How do medium naturalness and personality traits shape academic achievement and perceived learning? An experimental study of face-to-face and synchronous e-learning

This controlled experiment examined how academic achievement and cognitive, emotional and social aspects of perceived learning are affected by the level of medium naturalness (face-to-face, one-way and two-way videoconferencing) and by learners’ personality traits (extroversion–introversion and emotional stability–neuroticism). The Media Naturalness Theory explains the degree of medium naturalness by comparing its characteristics to face-to-face communication, considered to be the most natural form of communication. A total of 76 participants were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions: face-to-face, one-way and two-way videoconferencing. E-learning conditions were conducted through Zoom videoconferencing, which enables natural and spontaneous communication. Findings shed light on the trade-off involved in media naturalness: one-way videoconferencing, the less natural learning condition, enhanced the cognitive aspect of perceived learning but compromised the emotional and social aspects. Regarding the impact of personality, neurotic students tended to enjoy and succeed more in face-to-face learning, whereas emotionally stable students enjoyed and succeeded in all of the learning conditions. Extroverts tended to enjoy more natural learning environments but had lower achievements in these conditions. In accordance with the ‘poor get richer’ principle, introverts enjoyed environments with a low level of medium naturalness. However, they remained focused and had higher achievements in the face-to-face learning

A Reading Preference and Risk Taxonomy for Printed Proprietary Information Compromise in the Aerospace and Defense Industry

The protection of proprietary information that users print from their information systems is a significant concern. Researchers have repeatedly indicated that human behaviors and perception are important factors influencing the information security of organizations and have called for more research. In this study, we focused on the investigation of user reading preference, user perceived risk, and seven demographics in the context of compromising printed proprietary information. A Reading Preference and Risk (RPR) taxonomy was developed to classify users respective to potential risks to printed proprietary information. Results of a Webbased survey show that employees were dispersed across the RPR Taxonomy with 15.1% identified as potentially problematic. Our results also showed an overall reading preference for print materials and a high-perceived risk for compromising printed proprietary information. Significant differences between the constructs and demographics suggest that a user’s likelihood to compromise printed proprietary information is affected by frequency of user exposure, confidentiality level, and previous user experience with the compromise of proprietary information. Additionally, age, gender, and a user’s desire to retain e-training content in memory had a significant effect on user reading preference

The fungal and acritarch events as time markers for the latest Permian mass extinction: An update

The latest Permian extinction (252 Myr ago) was the most severe in the geologic record. On land, widespread Late Permian gymnosperm/seed-fern dominated forests appear to have suffered rapid and almost complete destruction, as evidenced by increased soil erosion and changes in fluvial style in deforested areas, signs of wildfires, replacement of trees by lower plants, and almost complete loss of peat-forming and fire-susceptible vegetation. Permian–Triassic boundary strata at many sites show two widespread palynological events in the wake of the forest destruction: The fungal event, evidenced by a thin zone with >95% fungal cells (Reduviasporonites) and woody debris, found in terrestrial and marine sediments, and the acritarch event, marked by the sudden flood of unusual phytoplankton in the marine realm. These two events represent the global temporary explosive spread of stress-tolerant and opportunistic organisms on land and in the sea just after the latest Permian disaster. They represent unique events, and thus they can provide a time marker in correlating latest Permian marine and terrestrial sequences

Under the microscope: factors influencing student outcomes in a computer integrated classroom

Researchers continue to argue that more research is needed concerning how teachers actually integrate instructional technology into their curriculum. This qualitative study examined the incorporation of interactive multimedia science software into a grade two classroom over a six-week period. There was growth in various social and thinking skills that were developed and reinforced within the computer-supported learning environment. Several factors that contributed to these outcomes are identified: the software's instructional design, enthusiasm, on-task behavior, cooperation and collaboration among the students, improved cognitive learning outcomes, attitudes toward science, the teacher's pedagogical approach and attitudes toward incorporating technology into the curriculum, and an integrated curriculum. In addition, the results indicated increased positive attitudes to-wards science by the girls after using the software. Implications for computer integration are provided

Just playing a game? Educational simulation software and cognitive outcomes

The study investigated if young students internalized content and concepts embedded in a science computer microworld simulation as opposed to treating it as merely a game to be played. The article reports changes in the Grade Two students cognitive outcomes and processes after learning with the software integrated within a thematic curriculum in a classroom over a period of six weeks. Results indicate improvement in various thinking skills and strategies, from basic recall to the higher level skills such as classification and inference, as well as in the children s usage of scientific language. Transfer occurred but was not significant thereby emphasizing the importance of providing numerous practices instead of relying on the software to teach higher order cognitive skills. Daily usage and a flexible paired working environment with the computer were pedagogical variables in the cognitive outcomes

Pedagogical and Design Aspects of a Blended Learning Course

Based on recent research reports, the blended learning model, which combines face-to-face and online learning, is now the preferred model for online course design. Its superiority over online learning, which lacks face-to-face interaction, is evident from studies that examined both student achievement and satisfaction. Nevertheless, there is ambiguity in the literature and in the field regarding the proper implementation of blended learning and the optimal proportions between online and F2F components in various learning scenarios. The range of contradictory reports in recent literature on the potential of different blended learning models shows the need for more research on specific blended learning courses in order to establish proper standards for effective course design and implementation. The present evaluation study focuses on students’ perceptions of pedagogical and design issues related to a new model for blended learning used in a graduate-level course at the Open University of Israel. Fifty-eight of the course’s 91 students participated in the study and completed a questionnaire regarding three major aspects of the course design: (1) pedagogy, (2) textbook format (print vs. digital), and (3) learning environment usability. The results illustrate the importance of completing the pedagogical and visual design of online learning in advance. Also, the course model suggests ways to bridge the gaps between students and instructors and students and their peers, which are typical of online learning in general and of open universities in particular

Adolescent digital gamers and implications for classrooms

Teachers, parents, media, government, and politicians are anxious about the psychological, isolationist, health, leisure, and violence aspects of teenagers playing recreational digital games. They also voice concern about a detrimental relationship between these and the affects on school achievement. Understanding the gendered profiles, preferences (when, where, with whom, preferred genres, leisure preferences, why play, for how long), game genres, and self-concepts of 13–14 year old digital gamers who averaged 17.5 hours per week has pertinent implications for classrooms. This age group has been underrepresented in national and, particularly, international surveys. A pedagogic implication is to include the creation of digital learning objects within the curriculum without sidelining the academic under-achieving eGamer. Academic transference activities within the regular curriculum are advocated. Digital games as a teenage cognitive, and not just recreational, artefact are thereby valued

Digital gaming: a comparative international study of youth leisure in a peaceful and war zone country

This paper reports an exploratory survey in Australia and Israel of the leisure habits, attitudes and preferences of 716 teenagers aged 13-14 years who are part of the international digital games culture. The rationale was threefold: (a) this age group is not singled out in other surveys; (b) examination of gaming across five platforms would contribute new insights; and (c) the premise that a comparison between eGamers in a war zone and a peaceful country would produce striking contrasts. Virtually all participants played digital games for an average of 10-12 hours per week, the majority using all gaming platforms daily. Notable country differences were identified, particularly game genre preferences but there was also commonality as digital gamers. Digital games remain “boys’ games”, with males devoting more time to playing across five game platforms than did the females who, however, demonstrated a narrowing gap. Isolation and unfitness due to digital gaming proved contrary to popular media reports even though playing digital games was one of two top-rated leisure activities across country and gender