ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Does Smart Classroom an Effective Technology for Teaching: A Research Analysis
Author: Jena, Ananta Kumar
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Elementary School Students,Student Attitudes,Educational Technology,Blended Learning,Teaching Methods,Comparative Analysis,Factor Analysis,Conventional Instruction,Scores,Knowledge Level,Teaching Skills,Visual Aids,Chalkboards,Teacher Effectiveness,Questioning Techniques,Reinforcement,Feedback (Response),Teacher Student Relationship,Case Studies,Efficiency,Pacing,Time Factors (Learning),Technology Uses in Education,Pedagogical Content Knowledge

The purpose of the study was to investigate the elementary school students' perception towards the traditional over smart classroom instruction. In the present study, one hundred elementary school students from two Indian schools have been randomly selected as the sample of the study. The learners' perception scores were analyzed by chi-square and Univariate factor analysis techniques. It was found that traditional instructional strategy, and the teachers' knowledge, modes of transaction, skill of presentation, use of the blackboard, illustration with examples, questioning, reinforcement, and the feedback was comparatively better than smart class instruction.
Determining Online Graduate Student Expectations: The Use of MET Expectations Hypothesis
Author: Hughes, Claretha
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Graduate Students,Expectation,Hypothesis Testing,Student Attitudes,Transcripts (Written Records),Performance Factors,Influences,Attitude Change,Grounded Theory,Student Educational Objectives,Online Courses,Participant Satisfaction

This study presents the results of a grounded theory, multi-case, descriptive study. Transcript analysis was conducted of graduate students' responses to questions regarding their expectations of courses in which they were enrolled. Responses were captured within an expectations discussion board forum upon students' entry to the course. The researchers used met expectations hypothesis to help understand and assess graduate students' expectations. Analysis of transcripts revealed that graduate students' expectations were to compare and contrast previous learning to the content of current courses, learn about course topic, achieve degree or course requirement, and gain useful, applicable knowledge. Graduate students wanted to contribute to courses by sharing their personal and/or professional experiences, providing their own, different perspective, contributing to the course environment. Doctoral students wanted to contribute by learning the content. There was not a lot of commonality expressed with regards to expectation changes; the student simply wanted to express that they had made a change. In addition, the researchers developed a stacked matrix in a multi-case format categorized by masters and doctoral students' expectations of course, contribution to course, expectation changes and themes to provide a comparison of groups to triangulate the data. The results of the study illustrate that students do bring their own expectations to a course which may or may not align with course descriptions and/or objectives outlined in a syllabus.
Assessment Practices of Preparatory Year English Program (PYEP): Investigating Student Advancement through Third and Fourth Levels
Author: Obaid, Rana
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Academic Achievement,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Evaluation Methods,Teaching Methods,Mixed Methods Research,Females,Surveys,Language Teachers,Semi Structured Interviews,Student Evaluation,Grading,Formative Evaluation,Summative Evaluation,Language Proficiency,Questioning Techniques,Test Items,Questionnaires,Pilot Projects,Teacher Attitudes,Multiple Choice Tests,Student Improvement,College Students,Higher Education,Second Language Instruction,Online Surveys,Program Effectiveness,College Preparation,Student Attitudes

This small-scale mixed method research focuses on investigating the way Preparatory Year English Program (PYEP) female students in a Saudi tertiary level institution context are assessed and how they are advanced from level three (Pre-intermediate) and level four (Intermediate). A four-point agreement scale survey was conducted with fifteen English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in the PYEP to critically investigate the issue from their own perspective. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight EFL students studying in PYEP in the third and fourth levels. The analysis of the data indicated that teachers were lenient in grading students. They tend to adjust grading practices to the benefit of the students, so students were allowed to pass and progress to the next level up. Additionally, the interviewed students argued that teachers could help them by granting them up to five grace marks to pass their exams. The study also showed that teachers possessed sufficient power in assigning grades following assessment. They used this power to the advantage of their students to make them advance to the following level. The study concludes with suggestions and recommendations for further research.
Self-Directed Learning in Preparatory-Year University Students: Comparing Successful and Less-Successful English Language Learners
Author: Alghamdi, Fatimah M. A.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Independent Study,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Metacognition,Learning Processes,Student Role,Student Responsibility,Efficiency,Language Proficiency,Aptitude Tests,Scores,Higher Education,Predictor Variables,Success,Statistical Significance,Self Management,Study Skills,Learning Motivation,Learning Strategies,Personal Autonomy,Young Adults,College Students,Questionnaires,Likert Scales,Progress Monitoring,Self Evaluation (Individuals)

There is consensus among those involved in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in the Saudi educational context that students' achievement in language learning is below expectations. Much research has been directed towards finding the reasons for low achievement amongst learners. However, very few studies have looked at parameters of learners' agency and learners' responsibility in the learning process. This study examines learners' efforts at self-directed learning, measured with reference to a set of behavioral and metacognitive constructs. The primary objective is to diagnose efficiency problems in EFL learning and compare successful learners to those who fail to progress from one academic language level to the next. A secondary objective in this study is to find out if the General Aptitude Test (GAT) score is a predictor of success in language learning. The findings reveal significant differences between successful learners and less-successful learners in aggregate self-directedness scores. However, while the analysis of the component constructs shows statistically significant differences between successful and less-successful learners in the self-management and study time measures, differences in the self-monitoring and motivation measures were non-significant. The lack of significant differences between some of the measures is attributed to the relative baseline similarity of the two groups. Moreover, the GAT measure yielded a counter-intuitive result; namely that less-successful learners had higher GAT scores than the successful ones, though the difference wasn't statistically significant. The study concludes with implications for further research; for example, calling for a larger scale investigation of self-directedness, as well as other meta-cognitive strategies, and the possible relationship of these to GAT scores. Academic coaching of self-directedness and self-regulation strategies for college students is recommended.
University ESL Learners' Cross-Cultural Transitions through Web-Based Project Work
Author: Kang, Migyu
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),English Language Learners,Transitional Programs,Web Based Instruction,Intensive Language Courses,Classroom Environment,Interaction,Cross Cultural Studies,Asians,Acculturation,Student Projects,Interviews,Intercultural Communication,College English

This study sought to account for East Asian learners' cross-cultural transitions to US university Intensive English classroom culture within a technology-mediated language teaching approach, PrOCALL (Project-Oriented Computer Assisted Language Learning). It explored the influence of this approach on classroom interaction patterns acquired in the prior EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classrooms of their countries of origin. Our interpretation of this influence demonstrates that web-based project work has potential to boost cross-cultural communication, facilitating East Asian learners' socialization to the interactive norms of the US university Intensive English classroom. In the study, a group of ESL (English as a Second Language) learners in a university Intensive English high-intermediate reading class implemented a cross-cultural project using web-based authentic materials and tasks. They were involved in decision-making on a cultural topic for a group project, data collection on their cultural topic, group webpage design, and oral presentation. During these activities, learners showed interest and engagement in getting to know other cultures and increased oral interactions. Interviews with the learners confirmed that their classroom interactions had been enhanced through the web-based project implementation.
The Relationship between Teachers' Beliefs of Grammar Instruction and Classroom Practices in the Saudi Context
Author: Alghanmi, Bayan
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Attitudes,Grammar,Teaching Methods,Correlation,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Case Studies,Beliefs,Observation,Language Proficiency,Student Needs,Cognitive Style,Classroom Environment,Faculty Development,Statistical Analysis,College Faculty,Questionnaires,Qualitative Research

Teacher cognition (Borg, 2015) of grammar instruction is a relatively new phenomenon that has yet to be explored in the Saudi context. While many studies have focused on the teaching of grammar in general (Ellis, 2006; Corzo, 2013; Braine, 2014), further research needs to be done - particularly when it comes to understanding teachers' beliefs of grammar and grammar instruction as well as their practices in the classroom. This case study investigates the relationship between teachers' beliefs of grammar and grammar instruction and their instructional practices. In the first stage, a sample of 30 teaching faculty members at the English Language Institute (ELI) at the University of Jeddah (UJ), in Saudi Arabia completed a survey discussing their beliefs related to grammar instruction. In the second stage, ten of these teachers were observed in classroom in order to explore the relationship between their beliefs and practices. In the third and final stage, open-ended questions were distributed to the teachers after the observations to better understand the factors that influence their beliefs. The findings reveal that teachers' beliefs are indeed reflected in their classroom practices. Students' proficiency level, attitudes toward the language, needs, learning styles, classroom environment, and teacher development are six factors that influence the transformation of teachers' beliefs regarding grammar and grammar instruction into practices. These findings will help broaden the discussion on how to improve the quality of grammar teaching, particularly in the Saudi EFL classroom.
A Comparison of Traditional and Cooperative Learning Methods in Online Learning
Author: Kupczynski, Lori
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cooperative Learning,Comparative Analysis,Online Courses,Community Colleges,Student Surveys,Student Characteristics,Teaching Methods,Intermode Differences,Conventional Instruction,Social Cognition,Interpersonal Communication,Aptitude Treatment Interaction

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Community of Inquiry framework through an in-depth examination of learning comprised of teaching, social and cognitive presence in traditional versus cooperative online teaching at a community college. A total of 21 students participated in this study, with approximately 45% having taken online courses previously. Repeated Measures ANOVA were completed for all analyses via the SPSS General Linear Model--Repeated Measures with alpha set at a = 0.05 across all tests Cooperative learning (Mean = 72.18, SD = 12.31) was significantly higher than traditional learning (Mean = 70.91, SD = 12.70). The effect size of 0.22 as measured by Partial Eta Squared was quite large, with 22% of the difference in variance explained by overall learning. CL in teaching presence (Mean = 33.62, SD = 5.17) was significantly higher than traditional in teaching presence (Mean = 32.82, SD = 5.74). The effect size of 0.46 as measured by Partial Eta Squared was very large, with 46% of the difference in variance explained by teaching presence. Social and cognitive were not statistically significant (p&gt;0.05). Future studies should examine different designs of teaching presence, such as allowing students to choose their own groups, which may lead to increased social presence and cognitive presence and in turn increased learning.
The Triangulation Algorithmic: A Transformative Function for Designing and Deploying Effective Educational Technology Assessment Instruments
Author: Osler, James Edward
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Educational Assessment,Statistical Analysis,Outcome Measures,Computer Software Evaluation,Program Validation,Programming,Measurement Techniques,Psychometrics,Mathematical Applications,Design Requirements

This paper discusses the implementation of the Tri-Squared Test as an advanced statistical measure used to verify and validate the research outcomes of Educational Technology software. A mathematical and epistemological rational is provided for the transformative process of qualitative data into quantitative outcomes through the Tri-Squared Test as an efficient technique for the rapid testing of software applications designed for the educational setting. The design of fixed-parameter algorithms for software engineering problems can prove to be beneficial to the Educational Technologist who has to efficiently and rapidly evaluate a software tool for deployment. This novel methodology provides elegance and has a wide range of applicability to practically address important and relevant problems in the &quot;trial and error&quot; process of application evaluation. This research is the continuation of a dynamic mixed methods approach that is a transformative process which changes qualitative data into quantitative outcomes through the Tri-Squared statistical measure first introduced in i-manager's &quot;Journal of Mathematics.&quot;
A Syntactic Account for the Power of Verbs within X-Phemism: A Corpus-Base Exploration
Author: Al-Rawi, Maather Mohammad
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Syntax,Verbs,Phrase Structure,Language Usage,Persuasive Discourse,Figurative Language,Classification,English,Standard Spoken Usage,Grammar,Communication (Thought Transfer)

The main aim of this paper is to examine the syntactic status of a selected text-corpus focus, with a special focus on the verb within its Verb-Phrase. The major claim is that the power of the verb in its VP is loaded syntactically through which the speaker's desire of the doublespeak within X-Phemism is achieved. In order to fulfill this claim, a corpus-based exploration is applied on the selected data produced in Standard English. The analysis is accounted for a conceptualization of grammar that is based on general syntactic constraints on a well-formedness. The syntactic conceptualization (Chomsky, 2000; Ouhalla, 2002) is selected in its broad sense, as the basic framework where it best captures the syntactic role played by the verb-predicate and its various arguments.
Graduate Students' Perceptions of Online Discussions: Implications for Instructors
Author: Swaminathan, Raji
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Graduate Students,Student Attitudes,Computer Mediated Communication,Online Courses,Electronic Learning,Student Experience,Web Based Instruction,Asynchronous Communication,Educational Benefits,Barriers,Student Empowerment,Data Analysis,Coding,Interviews,Journal Writing,Content Analysis,Competition,Teacher Role,Student Behavior,Social Cognition,Qualitative Research

This paper is based on a qualitative study that investigated graduate student perspectives of online discussions in higher education courses. The data are drawn primarily from interviews and student journal entries. The study examined student experiences of online discussions from a &quot;technorealist&quot; perspective thereby taking into account not only the potential but also the limitations of online spaces for teaching and learning. This paper focuses on some of the popular claims of asynchronous discussions as presented in the literature; along with findings from a study of student perspectives of the same. Finally, the implications of the findings for online instructors are discussed.
The Right Approach in Practice: A Discussion of the Applicability of EFL Writing Practices in a Saudi Context
Author: Oraif, Iman M.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teaching Methods,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Writing Instruction,Writing (Composition),Writing Evaluation,Feedback (Response),Writing Processes

The aim of this paper is to describe the different approaches applied to teaching writing in the L2 context and the way these different methods have been established so far. The perspectives include a product approach, genre approach and process approach. Each has its own merits and objectives for application. Regarding the study context, it may be noted throughout previous researches that the product approach is the most common way of teaching EFL writing. In this regard, L2 teachers are mostly concerned with grammatical accuracy and the final written product. However, this paper shifts the emphasis more towards the process approach and how this is more appropriate for the Saudi context. A further description of measuring elements in this approach is provided. Finally, this means of providing feedback is considered in relation to the teaching of writing. As a result, it is hoped that this paper will provide insights for developing writing practices in EFL teaching in Saudi Arabia.
The Effectiveness of Corpus-Based Approach to Language Description in Creating Corpus-Based Exercises to Teach Writing Personal Statements
Author: Almutairi, Norah Dhawi
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computational Linguistics,Teaching Methods,Writing Instruction,Course Descriptions,College Admission,Admission Criteria,Writing Skills,College Preparation,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Grammar,Computer Software,Law Students,English (Second Language),Form Classes (Languages),Language Usage

Using corpora in language teaching has revolutionized language research with its &quot;authentic&quot; appeal. Corpus tools have enabled linguistic researchers and teachers to investigate actual usages and the characteristics of certain genres in order to improve syllabus design and infer more effective classroom exercises. From this perspective, this paper attempts to use corpus tools to investigate the characteristics of one of the most important requirements of university programs admissions which is the &quot;personal statement.&quot; Despite the immense importance of writing a personal statement in the lives of students wanting to enroll in universities, little research has been conducted on its instructions. More importantly, teaching its features to university students has been neglected although personal statements are an essential genre that should be emphasized in academic writing classes or university preparation courses. The paper aims to investigate if compiling a corpus of personal statements can lead to creating an effective corpus-based activities to be taught in teaching writing a personal statement. Then the paper attempts to evaluate the pedagogical implications of using corpus-based activities and criticized the weaknesses and strengths of corpora as a resource in language teaching. This paper chose to focus on personal statements collected from law students due to the high demand on law colleges in Saudi Arabia and the difficulty of admission requirements. This study used Sketch Engine® to compile a corpus of sixty-seven personal statement with a total word count of 50, 691, then analysed the lexio-grammatical features. The results were used to create corpus-based exercises to be taught in writing courses teaching personal statements.
Cohesive Devices in Written Discourse: A Discourse Analysis of a Student's Essay Writing
Author: Bahaziq, Afnan
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Writing (Composition),Academic Discourse,Discourse Analysis,Essays,Writing Strategies,Connected Discourse,English Curriculum,Language Proficiency,Second Language Learning,Language Tests,Grammar,Lexicology,Semantics,English (Second Language),Scores,Form Classes (Languages),Reader Text Relationship

Discourse is essential in communicating thoughts and ideas. People around the world communicate their ideas through stretches of language. In order to understand any discourse, it must achieve cohesion. The purpose of this paper is to define and describe the cohesive devices based on the work of Halliday and Hasan (1976). It also aims to emphasize the necessity of using these devices by analyzing a Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) sample examination of a student's essay writing. The student's writing shows clear evidence of cohesion and demonstrates the use of grammatical and lexical devices. It is noticed that the most grammatical devices used are reference and conjunction. On the contrary, there is little evidence of using lexical devices. Although the essay is somewhat cohesive, some areas still need improvement.
Using Games as a Tool in Teaching Vocabulary to Young Learners
Author: Bakhsh, Sahar Ameer
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Educational Games,Vocabulary Development,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Elementary Education,Kindergarten,Literature Reviews,Student Motivation,Foreign Countries

Over the last few decades, teaching English become a phenomenon in Saudi Arabia, especially to young learners. English is taught as a main subject in kindergarten and elementary schools. Like any other children, Saudis accept new foreign languages easily, but they get bored very fast if the teacher is teaching them using the old conventional methods and techniques. The aim of this paper is to prove that games are effective tools when devised to explain vocabularies and they make it easier to remember their meanings. This paper deals with a literature review of teaching English vocabulary to young learners using games. Then it discusses the importance of using games in teaching vocabulary and in what way using them is helpful. After that it investigates the practical implications of using games to teach vocabulary that includes the implementation of vocabulary games and some examples of games that could be used to teach vocabulary to children. And finally it examines challenges teachers face when teaching vocabulary using games to young learners.