ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
&quot;A Voice to Talk about It&quot;: Cosmetologists as STEM Experts in Educational Technology Design and Implementation
Author: Lachney, Michael
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cosmetology,African Americans,STEM Education,Design,Educational Technology,Allied Health Personnel,Allied Health Occupations,Communities of Practice

In the U.S. there are steady efforts by governmental and philanthropic organizations to increase the representation of students of colour in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). After years of mixed results, researchers and educators have started to question one size fits all notions of broadening participation. An increasing number of projects are challenging universalist assumptions by enrolling the expertise of culturally situated communities of practice in STEM lessons and the educational technologies that support them. While this research shows promising results for improving young people's interest and performance in STEM, there has been little research on how these lessons and technologies might also benefit the communities whose expertise were originally enrolled. This paper details the design of educational technologies that bridge STEM and African American cosmetology. We report on a mixed-methods research project, conducted with a group of predominantly African American cosmetologists. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected to study their attitudes toward STEM before and after working with the technologies. Our results suggest positive changes in the cosmetologists' attitudes. We end with a critical discussion about respecting the knowledge systems of underrepresented communities of practice in educational technology research and development.
Changing Attitudes with a MOOC on Dementia
Author: Robertshaw, David
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Dementia,Online Courses,Attitude Change,Attitudes toward Disabilities,Foreign Countries,Open Educational Resources,Independent Living,Health Personnel,Older Adults,Intervention,Program Effectiveness

Introduction: Dementia is one of the most significant issues of our time and there are varying prevailing attitudes towards dementia, including negative stigma and perception. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a widely available online learning resource accessed for free which may present an opportunity to address prevailing attitudes. Methodology: We conducted a questionnaire before and after a six-week MOOC where participants learned about dementia. We collected data using a survey instrument and analysed them with statistical testing. Results and findings: Although there was no statistically significant change between pre- and post-MOOC questionnaires, the change was observed in some questions and for particular groups. Conclusion and recommendations: Our findings indicate this MOOC has a greater effect on changing the attitudes of non-healthcare workers, older people and those living in the United Kingdom. We recommend further analysis of MOOC as a change intervention and consideration of their application in other disciplines.
The Grounds for Higher Education Teachers to Engage in MOOC Development Projects
Author: Olsson, Ulf
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Faculty,Higher Education,Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Foreign Countries,Open Education,Curriculum Development,Teacher Motivation

The conditions for higher education teachers operating in a technology-enhanced education setting and an open educational context -- such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) -- are different when compared to traditional teaching methods (e.g. in a lecture hall). This study investigates the grounds for 20 teachers at Swedish Higher education institutions to be involved in MOOC development projects. Six categories are found and described; including curiosity, merits, teaching development, flexibility, as well as the possibility to disseminate their research and expand their professional networks. Interviewees believed that the work was a viable way to strengthen their research portfolio, while also making a limited effort for teaching, enhancing the dissemination possibilities and strengthening their research networks.
Designing a History Museum Based Outreach Program with Digital Content
Author: Quiroga, Jacobo Moreno
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Program Design,Outreach Programs,Museums,History,Exhibits,Teaching Methods,Information Technology,Human Body,Science Education,Elementary School Students,Foreign Countries,Animation,Video Technology,History Instruction,Puzzles

This study expands on the concept of outreach programs: museum initiatives that look for ways to reach and share knowledge outside their installations, often to schools. We aim to study approaches for the development of content for a history museum outreach program using digital technologies. The significance of this lies in investigating ways to bring the knowledge of the museum to schools that cannot have easy access to them. Three different content approaches were developed and tested. The first was an Assemblable walls exhibition, consisting of a modular structure in which three different exhibition methods were presented: object, video and interactive. Second, was a Hands-on interactive exhibition, consisting of a portable system that includes digital and analogue activities in an application developed for a smart projector. Lastly, the third approach was an interactive experience, which incorporated the various approaches tested previously and expanded upon them. In our conclusions, we stress the significance of this research regarding offering museum content to schools without easy access and offer a list of suggestions based on our findings that museum curators could follow when considering the development of an outreach program with digital content.
Development of a Scale for Measuring the Learner Autonomy of Distance Education Students
Author: Bei, Evanthia
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Test Construction,Likert Scales,Psychometrics,Personal Autonomy,Distance Education,Graduate Students,Factor Analysis,Factor Structure,Gender Differences,Construct Validity,Test Reliability

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable psychometric scale to measure the perceived autonomy of postgraduate students in the Hellenic Open University and similar distance education environments. Two dimensions of autonomy, namely personal and educational, were revealed from the literature review and the preliminary study. For the evaluation of each dimension, two subscales were developed. Following two pilot studies, the initial item pool led to the development of a 25-items questionnaire, which was then administered to a sample of 239 postgraduate students. The exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors for the personal autonomy subscale, with 7 items in total, and two factors for the educational autonomy subscale, with 9 items in total. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient ranged between 0.623 and 0.717. A statistically significant gender difference was found only for the personal autonomy subscale and, more specifically, for the factor 'managing difficulties', where female respondents received a lower score than males.
Telecollaboration: Fostering Foreign Language Learning at a Distance
Author: Taskiran, Ayse
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Computer Mediated Communication,Videoconferencing,Synchronous Communication,Electronic Mail,Cultural Awareness,Intercultural Communication,Communicative Competence (Languages),College Students,Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes,Learning Processes,Cooperative Learning,Comparative Analysis,Partnerships in Education

Today, language learners can be linked with students in other countries to form international partnerships, which is often called telecollaboration. Some common goals of telecollaboration include cultural awareness, development of foreign language skills and intercultural communicative competence. This study intends to gain insights about the learners' experience following a 5-week telecollaboration activity between 100 English as a foreign language (EFL) students from Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics in China and Anadolu University in Turkey. The participation in the project was on voluntary basis for Turkish students. The telecollaboration activity included three different stages in which learners from both countries were expected to be able to communicate using different channels (text messaging, voice calls, video calls, emailing) synchronously and asynchronously, to analyse and compare their own and their peers' culture to build understanding of each other's identities and to collaborate together to produce a cultural piece of work. At the end of the activity Turkish EFL students were invited to answer a questionnaire that aimed to gain insights about their experience related to telecollaboration activity. Results revealed that the participants mostly enjoyed the activity. They also believed the activity contributed to their language learning process, motivation and intercultural communicative competence.
Recent Work in Connectivism
Author: Downes, Stephen
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Theories,Social Networks,Knowledge Level,Learning,Community,Student Role,Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Personal Autonomy,Student Motivation

Since the introduction of connectivism as a learning theory in 2004 a body of literature has developed both offering criticisms and expanding on applications and empirical validation. This article surveys recent literature on the topic, grouping it into themes, and developing an understanding of current perspectives in connectivism. It surveys current perspectives and criticisms of connectivism, views of connectivism as a pedagogy and as a theory of learning, recent evidence supporting connectivism, and a wider understanding of connectivism as it is developing today.
Student Teacher Engagement in Co-Teaching Strategies
Author: Stobaugh, Rebecca
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Teachers,Team Teaching,Cooperating Teachers,Teaching Methods,Student Teacher Attitudes,Elementary Secondary Education

Recently there has been increasing emphasis on co-teaching experiences for teacher candidates. Despite the significance of collaboration between cooperating teachers and student teachers, limited empirical attention has focused on student teachers' co-teaching experiences. The following study utilized survey data to ascertain if student teachers' use of different co-teaching strategies changed over the course of their student teaching semester, as well as, compared student teacher use of co-teaching strategies in elementary, middle, and secondary program areas. &quot;Pilot Study Survey&quot; data revealed that approximately one-fourth of the student teacher's time is spent teaching alone. However, the &quot;Student Teacher Survey&quot; data indicated that the Team Teaching co-teaching strategy increased more than any other co-teaching strategy in all program areas. The study concludes that as teacher education programs seek to maximize the benefits of the co-teaching model, student teachers and cooperating teachers need additional training in ways to utilize all the co-teaching strategies to maximize student learning.
The Proficiency Cohort: Shifting Teacher Beliefs through a Collaborative Curriculum Design Process
Author: Ritz, Catherine
Date: 2018-09-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Teachers,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Curriculum Development,Educational Change,Teacher Attitudes,Grammar,Faculty Development,Middle School Teachers,High School Teachers,Communicative Competence (Languages),Teaching Methods,Instructional Effectiveness,Language Proficiency,Spanish,Mandarin Chinese,Meetings,Likert Scales

This study uses a cohort model--a combination of a study group, with readings and discussion, and collaborative curriculum design as a professional development tool--as a context for investigating a group of middle and high school world language teachers' beliefs about effective curriculum. The study explores whether this model could shift teachers' beliefs positively regarding world language curriculum, moving from more traditional grammar-based curricular models toward a communicative approach. Previous research has documented the importance of teacher beliefs in education and how different professional development models impact them. However, this study is novel in using curriculum design as the focus of professional development within the context of world language education. Teachers' beliefs about communicative curriculum were surveyed before, during, and after participation in the cohort to ascertain if a shift in their beliefs occurred as a result of involvement in the study. Using a series of three surveys collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, results indicate a positive shift in teacher beliefs about the value of a communicative curriculum, their own abilities in implementing this type of curriculum, students' anticipated success with the curriculum, and the effectiveness of the cohort model. This model could be replicated in similar districts to effect change in teacher beliefs while developing the capacity for world language curricular revision.
A Study on Knowledge Sharing Behavior among Academicians in India
Author: Punniyamoorthy, M.
Date: 2019-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Knowledge Level,Information Dissemination,College Faculty,Theories,Teacher Behavior,Models,Teacher Attitudes,Causal Models,Intention

The intention of this paper is to present the concept of knowledge sharing practices among faculty members in academic institutions through the theory of planned behavior (TPB). This paper examines survey results collected on academician's knowledge sharing. A theory of planned behavior is used as a source model to develop two models: one with the causal path from subjective norms to attitude and the other with a causal path from subjective norms to perceived behavioral control. From the results of the significance of the subjective norms to the attitude path, it is possible to conclude that there is a similarity in faculty attitude toward knowledge sharing and what they feel about knowledge sharing due to social pressure. Similarly, the casual path created from subjective norms to perceived behavioral control reveals that the academician's behavior in knowledge sharing depends upon his/her feelings about the views of others. Further analysis of the three models resulted in the emergence of a new model.
Inter-Learner Communication and Collaborative Learning as Quality Criteria of Distance Vocational Education and Training
Author: Batsila, Anastasia
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cooperative Learning,Distance Education,Vocational Education,Foreign Countries,Web Based Instruction,Interpersonal Communication,Student Attitudes,Educational Policy,Educational Quality,Quality Assurance,Evaluation Criteria,Online Courses,Professional Continuing Education,Adults

Distance web-based VET is nowadays of utmost importance for the EU. But, its special characteristics create doubts, as far as its quality is concerned, so research in this field is essential. According to the theoretical background, teaching methods and specifically, inter-learner communication and collaborative learning, are related to quality assurance. However, they are not always included in quality criteria nor is their use widespread in Greek distance VET. The aim of the research was to compare learner views with EU policy on the inclusion of inter-learner communication and collaborative learning in quality criteria. A qualitative research design was used to investigate EU quality assurance policy and frameworks. According to the findings, interlearner communication is included in seven EU quality assurance frameworks, while collaborative learning in five of them. Learners have the same opinion about collaborative learning, but interlearner communication is not as widely accepted as it is by EU organizations. However, from both perspectives, there is a stronger preference for distance inter-learner communication.
Learner-Centered English Language Teaching: Premises, Practices, and Prospects
Author: Badjadi, Nour El Imane
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Centered Learning,Teacher Attitudes,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,College Faculty,Teaching Methods,Educational Change,Teacher Education,Higher Education,English (Second Language),Foreign Countries,Language Teachers,French,Translation,Universities

Although learner-centered education is claimed to have several learning gains, research suggests that teachers' attitudes and practices play a crucial role in promoting its prolific outcomes. This study examines the adaptation of learner-centered education and examines how it has been implemented in second language teaching by university teachers since launching an educational shift embodied in the learner-centered reform a decade ago. In so doing, a questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 128 instructors. The data collected were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistical analyses using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS 16.0 software. Meanwhile, interviews were analyzed qualitatively. The quantitative analysis of data provides a snapshot of instructors' attitudes towards Learner-centered education and the extent to which they implemented it in their courses. More importantly, the analysis of qualitative interview results outlines a &quot;contextualized&quot; framework that takes into account the conceptual nature of the global premises of Learner-centered education by linking them to teachers' perceptions and practices in a particular context. The findings provide insights into the dynamism of meeting college students' second language learning needs. The study further addresses the problems of designing teacher training that aims at promoting higher education second language learning in the Middle East and North Africa context.
Peer Assessment in L2 Pronunciation Instruction in Russia: Students&apos; Attitude Research
Author: Kolesnikova, Alexandra
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Teacher Role,Student Role,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Phonetics,Undergraduate Students,Student Attitudes,Peer Evaluation,Educational Benefits,Teaching Methods,Phonology,Skill Development,Preferences,Oral Language,Written Language,Computer Software,Pronunciation

The literature review shows that the current educational paradigm with the shift to a studentoriented model has transformed the roles of both the teacher and the student, where the latter takes a more active and conscious part in educational processes. Peer assessment has proven to have a positive impact on L2 learning and teaching, having various benefits for both the teacher and the student, and its usefulness and efficiency has been supported by various research. While educators are aware of such positive impact, students' attitudes towards peer assessment may vary. This study aims to examine the attitudes towards peer assessment in an L2 phonetics class of first year undergraduate students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Area Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University. Thirty-four participants responded to a questionnaire, the main aim of which was to explore their attitudes towards peer assessment and its effectiveness in terms of developing their phonological competence and also their preferences regarding oral and written peer assessment in class. Responses were analysed through JASP software. The results of the study prove students' awareness of the significance of peer assessment and their positive attitudes towards it with approximately 85% of the participants regarding it as a useful component of constructive feedback and approximately 91% of the participants acknowledging the usefulness of peer assessment for the development of their own phonological skills. The study also offers a pronunciation peer assessment scale to contribute to teaching and learning L2 phonetics.
Proficient Speakers of English as a Foreign Language: A Focus-Group Study
Author: Dincer, Ali
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Proficiency,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Content Analysis,Language Tests,Scores,Learning Motivation,Information Technology,Student Attitudes,Independent Study,Context Effect,Extracurricular Activities,Foreign Countries,Study Abroad,Case Studies,Computer Games,Television,Travel,Computer Mediated Communication,Drills (Practice),Speech Communication

Although English is the de facto language of communication across nations in today's world, a limited number of foreign language learners are able to communicate well in English and perceive themselves as competent speakers. Investigating traits of proficient speakers of English and understanding the reasons behind their speaking skills can guide language teachers in creating supportive language learning contexts for their students. This study explores what proficient speakers of English do to gain success in speaking, and it sheds light on how to improve speaking skills in language learning. The study examines what factors play an important role in the language development of proficient speakers of English. Sixteen English as a foreign language (EFL) students who had the highest scores on English speaking tests volunteered for this study; four focus groups were created with four participants in each group. Content analysis results indicate that contextual factors -- including self-practice, teacher factor, experience abroad, Turkish context, out-of-class technology use, and affective factors, including motivation and anxiety -- are important for speaking enhancement. Findings clearly reveal that language learning should go beyond the confines of the school and be supported with technology-enhanced extracurricular exercises in EFL contexts. Moreover, what motivates language learners to study English and how they feel while speaking should be considered while teaching or planning their speaking lessons.