ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Improving Interactions between Teachers and Students in Virtual Exchanges -- A Case of Mentor/Learner Relationships in MOOCs
Author: Draeger, Richard, Jr.
Date: 2020-12-21
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Large Group Instruction,Online Courses,Educational Technology,Electronic Learning,Teacher Student Relationship,Foreign Countries,Interpersonal Communication,Computer Mediated Communication,Language Usage,Cultural Differences,Intercultural Communication

Shanghai International Studies University has hosted an intercultural Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) course for several years. Course facilitators, mentors, and learners from all over the world are invited to enroll in the class. However, conversations between mentors and learners revealed that most were superficial. Thus, a pilot study was undertaken to improve mentor and learner interactions undertaken. The main focus of the research was to analyze the content of nine sustained conversations in the MOOC. The threads were selected for analysis from the first, third, and final week of the intercultural course. Initial analysis indicated responses made within the same day, and even within the early hours of initial postings, were conducive to sustained conversations. Within the discussion section, several suggestions were given to improve online interactions between mentors and learners. Training and orientation of mentors were suggested. Mentors could be encouraged to use the MOOC's notification system to reply to the learner's comments. With appropriate training, mentors might be able to respond to the learner's comments effectively. In the end, future suggestions for research were given to assess further and improve MOOCs. [For the complete volume, &quot;Virtual Exchange in the Asia Pacific: Research and Practice,&quot; see ED610332.]
Project Ibunka -- A Web-Based Virtual Exchange Project
Author: Watanabe, Masahito
Date: 2020-12-21
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Exchange Programs,Computer Simulation,Program Descriptions,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Program Administration,Cultural Differences,Intercultural Communication,Language Usage,Computer Mediated Communication,Cultural Awareness,Case Studies,Writing (Composition),Cooperating Teachers,Web Based Instruction,Writing Instruction,Foreign Countries,College Students,Language Teachers

Since 2000, I have been coordinating a web based virtual exchange project, Project Ibunka. Ibunka means different cultures in Japanese. It aims to provide opportunities of authentic interaction among EFL/ESL learners all over the world. The project has been giving English language learners from various countries opportunities to use English for authentic purposes and promote intercultural understanding. Since 2000, more than 6,000 students from 22 countries have joined the project. The long life, the regularly appearing cooperative partner teachers, the diversity of students' cultures, and the high quality of the messages exchanged, are the assets of Project Ibunka. This paper, as a case study of virtual exchange, overviews the background and the project constitution as a whole. It also analyzes the project management and students' written products. The three administrative features, (1) non-unified project goals for partner institutions, (2) selecting and sequencing themes and sub-themes, and (3) moderation by experienced instructors, have contributed to students' quantitative fluency as well as their qualitative improvement. [For the complete volume, &quot;Virtual Exchange in the Asia Pacific: Research and Practice,&quot; see ED610332.]
Early Leading Indicators of Student Success: A Multi-State Analysis. Policy Brief
Author: Giani, Matt S.
Date: 2021-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Access to Education,Higher Education,Graduation Rate,Academic Persistence,At Risk Students,Undergraduate Students,Predictive Validity,Models,Student Characteristics

Despite advances made in broadening access to higher education, some evidence suggests that college completion rates have actually declined over time, and attainment gaps stemming from race/ethnicity and socioeconomic background have remained stubbornly persistent (Bound, Lovenheim, &amp; Turner, 2010; National Center for Education Statistics, 2019). Colleges and universities are searching for ways to better identify students with lower odds of postsecondary success and develop programs to support their persistence and completion. This paper presents collaborative research from four different states -- Texas, New York, Virginia and Illinois -- examining the feasibility and accuracy of models that predict students' likelihood of degree completion using only administrative data on students' pre-college characteristics and early college experiences. The authors employed fairly simple statistical methods on statewide longitudinal data systems (also known as student unit records systems or &quot;SURDS&quot;) to predict degree completion for undergraduate students. Their focus was on the overall predictive validity of these models, which is often neglected in educational research that focuses on relationships between student characteristics and degree completion (American Diploma Project, 2004; Adelman, 1997, 1999, 2006; Attewell, Heil &amp; Reisel, 2011; Braxton, 2000; Chen &amp; Carroll, 2005; Complete College America, 2011; Horn, Kojaku &amp; Carroll, 2001; Tinto, 1994, 2012). [The paper was written with Christopher Maggio, Frederick Tucker, Jay Brooks, Xiaodan Hu, Tod Massa, Feng Raoking, and Nathan Wilson.]
Putting Evidence to Work: A School&apos;s Guide to Implementation. Guidance Report. [Second Edition]
Author: Sharples, Jonathan
Date: 2019-12-01
Type: Guides - General
Subjects: Program Implementation,Educational Change,Evidence Based Practice,Educational Environment,Leadership,Educational Planning,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Change Strategies,Educational Innovation

Schools are learning organisations. They continuously strive to do better for the children and young people in their charge. In doing so, they try new things, seek to learn from those experiences, and work to adopt and embed the practices that work best. Implementation is a key aspect of what schools do to improve, and yet it is a domain of school practice that rarely receives sufficient attention. In our collective haste to do better for pupils, new ideas are often introduced with too little consideration for how the changes will be managed and what steps are needed to maximise the chances of success. Too often the who, why, where, when, and how are overlooked, meaning implementation risks becoming an 'add on' task expected to be tackled on top of the day-to-day work. As a result, projects initiated with the best of intentions can fade away as schools struggle to manage these competing priorities. One of the characteristics that distinguishes effective and less-effective schools, in addition to what they implement, is how they put those new approaches into practice. Often, individuals and schools that implement well tend do so by instinct, or what might be called common sense. Unfortunately, good implementation occupies a rarefied space of 'uncommon common sense', with too few explicit discussions of the characteristics and qualities that make it effective. The purpose of this guidance is to begin to describe and demystify the professional practice of implementation -- to document our knowledge of the steps that effective schools take to manage change well. Ultimately, it does not matter how great an educational idea or intervention is in principle; what really matters is how it manifests itself in the day-to-day work of people in schools.
Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning. Guidance Report
Author: Quigley, Alex
Date: 2018-04-27
Type: Guides - General
Subjects: Metacognition,Independent Study,Learning Strategies,Skill Development,Teaching Methods,Misconceptions,Teacher Attitudes,Transfer of Training,Modeling (Psychology),Study Skills,Classroom Communication,Faculty Development,Elementary Secondary Education,Thinking Skills

Evidence suggests the use of 'metacognitive strategies' -- which get pupils to think about their own learning -- can be worth the equivalent of an additional +7 months' progress when used well. However, while the potential impact of these approaches is very high, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, less is known about how to apply them effectively in the classroom. This guidance report reviews the best available research to offer teachers and senior leaders practical advice on how to develop their pupils' metacognitive skills and knowledge. The report has recommendations in seven areas and 'myth busts' common misconceptions teachers have about metacognition. For example, some teachers think they need to teach metacognitive approaches in 'learning to learn' or 'thinking skills' sessions. But the report warns that metacognitive strategies should be taught in conjunction with specific subject content as pupils find it hard to transfer these generic tips to specific tasks. [For the related evidence review, see ED612286.]
Metacognition and Self-Regulation: Evidence Review
Author: Muijs, Daniel
Date: 2020-05-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Metacognition,Independent Study,Definitions,Memory,Learning Motivation,Learning Processes,Cognitive Development,Instruction,Student Characteristics,Student Evaluation,Academic Achievement,Intervention,Cooperative Learning,Transfer of Training,Progress Monitoring,Age Differences,Intellectual Disciplines

Metacognition and self-regulated learning (SLR) have been advocated by many and have significant support being seen as a potentially effective and low cost way of impacting learning. Fundamentally, the underlying supposition is that metacognition and SRL are important to learning, and thus raise attainment, and various studies have established that SRL, and in particular metacognition, has a significant impact on students' academic performance, on top of ability or prior achievement. However, there is some confusion around what the terms mean, with different authors defining them in different ways, and a lot of related terms, such as &quot;learning to learn&quot; and &quot;higher order thinking skills&quot; used as substitutes in often confusing ways. In fact, the scientific literature itself shows quite a bit of divergence in the ways the terms self-regulated learning and metacognition are used. This evidence review is comprised of two sections addressing the following questions: (1) What are metacognition and self-regulated learning? and (2) How can these skills be improved, and what impact does this have on attainment? [For the related guidance report, see ED612285.]
OnRamps to College: Examining the Impact of OnRamps Participation on College Enrollment. Policy Brief
Author: Giani, Matt S.
Date: 2018-07-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: High School Students,College Bound Students,Dual Enrollment,Access to Education,College Readiness,College Preparation,Student Characteristics

The University of Texas at Austin's OnRamps dual-enrollment initiative aims to increase the number and diversity of students who are fully prepared to follow a path to college and career success. Supported by the Texas Legislature, OnRamps provides high school students access to eleven UT Austin courses, developed and delivered by UT Austin faculty, that can be applied to the Texas Core Curriculum. The purpose of this study was two-fold: to descriptively examine the college enrollment of OnRamps students and to estimate the impact of OnRamps on college enrollment using a comparison group of non-OnRamps students. The results show that the vast majority of OnRamps students go on to postsecondary education and they are more likely to do so compared to their peers when controlling for a wide range of demographic and academic characteristics and the schools students attended.
State-Supported Financial Aid Impact on Baccalaureate Degree Completion in Texas. Policy Brief
Author: Ryu, Wonsun
Date: 2020-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: State Aid,Student Financial Aid,Bachelors Degrees,Educational Attainment,Tuition,Paying for College,Outcomes of Education,Socioeconomic Status,Racial Differences,Equal Education

College affordability has been an urgent concern in the context of Texas higher education. In September 2003, the Texas Legislature passed HB 3015 (2003) to allow governing boards of public universities to set different designated tuition rates, with no upper limit. As a result, tuition at four-year colleges and universities in Texas has remarkably increased since 2003. College affordability is vital to college access and success. The college affordability issue is very salient in the context of Texas higher education, particularly at four-year public institutions because of tuition increases caused by tuition deregulation since 2003. Although students primarily use federal aid to reduce the cost of college education, state-level financial aid also plays a critical role in shaping college affordability for all students, but especially low-income students. However, extant research does not offer clear evidence of how state-supported financial aid affects student outcomes in Texas, particularly for offsetting college costs. Using longitudinal administrative data from the Texas Education Research Center and event history modeling, this study sought to answer two research questions: (1) How does state-supported financial aid, broken down by programs of financial aid, impact baccalaureate degree completion? (2) How do the effects of state-supported financial aid on baccalaureate degree completion vary across income status and race? The findings suggest that it is necessary to explore effective strategies to increase student outcomes and reduce the inequality in educational opportunity across students by utilizing financial aid where in theory the chances of graduation heavily depend on financial resources to pay for college. Ultimately, the role of state-supported financial aid, coupled with other financial resources, is vital to ensure college affordability and student success in an era of rising costs of higher education in Texas.
Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools. Guidance Report
Author: van Poortvliet, Matthew
Date: 2019-09-20
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Social Emotional Learning,Elementary School Students,Disadvantaged,Evidence,Teaching Methods,Skill Development,Program Development,Curriculum Development,Program Implementation,Educational Improvement,Outcomes of Education,Foreign Countries,Direct Instruction,Modeling (Psychology),Integrated Activities,Sequential Approach,Active Learning

Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools reviews the best available research to offer school leaders six practical recommendations to support good SEL for all children. It stresses this is especially important for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and other vulnerable groups, who, on average, have weaker SEL skills at all ages than their better-off classmates. Evidence from the EEF's Teaching and Learning Toolkit suggests that effective SEL can lead to learning gains of +4 months over the course of a year. Yet -- even though SEL is already a large (and often unrecognised) part of their current job -- few teachers receive support on how they can develop these skills in their everyday teaching practice. This is particularly important at a time when schools are reviewing their core vision and curriculum offer, and planning to implement statutory Relationships and Health education. [For the related evidence review, see ED612292. For the related survey results, see ED612309.]
Programmes to Practices Identifying Effective, Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning Strategies for Teachers and Schools: Evidence Review
Author: Wigelsworth, Michael
Date: 2020-01-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Social Emotional Learning,Evidence Based Practice,Teaching Methods,Instructional Effectiveness,Elementary School Teachers,Elementary School Students,Special Education,Special Needs Students,Self Management,Empathy,Communication Skills,Interpersonal Competence,Decision Making Skills,Self Concept

The purpose of this report is two-fold: first, to provide an authoritative and critical overview of the current evidence regarding what is currently known about effective social and emotional learning (SEL) and in doing so, second, to examine common strategies and practices typically deployed in evidence-based SEL programmes in detail. The ultimate goal of this report is to identify &quot;essential ingredients&quot; (Aber, Brown, Jones, Berg, &amp; Torrente, 2011, p. 218) within SEL provision to help inform effective strategies for teachers and other school staff. Evidence suggests that SEL is important, that it can be taught effectively, but that positive outcomes are dependent on a number of factors we are as yet to fully understand. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to identify the areas of greatest promise in informing schools' practice in relation to SEL. [For the related guidance report, see ED612290. For the related survey results, see ED612309.]
District and School Closure in Texas: Implementation, Impact, and Implications. Policy Brief
Author: LeFloch, Kerstin
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: School Closing,School Districts,Consolidated Schools,Charter Schools,School Choice,Outcomes of Education,Educational Policy

This study of district closure and charter termination includes more than 18,000 students in four districts and more than 48 charter schools. Four main types of schools are included in these analyses: (1) District consolidation in which schools closed entirely and students transferred to schools in a new district (Wilmer-Hutchins ISD and Kendleton ISD); (2) District consolidation in which district accreditation was revoked, but the schools remained open, but within the jurisdiction of a new school district (North Forest and La Marque); (3) Charter schools from which the charter was terminated, the school closed, and students transferred to new schools; and (4) Charter schools from which the charter was terminated, but the school remained open because TEA allowed for the expansion of an existing charter to take over the campus of the charter being revoked. The analyses sought to address the following questions: (1) How did district consolidation and charter school closure influence student enrollment patterns? (2) How did district consolidation and charter school closure impact student achievement? (3) When a campus remained open but changed management, how did new management influence student achievement and other school-level variables? and (4) What policy recommendations can be derived from the results of these analyses?
Improving Mathematics in Key Stages Two and Three. Guidance Report
Author: Henderson, Peter
Date: 2017-11-03
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Mathematics Skills,Elementary Education,Teaching Methods,Mathematics Instruction,Educational Quality,Faculty Development,Evidence Based Practice,Educational Change,Change Strategies,Foreign Countries,Educational Assessment,Student Evaluation,Feedback (Response),Manipulative Materials,Mathematical Concepts,Concept Formation,Learning Strategies,Problem Solving,Knowledge Level,Student Role,Student Motivation,Metacognition,Learning Activities,Misconceptions,Intervention,Transitional Programs,Elementary School Mathematics,Secondary School Mathematics,Fractions,Arithmetic,Mathematics Anxiety,Learning Problems

This guidance report focuses on the teaching of mathematics to pupils in Key Stages 2 and 3. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive guide to mathematics teaching. We have made recommendations where there are research findings that schools can use to make a significant difference to pupils' learning, and have focused on the questions that appear to be most salient to practitioners. There are aspects of mathematics teaching not covered by this guidance. In these situations, teachers must draw on their knowledge of mathematics, professional experience and judgement, and assessment of their pupils' knowledge and understanding. The focus is on improving the quality of teaching. Excellent maths teaching requires good content knowledge, but this is not sufficient. Excellent teachers also know the ways in which pupils learn mathematics and the difficulties they are likely to encounter, and how mathematics can be most effectively taught. This guidance is aimed primarily at subject leaders, headteachers, and other staff with responsibility for leading improvements in mathematics teaching in primary and secondary schools. Classroom teachers and teaching assistants will also find this guidance useful as a resource to aid their day-to-day teaching. [For the related evidence review, see ED612295. For the companion report, &quot;Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and Key Stage 1. Guidance Report,&quot; see ED612298.]
Improving Mathematics in Key Stages Two and Three: Evidence Review
Author: Hodgen, Jeremy
Date: 2018-03-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Foreign Countries,Mathematics Skills,Feedback (Response),Formative Evaluation,Cooperative Learning,Teaching Methods,Discussion (Teaching Technique),Direct Instruction,Mastery Learning,Problem Solving,Peer Teaching,Misconceptions,Thinking Skills,Metacognition,Self Management,Calculators,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Manipulative Materials,Learning Activities,Textbooks,Algebra,Numbers,Numeracy,Computation,Geometry,Probability,Statistics,Ability Grouping,Homework,Parent Participation,Student Attitudes,Transitional Programs,Teacher Competencies,Faculty Development,Mathematical Concepts,Concept Formation,Prior Learning,Learning Processes,Cognitive Processes,Individual Differences,Learning Problems,Low Achievement

This document presents a review of evidence commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation to inform the guidance document &quot;Improving Mathematics in Key Stages Two and Three&quot; (Education Endowment Foundation, 2017). The review draws on a substantial parallel study by the same research team, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, which focuses on the problems faced by low attaining Key Stage three students in developing their maths understanding, and the effectiveness of teaching approaches in overcoming these difficulties. This project, &quot;Low attainment in mathematics: An investigation focusing on Year 9 pupils&quot; includes a systematic review of the evidence relating to teaching of low-attaining secondary students, which the current report builds upon in the wider context of teaching maths in Key Stages two and three. The purpose of the review is to synthesise the best available international evidence regarding teaching mathematics to children between the ages of 9 and 14 and to address the question: what is the evidence regarding the effectiveness of different strategies for teaching mathematics? Additionally, a set of more detailed topics developed by a group of teachers and related to aspects of pupil learning, pedagogy, the use of resources, the teaching of specific mathematical content, and pupil attitudes and motivation are addressed. Using these topics, the authors derived the 24 research questions that they address in this review. Using a systematic literature search strategy, 66 relevant meta-analyses were identified, which synthesise the findings of more than 3000 original studies. This review begins with an executive summary with the study's headline findings. Then, the authors' theoretical understanding of how children learn and develop mathematically is provided in Section 3: The development of mathematics competency. In this section, they summarise a range of background literature that they used to inform their analysis and synthesis of literature. Sections 4 and 5 provide a guide for the reader and describe the method used in the study. In the subsequent sections, findings are presented relating to the 24 detailed questions. [For the related guidance report, see ED612294.]