ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
An Innovative Research on the Usage of Facebook in the Higher Education Context of Hong Kong
Author: Lam, Louis
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Student Motivation,Learning Motivation,Student Participation,Foreign Countries,Electronic Learning,Information Technology,Educational Change,Social Networks,Computer Mediated Communication,Interpersonal Relationship,Teaching Methods,Surveys,Educational Trends,Trend Analysis

Teaching and learning is undergoing a dramatic change due to the advancement in telecommunication and IT. Increasingly, online learning platform is playing an important role higher education. The maturity of Internet and emergence of various cloud services catalyse the development of these platforms and student learning behaviour. An example is Facebook, online social network sites, which changes the interaction, communication and interrelation of students and their daily life. There is a growing trend that people participate in Facebook. Given there is discussion forum provided by online learning platforms, students get used to communicate on Facebook. The phenomenon enables teachers to think whether Facebook can be incorporated in teaching so as to facilitate student learning. Past research on online social network sites evidence that there are a number of benefits including the improved student participation, social relationship, interaction, communication and facilitation. However, seldom studies try to consolidate these benefits and examine simultaneously against the overall learning motivation. This study attempts to develop a model of student motivation in learning with four Face book benefits: (1) Interaction , (2) Communication , (3) Social relationship , (4) Participation. The students of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCS), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), studying Hi-Diploma Programme, are invited to participate in this study. A survey was conducted to examine how these Facebook benefits relate to student motivation in learning. The results revealed that Interrelationship, Communication, Social relationship, and Participation influence significantly on student learning motivation. The results show teachers how Facebook benefits improve student learning motivation. The study also tries to explore some demographic trend in related to student Facebook usage. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)
Digital Devices in Classroom--Hesitations of Teachers-to-Be
Author: Lam, Paul
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Evidence,Active Learning,Foreign Countries,Student Reaction,Performance Factors,Influence of Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Use Studies,Teacher Education Programs,Learner Engagement,Student Teacher Attitudes,Handheld Devices,Classroom Environment,Classroom Techniques,Likert Scales,Student Surveys

More and more teachers are facing the decision whether they should allow or promote students the use of technology in the classroom. The decision is difficult as there are apparently both advantages and disadvantages in doing either way. In terms of positive impacts, research revealed that the use of digital devices in the classroom setting was capable of facilitating faculty-student interactions and in-class participation, which in turn enhanced engagement and active learning (Fitch, 2004; Partee, 1996; Stephens, 2005). On the contrary, evidence was also identified to show a relationship between notebook use and distraction in class. The pilot study investigated the desirability of allowing digital devices in class in our local context, and to explore the factors that influence the success of the practice. Two studies were conducted with students in teacher-training programmes at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. In the first study, students were allowed to use computers in the lessons (free use) in the whole semester and then they were asked to reflect upon the learning benefits, if any. In the second study, the future teachers were asked to comment openly on the use of digital devices for more guided purposes such as student response system and e-textbook. Results in general revealed that it is indeed a very controversial and complicated issue. On the one hand, many positive learning benefits relating to using digital devices in class are acknowledged. On the other hand, distraction is a major concern as students may use the technology for irrelevant purposes in class. Participants thus were also very conservative about channeling the use of computers in classroom to other academic contexts. The answer to the question whether computers be allowed in class thus is not a simple yes or no but is a series of suggestions concerning when and how to do it more appropriate. (Contains 6 tables.)
Learning Paramedic Science Skills from a First Person Point of View
Author: Lynch, Kathy
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Allied Health Personnel,Clinical Experience,Vignettes,Video Technology,Psychomotor Skills,Blended Learning,Expertise,Educational Resources,Skill Development,Instructional Innovation,Clinical Teaching (Health Professions),Teaching Methods,Science Course Improvement Projects,Simulation,Science Process Skills,Experiential Learning,Handheld Devices,Likert Scales,Instructional Effectiveness

Paramedic students need to acquire knowledge and skills necessary to perform basic as well as complex clinical skills, to ensure patient safety, and to manage sophisticated equipment. Time and resource pressures on students, teaching staff and institutions have led health professional educators to develop and embrace alternative opportunities such as simulation and multimedia in order to develop a student's clinical expertise in preparation for clinical placement. Paramedic education laboratories are equipped with simulation equipment to facilitate the acquisition of the psychomotor skills required by paramedics, and are the main spaces where students can practice essential paramedic skills in a non-threatening environment. However, often the learning environment is encumbered by "noise" or obstacles such as the educator's body, or ambient noise from other students, staff or equipment, all which inhibit a clear and precise view of the intricate details of skills to be learned. This study addressed the crowded laboratory and "noise" issues through the use of video learning resources. Though using video as a learning resource is not new, there are three facets to learning that make this project innovative and beneficial to the learner; one, learning from a video composed from a first person point of view (1st PPOV); two, the viewing of the video learning materials using a mobile device such as a smart phone; and three, the use of QR codes to access the online videos. Six 1st PPOV video vignettes were produced for this study. Each video was less than two minutes and length, clear and instructional on selected psychomotor clinical skills required for acute care provision . The research findings show that the 1st PPOV videos positively impacted students' (n=87) learning of the six skills, and gave them a more comprehensive view and understanding of the skill in context. The findings also indicated that accessing the videos on a mobile phone was a bonus. The participants requested additional 1st PPOV skills to be included in the blended learning design across all areas of their Paramedic Science program. (Contains 3 tables and 6 figures.)
&quot;As a Student, I Do Think that the Learning Effectiveness of Electronic Portfolios Depends, to Quite a Large Extent, on the Attitude of Students!&quot;
Author: Mok, Jane
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Portfolios (Background Materials),Lifelong Learning,Teaching Methods,Portfolio Assessment,Foreign Countries,Feedback (Response),Electronic Equipment,Student Teachers,Student Attitudes,Likert Scales,Questionnaires,Electronic Publishing,Educational Technology,Reflection,Professional Development,Teacher Education,Higher Education,Outcomes of Education,Literacy,Technology Uses in Education,Case Studies,Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Lynch and Purnawarman (2004:50) point out that &quot;a solid electronic portfolio can show reflection, evolution of thought and overall professional development&quot;. Research shows that electronic portfolio assessment, if implemented thoughtfully, can successfully engage learners in critical thinking and problem solving, promote lifelong education, encourage self evaluation and allow learners to have a higher degree of control over the learning process (Pierson and Kumari, 2000; Mason, Pegler, and Weller, 2004). Given the value of electronic portfolios, there has been growing interest in using electronic portfolio assessment to support teacher education (Lynch and Purnawarman, 2004). In this paper, we discuss on-going efforts at the University of Hong Kong to design assessment tasks for a language awareness course entitled &quot;Pedagogical Content Knowledge&quot;. The final-year student teachers taking the course are required to compile an electronic portfolio based on their reflections on the relevance and applicability of the issues relating to dealing with the content of learning in pedagogical practice discussed in the course. This paper sets out to describe and analyze issues relating to the design and implementation of the assessment, focusing specifically on the challenges that the research team faces. In our paper, we draw on a range of data, including student teachers' feedback on the assessment and in-depth reflections of two student teachers after the assessment to critically evaluate the extent to which the assessment has achieved the intended learning outcomes. The reflective study shows that apart from technical support, methodological and psychological preparation designed to help students to take on a more active role in the learning and assessment process are also needed to help students to perform effectively in the computer-supported assessment. Implications are drawn for those who plan to conduct electronic portfolio assessment in higher education. (Contains 1 table.)
Multi-Disciplinary Learning through a Database Development Project
Author: Ng, Vincent
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Partnerships in Education,Electronic Learning,Internet,Databases,Group Dynamics,Student Projects,Questionnaires,Higher Education,Information Technology,Feedback (Response),Teamwork,Foreign Countries,Interdisciplinary Approach,Tourism,Cooperative Learning,Focus Groups,Interviews

Recently, there are many good examples of how multi-disciplinary learning can support students to learn collaboratively and not solely focus on a single professional sector. During the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 semesters, we have attempted to gather students studying different professional domains together. Students from the Department of Computing (COMP) and the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) are involved as partners and team members to work on joint student projects. One group of SHTM students is planning a conference event in 2012 with over 300 guests. These students act as the clients who require a banquet management system as well as a delegates managing application. Another group of SHTM students is to manage the development projects with the support of IT consultants who are in fact the COMP students. During the Fall semester, different communication channels have been set up to facilitate the inter-group and intra-group communications with the support offered by an e-learning system, Blackboard. Furthermore, there are classroom presentations given by the SHTM students and prototype demonstrations prepared by the COMP students. Pre-project and post-project questionnaires have been given to all participating students in order to assess their gain in professional and business knowledge in 2 different areas, namely database application development and conference management. During the Spring semester, another group of COMP students continued the development and made the 2 systems available on the Web. The two systems were used in a real conference and have received many positive feedbacks. In this paper, we would like to report the group dynamics of our students, achievement and difficulties encountered in this multi-disciplinary project. (Contains 5 tables and 5 figures.)
A Framework for Measuring Student Learning Gains and Engagement in an Introductory Computing Course: A Preliminary Report of Findings
Author: Lim, Billy
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Computer Science,Internet,Information Systems,Researchers,Pretests Posttests,Learner Engagement,Introductory Courses,Higher Education,Pilot Projects,Research Projects,Programming,Electronic Learning,Information Technology

This paper describes a framework for measuring student learning gains and engagement in a Computer Science 1 (CS 1) / Information Systems 1 (IS 1) course. The framework is designed for a CS1/IS1 course as it has been traditionally taught over the years as well as when it is taught using a new pedagogical approach with Web services. It enables the new approach to be compared with the traditional way of teaching the courses in terms of student self-assessment of learning gains, student assessment of their engagement with the subject matter, and researcher assessment of student learning gains as measured by performance on a researcher-designed examination. The framework includes a comprehensive pre-test and post-test for students in the control and treatment sections to complete, a common assessment exam module for all students to take, and a faculty survey for the instructors to complete. This enables the researchers to answer many questions regarding the effectiveness of the Web service approach, including "Do students using the Web service approach perform better in the common assessment exam module?" and "Do students and faculty members find the Web service approach more engaging?" Results from the first semester of a 3-year multi-university study are discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)
Measured Approach or Magical Elixir? How to Tell Good Science from Bad
Author: Willingham, Daniel T.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Probability,Evaluation,Science Instruction,Science Education,Teaching Methods,Cues,Logical Thinking,Psychological Patterns,Reading,Scientific Research,Reading Ability

Distinguishing between good and bad science is not easy. Evaluating whether or not a claim really is supported by good research is like buying a car. There is an optimal solution to the problem, which is to read and digest all of the relevant research, but most people do not have time to execute the optimal solution. What they need is a good shortcut. The shortcut this author has developed is composed of four steps: (1) strip it and flip it; (2) trace it; (3) analyze it; and (4) make the decision about whether to adopt it. In this article, he provides some detail on the first of the four steps: strip it and flip it. To get started, one needs to be very clear on three points: (1) precisely what change is being suggested; (2) precisely what outcome is promised as a consequence of that change; and (3) the probability that the promised outcome will actually happen if one undertakes the change. All other considerations are secondary and should be considered distractions. (Contains 2 footnotes and 19 endnotes.)
Worlds Apart: One City, Two Libraries, and Ten Years of Watching Inequality Grow
Author: Neuman, Susan B.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Opportunities,Political Divisions (Geographic),Public Libraries,Poverty,Economically Disadvantaged,Reading,Users (Information),Access to Information,Library Services,Academic Achievement

Like a bright beacon on the hill, the Lillian Marrero public library rises majestically above the deserted buildings and bulldozed voids below on Germantown Avenue. Here in the heart of what is known as the Philadelphia Badlands, makeshift garbage dumps line the sidewalks. The tall grass that surrounds abandoned lots does nothing to obscure the stacks of tires, worn stuffed chairs, and piles of bottles, bags, and takeout containers indicative of the profound decline in the economy of this part of the city since its heyday in the mid-20th century. Grabbing the #23 bus, and traveling just 6.6 miles from the Badlands, one will find the graceful Chestnut Hill library, next to the old trolley turnaround. &quot;Picture perfect&quot; is how one might describe the gentrified neighborhood of Chestnut Hill. The underpinnings of desperation so palpable in the Lillian Marrero library result from a confluence of circumstances hardly imaginable in Chestnut Hill: Poverty. Segregation. Environments where joblessness and lost hope are the norm. While many people may vaguely recognize the ghettoization of poverty, few can appreciate how it concentrates in environments that are isolated geographically, socially, economically, and educationally. This spatial concentration of poverty and affluence--in this case &quot;within the same school district&quot;--virtually guarantees the intergenerational transmission of class position. Poor children barely have a chance to succeed. Rich children have little option not to. The authors examine how each of these communities engaged students in the development of reading and information capital in a context where resources were fairly equal. They developed a series of studies to examine how these environments influenced individual behaviors and, in turn, how individuals influenced the environment. Throughout the authors' work, they have seen how the spatial distribution of poverty and privilege influences students' educational opportunities and, ultimately, their aspirations. Affluent people increasingly live, interact, and are educated with other affluent people, while the poor increasingly live, interact, and are educated with other poor people. This new political geography divorces the interests of the rich from the welfare of the poor, creating a more polarized and rigid society. The solution is to break down these barriers. (Contains 8 endnotes.)
Don't Level the Playing Field: Tip It toward the Underdogs
Author: Neuman, Susan B.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Achievement Gap,Neighborhoods,Reading Research,Poverty,Access to Computers,Disadvantaged,Technology Uses in Education,Reading Ability,Reading Instruction,Access to Information,Learner Engagement,Parent Participation,Libraries,Reading Improvement,Reading Achievement

This article is excerpted from "Giving Our Children a Fighting Chance: Poverty, Literacy, and the Development of Information Capital" by Susan B. Neuman and Donna C. Celano. Based on 21 studies conducted over 10 years in two neighborhoods, it offers a new lens on the achievement gap--and the need for both school and community solutions. The authors' research describes how the contrasting ecologies of affluence and poverty contribute to disparities in the development of information capital. To reverse the growing polarization between the so-called haves and have-nots, this article presents six policy recommendations, recognizing that they represent only a beginning to a much-needed process of serious thought, reflection, debate, and action. (Contains 2 endnotes.)
The Professional Educator: Leading for Learning
Author: Chenoweth, Karin
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Principals,Feedback (Response),Occupational Information,Leadership,Leaders,Educational Improvement,Academic Achievement,Evaluation

This is how Ricci Hall, principal of University Park Campus School in Worcester, Massachusetts, defines the job of principal: &quot;Being a school leader is complicated. More than being about budgets or bottom lines, more than being about evaluations or meeting attendance, being a school leader is about helping to create powerful learning experiences for your staff and faculty and creating the circumstances where teachers can do the same for their kids.&quot; This is a far cry from the old model of principal as the person who prevents and manages crises, buffers teachers from parents and school board members, and basically keeps the trains running. It also has little to do with some of the other popular notions of principals, such as the tough baseball-bat-wielding Joe Clark (portrayed in the movie &quot;Lean on Me&quot;) or generic &quot;leaders&quot; brought in from other fields. It is, in fact, more like the kind of principal teachers want to work for--someone who has walked in their shoes, knows the challenges, and can offer critical feedback and support for improvement. That does not mean It's Being Done principals make the job of teacher easy--it will never be easy, particularly in schools where many of the students live in poverty--but they support teachers and help them become proficient in their craft. That helps make success possible. So how do they make success possible? Briefly, they: (1) set the vision that all students will be successful; (2) establish a climate and culture of respect; (3) focus their time on instruction; (4) manage the building to support instruction; and (5) monitor and evaluate continually. That's a big job description. In this article, the authors go through the list one by one. (Contains 2 footnotes and 3 endnotes.)
Want to Improve Teaching? Create Collaborative, Supportive Schools
Author: Allensworth, Elaine
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Teacher Effectiveness,Racial Composition,Race,Instructional Leadership,Urban Schools,Instructional Improvement,Work Environment,Economic Status,Teacher Persistence,Teacher Improvement,Educational Improvement,Leadership,Leaders,Faculty Mobility,Parent Teacher Cooperation,Teaching (Occupation)

Teachers tend to leave schools where they feel ineffective. At the same time, it's harder to be effective in schools with the lowest levels of student performance, schools that are most in need of effective teaching. There is a pressing need to improve the quality of instruction in urban schools to reduce long-standing inequities in educational performance by race and economic status. The current policy context acknowledges the importance of teaching quality for student achievement, but the most popular policy strategies for improving teaching focus on individual teachers, using incentives to attract and reward strong teachers, and developing methods to identify and remove those who are weak. Without broader work on the school as an organization, schools serving the most disadvantaged students will face high rates of teacher turnover and little chance of sustained instructional improvement. One key element in teacher retention is teachers' perceptions of their colleagues as collaborators. Teachers are more likely to stay in a school if they see themselves as part of a team that is working together toward making their school better, supported by school leadership. Teachers are also more likely to stay in schools where they feel they have influence over their work environment and they trust their principal as an instructional leader. These are the same elements of schools that are most predictive of improvements in student learning; schools that show the largest improvements in student learning over time are those where teachers work collectively on improving instruction, and where school leadership is inclusive and focused on instruction. Two further working conditions account for most of the differences in teacher mobility rates by school racial composition. One is teachers' relationships with parents. Especially in elementary schools, teachers are more likely to stay in schools where they feel that parents support their work as partners in educating students. The other, which is particularly critical in high schools, is the learning climate at the school. Teachers are more likely to stay at schools where students feel safe, and where students report that their classroom peers engage in appropriate academic behavior. (Contains 10 endnotes.)