ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Second Life for Distance Language Learning: A Framework for Native/Non-Native Speaker Interactions in a Virtual World
Author: Tusing, Jennifer
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Computer Simulation,Native Speakers,Teaching Methods,Communicative Competence (Languages),Task Analysis,Computer Mediated Communication,Computer Games

This paper examines a number of theoretical principles governing second language teaching and learning and the ways in which these principles are being applied in 3D virtual worlds such as Second Life. Also examined are the benefits to language learning afforded by the Second Life interface, including access, the availability of native speakers of the target language, and the enhanced presence afforded by 3D virtual worlds as compared to multi-user object oriented domains and other chat interfaces that provide no sense of place. It is concluded that while an appropriate environment for communicative foreign language practice, not all students may be ready to meet the technological demands required by the use of Second Life.
Exploring the Impact of Critical Reflection through the Use of Service-Learning and Digital Storytelling
Author: Daniels, Kisha
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reflection,Story Telling,Service Learning,Preservice Teachers,Community Involvement,Standards,Teacher Education Programs,Teacher Education,Technology Integration,Case Studies,Educational Technology,Partnerships in Education,School Community Relationship,Academic Achievement,Disadvantaged Schools,Educationally Disadvantaged,Minority Group Children,College Faculty,Teaching Methods,Technology Uses in Education,Montessori Schools,Elementary School Students,Technological Literacy,Urban Universities,Methods Courses

In an ongoing effort to address the needs of 21st century teachers, a service-learning project was designed which coupled structured reflection and technology. The reflective practitioner model through the use of traditional methods coursework has long been viewed as the most appropriate model for the development of teachers (Hall, 2012). However, deep reflection is difficult for most pre-service teachers, and is often viewed as assignments that need to be completed in order to successfully complete a course, instead of being viewed as a powerful learning tool that can be used to empower and engage in their own development (Stenberg, 2010). One way of evidencing this reflection and deep learning is through the creation of digital stories (Barrett, 2006). This case study presents the application and outcomes of a service-learning project between an urban university and an elementary school in which pre-service teachers utilized digital storytelling as a method for critical reflection and application of content methodology. The focus on the pre-service teacher's understanding of content skills, reflective inquiry and enhanced technology skills also supports the National Educational Technology Standards.
Design Principles for Cell Phone Learning in EFL
Author: Wang, Feihong
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Principles,Design Preferences,Handheld Devices,Electronic Learning,English (Second Language),English Instruction,Technology Integration,Usability,Computer System Design,Instructional Effectiveness,Learning Activities,Instructional Design

Cell phone learning (C-learning), as an instructional approach, has been gaining more and more attention in the field of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in the last 10 years. While studies have proved C-learning an effective instructional approach in research settings, a review of literature indicates the lack of design principles to guide the design and development of C-learning activities, not to mention the principles specifically for EFL teaching. The effectiveness of C-learning depended on appropriate activity design (Librero, Ramos, Ranga, Trinona, &amp; Lambert, 2007; Prensky, 2005). The purpose of this article is to propose a combined task-based learning approach to guide the design of C-learning activities for EFL teaching. A sample learning activity is also provided to illustrate the suggested principles.
Web-Based Technology for Children with Learning Disabilities
Author: Kumar, S. Praveen
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Web Based Instruction,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Learning Disabilities,Internet,Student Needs,Teaching Methods

Individuals with special educational needs may face difficulties in acquiring basic skills needed for learning such as reading, spelling, writing, speaking, understanding, listening, thinking or arithmetic. The difficulties they face in the learning process have begun to attract serious attention throughout the globe. They suffer from severe learning problems which affects their performance in academics. Such individuals with learning disabilities are found across all ages and in all socio-economic classes. Learning disabilities may affect individuals differently at different stages of life. So it is imperative to adopt innovative educational strategies in the classroom to help these academically weak learners to enhance their performance through the extensive use of technology. Instructional strategies like web-based learning encourage active learning and meet the diverse needs of the learners through the use of technology in education. Web-based instruction, where the medium of instruction is computer technology is delivered over the internet which allows learners to use reference material based on their individual needs through a wide variety of media such as sound, animation, text, graphics and video. Web-based instruction is a strategy that can be effectively designed and implemented for learning-disabled children as it provides variety and flexibility in learning. Educational technologies like web-based learning can help disabled children in overcoming severe learning problems and permit a greater number of opportunities for learners' epistemological styles, pace of learning, self-correction and modification of learning. It caters to the needs of diverse learners and it helps to enhance the learning of such pupils by using different instructional techniques and thus integrating educational technology in the classroom. Web-based learning can help children with learning disabilities to learn in an enjoyable and meaningful way. Hence there is a need to create a web-based environment as technology advances and more and more students with learning disabilities attend web-based classes.
Institutional Climate Perception of Post Graduate Students in Relation to Their Information Literacy
Author: Kumar, Amruth G.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Graduate Students,Information Literacy,Institutional Characteristics,Organizational Climate,Questionnaires,Correlation,Gender Differences,School Location,Student Attitudes,College Environment,Foreign Countries

In this paper the investigators focus on the relationship between &quot;Information Literacy&quot; and &quot;Institutional Climate Perception&quot; of post graduate students. The study was conducted on four hundred Post Graduate Students' from four districts of Kerala, India. Instruments used were; &quot;Information Literacy Inventory&quot; and &quot;Institutional Climate Perception Questionnaire.&quot; The study revealed that there exists positive and significant relationship between &quot;Information Literacy&quot; and &quot;Institutional Climate Perception.&quot; The study also proved that there is no significant difference in correlations between Institutional Climate Perception and Information Literacy for the comparable sub samples based on Gender and Locality of the Institution.
A Proposal for a Preventive Program for Risks Associated with the Use of the Internet and Its Impact upon Students' Awareness of Perverse Issues
Author: Al Saif, Abdulkarim A.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Prevention,Internet,Risk Management,Foreign Countries,High School Students,Middle School Students,Student Behavior,Consciousness Raising,Control Groups,Experimental Groups,Comparative Analysis,Gender Differences,Information Technology,Safety,Program Effectiveness,Skill Development,Information Literacy,Student Surveys,Motivation,Risk

The current study attempts to develop a preventive program to fend off the risks of using the internet by trying to test the effectiveness of raising students' awareness on various new technology-related issues. In order to achieve this goal, descriptive, analytical, and experimental approaches have been utilized. The program has been applied to a sample of intermediate and high school students in the cities of Jeddah, Al-Qassim and Riyadh before and after the experiment to gain more insight into the effectiveness of the designed program. A special measure of the level of students' awareness has been established. As shown in the findings, the program has proved to be highly effective in raising the awareness of intermediate and high school students about the problems and risks of misusing the internet. In particular, results show a statistically significant difference in the mean of students' awareness between the experimental and control groups in favor of the experimental groups. The students' responsiveness to the awareness scale has shown no statistically significant differences between the two groups with regard to gender, but with the students of Jeddah and Riyadh showing a higher level of risk than those of Al-Qassim. Based on these findings, the researchers recommend the use of information technology to create communication networks across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to exchange knowledge and experience in a risk-free internet environment, passing on such knowledge and experience to students through school curricula, special programs , or its incorporation into a computer course.
An Exploration of Desktop Virtual Reality and Visual Processing Skills in a Technical Training Environment
Author: Ausburn, Lynna J.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Simulation,Visual Perception,Comparative Analysis,Conventional Instruction,Surgery,Nursing Education,Technical Education,Quasiexperimental Design,Cognitive Processes,Difficulty Level,Theories,Communication (Thought Transfer),Classification,Cognitive Style,Statistical Analysis,Instructional Effectiveness,Nursing Students,Qualitative Research,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Vocational Education Teachers,Content Analysis

Virtual reality (VR) technology has demonstrated effectiveness in a variety of technical learning situations, yet little is known about its differential effects on learners with different levels of visual processing skill. This small-scale exploratory study tested VR through quasi-experimental methodology and a theoretical/conceptual framework based on supplantation theory, cognitive load theory, Dale's Cone of media concreteness, communication theory, and Lowenfeld's visual/haptic perceptual typology. The study compared the differential effects of VR and traditional still-image presentations of surgical operating room environments to students with high- and low-visual perceptual styles. Descriptive statistics and two-way ANOVAs were used to examine main and interaction effects on six learning performance and opinion variables. Several significant main effects and disordinal interactions suggested that communication channel noise and cognitive load may disrupt supplantation-concreteness benefits of VR, particularly for low-visual learners. Follow-up qualitative data suggested these overload issues may have dissipated when the VR presentation was moved into a classroom learning environment.
The Effect of TRALE (Technology-Rich Authentic Learning Environments) on Young Urban Learners' Intentionality in Writing
Author: Cave, Agnes
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Elementary School Students,Grade 3,African American Students,Urban Schools,Writing (Composition),Technology Uses in Education,Essays,Content Analysis,Instructional Effectiveness,Multivariate Analysis,Rhetoric,Syntax,Writing Instruction,Pretests Posttests

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of TRALE (Technology-Rich Authentic Learning Environments) on children's writing development by tracing the logical sequence of how TRALE fostered goal-directed behavior and planning that resulted in initiating and maintaining cognitive components until a written product was completed. The subjects were young African-American 3rd graders in a low-performing, low SES urban public school. Student essays were analyzed using Meyer's (1975) prose analysis method applying rhetorical predicates and role relations.The multivariate and subsequent univariate tests indicated that bey the end of the school year theTRALE students' essays became quantitatively and qualitatively superior (syntactically and rhetorically more coherent and complex) to products whose authors were instructed in a more traditional classroom.
A Learning Community's Potential Academic Impact: A Qualitative Analysis
Author: Firmin, Michael W.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Communities of Practice,Academic Achievement,College Seniors,Student Experience,Social Psychology,Semi Structured Interviews,Academic Support Services,Teacher Student Relationship,Learning Experience,Student Attitudes

Learning Communities (LC) in higher education can serve as powerful connectors among individuals, particularly when integrating minority and White students. We conducted 24 in-depth interviews, using qualitative research methodology, with the 2004 cohort of LC students from a private, selective, Midwest university. Seniors at the time of interviews, the students reflected on their perceived outcomes of their freshman LC experiences. Elsewhere (Firmin, Warner, Johnson, Firebaugh, &amp; Firmin, 2009a), we reported that participants showed the experience to hold a cogent social purpose, with many members recounting memories with a sense of positive nostalgia. We also reported attitudinal outcomes of the participants LC experience, with members' shifts in biases, level of satisfaction, and factors related to involvement (Firmin, Warner, Johnson, Firebaugh, &amp; Firmin, 2008b). Present findings discuss the academic experience of members who participated in the LC program. Students reported that the social functions of the LC supported academic activities and learning. Students also developed relationships with the professors, and many viewed the instructors as being influential mentors.
The Hybrid Classroom: A Call for Outside Technologies in the Classroom
Author: Saurino, Dan
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learner Engagement,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Blended Learning,Technological Literacy,Technology Integration,Action Research,Qualitative Research

As public school and university teachers, we are interested in strategies and techniques available to increase student engagement in content learning through the use of current technologies our students utilize outside of school within the classroom. We recognize the social constructs pertaining to student technology outside of school and student struggles in content literacy inside of school. We question what strategies and techniques, cooperative learning, and teaching tactics might assist students in motivated engagement through the use of digital media. We believe the social constructs students build in the technological activities and multiple modalities in which they are engaged outside of school could aid in their learning of content inside of school, yet digital divides between students, teachers, and administrators are preventing the development of strategies and techniques that allow outside technologies in the classroom, and prevent the proper preparation of our students for success in our rapidly globalizing digital world. Our response is to develop our own qualitative action research case studies to begin developing new technology curriculum for use in our Hybrid classrooms. Our call is for others at all levels and content areas to join us in developing digital curriculum based on the technologies our students engage in outside of our classrooms so that such curriculum can become a standard part of our educational environment and practice.
Successful Internet Based Online Instruction
Author: Challoo, L.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Success,Online Courses,Web Based Instruction,Distance Education,Higher Education,Performance Factors,Likert Scales,Online Surveys,Teacher Surveys,Teacher Attitudes,Relevance (Education),College Faculty,Needs Assessment,Statistical Analysis,Questionnaires

This study identifies factors in distance learning that affect the educational excellence of institutions of higher learning. The main elements of this study are: the examination of benefits and disadvantages of implementing online instruction in institutions of higher learning; investigating the factors that contribute to successful web-based instructional programs in institutions of higher learning. Additionally, the goal of this study is to identify factors that offer advantages to online instruction, perhaps this might serve as an incentive to motivate instructors to implement online instruction on a regular basis. The data was gathered by implementing a Likert scale online survey. The survey was sent to educators from higher learning institutions, which included Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Instructors, Lecturers, and Adjunct Professors.
Examining Relationships among Assessment Scores and Math Coursework in an Urban School District
Author: Parke, Carol S.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Scores,Correlation,Mathematics Instruction,Urban Schools,Mathematics Tests,High School Students,Mathematics Achievement,Standardized Tests,Grade Point Average,Course Selection (Students),Criterion Referenced Tests,Gender Differences,Racial Differences,Multiple Regression Analysis,Longitudinal Studies

This study investigates relationships between assessment scores and other indicators of math performance. The impetus for the research came from a district's need to better understand high school math achievement. Longitudinal data for a cohort of students were obtained, including math scores from their state assessment, TerraNova, and New Standards Reference Examination; cumulative math GPA; number of math courses taken; and type of math courses taken. The paper illustrates how researchers can help districts utilize their extensive databases to proactively examine data beyond accountability requirements. A discussion focuses on how results helped target areas for improvement and identified further analysis within schools.
Participant Perceptions of an Online Discussion among University Students in Israel, Taiwan and the United States
Author: Zimmerman, Lynn W.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Computer Mediated Communication,Group Discussion,Intercultural Communication,Undergraduate Students,Gender Issues,Sex Stereotypes,Interaction,Student Attitudes,Pretests Posttests,Questionnaires,Mixed Methods Research,Surveys,Teacher Education Programs

This study examines whether and how online discussions used in learning situations help to develop interactive intercultural communication. Undergraduate university students in the US, Taiwan, and Israel engaged in an online discussion about gender stereotypes. This study examines their perceptions of the interactions. There were 31 undergraduate participants from the US, 119 participants from Taiwan, and 28 participants from Israel. The study compares pre- and post-assignment questionnaires with a mixture of scaled responses and short narrative responses to determine the participants' perceptions of the assignment as a learning activity and as interactive intercultural communication. The analysis identifies and evaluates technical, logistical, and linguistic issues which can be used to refine this assignment to better meet the goal of developing interactive intercultural communication.
Making Digital Game-Based Learning Work: Domain Knowledge Transparency
Author: Wang, Feihong
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Games,Computer Games,Computer Uses in Education,Integrated Activities,Student Motivation,Learner Engagement,Knowledge Representation

During the past two decades, the popularity of computer and video games has prompted games to be a source of study for educational applications (Dickey, 2007). The most distinguishing characteristic of games is their capability to engage and motivate their players (Kiili, 2005). Educators started to explore game-based learning by testing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) games in the classrooms directly and by developing educational games through mimicking the constructions of some popular massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs). These educational explorations of games, however, all tended to highlight their educational purposes and content, which unintentionally diminished their ability to engage and motivate players. This paper suggests the concept of domain knowledge transparency (DKT). This concept indicates that instead of emphasizing the educational content and purposes, domain knowledge should be integrated into games naturally and invisibly to keep the nature of games fun and playful. In addition, the technologies used in modern games have pushed many computer games beyond the boundaries of game genres. Therefore, this article suggests the replacement of game genres with a feature list to identify a game. Finally, this article uses a popular Chinese game, Mai-fang-zi, to illustrate these two ideas.
Preparing E-Excellent Teachers for the World of E-Education: Potential Strategies
Author: Misra, Pradeep Kumar
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Strategies,Teacher Education Programs,Training Methods,Electronic Learning,Teacher Competencies,Performance Factors,Technological Literacy,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Teaching Skills,Educational Practices,Educational Change

The world we live in is constantly changing. Learning is changing as well, especially the technologies mediated learning. The technologies have contributed significantly for evolution of the world of E-education where learners can access higher education in new ways, anywhere and at anytime. The world of E-education demands that teachers must become informed users and ensure effective utilization of technologies to satisfy the digital native generation of learners. These types of teachers may be termed as E-excellent teachers. Here a pertinent question arises that what strategies should be adopted to prepare E-excellent teachers? The present paper critically and systematically answers this question. In preliminary phase, it talks about the World of E-education and key challenges before teachers and desired competencies for becoming E-excellent teacher. Afterwards, it presents six innovative strategies to prepare &quot;E-excellent teachers&quot; for the world of E-education. The proposed strategies are: learning e-based operations and concepts; creating e-supported learning environments; practicing e-mediated teaching; making e-enabled assessment and evaluation; supporting e-enhanced professional development; and offering e-empowered learner support.