. The study also found that education students tended to use more complex keyword searches and formed more sophisticated search queries than did engineering students and that students' perception of the importance of searching skills increased as these skills became more familiar; this, in turn, led to more frequent use of the skills. Copyright © 2007 by The Johns Hopkins University Press.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Development of information search expertise: Research students' knowledge of source types

This paper reports on a study of 12 postgraduate research students' development of information search expertise. It focuses on students' perceived importance and growing understanding of different source types as they progress through their studies. Taking an in-depth longitudinal approach, this study makes use of surveys, direct observations of students' searches through various sources, students' verbalization of their thoughts while searching data-bases/sources and interviews during a one-year period. After analysing the data from the surveys and the interviews of the students with regard to their use of different source types, the paper identifies three stages of students' information needs, and links them to the progress of the students' research. The paper uncovers the roles that different source types play in different stages of research, and finds that while many students were initially unfamiliar with many source types, a growing understanding of them has contributed to the students' development of information search expertise. Copyright © 2007 Sage Publications.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Plagiarism-free enquiry learning

Track: Technology-Supported Professional LearningParallel Session 1SymposiaSymposium Theme: Learning without Limits?Plagiarism is a common problem among secondary school students in Hong Kong, educators need data from research that provides knowledge on how to prevent students from committing plagiarism. This educational research and development project aims to develop students’ knowledge and skills to avoid plagiarism through the implementation of inquiry-based project work and wiki-based collaborative learning. Both the quantitative data and qualitative data were collected from the study. Students were invited to undergo a series of training in school on how to avoid plagiarism and to complete an anti-plagiarism ability test at the start and end of the intervention. Contents of students’ written work were analyzed to see any significant difference. Finally group interviews in school were carried out to clarify any significant factors

Promoting sexuality education through an online interactive game: reaching youngsters without limits (Symposia)

The presentation powerpoint's website is located at http://citers2014.cite.hku.hk/promoting-sexuality-education-through-an-online-interactive-game-reaching-youngsters-without-limits/Symposium’s Main Theme: Learning without Limits?This paper describes a project which aims to disseminate correct knowledge and positive attitudes towards sex to teenagers using an interactive game playable on popular interactive platforms such as iPad, Facebook and the web. 1176 junior secondary students (Forms 1-3) from six schools were introduced to the game through on-site game sessions conducted by the research team and members from the Family Planning Association. Pre-and-post tests were conducted to measure the enhancement of students’ knowledge on safe sex. The effectiveness of the game was examined through focus group interviews and surveys. The findings indicate that students’ sex knowledge improved with a high medium effect size after playing the game. An increase of positive attitude towards sex and relationships as well as an enhanced awareness of making smart sexual choices were also observed. The contributing factors which make the interactive game successful and insights on how others might replicate the work in other disciplines in the future are addressed.link_to_OA_fulltex

在小學中採用維基推行協同教學

把Web 2.0 科技融入主流教育被認為能有效促進學習與教學。 有關應用此科技的研究，特別是維基技術已於小學階段取得了正面的成果。然而，要讓電腦支援的協同學習能夠有效實行，就必須就教學方法作策略性及精心的規劃。本章將提供一個教學設計，以兩項由作者進行的研究作例子，分別在維基平台上進行常識科專題研習和英語協同式寫作練習，以說明如何在小學教室中應用維基。我們同時會為考慮在教學中採用維基的小學教師提出建議

Why Do Some Students Become More Engaged in Collaborative Wiki Writing? The Role of Sense of Relatedness

The article can be viewed at: http://www.opensym.org/os2014-files/proceedings/p400.pdfThis study aims to investigate the role of sense of relatedness in students' engagement in using wikis in collaborative writing. Hong Kong secondary school students (N = 422) participated in the study and answered questionnaires about their sense of relatedness and their level of engagement when using wikis for open collaborative project work. Results from the regression analyses showed that students' sense of relatedness with their teacher and peers facilitated their engagement in the collaborative wiki writing environment. The results were also consistent with the educational psychology research findings in a traditional classroom setting. Most importantly, the result from this study showed the possible linkage between IT in education research and the educational psychology literature. Implications of psychological factors on students' learning in technologically-enriched learning environments are discussed