ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Embedded Text-to-Speech and Vocabulary eBook Scaffolds on the Comprehension of Students with Reading Disabilities
Author: Gonzalez, Michelle
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reading Difficulties,Reading Comprehension,Books,Electronic Publishing,Technology Uses in Education,Scaffolding (Teaching Technique),Grade 3,Grade 4,Assistive Technology,Vocabulary,Elementary School Students,Recall (Psychology),Statistical Analysis,Multiple Choice Tests,Reading Instruction,Instructional Effectiveness

Limited research exists concerning the effect of interactive electronic texts or eBooks on the reading comprehension of students with reading disabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant difference in oral retelling and comprehension performance on multiple-choice questions when 17 students with reading disabilities in third (n = 10) and fourth (n = 7) grade read eBooks under three different book formats. Participants read text presented in 3 formats with varying levels of built-in scaffolds including text-to-speech and vocabulary supports. Results of a Friedman's Test revealed a significant effect of the different book formats on comprehension measured by oral retelling, but not for comprehension measured by multiple-choice questions.
MOOC Integration into Secondary School Courses
Author: Najafi, Hedieh
Date: 2014-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,High School Students,College Preparation,Economics,Teaching Methods,Educational Technology,Blended Learning,Scores,Tests,Video Technology,Persistence,Foreign Countries,Questionnaires,Learner Engagement,Statistical Analysis

We investigated how high school students taking a university preparatory economics course would engage with the learning and assessment components of a Behavioural Economics MOOC that was integrated into their school-based course. Students were divided into two groups, MOOC-only, with no teacher support, and blended-mode, with weekly tutorials. MOOC only students scored slightly lower on a teacher designed knowledge test but scored slightly higher in a MOOC test. Although the MOOC-only students watched more unique videos, the blended-mode students stayed more on-track with the MOOC. The blended-mode students showed more persistence in retaking quizzes, yet they scored lower than the MOOC-only students.
Visual Literacy Skills of Students in College-Level Biology: Learning Outcomes Following Digital or Hand-Drawing Activities
Author: Bell, Justine C.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Visual Literacy,College Students,Biology,College Science,Outcomes of Education,Computer Uses in Education,Freehand Drawing,Art Activities,Learning Activities,Intervention,Introductory Courses,Science Instruction,Instructional Effectiveness,Comparative Analysis,Foreign Countries

To test the claim that digital learning tools enhance the acquisition of visual literacy in this generation of biology students, a learning intervention was carried out with 33 students enrolled in an introductory college biology course. This study compared learning outcomes following two types of learning tools: a traditional drawing activity, or a learning activity on a computer. The sample was divided into two random groups. In the first intervention students learned how to draw and label a cell. Group 1 learned the material by computer and Group 2 learned the material by hand drawing. In the second intervention, students learned how to draw the phases of mitosis, and the two groups were inverted. After each learning activity, students were given a quiz, and were also asked to self-evaluate their performance in an attempt to measure their level of metacognition. At the end of the study, participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire that was used to measure the level of task engagement the students felt towards the two types of learning activities. The students who learned the material by drawing had a significantly higher average grade on the associated quiz compared to that of those who learned the material by computer. There were no other significant differences in learning outcomes between the two groups. This study provides evidence that drawing by hand is beneficial for learning biological images compared to learning the same material on a computer.
Influence of Incentives on Performance in a Pre-College Biology MOOC
Author: Jiang, Suhang
Date: 2014-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Biology,Secondary School Science,College Preparation,High School Students,Socioeconomic Influences,Mathematics Achievement,Majors (Students),Gender Differences,Enrollment,Course Selection (Students),Educational Technology,STEM Education,Science Instruction,Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Comparative Analysis,Introductory Courses,College Bound Students,Coding,Racial Differences,Ethnic Groups,Regression (Statistics),Undergraduate Students,Instructional Effectiveness

There is concern that online education may widen the achievement gap between students from different socioeconomic classes. The recent discussion of integrating massive open online courses (MOOCs) into formal higher education has added fuel to this debate. In this study, factors influencing enrollment and completion in a pre-college preparatory MOOC were explored. University of California at Irvine (UCI) students of all preparation levels, defined by math Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score, were invited to take a Bio Prep MOOC to help them prepare for introductory biology. Students with math SAT below 550 were offered the explicit incentive of an early change to the biology major upon successful completion of the MOOC and two additional onsite courses. Our results demonstrate that, among course registrants, a higher percentage of UCI students (&gt;60%) completed the course than non-UCI registrants from the general population (&lt;9%). Female UCI students had a greater likelihood of enrolling in the MOOC, but were not different from male students in terms of performance. University students entering with low preparation outperformed students entering who already had the credentials to become biology majors. These findings suggest that MOOCs can reach students, even those entering college with less preparation, before they enter university and have the potential to prepare them for challenging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses
A Social Network Perspective on Peer Supported Learning in MOOCs for Educators
Author: Kellogg, Shaun
Date: 2014-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Social Networks,Communities of Practice,Elementary Secondary Education,Mixed Methods Research,Case Studies,Peer Relationship,Knowledge Level,Individual Differences,Experience,Electronic Learning,Mathematics Instruction,Knowledge Management,Computer Mediated Communication,Discussion Groups

A recent phenomenon in the MOOC space has been the development of courses tailored to educators serving in K-12 settings. MOOCs, particularly as a form of educator professional development, face a number of challenges. Academics, as well as pundits from traditional and new media, have raised a number of concerns about MOOCs, including the lack of instructional and social supports. It is an assumption of this study that challenges arising form this problem of scale can be addressed by leveraging these massive numbers to develop robust online learning communities. This mixed-methods case study addresses critical gaps in the literature and issues of peer support in MOOCs through an examination of the characteristics, mechanisms, and outcomes of peer networks. Findings from this study demonstrate that even with technology as basic as a discussion forum, MOOCs can be leveraged to foster these networks and facilitate peer supported learning. Although this study was limited to two unique cases along the wide spectrum of MOOCs, the methods applied provide other researchers with an approach for better understanding the dynamic process of peer supported learning in MOOCs.
Minimal Marking: A Success Story
Author: McNeilly, Anne
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Journalism Education,Grading,Grammar,Learner Engagement,Outcomes of Education,Comparative Analysis,College Freshmen,Written Language,Language Tests,Punctuation,Language Usage,Rote Learning,Scores

The minimal-marking project conducted in Ryerson's School of Journalism throughout 2012 and early 2013 resulted in significantly higher grammar scores in two first-year classes of minimally marked university students when compared to two traditionally marked classes. The &quot;minimal-marking&quot; concept (Haswell, 1983), which requires dramatically more student engagement, resulted in more successful learning outcomes for surface-level knowledge acquisition than the more traditional approach of &quot;teacher-corrects-all.&quot; Results suggest it would be effective, not just for grammar, punctuation, and word usage, the objective here, but for any material that requires rote-memory learning, such as the Associated Press or Canadian Press style rules used by news publications across North America.
The Transfer of Learning Associated with Audio Feedback on Written Work
Author: Martini, Tanya
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Audio Equipment,Transfer of Training,Undergraduate Students,Student Attitudes,Grades (Scholastic),Teaching Assistants,Formative Evaluation

This study examined whether audio feedback provided to undergraduates (N=51) about one paper would prove beneficial in terms of improving their grades on another, unrelated paper of the same type. We examined this issue both in terms of student &quot;beliefs&quot; about learning transfer, as well as their &quot;actual ability&quot; to transfer what had been learned on one assignment to another, subsequent assignment. Results indicated that students believed that they would be able to transfer what they had learned via audio feedback. Moreover, results also suggested that students actually did generalize the overarching comments about content and structure made in the audio files to a subsequent paper, the content of which differed substantially from the initial one. Both students and teaching assistants demonstrated very favourable responses to this type of feedback, suggesting that it was both clear and comprehensive.
The Transformative Potential of Learning through Service While &quot;Doing&quot; Classroom-Based Research
Author: Breunig, Mary
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Service Learning,Transformative Learning,Experiential Learning,Teacher Attitudes,College Faculty,Student Attitudes,Psychological Patterns,Independent Study,College Students,Classroom Research,Phenomenology,Questionnaires,Guidelines,Critical Incidents Method,Montessori Schools,Foreign Countries,Focus Groups,Interviews

Experiential education and service-learning are &quot;buzz words&quot; within many educational circles. The purpose of this study was to explore students' (N=18) and professor experiences with/in a student-directed experiential education elective course, with a particular focus on a service-learning initiative. Stephen Brookfield's critical incident questionnaire (1995) and transformative phenomenology served as the guiding frameworks for this study. The results yielded four themes, including: 1) Sense of accomplishment, 2) Feelings of frustration, 3) Questioning student-directed course experience, and 4) Experiences from self-study participation. This study serves to further confirm that engaging in service-learning projects within a student-directed course can lead to a strong sense of accomplishment despite feelings of frustration and resistance.
The Effects of a Social Story™ Intervention on the Pro-Social Behaviors of a Young Adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Author: Karayazi, Seda
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Story Telling,Young Adults,Autism,Pervasive Developmental Disorders,Females,High School Students,Prosocial Behavior,Social Development,Skill Development,Interpersonal Competence,Special Education,Behavior Modification,Program Effectiveness,Intervention,Observation,Online Courses,College Students

The use of social stories™ with a young adult with autism spectrum disorder was examined. The young woman in the study was completing her high school education in a clinical room on a university campus in the South. The primary goal of her program was to develop and expand her functional independence. The social stories™ were effective in improving the pro-social behaviors in two areas, greeting behavior and nose-wiping behavior.
Qualitative Insights from a Canadian Multi-Institutional Research Study: In Search of Meaningful E-Learning
Author: Carter, Lorraine M.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Qualitative Research,Mixed Methods Research,Electronic Learning,Learning Experience,Teaching Experience,Teaching Methods,Management Systems,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,College Faculty,Teleconferencing,Telecommunications,Blended Learning,Focus Groups,Personal Narratives,Foreign Countries,Online Surveys

This paper reports the qualitative findings of a mixed methods research study conducted at three Canadian post-secondary institutions. Called the Meaningful E-learning or MEL project, the study was an exploration of the teaching and learning experiences of faculty and students as well as their perceptions of the benefits and challenges of e-learning. Importantly, e-learning was conceptualized as the integration of pedagogy, instructional technology, and the Internet into teaching and learning environments. Based on this definition, participants reflected on e-learning in relation to one or more of the following contexts: face-to-face (f2f) classrooms in which instructional technologies (e.g. learning management systems, video and web-conferencing, mobile devices, etc.) are used; blended or web-enhanced learning environments; and fully online learning environments. Data collected for the study included survey data (n = 1377 for students, n = 187 for faculty); narrative comments (n = 269 for students, n = 74 for faculty); and focus groups (n = 16 for students, n = 33 for faculty). The latter two sets of data comprise the basis of this paper. Four major themes emerged based on the responses of students and faculty. Represented by the acronym HIDI, the themes include human connection (H), IT support (I), design (D), and institutional infrastructure (I). These themes and sub-themes are presented in the paper as well as recommendations for educators and administrators who aspire to make e-learning a pedagogically meaningful experience for both learners and their teachers.
The Employer Potential of MOOCs: A Mixed-Methods Study of Human Resource Professionals' Thinking on MOOCs
Author: Radford, Alexandria Walton
Date: 2014-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Mixed Methods Research,Employers,Interviews,Surveys,Recruitment,Personnel Selection,Professional Development

While press coverage of MOOCs (massive open online courses) has been considerable and major MOOC providers are beginning to realize that employers may be a market for their courses, research on employers' receptivity to using MOOCs is scarce. To help fill this gap, the Finding and Developing Talent study surveyed 103 employers and interviewed a subset of 20 about their awareness of MOOCs and their receptivity to using MOOCs in recruiting, hiring, and professional development. Results showed that though awareness of MOOCs was relatively low (31% of the surveyed employers had heard of MOOCs), once they understood what they were, the employers perceived MOOCs positively in hiring decisions, viewing them mainly as indicating employees' personal attributes like motivation and a desire to learn. A majority of employers (59%) were also receptive to using MOOCs for recruiting purposes--especially for staff with technical skills in high demand. Yet an even higher percentage (83%) were using, considering using, or could see their organization using MOOCs for professional development. Interviews with employers suggested that obtaining evidence about the quality of MOOCs, including the long-term learning and work performance gains that employees accrue from taking them, would increase employers' use of MOOCs not just in professional development but also in recruiting and hiring.
Writing to Learn and Learning to Write across the Disciplines: Peer-to-Peer Writing in Introductory-Level MOOCs
Author: Comer, Denise K.
Date: 2014-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Introductory Courses,Writing Across the Curriculum,Peer Relationship,Interaction,Qualitative Research,Writing Instruction,Chemistry,College Science,Peer Evaluation,College Students,Discussion Groups,Student Attitudes,Feedback (Response),Psychological Patterns

This study aimed to evaluate how peer-to-peer interactions through writing impact student learning in introductory-level massive open online courses (MOOCs) across disciplines. This article presents the results of a qualitative coding analysis of peer-to-peer interactions in two introductory level MOOCs: English Composition I: Achieving Expertise and Introduction to Chemistry. Results indicate that peer-to-peer interactions in writing through the forums and through peer assessment enhance learner understanding, link to course learning objectives, and generally contribute positively to the learning environment. Moreover, because forum interactions and peer review occur in written form, our research contributes to open distance learning (ODL) scholarship by highlighting the importance of writing to learn as a significant pedagogical practice that should be encouraged more in MOOCs across disciplines.
Evaluating the Validity and Applicability of Automated Essay Scoring in Two Massive Open Online Courses
Author: Reilly, Erin Dawna
Date: 2014-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Essays,Scoring,Automation,Validity,Writing Assignments,College Students,Pharmaceutical Education,Scoring Rubrics,Correlation,Philosophy,Statistical Analysis

The use of massive open online courses (MOOCs) to expand students&apos; access to higher education has raised questions regarding the extent to which this course model can provide and assess authentic, higher level student learning. In response to this need, MOOC platforms have begun utilizing automated essay scoring (AES) systems that allow students to engage in critical writing and free-response activities. However, there is a lack of research investigating the validity of such systems in MOOCs. This research examined the effectiveness of an AES tool to score writing assignments in two MOOCs. Results indicated that some significant differences existed between Instructor grading, AES-Holistic scores, and AES-Rubric Total scores within two MOOC courses. However, use of the AES system may still be useful given instructors&apos; assessment needs and intent. Findings from this research have implications for instructional technology administrators, educational designers, and instructors implementing AES learning activities in MOOC courses.
Resource Requirements and Costs of Developing and Delivering MOOCs
Author: Hollands, Fiona M.
Date: 2014-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Costs,Higher Education,Curriculum Development,Cost Effectiveness,Resources,Interviews,Administrators,College Faculty,Researchers,Foreign Countries

Given the ongoing alarm regarding uncontrollable costs of higher education, it would be reasonable to expect not only concern about the impact of MOOCs on educational outcomes, but also systematic efforts to document the resources expended on their development and delivery. However, there is little publicly available information on MOOC costs that is based on rigorous analysis. In this article, we first address what institutional resources are required for the development and delivery of MOOCs, based on interviews conducted with 83 administrators, faculty members, researchers, and other actors in the MOOCspace. Subsequently, we use the ingredients method to present cost analyses of MOOC production and delivery at four institutions. We find costs ranging from $38,980 to $325,330 per MOOC, and costs per completer of $74-$272, substantially lower than costs per completer of regular online courses, by merit of scalability. Based on this metric, MOOCs appear more cost-effective than online courses, but we recommend judging MOOCs by impact on learning and caution that they may only be cost-effective for the most self-motivated learners. By demonstrating the methods of cost analysis as applied to MOOCs, we hope that future assessments of the value of MOOCs will combine both cost information and effectiveness data to yield cost-effectiveness ratios that can be compared with the cost-effectiveness of alternative modes of education delivery. Such information will help decision-makers in higher education make rational decisions regarding the most productive use of limited educational resources, to the benefit of both learners and taxpayers.
Where Is Research on Massive Open Online Courses Headed? A Data Analysis of the MOOC Research Initiative
Author: Gaševic, Dragan
Date: 2014-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Educational Research,Research Proposals,Content Analysis,Citation Analysis,Network Analysis,Learner Engagement,Curriculum Design,Independent Study,Socialization,Social Networks,Motivation,Attitudes,Success,Criteria,Mixed Methods Research,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Interdisciplinary Approach,Higher Education

This paper reports on the results of an analysis of the research proposals submitted to the MOOC Research Initiative (MRI) funded by the Gates Foundation and administered by Athabasca University. The goal of MRI was to mobilize researchers to engage into critical interrogation of MOOCs. The submissions--266 in Phase 1, out of which 78 was recommended for resubmission in the extended form in Phase 2, and finally, 28 funded--were analyzed by applying conventional and automated content analysis methods as well as citation network analysis methods. The results revealed the main research themes that could form a framework of the future MOOC research: i) student engagement and learning success, ii) MOOC design and curriculum, iii) self-regulated learning and social learning, iv) social network analysis and networked learning, and v) motivation, attitude and success criteria. The theme of social learning received the greatest interest and had the highest success in attracting funding. The submissions that planned on using learning analytics methods were more successful. The use of mixed methods was by far the most popular. Design-based research methods were also suggested commonly, but the questions about their applicability arose regarding the feasibility to perform multiple iterations in the MOOC context and rather a limited focus on technological support for interventions. The submissions were dominated by the researchers from the field of education (75% of the accepted proposals). Not only was this a possible cause of a complete lack of success of the educational technology innovation theme, but it could be a worrying sign of the fragmentation in the research community and the need to increased efforts towards enhancing interdisciplinarity.