The Effect of Instructional Embodiment Designs on Chinese Language Learning: The Use of Embodied Animation for Beginning Learners of Chinese Characters

The focus of this study was an investigation of the effects of embodied animation on the retention outcomes of Chinese character learning (CCL) for beginning learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL). Chinese characters have three main features: semantic meaning, pronunciation, and written form. Chinese characters are different from English words in that they are non-alphabetic orthographies. Though popular, they are deemed very hard to learn. However, Chinese character processing is found to be neurologically related to human body movements, or at least the imagination of them. Literature also indicated the importance of embodied cognition, imagination, and technology use in human language memory and learning. The design of embodied animation for a computer-based CCL program is developed which consists of three types of characters. The study used Between-Subject Post-test Only Control Group experimental design with sixty-nine adults. The study compared five learning conditions: embodied animation learning (EAL), human-image animation learning (HAL), object-image animation learning, no-animation etymology learning, and traditional learning (serving as a control group). Participants in the EAL group perceived the character etymological animation, and then a video clip depicting the moving actions of human body movements and/or gestures which show the semantic meaning and the written form of the character. The study found that the EAL group outperformed the other learning groups with medium to large effects. Specifically, after one week of learning, the EAL group outperformed the other groups in terms of learners' free recall of Chinese characters, in characters' meaning-form mappings, and in characters' form-meaning and-sound mappings. Furthermore, the EAL group performed better than the other groups in the retention of all three types of characters (i.e., pictograph, indicative, and ideograph). Therefore, findings revealed the positive effects of embodied animation on CCL. In addition, the HAL group showed promising retention rate by constantly performing the second best in all tasks. The study also revealed that pictographs and indicatives were better learned than ideographs across groups. Drawing from the study, the use of embodied animation in a computer-based program is suggested to be effective on character learning for beginning learners of CFL

The Effectiveness of the Link2Success Program on Freshman Level Math Course Achievement

To improve college students’ achievement and success rate in the College Algebra course, a new program called Link2Success (L2S) was implemented in several sections of the course at the study’s university. The program required students to increase their class time to six hours. Three of those hours were spent with certified tutors who helped students with the content preview and homework preparation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the Link2Success program based on the achievement of College Algebra students. One College Algebra class with embedded L2S and one College Algebra class without L2S were randomly chosen and the grades of several assignments and exams were compared. A survey was given to L2S students to explore their experience and opinion about the program. Another survey was given to non-L2S students to find out if they felt that learning with an L2S program was beneficial to them and would have improved their grades. The results showed that L2S did not have a positive effect on the College Algebra students’ achievement. However, L2S students felt more confident and rated the program highly where as non-L2S students felt they would have benefited from the program if it were implemented in their class

Factorial Validity of Teacher and School Counselor Support Scales in Latina/o Students

In the current study, we investigated the psychometric properties of two meaningful measures of support from teachers and school counselors among Latina/o students. Examining factorial stability with diverse populations is important to make sure that measures provide valid information about constructs of teacher or counselor support. While researchers have provided evidence of reliability (i.e., consistency), no study has examined validity (e.g., accuracy) of Teacher Support Scale Revised (TSSR) with Latina/o students. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses (CFA and EFA) methods were used to evaluate structural validity of the TSSR and School Counselor Support Scale (SCSS). Two different models of the TSSR were analyzed. Findings from multiple CFAs showed that five-factor 22-item of the TSSR had an acceptable model fit. A parallel analysis and EFA were run to determine the factorial structure of the SCSS. Findings indicated that the SCSS had three factors explaining 68% of the variance in the model. The results and implications for research and practice in Latina/o students were discussed

Exploring Latinx Graduate Students’ Experiences in Online Classes at a Hispanic Serving Institution

Guided by a Culturally Relevant Pedagogy framework, we used a phenomenological research design to explore nine Latinx graduate students’ lived experiences in online courses at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). In this study, we analyzed nine Latinx graduate students’ interview transcripts that focused on lived experiences with online learning. The following themes emerged from phenomenological data analysis: accessibility, organization and structure, distractions and connectivity, instructor approachability, communication, flexibility with online learning and self-paced, active learning, guidelines and purpose for assignments, and criteria for success. We structure findings around three effective teaching practices: (1) designing an effective learning environment, (2) structuring intentional learning experiences, and assessing teaching effectiveness. We also provide implications for faculty developers at HSIs