ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
An Evaluation of Critical Thinking in Competency-Based and Traditional Online Learning Environments
Author: Mayeshiba, Matthew
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Critical Thinking,Competency Based Education,Electronic Learning,Conventional Instruction,Comparative Analysis,Student Evaluation,Scoring Rubrics,Undergraduate Students,Scores,Correlation,Regression (Statistics),Outcomes of Education,Online Courses

Nonterm, direct assessment competency-based education (CBE) represents a significant reimagining of the structure of higher education. By regulating students' progress through the program based on their mastery of tightly defined competencies rather than on the time spent learning them, this learning environment affords students far greater flexibility than traditional programs. This focus on defined competencies has led to concerns that students in these types of programs may not demonstrate higher level skills, such as critical thinking, at levels comparable to those enrolled in more traditional programs. This study evaluated 39 students' demonstration of critical thinking in two assessments administered in parallel versions of one course: one offered through the nonterm, direct assessment CBE University of Wisconsin Flexible Option, and the other offered through a traditional online program. For this study, each of the 78 assessments was scored using the critical thinking rubric from the Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) project. We found that students from the CBE version of the course received significantly higher (p = 0.0013) overall scores than the students in the traditional online version of the course. While further research is required to refine these methods and ensure the generalizability of these results, they do not support concerns about students' abilities in this learning environment.
Educators&apos; Preparation to Teach, Perceived Teaching Presence, and Perceived Teaching Presence Behaviors in Blended and Online Learning Environments
Author: Gurley, Lisa E.
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Blended Learning,Online Courses,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Mixed Methods Research,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Surveys,Teacher Student Relationship,Interviews,Teacher Competencies,Hypothesis Testing,College Faculty,Teacher Characteristics

Teaching in blended and online learning environments requires different pedagogical approaches than teaching in face-to-face learning environments. How educators are prepared to teach potentially impacts the quality of instruction provided in blended and online learning courses. Teaching presence is essential to achieving student learning outcomes, yet previous research has focused on student perceptions of teaching presence. Therefore, the purpose of this mixed methods convergent parallel study was to explore educators' preparation to teach, perceived teaching presence, and perceived teaching presence behaviors in blended and online learning environments. The study was designed to examine the differences in educators' perceived teaching presence and preparation to teach in blended and online learning environments. An adapted Community of Inquiry survey instrument was used to measure faculty perceptions of teaching presence. Results indicated a statistically significant difference between perceived teaching presence of facilitation for faculty that completed certification courses in preparation to teach in blended and online learning environments, as compared to faculty that only received on-the-job training. Qualitative responses to corresponding interview questions supported the findings. The findings of this study provide information to university educators and administrators supporting the importance of faculty preparation specific to teaching in blended and online learning environments.
Meaningful Gamification and Students&apos; Motivation: A Strategy for Scaffolding Reading Material
Author: Ling, Lynette Tan Yuen
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Technology Uses in Education,Student Motivation,Foreign Countries,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Reading Materials,Educational Games,Computer Games,Self Determination,Undergraduate Students,Questionnaires,Electronic Learning

Gamification is an innovative pedagogical strategy where digital games are used in an educational setting and as an aid to learning. Recent publications on gamification in the classroom investigate the concept of &quot;meaningful gamification,&quot; where, in line with Ryan and Deci's self-determination theory, competency, autonomy, and relatedness are prioritized. The paradigm of meaningful gamification works well as a catalyst in motivating students to read background material and grasp key concepts that facilitate a flipped classroom. This study measures the impact of meaningful gaming on students' motivation in a higher education setting. The context for this study is the module Women in Film, which is part of the Ideas and Exposition Programme at the Centre for English Language Communication, National University of Singapore.
Students&apos; Perceptions of Quality across Four Course Development Models
Author: Brown, Victoria S.
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Educational Quality,Curriculum Design,Models,Academic Standards,Course Organization,Faculty Development,Instructional Design,Online Courses,Student Surveys,Quality Assurance,Preferences,Likert Scales,Scoring Rubrics,College Programs,Intermode Differences

Four course development models were compared over a 3-year period, based upon student perceptions of the integration of the Quality Matters (QM) Standards, course structure, and quality. Points of comparison included (a) faculty training, (b) instructional designer supported, (c) additional QM training course, and (d) no training or support used. Students were randomly selected from online courses from each of the categories to receive a survey that measured their perceptions about the courses. Students were asked about the design of the courses in terms of the integration of the QM Standards, structure, and quality. Significant results were found across all eight standards, course structure, and quality for the instructional designer supported course model as compared with the other course design models.
Perceptions of the Persistent: Engagement and Learning Community in Underrepresented Populations
Author: Athens, Wendy
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Disproportionate Representation,Learner Engagement,Enrollment,Online Courses,Electronic Learning,Instructional Design,Outcomes of Education,Hypothesis Testing,Regression (Statistics),Academic Persistence,Student Attitudes,Communities of Practice,Learning Activities,Conventional Instruction,Mixed Methods Research,College Students,Student Surveys,Multivariate Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Qualitative Research

In an effort to characterize perceptions of learning community and engagement in relation to success for underrepresented populations of online learners at a public institution in southeastern United States, a survey was conducted in Spring 2016. The results of the survey were paired with institutional data to create a baseline engagement and learning community profile for the online student population, which comprised 22% of total enrollments. The subpopulations of interest were: Age, gender, race/ethnicity, disability, Pell grant eligibility, first-generation, and orphan. For all students, a very strong positive relationship was observed between student perceptions of engagement and learning community and student outcomes (grades). This strong and positive relationship was confirmed across the subpopulations, but there were a few noteworthy exceptions: Hispanic and Black students were more engaged than Whites but earned lower grades. Younger students and students with disabilities were less engaged than their counterparts, but earned equivalent grades. These patterns corresponded to withdrawal statistics, which revealed a higher percentage of young minority males withdrawing from online courses.
Online Course Design and Development among College and University Instructors: An Analysis Using Grounded Theory
Author: Baldwin, Sally J.
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,College Faculty,Grounded Theory,Instructional Design,Electronic Learning,Educational Strategies,Integrated Learning Systems,Interviews

In this study, a grounded theory approach was used to investigate the process college and university instructors undergo to design and develop online courses. Fourteen instructors who created online courses for four-year colleges and universities were interviewed about their experience designing and developing online courses. Results showed that participants begin the process with objectives and/or existing course outlines, typically taken from online and face-to-face courses. Next, the instructors structure the course and chunk content. The instructors interviewed rarely use formal instructional design models, but their design tasks show a striking similarity to those formalized in the ADDIE model. Student feedback (evaluation) motivated the instructors in their development efforts after initial course delivery. The study discusses practical implications and suggests opportunities for future research.
How to Perform a Literature Review with Free and Open Source Software
Author: Pearce, Joshua M.
Date: 2018-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Literature Reviews,Computer Software,Open Source Technology,Best Practices,Access to Information,Documentation,Bibliographic Databases,Online Searching,Educational Benefits,Search Engines

As it provides a firm foundation for advancing knowledge, a solid literature review is a critical feature of any academic investigation. Yet, there are several challenges in performing literature reviews including: (1) lack of access to the literature because of costs, (2) fracturing of the literature into many sources, lack of access and comprehensive coverage in many databases and search engines, and (3) the use of proprietary software lock-in strategies for bibliographic software, which can make porting literature reviews between organizations cumbersome and costly. These challenges often result in poor quality literature reviews completed by a single researcher unfamiliar with the approaches to the same research in other sub-fields and static reviews that are often lost to the scientific community. In this paper, an open source approach will be expanded to the application of improving the quality of literature reviews by providing best practices. Although there are many types and goals of literature reviews, it is found that all of them can be improved using a tool chain of free and open source software (FOSS) and methods. Specifically, this paper will provide a clear framework for (1) comprehensive searching and obtaining access to the literature, (2) the use of FOSS for all steps including browsing, bibliographic software, and writing and (3) documenting a literature review to encourage collaboration of a dynamic document that lives into the future. This approach solves the current challenges of literature reviews and provides benefits of lower labor and economic costs, improved researcher control, and increased potential for collaboration. Finally, the challenges of using this approach and methods to overcome them are reviewed and future work is described.
Contrast Analysis: A Tutorial
Author: Haans, Antal
Date: 2018-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Comparative Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Matrices,Computer Software,Syntax,Prediction,Computation,Equations (Mathematics),Effect Size

Contrast analysis is a relatively simple but effective statistical method for testing theoretical predictions about differences between group means against the empirical data. Despite its advantages, contrast analysis is hardly used to date, perhaps because it is not implemented in a convenient manner in many statistical software packages. This tutorial demonstrates how to conduct contrast analysis through the specification of the so-called L (the contrast or test matrix) and M matrix (the transformation matrix) as implemented in many statistical software packages, including SPSS and Stata. Through a series of carefully chosen examples, the main principles and applications of contrast analysis are explained for data obtained with between- and within-subject designs, and for designs that involve a combination of between- and within-subject factors (i.e., mixed designs). SPSS and Stata syntaxes as well as simple manual calculations are provided for both significance testing and contrast-relevant effect sizes (e.g., ?[superscript 2] [subscript alerting]). Taken together, the reader is provided with a comprehensive and powerful toolbox to test all kinds of theoretical predictions about cell means against the empirical data.
Exploring Design Elements for Online STEM Courses: Active Learning, Engagement &amp; Assessment Design
Author: Chen, Baiyun
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,STEM Education,Higher Education,Student Attitudes,Student Satisfaction,College Students,Student Surveys,Online Surveys,Program Effectiveness,Active Learning,Interaction,Evaluation Methods,Blended Learning,Statistical Analysis

The purpose of this study was to examine effective design elements for online courses in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields at a large four-year public university in southeastern United States. Our research questions addressed the influence of online design elements on students' perception of learning and learning satisfaction. An online survey was completed by 537 students from 15 online STEM courses in spring 2016. The survey results indicated that student perceptions of learning and satisfaction were correlated with their perceptions of the efficacy of specific design elements, such as integrated active learning activities, interactive engagement strategies, and robust assessment design. In particular, perception of assessment design efficacy was significantly correlated with students' self-perceived learning and learning satisfaction for students of all subpopulations. The findings inform instructors and instructional designers on how to design effective, inclusive, and engaging online STEM courses. Student survey responses were observed to support universal design for learning (UDL) and in light of this, online STEM instructors are also strongly encouraged to utilize UDL principles in course design, which benefit not only students with disabilities but all students.
A Generalizable Framework for Multi-Scale Auditing of Digital Learning Provision in Higher Education
Author: Ross, Samuel R. P-J.
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Audits (Verification),Electronic Learning,Educational Resources,Program Evaluation,Program Validation,Generalization,Case Studies,Educational Principles,Trend Analysis,Strategic Planning,Progress Monitoring,Evaluation Methods,Scoring Formulas,Foreign Countries,Statistical Analysis

It is increasingly important that higher education institutions be able to audit and evaluate the scope and efficacy of their digital learning resources across various scales. To date there has been little effort to address this need for a validated, appropriate, and simple-to-execute method that will facilitate such an audit, whether it be at the scale of an individual program, department, faculty, or institution. The data are of increasing value to ensure institutions maintain progress and equity in the student experience as well as for deployment and interpretation of learning analytics. This study presents a generalizable framework for auditing digital learning provision in higher education curricula. The framework is contextualized using a case study in which the audit is conducted across a single faculty in a research-intensive UK university. This work provides academics and higher education administrators with key principles and considerations as well as example aims and outcomes.
Instructional Strategies That Respond to Global Learners&apos; Needs in Massive Open Online Courses
Author: Phan, Trang
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Strategies,Foreign Students,Student Needs,Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Instructional Design,Qualitative Research,Case Studies,Learner Engagement,Undergraduate Students,Educational Objectives,Educational Background,Expectation,Student Diversity,Semi Structured Interviews

The purpose of this study was to describe how MOOC learners' diverse learning needs, stemming from their different language, cultural, and educational backgrounds, were perceived and responded to during the course design and delivery. Participants were 15 instructors and instructional designers in American higher educational institutions who were involved in designing and delivering a wide variety of MOOC subjects on the Coursera hosting platform. This qualitative research study adopted a case study format in which multiple sources of evidence are used (Yin, 1984, p. 3). The participants' insights into specific instructional strategies that were designed especially for MOOC multicultural learners' needs were categorized into three themes: language, content, and engagement. These strategies aimed to provide support and engage learners who have English language barriers, or those who did not have the necessary subject background to keep up with the course, or those who were not familiar with American educational culture. The study also investigated the pedagogical challenges and concerns that the participants faced during and after the delivery of the MOOCs. Typical challenges included confusion triggered by the subject during the discussion, the participants' struggle with the efficiency of peer assessment, and the applicability of the content materials for the global audience.
Positive Developments in Special Education in Zambia and Zimbabwe
Author: Chitiyo, Morgan
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Special Education,Educational Development,Success,Educational Practices,Educational Legislation,Inclusion,Attitudes toward Disabilities,Teacher Education Programs,Related Services (Special Education),Change Strategies,Comparative Education

Formal special education in many southern African countries can be traced back to the early Christian missionary activities in the region. Like elsewhere in the world, the development of special education in this region has been marked with both challenges and accomplishments. The challenges and barriers to the development of special education in the region have been well documented. In fact, they have been so well documented that they have eclipsed whatever achievements the African countries have made thereby creating a negative portrayal of the state of special education in the region. However, in spite of the challenges some African countries have registered many positive developments in the areas of legislation, funding, teacher preparation, inclusive education, and attitudes towards disabilities, among others. The purpose of this discussion was therefore, to highlight the achievements made by Zambia and Zimbabwe and encourage the African countries to continue building on the accomplishments.
Out-of-School Reading and Literature Discussion: An Exploration of Adolescents&apos; Participation in Digital Book Clubs
Author: Colwell, Jamie
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Recreational Reading,Summer Programs,Public Libraries,Secondary School Students,Books,Clubs,Social Networks,Literacy,Computer Mediated Communication,Adolescent Literature,Writing Processes,Class Activities,Academic Discourse,Literacy Education,Group Discussion

This research used an inductive qualitative method to examine how adolescents participated in online literature discussion, with limited guidance from adults, through a summer reading program. Using a New Literacies framework, the authors considered that literacy is social and collaborative and that adolescents often engage in such literacy practices on the Internet outside of school. This study considered these literacy practices to examine an eight-week voluntary online summer reading program at a public library and how such a program might inform such activities in school settings to promote more authentic opportunities for literacy engagement. In this program, 12 adolescents (ages 13-17) read print-based young adult novels and responded to their reading in threaded discussion boards, called book clubs, in a closed, online social network. Results indicated two overlapping themes related to students' formality in writing that promote shared learning and personalize digital discussions to make connections. Researchers found adolescents spontaneously adopted online discussion techniques that hybridized formal discussion practices with more personal practices to encourage emotive transaction with text. These results raised implications for integrating such activities in classroom settings to support all learners and to promote academic literacies.
Comparison of Hope and Life Satisfaction Levels of Turkish and American Middle School Students
Author: Sahin Baltaci, Hulya
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Life Satisfaction,Psychological Patterns,Middle School Students,Cross Cultural Studies,Foreign Countries,Gender Differences,Social Differences,Parent Attitudes,Statistical Analysis,Multivariate Analysis,Self Concept Measures,Self Esteem

Purpose: In the literature, it has been stated that hope and life satisfaction in childhood and adolescence are associated with cultural and social factors. This study aimed to discover whether Turkish and American adolescents differ in their life satisfaction and hope levels, by examining hope and life satisfaction in Turkish and American adolescents according to variables such as gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and parental attitudes. Research Methods: In the study, a descriptive research design was employed during the data collection and analysis phases. Findings: According to the first findings of the research, there was a significant difference between the life satisfaction of Turkish students and that of American students in favor of the Turkish students, whereas their hope levels did not vary significantly. In addition, the life satisfaction and hope levels of students from both countries did not differ according to gender. Another finding of the study was that the hope level of Turkish students with high socioeconomic status (SES) was higher than that of those with medium and low SES. The results indicated that parental attitudes did not differ significantly regarding the hope and life satisfaction levels of Turkish students, whereas there were significant differences both in the hope and life satisfaction levels of American students regarding parental attitudes. Implications for Research and Practice: The study did not find any difference between the hope levels of Turkish and American students, whereas it observed that the life satisfaction of Turkish students was higher than that of the American students. This finding can be explained, as adolescence problems are universal and are given high importance in every culture.