ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Development of Digital Literacy and Inclusion Skills of Public Librarians
Author: Martzoukou, Konstantina
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Technological Literacy,Librarians,Public Libraries,Semi Structured Interviews,Library Administration,Information Technology,Library Education,Job Skills,Professional Development,Masters Programs,Library Science,Case Studies,Qualitative Research

This paper examines the extent to which public librarians are successfully prepared to engage the community in digital literacy and inclusion. A qualitative, multiple case study research design was chosen, using an analysis of policy documents and existing training programs offered by the libraries together with semi-structured interviews with public librarians and library management. This was followed by an analysis of Masters in Library &amp; Information Science programs. The majority of public librarians felt that information technology skills and transferable skills were perceived to be equally important. However most of the public librarians identified quite a few gaps between what they learned in their library program and how it translated into their working environment. They also expressed a great interest and need for additional on-going technical training and development to promote digital literacy and to become proficient in understanding the needs of the community. Gaps in MLIS programs were identified around the areas of e-Books, basic PC trouble shooting, social media and communication skills. This study concludes with several recommendations for public libraries and for MLIS programs to foster digital literacy and inclusion.
Introduction to Classroom Sprego
Author: Csernoch, Mária
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Programming,Spreadsheets,Instruction,Problem Solving,Coding,Computer Science Education,Mathematical Formulas,Educational Benefits,Computation,Thinking Skills,Skill Development,Information Technology,Accuracy,Error Patterns,Tables (Data),Foreign Countries

Sprego is programming with spreadsheet functions. The present paper provides introductory Sprego examples which have so far only been available in Hungarian. Spreadsheet environments offer both a programming tool which best serves beginner and end-user programmers' interest, and an approach which lightens the burden of coding and language details. Sprego programming utilizes these tools and offers a real world problem solving method based on authentic tables with various contents. The examples selected for the paper show how Sprego programming can be introduced into programming and/or spreadsheet classes.
Demonstration the Class, Object and Inheritance Concepts by Software
Author: Udvaros, József
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Programming,Computer Science Education,Programming Languages,Computer Software,Sequential Approach,Thinking Skills,Logical Thinking,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes,Questionnaires,Computer Use,Information Technology,Computer Literacy,Knowledge Level,High School Students,Vocational Schools,Educational Games,Electronic Learning

The world all around us is rapidly developing. We are witnessing the rapid evolution of technology and communication. This means new challenges and responsibilities to future strategies and attitudes. Today's operating systems and development environments apply the principle of OOP; therefore today's developments are inconceivable without the usage of OOP. The knowledge and usage of OOP and the related system development methods are essential mainly for experienced programmers and developers. Consequently, teaching computer science and programming needs to be based on OOP. OOP can be avoided in case of teaching basic computer skills; however, it is an essential part of teaching programming. It is generally known--based on teaching experiences--that teaching traditional sequential programming is facing difficulties, moreover, teaching OOP, that is closer to reality, is even more difficult. The reason for its difficulty is the fact that further theoretical and modelling skills would be required, but the traditional sequential programming principles should be taught as well. So we can ask when it is appropriate to start the OOP education at schools. Let´s take into consideration that to be able to learn programming, algorithmic thinking is essential. It raises further question such as: what method to use for teaching, how to teach students the most effectively and in the shortest period to be able to use this technique.
The MATH--Open Source Application for Easier Learning of Numerical Mathematics
Author: Glaser-Opitz, Henrich
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Mathematics Education,Computer Software,Computer Assisted Instruction,College Mathematics,College Students,Mathematics Instruction,Problem Solving,Mathematical Applications,Educational Technology,Equations (Mathematics),Computer Graphics,Computer Interfaces,Programming Languages,Sequential Approach,Learning Processes,Least Squares Statistics,Monte Carlo Methods,Foreign Countries

The article introduces a software application (MATH) supporting an education of Applied Mathematics, with focus on Numerical Mathematics. The MATH is an easy to use tool supporting various numerical methods calculations with graphical user interface and integrated plotting tool for graphical representation written in Qt with extensive use of Qwt library and other 3rd party libraries. The MATH is a convenient tool for use in education process, thanks to its capability of showing step-by-step solutions for better understanding of the whole process for both undergraduate and graduate students. It enables also speed and precision comparison for various similar methods. The main goal of this application was to support student learning process and after all, speed up the learning curve.
Interdisciplinary Team-Teaching Experience for a Computer and Nuclear Energy Course for Electrical and Computer Engineering Students
Author: Kim, Charles
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Team Teaching,Teaching Methods,Facilities,Nuclear Energy,Undergraduate Students,Student Surveys,Computer Science Education,Computer Software,Engineering,Technical Occupations,Teacher Student Relationship,College Students,Graduate Students,Engineering Education,Computer Science,Higher Education

A new, interdisciplinary, team-taught course has been designed to educate students in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) so that they can respond to global and urgent issues concerning computer control systems in nuclear power plants. This paper discusses our experience and assessment of the interdisciplinary computer and nuclear energy course, which was developed and offered primarily to ECE students at Howard University. A unique team-teaching model utilized with ECE professors and nuclear field experts was applied to teach the two diverse subjects: computer safety and nuclear energy. The survey result from the first offering of the course showed a very positive response from the majority of the students about the team-teaching method and the knowledge acquired on the two subjects.
Freshman Engineering Students At-Risk of Non-Matriculation: Self-Efficacy for Academic Learning
Author: Ernst, Jeremy V.
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Engineering,Engineering Education,College Freshmen,Academic Achievement,Admission (School),At Risk Students,Self Efficacy,College Students,Higher Education,Item Analysis,Correlation,Comparative Analysis,Academic Persistence,Grade Point Average,Likert Scales,Factor Analysis,Surveys,Data Analysis,Test Items,Statistical Analysis

Students identified as at-risk of non-academic continuation have a propensity toward lower academic self-efficacy than their peers (Lent, 2005). Within engineering, self-efficacy and confidence are major markers of university continuation and success (Lourens, 2014 Raelin, et al., 2014). This study explored academic learning self-efficacy specific to first-year engineering students with at-risk indicators. The at-risk determination was made through trajectory to matriculate, classified by cumulative grade point average of academic studies. An adapted version of the Self-efficacy for Learning (SEL) scale, modified by Klobas, Renzi and Nigrelli (2007), was administered to freshman engineering students identified at-risk and not at-risk of matriculation. Internal consistency of the SEL was analyzed and once deemed satisfactory (Cronbach alpha = 0.94), item-level outcome comparisons between student subgroups were made for each of the 22 instrument items.
Decision Making and Systems Thinking: Educational Issues
Author: Yurtseven, M. Kudret
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Decision Making,Models,Industrial Education,Engineering Education,Systems Approach,Thinking Skills,Engineering,Holistic Approach,Monte Carlo Methods,Undergraduate Students,Higher Education,Operations Research,Management Systems,Universities,Methods,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Cognitive Processes,Teaching Methods

Decision making in most universities is taught within the conventional OR/MS (Operations Research/Management Science) paradigm. This paradigm is known to be &quot;hard&quot; since it is consisted of mathematical tools, and normally suitable for solving structured problems. In complex situations the conventional OR/MS paradigm proves to be inadequate; decisions must be based on systems thinking which provides the decision maker(s) the opportunity to address the problematic situation in its full system context. The aim here is to develop a framework and a new course to teach &quot;decision making through systems thinking&quot; to industrial engineering students. The new course is to be taken after the existing course which covers the traditional OR/MS paradigm. It is believed that such an &quot;extended&quot; framework will help students to improve their skills in handling complex decision situations.
Skill-Based Teaching for Undergraduate STEM Majors
Author: Davidovitch, Nitza
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: STEM Education,Majors (Students),Higher Education,Undergraduate Students,Case Studies,Interdisciplinary Approach,Teaching Methods,Electronics,Engineering,Engineering Education,Outcomes of Education,Curriculum Design,Courses,Technological Advancement,Student Centered Learning,Comparative Analysis,Intellectual Disciplines,Undergraduate Study,Foreign Countries,Curriculum,Program Evaluation,Questionnaires,College Graduates,Surveys

This article presents a case study that illustrates the paradigmatic shift in higher education from content-centered teaching to learning-centered academic programs. This pragmatic change, triggered by the STEM movement, calls for the introduction of success measures in the course development process. The course described in this paper illustrates such a goal-driven approach to the development of an entire multidisciplinary curriculum in mechanical engineering and mechatronics. The effectiveness of this new curriculum was confirmed by findings of a survey of graduates of the first six graduating classes who studied on the basis of this curriculum.
Primary Student Teachers' Perspectives of the Teaching of Fractions
Author: Savas Basturk
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Student Teachers,Primary Education,Elementary School Teachers,Grade 3,Preservice Teacher Education,Student Teacher Attitudes,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Mathematics Instruction,Fractions,Questionnaires,Qualitative Research,Coding,Data Analysis

The aim of this study was to investigate primary student teachers' perspectives of the teaching of fractions, i.e. their PCK of fractions. The research design used for the study was a descriptive survey method. As data collection instrument, we conducted a questionnaire composing of 14 open and closed-ended questions. The questionnaire was administered to 126 third grade primary student teachers at the department of primary teacher education in Sinop University. There were 91 females and 35 males. In the analysis of open-ended questions, the participants' responses were qualitatively analysed to characterize patterns and categorize answers. Questionnaires were analysed by using open coding. The results of the study indicated that, when saying fractions, first thing which comes in the student teachers' mind is the meaning &quot;part-whole&quot; of fractions. By supporting on the relevant literature, it can be asserted that, only this meaning is not sufficient to provide better understanding of fractions among students. In parallel, activities that most of the student teachers prefer for the introduction to fractions are closely related to this meaning such as dividing a cake, a breath, etc. into equals parts or shading a region.
How to Teach Programming Indirectly--Using Spreadsheet Application
Author: Tahy, Zsuzsanna Szalayné
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Programming,Technological Literacy,Information Technology,Spreadsheets,Teaching Methods,Computer Software,Thinking Skills,Computation

It is a question in many countries whether ICT and application usage should be taught. There are some problems with IT literacy: users do not understand the concepts of a software, they cannot solve problems, and moreover, using applications gives them more problems. Consequently, using ICT seems to slow work down. Experts suggest learning programming to get some practice in computational thinking; but learning programming is very difficult for many people. In this publication a method is suggested how to teach computational thinking and how to prepare students for programming. The focus is set on the spreadsheet software, but the method is more general: the teaching of programming is embedded into the teaching of application usage. While discussing a specified software or problem to solve, indirectly, one teaches computational thinking and programming. Advanced spreadsheets are known as programming like language but in this case the focus is on the spreadsheets as a program in everyday use. While examining how to solve a problem using spreadsheet and what does spreadsheet do, computational thinking and key competences of programming are developing. Later known data types, data structures, algorithms, functions and methods give the conceptual basis of programming practice.
A Study into the Design of a Pre-Laboratory Software Resource in Effectively Assisting in the Chemistry Proficiency of Students of Chinese Origin Undertaking Post 16 Chemistry in the UK
Author: O'Sullivan, Saskia Katarina Emily
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Asians,Chemistry,Science Instruction,Cultural Differences,Teaching Methods,Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Computer Software,Video Technology,Simulation,Difficulty Level,Student Adjustment,Foreign Students,Secondary School Students,Qualitative Research,Multimedia Instruction,Pronunciation,Vocabulary Development,Visualization,Feedback (Response)

This qualitative study indicates that Chinese origin students completing their pre-university education in a British school have particular difficulties related to sociocultural change, pedagogical differences, affective aspects, cognitive demand and language learning. These are discussed. The use of a pre-laboratory software resource to support pre-university practical work in chemistry offers considerable benefits a number of the challenges faced by these students in studying in an English setting, most notably in building confidence and cognition through the use of videos of techniques, simulations and glossaries.
Communicating Wave Energy: An Active Learning Experience for Students
Author: Huynh, Trongnghia
Date: 2016-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Active Learning,Physics,Scientific Concepts,Science Careers,Engineering,Engineering Education,Experiential Learning,Hands on Science,Science Education,Science Instruction,High School Students,Secondary School Science,Learning Experience,Virtual Classrooms,Computer Simulation,Demonstrations (Educational),Computer Software,Computers,Science Activities,Energy,Surveys,Questionnaires,Advanced Placement,Comparative Analysis,Science Projects

We have conducted an education project to communicate the wave energy concept to high school students. A virtual reality system that combines both hardware and software is developed in this project to simulate the buoy-wave interaction. This first-of-its-kind wave energy unit is portable and physics-based, allowing students to conduct a number of hands-on activities. This system is the core component of an educational experience that integrates demonstration and hands-on learning, with an aim of introducing the wave energy conversion process to students in an interactive environment. Presentations have been made at two different high schools with diverse student populations, and students involved in this project rated very positively about their learning experience. As revealed by their feedback, the virtual environment and its combination with the hardware are the most important factors that help students to appreciate the knowledge in the wave energy conversion process.
Effects of Reading Strategies and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge on Turkish EFL Learners' Text Inferencing Skills
Author: Çakir, Abdulvahit
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Reading Strategies,Vocabulary Development,Reading Skills,Reading Comprehension,Inferences,Knowledge Level,Reading Tests,Associative Learning,Metacognition,Standardized Tests,Scores,Predictor Variables,College Freshmen,Statistical Analysis,Multiple Regression Analysis

Within the framework of foreign language teaching and learning, reading strategies, depth of vocabulary knowledge and text inferencing skills have not been researched extensively. This study tries to fill this gap by analyzing the effects of reading strategies used by Turkish EFL learners and their depth of vocabulary knowledge on their text inferencing skills. Three different measures were used in the study: Word Association Test (WAT), Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory (MARSI), and inferencing questions used in a standardized national test. The association test and reading strategies scores were regressed on inferencing scores of the participants. The results revealed that depth of vocabulary knowledge was a better predictor of inferencing skills compared to reading strategies. However, the model created by using these two predictors accounted for only 15% of the variance, and the major implication of this result is that there are other more significant factors which affect text inferencing skills of EFL learners than reading strategies and depth of vocabulary knowledge.
How Successful Learners Employ Learning Strategies in an EFL Setting in the Indonesian Context
Author: Setiyadi, Ag. Bambang
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Success,Learning Strategies,English (Second Language),Questionnaires,Language Proficiency,Skill Analysis,Correlation,Language Skills,Writing Skills,Speech Skills,Listening Skills,College Students,Foreign Countries,Likert Scales

Numerous studies have been conducted to correlate the use of language learning strategies and language performance and the studies have contributed to different perspectives of teaching and learning a foreign language. Some studies have also revealed that the students learning a foreign language in Asian contexts have been proved to use different learning strategies compared to students that learn the same language in Western countries. The present study was conducted with 73 students of the seventh semester of an English Department in Indonesia. The subjects had been employing learning strategies in an EFL setting in the Indonesian context. The data in this study were collected by administering a questionnaire of language learning strategies and a test of language proficiency. With the Cronbach's alpha of the measurement at 0.92 and the alphas of the skill-based strategies at 0.78, 0.75, 0.79 and 0.77 for strategies for listening, speaking, reading and writing respectively, the criteria on reliability of internal consistency for the 80 items of the measurement were very high so that the strategies were justified to be grouped into a scale. The empirical data in this study shows that different language skills were significantly correlated with the use of different learning strategies. The skill-based categories of language learning strategies introduced in this study, which cover cognitive, metacognitive and social strategies in each category, can be used to portray learners' use of language learning strategies when learners learn the four language skills of English as a foreign language in Indonesian context. The findings suggest that language teachers need to condition the process of teaching and learning in order for their students to use effective learning strategies according to the language skills that learners are learning.
Formulaic Sequences and the Implications for Second Language Learning
Author: Xu, Qi
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,Literature Reviews,Definitions,Classification,Sequential Approach,Second Language Instruction,Word Frequency,Language Research

The present paper is a review of literature in relation to formulaic sequences and the implications for second language learning. The formulaic sequence is a significant part of our language, and plays an essential role in both first and second language learning. The paper first introduces the definition, classifications, and major features of formulaic sequences. Then relevant studies on second language learning are reviewed, and pedagogical implications will be drawn from previous research. It is suggested that more emphasis should be put on prefabs in foreign language teaching, but at the same time, there is also danger of overemphasizing the role of prefabs in SLA research, given limited exposure to the target language in a foreign language learning environment.
A Comparative Study on Beliefs of Grammar Teaching between High School English Teachers and Students in China
Author: Deng, Fangfang
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Beliefs,Grammar,Comparative Analysis,High School Students,Secondary School Teachers,English (Second Language),English Instruction,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Teacher Behavior,Communicative Competence (Languages),Traditional Grammar,Questionnaires,Interviews,Foreign Countries

Grammar is &quot;a system of rules governing the conventional arrangement and relationship of words in a sentence&quot; (Brown 1994) which can facilitate the acquisition of a foreign language and is conducive for cultivating comprehensive language competence. Most teachers regard grammar as a frame of English learning. The grammar teaching beliefs held by teachers can affect their practical teaching behaviors in class, thus can have different teaching results in the end. Therefore, through quantitative and qualitative research, this paper aims to investigate the present status of grammar beliefs of high school students as well as teachers' beliefs and their grammar teaching behaviors, analyze and compare the similarities and differences between them. The result shows that teachers' grammar teaching has the tendency of communicative teaching while students' grammar beliefs have the characteristic of integration of communicative and traditional grammar teaching. Teachers' grammar teaching behaviors can basically be consistent with their grammar teaching beliefs.