ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Use of Debates as an Approach to Deliver the Course Entitled &quot;The Impact of US Policy on Integration Processes in Europe in the Post-Bipolar Era&quot;
Author: Korniienko, Alina Yu.
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Debate,Teaching Methods,Blended Learning,Student Motivation,Academic Achievement,Student Attitudes,College Instruction,Humanities Instruction,Foreign Countries,Foreign Policy,International Relations,Undergraduate Students,Multiple Intelligences,Cognitive Style,Instructional Effectiveness

The purpose of this research was to identify how the use of a debate-based course delivery approach merged with a flipped classroom model influenced the students' academic outcomes and motivation in relation to their intelligence type and how the sampled students perceived the course delivery approach and certain debate-related activities. Sampled students' academic performance records, an evaluation survey to obtain students' feedback on both the course delivery approach and the effectiveness of the activities like 'Think-Pair-Share', 'Write-Pair-Share', 'Illogical story-telling', 'Treasure Hunt', case-study, 'One Minute Paper', 'Attitude/motivation test battery' as intelligence type-based diagnostics of learners' motivation, and a focus-group semi-structured interview were used as the instruments. SPSS 10.0.5 computer statistical package was used to process data. The use of debates to deliver the instructional content to the tertiary students can be considered a three-vector approach capable to bring a positive change to learning motivation, cognitive (intellectual) activity, self-esteem (self-efficacy) of a student and the overall quality of the vocational training system of the historians and lawyers-to-be. This study boosts the methodology of vocational training of the students majoring in humanities like History/Law in terms of fostering the 21st century-competencies and it adds a different perspective to the theory on relation between the type of intelligence and skills. This approach fosters learner autonomy and positive perception of challenging educational activities. It was found that it was prerequisite for the success of the above approach that there was a well-trained debate moderator, and debate-procedure-aware and trained students. The further research is needed in purposeful introduction of NLP training into the above model and examination its impacts.
Experiences of Student Nurses on the Use of the Two-Week Block System at the Satellite Campus of a Higher Education Institution in Namibia
Author: Shatimwene, Gelasius Panduleni
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Multicampus Colleges,Block Scheduling,Foreign Countries,Nursing Students,Student Experience,Clinical Experience,Program Effectiveness,Undergraduate Students,Public Colleges,Time Management,Theory Practice Relationship,Attendance,Competence,Low Achievement,Stress Variables,Program Length

Clinical Training is intended to prepare nursing students for future nursing practice in both private and public facilities. As do many nursing training institutions globally, this Higher Education Institution (HEI) uses the two-week block system as a teaching system. However, despite the two-week block system, it would appear that, due to the increased number of nursing students, the aligning of practical exposure with theoretical instruction is becoming difficult in balancing theory and practice for both student and academics. Such alignment requires institutions of higher learning to establish which teaching systems are likely to promote the correlation between theory and practice. The experiences of students may be used to identify positive learning environment for students. This study aimed to explore and understand the personal experiences of student nurses studying at Higher Education Institution HEI in Namibia in relation to the use of the two-week block system. The objectives of the study included exploring and describing the experiences of student nurses regarding the two-week block system at the HEI with a view to ascertaining the negative impact, if any, of such a teaching system on their studies. A study employed a qualitative approach which comprised an explorative and descriptive research design, using purposive sampling. The research population in the study consisted of first to fourth year, undergraduate nursing students who were studying at a satellite campus of a HEI in Namibia. The requisite data was collected from four focus group discussions which were each conducted with six to seven participants. The transcribed interviews and narratives from the research notes were then organised into main themes and sub-themes. Three main themes and nine sub-themes were identified. The findings of the study indicated that two-week block system was associated with challenges as was evidenced by the following themes that had emerged from the study, namely, different experiences of the two-week block system, various effects of the two-week block system and recommendations to School of Nursing (SoN). The study recommended that the HEI extend the two-week block system to a one-month block system in order to give the students sufficient time in which to put the theory they have learnt into practice.
Publishing at Any Cost? The Need for the Improvement of the Quality of Scholarly Publications
Author: Sá, Maria José
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Scholarship,Faculty Publishing,Scientific Research,Periodicals,Credibility,Electronic Publishing,Prevention,Deception,Reputation,Peer Evaluation,Authors,Fees

At a time of great dynamism among publishers of scientific publications, with the inevitability of Open Access and the ease of publishing online at low cost, it is possible to find publications with different levels of scientific respectability. In this context, the improvement of the quality of scholarly publications emerges as a critical element for publishers, authors and academic institutions, as well as for society in general. This opinion piece discusses Open Access journals with different levels of quality, focusing on the following quality-promoting measures: blacklists, author's preparation, and institutional prevention. The analysis allows concluding that the open review will be one of the key elements in the process of clarification and promotion of the level of quality and consequent scientific respectability of each of the Journals, of the thousands currently existing, a number that is likely to increase.
The Effects of Dynamic Criteria Mapping Assessment on Students&apos; Conceptions and Writing Skills Development
Author: Birhan, Amare Tesfie
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Writing Skills,Writing Improvement,Skill Development,Student Attitudes,Alternative Assessment,Student Evaluation,Writing Evaluation,College Freshmen,Foreign Countries

Learner center assessment procedure and application is very crucial for students writing skills improvement. Hence, this study aimed to explore the effects of dynamic criteria mapping assessment on students' conceptions and writing skills development with reference to Vygotsky, zone of proximity development. To examine the issues, time series, quasi experimental research design was employed. The major data gathering tools were pre and post-tests, questionnaire and focus group discussion. Multistage sampling technique was employed to choose the sample of the study, and 63 first year software engineering students were the subjects of the study. Among these participants, 32 students were assigned to experimental group and the other 31 students' were assigned to control group. The findings indicated that dynamic criteria mapping assessment was effective in improving students writing skills development; students were able to construct sentence with better text structure and arguments. Furthermore, they used various cohesive devices, appropriate punctuation marks and dictions in their writing. Moreover, the assessment techniques had changed their conceptions on learning writing skills and engagement in writing assessment. Generally, the researcher learned that dynamic criteria mapping assessment strategy was vital to enhance students writing skills and conceptions on learning writing skills. Lastly, it is recommended that teachers should prepare various and dynamic criteria with their respective students while they assess their students writing skills, and teachers should not use judgmental assessment techniques.
Adaptation of the Gamification User Types Hexad Scale into Turkish
Author: Akgün, Özcan Erkan
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Measures (Individuals),Turkish,Media Adaptation,Translation,College Students,Test Reliability,Test Validity,English,Correlation,Games,Foreign Countries

The aim of this study is to adapt the Gamification User Types Hexad Scale (GUTHS) created based on Marczewski's(2015) user type hexad framework and validated by Tondello et al. (2016) into the Turkish context. The original scale consists of six dimensions, each of which has four items. The dimensions -- and the user types that they refer to -- are &quot;Free spirit,&quot; &quot;Socializer,&quot; &quot;Achiever,&quot; &quot;Philanthropist,&quot; &quot;Player,&quot; and &quot;Disruptor.&quot; It is the motive of this study that identifying and studying these user types may prove useful for understanding the effects of gamification dynamics and mechanics and assist in designing specific gamification techniques corresponding to each user type. The adaptation of the instrument began with translation, continued with an examination of the linguistic equivalence, and finalized with analyses of validity and reliability. The scale items were initially translated by the researchers. The translation was examined by seven experts with good English proficiency to finalize the Turkish version. To verify the linguistic equivalence, both the Turkish and English versions were then administered to 30 English Language Education (ELE) students. The correlation findings showed a high degree of correlation between the Turkish and English versions. Next, the Turkish version was administered to 452 university students studying at the Faculty of Education, Sakarya University, to check its validity and reliability. The results obtained from a confirmatory factor analysis and the reliability analysis indicate that the Turkish version of the scale is valid and reliable. It is recommended to use the translated scale in research especially on determining the effects of factors related to user types and on designing more affective gamification strategies.
Data Fit Comparison of Mixture Item Response Theory Models and Traditional Models
Author: Yalçin, Seher
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Item Response Theory,Models,Goodness of Fit,Multiple Choice Tests,Science Tests,Test Items,Difficulty Level,Foreign Countries,National Competency Tests

The purpose of this study is to determine the best IRT model [Rasch, 2PL, 3PL, 4PL and mixed IRT (2 and 3PL)] for the science and technology subtest of the Transition from Basic Education to Secondary Education (TEOG) exam, which is carried out at national level, it is also aimed to predict the item parameters under the best model. This study is a basic research as it contributes to the information production which is fundamental for test development theories. The study group of the research is composed of 5000 students who were randomly selected from students who participated in TEOG exam in 2015. The analyses were carried out on 17 multiple choice items in TEOG science and technology subtest. When model fit indices were evaluated, the MixIRT model with two parameters and three latent classes was found to fit the data best. According to this model, when the difficulties and discrimination averages of the items are taken into account, it can be expressed that items are moderately difficult and discriminative for students in latent class-1; the items are considerably easy and able to slightly distinguish the students in latent class-2; the items are difficult to the students in the third latent class and they can slightly distinguish the students in this group.
Examination of Factors Affecting Students&apos; Reading-Comprehension Achievement with Structural Equation Modeling
Author: Ülper, Hakan
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Reading Comprehension,Academic Achievement,Secondary School Students,Reading Fluency,Silent Reading,Predictor Variables,Reading Tests

It is noted in the light of several studies associated with the reading-comprehension skills that fluent word reading, connectives knowledge and fluent text reading are closely related to the comprehension skill. Hence it seems possible to create a model over these concepts and their interrelationships. Within the scope of this research two different models are proposed considering theoretical information. The study group of the research was composed of 263 secondary school students at a state school in Burdur province. Three different confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed to see whether factor structures were confirmed on the sample by using the maximum estimate method of the AMOS 18 software. Analysis of Covariance and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance were performed to determine whether the demographic variables grade level and gender had a significant effect on the scale scores. These analyzes were also performed in the SPSS 18 program. It has been found that as the grade level of the students increases, connective usage knowledge increases, the fluent silent word reading, the fluent silent text reading, the reading comprehension and the academic achievements increase as the grade level increases. This research concluded that reading comprehension strongly and significantly predicted academic achievement. But however, fluent silent text reading did not predict reading comprehension significantly. According to the results of the research, the model formed by the sub-dimensions of binding usage information shows better fit.
Scaling of Ideal Teachers Characteristics with Pairwise Comparison Judgments According to Pre-Service Teachers Opinions
Author: Yasar, Metin
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Characteristics,Scaling,Preservice Teachers,Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes,Gender Differences,Evening Programs,Grades (Scholastic),Student Characteristics

In this study, scaling the characteristics that should be found in an ideal teacher according to the pre-service teachers by using the pairwise comparison method was aimed. Thirteen characteristics that an ideal teacher should have were given to 211 pre-service teachers in the working group, and these 13 properties were first asked to be considered as a whole, and then each property was asked to be compared to another property, one by one, to prefer one property to another. The research data were obtained from 211 pre-service teachers in fall semester of the 2015-2016 academic year. The data were scaled according to the pairwise comparison method. According to the findings obtained, when the characteristics were aligned from the most important characteristic that an ideal teacher should have according to the pre-service teachers to the most unimportant one, it was determined that; he/she should have an intellectual personality (U10) should have a sense of humor (U7), should be open to being criticized (U2), should be motivating (U1), should have a smiling expression (U5), should have a good usage of diction (U8), should be trustworthy (U3), should be creative (U6), should be a researcher (U9), should use teaching techniques well (U10), should give importance to the students (U4), should have good communication skills (U9), should keep the distance with the students (U12).
Development of a Scale to Evaluate Virtual Learning Environment Satisfaction
Author: Hamutoglu, Nazire Burcin
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Psychometrics,Electronic Learning,Educational Technology,Virtual Classrooms,Foreign Countries,Test Reliability,Test Validity,Student Satisfaction,College Students

Recent advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) have resulted in improvements in the delivery of education. It is a wellknown fact that learning technologies currently have a pivotal role in education. Amongst them, Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are widely used in education. The role of VLEs in improving quality and interaction in education as well as enabling better achievement through the use of a wealth of activities in teaching and learning is widely reported in the literature. However, there is a gap regarding the development of measurement instruments, especially in the Turkish context. Therefore, this study reports the development of a scale to evaluate students' satisfaction with respect to the use of VLEs in educational settings to address this gap. The dimensions of the scale are contribution (CONT), satisfaction (SAT), and communication (COM), and the scale is formed of 13 items. The sample consists of students enrolled in the Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies, studying on blended and face-to-face learning programs. First, the reliability of the instrument was calculated by Cronbach Alpha coefficient and test-retest reliability correlation coefficient. The Cronbach Alpha coefficients were found to be 0.87, 0.83, and 0.81 for CONT, SAT, and COM sub-dimensions respectively. The overall reliability of the scale was 0.92. EFA and CFA were conducted on the data collected from two different sample groups (206 and 186 students for EFA and CFA respectively) for the validity analyses of the scale. Results confirm that the scale is valid and reliable. While the t-test analysis shows no significant difference between gender groups, ANOVA revealed significant differences when year of study is considered.
Use of Full Hierarchy Consistency Index to Assess Response Consistency
Author: Akbay, Lokman
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reliability,Goodness of Fit,Cognitive Measurement,Models,Response Style (Tests),Test Items

Measurement models need to properly delineate the real aspect of examinees' response processes for measurement accuracy purposes. To avoid invalid inferences, fit of examinees' response data to the model is studied through &quot;person-fit&quot; statistics. Misfit between the examinee response data and measurement model may be due to invalid models and/or examinee's aberrant response behavior such as cheating, creative responding, and random responding. Hierarchy consistency index (HCI) was introduced as a person-fit statistics to assess classification reliability of particular cognitive diagnosis models. This study examines the HCI in terms of its usefulness under nonhierarchical attribute conditions and under different item types. Moreover, current form of HCI formulation only considers the information based on correct answers only. We argue and demonstrate that more information could be obtained by incorporating the information that may be obtained from incorrect responses. Therefore, this study considers the full-version of the HCI (i.e., FHCI). Results indicate that current form of HCI is sensitive to misfitting item types (i.e., basic or more complex) and examinee attribute patterns. In other words, HCI is affected by the attribute pattern an examinee has as well as by the item s/he aberrantly responded. Yet, FHCI is not severely affected by item types under any examinee attribute pattern.
Construction and Validation of Physics Aptitude Test as an Assessment Tool for Senior Secondary School Students
Author: Osadebe, Patrick Uzo
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Test Construction,Test Validity,Physics,Secondary School Science,Science Instruction,Secondary School Students,Test Items,Test Reliability,Aptitude,Foreign Countries,Difficulty Level

The purpose of the study was to construct and validate a Physics Aptitude Test (PAT) for senior secondary schools. The test was designed primarily as an assessment tool for senior secondary school students who have aptitude for Physics. Four research questions guided the study. It was an instrumentation study designed to produce an assessment tool for senior secondary school students. A sample of 200 students was randomly selected through stratified random sampling technique. The data collected were analysed to determine the validity of the test, item validity through item analysis and reliability of the Physics Aptitude Test. The findings revealed that the Physics Aptitude Test (PAT) has adequate face and content validities. It is made up of 50 items. The difficulty and Discrimination indices were appropriate because they are within the standard range of indices for the test. Difficulty indices range from 0.30 to 0.70, Discrimination indices range from 0.30 to 0.44. A reliability coefficient of 0.94 was obtained through Kuder Richardson formula 20 as a measure of internal consistency. Since the Physics Aptitude Test (PAT) was highly valid and reliable, it was recommended that it should always be used as an assessment tool for determining the aptitude of senior secondary school students in Physics.
Measurement Invariance of Science Self-Efficacy Scale in PISA
Author: Uysal, Nermin Kibrislioglu
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,International Assessment,Achievement Tests,Secondary School Students,Self Efficacy,Self Concept Measures,Gender Differences,Test Reliability,Sciences

The aim of this study is to find out whether the science self-efficacy scale in PISA 2006 and PISA 2015 applications ensure measurement invariance. Sample of the study consists of 4791 students in PISA 2006 and 5071 students in PISA 2015 implementation. Multi-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFI) was performed to determine invariance of the science self-efficacy scale across year and gender. Invariance stages were examined by means of the comparison of fit indexes. The results of the study indicated that the science self-efficacy scale satisfied all stages of invariance by gender both in 2006 and 2015. Structural and metric invariance was provided for both gender across years and total group across years.
High School Students&apos; Performances on Proof Comprehension Tests
Author: Inam, Bahattin
Date: 2018-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: High School Students,Grade 11,Mathematical Concepts,Validity,Mathematical Logic,Comprehension,Knowledge Level,Foreign Countries,Geometry

This study is a part of a large scale project in which an action research design is used to teach proof to 11th grade students. This part of the project aims to identify students' comprehension level through five proof comprehension tests developed by the researchers based on the National Geometry Curriculum. Data were analyzed by considering the framework of Yang and Lin's (2008) multilevel model. Results showed none of the students were successful at the most sophisticated level of the proof comprehension tests which requires conducting a proof in various ways or proving different theorems by using the same proof methods. Moreover, the highest proof comprehension was obtained from the level containing knowledge about definition, properties, and meanings of symbols. Achievement and comprehension decreased for components of a proof needing higher level mathematical skills. Based on the study's results, suggestions about teaching proof are provided.