ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Student Model Initialization Using Domain Knowledge Ontology Representative Subset
Author: Grubišic, Ani
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Educational Technology,Models,Intelligent Tutoring Systems,Knowledge Level,Prior Learning,Knowledge Representation,Programming,Undergraduate Students,Intellectual Disciplines

In intelligent e-learning systems that adapt a learning and teaching process to student knowledge, it is important to adapt the system as quickly as possible. However, adaptation is not possible until the student model is initialized. In this paper, a new approach to student model initialization using domain knowledge representative subset is described. The approach defines which concepts from domain knowledge should be included in the initial test so the system can make conclusions about what students truly know about domain knowledge. This representative subset of domain knowledge is defined using non-semantic mathematical approach based on graph theory. The initial test, created over a domain knowledge representative subset, guarantees encompassing all concepts that are relevant to domain knowledge. A two-level case study is conducted on what would be the representative subset of one selected domain knowledge. It compares semantically selected domain knowledge representative subsets (semantical analysis was done by domain area experts) to a non-semantical, mathematically selected domain knowledge representative subset. The results of the case study show that problems of inequality of semantically selected domain knowledge representative subsets are easily overcome using the presented approach.
Fostering Learners&apos; Intercultural Communicative Competence through EIL Teaching: A Quantitative Study
Author: Mai, Hang Thi Nhu
Date: 2018-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Communicative Competence (Languages),English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Student Attitudes,Intercultural Communication,Teaching Methods,Spreadsheets,Foreign Countries,Majors (Students),Cultural Awareness,Student Needs,Undergraduate Students

While a considerable body of research has proposed a crucial need for the shift to English as an international language (EIL) teaching to suit learners' communicative needs in the mobilized world, little has been conducted regarding its effects on improving learners' intercultural communicative competence (ICC). To fill in the literature gap, this study adopted a quantitative approach to gain insight into how learners' ICC is enhanced by implementing EIL teaching principles in an English-speaking course in the Vietnamese tertiary education context. A close-ended questionnaire was administered to 40 third-year English major students at Quang Binh University, Vietnam before and after the course. Their responses were converted into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using a deductive approach. A Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test, a non-parametric alternative to the paired-samples t-test, was conducted to determine whether there was a significant difference in learners' knowledge and attitudes in relation to intercultural communicative competence before and after their participation in the course. The findings revealed that mean scores of learners' ICC, in terms of intercultural knowledge and attitudes after the course were significantly higher than those before the course. The study drew the conclusion that the implementation of EIL teaching evidently equips learners with essential knowledge and appropriate behaviors to be successfully engaged in intercultural encounters, and, hence, it is vital to adopt this perspective into English language teaching to meet learners' communicative needs and goals in the twenty-first century.
Teaching-Learning Model for the Science of Electronics
Author: Hinojosa, Juan
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Electronics,Instructional Effectiveness,College Students,Engineering Education,Science Education,Telecommunications,Blended Learning,Active Learning,Student Projects,Competency Based Education,Student Satisfaction,Foreign Countries,Electronic Equipment,Technical Education

We present a method for the teaching of Electronics, defined as the scientific discipline that studies the movement and behavior of electrons in semiconductor materials and in vacuum. Electronics can be considered as a science with a solid physical foundation. Within the field of Electronics there are different disciplines, some of them can be considered as pure science, while some others are more oriented to applications. Our methodology has been applied to the wide range of courses that develop the different approaches to Electronics, from the physics of semiconductors or the physics of microelectronic devices, generally taught at physics faculties, to microelectronic fabrication technology or microelectronic design, subjects that typically have a more application-oriented character. To ensure an effective learning of these subjects, a teaching-learning model has been established. This model involves the criteria for developing the programs and defining objectives according to the curricular competences, as well as the development of a series of activities in which the methods, techniques, forms of presentation and didactic resources most useful to achieve the proposed objectives will be used. An evaluation system that assesses the effectiveness of the educational process and detects its anomalies is also included. The impact of this method on the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process was evaluated by a comparative analysis of the results of the surveys distributed by the university to the students for the assessment of quality, together with surveys to the lecturers of the subjects of Electronics.
How Have MOOCs Been Portrayed in the New Zealand Public Media?
Author: Rowan, Yvonne
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Online Courses,Large Group Instruction,Mass Media Effects,Newspapers,Higher Education,Educational Change,Reputation,Change Agents,Commercialization,Teaching Methods

Reports of massive open online courses (MOOCs) appeared in mainstream news in the early 2010s with messages of potential disruption to existing higher education systems. Several years on, the role of MOOCs is still evolving. The media has the power to influence acceptance of new ideas, therefore this research investigates New Zealand news media representations of MOOCs to the public. A document analysis of 27 newspaper articles published in New Zealand's mainstream media between January 2012 and December 2016 revealed similar results to those published in overseas research, in that MOOCs are predominantly reported to be a catalyst for necessary change in higher education, and discussions are consistent with the theme of commodification of higher education. Previously published overseas research focuses on the relationships between MOOCs and elite universities, whereas this research reveals that MOOCs are considered to be experimental in New Zealand's higher education system. Although the New Zealand media presents a more balanced perspective than that revealed in overseas research, dominant themes of MOOCs as revolutionising higher education are likely to boost the public's acceptance of radical changes to existing higher education structures.
Finnish Graduated Physics Teachers&apos; Views about Their Teacher Education Program: The Disparity between the Needs and Delivery
Author: Leinonen, Risto
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Teachers,Physics,Teacher Education Programs,Educational Needs,Knowledge Level,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Program Effectiveness,Teacher Competencies,Foreign Countries,Teacher Attitudes

In this article, graduated physics teachers' views about their teacher education program and professional needs are evaluated. With respect to teacher knowledge, Physical Knowledge for Teaching (PKT) framework consisting of six domains related to content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge was developed based on the framework of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching. PKT was utilized in the design of a Likert scale instrument that aims to discover teachers' views concerning these six domains from two separate viewpoints: to what extent the domains were covered in their teacher education program concerning the domains, and how important is that theme for their profession. Results revealed that teachers see that the domains related to common content knowledge and structures of physics have been addressed adequately in their teacher education but characteristics of other domains, such as teaching methods, evaluation, and motivating learners, received less favorable evaluations. With respect to the importance of different domains for teacher profession, teachers valued the importance of every domain of teacher knowledge highly. These findings suggest that the greatest deficiencies in this physics teacher education program lie on addressing pedagogical content knowledge with its various sub-domains. Our PKT framework offers a promising base for evaluating physics teacher knowledge. We suggest that a framework for teacher knowledge should be explicitly introduced for pre-service teachers in their education so that they could evaluate their knowledge and professional needs better.
Structural Irregularities within the English Language: Implications for Teaching and Learning in Second Language Situations
Author: Obasi, Jane Chinelo
Date: 2018-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Grammar,Teaching Methods,Language Variation,Foreign Countries,Spelling,Phonology,Morphology (Languages),Learning Processes,Pronunciation,Language Patterns,Difficulty Level

It is pertinent to observe that the vagaries of the English language grammar constitute a major problem in the teaching and learning of English in a second language situation like Nigeria. The inherent structural irregularities within the English language have made it difficult for users and learners of English to grapple with the unconventional patterning that are experienced at the various levels of linguistic analysis. These irregularities that are inherent within the grammar of English, which impede teaching and learning, have always been mentioned in passing by scholars. There is hardly any systematic attempt at isolating and describing them for pedagogic purposes. This paper, therefore, surveys and isolates these irregularities at the levels of spelling, phonology, and morphology, and describes them in order to aid the teaching and learning of English in ESL situations like Nigeria. It was observed that these problems are prominent, for instance, in &quot;-ough&quot; forms which can be pronounced in so many different ways: (/o-[near-close back rounded vowel]/ as in &quot;though&quot;, /[close back rounded vowel]/ as in &quot;through&quot;, /[lambda]-f/ as in &quot;rough&quot;, /[open back rounded vowel]-f/ as in &quot;cough&quot;, /[open-mid back rounded vowel]/ as in &quot;thought&quot;, /[alpha-near-close back rounded vowel]/ as in &quot;bough&quot;, /[schwa]/ as in &quot;thorough&quot; or even where some letters are silent in pronunciation as in &quot;knee&quot; and &quot;knock&quot;, &quot;science&quot; or in &quot;ghost&quot; amongst others.
Tone of Voice or What Was Said? The Impression Non-Native Speakers of English Make on Australian English Native Listeners
Author: Tsurutan, Chiharu
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Variation,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Intonation,Speech Communication,Scores,Gender Differences,Teaching Methods,Textbooks,Speech Acts,Native Speakers,Evaluators,Language Attitudes,Nonverbal Communication,Task Analysis,Japanese,Native Language,Listening Comprehension

This study investigates the relative impact of verbal expression and tone of voice when native speakers of English form an impression of non-native speech. Four expressions of inquiry uttered in two tones by non-native speakers were judged by native listeners and analyzed using an ordinal Probit model. Plain expressions received lower scores than polite expressions in both tones, suggesting that appropriate expression is more important than tone of voice. It was found that while a friendly tone can enhance listeners' impression on speakers, particularly when the expression is plain, the impact of tone of voice is less evident when appropriate expressions are used. The study revealed no statistically significant gender differences. On the basis of the study, we offer a pedagogical suggestion that beginners need some instruction to guide their choice of textbook expressions for an effective real-world interaction.
Motivation and Barriers for University Teachers to Apply Blended Learning in Language Classes
Author: Nguyen, Thi Nhi
Date: 2018-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Blended Learning,Teaching Methods,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Barriers,Metacognition,Class Size,Decision Making,Language Teachers,Teacher Attitudes,Teacher Motivation,College Faculty,Faculty Development,Foreign Countries,Technological Literacy,College Students,Low Income Students

The study examined university teachers who make choices to apply blended learning to language teaching. The samples were 15 teachers of English at the University of Foreign Languages, Hue University in Vietnam. The research instrument was interviews with semi-structured questions. Data were then analysed using inductive approach, as explained by Thomas (2006), with raw data being condensed and coded into categories. The results revealed that two of the main findings regarding the motivation for university language teachers to apply blended learning in their classes were the need to increase professional development and to keep teachers updated with new technology; whereas class size, students' self-awareness, and students' low economic background were found to be the main barriers preventing teachers from applying blended learning approach. Besides, findings also support the existing body of knowledge regarding the reasons why and why not teachers apply blended learning in their teaching practice.
Opinion of ICT Coordinators on the Incidence of Telematic Tools
Author: Berrios-Aguayo, Beatriz
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Technology,Coordinators,Opinions,Incidence,Teaching Methods,Role,Elementary School Students,Foreign Countries,Training,Technology Uses in Education,Barriers

The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the learning of primary school students, as assessed by ICT coordinators of the schools in Andalusia (a network already considered by the Spanish Educational Administration as ICT centres). For this, a total of 34 ICT coordinators from various primary education centres in Andalusia participated. With the objective of knowing the scope of the policies that are carried out, as well as determining the true incidence of ICT in the classroom -- not only as a tool, but also as a way of teaching -- a questionnaire was created and validated for the coordinators TIC. The results indicated that (a) the use by ICT teachers in the classroom is still reduced and (b) the lack of training received by teachers, as well as scarce technological resources, are the main barriers to attaining a higher use of ICT in the didactic process. The findings suggest that integral and transversal insertion of ICTs in the classroom should be priority objectives in deriving optimal curricular development in for primary school students.
The Development of Information Literacy in Early Childhood Education Teachers. A Study from the Perspective of the Education Center&apos;s Character
Author: Trujillo-Torres, Juan Manuel
Date: 2020-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Literacy,Early Childhood Teachers,Teacher Competencies,Teacher Attitudes,Institutional Characteristics,Skill Development,Foreign Countries,Public Schools,Private Schools,Online Searching

The development of the digital competence is one of the current challenges of the educational community. Specifically, the area of information literacy is presented as a main pillar for the subsequent optimal development of a digital teaching competence. Based on this, the present article aims to evaluate the area of information literacy in practicing teachers from Early Childhood Education (N=57). A descriptive and inferential quantitative analysis was made for this piece of work in order to analyze the perceptions of the teachers towards this area, the accomplishment of the t-student test for the comparison of means between teachers of public and private with state-funded financial support centers and the application of a linear regression model that allows to predict the information literacy through the variable &quot;education center&quot;. The results obtained reflected an optimal level of perceptions as for the information area, regardless of the type of school, as well as the possible prediction, regarding the school typology, of some information literacy variables.
World Englishes and Cross-Cultural Communication
Author: Smith, Jerry F.
Date: 2018-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grammar,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Language Variation,Intercultural Communication,Language Teachers,North American English,Foreign Countries,Contrastive Linguistics,Communication Problems,Phrase Structure,Morphemes,Verbs,Teacher Characteristics

This study was designed to examine the differences between two world Englishes in an effort to add to the body of knowledge relative to world Englishes and cross-cultural communication. Specifically, select grammatical differences between a group of Filipino English language teachers and a Standard American English were examined. Differences between the grammars of the two English varieties included article use, collocations, pluralization of mass nouns, question formation, and verb tense. Proceeding from the premise that cross-cultural communication can be problematic due to the differences between world Englishes, in this case, grammar, this study showed differences in grammar between the two Englishes that could result in miscommunication.
Code-Mixing of Cantonese-English Bilingual Children with Different Language Dominance Patterns
Author: Ng, Chi Wui
Date: 2018-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Code Switching (Language),Grammar,Interaction,Bilingualism,Sino Tibetan Languages,English,Children,Language Usage,Language Proficiency,Sentences,Foreign Countries

Code-mixing, which denotes switches between languages as well as a phenomenon reflecting grammars of both languages in interpersonal interactions simultaneously, is a universal language-contact phenomenon present in both individual bilingualism and societal bilingualism, and individual differences exist in both frequency and complexity of code-mixing out of multifarious factors. The present corpus-based longitudinal study investigates impacts of the variable of language dominance on Cantonese-English bilingual children's code-mixing. Spontaneous speech data with critical case sampling were collected from the Hong Kong Bilingual Child Language Corpus, where code-mixing identified in participants' utterances were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Bilingual children in the current study are discovered to code-mix more frequently and in a more complicated fashion in their weaker language with more intra-sentential switches in the dominant language involving incorporation of language structures of the dominant language with higher syntactic complexity as well as semantic value into utterances of the weaker language. In light of the correlation between language dominance and code-mixing, patterns of code-mixing can plausibly be capitalized upon to formatively assess kindergarten toddlers' bilingual development.
Building a Fluent Assistive Technology Testing Pool to Improve Campus Digital Accessibility (Practice Brief)
Author: Shachmut, Kyle
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Assistive Technology,Usability,Testing,Students with Disabilities,College Faculty,Courseware,Video Technology,Staff Role,Academic Libraries,Universities,Accessibility (for Disabled),Web Sites

Usability testing that includes people who are fluent in assistive technology is an important way to ensure that digital products meet the needs of all users. In settings such as universities, with highly distributed content creator networks and vast differences in project sizes and scopes, it can be challenging for non-experts to find and use the best methods to assess accessibility. This article describes creation of a pilot pool of fluent assistive technology users from the surrounding geographic area made widely available internally to university content creators. The availability of the pool (n = 40) provided increased capacity to test internally developed products and vended solutions, increasing overall accessibility assessments at the university. Authors review the benefits and challenges in creating the participant pool, along with implementation details. Further discussion includes efficiencies for the university, learning by content creators, and potential directions for future research.
First-Year College Students with ADHD: Risk for and Correlates of Alcohol and Substance Use
Author: Busch, Chelsea Z.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Freshmen,Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,Alcohol Abuse,Drug Abuse,Academic Achievement,Differences,At Risk Students,Rating Scales,Anxiety,Measures (Individuals),Depression (Psychology),Learning Strategies,Study Skills,Psychotherapy,Smoking,Comorbidity,Marijuana

College students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at higher than average risk for alcohol and substance use; however, it is unclear whether having ADHD, either alone or in combination with other factors, increases this risk. Further, no prior studies have systematically examined factors that correlate with alcohol and substance use among college students with ADHD. A sample of first year college students with (n = 228; 52.2% female; 76.8% Caucasian) and without (n = 228; 51.3% female; 51.3% Caucasian) ADHD from 10 eastern US universities participated in a longitudinal study examining the long-term outcomes of college students with ADHD. Participants completed a battery of measures including self-report ratings of alcohol and substance use; ADHD, externalizing disorder, anxiety disorder, and depression symptoms; executive functioning; and learning and study strategies. First-year college students with ADHD were significantly more likely to use tobacco, cannabis, and illicit drugs (Cohen's d range = 0.30 to 0.33), but not alcohol (Cohen's d = 0.18). Separate multiple regression models indicated that each of the four substance use outcomes was best explained by a unique combination of predictive factors with anxiety symptoms and executive functioning deficits correlated with increased use of at least two of the substances. Additional longitudinal research is necessary to identify variables associated with ongoing substance use in college students with ADHD so as to inform screening, prevention, and intervention efforts.