ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Coping with Change and Fostering Innovation: An Agenda for Professional and Continuing Education
Author: Kohl, Kay J.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Professional Continuing Education,Global Approach,Continuing Education Units,Distance Education,Educational Innovation,Performance Factors,Coping,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Organizational Change,Influence of Technology,Demography

In an age of knowledge, the capacities of professional and continuing education to open up new networks, overcome organizational hurdles, and foster an environment for innovation have assumed great relevance. This article makes the case as to why. It discusses key forces driving change--the knowledge economy, demographics, technology, and globalization--and reviews opportunities as well as threats arising therefrom. Finally, it explores why professional and continuing education units are well positioned to be a powerful influence for innovation in higher education. (Contains 1 table and 33 endnotes.)
Blended Learning vs. Traditional Classroom Settings: Assessing Effectiveness and Student Perceptions in an MBA Accounting Course
Author: Chen, Clement C.
Date: 2007-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Accounting,Teaching Methods,Blended Learning,Conventional Instruction,Business Administration Education,Intermode Differences,Instructional Effectiveness,Participant Satisfaction,Delivery Systems,Comparative Analysis,Student Surveys,Course Evaluation

A survey was conducted of Master of Business Administration (MBA) students in an accounting class at a university in the Northern United States to compare students' assessments of course effectiveness and overall satisfaction with the course. One group of students were enrolled in a traditional in-class section, and another group in a &quot;blended-learning&quot; section in which the primary course delivery method was online, but in which students met in class on a limited number of occasions. Overall perceptions of the course, instructor and learning outcomes were positive for both groups. Students also felt strongly that they would use the material in their careers. The majority of students in the blended learning section indicated that they would take another accounting course using that approach if it were offered. However, some interesting differences were noted. Specifically, students in the traditional setting were more satisfied with the clarity of instruction. On the other hand, students in the blended-learning section felt more strongly that they gained an appreciation of the concepts in the field. Blended-learning students also indicated more strongly that their analytical skills improved as a result of the course. The results suggest that the two delivery methods were similar in terms of final learning outcomes, but that both may be improved by incorporating aspects of the other. (Contains 3 tables.)
Invisible Motivation of Online Adult Learners during Contract Learning
Author: Chyung, Seung Youn
Date: 2007-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cues,Learning Strategies,Adult Learning,Adult Students,Gender Differences,Student Participation,Age Differences,Student Motivation,Graduate Students,Distance Education,Educational Strategies,Student Surveys,College Instruction,Performance Contracts,Motivation Techniques,Student Attitudes,Evaluation Methods,Predictor Variables,Online Courses,Asynchronous Communication,Computer Mediated Communication,Virtual Classrooms,Web Based Instruction

In a face-to-face classroom, the instructor can easily diagnose students' motivational status by observing their facial expressions and postures, but such cues are absent in an online classroom. Therefore, online instructors often estimate students' motivational level based on their online behavior such as the number of messages they post, and look for effective strategies to help them actively participate in online dialogues. One such strategy is contract learning which facilitates self-directed behaviors through structuring an agreed learning process. This study reports a contract learning strategy in a graduate-level online class, examining whether a sample of 28 students' motivation could indeed be predicted by their online behavior. Results from the study found that the students' online behavior was not a predictor for their motivational status, though there were age and gender differences in their online behavior. The students felt more self-directed and motivated during contract learning, but what they really liked was being able to select assignments that were relevant to their interests and needs. This paper concludes by discussing practical implications of the findings at the end. (Contains 4 tables.)
Does Feedback Influence Student Postings to Online Discussions?
Author: Meyer, Katrina A.
Date: 2007-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Graduate Students,Computer Mediated Communication,Discussion (Teaching Technique),Computer Uses in Education,Student Attitudes,Educational Technology

Feedback theory proposes that feedback influences the behavior of a system and its parts and that is governed by rules. This exploratory study attempts to test this theory in a graduate-level class on leadership theory. Twelve students were asked to participate in five online discussions, each lasting one week. The questions for each discussion were selected to be provocative and rich, without having any correct answer. At the end of the discussion, students were asked to indicate which posting and poster they felt was "best" or most valuable and why they felt the posting was "best." There is mixed evidence that the voting influenced subsequent postings; some individuals did improve while others were consistently good or poor posters. Students selected postings that were (in declining frequency of occurrence): "thoughtful" or "thought-provoking," "well written or justified," "uplifting," "presented new information," "same as their own opinions," "changed me," or "complex." These reasons are similar to those of the instructor, although the students' difficulty in choosing and rationalizing a choice and the frequency at which students chose posts that captured their own thoughts and opinions are of some concern. This study provides some evidence that these graduate students could evaluate their own discussions without the instructor intruding or dictating an evaluation scheme, although this may not be true for other groups of online students. (Contains 2 tables.)
Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) in Web-Based Classes: Preliminary Findings and a Call for Further Research
Author: Loveland, Karen A.
Date: 2007-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance,Online Courses,Course Content,Program Effectiveness,Teacher Effectiveness,Instructional Effectiveness,Predictor Variables,Measures (Individuals),Web Based Instruction,Student Surveys,Research Needs

Student evaluation of teaching (SET) is important to faculty because SET ratings help faculty improve performance and are often used as the basis for evaluations of teaching effectiveness in administrative decisions (e.g., tenure). Researchers have conducted over 2,000 studies on SET during the past 70 years. However, despite the explosive growth in online education during the past decade, researchers have largely neglected the use of SET to evaluate teaching effectiveness in online courses. This exploratory study analyzed the actual SET data collected during a single semester at a large mid-western college that offers over 250 online/Web-based classes. The data included five dependent and eighteen independent measures of teaching effectiveness. The results indicate that average SET ratings in online classes are significantly lower than the average ratings in on-campus classes across all five dependent measures. This finding offers preliminary empirical support for anecdotal evidence cited by earlier authors in this field. Furthermore, regression analysis of the full model for each dependent variable indicated that the independent variables explained a significant portion of the variance in SET ratings. Examination of the standardized beta coefficients revealed that the strength and significance of the independent variables varied across the five dependent measures. Findings also indicate that organization of the course materials had a strong impact on all five measures of overall teaching effectiveness. Other variables including clarity of the instructor's writing, timeliness in providing feedback, and interest in whether students learned were also significant factors in models that measured instructor effectiveness (as opposed to models that measured quality of course content). The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of this study for administrators, faculty, and researchers. (Contains 5 tables and 2 footnotes.)
Giving Online Quizzes in Corporate Finance and Investments for a Better Use of Seat Time
Author: Peng, Zhuoming
Date: 2007-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Cheating,Tests,Business Administration Education,Time Management,Student Evaluation,Conventional Instruction,Internet,Distance Education,Computer Assisted Testing,Computer Software,Blended Learning,Educational Strategies,Student Surveys,Comparative Analysis,College Instruction

The primary benefit of providing out-of-class online quizzes in a face-to-face class is to gain more in-class time. A study designed to investigate this issue was conducted during the Spring 2006 and Spring 2007 semesters. Thirty-one and 34 Corporate Finance undergraduate students from each semester, and 33 and 36 Investments undergraduate students from each semester participated in this study. Do students cheat whilst taking online versus in-class quizzes? Key results indicate no significant differences between online versus in-class administered quizzes. This finding alleviates concerns about student cheating and hence frees up in-class time for additional materials and interactions. The process of administering an online quiz is discussed in detail. The monetary cost of using a test generator program to create an online quiz is nominal in comparison with the licensing fee of any online course management software. Giving online quizzes does appear to be a better use of class seat time, and this pedagogical method is recommended to faculty delivering courses using face-to-face instructional design, especially those who are teaching corporate finance or investments. (Contains 3 tables and 16 endnotes.)
Multi-Course Comparison of Traditional versus Web-Based Course Delivery Systems
Author: Weber, J. Michael
Date: 2007-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Delivery Systems,Distance Education,Web Based Instruction,Classroom Environment,Conventional Instruction,Intermode Differences,Performance Factors,Participant Satisfaction,Academic Achievement,Predictor Variables,Regression (Statistics),Marketing,Business Education,Comparative Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to measure and compare the effectiveness of a Web-based course delivery system to a traditional course delivery system. The results indicate that a web-based course is effective and equivalent to a traditional classroom environment. As with the implementation of all new technologies, there are some pros and cons that should be considered. The significant pro is the element of convenience which eliminates the constrictive boundaries of space and time. The most notable con involves the impersonal nature of the online environment. Overall, we found the web-based course delivery system to be very successful in terms of learning outcomes and student satisfaction. (Contains 7 tables.)
Strategies to Engage Online Students and Reduce Attrition Rates
Author: Angelino, Lorraine M.
Date: 2007-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Distance Education,Online Courses,Learning Strategies,Learner Engagement,Aptitude Treatment Interaction,Literature Reviews,Academic Persistence,School Holding Power,Asynchronous Communication,Fundamental Concepts,Change Strategies,Student Attrition

Attrition continues to be a major issue in higher education. Attrition rates for classes taught through distance education are 10-20% higher than classes taught in a face-to-face setting. Educators should engage students early and often, using different learning strategies customized to the class content and the students' pre-existing knowledge. The goal for the professor is to develop relationships with the students such that they feel comfortable in the environment. The professor should facilitate learner-learner integration and collaboration so that they will learn from one another and expand their knowledge base together. Through an integrative literature review, this article presents key concepts in online learning and a review of different methods of engaging students with the goals of enhancing the learning process and reducing attrition rates. (Contains 1 table.)
Cognitive Load and Modelling of an Algebra Problem
Author: Chinnappan, Mohan
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cognitive Processes,Algebra,Teaching Methods,Models,Mathematical Models,Problem Solving,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Mathematical Concepts,Grade 9,Secondary School Mathematics,Relevance (Education),High School Students

In the present study, I examine a modelling strategy as employed by a teacher in the context of an algebra lesson. The actions of this teacher suggest that a modelling approach will have a greater impact on enriching student learning if we do not lose sight of the need to manage associated cognitive loads that could either aid or hinder the integration of core concepts with processes that are at play. Results here also show that modelling a problem that is set within an authentic context helps learners develop a better appreciation of variables and relations that constitute the model. The teacher's scaffolding actions revealed the use of strategies that foster the development of connected, meaningful and more useable algebraic knowledge. (Contains 1 figure.)
Young Children's Early Modelling with Data
Author: English, Lyn D.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Young Children,Science Curriculum,Mathematical Models,Mathematics Instruction,Data Analysis,Mathematical Logic,Longitudinal Studies,Grade 1,Elementary School Students,Learning Activities,Environmental Education,Foreign Countries

An educational priority of many nations is to enhance mathematical learning in early childhood. One area in need of special attention is that of statistics. This paper argues for a renewed focus on statistical reasoning in the beginning school years, with opportunities for children to engage in data modelling activities. Such modelling involves investigations of meaningful phenomena, deciding what is worthy of attention (identifying complex attributes), and then progressing to organising, structuring, visualising, and representing data. Results reported here are derived from the first year of a three-year longitudinal study in which three classes of first-grade children and their teachers engaged in activities requiring the creation of data models. The theme of &quot;Looking after our Environment,&quot; a component of the children's science curriculum at the time, provided the context for the activities. Findings include children's abilities to focus their attention on qualities of items rather than the items themselves in identifying attributes, switch their attention from one item feature to another, and create a broad range of models in organising, structuring, and representing their data. Children's development of meta-representational knowledge facilitated their choice and nature of data representations. (Contains 2 figures.)
CAS-Enabled Technologies as &quot;Agents Provocateurs&quot; in Teaching and Learning Mathematical Modelling in Secondary School Classrooms
Author: Geiger, Vince
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Uses in Education,Interaction,Classroom Environment,Algebra,Secondary School Mathematics,Mathematical Models,Mathematics Instruction,Teaching Methods,Educational Technology,Teacher Student Relationship,Cooperative Learning,Peer Relationship,Problem Solving,Foreign Countries

This paper draws on a one year study of three secondary school classrooms to examine the nature of student-student-technology interaction when working in partnership with computer algebra systems (CAS) on mathematical modelling tasks and the classroom affordances and constraints that influence such interaction. The analysis of these data indicates that CAS enabled technologies have a role to play as provocateurs of productive student-student-teacher interaction in both small group and whole class settings. Our research indicates that technologies that incorporate CAS capabilities have the potential to mediate collaborative approaches to mathematical enquiry within life-related mathematical tasks. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)
Is There &quot;Life&quot; after &quot;Modelling&quot;? Student Conceptions of Mathematics
Author: Houston, Ken
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Mathematics Education,Foreign Countries,College Mathematics,Mathematical Models,Surveys,Student Attitudes,Questionnaires,Majors (Students),Nonmajors,Phenomenology,Concept Formation,Relevance (Education)

We have been investigating university student conceptions of mathematics over a number of years, with the goal of enhancing student learning and professional development. We developed an open-ended survey of three questions, on &quot;What is mathematics&quot; and two questions about the role of mathematics in the students' future. This questionnaire was completed by 1,200 undergraduate students of mathematics in Australia, the UK, Canada, South Africa, and Brunei. The sample included students ranging from those majoring in mathematics to those taking only one or two modules in mathematics. Responses were analysed starting from a previously-developed phenomenographic framework that required only minor modification, leading to an outcome space of four levels of conceptions about mathematics. We found that for many students modelling is fundamental to their conception of &quot;What is mathematics?&quot;. In a small number of students, we identified a broader conception of mathematics, that we have labelled &quot;Life&quot;. This describes a view of mathematics as a way of thinking about reality and as an integral part of life, and represents an ideal aim for university mathematics education. (Contains 1 table and 1 footnote.)
University Students' Difficulties in Solving Application Problems in Calculus: Student Perspectives
Author: Klymchuk, Sergiy
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Calculus,Engineering Education,College Students,College Mathematics,Mathematics Instruction,Questionnaires,Cross Cultural Studies,Problem Solving,Student Attitudes,Mathematics Skills

This paper reports on the results of an observational parallel study conducted simultaneously at 2 universities--one each in New Zealand and Germany. It deals with university engineering students' difficulties in the formulation step of solving a typical application problem from a first-year calculus course. Two groups of students (54 in New Zealand and 50 in Germany) completed a questionnaire about their difficulties in solving the problem which was set as part of a mid-semester test. The research endeavoured to find reasons most of the students could not use their knowledge to construct a simple function in a familiar context. It was neither lack of mathematics knowledge nor an issue with the context. The students' difficulties are analysed and presented along with their suggestions on how to improve their skills in solving application problems.
Teachers as Managers of the Modelling Process
Author: Lingefjard, Thomas
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematical Models,Mathematics Instruction,Teaching Methods,Mathematics Teachers,Problem Solving,Foreign Countries,Teacher Role,Classroom Communication,Learning Processes

The work in the Comenius Network project Developing Quality in Mathematics Education II (DQME II) has a main focus on development and evaluation of modelling tasks. One reason is the gap between what mathematical modelling is and what is taught in mathematical classrooms. This article deals with one modelling task and focuses on how two teachers handle this task in their classrooms. Initially, the notion of a teacher being the manager of the learning process is elaborated. Using criteria developed from taking this perspective, we analyse classroom sequences to determine the nature of &quot;teaching like a manager&quot; and the actions that are classroom evidence for working in this way. Conclusions include recommendations for how to realise &quot;acting like a manager&quot; in mathematics classrooms. (Contains 2 figures.)
(Fish) Food for Thought: Authority Shifts in the Interaction between Mathematics and Reality
Author: Peled, Irit
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematical Models,Decision Making,Mathematics Instruction,Problem Solving,Mathematical Concepts,Mathematical Logic,Elementary School Mathematics,Secondary School Mathematics,Teaching Methods

This theoretical paper explores the decision-making process involved in modelling and mathematizing situations during problem solving. Specifically, it focuses on the authority behind these choices (i.e., what or who determines the chosen mathematical models). We show that different types of situations involve different sources of authority, thereby creating different degrees of freedom for the problem solver engaged in the modelling process. It also means that mathematics plays different roles in these problems and situations. This epistemological analysis on the meaning of modelling implies that we should reconsider the mathematical status of realistic solutions and raises questions on the validity of some traditional choices of mathematical models and their use in diagnosing children's conceptions. It also suggests constructing modelling tasks by choosing a certain variety of situations that might lead to a better understanding of the roles of mathematics. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)
The Academic Merits of Modelling in Higher Mathematics Education: A Case Study
Author: Perrenet, Jacob
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Education,Foreign Countries,Case Studies,College Mathematics,Problem Solving,Mathematics Curriculum,Undergraduate Study,Knowledge Level,Competence,Curriculum Development,Mathematics Skills,College Faculty,Mathematical Models,Comparative Analysis,Graduate Study

Modelling is an important subject in the Bachelor curriculum of Applied Mathematics at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. Students not only learn how to apply their knowledge to solve mathematical problems posed in non-mathematical language, but also they learn to look actively for, or even construct, mathematical knowledge useful for the problem at hand. A detailed analysis of the academic profile of the curriculum is presented, using a framework of competencies and dimensions, developed at this university by the project, Academic Competencies and Quality Assurance (ACQA). The profile is constructed from the perspective of teachers' ambitions. The research question for the present study is: Are there certain academic characteristics typical for the Modelling Track compared to the characteristics of the other courses in the Eindhoven Bachelor curriculum of Applied Mathematics? The analysis shows that the modelling projects are essential for the development of the designing competencies in the curriculum. Other courses in the curriculum are more intended to develop abstraction capabilities. These results provide supporting arguments for the realistic approach chosen for mathematical modelling education. (Contains 1 table and 8 figures.)