ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
In Search of Quality: Using Quality Matters to Analyze the Quality of Massive, Open, Online Courses (MOOCs)
Author: Lowenthal, Patrick R.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Higher Education,Educational Quality,Instructional Design,Quality Assurance,Large Group Instruction,Course Evaluation

The concept of the massive, open, online course (MOOC) is not new, but high-profile initiatives have moved MOOCs into the forefront of higher education news over the past few years. Members of institutions of higher education have mixed feelings about MOOCs, ranging from those who want to offer college credit for the successful completion of MOOCs to those who fear MOOCs are the end of the university as we know it. We set forth to investigate the quality of MOOCs by using the Quality Matters quality control framework. In this article, we present the results of our inquiry, with a specific focus on the implications the results have on day-to-day practice of designing online courses.
Estimating Survival Rates in Engineering for Community College Transfer Students Using Grades in Calculus and Physics
Author: Laugerman, Marcia
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Engineering,Academic Persistence,College Transfer Students,Community Colleges,Grades (Scholastic),Calculus,Physics,Two Year College Students,Longitudinal Studies,Student Records,Success,Statistical Analysis,Graduation Rate

This study uses a unique synthesized set of data for community college students transferring to engineering by combining several cohorts of longitudinal data along with transcript-level data, from both the Community College and the University, to measure success rates in engineering. The success rates are calculated by developing Kaplan-Meier survival curves measuring retention in engineering over time by grades received in Calculus and Physics courses at both institutions. For each course, survival curves are compared to determine if statistically significant differences exist between levels of grades received. The levels of course grades at which statistically significant differences in retention rates exist are documented. To validate these findings the actual graduation rates in engineering for the same groups of students are estimated using grades received in Calculus and Physics. Policy recommendations based on these findings, including the best time to transfer for this group of community college students, are incorporated.
I Paid for It, So I Deserve It! Examining Psycho-Educational Variables and Student Consumerist Attitudes to Higher Education
Author: Marshall, Jason E.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Attitudes,Higher Education,Consumer Economics,Incidence,Undergraduate Students,Psychoeducational Methods,Questionnaires,Locus of Control,Student Motivation,Foreign Countries,Self Efficacy,Research Needs,Correlation,Tuition,Academic Standards,Instructional Design,Teaching Methods,College Faculty,Learning Strategies

There is a growing concern among educators and university administrators that the high cost of tuition fees has encouraged tertiary level students to adopt a &quot;consumerist view&quot; of tertiary education, where education is seen as a service-for-payment. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this belief may cause lecturers to compromise the academic rigour often associated with instructional design, delivery, and assessment, and may lead students to believe that they are entitled to certain academic privileges. Despite these concerns, there are few empirical studies which examine the prevalence of student consumerism and the factors that influence it. As such, the purpose of this study was twofold; it aimed to: (1) ascertain the level of student consumerism among a sample of university undergraduate students (n = 104) and (2) to determine whether any of the three specified psycho-educational variables (academic self-efficacy, academic locus of control, and intrinsic motivation) used in this study are significantly related to student consumerism among this sample. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of undergraduate students enrolled in a university in Barbados. The results revealed that student consumerist attitudes were above average. No significant relationships emerged between any of the psycho-educational variables and student consumerism. Recommendations for future research are advanced.
Lessons Learned about Effective Professional Development: Two Contrasting Case Studies
Author: Holm, Jennifer
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Faculty Development,Mathematics Teachers,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Teacher Attitudes,Case Studies,Comparative Analysis,Secondary School Teachers,Elementary School Teachers,Observation,Qualitative Research,Personal Narratives

Professional learning groups are becoming a popular form of teacher development in mathematics. Due to the personal nature of the groups, as well as differences in initial beliefs and capacity, teachers may respond differently to such opportunities. A total of 14 teachers were observed over a three-year period, and two contrasting participants, each involved for two years, were chosen for in-depth study in order to illustrate a range of responses. The teachers were chosen from the larger sample to exemplify differences in initial capacity as well as varying responses to the group activities. Both teachers, regardless of their differing initial beliefs and knowledge, demonstrated growth over a two year period. Such development however was in relation to their initial beliefs and capacity.
Effects of Gender on Teachers' Perceptions of School Environment, Teaching Efficacy, Stress and Job Satisfaction
Author: Tran, Van Dat
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Gender Differences,Teacher Attitudes,Educational Environment,Teacher Effectiveness,Self Efficacy,Stress Variables,Job Satisfaction,Correlation,Secondary School Teachers,Junior High Schools,Questionnaires,Statistical Significance,Predictor Variables,Rating Scales,Statistical Analysis

This study investigates how teachers' perceptions of school environment factors, teaching efficacy, teacher stress and job satisfaction, and to determine whether gender was a differentiating factor. A total of 387 Vietnamese junior high school teachers completed one questionnaire for four sections about school-level environment, teaching efficacy, teacher stress, and job satisfaction. The results reveal that most of these teachers had high perceptions of school-level environment factors (principal leadership, mission consensus, professional interest, affiliation, student support, innovation, resource adequacy), teaching efficacy (classroom management, student engagement, and instructional strategies), job satisfaction, and teacher stress (classroom stress and workload stress). Results also show that statistically significant differences were found between females and males on the mean scores of school-level environment factors, teaching efficacy, stress, and job satisfaction. Female teachers scored higher than male teachers on both stress while male teachers scored higher than female teachers on school-level environment factors, teaching efficacy and job satisfaction. Male teachers with less stress had higher perceptions of school-level environment factors, higher teaching efficacy and higher job satisfaction, whereas female teachers with greater stress had lower perceptions of school-level environment factors, lower teaching efficacy and lower job satisfaction. Educational implications of the findings are discussed.
Dialogic Discourse in the Classroom
Author: Saglam, Yilmaz
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Faculty Development,Academic Discourse,Elementary School Teachers,Classroom Communication,Instructional Effectiveness,Models,Intervention,Video Technology,Observation,Statistical Significance

The study aimed to explore the impact of an SDM-based professional development program on teacher discourse. Two types of discourse, authoritative and dialogic discourses, was the focus of the search. From a Bakhtinian standpoint, authoritative words are viewed as located in a distanced zone, do not reflect any individual point of view, and are not disputable. Moreover, in these words, one hears only one, single voice. Whereas, internally persuasive (dialogic) words are freely developed, applicable to new material and conditions, and, in these words, one hears at least two voices. A total of seventeen teachers volunteered and participated in a four-week professional development program. The program provided information about and classroom uses of authoritative and dialogic talk. After the program had been fulfilled, the classroom activities were videotaped and then transcribed. The transcriptions were later analyzed deductively. The results indicated that the SDM-based program had a positive and statistically significant impact on teacher dialogic discourse. The analysis revealed that after the program, all the teachers altered their discourse to a more dialogic one. It was specifically observed that a total of eleven teachers' dialogic-authoritative talk ratio was over 7/3.
Understanding Middle School Students' Motivation in Math Class: The Expectancy-Value Model Perspective
Author: Yurt, Eyup
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Students,Student Attitudes,Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Achievement,Expectation,Value Judgment,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires

One of the most important variables affecting middle school students' mathematics performance is motivation. Motivation is closely related with expectancy belief regarding the task and value attached to the task. Identification of which one or ones of the factors constituting motivation is more closely related to mathematics performance may help more effective mathematics planning process. In this context, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among middle school students' task values concerning the math class, their expectancy perceptions and mathematics performance via a structural equation model. The study was conducted on 200 middle school students receiving their education in Konya provincial center. Fifty point five percent of the students (n = 101) were female whereas 49.5 %. (n = 99) were male. Twenty-nine percent of the students (n = 58) were sixth graders, 35 % (n = 70) were seventh graders and 36 % (n = 72) were eighth graders. The Self and Task Perception Inventory in mathematics was used to identify the students' task values and expectancy perceptions concerning mathematics, while end-of-the-term math class scores were used to determine their mathematics performances. The data obtained were analyzed using the structural equation modeling. According to the results that were obtained, it was understood that expectancy beliefs, task difficulty and intrinsic interest value were the most effective variables on mathematics performance. Moreover, findings of this study show that students with high expectancy perceptions in mathematics who derived pleasure from dealing with mathematics and had less difficulty in mathematics had higher mathematics achievements. The findings that were obtained were discussed in light of theoretical explanations.
Effectiveness of Integrating MOOCs in Traditional Classrooms for Undergraduate Students
Author: Israel, Maria Joseph
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Blended Learning,Outcomes of Education,Higher Education,Educational Trends,Foreign Countries,Instructional Effectiveness,Student Satisfaction

The idea of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) has attracted a lot of media attention in the last couple of years. MOOCs have been used mostly as stand-alone online courses without credits. However, some researchers, teachers, colleges, and universities have attempted to utilize MOOCs in blended format in traditional classroom settings. This paper reviews some recent experiments in the context of current trends in MOOCs by examining methodologies utilized in blended MOOCs in a face-to-face environment. This paper further discusses the preliminary findings related to its effectiveness of learning outcomes and its impact on students and instructors in blended MOOCs format. The review of blended MOOCs in classrooms assists to form the emerging consensus on integrating MOOCs in conventional classroom settings, while highlighting potential opportunities and challenges one might face when implementing MOOCs in similar or entirely different contexts.
Policies and Practices of the Doctoral Programs in English Language Teaching in Turkey
Author: Ozmen, Kemal Sinan
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Doctoral Programs,Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Doctoral Dissertations,Educational Change,Graduate Students,Supervisors,Educational Policy,College Faculty

The present review focuses on the doctoral programs and dissertations in the field of English language teaching between the period 2010 and 2015 in Turkey to reveal how the latest reforms on higher education shaped the programs, supervisors, students and dissertations. This research focus requires immediate attention as there is not yet an established body of literature addressing how the National Qualifications Framework of Higher Education, as the national interpretation of the European higher education policies, works in practice across doctoral programs. To this end, 13 graduate programs on English language teaching were analyzed in 2014-2015 academic year in terms of program structure, courses, supervisors and students. In addition, 137 doctoral dissertations written in those programs between 2010 and 2014 were investigated with regards to their subject areas and research focus and how those two factors were distributed across the programs. Findings indicate that although the national qualifications framework seems to contribute to the programs significantly in terms of standardization, nation-wide policies are necessary to expand the impact of doctoral dispositions beyond academia, and that further research studies are needed to yield data about the scholarly impact of those doctoral programs.
Predicting Student Misbehavior, Responsibility and Distraction from Schoolwork from Classroom Management Techniques: The Students' Views
Author: Tran, Van Dat
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Junior High Schools,Junior High School Students,Student Attitudes,Classroom Techniques,Multiple Regression Analysis,Student Behavior,Behavior Problems,Student Responsibility,Attention Control,Punishment,Discussion (Teaching Technique),Aggression,Grade 10,Grade 11,Grade 12,Measures (Individuals),Reliability

This study reports students' perceptions of the classroom management techniques utilized in fourteen classrooms at eight junior high schools in one province in Vietnam. It examines data from 498 students in fifteen high schools in one district in Vietnam in grades 10 to 12 to identify how teachers' use of various management techniques, and the extent to which these relate to outcome variables--student misbehavior, responsibility and distraction from schoolwork. The results indicate that Vietnamese teachers use the least punishment and aggression, and most discussion, recognition, and hinting. The results obtained from multiple regression analyses also show that techniques of the classroom management as predictors of student misbehavior, responsibility and distraction from schoolwork. Of the five classroom management techniques investigated, students' perceptions of teachers' use of punishment, aggression, discussion, and recognition had the most powerful effect on outcome variables. Among school management techniques, punishment and aggression negatively related to student responsibility, while discussion, recognition, and hinting positively related to student misbehavior and distraction from schoolwork. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Examining Value Change in MOOCs in the Scope of Connectivism and Open Educational Resources Movement
Author: Ozturk, Hayriye Tugba
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Shared Resources and Services,Educational Technology,Computer Uses in Education,Resource Units,Online Courses,Surveys,Learning Theories,Social Networks,Learning,Teacher Role,Networks,Test Construction,Fidelity,Knowledge Level,Community Involvement,Interaction,Semantics,Higher Education

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) came to prominence with Open Educational Resources Movement (OERM). It was based upon the idea of libre in removal of some permission barriers and gratis in removing the price barrier (Suber, 2008) in learning resources. In line with the theoretical underpinnings of OERM, MOOCs embody primary characteristics of connectivist pedagogy which are autonomy, diversity, openness, and community participation. However, in time, moving away from its original philosophical and pedagogical values, new variations of MOOCs have emerged and new MOOCs have become more market oriented and are aligned with instructivist, cognitive, and behaviourist pedagogy. In an attempt to empirically examine the change in underlying values of the MOOCs, a survey method was employed by using a Connectivist Learning Environment Assessment Tool which was developed in the scope of this research. The tool could be useful for formulating and justifying a conceptual framework that enables us to reify the connectivist pedagogy and assess connectivist underpinnings of a learning environment including MOOCs. This research aims to contribute to MOOC studies against the background of previous knowledge from the Open Education and Connectivist fields.
Public Response to &quot;The MOOC Movement&quot; in China: Examining the Time Series of Microblogging
Author: Zhang, Jingjing
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Online Courses,Public Opinion,Electronic Publishing,Web Sites,Data,Time

In China, microblogging is an extremely popular activity and is proving to be an effective mechanism to gauge perceptions about social phenomena. Between 2010 and 2015 Sina Weibo, China's largest microblogging website, generated 95,015 postings from 62,074 users referencing the term massive open online courses (MOOCs), a method of online course delivery popularized in North America that has spread globally. Time series analyses revealed distinct patterns in the volume of postings during a four-year period, and subsequently by month, by week, and by the time of day. The volume of postings during the week, for example, peaked on Monday and declined daily to a low point on Saturday. Relative to maximizing learner engagement, the findings may provide insight to parties who deliver MOOCs to employ or test strategies on timing (i.e., time of year to offer/not offer a MOOC, time of week to release/not release new material, time of day to schedule/not schedule chat sessions). The paper also serves to demonstrate a mechanism to retrieve big data from social media sources, otherwise underutilized in educational research.
Open Educational Resources in Canada 2015
Author: McGreal, Rory
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Open Education,Depleted Resources,Shared Resources and Services,Resource Units,Computer Uses in Education,Large Group Instruction,Class Size,Distance Education,State of the Art Reviews,Higher Education,Educational Innovation,Adoption (Ideas),Government Role,Incentives,Partnerships in Education,Agency Cooperation,International Cooperation,National Organizations

Canada's important areas of expertise in open educational resources (OER) are beginning to be built upon or replicated more broadly in all education and training sectors. This paper provides an overview of the state of the art in OER initiatives and open higher education in general in Canada, providing insights into what is happening nationally and provincially. There are growing examples of OER initiatives from several Canadian institutions offering free courses to Canadians and international learners. National open education initiatives include the federal government's Open Data pilot project and the Council of Ministers of Education of Canada (CMEC) support for the Open Educational Resource Paris Declaration, as well as Creative Commons Canada. Regionally, the western provinces of British Columbia and Alberta are supporting OER as part of major open education initiatives.
Investigating the Impacts of Design Heuristics on Idea Initiation and Development
Author: Kramer, Julia
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Engineering,Engineering Education,Undergraduate Students,Heuristics,Concept Formation,Design

This paper presents an analysis of engineering students' use of Design Heuristics as part of a team project in an undergraduate engineering design course. Design Heuristics are an empirically derived set of cognitive &quot;rules of thumb&quot; for use in concept generation. We investigated heuristic use in the initial concept generation phase, whether heuristic-inspired concepts were carried through to later design process stages, and how concept synthesis within each team's design process related to heuristic use. The results reveal widespread use of Design Heuristics among the concepts generated by individuals and selected by teams for further development, and a prevalence of concept synthesis within approximately half of the observed teams' design processes.
Female Leadership Capacity and Effectiveness: A Critical Analysis of the Literature on Higher Education in Saudi Arabia
Author: Alomair, Miznah O.
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Females,Leadership Effectiveness,Higher Education,Leadership Qualities,Literature Reviews,Barriers,Disproportionate Representation,Instructional Leadership,Social Influences,Cultural Influences

In light of the progressive changes occurring in Saudi Arabia, developing female leadership capacity and effectiveness in the country's higher education is vital. This literature review examines the scholarship and research on female leadership in higher education in Saudi Arabia, describes the major barriers for female leaders, and provides a critique of the available literature regarding efforts in developing and sustaining female leadership capacity and effectiveness in Saudi Arabia's higher education. The literature review concludes by identifying major limitations and needs for research on this particular topic.
Rethinking Business Models for 21st Century Higher Education: A European Perspective
Author: Lichy, Jessica
Date: 2015-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Foreign Countries,Educational Change,Educational Quality,Business,Models,Competition,Commercialization,Financial Support,Grants,Researchers,Barriers,Socioeconomic Influences,Business Schools

The late 20th century was an era of social, economic, technological, and political change, resulting in significant shifts in the perception of enlightenment, knowledge, and education. The impact of these changes have become quite apparent in higher education where there is now mounting pressure for faculty to deliver high quality education to an internationally mobile cohort and where institutions are striving to attract funding, researchers, research grants, top students, and teaching staff. To cope with the many challenges, new business models are needed. Introducing change, however, is fraught with many problems; in particular, institutional barriers among disciplines, management commitment, socio-economic factors, and cultural issues. In this paper, we take a look at and discuss three European higher education institutions currently undergoing transformation--a British, a Finnish, and a Russian--to draw attention to some of the inherent factors that higher education institutions face when they seek to implement new business models to manage the competitive environment for higher education.