ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Assessing Blackboard: Improving Online Instructional Delivery
Author: Chawdhry, Adnan A.
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Online Courses,Integrated Learning Systems,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Statistical Analysis,Rural Schools,Student Surveys,College Students,Student Attitudes,Teaching Methods

Universities and colleges have been offering online classes without assessing the tools used for online learning management to determine student perceptions. An understanding of the benefits and concerns as perceived by the student population is essential to implementing an online education environment that is conducive to a student's learning. This paper provides a quantitative assessment of Blackboard, an online learning management system (LMS), at a small rural Mid-Atlantic university. A survey was distributed to 119 undergraduate and graduate students to discover their perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of the technology. This survey was based upon a study that was conducted at the University of Denver in 2006. The results of the survey were analyzed to understand the students' perceptions of this technology and to identify areas for improvement.
System Testing of Desktop and Web Applications
Author: Slack, James M.
Date: 2011-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Software Evaluation,Computer Oriented Programs,Evaluation Methods,Information Storage,Spreadsheets,Evaluation Criteria,Documentation

We want our students to experience system testing of both desktop and web applications, but the cost of professional system-testing tools is far too high. We evaluate several free tools and find that AutoIt makes an ideal educational system-testing tool. We show several examples of desktop and web testing with AutoIt, starting with simple record/playback and working up to a keyword-based testing framework that stores test data in an Excel spreadsheet.
Additional Support for the Information Systems Analyst Exam as a Valid Program Assessment Tool
Author: Carpenter, Donald A.
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Systems,Computer Science Education,Program Evaluation,College Programs,Statistical Analysis,Scores,Comparative Analysis,Achievement Tests,Exit Examinations,Undergraduate Students,College Outcomes Assessment,Test Validity,Multiple Regression Analysis

This paper presents a statistical analysis to support the notion that the Information Systems Analyst (ISA) exam can be used as a program assessment tool in addition to measuring student performance. It compares ISA exam scores earned by students in one particular Computer Information Systems program with scores earned by the same students on the Major Field Test (MFT). The paper shows that the ISA Exam appears to measure knowledge retention in the same manner as the MFT. Since the MFT is recommended as a valid program assessment tool, the ISA Exam should be similarly recommended.
Integrating Statistical Visualization Research into the Political Science Classroom
Author: Draper, Geoffrey M.
Date: 2011-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Political Science,Visualization,Teaching Methods,Computer Software,Teacher Collaboration,Interdisciplinary Approach,Task Analysis,Tests,College Students,Computer Assisted Instruction,Reaction Time

The use of computer software to facilitate learning in political science courses is well established. However, the statistical software packages used in many political science courses can be difficult to use and counter-intuitive. We describe the results of a preliminary user study suggesting that visually-oriented analysis software can help students query a political data set faster and more accurately than by using traditional non-visual software tools. We hope that our experience will encourage future collaboration between educators in computing and in other academic disciplines.
Taking It to the Top: A Lesson in Search Engine Optimization
Author: Frydenberg, Mark
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Search Engines,Web Sites,Web 2.0 Technologies,Search Strategies,Competition,Marketing,Information Seeking,Computer Science Education,Management Information Systems,Undergraduate Students,Scaling,Foreign Countries

Search engine optimization (SEO), the promoting of a Web site so it achieves optimal position with a search engine's rankings, is an important strategy for organizations and individuals in order to promote their brands online. Techniques for achieving SEO are relevant to students of marketing, computing, media arts, and other disciplines, and many college courses have begun to include SEO as part of their curricula. This paper describes an exercise for learning about SEO that mimics a popular online event known as an SEO contest. Contest participants implement a variety of SEO techniques in order to achieve the top position for an assigned word or phrase in a search engine's results. This paper also examines the learning benefits that such an exercise provides.
Creating and Using a Computer Networking and Systems Administration Laboratory Built under Relaxed Financial Constraints
Author: Conlon, Michael P.
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Laboratories,Computer Networks,Computer Science Education,Computer Security,Student Projects,Design Requirements,College Students,Problems

The Computer Science Department at Slippery Rock University created a laboratory for its Computer Networks and System Administration and Security courses under relaxed financial constraints. This paper describes the department's experience designing and using this laboratory, including lessons learned and descriptions of some student projects performed in the lab.
Second Language Writing Anxiety, Computer Anxiety, and Performance in a Classroom versus a Web-Based Environment
Author: Dracopoulos, Effie
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Writing Apprehension,Second Language Instruction,Distance Education,Conventional Instruction,Computer Attitudes,Anxiety,English (Second Language),Grammar,Writing Instruction,Correlation,Profiles,Information Technology,Comparative Analysis,College Students,Foreign Countries,Language Proficiency,Attitude Measures,Rating Scales,Measures (Individuals),Student Attitudes,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires,Regression (Statistics)

This study examined the impact of writing anxiety and computer anxiety on language learning for 45 ESL adult learners enrolled in an English grammar and writing course. Two sections of the course were offered in a traditional classroom setting whereas two others were given in a hybrid form that involved distance learning. Contrary to previous research, writing anxiety showed no correlation with learning performance, whereas computer anxiety only yielded a positive correlation with performance in the case of classroom learners. There were no significant differences across learning environments on any measures. These observations are discussed in light of the role computer technologies now play in our society as well as the merging of socio-demographic profiles between classroom and distance learners. Our data suggest that comparisons of profiles between classroom and distance learners may not be an issue worth investigating anymore in language studies, at least in developed countries.
Teach or No Teach: Is Large System Education Resurging?
Author: Sharma, Aditya
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Science Education,Management Information Systems,Information Technology,Computers,Curriculum Development,Universities,Business Schools,College Students,Student Placement,Internship Programs,Employment Potential,Educational Needs,Needs Assessment,Specialists,Qualitative Research,Online Surveys

Legacy or not, mainframe education is being taught at many U.S. universities. Some computer science programs have always had some large system content but there does appear to be resurgence of mainframe related content in business programs such as Management Information Systems (MIS) and Computer Information Systems (CIS). Many companies such as financial institutions have relied on large systems for years. Other companies are turning to mainframe computing as a reliable and economic efficient way of meeting their everyday needs. Additionally, in an ever increasing environmentally conscious environment, &quot;green&quot; solution of computing are sought. In this paper, we sought the opinions of academic members of IBM's Academic Initiative program and the Enterprise Computing Community (ECC) to ascertain the decisions to address large systems content and the future of mainframe education.
Online Support Services for Undergraduate Millennial Students
Author: Pullan, Marie
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Personnel Services,Academic Support Services,Undergraduate Students,Distance Education,Online Courses,State Colleges,Program Development,Program Implementation,Program Evaluation,Statistical Analysis,Interviews,Student Surveys,Student Satisfaction,Needs Assessment,Academic Advising,Counseling Services,Gender Differences,Age Differences,Nontraditional Students

Education has changed as a result of technological advances. Distance learning, particularly online learning, has rapidly increased its presence in higher education. Millennials, a new generation of students who have grown up with the Internet, are college-age. They expect access to the Internet to manage their daily lives. However, as they enter college, many discover that support services that are requisite to a successful college experience, are available on-campus but not online. The goal was to determine what contemporary college-aged students expect as online student support services so that institutions will know what to provide. Data gathered through interviews with administrative support staff were used to modify a published survey and to guide construction of new questions. The modified instrument was validated by three experts and revised accordingly. All current students at Farmingdale State College were invited to respond to the web-based instrument that examined the current status of online support services. Following full-scale implementation, the data were analyzed. Results were used to create recommendations and considerations for the implementation of online support services at the college reviewed by the Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. The final report is a comprehensive resource for college administrators who serve millennial undergraduates. It contains valuable information and guidance for the development and implementation of student support services in the 21st century. A serendipitous finding was that many non-traditional, older students expressed comparable needs for online support services.
A Community-Based Research Approach to Develop an Educational Web Portal
Author: Preiser-Houy, Lara
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Service Learning,Information Systems,Elementary School Teachers,Teaching Methods,Case Studies,Grade 2,Information Science Education,Course Descriptions,Reflection,Essays,Student Attitudes,Semi Structured Interviews,College School Cooperation,Technology Integration

Service-learning projects are becoming more prevalent in Information Systems education. This study explores the use of community-based research, a special kind of a service-learning strategy, in an Information Systems web development course. The paper presents a case study of a service-learning project to develop an educational web portal for a second-grade class by an Information Systems student and an elementary school teacher. The study's findings demonstrate the reciprocal benefits of community-based research to the IS student and the community partner. In spite of these benefits, there are pedagogical challenges to using community-based research as a service-learning strategy in an Information Systems course. The study's findings have implications for structuring effective service-learning experiences to promote student learning and to secure community gains from technology projects. [Volume number on PDF is incorrect, http://isedj.org/2011-9/index.html.]
Exploring the Connection between Age and Strategies for Learning New Technology Related Tasks
Author: Meiselwitz, Gabriele
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Age Differences,Age Groups,Learning Strategies,Technology Integration,Learning Experience,Comparative Analysis,Online Surveys,College Students,Older Adults,Constructivism (Learning),Rating Scales,Computer Attitudes,Man Machine Systems,Correlation,Gender Differences,Statistical Analysis,Discovery Learning

This paper discusses the connection between age and strategies for learning new technology related tasks. Many users have to learn about new devices and applications on a frequent basis and use a variety of strategies to accomplish this learning process. Approaches to learning new technology related tasks vary and can contribute to a user's success or failure in mastering these tasks. Little research exists on how this affects older users actively pursuing education. This study focuses on how learning strategies, types of errors, and attitude can vary among users of different age groups. A survey was administered to two user groups, one was a group of traditional age students taking introductory general education courses at a Mid-Atlantic comprehensive university, the other was a group of members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the same university. The results of this study highlight the importance of considering age related changes in learning styles, types of error, and attitude when introducing new technology related tasks. The paper concludes with a summary of considerations for content delivery and plans for future research.
Analyzing Upper Secondary Education Dropout in Latin America through a Cohort Approach
Author: Kattan, Raja Bentaouet
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Secondary School Students,Cohort Analysis,Dropout Characteristics,Dropout Research,Dropout Rate,Trend Analysis,School Statistics,Statistical Analysis,Comparative Analysis,Comparative Education,Enrollment Trends,Gender Differences,Age Differences,Attendance Patterns,Performance Factors,Socioeconomic Influences,Latin Americans,Foreign Countries

This study examines recent trends and factors in school dropout at the upper secondary education level across Latin America. The methodology employs repeated cross sections of data to track the life cycle path of cohorts of individuals in 18 countries. A key finding is that while upper secondary enrollment rates increased in the region, dropout has remained persistently high, despite relatively favorable macroeconomic conditions. To explain dropout trends, the study examines the impact of three groups of factors: (i) shifts in the cohort size and socioeconomic composition of the population eligible for entering upper secondary; (b) the macroeconomic environment and labor market opportunities; and (c) the returns to schooling. We show that an important factor in persistently high dropout rates has been the higher numbers of students from poor socioeconomic backgrounds reaching upper secondary. In addition, high returns to education have been a pull factor into schooling, while, especially in countries where the majority of youth dropout prior to upper secondary, the data confirm an apparent substitution effect due to the opportunity cost of forgoing employment opportunities. The findings confirm the growing policy focus on upper secondary across Latin America and suggest implications for the policy agenda.
A Financial Technology Entrepreneurship Program for Computer Science Students
Author: Lawler, James P.
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Entrepreneurship,Computer Science Education,Information Systems,Business Skills,Industry,Skill Development

Education in entrepreneurship is becoming a critical area of curricula for computer science students. Few schools of computer science have a concentration in entrepreneurship in the computing curricula. The paper presents Technology Entrepreneurship in the curricula at a leading school of computer science and information systems, in which students are beginning to learn the theory and practice of skills needed to be business entrepreneurs or opportunists, and not mere scientists. The concentration in entrepreneurship is designed in the current model program in the disciplinary domain of the financial industry. This paper will benefit educators in schools of computer science or schools of business considering enhancement of computing curricula to be contemporary with the demands of industry.
Distance Learning: An Empirical Study
Author: Sagheb-Tehrani, Mehdi
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Distance Education,Higher Education,Educational Benefits,College Students,Web Based Instruction,Online Courses,College Credits,Graduate Study,Hypothesis Testing,Statistical Analysis,Instructional Design,Information Technology,Program Effectiveness,Questionnaires,Student Satisfaction

Distance learning (DL) is a popular option in higher education. Information technology (IT) has made education more available for students without regard to location or time. Universities are now offering online degrees at all levels. This study presents an empirical investigation designed to identify some advantages and disadvantages of distance learning. Ninety students from seven different courses at two various universities took part in this investigation. The study supports that online teaching could be more than 35% of the total credit hours in a graduate program. Also, the study supports that online teaching has gone too far. The study suggested four hypotheses which were tested using a series of t-test. The author hopes that this paper provides valuable insights into application of distance learning and educational design as an important part of an academic's routine activities.
What Predicts Student Success in Introductory Data Management Classes? An Investigation of Demographic, Personality, Computer-Related, and Interaction Variables
Author: Harris, Kenneth J.
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Prediction,Self Efficacy,Computer Attitudes,Anxiety,Teaching Methods,Personality Traits,Correlation,Age Differences,College Students,Management Systems,Information Systems,Gender Differences,Achievement Need,Computer Science Education,Business Administration Education,Regression (Statistics)

Introduction to data management classes are often times students' first exposure to advanced material in these areas. Many factors are likely to influence success in these classes, but empirical investigations have focused on relatively few variables. In this study, we extend this research by examining the relative contributions of the previously examined variables of gender and age, as well as the personality (motivation) variables of need for achievement and conscientiousness and the computer-related variables of computer self-efficacy and computer anxiety. Further, we investigate interactions between age and these personality and computer-related variables. We examined these variables in a sample of 204 students. Results revealed that demographic and computer-related variables explained variance in classroom performance, as did three of the four age-variable interactions. Pedagogical implications of these results are discussed as well as directions for future research.
Maybe Aesop Was Right, the Tortoise Does Win: A Natural History of the Slow Reading Movement
Author: Niedermeyer, W. Jason
Date: 2017-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Rate,Reading Research,Reading Instruction,Neurosciences,Psychology,Anthropology,Sociology,Linguistics,Literacy,Reading Processes,Ethology,Reflection

In the past decade, there has been a growing recognition that society's emphasis on speed and efficiency came with some costs: a loss of the ability to appreciate activities and understand their meanings. Recently, this meta-movement has made its way into the literature on literacy, causing the author to embark on an investigation into the veracity of the claims that slow reading might also mean &quot;better&quot; reading. A natural history approach was adopted for the analysis to evaluate whether there was evolutionary justification for the movement, leading to the review of relevant work in the fields of ethology, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, anthropology, sociology, linguistics, and literacy. The findings reveal an evolutionary push toward both speed and understanding, two aims that eventually come to be at odds in expert readers. It is the conclusion of the author that, from an evolutionary perspective, there may be justification for the start of a slow reading movement, but that it must be paired with practices that develop the capacity to read fast.
Examination of Different Item Response Theory Models on Tests Composed of Testlets
Author: Kogar, Esin Yilmaz
Date: 2017-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Item Response Theory,Models,Mathematics Tests,Test Items,Item Analysis,Sample Size,Error Patterns,Error of Measurement,International Assessment,Prediction,Correlation,Problem Sets,Test Reliability,Test Validity,Elementary Secondary Education

The purpose of this research is to first estimate the item and ability parameters and the standard error values related to those parameters obtained from Unidimensional Item Response Theory (UIRT), bifactor (BIF) and Testlet Response Theory models (TRT) in the tests including testlets, when the number of testlets, number of independent items, and sample size change, and then to compare the obtained results. Mathematic test in PISA 2012 was employed as the data collection tool, and 36 items were used to constitute six different data sets containing different numbers of testlets and independent items. Subsequently, from these constituted data sets, three different sample sizes of 250, 500 and 1000 persons were selected randomly. When the findings of the research were examined, it was determined that, generally the lowest mean error values were those obtained from UIRT, and TRT yielded a mean of error estimation lower than that of BIF. It was found that, under all conditions, models which take into consideration the local dependency have provided a better model-data compatibility than UIRT, generally there is no meaningful difference between BIF and TRT, and both models can be used for those data sets. It can be said that when there is a meaningful difference between those two models, generally BIF yields a better result. In addition, it has been determined that, in each sample size and data set, item and ability parameters and correlations of errors of the parameters are generally high.