bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A metacognitive approach to enhancing Chinese language speaking skills with audioblogs
Authors: Tan Yuh-Huann , Tan Seng-Chee
Published: April 2016

Situated in the field of computer assisted language learning (CALL), this article reports an instrumental case study on the use of audioblogs for developing students' Chinese speaking skills. The intervention focused on scaffolding students in metacognitive reflection of their oral performances. The case focused on seven students who completed substantial part of the activities, and the main sources of data came from the oral recordings and interactions in their audioblogs. A significant improvement in the mean scores of pre- to post-test oral performance was found, which indicated the benefits of this approach. The students were found to adopt a systematic approach in their reflection: evaluating --> monitoring --> planning, with greater amount of attention devoted to the monitoring strategy. However, a disproportionate distribution of metacognitive knowledge usage was found in students' self-assessment. Task knowledge was the predominant metacognitive knowledge used by students, whereas person knowledge and strategy knowledge were neglected by the students. Teachers who are keen to implement a similar instructional approach could develop strategies to focus the students' attention on the latter two types of metacognitive knowledge.
Gender differences in learning styles: Nurturing a gender and style sensitive computer science classroom
Authors: Lau Wilfred Wing Fat , Yuen Allan Hoi Kau
Published: April 2016

The gender digital divide has been widely discussed and researched over the years. Previous studies have focused on a number of factors such as computer attitude, computer anxiety, computer self-efficacy, and computer experience. This study empirically tested the sensitivity of a learning style instrument, the Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD), to gender in a sample of students who studied computer programming in Hong Kong secondary schools. Results indicated that females had higher preference for concrete sequential (CS) and abstract random (AR) compared with males. Males had higher preference for concrete random (CR) than females. From these results, we proposed learning style-based pedagogical practices to teach computer programming. In order to address the needs of female students, we further proposed that learning style-based pedagogical practices need to move from a gender neutral to gender sensitive approach. This proposal helps to improve student learning through individualisation in pedagogy in terms of gender and learning styles and contributes to a gender and style sensitive computer science classroom. Eventually, through various remedial interventions, we anticipate more female participation in computer science field and hence the gender issue is addressed.
Web-based lecture technologies: Highlighting the changing nature of teaching and learning
Authors: Preston Greg , Phillips Rob , Gosper Maree , McNeill Margot , Woo Karen , Green David
Published: April 2016

There is now widespread recognition of the changing nature of students in higher education: they are demographically diverse, have extensive external time demands, and expect greater flexibility and support during their programs. As a consequence of this and other changes to the higher education sector, many universities worldwide have introduced a range of information and communication technologies to provide students with flexible options for study. Included in these options are web-based lecture technologies (WBLT), designed to digitally record lectures for delivery over the web. This paper reports on recent Australian research into the impact of WBLT on learning and teaching which indicates that, while many academics recognise the changing nature and needs of their students and have introduced WBLT as a consequence, many have not reconceptualised their curriculum and its delivery to meet these changing circumstances. The central premise in this paper is that the introduction of WBLT has been disruptive in nature and has provided a lens with which to view several emerging issues: the blurring of study patterns between internal and external enrolment modes; the role of lectures in technology rich environments; and the changing nature of teaching when technologies are introduced into the curriculum.
Radical transparency: Open access as a key concept in wiki pedagogy
Authors: Baltzersen Rolf K.
Published: April 2016

Educators have just started to use wikis and most of the educational research to date has focused primarily on the use of local wikis with access limitations. There seems to be little research related to how students can contribute in global, transparent wiki communities such asWikipedia and Wikibooks. The purpose of this article is to argue that we need to extend our understanding of transparency as a pedagogical concept if we want to use these open, global wiki communities in an educational setting. By describing one wiki based course in detail, I argue that these kinds of radically transparent learning environments in tertiary education challenge traditional pedagogy and our ordinary perceptions of what a class and working assignment is. The course data in this article include a course description and teacher and student reflections on assessed group projects which produced "student written, collaboratively edited textbooks" on Wikibooks. Student perceptions indicate positive attitudes towards global learning environments, if the didactical design is carefully planned. In the article I suggest that "outsiders" and "former and future students" should be included as categories in a pedagogical definition of transparency. These categories represent a radical expansion of course space and course availability.
Learning to play games or playing games to learn? A health education case study with Soweto teenagers
Authors: Amory Alan
Published: April 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of an educational computer video game in teaching and learning. Cultural-historical activity theory is used heuristically to explore the social and cultural interactions during game play. It is argued that knowledge construction occurs when video games function as a tool to mediate learning rather than as instructional media. The unit of analysis is not the game as instruction but engagement with the game. Twelve 14 to 19 year old black orphans from Soweto, South Africa, participated in a case study. Groups of three participants, which included both sexes, played the game for at least six hours, kept a personal reflective journal, and after play answered a knowledge test and participated in a round-robin discussion. Results show that participants gained new knowledge, recognised that the game mediated their learning, identified the object of the activity and discussed how they might help their community. Results support the use of games as tools to mediate learning.
Online collaboration and offline interaction between students using asynchronous tools in blended learning
Authors: Wang Mei-jung
Published: April 2016

The increasing use of innovative blended learning strategies which incorporate online discussion into the classroom requires the examination of asynchronous, computer mediated communication (ACMC) to fully understand the learners' total engagement and the contribution of such ICT tools to student learning. This study analysed students' online utterances and offline interactions, to determine the extent of collaborative learning among students from two colleges. Results show that behaviours that characterise successful collaborative learning in an asynchronous networked environment were present, but the patterns were different from previous studies. The implementation of ICT tools in blended learning does promote social interaction among students and their engagement; however, it does not automatically facilitate students in their adoption of active learning strategies. The offline atmosphere in carrying out the ACMC activities were sorted into five major categories: struggling with platform operations, handling technical problems, passive attitudes towards the procedure, tense atmosphere in class, and engagement in tasks. Based on the findings, some pedagogical implications are presented.
Internet tools for language learning: University students taking control of their writing
Authors: Conroy Mark A.
Published: April 2016

Many excellent corpus-based language learning resources (e.g., concordancers) have been freely available on the Internet for some time. Google assisted language learning (GALL) is also gaining increasing acceptance. These tools are a potential resource for English as an additional language (EAL) university students who want to independently improve their academic writing. However, many Australian universities have been remarkably slow to integrate these tools into English language support operations. In this study, Australian EAL university students were trained in Internet-based tools and techniques for language learning and subsequently surveyed on their attitudes and behaviour. Students' competence in using the tools and techniques to correct errors in their writing was also measured. The results revealed that students are enthusiastic and reasonably competent users of Internet-based tools and techniques for independent language learning. It is argued that Internet-based corpus tools and techniques are undervalued by Australian universities, but could be promoted and used to support EAL university student writers.
Towards a pre-teen typology of digital media
Authors: Grimley Mick , Allan Mary
Published: April 2016

Whilst prior research has identified children as avid users of new technologies, insufficient studies have explored their patterns of use. This paper investigates how New Zealand pre-teens use technology out of school and identifies a typology of technology use. Two hundred and twenty four children between 10 and 12 years of age completed a comprehensive questionnaire about their use of technology. Results indicated that children of this age were immersed in technology related activities. A principal components factor analysis revealed a typology with five distinct factors underlying pre-teen digital behaviour. Two factors showed some differentiation by gender but differences were not evident for socio-economic factors.
Interactive computer based assessment tasks: How problem-solving process data can inform instruction
Authors: Zoanetti Nathan
Published: April 2016

This article presents key steps in the design and analysis of a computer based problem-solving assessment featuring interactive tasks. The purpose of the assessment is to support targeted instruction for students by diagnosing strengths and weaknesses at different stages of problem-solving. The first focus of this article is the task piloting methodology, which demonstrates the relationship between process data and a priori documented problem-solving behaviours. This work culminated in the design of a Microsoft Excel template for data transcription named a Temporal Evidence Map. The second focus of this article is to illustrate how evidence from process data can be accumulated to produce and report instructionally useful information not available through traditional assessment approaches. This is demonstrated through the production of reports profiling individual student outcomes against important aspects of problem solving.
Secondary students' online use and creation of knowledge: Refocusing priorities for quality assessment and learning
Authors: Kimber Kay , Wyatt-Smith Claire
Published: April 2016

In this increasingly convergent and digital world, young people are reportedly using new media with high engagement outside school, yet disengaged in those schools where technology access is low or restricted. Such an apparent disconnection is magnified when predictions of their futures are tied to requisites including technological expertise, adaptability to change, innovative capacities and complex problem-solving abilities. Such future oriented capacities challenge traditional views that basic literate and numerate proficiency is sufficient for academic success. They also raise questions about the sufficiency of digital engagement for developing higher order critical and creative skills. Collectively, these future oriented capacities heighten educational imperatives for improving the quality of young people's learning outcomes in this rapidly changing online world. This article addresses these issues. It draws on diverse literature sources and an Australian research study (2003-2008) into secondary students' curricular digital literacies (Appendix A) to present conceptual advances in understandings about how to recognise, talk about and value signs of quality learning in student-created multimodal products. Finally, the article offers an assessment framework with potential for assisting students and teachers to access core concepts and mobilise those essential capacities for enhancing performance when using and creating knowledge online.
A comparative study of collaborative learning in Paper Scribbles and Group Scribbles
Authors: Chen Fang Hao
Published: April 2016

Paper Scribbles (PS) consisting of markers, vanguard sheets and 3M Post-It notes, is a pedagogical tool to harness collective intelligence of groups for collaborative learning in the classroom. Borrowing the key features of PS and yet avoiding some of their physical limitations, a computer-based tool called Group Scribbles (GS) was designed to enable high performance synchronous, face to face collaborative experiences in the classroom. In our exploratory study, we discuss and compare the different properties of PS and GS technologies in two elementary grade 5 classes. The findings reveal that there are not only physical and technical differences but more importantly, pedagogical differences between the two technologies that accounts for different collaborative learning mechanisms.
Seductions of risk and school cyberspace
Authors: Hope Andrew
Published: April 2016

Drawing upon the cultural risk perspective and writings on risk taking, this paper seeks to develop ideas relating to the effective use of school cyberspace. It is argued that some individuals respond to exaggerated, yet seductive, discourses of online risks by over-blocking, unreasonably restricting students' Internet activity. At the same time, there are sensible, even compelling, motivations for teachers as well as students to use the school Internet to engage in low-level risk taking, fostering excitement, identity construction and networked media literacy. Connecting these seductive pushes and pulls of risk it is ultimately maintained that the fostering of trust through open communication is key in overcoming over-blocking whilst allowing for greater educational gains, realised in part through certain types of low-level risk taking in school cyberspace.
Using interactive whiteboards in pre-service teacher education: Examples from two Australian universities
Authors: Campbell Chris , Kent Peter
Published: April 2016

Research indicates that when interactive whiteboards are used well they can increase student engagement and learning (Glover, Miller, Averis & Door, 2007; Schuck & Kearney, 2007, 2008). This means it is important to educate future teachers in how to use interactive whiteboards and how to incorporate them successfully into their teaching. Current research indicates that a teacher's pedagogy or 'how they teach' has a major influence on the quality of student learning outcomes. Thus 'how teachers use ICT' has a great effect on student outcomes. A range of pedagogical models concerned with the concept of authentic pedagogies are commonly used within Australian classrooms. Training designed for pre-service teachers dealing with the pedagogical application of interactive whiteboards is designed to guide and assess the implementation according to these pre-existing and widespread pedagogical models. This paper examines examples of how IWBs can be used in teacher education as well as how to integrate their use across courses that pre-service teachers undertake.
Collegial mentoring for effective whole school professional development in the use of IWB technologies
Authors: Jones Anthony , Vincent John
Published: April 2016

The focus of this chapter is the provision of teacher professional development as needed - just in time. The specific context is the application of peer mentoring in teaching and learning with interactive whiteboards. Data was gathered from two research projects that investigated aspects of teachers mentoring colleagues in Australia. In both projects lessons were video recorded and the teachers interviewed about their perceptions of ICT use in the lessons. In one project two teachers were appointed as half-time mentors to assist colleagues in classroom use of IWBs. This appeared to result in improved levels of success for all the stakeholders. The aim in the other project was to explore how to prepare primary classroom teachers to become mentors within their school. One recommendation arising from the research is that education systems should fund ICT mentor positions to help overcome immediate teacher needs as quickly as possible.
Secondary school teachers' perceptions of interactive whiteboard training workshops: A case study from Taiwan
Authors: Lai Horng-Ji
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this study was to explore secondary school teachers' perceptions of interactive whiteboard (IWB) training workshops in Taiwan. This study also sought to identify potential problems associated with the design of IWB training workshops in order to improve their effectiveness. This research employed observations and interviews to collect research data. Observations were made at the training sites, and interviews were conducted with six secondary school teachers from two junior high schools located in central Taiwan. The research data suggest that teachers valued the benefits of using IWBs in classrooms and recognised the necessity of attending training workshops. The teachers also emphasised that knowing practical IWB uses was extremely important and helpful to them to integrate this promising tool meaningfully into their teaching. As a consequence of the research some suggestions have been provided for the purpose of improving the quality of training workshops based on adult learning theories.
Networked interactive whiteboards: Rationale, affordances and new pedagogies for regional Australian higher education
Authors: Dawson Phillip
Published: April 2016

This article presents an argument for the use of networked interactive whiteboards (NIWBs) in regional Australian higher education and identifies new pedagogies for this context. Most Australian universities operate multiple campuses, and many use video conference facilities to deliver courses across these sites. For students at remote video conference sites, their classroom experience is often one of isolation and limited student to student contact. In this article, NIWBs are proposed as a tool to enhance this mode of delivery and exploratory research into the additional affordances they provide is presented. By using networking with IWBs, annotation and gesture can be shared across distances. Emerging possibilities from the integration of NIWBs with video conference, web conference and lecture capture systems are also explored. Three new pedagogies for regional Australian higher education are proposed based on these new capabilities.
Elementary school students' attitudes and self-efficacy of using PDAs in a ubiquitous learning context
Authors: Tsai Pei-Shan , Tsai Chin-Chung , Hwang Gwo-Haur
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this study was to develop an attitude and a self-efficacy survey of using PDAs in ubiquitous learning (u-learning) environments for elementary school students. The sample of this study included 414 third-grade to sixth-grade students (age 9-12 years) in Taiwan who had experience using PDAs for u-learning. The results indicate that the students, in general, had positive attitudes and adequate self-efficacy in terms of using PDAs for u-learning. Gender differences existed only in the students' self-efficacy of using PDAs for Internet related functions, with the male students expressing higher confidence in using PDAs for Internet-related functions than the female students. In addition, the students in lower grades (third and fourth-graders; age 9-10 years) tended to use PDAs more frequently and to have more positive perspectives of PDAs than the higher grade students (fifth and sixth-graders; age 11-12 years). Furthermore, for predicting students' attitudes toward using PDAs for u-learning, students' confidence in using PDAs for general purposes was more important than their confidence in using PDAs to perform Internet functions.
Preschool cookbook of computer programming topics
Authors: Morgado Leonel , Cruz Maria , Kahn Ken
Published: April 2016

A common problem in computer programming use for education in general, not simply as a technical skill, is that children and teachers find themselves constrained by what is possible through limited expertise in computer programming techniques. This is particularly noticeable at the preliterate level, where constructs tend to be limited to extremely simple elements. Having worked for 4 years with over 150 children, aged 3 to 5, we present age-appropriate computer programming activities involving different computer programming techniques, from the basic (computer language syntax) to the advanced (client-server). These may contribute to expand the panorama on viable computer programming techniques available to children and educators, thus broadening the variety of educational activities and projects that can be approached in educational settings using computer programming.
Using blogging to promote clinical reasoning and metacognition in undergraduate physiotherapy fieldwork programs
Authors: Tan Shuyan Melissa , Ladyshewsky Richard K. , Gardner Peter
Published: April 2016

This qualitative study investigated the impact of using blogs on the clinical reasoning and meta-cognitive skills of undergraduate physiotherapy students in a fieldwork education program. A blog is a web based document that enables individuals to enter comments and read each others' comments in a dynamic and interactive manner. In this study, final year physiotherapy students were randomly allocated to group blogs to share their reflections on their own and their peers' clinical practice. Blogging was used to help students reflect and focus on professional and evidence based practice within a supportive peer assisted learning environment. The text within each of the blogs was qualitatively analysed against concepts in the literature describing specific types of clinical reasoning and metacognition. A range of clinical reasoning typologies were found to exist in the blogs. Most notable were ethical, interactive and procedural reasoning along with evidence of metacognition. Blogging was found to be a good strategy for promoting clinical reasoning and metacognition in fieldwork education.
Educational design of short, audio-only podcasts: The teacher and student experience
Authors: Taylor Lucy , Clark Steve
Published: April 2016

This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study on the use of podcasting in higher education. The study was conducted during 2007 and 2008 and involved students from 20 units of study. Research data was gathered by distributing an in-class survey to 4584 enrolled students, with 39% (1780) of students completing the survey. Qualitative data was gathered by conducting student focus groups, with a total of 158 students participating, and interviewing teaching staff on their podcasting experiences. The results identified three broad approaches to podcasting employed: re-framed podcasts, or content reproduced in multiple media (e.g., textbook chapters summarised as podcast episodes); complementary podcasts that added extra information to enhance the student learning experience; andsupplementary podcasts that re-design and broadcast content previously presented in class.
 
Grappling with technology: A case of supporting Malaysian Smart School teachers' professional development
Authors: Thang Siew Ming , Murugaiah Puvaneswary , Lee Kean Wah , Azman Hazita , Tan Lay Yean , Lee Yit Sim
Published: April 2016

This paper discusses the challenges faced by a group of Smart School teachers in a partnership model designed to help them develop professionally through the use of online tools. This model known as e-CPDelT: Model 2020 is loosely based on the successful, UK basedImproving the Quality of Education For All (IQEA) project (Hopkins et al., 1996). The model was piloted on 20 teachers of English, mathematics and science from 5 Smart Schools around Kuala Lumpur. It features collaboration between these teachers in the hope that it would lead to the development of viable communities of practice. Teacher collaboration in this pilot was in the form of (a) sharing text based narratives of perceived good lessons through blogs and (b) sharing of video clips of good lessons through the ViP (Virtual interactive Platform) and (c) forum discussions of lessons. Data were obtained from teacher interviews and mentor reflections. Brinkerhoff's (2006) framework on technology adoption was used to identify the challenges faced by these teachers. The findings revealed that teachers faced resource, institutional, informational and attitudinal problems. The paper concludes with discussion of suggested measures to improve technology adoption by teachers.
The impact of blogging on Hong Kong primary school students' bilingual reading literacy
Authors: Tse Shek Kam , Yuen Allan Hoi-kau , Loh Elizabeth Ka-yee , Lam Joseph Wai-ip , Ng Rex Hung-wai
Published: April 2016

This study looked at the types of blog consulted by 1,298 Primary 4 students in Hong Kong and whether such consultation influenced performance on standardised tests of Chinese and English reading comprehension. When students were asked if they consulted Chinese and English blogs, 42% said they looked at Chinese blogs and 19% said they looked at English blogs. This difference was anticipated since Chinese is the mother tongue of most primary school students in Hong Kong and English is a second language. The themes of sites consulted were categorised into types: the Chinese blogs being able to be categorised into three types, and the English blogs into two. Boys and girls differed in their choice of Chinese and English blog topics and the strength of the students' Chinese and English reading proficiency clearly had some influence on the choice of blogs consulted. Factor analysis was used to group together types of blog and analysis of variance was applied to test differences in performance. With over half of the students saying they did not consult either Chinese or English blogs, it is unwise to draw weighty conclusions about the influence of blogging on reading standards. There was little evidence that regularly consulting the Internet was associated with high grades on either Chinese or English reading tests. Given the large number of students who said they had never consulted blogs, discussion of the analytical outcomes and conclusions are guarded but recommendations are offered.
Learning strategies and motivational factors predicting information literacy self-efficacy of e-learners
Authors: Kiliç-Çakmak Ebru
Published: April 2016

Rapid increase in information sources in different formats, developments in technology and need for lifelong learning have drawn increased attention to needs for information literacy. Although information literacy is significant for students of all educational levels, it has become even more significant for e-learners. Therefore, this study explores learning strategies and motivational factors predicting information literacy self-efficacy of e-learning students. This study was carried out with 119 e-learners using the Information Literacy Self-efficacy Scale and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Results indicate that metacognitive, effort management, elaboration and critical thinking strategies, as well as control belief, predict different dimensions of information literacy self-efficacy.
 
Use of audience response systems for summative assessment in large classes
Authors: Hancock Terence M
Published: April 2016

The audience response system - technology that allows immediate compilation and display of a group's multiple choice input - is being shown effective in the classroom both in engaging students and providing real time, formative assessment of comprehension. This paper looks at its further potential as an alternative for summative assessment, replacing conventional examinations and testing as a basis for student grades. After brief discussion as to practical benefits of doing so and a review of ARS - hardware, software, and studies of its impact on learning - we develop and report outcomes of two distinct trials utilising ARS for both formative and summative assessment. Results indicate synergies in combining the two forms of assessment, though student attitudes are found to be particularly sensitive to the instructor's approach to design.
Domestication of a laptop on a wireless university campus: A case study
Authors: Vuojärvi Hanna , Isomäki Hannakaisa , Hynes Deirdre
Published: April 2016

This study reports how university students domesticate their personal laptops at the beginning of studies on a wireless campus. The aim was to examine how students integrate the laptop into their personal education experience, what sort of processes were experienced to render the laptop useful and meaningful, and how gender and IT proficiency influenced this process. Qualitative interview data with twenty students (identified and selected by quantitative survey) was analysed using the grounded theory approach during which a multi-aspect domestication process was identified. Results highlight the importance of a structured way of organising laptop initiatives in universities. It is important that students have the kind of support available that best suits their needs. Pedagogically, successful domestication enables students to integrate the computer into their learning experience. However, we argue that successful domestication allows the artefact to become more than just a tool for learning, but also an integral part of an individual's existing media environment. In effect, comfort of use and IT capability is regarded as only one way of expressing successful domestication. This article adds to the growing number of studies using domestication as an analytical and theoretical framework and considers the phenomenon in an under-researched area.
Smartphones give you wings: Pedagogical affordances of mobile Web 2.0
Authors: Cochrane Thomas , Bateman Roger
Published: April 2016

Built on the foundation of four years of research and implementation of mobile learning projects (m-learning), this paper provides an overview of the potential of the integration of mobile Web 2.0 tools (based around smartphones) to facilitate social constructivist pedagogies and engage students in tertiary education. Pedagogical affordances of mobile Web 2.0 tools are evaluated, and student usage and feedback is outlined via an interactive multimedia timeline (using YouTube videos) illustrating how these mobile Web 2.0 pedagogical affordances have transformed pedagogy and facilitated student engagement in a variety of course contexts. A rubric for evaluating appropriate smartphone choices is provided, and a model for implementing mobile Web 2.0 pedagogical integration is presented.
Effective practice with e-portfolios: How can the UK experience inform implementation?
Authors: Joyes Gordon , Gray Lisa , Hartnell-Young Elizabeth
Published: April 2016

This paper introduces the background to the JISC work within the e-portfolio domain in the UK and presents an overview of past and current activities and the drivers for these developments. This is followed by a review of JISC's approach to drawing out the learning and implications for e-portfolio practice from this extensive collection of work and its dissemination. The analysis of twenty one recently funded projects involving the use of e-portfolios in the UK is introduced. The findings suggest that e-portfolio implementation is particularly complex in part due to the number of stakeholders involved, the contexts in which e-portfolios can be applied and the number of purposes they can have. This research suggests that there are threshold concepts related to e-portfolio implementation and that developing an understanding of effective practice is not straightforward. However a means of supporting this understanding is suggested.
Personalised and self regulated learning in the Web 2.0 era: International exemplars of innovative pedagogy using social software
Authors: McLoughlin Catherine , Lee Mark J. W.
Published: April 2016

Research findings in recent years provide compelling evidence of the importance of encouraging student control over the learning process as a whole. The socially based tools and technologies of the Web 2.0 movement are capable of supporting informal conversation, reflexive dialogue and collaborative content generation, enabling access to a wide raft of ideas and representations. Used appropriately, these tools can shift control to the learner, through promoting learner agency, autonomy and engagement in social networks that straddle multiple real and virtual learning spaces independent of physical, geographic, institutional and organisational boundaries. As argued in this article, however, in order for self-regulated learning to come to fruition, students need not only to be able to choose and personalise what tools and content are available, but also to have access to the necessary scaffolding to support their learning. Emerging practices with social computing technologies, a number of examples of which are showcased in this article, signal the need for pedagogies that are more personal, social and participatory. The authors conclude with a discussion of some of the key implications for practice, including an outline of the current challenges faced by tertiary educators.

 
Different spaces: Staff development for Web 2.0
Authors: Samarawickrema Gayani , Benson Robyn , Brack Charlotte
Published: April 2016

This paper reports on a collaborative staff development activity run across two Australian universities, for academic staff integrating Web 2.0 technologies into their teaching. It describes a three-week long virtual workshop on teaching with wikis, where participants in two groups developed a group project as students and then assessed the work as teachers. Participants were guided through a central Wikis in Higher Education wiki which provided the resources and communication supports. The experience suggested that teaching in a Web 2.0 space requires new thinking about pedagogy and that peer learning and the development of an online community are helpful for effective professional development. In closing, the paper reflects on the successes and limitations of this virtual workshop model.
A dialogic approach to online facilitation
Authors: Swann Jennie
Published: April 2016

Social construction of understanding has long been a significant underlying principle of learning and teaching, and while there are many models for the design of online activities to promote this, there are considerably fewer models for the facilitation of such dialogue. This paper examines some of these facilitation models from the point of view of a university tutor seeking to encourage social construction of understanding through online dialogue, and proposes an alternative which extends the principles of community of inquiry theory. It unpacks conceptions of community and dialogue in the context of learning and teaching and describes a research project whose purpose is to develop and iteratively test a professional development intervention, which will help university tutors to facilitate a dialogic approach to learning online.
Building mathematical knowledge in an authentic mobile phone environment
Authors: Daher Wajeeh
Published: April 2016

Although many researchers have examined knowledge building in traditional settings and distance learning, few have examined middle school students' building of mathematical knowledge using mobile phones. The present study uses two well-known models of knowledge building to carry out the examination: the interactive analysis model of knowledge building phases developed by Gunawardena, Lowe and Anderson (1997) and the six themes model of knowledge building characteristics developed by Scadamalia and Bereiter (2006). The findings show that the middle school students participating in this research went through all the knowledge building phases suggested by Gunawardena, Lowe and Anderson (1997). They further experienced other knowledge building phases that fit the authentic context in which they learned. Participants advanced their knowledge of ideas as a community, collaborating to carry out authentic activities using mobile phones. They demonstrated constructive and critical use of information in general and of authoritative information in particular. Participants worked as mathematicians, especially during the second part of the experiment, when they suggested real world phenomena to explore using the mobile phone. My conclusion suggests learning mathematics by carrying out authentic activities using mobile phones, to encourage and enrich the mathematics knowledge building of students in K-12.
 
Examining facilitators' habits of mind in an asynchronous online discussion environment: A two cases study
Authors: Cheung Wing Sum , Hew Khe Foon
Published: April 2016

Asynchronous online discussion has been widely used by faculty members and students in schools and universities. Previous research has examined how factors such as the discussion activity, knowledge about the discussion topic, and the behaviour of other participants can affect learner participation. This study explored student facilitators' influence in promoting learners' participation in terms of their exhibited habits of mind. The following habits of mind of the facilitators were examined: (a) awareness of own thinking, (b) accurate and seeks accuracy, (c) open minded, (d) taking a position when the situation warrants it, and (e) sensitive to other. A two-cases study methodology approach was used in this study. The habits of "awareness of own thinking" and "open minded" were found to be exhibited more often by the student facilitators in the two cases. When we zoomed into the top 30% of the forums in terms of learners' participation, we also found that the frequency of habits of mind, "awareness of own thinking" and "open minded", were exhibited more often by the facilitators.
Web based projects enhancing English language and generic skills development for Asian hospitality industry students
Authors: Wang Mei-jung
Published: April 2016

This study investigated hospitality students' responses toward their learning experiences from undertaking group projects based upon a College web platform, the Ubiquitous Hospitality English Learning Platform (U-HELP). Twenty-six students in the Department of Applied Foreign Languages participated in this study. Their attitudes toward the process oriented activity conducted in the platform were investigated through questionnaires and final reports. The findings showed that the subjects held positive views towards web based learning and the interface design of the platform. Moreover, students' responses revealed that the web based projects had the following advantages: (1) enhancing cooperation, (2) improving hospitality knowledge, (3) promoting cognitive skills, and (4) raising computer literacy. However, negative comments were classified as follows: (1) the time consuming nature of group work, (2) preference for traditional paperwork, and (3) problems with using the platform. Based on the findings, some pedagogical suggestions for web based activities are presented.
 
Examining barriers in faculty adoption of an e-portfolio system
Authors: Swan Gerry
Published: April 2016

This paper is a report on the findings of a study conducted on the implementation of a portfolio system at the University of Kentucky. Interviews were conducted with faculty members and university supervisors about the use of a portfolio management tool that had been implemented in the teacher education program. Factors such as small program size and ability to engage in frequent interpersonal communication decreased the perceived need for a management information system. Faculty placed more value in high resolution data sources, but tended to use low resolution data when program size increased.
 
The effect of assessment on the outcomes of asynchronous online discussion as perceived by instructors
Authors: Klisc Chris , McGill Tanya , Hobbs Valerie
Published: April 2016

Asynchronous online discussion is used in a variety of ways, both in online learning environments and in traditional teaching environments where, increasingly frequently, a blended approach is adopted. However the anticipated benefits of this tool in improving student learning outcomes are still being debated. One of the many factors affecting the outcomes of asynchronous online discussion is that of assessment. This study investigated the influence of assessment of discussion postings on the achievement of discussion outcomes as perceived by instructors. The findings indicate that the incorporation of assessment results in higher levels of discussion outcomes than if no assessment were used. The use of a subsequent assessment based on the online discussion was also examined, but the results were inconclusive.
Essential books in the field of instructional design and technology
Authors: Ouimette Jenelle , Surry Daniel W. , Grubb Adrian , Hall David A.
Published: April 2016

This article describes the results of a study to determine the books that instructional design and technology professionals believed were most important to the field. Participants in this study were 77 professionals from different areas of the field, including education, business, and government. The purpose of the study was to create a snapshot of the books that form the theoretical and practical foundation of the field of instructional design and technology at this time in the field's history. A survey was conducted asking participants to rank the importance of books on a four-point scale from "profoundly important" to "unimportant". The data were then analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicate that the importance of a book varies widely, based on factors such as a person's area of interest in the field, degree level, and age. Overall, however, the study found that 10 books were viewed as being among the most important by most respondent groups. This core group of books should be included in every instructional designer's or technologist's personal library.
Development of course material in a multi-author environment
Authors: Schlotter Michael
Published: April 2016

Software for text processing and presentation design is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Nevertheless, it is difficult to find a good solution for collaborative writing of technical course material, allowing the creation of high quality lecture notes and presentation slides from a single source. This article presents a new editing framework for the development of continuing professional development (CPD) teaching material. The courses are developed and delivered jointly by a team of academics, and comprise various engineering subjects. The described workflows, however, are equally applicable for any higher education course. The needs of authors are explored, and good teaching and learning practices are established. Based on these investigations, a catalogue of software requirements is created and compared with features of current commercial and open source applications. Despite the general trend to use graphical interfaces, it is concluded that the workflow has to be based on source files written in a markup language in order to fulfil all specifications. Although the Extensible Markup Language (XML) has become increasingly popular during the last decade, a LaTeX based solution is preferred. Reasons for that decision are discussed, and the developed editing framework is described in detail.
Developing an approach for comparing students' multimodal text creations: A case study
Authors: Levy Mike , Kimber Kay
Published: April 2016

Classroom teachers routinely make judgments on the quality of their students' work based on their recognition of how effectively the student has assembled key features of the genre or the medium. Yet how readily can teachers talk about the features of student-created multimodal texts in ways that can improve learning and performance? This article aims to address this issue by describing an approach developed by the authors for analysing and comparing the salient features of two multimodal texts created by the same secondary school student, one while in Year 8 (thirteen years) and one in Year 10 (fifteen years). Firstly, the criteria of design, content and cohesion are introduced as framing for the analysis. Next, these criteria are applied to the title slide, the slide headings and the knowledge representation in each multimodal text. The choice of the criteria and the product elements to which they are applied are central to our approach which aims to be practical and to provide sufficient coverage of key elements for descriptive and comparative purposes, especially the key multimodal features of the products. This approach has potential for wider application when two multimodal products are to be described and compared.
 
Case study of a computer based examination system
Authors: Fluck Andrew , Pullen Darren , Harper Colleen
Published: April 2016

Electronic supported assessment or e-Assessment is a field of growing importance, but it has yet to make a significant impact in the Australian higher education sector (Byrnes & Ellis, 2006). Current computer based assessment models focus on the assessment of knowledge rather than deeper understandings, using multiple choice type questions, and blocking access to more sophisticated software tools. This study explored a new system based on a customised version of an open source live CD, based on Ubuntu which was used with three groups of pre-service teachers (N=270). Students had divided opinions about using computers or paper for their examinations, but prior exposure to computer based assessment was a highly significant factor for preferring the computer medium. Reflecting upon their experience, students found the noise of computer keyboards a distraction during the eExamination and preferred fewer on-screen windows. The new system allowed eExaminations to be taken securely on student owned laptop computers and was supervised by invigilators without specialist information technology skills. The system has been made available for other researchers to use athttp://www.eExaminations.org/