ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Learning Processes in Blended Language Learning: A Mixed-Methods Approach
Author: Shahrokni, Seyed Abdollah
Date: 2013-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Learning Processes,Blended Learning,Semi Structured Interviews,Synchronous Communication,Computer Mediated Communication,Integrated Learning Systems,Interviews,Student Attitudes,Positive Attitudes,Navigation (Information Systems),Computer Assisted Instruction,Language Proficiency,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Computer Interfaces,Web Sites,Web 2.0 Technologies

This article attempts to investigate the learning processes in blended language learning through assessing sources of information: logs, chat and forum scripts, and semi-structured interviews. Creating a MOODLE-based parallel component to face-to-face instruction for a group of EFL learners, we probed into 2,984 logged actions providing raw information on 3 levels, 10 courses, 115 participants, 180 days, and 6 activities. Having analyzed the trends and determined the navigational patterns, we attempted to triangulate the findings with students' 5 chat and 5 forum interactions commenting on their online experience, and further 14 interviews. The results confirmed the trend in logged data, suggesting that the forum, messages, and chat were among the most favorite online tasks the participants attempted in their respective courses, allowing them to share ideas a/synchronously. Furthermore, the interview data indicated that the participants had an overall positive attitude towards blended language courses. The findings suggest that navigation in social-constructivist courseware is communication-oriented, with students trying to compensate for their face-to-face limitations through a/synchronous CMC tools. The results have implications for language teaching professionals and curriculum designers.
First-Year Japanese University Students' Language Learning Beliefs: Continuity and Change
Author: Yonesaka, Suzanne M.
Date: 2013-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,College Freshmen,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Role,Cultural Influences,Communicative Competence (Languages),Teaching Methods,Student Attitudes,Factor Analysis,Statistical Analysis,Language Proficiency,Scores,Language Tests,Social Change,Goal Orientation,Surveys,Item Analysis

Japan's government has mandated a shift from traditional to communicative methodologies in secondary English classrooms (Tanabe, 2004), but it is unclear whether this has affected student beliefs about language learning. This study investigates the beliefs of 315 incoming university students at a large private university in Japan from 2006 through 2011 using Sakui and Gaies's (1999) 45-item beliefs survey. Factor analysis found four belief factors: Positive Attitude, L1 Instruction Orientation, Traditional Orientation, and Expectations for School. Although ANOVA found no significant differences among the cohorts for the means of the four belief factors or for English proficiency scores, cluster analysis found three orientations: traditionalist, independent, and persevering. Learner beliefs about the insufficiency of English education at school, the importance of listening and speaking practice, and the role of culture and other outside factors appear relatively stable in spite of curricular changes. However, in contrast to earlier studies (Riley, 2006; Sakui &amp; Gaies, 1999), learner beliefs are not linked to traditional or communicative methodologies, but to personal goals, language choice, and the growing normalcy of English. We conclude that students' beliefs, though stable, are also sensitive to social change, evolving even before curriculum changes are implemented.
Authoring Teacher Development in a Graduate Seminar in Vietnam
Author: Baurain, Bradley
Date: 2013-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,English Teachers,Faculty Development,Diaries,Portfolios (Background Materials),Lesson Plans,Student Projects,Expectation,Personal Narratives,Inquiry,Praxis,Course Content,Research Methodology,Language Teachers,Graduate Students,Graduate Study

The purpose of this narrative inquiry is to explore stories of teacher development experienced by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in a graduate seminar in Vietnam. The author was the instructor for the course, entitled &quot;Literature and Language Teaching.&quot; Three types of data were collected: course documents, a professional diary kept by the author, and student portfolios, including diary entries, writing assignments, lesson plans, and group projects. Within a narrative framework, this study reveals the authoring processes underlying professional development in lived experience. Specifically, three narratives are (re)constructed around the theme of expectations--a collective seminar participants' story about overturned expectations, an individual participant's story about revived expectations, and a curricular story about fused personal and professional expectations. Teacher development is thus perceived not as a linear process of skill-building, but rather as a multidimensional process of narrative construction that problematizes boundaries between the personal and the professional and emerges as a story of coming to understand experience in ways that promote teacher praxis.
Teaching Reading through Computer-Assisted Language Learning
Author: Bhatti, Tariq Muhammad
Date: 2013-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Teaching Methods,Computer Assisted Instruction,Comparative Analysis,Conventional Instruction,Secondary School Students,Reading Instruction,Pretests Posttests,Reading Comprehension,Reading Skills,Scores

To study the role of reading in secondary schools and how it may be improved through computers, a year-long study was conducted to examine which of two methods of teaching reading skills, an instructor-led class vs. computer-assisted language learning (CALL), aided secondary students in improving the literal, inferential, and evaluative levels of reading skills. This experimental research study included two randomly selected groups of ninth-grade students of a public sector secondary school of District Khairpur Mir's, Sindh, Pakistan. Both groups received 24 reading lessons either through CALL or through an instructor-led method. Participants' reading skills were measured by pre- and post-tests by a panel of three examiners. A paired one-tailed t-test was used to analyze test scores. Results show that CALL was 35% more effective than the traditional instructor-led class. Although the study suggests that CALL provides a more conducive learning environment for teaching reading, it must be used effectively.
Intercultural Blended Design Considerations: A Case Study of a Nordic-Baltic Course in Autism Intervention
Author: Kack, Annika
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Autism,Foreign Countries,Focus Groups,Interviews,Surveys,Case Studies,Student Attitudes,Graduate Students,Blended Learning,Functional Behavioral Assessment,Teaching Methods,Educational Benefits,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Intervention,Course Descriptions,Intercultural Communication,Questionnaires

Specialized educational programs previously unavailable to many students are now accessible to students spread throughout the world. In particular, this globalization presents new opportunities and challenges for universities educating professionals in the field of autism treatment. The aim of the present case study is to analyse the experiences of students who participated in an intercultural graduate level blended learning course in applied behaviour analysis with an autism focus. Students were enrolled in universities in four Nordic-Baltic countries. Country based focus group interviews and surveys were used to explore student's experiences and perceptions. Results indicate that access to expertise and interacting with other cultures were noted to positively affect learning experience. Risk for cultural divide due to discrepancies in technology, differing pedagogical traditions, and understanding of English were also reported. Implications regarding the potential risks and benefits inherent in intercultural blended learning courses are discussed and suggestions are offered for enhancing the success of such courses.
Predicting Dropout Student: An Application of Data Mining Methods in an Online Education Program
Author: Yukselturk, Erman
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Distance Education,Dropout Characteristics,Prediction,Information Technology,Online Surveys,Questionnaires,Locus of Control,Prior Learning,Self Efficacy,Demography,Readiness,Predictor Variables,Educational Attainment,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Performance Factors,Data Analysis,Foreign Countries,Data Processing,Dropout Research

This study examined the prediction of dropouts through data mining approaches in an online program. The subject of the study was selected from a total of 189 students who registered to the online Information Technologies Certificate Program in 2007-2009. The data was collected through online questionnaires (Demographic Survey, Online Technologies Self-Efficacy Scale, Readiness for Online Learning Questionnaire, Locus of Control Scale, and Prior Knowledge Questionnaire). The collected data included 10 variables, which were gender, age, educational level, previous online experience, occupation, self efficacy, readiness, prior knowledge, locus of control, and the dropout status as the class label (dropout/not). In order to classify dropout students, four data mining approaches were applied based on k-Nearest Neighbour (k-NN), Decision Tree (DT), Naive Bayes (NB) and Neural Network (NN). These methods were trained and tested using 10-fold cross validation. The detection sensitivities of 3-NN, DT, NN and NB classifiers were 87%, 79.7%, 76.8% and 73.9% respectively. Also, using Genetic Algorithm (GA) based feature selection method, online technologies self-efficacy, online learning readiness, and previous online experience were found as the most important factors in predicting the dropouts.
A Preliminary Exploration of Operating Models of Second Cycle/Research Led Open Education Involving Industry Collaboration
Author: Olsson, Ulf
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Open Education,School Business Relationship,Technology Uses in Education,Online Courses,Cooperation,Research and Development,Scientists,Positive Attitudes,Interviews,Organizational Objectives,Models,Educational Strategies,Problems,Barriers,Higher Education

Scientists from five Swedish universities were interviewed about open second cycle education. Research groups and scientists collaborate closely with industry, and the selection of scientists for the study was made in relation to an interest in developing technology-enhanced open education, indicated by applications for funding from the Knowledge Foundation 2013. The study is founded on Conole's (2012) seven organizational purposes for open education, Coursera's eight models (Daniel, 2012), and Clarke's (2013) four strategies for open education, and raises the question whether open education and MOOCs might be a way to reinforce research collaborations and research environments. The researchers displayed a positive attitude towards expanding the technology-enhanced learning and openness, and foresee few problems with openness when industry participates in teaching. Nonetheless, the scientists' operating models and strategies for developing technology-enhanced learning and open education, are vague. Conclusively: although the interest is obvious, in order to succeed with technology-enhanced open education and strengthening the research groups, the variables for purposes, operating models, strategies, pedagogic models, and obstacles need to be calibrated and made more deliberated, preferably in collaboration between the scientists and industry.
An Exploratory Study of Emotional Affordance of a Massive Open Online Course
Author: Cheng, Jeremy C. Y.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Open Universities,Online Courses,Distance Education,Educational Technology,Computer Uses in Education,Emotional Response,Altruism,Cooperative Learning,Student Diversity,Age Differences,Computer Science Education,Computer Mediated Communication,Affective Behavior,Motivation,Cognitive Processes,Interaction,Social Influences

This exploratory study examines emotional affordance of a massive open online course (MOOC). Postings in a discussion forum of a MOOC in computer science are analysed following a research design informed by virtual ethnography. Emotional affordance is investigated, focusing on non-achievement emotions which are not directly linked to achievement activities or outcomes. The study identifies two non-achievement emotions in the MOOC. First, altruistic emotion evolves with the collaborative learning community and possibly compensates for teachers' minimal emotional intervention in a large, diverse class. Second, intergenerational emotional resonance is observed and this bears a key implication on managing age diversity for the future MOOCs.
Treatment of Sexual Offenders: Research, Best Practices, and Emerging Models
Author: Yates, Pamela M.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Best Practices,Intervention,Correctional Rehabilitation,Institutionalized Persons,Criminals,Recidivism,Cognitive Restructuring,Behavior Modification,Self Management,Therapy,Crime Prevention,Counseling Techniques,Sexual Abuse,Models

Treatment of sexual offenders has evolved substantially over the years; various theoretical and practice models of treatment been developed, modified, refined, and proposed over time. The predominant current recommended approach, supported by research, adheres to specific principles of effective correctional intervention, follows a cognitive-behavioral, skills-based orientation, and explicitly targets risk factors empirically associated with sexual offending and with recidivism, such that risk of re-offending may be reduced. Cognitive-behavioral treatment focuses on changing behavior, cognition, and affect, using a skills-based approach, with the aim of reducing risk of recidivism, and includes specific characteristics and methods on the part of treatment providers. Treatment is also guided by specific principles of intervention to maximize effectiveness. New models of treatment have been proposed with the aim of replacing and/or augmenting existing models. This article discusses existing and emerging models, their research basis, and recommendations for best practice in the treatment of sexual offenders.
Effectively Utilizing the &quot;Behavioral&quot; in Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy of Sex Offenders
Author: Jennings, Jerry L.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Group Therapy,Sexual Abuse,Cognitive Restructuring,Rape,Self Disclosure (Individuals),Social Cognition,Criminals,Interpersonal Relationship,Attachment Behavior,Behavior Change,Intervention,Nonverbal Communication,Self Esteem,Empathy,Metacognition

Although cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is touted as the predominant approach in sex offender-specific group treatment, a review of the field shows that the &quot;behavioral&quot; part of CBT has become minimal in relation to that which is cognitive. The authors show how a revitalized &quot;behavioral sensibility&quot; may help to enhance group treatment by focusing greater attention on directly observable behaviors. This clinical practice article presents an array of behaviorally-oriented techniques for conducting groups, beginning with the establishment of an operant group environment that supports behavior change; expanding empirical awareness of events occurring in group; streamlining interventions with non-verbal signals; targeted reinforcement of social interaction and bonding; and more. The article also describes several behavioral techniques designed specifically for sex offender-specific groups, which can enhance self-disclosure, social awareness, self-esteem, empathy, and management of deviant thoughts.
The Effects of an Interdependent Group Oriented Contingency and Performance Feedback on the Praise Statements of Pre-Service Teachers during a Summer Day-Camp for Children with Disabilities
Author: Smith, Clinton
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Disabilities,Summer Programs,Day Camp Programs,Feedback (Response),Contingency Management,Program Effectiveness,Positive Reinforcement,Preservice Teachers,Teacher Behavior,Urban Areas,Children,Group Activities,Leadership Role,Child Behavior,Behavior Modification

Teacher praise is one of the most important elements of teaching and learning. Behavioral consultation with and without performance has been shown to be an effective method for increasing instructional praise. The authors used an ABCBC design to investigate the effects of an interdependent group oriented contingency (GC) and the GC plus performance feedback (GC+) on the rate of praise per student of six pre-service teacher group leaders during an eight week summer camp for children with disabilities. The results showed that the GC was partially or totally effective in increasing praise for three of the participants over baseline levels and the GC+ was effective in increasing praise of all six participants. The results are discussed within the context of literature on behavioral consultation.
Some Essential Environmental Ingredients for Sex Offender Reintegration
Author: Boer, Douglas P.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Criminals,Sexual Abuse,Rehabilitation,Recidivism,Prevention,Intervention,Adults,Juvenile Justice,Risk,Resilience (Psychology),Social Support Groups,Occupations,Program Content,Planning

Until the systematic work on the Good Lives Model (GLM) produced by Tony Ward, not a great deal of conceptual structure existed to provide sex offender treatment specialists with a theoretical underpinning for their work in helping offenders develop a better life as a way to prevent reoffending. However, the work of Ward and colleagues initially focussed more attention to making treatment more effective, with less attention devoted to applications of the GLM to the reintegration of sexual offenders into the community. It is the contention of this article that expanding the focus of reintegration planning so that it includes the recognition of ingredients in the offender&apos;s environment that support reintegration will make that process more effective and hopefully thus help to reduce reoffending. The basic environmental ingredients essential to effective community reintegration discussed in this article fit well with the general GLM model and apply to all sex offenders, including both adults and juveniles, and include the elements of support, occupation, accommodation, programs, and plans (SOAPP). It is acknowledged that these are but a subset of the protective factors relevant to effective community reintegration, but these are nevertheless some of the essential ingredients, in the author&apos;s view, for helping to ensure a &quot;Good Life.&quot;
Implications of Our Developing Understanding of Risk and Protective Factors in the Treatment of Adult Male Sexual Offenders
Author: Thornton, David
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Sexual Abuse,Recidivism,Criminals,Resilience (Psychology),Males,Adults,Counseling Techniques,Rehabilitation,Psychological Patterns,Sexuality,Attitudes,Mental Health,Interpersonal Competence,Skill Development,At Risk Persons,Rape,Mental Disorders,Coping,Self Control

This paper summarizes our developing knowledge of factors that contribute added risk of sexual recidivism (risk factors) and factors that are associated with a reduced risk of sexual recidivism (protective factors). Specific implications for the design of future treatment programs are drawn. This information is contrasted with the common foci of sexual offender treatment programs that were designed before these research findings emerged, and suggestions made about how common clinical tasks might be re-revisited and revised in the light of this new knowledge.
Comparison of Younger and Older Adults' Acceptability of Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder Co-Occurring with Parkinson's Disease
Author: Lundervold, Duane A.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Diseases,Anxiety Disorders,Older Adults,Young Adults,Age Differences,Medical Services,Drug Therapy,Attitude Measures,Behavior Modification,Cognitive Restructuring,Comorbidity,Individual Characteristics,Counseling Techniques,Family Influence

Acceptability ratings of medication or Behavioral Relaxation Training (BRT), for general anxiety disorder (GAD) co-occurring with Parkinson's Disease (PD) were obtained from younger (&quot;n&quot; = 79) and older (&quot;n&quot; = 54) adults. Participants read a case description of an older adult with PD and comorbid GAD followed by a description of BRT or medication presented in counterbalanced fashion and then provided acceptability ratings. A two (younger, older adult) x two (medication, BRT) mixed factorial ANOVA was performed with AARP scores as the dependent variable. Results replicate and extend earlier research indicating that behavioral and cognitive behavioral treatments for older adults are more acceptable than medication. Moreover, the effect of age cohort, demographic characteristics and psychological comorbidity did not affect acceptability ratings.
Multicultural Alliance of Behavior Analysis Standards for Cultural Competence in Behavior Analysis
Author: Fong, Elizabeth Hughes
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cultural Awareness,Standards,Guidelines,Counselor Training,Cultural Pluralism,Ethics,Functional Behavioral Assessment,Health Services,Health Personnel,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Patients,Strategic Planning,Translation,Information Sources,Referral,Counselor Characteristics,Values,Professional Education,Metacognition

The United States Census bureau projects there will be significant increases in racial and ethnic diversity over the next four decades, in part due to international migration (Guarneri &amp; Ortman, 2009). Due to the increase in culturally diverse populations working within the framework of behavior analysis, clinicians must ensure that they are properly educated and aware of cultural competences. While there have been guidelines established for responsible conduct, and diversity policies, there has yet to be standards to ensure cultural competence in the field of behavior analysis. This article will attempt to define culture, competence and cultural competence, as well as provide recommendations for application and future challenges.