ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Developing Communities of Practice around e-Learning and Project Management
Author: Laxton, Ruth
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Higher Education,Communities of Practice,Program Administration,Foreign Countries,Program Descriptions,Knowledge Management,Models,Critical Path Method,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Program Development,Distance Education

In 2007-8 the Australian Catholic University (ACU National), undertook a project to develop new resources to provide training and support in eLearning for staff and students. The project was undertaken by a multidisciplinary team drawn from all six campuses and was led by an externally contracted Project Manager/eLearning specialist. This reflective case study reports on how the use of ACU's project management methodology and the selection of a matrix organisation for the project, resulted in the nurturing of existing communities of practice (CoPs) around both eLearning and project management at ACU. Key recommendations are that effective project management practice and a matrix project organisation can promote and nurture knowledge sharing amongst CoPs in a university setting. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)
A Quality Framework for Continuous Improvement of e-Learning: The e-Learning Maturity Model
Author: Marshall, Stephen
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Program Evaluation,Foreign Countries,Educational Quality,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs,Models,Sustainability,Self Evaluation (Groups),Feasibility Studies,Evaluation Methods,Validated Programs,Comparative Education,Distance Education

The E-Learning Maturity Model (eMM) is a quality improvement framework designed to help institutional leaders assess their institution's e-learning maturity. This paper reviews the eMM, drawing on examples of assessments conducted in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the USA to show how it helps institutional leaders assess and compare their institution's capability to sustainably develop, deploy and support e-learning. (Contains 8 figures and 1 table.)
Harnessing the Power of Technologies to Manage Collaborative e-Learning Projects in Dispersed Environments
Author: Gosper, Maree Veroncia
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Higher Education,Guidelines,Technology Integration,Technology Uses in Education,Influence of Technology,Partnerships in Education,Program Evaluation,Program Development,Program Administration,Formative Evaluation,Foreign Countries,Web Based Instruction,Distance Education

&quot;The impact of web-based lecture technologies on current and future practice in learning and teaching&quot; was a collaborative project across four Australian universities, funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC). The project was both exploratory and developmental in nature and according to the project's external evaluator, was successful in achieving its aims to explore: (1) how the technologies are integrated into the curriculum to support learning and teaching in different context; and (2) the educational implications of their use for the design of curricula, teaching, learning and academic policies and practices including professional development. The targeted end users were teachers, researchers and developers in the higher education sector. Key deliverables were a report on issues and implications, research papers and a set of guidelines for staff and students in the use of these technologies to enhance learning and teaching. A particular feature of the project design was the embedding of strategies to enable capacity building across the sector through the ongoing dissemination of findings to stakeholders throughout the life of the project, not just at the end. Key to the development and management of the project was the use of a range of technologies to engage the range of stakeholders and manage day-to-day operations in a dispersed environment. This paper draws on elements of existing project management frameworks to discuss the critical factors contributing to the project's success. Challenges threatening the success of the project are also examined along with suggestions for other collaborative projects being developed in dispersed environments.
Managing Projects for Change: Contextualised Project Management
Author: Tynan, Belinda
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Electronic Learning,Instructional Design,Distance Education,Online Courses,Educational Technology,Internet,Access to Computers,Program Descriptions,Program Administration,Program Development,Program Implementation,Administrative Principles,Educational Policy,College Environment,College Instruction,Faculty Development,College Faculty,Teacher Role,Instructional Development,Educational Change,Change Strategies,Case Studies,Action Research,Guidelines,Leadership,Schools of Education,Business Administration Education,Allied Health Occupations Education,Teacher Education Programs,Consultants

This paper will detail three projects which focussed on enhancing online learning at a large Australian distance education University within a School of Business, School of Health and School of Education. Each project had special funding and took quite distinctive project management approaches, which reflect the desire to embed innovation and ownership at the instructor and student interface. By responding to the stakeholder requirements these three projects provide insight into (a) how integrated professional development serves to enable change in practice; (b) why leadership at both junior and senior levels of the organization is an important driver to support instructor engagement for real change; (c) what role external private contractors can play; and, (d) how instructors were integrated through the varied project management approaches. The integrating theme of the paper is instructor engagement for real change. Each project will be detailed as mini-cases and key lessons drawn out that describe and explain the challenges, opportunities and scope of varied project management approaches to suit the distinct four contexts. This paper builds on and brings together considerable investigation into how we can support and enhance dissemination of a variety of project-based models that respond to contextual needs and issues. The multiple-school case study methodology serves to provide an approach that is both robust and cognisant of current trends in increased University investment through short-term project funding. The final recommendations will highlight how different approaches to project management are both desirable and essential for successfully embedding change of instructor practices for enhancing student learning in distance education modes. (Contains 1 figure.)
Redesigning Online Learning for International Graduate Seminar Delivery
Author: Power, Michael
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Higher Education,Online Courses,Graduate Study,Seminars,Blended Learning,Foreign Countries,Instructional Design,College Faculty,Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Graduate Students,Access to Education

Given the crucial role played by universities in a knowledge-based society, understanding how and under what conditions online learning (OL) can improve access to graduate studies is of the highest importance to today's growing global economy. Over the past decade, phenomenal advances have been made in the application of communication and information technologies to support student learning in higher education. Yet, in proportion to overall provision of higher education, the use of technology by faculty for graduate-level, online learning (OL) has been minimal, especially among regular faculty. This paper presents an adapted form of OL, especially designed for traditional universities, with initial data from studies underway in two Canadian universities. Finally, an emerging network of researchers interested in the role of online learning within mainstream higher education is presented. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)
Collaborative Learning in an Online Course: A Comparison of Communication Patterns in Small and Whole Group Activities
Author: Jahng, Namsook
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Cooperative Learning,Comparative Analysis,Group Activities,Social Networks,Network Analysis,Content Analysis,Interpersonal Communication,Group Discussion,Student Behavior,Student Participation,College Students,Foreign Countries

This article reports on the investigation of collaborative learning processes in an online course that examined students' communication during whole-group discussions and small-group activities. Content analysis and social network analysis methods were employed to code and categorize text messages to uncover students' communication behaviour. The results show that individuals' participation patterns were similar during the two different settings, but some inactive students during whole-group discussions were more active in small-groups. The social-out (sent-out messages) during whole-group discussions was a significant variable associated with cognitive contributions in whole-group as well as social and managerial contributions in small-group activities. This article also identified three indices, i.e., quantity, equality, shareness, that can be used as quantitative measures for evaluating small group collaboration. (Contains 4 figures and 6 tables.)
Mobile Learning in Distance Education: Utility or Futility?
Author: Koole, Marguerite
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Distance Education,Online Courses,Technology Uses in Education,Information Technology,Handheld Devices,Social Networks,Network Analysis,Likert Scales,Questionnaires,Instructional Effectiveness,Courseware,Foreign Countries,Computer Mediated Communication

Can mobile technology improve flexibility and quality of interaction for graduate students in distance programs? This paper reports the results of an innovative study exploring the usability, learning, and social interaction of mobile access to online course materials at a Canadian distance education university. Through a system called MobiGlam, students accessed Moodle course materials on a variety of mobile devices. The Framework for the Rational Analysis of Mobile Education (FRAME) model (Koole, 2006) was used to examine the complexities of this mobile system, its perceived usefulness, and potential impact on distance students. The researchers recommend further study of the balance between the controls and constraints of social technologies and the needs of distance students. Is there a way to achieve a balance so as to encourage adaptation to new technologies and a greater sense of &quot;connectedness&quot; among learners? As a result of the study, the researchers remain supportive of &quot;device-agnostic&quot; mobile tools that permit the greatest freedom of choice to distance learners. (Contains 4 figures and 14 tables.)
Dilemmas in Teaching Happiness
Author: Barker, Chris
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Psychological Patterns,College Curriculum,College Instruction,Problems,Teacher Participation,Educational Objectives,Student Evaluation,College Faculty,College Students,Foreign Countries

There is a burgeoning amount of research into happiness and greatly increased popular attention, so it seems logical to add a course on happiness to the university curriculum. We encountered, in developing and running such a course, a number of dilemmas that the topic of happiness makes especially acute. Should the teacher remain separate from the class, as an authority, or participate in group activities? Is the primary goal of the class to learn content or to change the relationship of students to the world? What does a mark for learning content signify if developing happiness habits is a goal? Should one goal of the class be for the teacher to be happy and, if so, does this conflict with student learning? These dilemmas reflect larger questions about the purpose of university education. This paper reflects on those questions through our experience of formulating and delivering a new university class on happiness. (A Bibliography is included.)
What Use Is SoTL?: Using the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning to Develop a Curriculum for First Year University History Classes
Author: Clark, Jennifer
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: History Instruction,Teaching Methods,Curriculum Development,Educational Practices,Instructional Improvement,College Freshmen,Scholarship,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Best Practices,Needs Assessment,Student Diversity,Instructional Development,Educational Strategies

Literature pertaining to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is growing but there are few studies dealing with disciplinary differences. The SoTL relating to History is a recently emerging development. But what use is SoTL for History if it can not be translated into improving teaching practice? This paper examines the process of identifying current thinking in the specific SoTL of History, especially the teaching of historical thinking, and applying it to the development of a new history curriculum for first year students.
Leading the Way: Indigenous Knowledge and Collaboration at The Woolyungah Indigenous Centre
Author: McGloin, Colleen
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Indigenous Knowledge,Teaching Methods,Intellectual Disciplines,Units of Study,Partnerships in Education,Teacher Collaboration,Educational Practices,Theory Practice Relationship,Instructional Design,Educational Strategies,Foreign Countries,Social Studies,Inquiry,Local History

This paper derives from collaborative research undertaken by staff at the Woolyungah Indigenous Centre, into our own teaching practice. It articulates a particular strand of inquiry emanating from the research: the importance of Indigenous knowledges as this is taught at Woolyungah in the discipline of Indigenous Studies. The paper is a reflection of Woolyungah's pedagogical aims, and its development as a Unit that seeks to embed other knowledges into the realm of critical inquiry within subjects taught at the Unit. It also reflects student responses to our pedagogy. The writers are Indigenous and non-Indigenous and have collaborated with all teaching staff involved to present this work as a starting point for discussions about the emerging discipline of Indigenous Studies, its rigour as an academic field of inquiry and our commitment as educators to the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges in our programme.
Building Learning Communities in Residential Colleges
Author: Muldoon, Robyn L.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Strategies,Social Environment,Residential Schools,Disadvantaged,Foreign Countries,Communities of Practice,Educational Strategies,Change Strategies,Regional Schools,Program Implementation,Questionnaires,Participant Satisfaction,Peer Groups,College Students,Transitional Programs

This paper addresses the retention issues presented when large numbers of students from low socio-economic backgrounds and associated disadvantaged educational histories live together on-campus. It reports research in progress on a new approach taken at the University of New England (UNE), Australia, aimed at encouraging the growth of learning communities in colleges through the training and subsequent support of senior students charged with helping first year students negotiate the transition to successful university study. It outlines the issues faced by both the first year students and the senior students, strategies implemented, outcomes to date and plans for further change. UNE is a regional university with 5,000 on-campus students, half of whom live in seven residential colleges. It appears that for these students, traditional lectures and workshops on learning strategies and techniques are not as effective as layered, personal &quot;at the elbow&quot; learning support in a non-threatening, social environment. (Contains 6 tables.)
Assessment of Online Discussion Forums for Law Students
Author: McNamara, Judith
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Law Students,Computer Mediated Communication,Social Networks,Network Analysis,Criterion Referenced Tests,Educational Strategies,Scoring Rubrics,Psychometrics,Item Analysis

This paper goes beyond the existing literature and explores the innovative topic of designing criterion-referenced assessment for online discussion forums. There are several benefits of embedding online discussion forums into subjects including engaging students in collaborative learning, and encouraging deeper analysis, critical thinking and reflection. Using the assessment principles of validity, reliability and transparency, this paper offers a range of practical strategies to tutors who plan to develop criterion-referenced assessment as opposed to norm-referenced assessment for online discussion forums, applies the assessment principles in the context of an undergraduate law subject, and exemplars a rubric for an online discussion forum in a work placement subject. (Contains 2 tables.)
Secondary Mathematics: Four Credits, Block Schedules, Continuous Enrollment? What Maximizes College Readiness
Author: Zelkowski, Jeremy
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Academic Persistence,Mathematics Achievement,Graduation Requirements,College Bound Students,Thinking Skills,Secondary School Mathematics,Block Scheduling,College Preparation,Credits,Critical Thinking,Mathematics Skills,Graduation Rate,College Graduates,School Schedules,Outcomes of Education,Socioeconomic Status,High School Students,Algebra

This paper posits the position that if higher education and secondary schools wish to increase students' college readiness, specifically in mathematics and critical thinking skills, continuous enrollment in secondary mathematics is one avenue worth exploring as opposed to increasing mathematics graduation requirements only in terms of Carnegie credits. NAEP-HSTS 2005 and NELS:88 data indicate, respectively, non-continuous enrollment in secondary mathematics results in lower mathematics achievement and decreases the odds of completing a bachelor's degree. Nationally, schools following 4x4 block schedules (90-minute classes that meet daily for only one semester) were found to have mathematics achievement scores two thirds of one grade-level lower than schools following a 50-minute year-long mathematics courses. Typical college-bound students who do not take mathematics all four years of high school likely diminish their odds of bachelor degree completion by about 20%. (Contains 1 figure and 5 tables.)
Reading Grade Levels and Mathematics Assessment: An Analysis of Texas Mathematics Assessment Items and Their Reading Difficulty
Author: Lamb, John H.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Evaluation,Reading,High Stakes Tests,Statistical Analysis,Reading Difficulties,Evaluation Methods,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students,Mathematics Education,Grades (Scholastic),Reading Achievement,Elementary Secondary Education

Increased reading difficulty of mathematics assessment items has been shown to negatively affect student performance. The advent of high-stakes testing, which has serious ramifications for students' futures and teachers' careers, necessitates analysis of reading difficulty on state assessment items and student performance on those items. Using analysis of covariance, this study analyzed the effects of reading grade level of mathematics assessment items on student performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. Results indicated that elementary and middle school students performed significantly worse on mathematics assessment items having a reading level above the student grade level. The implications of these results are discussed. (Contains 2 figures, 1 footnote and 7 tables.)
Mathematics and Martial Arts as Connected Art Forms
Author: Hekimoglu, Serkan
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Athletics,Theory Practice Relationship,Art,Learning Processes,Misconceptions,Correlation,Mathematics Education,Perception,Mathematical Logic,Validity,Mathematics Instruction,Influences,Teacher Student Relationship

Parallels between martial arts and mathematics are explored. Misguided public perception of both disciplines, students' misconceptions, and the similarities between proofs and katas are among the striking commonalities between martial arts and mathematics. The author also reflects on what he has learned in his martial arts training, and how this wisdom influences his mathematics teaching. As a result of his martial arts training, his awareness of how he teaches mathematics has shifted, and his understanding of his students' struggles has deepened. Finding the balance between theory and practice enhances the process of learning for both students and teacher.
Expert Mathematics' Approach to Understanding Definitions
Author: Parameswaran, Revathy
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Definitions,Mathematical Concepts,Mathematics Instruction,Cognitive Processes,Research,Mathematical Logic,Validity,Teaching Methods,Questionnaires,Concept Formation,Comprehension,Professional Personnel

In this article I report on a study of the cognitive tools that research mathematicians employ when developing deep understandings of abstract mathematical definitions. I arrived at several conclusions about this process: Examples play a predominant role in understanding definitions. Equivalent reformulations of definitions enrich understanding. Evoked conflicts and their resolutions result in improved understanding. The primary role of definitions in mathematics is in proving theorems. And there are several stages in developing understandings of mathematical definitions (Manin, 2007; Tall & Vinner, 1981; Thurston, 1994). I also include some suggestions for pedagogy that are found in the data. (Contains 1 figure.)
Exploring Mobile Learning Success Factors
Author: Cochrane, Thomas D.
Date: 2010-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Feedback (Response),Computer Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Teaching Methods,Web Based Instruction,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Formative Evaluation,Computer Software,College Students,Access to Computers,Handheld Devices

This paper is a comparative account and analysis of three mobile Web 2.0 projects instigated within a tertiary learning environment during 2008. Following the successful instigation of a mobile Web 2.0 project in the third year of a Bachelor of Product Design course during semester one, similar projects were initiated in semester two within the first-year and second-year Bachelor of Product Design courses. A common methodology for supporting and facilitating mobile Web 2.0 projects was used for all three projects. The projects were designed to explore the potential of mobile Web 2.0 tools to enhance both the formal and informal teaching and learning environments with a focus upon mobile blogging (moblogging). A comparison of student and teaching staff feedback from each of the three projects provided a basis for identifying and illustrating critical success factors within similar m-learning scenarios. Critical success factors identified include: the importance of the pedagogical integration of the technology into the course assessment, lecturer modelling of the pedagogical use of the tools, the need for regular formative feedback from lecturers to students, and the appropriate choice of mobile devices and software to support the pedagogical model underlying the course. (Contains 2 notes, 5 tables, and 4 figures.)