ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Podcasting to Support Students Using a Business Simulation
Author: Gorra, Andrea
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Business Administration Education,International Trade,Technology Uses in Education,Role Playing,Handheld Devices,Audio Equipment,Information Dissemination,Computer Simulation,Intermode Differences,Multimedia Instruction,Decision Making Skills,Access to Information,Faculty,Faculty Development,Student Reaction

Audio or video podcasts can be a useful tool to supplement practical exercises such as business simulations. In this paper, we discuss a case study in which different types of podcast were utilised to support the delivery of a course in international business. The students work in groups and run a fictional company using business simulation software, which gives them the opportunity to evaluate their decision making skills. A number of podcasts were used as reusable learning objects for different student cohorts. Faculty members produced visually enhanced audio podcasts offering tutor discussions of key elements of the computer-assisted business simulation used by the students. The podcasts were made available via the virtual learning environment (Blackboard Vista), as well as for subscription by web browser-based RSS readers, such as Google and downloadable RSS readers, such as iTunes. Our evaluation of this approach to using podcasts takes into account pedagogic and technical issues. Firstly, faculty members involved in this case study were interviewed to obtain their views and experiences on the process of producing podcasts as well as the suitability of podcasts to support their teaching. Secondly, students were surveyed and interviewed about the value of the podcasts and the way in which they were used. This work is on-going and initial informal student feedback indicates that the podcasts engaged the students and supported their understanding of the international business module. This paper presents a snapshot of the current findings which generally support the value of this innovative way of using podcasting for learning and teaching. (Contains 2 footnotes, 1 table and 2 figures.)
Measuring the Effectiveness of Educational Technology: What Are We Attempting to Measure?
Author: Jenkinson, Jodie
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Educational Research,Educational Technology,Educational Researchers,Academic Achievement,Evaluation,Multimedia Instruction,Stimuli,Models,Cognitive Processes,Difficulty Level,Research Reports,Long Term Memory,Short Term Memory,Research Design,Technology Integration,Instructional Design

In many academic areas, students' success depends upon their ability to envision and manipulate complex multidimensional information spaces. Fields in which students struggle with mastering these types of representations include (but are by no means limited to) mathematics, science, medicine, and engineering. There has been some educational research examining the impact of incorporating multiple media modalities into curriculum specific to these disciplines. For example, both Richard Mayer (multimedia learning) and John Sweller (cognitive load) have contributed greatly to establishing theories describing the basic mechanisms of learning in a multimedia environment. However when we attempt to apply these theories to the evaluation of e-learning in a more dynamic "real world" context the information processing model that forms the basis of this research fails to capture the complex interactions that occur between the learner and the knowledge object. It is not surprising that studies examining the effectiveness of e-learning technology, particularly in the area of basic science, have reported mixed results. In part this may be due to the quality of the stimuli being assessed. This may also be explained by the context in which interactivity is being utilized and the model that is used to evaluate its effectiveness. Educational researchers have begun to identify a need for more fine-grained research studies that capture the subtleties of learners' interactions with dynamic and interactive learning objects. In undergraduate medical and life science education, interactive technology has been integrated into the curriculum at many levels. This paper reviews experimental studies drawn from personal experience where an attempt has been made to measure the efficacy of educational technology. In examining the shortcomings of these more traditional experiments, we can then apply this understanding to characterizing a more flexible approach to evaluation and its potential in measuring the effectiveness of educational technology. Understanding the nature of technology-mediated learning interactions and the way in which they foster depth of understanding is a great challenge for both educational researchers and developers of e-learning technologies. By adopting an evaluative framework that takes a more flexible approach to measuring the emergent nature of understanding, we can examine the capacity of educational technology to support more complex understanding of curricular subject matter. (Contains 2 figures.)
Eating Your Lectures and Having Them Too: Is Online Lecture Availability Especially Helpful in &quot;Skills-Based&quot; Courses?
Author: Joordens, Steve
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Attendance,Psychology,Mathematics Skills,Mathematical Logic,Cognitive Development,Calculus,Lecture Method,Foreign Countries,Online Courses,Web Based Instruction,Educational Technology,Teaching Methods,Blended Learning

At the University of Toronto at Scarborough, we provide enhanced flexibility to our students using a blended learning approach (i.e., the webOption) whereby classes are videotaped as they are offered in a traditional manner, then posted online for subsequent student access. Students can attend lectures live, watch them online at their convenience, or both. Previous research examining the webOption in the context of Introductory Psychology revealed that (a) students were satisfied with the webOption in general, (b) students used and appreciated the pause and seek features afforded by the webOption interface, and (c) those who used the pause and seek features performed slightly better in exams (Bassili &amp; Joordens, 2008). The current research examines similar issues in the context of two mathematics courses. These courses differ from the lecture-based Introductory Psychology class in their emphasis on the teaching of mathematical proofs; cognitive skills that, like any other skill, are enhanced with practice (Schneider &amp; Shiffrin, 1977). Access to online lectures allows students to re-experience the professor as they teach these skills. Given this, the webOption might be especially potent in these learning contexts. Surprisingly, the results we report here do not confirm that prediction. Students do use and appreciate the features of the webOption as was the case in our previous work, but those students who augmented their class attendance with online viewing, and those who used the lecture-control features the most, were actually the students who performed most poorly. Said another way, those students who had the most trouble with the course did indeed use the webOption as a way of understanding the material better but, interestingly, doing so did not result in better performance. Several possible reasons for this surprising result are considered. (Contains 3 tables.)
A Novel Interactive Online Module in a Traditional Curriculum through a Blended Learning Approach
Author: Gibbard, Leslie Laing
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Dentistry,Teaching Methods,Blended Learning,Conventional Instruction,Computer Assisted Instruction,Undergraduate Students,Dental Schools,Experiential Learning,Lecture Method,Seminars,Laboratories,Animation,Computer Simulation,Questionnaires,Student Attitudes,Case Studies,Foreign Countries

A unique approach was planned and implemented for undergraduate dental students that would reinforce the principles of removable partial denture (RPD) design. 162 students were grouped according to their year of dental studies (66 second-year students and 96 third-year students) within the Discipline of Prosthodontics at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. Previous training for the students consisted of the traditional Socratic approach, including lectures, seminars, and laboratory pre-clinical hands-on exercises. During the testing session, all the students were given the case history of a particular patient. One half of each of the classes was instructed to design an RPD using the traditional, clinically-related approach, with a dental model that could be touched and seen, dental surveyors, and writing instruments. When finished, various treatment options were discussed. The other half of the classes was given the same instructions but saw the dental model only in animated form via a computer-based e-learning scenario. The RPD was virtually fabricated with student choices of drop-down design features made in a particular orderly sequence as the students worked step-by-step through the computer simulation. A pre-test questionnaire was given to all students concerning their design choices, the order in which they chose the denture components, and their learning experiences. All students were then asked to design an RPD for a different but similar case using dental models in the traditional clinical manner. Post-test questionnaires were given to assess the effectiveness of the method of their pre-test technique, in addition to their enjoyment of the approach. A cross-over situation followed one week later, whereby each group of students went through the alternate approach from the previous session. The results from the third-year student data and implications of this blended approach for teaching and learning RPD design are analyzed and discussed. (Contains 4 tables and 4 figures.)
Why Shouldn't Rural Kids Have It All? Place-Conscious Leadership in an Era of Extralocal Reform Policy
Author: Budge, Kathleen M.
Date: 2010-01-15
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Rural Areas,Rural Education,Instructional Leadership,Help Seeking,Resistance (Psychology),Community Leaders,Accountability,Educational Policy,Educational Quality,State Government,Federal Government,Attitudes,Perspective Taking,Case Studies,Economically Disadvantaged,School District Autonomy,Geographic Location,Role

This article explores school and community leaders' beliefs about standards-based reform and the purposes of local schooling in a single rural community in the western United States. The study used interviews of 11 community and school leaders in the community. Participants engage in a balancing act between serving local interests and satisfying extralocal mandates. They care about both the students they serve and the place they inhabit, and their own assessment of the educational enterprise indicated that state and federal policy had had little constructive influence on either. The conclusion explores critical place-consciousness as a possible tool to refocus rural educators' attention on the intent of the standards-based movement and to ensure that schooling supports individual student success and the needs of rural communities. (Contains 3 footnotes.)
Developing Support for Inclusion: A Professional Learning Approach for Teachers in Hong Kong
Author: Forlin, Chris
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Self Efficacy,Foreign Countries,Basic Skills,Inclusive Schools,Teacher Competencies,Faculty Development,Teacher Improvement,Mainstreaming,Skill Development,Teaching Skills,Financial Support,Educational Finance,Federal Aid,Teacher Attitudes,Special Needs Students,Questionnaires,Gender Differences,Age Differences,Teaching Experience

Professional learning for teachers is important if they are to be prepared for teaching in inclusive classrooms. This is particularly pertinent in Hong Kong where teachers have little personal experience of inclusion and where teaching continues to be didactic and examination oriented. Since Hong Kong implemented a whole school approach to inclusion in 2003, teachers have been able to access ad hoc courses, attend local conferences or seminars, or enroll in self-funded post graduate programs, if they wanted to upskill in the area of becoming inclusive teachers. A new initiative implemented in 2007 is a major attempt by the Education Bureau to provide teachers with a structured and consistent professional learning program to enable them to obtain basic skills required of an inclusive teacher. This paper considers the impact of the government funded course on teachers' dispositions about inclusion and their perceived self-efficacy in implementing inclusive practices. (Contains 7 tables.)
Parent Involvement in Inclusive Primary Schools in New Zealand: Implications for Improving Practice and for Teacher Education
Author: Hornby, Garry
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Parent Participation,Urban Schools,Parent School Relationship,Foreign Countries,Inclusive Schools,Elementary Schools,Teacher Education,School Effectiveness,Special Needs Students,Interviews,Principals,Administrator Attitudes,Ethnic Diversity,School Policy,Parent Teacher Cooperation

A critical factor in the success of inclusive schools is effective parent involvement in the education of children with special educational needs. This article reports the results of a survey of the practice of parent involvement in inclusive primary schools in a large city in New Zealand. Interviews were conducted with 21 primary school principals using a schedule which focused on eleven aspects of parent involvement. Analysis of data from the interviews identified several common weaknesses in provision for parent involvement in the schools. Implications for improving the practice of parent involvement in inclusive primary schools and for teacher education in parent involvement are discussed.
The Context of Professional Learning for Inclusion: A 4-Ply Model
Author: O'Gorman, Elizabeth
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Professional Development,Inclusive Schools,Mainstreaming,Faculty Development,Principals,Teacher Improvement,Special Education Teachers,Regular and Special Education Relationship,Teaching Skills,Teacher Qualifications,Questionnaires,Secondary Schools,Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes

This paper outlines the findings from one dimension of a large-scale research project which addressed the PL requirements of specialist inclusion/SEN teachers in Ireland. Two aspects relating to the context of professional learning are explored here: the professional learning opportunities preferred by teachers and the professional learning opportunities which, in principals' and teachers' estimations have been found to be most beneficial in enhancing teachers' expertise. In the light of the research findings and current literature pertaining to the area, opportunities for PL for inclusion are reviewed and a &quot;4-ply&quot; model proposed which draws on four complementary layers: system supports, tertiary level input, school development and teacher self-enhancement. (Contains 2 tables.)
A Professional Learning Program for Enhancing the Competency of Students with Special Needs
Author: Kantavong, Pennee
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Intervention,Autism,Learning Disabilities,Academic Achievement,Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,Achievement Tests,Foreign Countries,Program Effectiveness,Elementary School Students,Competence,Special Needs Students,Behavior Modification,Interpersonal Communication,Program Evaluation,Inclusive Schools,Professional Development,Parent Education,Workshops,Teaching Methods,Classroom Techniques,Inservice Teacher Education,Management Development

This study used a quasi-experimental research design to examine the impact of a professional learning program designed to enhance the competency of children with Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disabilities and to develop knowledge, understanding and skills of teachers and parents in helping them. Data were collected from sample groups including administrators, teachers, students and parents. These sample groups were from 16 target schools, eight from Supanburi and eight from Khon Kaen provinces in Thailand. The instructional approaches were developed by teachers and taught in schools. Students were in Grades 1 to Grade 6. Research tools included parallel lesson plans, teaching materials and intervention techniques for enhancing student learning, a set of achievement tests and reflective forms. It was found that teachers and parents implemented intervention techniques which led to increased student academic performance and the development of a more collaborative approach to supporting children with diverse needs in Thailand.
Using Early Career Special Educators Voice to Influence Initial Teacher Education
Author: West, Elizabeth A.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teacher Education,Program Design,Teacher Education Programs,Focus Groups,Special Education Teachers,Beginning Teachers,Teacher Influence,Program Development,Teacher Participation,Teacher Attitudes,Federal Legislation,Early Childhood Education,Teacher Recruitment,Teacher Persistence,Inservice Teacher Education,Faculty Development,Parent Teacher Cooperation,Partnerships in Education,Educational Resources,Teacher Characteristics,Mentors,Diversity (Faculty),Teaching Conditions,Teacher Salaries,Field Experience Programs,Beginning Teacher Induction,Teacher Expectations of Students

Early career special educators must be engaged in conversations with developers of preservice teacher preparation programs to co-construct initial teacher education programs which meet their needs. The process of listening to the teachers themselves could serve to ensure that teachers are an explicit element of program design. This article describes a research project which explores early career special educators' views of the quality of their teacher preparation program. Six themes from focus group data were identified and rank ordered. Examples are provided to illustrate the ways in which one institute of higher education is using the information to renew elements of their program. Results are informing the preservice teaching and learning opportunities. (Contains 2 tables.)
Reliability of the Content Knowledge for Teaching-Mathematics Instrument for Pre-Service Teachers
Author: Gleason, Jim
Date: 2010-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Education,Instructional Improvement,Elementary School Teachers,Middle School Teachers,Mathematics Teachers,Mathematics Instruction,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Program Evaluation,Reliability,Measures (Individuals),Preservice Teachers

The Content Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics instrument was developed by the Study for Instructional Improvement and Learning Mathematics for Teaching projects at the University of Michigan to measure elementary school and middle school in-service teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching to assist in the evaluation of professional development programs for mathematics teachers. This instrument is currently in widespread use among colleges and universities for the purpose of evaluating mathematics education programs for prospective elementary and middle school teachers. Since this is an &quot;off-label&quot; use of this instrument, this article establishes the reliability of the instrument among this new population of pre-service teachers. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)
Secondary Pre-Service Teachers' Content Knowledge for State Assessments: Implications for Mathematics Education Programs
Author: Wilburne, Jane M.
Date: 2010-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teachers,Knowledge Level,Mathematics Education,Data Analysis,Grade 11,Calculus,Algebra,Secondary School Mathematics,Achievement Tests,Correlation,Self Esteem,Vocabulary,Mathematics,Teacher Characteristics,Secondary School Teachers,Preservice Teacher Education

Seventy secondary mathematics pre-service teachers from two universities were assessed on their content knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, and their perceived confidence in teaching the content addressed on the eleventh grade state assessment. The results indicate the pre-service teachers had significant content weakness in data analysis, algebra, and pre-calculus concepts. Correlation analyses revealed strong associations between their content knowledge and vocabulary knowledge, and between their content knowledge and their perceived comfort with teaching the content. The study supports the need for mathematics education programs to include a strong emphasis on making connections between the college-level content courses, secondary methods courses, and secondary mathematics content across the curriculum. (Contains 5 figures.)
Diabetes Control among Vietnamese Patients in Ho Chi Minh City: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study
Author: Yokokawa, Hirohide
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Patient Education,Age,Hospitals,Diabetes,Patients,Foreign Countries,Smoking,Health Behavior,Diseases,Disease Control,Consciousness Raising,Case Studies,Emotional Disturbances,Medical Education,Physicians,Surveys

The objective of this study was to assess the extent of diabetic control and its associated factors among Vietnamese patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The study was conducted among 652 outpatients who were recruited at a public general hospital (People Hospital 115) and a private clinic (Medic Center) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Median age of participants was 57 years from People Hospital 115, and 60 years for participants from Medic Center. Thirty-nine percent of patients at People Hospital 115 and 33% of patients at Medic Center had Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) greater than 8%. However, 55% and 45% of these patients from each facility reported they are in good control. There was a high percentage of missing data regarding possible complications at both sites. It was also observed a high proportion of patients with a discrepancy between perception and actual control of diabetic condition. Many of these patients showed less distress and had a high self-rating regarding their adherence to a lifestyle regimen. Furthermore, some of these patients were smokers and had a history of atherosclerotic disease. Overall, Vietnamese diabetic patients in this study exhibited poor plasma glucose control. Physician education designed to improve monitoring of glucose levels and diabetic complications, and patient education aimed at raising awareness about actual diabetic control are indicated in this population. (Contains 5 tables.)