ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Digital Handshake: A Group Contract for Authentic eLearning in Higher Education
Author: Hesterman, Sandra
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Electronic Learning,College Students,Group Activities,Assignments,Theory Practice Relationship,Integrated Learning Systems,Multiple Literacies,Group Dynamics,Interaction,Educational Technology,Online Courses,Early Childhood Education,Qualitative Research,Student Surveys,Likert Scales

An emerging challenge for the Australian higher education sector is the delivery of authentic eLearning to support the collaborative construction of knowledge through the provision of real-life tasks in an online environment. This paper describes research conducted in a fourth-year university course where students from across the nation were required to work in small groups to complete an online assignment task: to design a provocation that could be integrated into an early childhood learning environment to promote multiliteracies learning. A qualitative design-based study of two cohorts of students found that online group work facilitates authentic connections between educational theory and practice, and that the introduction of a &quot;digital handshake&quot; group contract can support these processes.
Using Learning Analytics to Assess Student Learning in Online Courses
Author: Martin, Florence
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Research,Data Collection,Data Analysis,Academic Achievement,Online Courses,Electronic Learning,Computer Assisted Testing,Formative Evaluation,Summative Evaluation,Integrated Learning Systems,Technology Integration

Learning analytics can be used to enhance student engagement and performance in online courses. Using learning analytics, instructors can collect and analyze data about students and improve the design and delivery of instruction to make it more meaningful for them. In this paper, the authors review different categories of online assessments and identify data sets that can be collected and analyzed for each of them. Two different data analytics and visualization tools were used: Tableau for quantitative data and Many Eyes for qualitative data. This paper has implications for instructors, instructional designers, administrators, and educational researchers who use online assessments.
Using Debates as Assessment in a Physiotherapy Capstone Course: A Case Example
Author: Weeks, Benjamin K.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Case Studies,Physical Therapy,Student Attitudes,Student Surveys,Debate,Teaching Methods,Student Evaluation,Expectation,Focus Groups,Curriculum,Foreign Countries,Graduate Students,Masters Programs,Statistical Analysis,Likert Scales

While not a new teaching and learning approach, debating may be considered novel when included in a suite of more traditional teaching and learning activities. Despite the potential benefits of debates for the development of generic skills, their use in physiotherapy education remains unreported. Thus, our aim was to evaluate student satisfaction of a debate assessment item in a physiotherapy capstone course. We recruited students enrolled in a final year physiotherapy course undertaking a group debate assessment. Students were invited to complete two surveys of their expectations regarding the debate assessment, and their satisfaction after completing the debate. Students were further invited to participate in a focus group. All students participated in the debate (n = 20). Six students (30%) completed the first survey, 16 students (80%) completed the second survey, and seven students (35%) participated in the post-debate focus group. We found that before the assessment item students were apprehensive about the debate, however they felt it would be a beneficial learning experience. After the debate, students claimed they enjoyed the novel assessment and were supportive of its continued inclusion in the capstone course, however, students were ambivalent on the inclusion of debates in earlier courses in the program.
If You Build It, They May Not Come: Why Australian University Students Do Not Take Part in Outbound Mobility Experiences
Author: Jones, Benjamin T.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Case Studies,Student Mobility,Foreign Countries,International Education,Cultural Awareness,Mixed Methods Research,Undergraduate Students,Graduate Students,Discourse Analysis,Student Attitudes,Intercultural Communication,Study Abroad,Hospitality Occupations,Business Schools,Travel,Statistical Analysis,Student Participation,Barriers,Student Surveys

Universities around the world seek to internationalise students to prepare them for an increasingly globalised world. Outbound mobility experiences (OMEs) are recognised as one of the most effective ways to foster independent thinking, cultural sensitivity, and a sense of &quot;worldmindedness&quot;. This article takes a case study from an Australian university and explores efforts to increase student participation rates in OMEs. Through a mixed-method study of three student cohorts (n = 223), important data was gathered relating to how OMEs are perceived by undergraduate and post-graduate students. The results are filtered through thematic discourse analysis and suggest that the university needs to do more to build awareness, explain the professional and employability benefits, and create a travel culture where students are encouraged to grow their international skills and communication competencies. This research has important implications for universities seeking to increase international student mobility and prioritise a global outlook.
Measurement Error and Equating Error in Power Analysis
Author: Phillips, Gary W.
Date: 2016-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Error of Measurement,Statistical Analysis,Equated Scores,Sample Size,Probability,Statistics,Error Correction,Correlation,True Scores

Power analysis is a fundamental prerequisite for conducting scientific research. Without power analysis the researcher has no way of knowing whether the sample size is large enough to detect the effect he or she is looking for. This paper demonstrates how psychometric factors such as measurement error and equating error affect the power of statistical tests. The overall finding is that measurement error and equating error reduce power and inflate sample size requirements. It is recommended that researchers, where appropriate, incorporate these sources of error in conducting power analysis. If either of these two sources of error are present in the data but not accounted for in the power analysis, then power will be underestimated and sample size requirements will be underestimated.
Underprepared Students' Performance on Algebra in a Double-Period High School Mathematics Program
Author: Martinez, Mara V.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Algebra,Secondary School Mathematics,High School Students,Readiness,Grade 9,Graduation Requirements,Mathematics Achievement,Multiple Choice Tests,Achievement Gains,Intervention,Program Effectiveness,Urban Schools,Responses,Pretests Posttests

The primary goal of the Intensified Algebra I (IA) program is to enable mathematically underprepared students to successfully complete Algebra I in 9th grade and stay on track to meet increasingly rigorous high school mathematics graduation requirements. The program was designed to bring a range of both cognitive and non-cognitive supports to bear on underprepared students' learning of rigorous algebra content within an extended period of instruction, thus allowing them to catch up with their peers on a pathway toward more advanced mathematics courses. This study measured gains in IA students' overall mathematical performance based on a comprehensive multiple-choice assessment of algebra proficiency and a constructed response assessment. Results showed IA students' performance significantly increased over the academic year on both assessments. In addition, students' performance showed a consistently large improvement in three of six core content areas (Graphing Linear Equations, Functions and Graphs, and Solving Linear Equations) within the multiple-choice assessment. This study provides promising evidence of IA meeting its programmatic goal of supporting underprepared students learning of core algebra content in a function-based curriculum. Implications for curriculum implementation and ongoing development, and further research are discussed.
A Framework for Authenticity in the Mathematics and Statistics Classroom
Author: Garrett, Lauretta
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Statistics,Mathematical Models,Teaching Methods,Engineering Education,Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Mathematical Logic,Problem Solving,Learning Activities,College Mathematics,Undergraduate Students

Authenticity is a term commonly used in reference to pedagogical and curricular qualities of mathematics teaching and learning, but its use lacks a coherent framework. The work of researchers in engineering education provides such a framework. Authentic qualities of mathematics teaching and learning are fit within a model described by Strobel, Wang, Weber, and Dyehouse (2013) for use in engineering education. Examples of the use of authenticity in mathematics and statistics instruction are provided.
The Effect of Contextual and Conceptual Rewording on Mathematical Problem-Solving Performance
Author: Haghverdi, Majid
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Skills,Word Problems (Mathematics),Problem Solving,Grade 7,Foreign Countries,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Pretests Posttests,Context Effect,Mathematical Concepts,Teaching Methods,Error Patterns,Statistical Analysis,Males

This study shows how separate and combined contextual and conceptual problem rewording can positively influence student performance in solving mathematical word problems. Participants included 80 seventh-grade Iranian students randomly assigned in groups of 20 to three experimental groups involving three types of rewording and a control group. All participants completed a pretest. The three experimental groups completed posttests involving problem rewording, and the control group received a posttest identical to the pretest. Rewording in general was shown to decrease student errors in solving word problems. There was no significant difference among contextual, conceptual, and combined contextual/conceptual rewording in reducing errors. In terms of Knifong and Holtan's (1976) classification of word problem errors, the rewordings had no significant effect on decreasing &quot;clerical and computational&quot; errors, but they significantly reduced &quot;other errors&quot; (such as use of wrong procedures or operations or providing no response).
Skilled and Unskilled Japanese EFL Student Writers' Narrative Story Production
Author: Kamimura, Taeko
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,College Students,Asians,Writing Instruction,Discourse Analysis,Sentence Structure,Foreign Countries,Writing Skills,Pictorial Stimuli,Scores,Form Classes (Languages),Language Styles,Holistic Approach,Narration,Classification,Accuracy,Statistical Analysis,Story Grammar

A study was conducted to examine the differences in narrative essays produced by skilled and unskilled EFL student writers. Twenty-six Japanese university students participated in the study. They were told to write a narrative story based on six-frame pictures. The students were classified into two groups, skilled and unskilled, according to the holistic scores assigned to their compositions. Each student's composition was analyzed at both the sentence and discourse levels. The results of analysis revealed several differences between the two groups of writers at the sentence level. Namely, compared with the unskilled writers, the skilled writers tended to produce longer essays where a larger number of adjective and adverb subordinate clauses were used and where fewer errors were found. At the discourse level, the skilled writers tended to incorporate all the components of the story grammar, whereas several unskilled writers failed to include such components as Setting and Reaction. The skilled writers also used a variety of discourse styles to delineate characters' actions and psychology, but their unskilled counterparts employed only a few discourse types for describing characters' inner states of mind. The paper concludes by suggesting the importance of developing students' knowledge of narrative writing and providing them with opportunities to translate that knowledge into actual production of narrative writing.
Fine-Tuning Medium-of-Instruction Policy in Hong Kong: Acquisition of Language and Content-Based Subject Knowledge
Author: Poon, Anita Y. K.
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Standards,Language of Instruction,Educational Policy,Language Proficiency,Course Content,Teaching Methods,Institutional Autonomy,Qualitative Research,Semi Structured Interviews,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Secondary School Students,Secondary School Teachers,Code Switching (Language)

Facing a dramatic decline in English standards over the past decade, the Hong Kong Government introduced the &quot;Fine-tuning Medium of Instruction (MOI) policy&quot; in 2010 to address the grievances arising from different sectors in the community. Integrating content and language has become popular in second/foreign language teaching in recent years. The main objective of the fine-tuning MOI policy is to raise students' English proficiency with a view to enhancing their competitiveness for further education and work in the era of globalization. Under this new policy, students can choose to learn through English upon meeting certain language criteria while schools are given more autonomy to offer English-medium classes. One aim of the present study is to explore the impact of the &quot;fine-tuning&quot; policy on how language and content-based subject knowledge are acquired as well as strategies employed by teachers and students to facilitate their teaching and learning in the second language environment. A qualitative research method--semi-structured interviews of some teachers and students--is employed to collect data from two schools. The main finding is that while agreeing that their English proficiency could be enhanced through learning content-based subjects in English, students admitted encountering difficulties in the process.
Interlanguage Pragmatics Study of Compliments among Thai EFL Learners
Author: Worathumrong, Sakulrat
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Interlanguage,Pragmatics,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Preferences,Thai,Asians,Speech Acts,Task Analysis,Communication Strategies,Native Speakers,Comparative Analysis,North American English,Written Language,Questionnaires,College Students,Student Attitudes,Foreign Countries

This study compares how the native speakers of Thai (TTs) and American (AEs) as well as the Thai learners of English as a foreign language with high exposure to English (TEHs) and those with the low exposure (TELs) perform the speech acts of compliments (Cs) by taking the context of age into their consideration. The data were collected by means of a written discourse completion task (WDCT). The analysis of the data examined the pragmatic structures and in particular, strategies of Cs. The six pragmatic structures in terms of head acts [H] and supportive moves (S) were found. They were [H] only, [H]+(S), [H]+(S)+[H], (S)+[H], (S)+[H]+(S), and (S) only. Surprisingly, as opposed to other speech act studies, the AEs showed their preferences towards (S)-oriented structures while the TELs tended to favour [H]-oriented structures in giving Cs in all given situations in the context of age. A closer look at the C strategies exhibited cultural specific preferences among the AEs and the TTs which explain the interlanguage phenomena among the TEHs and the TELs. The interlanguage phenomena found in the two groups of learners may be seen as their incomplete mastery of English but they also could be interpreted as the communication strategies of the TEHs and the TELs to smooth their interactions in English. [Contains an English Written Discourse Completion Task (WDCT in English), and a Thai Written Discourse Completion Task translated version of English WDCT into Thai.]
Peer/Teacher-Assessment Using Criteria in the EFL Classroom for Developing Students' L2 Writing
Author: Jung, Mi-Young
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Peer Evaluation,Essays,Writing Evaluation,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,College Students,Foreign Countries,Scores,Student Evaluation,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Student Surveys,Evaluation Criteria,Second Language Instruction,Statistical Analysis,Writing Instruction,Teaching Methods

The aims of this study are to investigate the difference between peer- and teacher-assessment and to identify and explore the components in given criteria that students find easy or difficult when writing essays. One hundred and four essays and a survey were collected from 26 students at a Korean university in Seoul. The essays were analyzed to determine the difference between teacher-and peer-assessment and to evaluate the effects of peer-assessment. The results report that the teacher gave students lower scores in the first essay than students did as peer-assessment. However, the teacher gave students higher scores in the second essay than students did, which helps students have confidence to write English composition. Several students thought that the grammatical accuracy was the most difficult since it is not easy to accurately write their essays as English as foreign language (EFL) learners. Meanwhile, the survey results revealed that more than half the students thought that exchanging peer-assessment (69%) and using criteria (62%) were of much or some help in developing their essays. In this respect, conducting peer-assessment is helpful for students to monitor their work, to evaluate their partner's work and to develop second/foreign language (L2) writing.
Exploration into the Effects of the Schema-Based Instruction: A Bottom-Up Approach
Author: Fujii, Kazuma
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Schemata (Cognition),Teaching Methods,Translation,Instructional Effectiveness,Psycholinguistics,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Learning Processes,Cognitive Style,College Students,Technical Education,Form Classes (Languages),Statistical Analysis,Language Tests,Foreign Countries,Scores,Pretests Posttests

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effective use of the core schema-based instruction (SBI) in a classroom setting. The core schema is a schematic representation of the common underlying meaning of a given lexical item, and was first proposed on the basis of the cognitive linguistic perspectives by the Japanese applied linguists Tanaka, Sato and Abe (2006) as a new teaching approach. The SBI has been expected to contribute to English teaching in a new way that is different from the translation-based instruction (TBI) because the core schemas can lead learners to a more essential and profound understanding. However, the previous empirical research on the SBI has not always shown its effectiveness over the TBI. This paper firstly analyzed its causes with reference to the theoretical features of the core schemas and pointed out two kinds of difficulty for the effective use of the SBI. Then in order to get over the difficulties, it was argued that the SBI should involve a bottom-up language learning process, as insisted in cognitive linguistics as the usage-based model. As the bottom-up process, group work discussion was employed in this study, where learners discuss the core schematic image in a group with its sample sentences which were provided beforehand. This learning style is different from the top-down SBI, where the core schemas are provided prior to sample sentences as almost all the previous empirical studies did. The present study examined the difference in the effects between the bottom-up SBI and the top-down SBI through an experiment conducted to technical college students with the six English prepositions (&quot;at&quot;, &quot;in&quot;, &quot;on&quot;, &quot;to&quot;, &quot;for&quot;, &quot;with&quot;) as material. Based on the results of the former study by the researcher, the present study was designed to add some exercises to the bottom-up SBI group. The results obtained from &quot;t&quot;-tests and ANOVAs suggested several findings. The findings were that the bottom-up SBI is more effective than the top-down SBI in meaning comprehension and that the effect continues for two months.
The Effect of Cross-Curricular Instruction on Reading Comprehension
Author: Aslan, Yasin
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Interdisciplinary Approach,Teaching Methods,Reading Comprehension,Reading Instruction,Self Esteem,Reading Skills,Reading Improvement,Reading Attitudes,Positive Attitudes,Educational Benefits,Cultural Awareness,Cultural Background,Prior Learning,Thematic Approach,Educational Strategies,Educational Planning,Student Evaluation,Reading Tests,Progress Monitoring

Cross-curricular objectives serve as a kind of &quot;safety net&quot; for core objectives. Firstly, cross-curricular objectives refer to competencies that do not pertain to the content of one or more subjects, but that can be taught, practised and applied in it, such as learning to learn and social skills. Secondly, certain cross-curricular final objectives must also be regarded as a complement to the subject final objectives. They render it possible to make the subjects more coherent and interconnected. Several studies show that without enough background familiarity with L2 cultural knowledge, readers have great difficulty in understanding the meaning of texts. This study describes strategies of cross-curricular reading instruction, discusses its benefits, advantages and challenges for teachers or other interested groups who want to encourage their students to explore significant subjects, problems, and questions by providing them with a wide range of reading opportunities. It presents suggestions for teaching themes that focus on what students know, because such themes increase confidence, improve reading skills, expand concepts and background, and foster positive attitudes about reading.