ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Pre-Service Teachers' Views: How Did E-Feedback through Assessment Facilitate Their Learning?
Author: Chang, Ni
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Preservice Teachers,Time Management,Writing Skills,Preservice Teacher Education,Electronic Learning,Student Evaluation,Student Surveys,Computer Assisted Instruction,Student Attitudes,Assignments,Internet,Computer Mediated Communication,Predictor Variables

This survey study was intended to explore whether or not students supported the way a university course instructor provided timely and detailed e-feedback directly onto their online assignments and how the e-feedback facilitated their learning. Twenty pre-service teachers, who had experienced the process, participated in the study. The data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively to answer the research questions. The findings indicate that the majority of students favored the instructor's provision of e-feedback. From their perspectives, the feedback was helpful, immediate, and convenient, allowing them to know whether they were &quot;on the right track&quot;, encouraged them to think, enhanced their learning through reflections and corrections, and promoted their time management and writing skills. Implications of the study and suggestions for further research are provided at the conclusion of this report. (Contains 5 tables.)
Evaluation of the ARDESOS Program: An Initiative to Improve Critical Thinking Skills
Author: Saiz, Carlos
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Problem Solving,Logical Thinking,Inferences,Thinking Skills,Critical Thinking,Program Evaluation,Decision Making Skills,Skill Development,Test Construction,Problem Based Learning,College Students,Direct Instruction,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Comparative Analysis,Pretests Posttests,Quasiexperimental Design,Group Activities,College Instruction

It is desirable that reasoning, problem-solving and decision-making skills should form an integral part of our private and professional lives. Here we show how these skills can be improved through the use of the ARDESOS program. To test the effect of the program, we have also developed an assessment test (PENCRISAL). Our results are going in the desired direction. The ability to decide and make inductive inferences was improved, and this improvement was also seen in argumentation, although indirectly. In the future we must therefore improve our interventions in all factors, but in particular those referring to induction and problem-solving. Much remains to be done from the procedural point of view, but the preliminary results are very promising and we are convinced that our initiative has a good conceptual grounding. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)
Collateral Opportunity for Increased Faculty Collaboration and Development through a Mentored Critical Thinking and Writing Exercise in a Dental School Curriculum
Author: Hoover, Terry E.
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Productivity,Dental Schools,Writing Exercises,Critical Thinking,Teacher Collaboration,Assignments,College Faculty,Faculty Development,Mentors,Literature Reviews,Teacher Surveys,Questionnaires,Course Descriptions,Program Effectiveness

This essay examines the collateral benefits to faculty from a guided learning literature review project for students. We describe a 3-year continuum of project creation and refinement designed to foster critical thinking and writing for second year dental students at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. We discuss how this exercise suggested that a potential for faculty partnerships and increased interest in development could be derived through such a collaborative pedagogy. Finally we consider the value of such a mentored teaching and learning exercise as an intentional strategy for increasing the potential for new teaching, learning, and scholarly productivity beyond original acquaintances and disciplines as well as stimulating individual faculty desire for growth. (Contains 4 tables.)
Why Can't We Be Friends? Using Music to Teach Social Justice
Author: Levy, Denise L.
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Social Justice,Music,Educational Strategies,College Instruction,Instructional Effectiveness,Interdisciplinary Approach,Discussion (Teaching Technique),Social Work,Popular Culture,Instructional Materials,Audiovisual Aids,Music Activities

Listening to music is an emotional and educational experience that has the potential to shape an individual's values, actions, and worldview. Widely used in elementary education, music can also be a fresh, innovative teaching tool in higher education. Although it can be applied to virtually any subject area, critical reflection and discussion of music can especially complement courses related to the concept of social justice. This paper provides a review of the literature on using music to teach justice-related concepts, an illustration of ways in which the authors have utilized music in their own courses, and conclusions for educators.
Improving Student Engagement in a Lower-Division Botany Course
Author: Goldberg, Nisse A.
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learner Engagement,Feedback (Response),Educational Strategies,Concept Mapping,Class Activities,Student Attitudes,Botany,Biology,Thinking Skills,Teaching Methods,Critical Thinking,Student Surveys,Creativity,Problem Solving,Student Participation,Undergraduate Students,Undergraduate Study,Lecture Method,Classification,Active Learning

Active-learning techniques have been advocated as a means to promote student engagement in lower-division biology courses. In this case study, mini-lectures in combination with active-learning activities were evaluated as strategies to promote a culture of learning and participation in a required botany course. These activities were designed to develop critical-thinking skills, i.e. Bloom's synthesis, application, and analysis. Student attitudes toward learning, participation, and class activities were assessed with feedback surveys following each activity, at the beginning with a pre-survey and at the end of the semester with a retrospective survey. Students identified concept maps, problem-solving exercises, and the categorizing grid as helpful to their learning. Based on instructor observations, students were especially engaged in activities that allowed them to demonstrate creativity and resourcefulness. Based on the retrospective survey results, students were more conservative in their perception of personal critical-thinking skills at the end of the semester, which may be a reaction to the challenges in developing critical-thinking skills. The incorporation of mini-lectures with class activities helped to promote student engagement in the classroom and thus, was a positive instructional strategy. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)
Using Word Clouds to Develop Proactive Learners
Author: Miley, Frances
Date: 2011-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Word Frequency,Internet,Visual Aids,Focus Groups,Feedback (Response),Student Reaction,Cognitive Style,Lifelong Learning,Experiential Learning,Accounting,Technology Uses in Education,Teaching Methods,Educational Attitudes,Foreign Countries

This article examines student responses to a technique for summarizing electronically available information based on word frequency. Students used this technique to create word clouds, using those word clouds to enhance personal and small group study. This is a qualitative study. Small focus groups were used to obtain student feedback. Feedback indicated that students adapted their use of word clouds in ways consistent with their learning style preferences. Kolb's learning styles inventory was used. Student response also indicated that word clouds have potential in the workplace. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)
Self-Beliefs and Student Goal Achievement
Author: Wesson, Caroline J.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Undergraduate Students,Academic Achievement,Student Attitudes,Goal Orientation,Self Concept,Task Analysis,Psychological Patterns,Academic Ability,Scores,Grades (Scholastic),Prediction,Student Motivation,Measures (Individuals),Foreign Countries

Two preliminary studies are presented investigating the self-beliefs that may affect goal achievement in a student population. In Study 1, goal achievement on an abstract task, where goals are externally set by others, is considered in relation to students' levels of optimism. In Study 2, goal achievement on academic performance, where goals are internally set by ones' self, is considered in relation to students' academic confidence. Optimism was related to goal achievement in Study 1 but only when the goal was believed to be difficult to achieve; optimistic students achieved higher scores than pessimistic students. In Study 2 confidence was related to goal achievement; students with moderate levels of academic confidence were well-calibrated in their grade predictions whereas those with high levels of academic confidence were overconfident in their grade predictions. The results are discussed in relation to student motivation. (Contains 2 tables.)
Experiencing ERASMUS: Reflections on Integrating Polish Psychology Students onto a Year of a Degree in the UK
Author: Mercer, Jenny
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Community Action,Prior Learning,Foreign Countries,Psychology,Educational Cooperation,Student Mobility,College Students,Foreign Students,Interviews,Student Attitudes,Epistemology,Educational Experience

The European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (ERASMUS) supports students to pursue temporary periods of study in other European universities. During the academic year 2007/08 the UK received 15, 975 ERASMUS students. Although much research exists about the experiences of international students less attention has been given to the specific disciplines of study and the ways this might mediate the experience. With this in mind this paper is based on a piece of work currently in progress with ERASMUS students from Poland who have engaged in an exchange onto the final year of a UK Psychology degree course. Observations are made about the relative compatibility of Psychology in Poland and Britain by considering the course structure, curriculum and modes of assessment. Interview data is drawn on to explore the students' accounts of their experiences of studying Psychology in the UK. Findings indicate that that there are some contrasting pedagogical and epistemological areas within the two systems which make integrating them a challenge for students. It is suggested that flexibility is required in order to better accommodate the students prior learning experiences. (Contains 1 table.)
Engaging and Informing Students through Group Work
Author: Williams, Stella
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Action Research,Teaching Methods,Learner Engagement,Cognitive Processes,Difficulty Level,Psychology,Friendship,Group Activities,Problem Based Learning,Personality,Tests,Scores,Intelligence,Questionnaires,Interviews,Surveys

The aim of this action research was to explore the benefits of group work as a tool for engaging students with introductory material. It was the researcher's expectation that group work, would provide a means of reducing cognitive load (Kirschner, Sweller & Clark, 2006) and encouraging on task behaviour (Wentzel & Watkins, 2002). This would result in a positive impact on students engagement with, and understanding, of introductory material necessary for progressing on to more complex issues covered at Level 5 of a psychology course. The implication of these research findings on future group work and other aspects of teaching practice are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)
The Impact of Misunderstanding the Nature of Statistics
Author: Ruggeri, Kai
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Negative Attitudes,Statistics,Anxiety,Higher Education,Psychology,Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Mathematics Anxiety,Mathematics,Undergraduate Study

Statistics is one of the most common topics across disciplines and levels of study. This is mainly due to a rise in need for students to apply analytical skills in almost any academic area or profession. The statistical component of academic programmes is considered critical, and it is listed as one--if not the--focal point of higher education. Lessons learned by researchers in the teaching of statistics reveal much about the variety of obstacles faced by lecturers and students, such as statistics anxiety, negative attitudes, deficits in maths backgrounds, and expectations. To this end, Batanero (2004) expressed the need for continued work on identifying and addressing these problems explicitly. This particularly included distinguishing statistics from maths and learning more about the nature of issues in statistics education across disciplines. Common goals from published work on teaching statistics classes include overcoming obstacles presented by anxieties, beliefs, and negative attitudes toward statistics. A limited but growing amount of work has been done to confront each of these and characterise the affect on learning and applying ways to address problems in teaching statistics. In this article, the author presents results that were selected from a comprehensive series of studies of statistics education in undergraduate psychology. The main focus of the overarching study was to determine the nature of statistics anxiety and attitudes toward statistics by using multiple measurements and analyses. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)
Teaching and Experiencing the Misinformation Effect: A Classroom Exercise
Author: Swenson, John Eric, III
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Video Technology,Psychology,Memory,Introductory Courses,Recall (Psychology),Traffic Safety,Motor Vehicles,Statistics,Higher Education,College Students

Students from four sections of Introduction to Psychology (N=82) were taught that participating in a classroom exercise may make memories vulnerable to the misinformation effect. All students were shown a short video clip of a car wreck. Students were then asked either "leading" or "non-leading" questions about the video clip. Students were also asked to rate how reliable they believed their memories to be. Responses to the questions were statistically analysed. This classroom exercise was found to be a simple and useful way of allowing students to experience firsthand the way in which memories may be distorted. (Contains 2 tables.)
Using the Ultimatum Game to Teach Economic Theories of Relationship Maintenance to A-Level Students
Author: Knight, Simon
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Advanced Students,Psychology,Models,Teaching Methods,Games,Maintenance,Economics

When teaching at A-level, educators often present a model of psychology that does not extend beyond the confines of the specification. However, sometimes not only is it possible to provide insight into other areas of psychology, it provides a novel way of understanding a concept included in the specification itself. By extending student's knowledge into other areas of psychology teachers offer them an opportunity to explore research extending their knowledge into degree level psychology, and outside of the fairly strict paradigm approaches taught at A-level (cognitive, behavioural, etc.). In this article, the author describes the use of the ultimatum game, a simple one-shot two player game, to teach economic theories of relationship maintenance to A-level students. By using the game theoretic expectation for the ultimatum game alongside the experimental result, teachers can provide an analogy for teaching concepts including the social exchange and equity theories of relationship formation and maintenance.
An Action Research Project Exploring the Psychology Curriculum and Transitions to Employment
Author: McMurray, Isabella
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Employment Potential,Research Projects,Action Research,Focus Groups,Lifelong Learning,Psychology,Career Development,Professional Development,Foreign Countries,Undergraduate Students,Student Attitudes,Curriculum Design,Departments,Audits (Verification)

Within the UK, traditional subject-specific areas are increasingly being complemented by the provision of opportunities to foster students' personal development planning as an aide to support their future employment and lifelong learning. This paper describes an action research project which examined employability skills within a psychology department's curriculum. The first cycle involved conducting a curriculum audit, focus groups and a survey of psychology undergraduates' views on employability. Analysis of the findings suggested a strong focus on development of generic graduate skills, such as communication, IT and working with others, whilst students had difficulty in recognising the applicability of these skills beyond an educational context. Furthermore, examples of explicit career development planning were minimal in both module information documentation and undergraduates' accounts. After a process of evaluation and reflection, the second cycle involved embedding employability skills into the psychology curriculum. The process is described along with discussion on methodological issues and the benefits and challenges of embedding employability in a curriculum. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)
Exploring Student Engagement through the Use of Diaries
Author: Larkin, Derek
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learner Engagement,Educational Research,College Choice,Student Employment,Social Life,Time Management,Conflict,Student Attitudes,Withdrawal (Education),Questionnaires

Forty-seven psychology undergraduates volunteered to complete diaries outlining their daily academic and non-academic routine, covering semester one of their first year at a post-1992 university. The aim of the research was to investigate whether diaries were an appropriate method for exploring student engagement; also we wanted to measure whether the themes found through thematic analysis corresponded with those reported in previous research or whether new themes would emerge, not previously explored. In the course of the research we found themes that related to student engagement, disengagement, withdrawal concerns, and more general concerns regarding course choice, and university choice. We also found evidence which suggested that for some students there is a conflict between what is expected of them from the institution, in regards to the amount of time they could devote to their studies and the pressure from external forces which may take them away from studying, such as social commitments and paid work. We conclude with a discussion around the relationship between these themes, and the use of diaries as a research tool. (Contains 4 tables.)
Knowledge Is Power: Empowering the Autism Community through Parent-Professional Training
Author: Murray, Mary M.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Support Groups,Autism,Professional Training,Special Education Teachers,School Counselors,Public Agencies,Social Work,Parent Education,Partnerships in Education,Caseworker Approach,Program Descriptions,Related Services (Special Education),Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Empowerment,Training Methods

Partnerships for Autism through Collaborative Community Choice and Empowerment (Project PACE) was developed to empower parents and professionals (e.g., general or special education teachers, therapists, social workers, school counselors, psychologists) through training and education. Project PACE was designed to provide participants with basic facts about individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and strategies for working with these individuals utilizing collaborative partnerships. Once trained, participants themselves became trainers who presented the program to community agencies, schools, and parent support groups. This article describes the project planning phase, the implementation phase, and the evaluation phase (i.e., lessons learned). Results of this study suggest that Project PACE provides a cost-effective training model that allows parents and professionals to collaboratively develop, maintain, and improve services for individuals with ASD. (Contains 2 tables.)
Strengths Classification of Social Relationships among Cybermothers Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Author: Zeman, Laura Dreuth
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Web Sites,Electronic Publishing,Autism,Social Networks,Internet,Parents,Mothers,Interpersonal Relationship,Parent Role,Special Education

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and their families are different. Parents often surf the Internet in search of supportive solutions to the unique challenges they face. One source of insight for parents raising children with ASD comes from blog writers and the parents who surf the net to read their blogs, or cyberparents. The study here intends to add insight into how cybermothers raising children with ASD experience their social networks. Such perceptions may potentially help educators foster positive partnerships with similar parents. The researchers undertook this phenomenological study with the assumption that cybermothers who blog expressed their authentic voices and would best represent their lived experiences. Eighteen months of data collected from 24 blogs was coded within a strengths framework that classified relationships into inhibiting and assisting categories and sorted it by themes that emerged within each strength category. Inhibiting relationship themes included role strain and isolation. Assisting themes were examined within the context of supportive relationships.
Fostering Family-Centered Practices through a Family-Created Portfolio
Author: Gregg, Katy
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Disabilities,Parent Student Relationship,Family Attitudes,Family Characteristics,Family Involvement,Family Role,Family School Relationship,Portfolios (Background Materials),Case Studies,Communication Strategies,Individualized Education Programs,Nonverbal Communication,Visual Aids,Attitudes,Holistic Approach

When a child has disabilities, families and professionals must communicate their concerns and goals for the child. Often these concerns are expressed as weaknesses within a deficits-based framework. The use of a strengths-based, family-created portfolio is a communication strategy for reconceptualizing a child from the family's perspective in terms of individuality, strengths, and motivations. This article takes a narrative approach to present one family's experience with a portfolio system in order to personalize the discussion and interpret the possible utilization of this family-generated portfolio as an aid for families communicating the needs of their child to educators. A family-created portfolio is a practice that gives families more control over their involvement by providing them with an opportunity to express their child's individuality beyond who the child is perceived as at school.