Tweeting and Blogging: Moving Towards Education 2.0

This paper reports on an exploratory study that employed Twitter and blogs as instructional Web 2.0 tools to support student learning in an undergraduate-level class. Case study methodology entailing a usage survey, an exit survey, and 12 in-depth semi-structured interviews was sought to examine patterns and characteristics of students\u27 usage of social media and to elicit their perceptions on how the incorporation of Twitter and blogs facilitated their learning. Findings demonstrate that as advanced users of social media, the students highly embraced the incorporation of Twitter and blogs in the class. Not only were the students motivated to utilize social media, but they also employed a high degree of self-discipline and self-exploration in using those social tools for learning. Overall they perceived the incorporation positively, but critically pointed out the perceived challenges. Discrepancies in their usage patterns and learners\u27 characteristics indicate that instructors should distinguish advanced users from novice users and develop strategies accordingly when introducing social media in varying educational settings

You got to be follow-worthy or I will unfollow you!” Students’ Voices on Twitter Integration into Classroom Settings

This research centers on a case study where Twitter was integrated in an undergraduate level course. Under the instructor’s specific guidance and ongoing feedback, students actively participate in the course both in and outside of classroom. They perceived the incorporation of Twitter into classroom to be highly engaging and contributive to their learning. During the 10 week course, students’ initiatives in developing self-defined codes of conduct for tweeting, creating user groups, and assisting one another to become proficient in using Twitter, demonstrated a high degree of autonomous social learning in both formal and informal learning environments. Not only were they motivated to utilize social media, but they also developed a high degree of self-disciplined and self-exploratory learning attitude in using those social tools for learning

Using Wikis to Support Peer Assessment Activities in Higher Education

This study explored the effectiveness of using wikis as an environment to support peer-assessment in higher education settings. The participants of this study were nineteen per-serviced teachers who enrolled in an undergraduate course on the application of instructional technologies in classroom. In the study, the participants created their personal wiki pages within a course wiki and formed groups of three or four. Five peer-assessment activities were assigned, in which the participants uploaded their class projects to their wiki pages and went to their group member’s pages to provide feedback. The participants were expected to evaluate other’s projects in terms of educational values, visual effects and the format. A short survey was conducted after each activity asking participants’ perceived learning and a post-survey was conducted at the end of the study to ask their general experience of peer-assessment activities in the wiki environment. The survey results and the analysis of participants’ wiki posts indicated that the wiki was an interactive environment that facilitated the peer-assessment effectively. With proper guidance, the participants were able to provide critical peer feedback within the wiki environment

Learning Outside of Classroom: Exploring the Active Part of an Informal Online English Learning Community in China

This study explored how the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum, an informal online language learning community in China, functioned to support its members to improve their English writing proficiency. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) model was used as the theoretical framework to explore the existence of teaching presence, cognitive presence, and social presence in the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum. The transcript analysis of postings in the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum was used to find the existence of teaching, cognitive presence, and social presence, and an adapted CoI survey was sent to members to measure their perceived teaching, cognitive, and social presences. The results showed strong evidences of teaching presence, cognitive presence, and social presence, and high levels of perceived teaching, cognitive, and social presences in the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum. The well-designed technological environment, distributed teaching presence shared by moderators and members, and extensive evidences of social presence in the discussion forum worked together to support learning in the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum

Designing Asynchronous Online Discussion Environments: Recent Progress and Possible Future Directions

Asynchronous online discussion environments are important platforms to support learning. Research suggests, however, threaded forums, one of the most popular asynchronous discussion environments, do not often foster productive online discussions naturally. This paper explores how certain properties of threaded forums have affected or constrained the quality of discussions, and argues that developing alternative discussion environments is highly needed to offer better support for asynchronous online communication. Using the Productive Discussion Model developed by Gao, Wang & Sun (2009), we analyzed current work on four types of asynchronous discussion environments that have been developed and researched: constrained environments, visualized environments, anchored environments and combined environments. The paper has implications for developing future asynchronous discussion environments. More specifically, future work should aim at (a) exploring new environments that support varied goals of learning; (b) integrating emerging technologies to address the constraints of current environments; (c) designing multi-functional environments to facilitate complex learning, and (d) developing appropriate instructional activities and strategies for these environments

Fatigue Behavior and Life Estimations for Dissimilar Ultrasonic Welds in Lap-shear Specimens of Magnesium and Galvanized Steel Sheets.

Fatigue behavior of dissimilar ultrasonic welds between magnesium alloy AZ31 and galvanized steel sheets is investigated experimentally, with stress intensity factor solutions and with a kinked crack growth life estimation model. First, stress intensity factor solutions for welds with various widths in lap-shear specimens with and without kinked cracks are obtained using finite element analyses. The analytical stress intensity factor solutions for lap-shear specimens based on the beam bending theory and the analytical solutions for two dissimilar semi-infinite solids with connection under plane strain conditions are reviewed. Results of the finite element analyses for global stress intensity factor solutions are compared with the analytical stress intensity factor solutions to identify transition weld widths for the analytical solutions. Finite element analyses were also conducted for the ultrasonic welded lap-shear specimens of magnesium and steel sheets, but with a modified fictitious Poisson’s ratio for the magnesium sheet such that the bimaterial constant is equal to zero. The results indicate that the crack-tip stresses directly ahead of the main crack tip are influenced by the oscillation of the interface crack-tip field. However, the crack-tip stresses directly above the main crack tips are weakly affected, and the oscillatory crack-tip stress distributions for both actual and modified material combinations are quite similar. The results suggest that the stress intensity factor solutions for a kinked crack with a vanishing kink length can be approximated by the available analytical solutions for fatigue life estimation. Experimental fatigue results for dissimilar ultrasonic welds are presented for lap-shear specimens which have been machined into a dog-bone profile to approximate linear welds and specimens which have not been altered. Optical micrographs of the welds after testing were examined to understand the failure modes. Stress intensity factor solutions were obtained from finite element analyses of a plane strain model and a three-dimensional model. The global stress intensity factor solutions and the local stress intensity factor solutions for vanishing and finite kinked cracks were used for fatigue life estimations using a Paris law kinked crack growth model.PHDMechanical EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/99983/1/terjean_1.pd

Preparing Teacher Candidates for Virtual Field Placements Via an Exposure to K-12 Online Teaching

Aim/Purpose The goal of this project was to determine what effects exposure to online K-12 teaching and learning activities had on teacher candidates’ perceptions of K-12 online learning, how the exposure allowed teacher candidates to reach greater understanding of online pedagogy, and what effect such exposure had on teacher candidates’ aspirations to complete virtual field experiences. Background With an increasing number of K-12 students learning online within full-time online schools and in blended learning environments, universities must prepare future educators to teach in virtual environments including clinical practice. Before engaging in online field placement, preservice teachers must be oriented to online K-12 teaching and learning. Methodology Using a design-based, mixed-method research methodology, this study drew samples from four sections of a hybrid technology integration course. Preservice teachers’ papers detailing their perceptions, focus groups, and surveys were used to gauge changes in perceptions of online learning after participating in online teaching and learning activities. Contribution The study demonstrated that an exposure to online K-12 classrooms stimulated preservice teachers’ interest in online teaching as they began to feel that online education could be equivalent to traditional education. Findings Students’ perceptions positively improved the equivalency of online learning to traditional schooling, the possibility of positive relationships between teachers and students, and the ability to create interactive learning. Students also reported being more knowledgeable and showed increased interest in participating in virtual field experiences. Future Research Future research may continue to examine if the exposure course, combined with a short-term clinical experiences and long-term online apprenticeships may serve to prepare graduates with the skills necessary to teach in classrooms of the future

Applying a Modified Technology Acceptance Model to Qualitatively Analyse the Factors Affecting Microblogging Integration

The purpose of this research is to examine factors affecting students’ perception and engagement of microblogging integration using a qualitative approach. We employed a qualitative case study design to explore potential factors affecting microblogging integration in a hybrid course. Using the technology acceptance model (TAM) model as an umbrella framework, we examined through in-depth interviews with 18 participants the impact of microblogging integration into instruction that affected students’ reported use and perceptions of their microblogging-supported learning experiences. We found that individual differences, system characteristics, social influence and facilitating conditions all have impact on student participation and engagement in microblogging integration to varying degrees. We identified more granular factors within each of the four dimensions. Additionally, we proposed a Twitter user taxonomy based on perceived usefulness and usage behaviour and discussed its broad implications in higher education learning environments. Finally, we identified several pedagogical implications pertaining to strategies of microblogging integration under the context of a hybrid course and offered pertinent recommendations for future research

Educational Technology Primer: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers

The Educational Technology Primer grew out of the realization that today’s teacher education students have different needs than their predecessors. Current students arrive on campus less intimidated by technology and more experienced with the use of technology in instruction. However, many introductory educational technology texts still highlight the acquisition of basic technology operations; knowledge and skills that made sense when students entering an introductory educational technology course lacked technology experiences, but not today

A Learning Game For Youth Financial Literacy Education In The Teen Grid Of Second Life Three-Dimensional Virtual Environment

Game-like three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds have become popular venues for youth to explore and interact with friends. To bring vital financial literacy education to them in places they frequent, a multi-disciplinary team of computer scientists, educators, and financial experts developed a youth-oriented financial literacy education game in the Teen Grid of Second Life 3D online virtual world. This paper presents the design and development process of this financial literacy education game, its learning effectiveness in classrooms, and lessons learned from the process