Mining learning social networks for cooperative learning with appropriate learning partners in a problem-based learning environment

Many studies have identified web-based cooperative learning as an increasingly popular educational paradigm with potential to increase learner satisfaction and interactions. However, peer-to-peer interaction often suffers barriers owing to a failure to explore useful social interaction information in web-based cooperative learning environments. This easily leads to learners being unable to seek appropriate learning partners for facilitating effective cooperative learning. This problem frequently causes poor learning effectiveness in web-based cooperative learning environments. Generally, instructor assigned or learner selected learning peers cannot ensure to compose suitable learning partners for individual learners in cooperative learning environments. A suitable learning partner can help the learner, who is learning in the personal way and encounters the difficulty, to solve problems. Inappropriate learning partners cannot only easily lead to poor learning interaction and achievement, but can also lead to the meaning of cooperative learning being lost. Although many web-based learning systems have already been developed to assist cooperative learning, supporting peer-to-peer interaction in computer-supported cooperative learning (CSCL) is still immature. As a result, this study presents a novel scheme for recommending appropriate learning partners for individual learners utilizing mining of learning interactive social networks in a cooperative problem-based learning (PBL) environment. Results of this study show that the proposed scheme helps encourage learners to interact with learning peers more actively and positively, and facilitates learning performance in a cooperative PBL environment.     

Personalised context-aware ubiquitous learning system for supporting effective English vocabulary learning

Because learning English is extremely popular in non-native English speaking countries, developing modern assisted-learning schemes that facilitate effective English learning is a critical issue in English-language education. Vocabulary learning is vital within English learning because vocabulary comprises the basic building blocks of English sentences. Therefore, numerous studies have attempted to increase the efficiency and performance of learning English vocabulary. ‘The situational learning approach’ proposed that ‘context’ is an important consideration in the language learning process and can enhance learner learning interest and efficiency. Restated, meaningful vocabulary learning occurs only when the learning process is integrated with social, cultural and life contexts. With the rapid development of context-awareness techniques, the development of context-aware mobile learning systems, which can support learners in learning without constraints of time or place via mobile devices and associate learning activities with real learning environment, enables the conduct of a novel context-aware ubiquitous learning mode to enhance English vocabulary learning. Accordingly, this study proposes a personalised context-aware ubiquitous learning system (PCULS) for learning English vocabulary based on learner location as detected by wireless positioning techniques, learning time, individual English vocabulary abilities and leisure time, enabling learners to adapt their learning content to effectively support English vocabulary learning in a school environment. Experimental results indicated that the accuracy of the employed wireless positioning scheme is over 92%, which is sufficient to help learners detect their locations. Additionally, the PCULS has been successfully implemented on PDA devices in a school environment to support effective situational English vocabulary learning. Experimental result indicates that the learning performance of learners who used personalised English vocabulary learning systems with context awareness (i.e. PCULS) was superior to learners who used personalised English vocabulary learning systems without context awareness.     

The relationships between elementary students' knowledge-in-use performance and their science achievement

This longitudinal study examines the relationship between students' knowledge-in-use performance and their performance on third-party designed summative tests within a coherent and equitable learning environment. Focusing on third-grade students across three consecutive project-based learning (PBL) units aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the study includes 1067 participants from 23 schools in a Great Lakes state. Two-level hierarchical linear modeling estimates the effects of post-unit assessments on end-of-year summative tests. Results indicate that post-unit assessment performances predict NGSS-aligned summative test performance. Students experiencing more PBL units demonstrate greater gains on the summative test, with predictions not favoring students from diverse backgrounds. This study underscores the importance of coherence, equity, and the PBL approach in promoting knowledge-in-use and science achievement. A systematically coherent PBL environment across multiple units facilitates the development of students' knowledge-in-use, highlighting the significance of designing science and engineering practices (SEPs) and crosscutting concepts coherently and progressively, with intentional revisitation of disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). The study also investigates how the PBL approach fosters equitable learning environments for diverse demographic groups, offering equitable opportunities through equity-oriented design. Contributions include a coherent assessment system that tracks and supports learning aligned with NGSS, emphasizing the predictive power of post-unit assessments, continuous monitoring and tracking. The implications of context similarity and optimal performance expectations within units are discussed. Findings inform educators, administrators, and policymakers about the benefits of NGSS-aligned PBL systems and the need for coherent and equitable learning and assessment systems supporting knowledge-in-use development and equitable opportunities for all learners.     

Student‐teachers' evaluation on the use of different modes of problem‐based learning in teacher education

Problem‐based learning (PBL) has been widely adopted in many university programmes. Evaluations of PBL in medicine, dentistry, nursing and social work reveal positive outcomes from both tutors and learners. However, few evaluations have been published about using PBL in teacher education programmes. This paper reports how the 13 student‐teachers in the Integrated Humanities Major Method course evaluated the use of three different modes of PBL delivery, namely: the classical PBL; an alternate pattern of PBL and teacher‐led deductive workshops; and a modified PBL using problem‐based scenario inductive inquiry workshops. The learning experiences of the student‐teachers were captured via an open‐ended questionnaire to discuss the feasibility and receptivity of endorsing full or partial use of PBL in the teacher education programme. The outcome shows strong preference for the use of the modified PBL approach while the majority agreed the classical PBL style is the most challenging among the three modes.     

Detecting the correlation between mobile learning behavior and personal characteristics among elementary school students

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to explore the features of mobile learning behaviors among Chinese elementary school students, and relationships between mobile learning behaviors and personal characteristics in mobile learning environment. The current study designed and developed a game-based educational mobile environment and conducted an experimental research. Eighty-three elementary students participated in this study. The results revealed the features of elementary school students’ mobile learning behavior including: 1) the students had reasonable login frequencies and learning time duration with appropriate guidance from the teachers, and satisfying learning performance by self-learning; 2) higher grade, learning style with active information processing and higher test scores in the conventional Chinese subject course had positive impacts on the mobile learning behaviors, but no gender difference was found. Regrettably, students showed more digital consuming than digital creating in the current study. The results could provide necessary suggestions on mobile learning for young learners.     

Enhancing problem-based learning designs with a single e-learning scaffolding tool: Two case studies using challenge FRAP

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a powerful instructional approach. By working through assessable complex problem-solving tasks learners can be encouraged to actively engage in investigation and inquiry and to use high level cognitive thought processes to solve real-life problems in professional contexts. A critical element of a successful PBL design is the inclusion of instructional support, such as scaffolding, to guide and assist the learner through the reasoning process that is crucial to successful problem-solving. The e-learning tool ‘Challenge FRAP’ (Form for the Recording of the Analysis of Problems) is client-based public domain authoring software which facilitates the use of scaffolding, the provision of progressive feedback and can promote student reflection at key decision-making points. This paper illustrates the benefits of such an e-learning scaffolding tool through two PBL case studies; one group-based PBL task in science and technology and one self-directed PBL task in plant pathology.     

基于学习分析的在线学习用户画像研究

画像技术在当前精准营销中的应用非常广泛,而其在教育领域尤其是在线学习者的特征识别方面研究较少。文章从学习者的一般特征、学习准备、学习风格、行为特征四个方面对学习者进行分析,提出在线学习者画像描述的总体框架。同时,通过机器学习对在线学习行为数据进行挖掘,文章分别从以上四个方面对学习者画像进行建模研究,重点讨论了学习风格的建模过程,并通过对在线学习者个案分析,阐述了学习者画像在指导学习资源精准推荐、评估在线学习者学业失败或退出风险等方面的应用,为个性化教育实施提供了实践案例。     

基于位置识别的移动学习系统5R自适应框架

如何利用移动设备的位置识别功能开发创新性的移动应用系统,是众多研究者和商业应用开发者关注的焦点。基于位置识别的移动学习系统5R自适应框架为实现自适应移动学习环境提供了一套解决方案和标准化结构。5R自适应框架能够根据学习者、位置、时间、移动设备等因素自动生成学习者所需要的学习内容,增强学习者与学习情境之间的交互。5R自适应框架的实施需要描述基于位置的学习内容并使之标签化,建立自适应约束条件和学习内容之间的关系。在基于位置识别的地理课实地考察移动学习过程中,5R自适应框架能够很好地支持这一应用,而且在实现过程中体现出高度的灵活性。     

Can engineering education in South Africa afford to avoid problem-based learning as a didactic approach?

In this article, the authors support problem-based learning (PBL) based on its high level of alignment in addition to providing learners in engineering with an additional opportunity in learning process competencies, as contained within the South African National Critical Cross-field and Developmental Outcomes (COs). Constructive alignment describes a process in which the learning outcomes (LOs) become the objective for designing a curriculum that enables LOs to be achieved through appropriate activities and an assessment process that enables these LOs to be demonstrated. PBL applies problem-solving as a vehicle in achieving LOs. The degree to which a learner manages to achieve a given LO still serves as the authentic criteria for assessment. In addition, PBL provides learners an opportunity in acquiring non-subject-related skills, also referred to as process competencies, soft-skills, transferable skills, or graduate attributes. These skills are required especially for the management of human capital and are considered as crucial for successful practice in the engineering profession. It is therefore questioned why a PBL approach is not implemented by engineering faculties at South African Higher Education Institutions. The successful implementation of PBL, however, depends on a number of non-didactic issues that are highlighted in this paper. It is concluded that very few didactic methods can achieve the quality of learning we provide to engineering learners when using PBL, and therefore, it is proposed that South African Higher Education Institutions should also provide their academic staff with training opportunities in this regard.     

Exploring the effect of learning styles on learning achievement in a u-Museum

In recent years, mobile technology has been developing rapidly and has been widely used. There are many successful cases of mobile technology applied greatly in today’s teaching and even combined with sensing devices to overcome the limitations of traditional learning environment. In order to make teaching more diversified, teachers currently treat field trips as one of the major ways to aid traditional classroom teaching. Based on Keller’s ARCS motivation model, this study used the natural disaster section in the sixth graders’ Natural Science-Taiwan subject as an example and application of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in mobile devices to develop a context-aware ubiquitous learning system to be applied in the 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan. With the guide of the system, learners can use mobile carriers to receive content information displayed in the Museum for learning. This study conducted experiment in the 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan to explore whether using the system for learning significantly improves learning outcomes and motivation in comparison to traditional navigation learning. Felder & Silverman’s theory of learning style was incorporated to explore whether there exists differences in learning performance and outcome among learners with different learning styles so design and strategies for future teaching system can be improved.     

The factors influencing the outcome of solving story problems in a web-based learning environment

The aim of the present study was to investigate those factors influencing performance in solving story problems in a web-based environment. A situational simulation, “Hiking across Estonia,” was explored by two samples of voluntary groups of students, comprising 65 and 50 groups, respectively. They solved 25 ecological and environmental story problems and filled in a pre-test and post-test that evaluated problem-solving skills. The groups were clustered according to their characteristics and performance into five clusters: “slow learners,”“quick learners,”“successful learners,”“smart learners,” and “ineffective learners.” The clusters were provided with different types of supportive notes and the sequence of problems was rearranged according to the students' initial results in the first four problem-solving tasks. These treatments demonstrated statistically significant improvements in the outcome in solving story problems in small groups. The main factors determining the effectiveness of problem solving were: (i) time spent on learning; (ii) initial skills in problem-solving; (iii) the presence of support in enhancing situation awareness; (iv) graduated problem tasks sequenced on the basis of complexity and difficulty; (v) ratio of genders in a learning group. However, the importance of these factors depended on the cluster and, therefore, it can be concluded that the design of problem-solving instruction has to be adapted according to the clusters' characteristics.     

Problem-Based Learning: What and How Do Students Learn?

Problem-based approaches to learning have a long history of advocating experience-based education. Psychological research and theory suggests that by having students learn through the experience of solving problems, they can learn both content and thinking strategies. Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional method in which students learn through facilitated problem solving. In PBL, student learning centers on a complex problem that does not have a single correct answer. Students work in collaborative groups to identify what they need to learn in order to solve a problem. They engage in self-directed learning (SDL) and then apply their new knowledge to the problem and reflect on what they learned and the effectiveness of the strategies employed. The teacher acts to facilitate the learning process rather than to provide knowledge. The goals of PBL include helping students develop 1) flexible knowledge, 2) effective problem-solving skills, 3) SDL skills, 4) effective collaboration skills, and 5) intrinsic motivation. This article discusses the nature of learning in PBL and examines the empirical evidence supporting it. There is considerable research on the first 3 goals of PBL but little on the last 2. Moreover, minimal research has been conducted outside medical and gifted education. Understanding how these goals are achieved with less skilled learners is an important part of a research agenda for PBL. The evidence suggests that PBL is an instructional approach that offers the potential to help students develop flexible understanding and lifelong learning skills.     

基于问题的学习(PBL)模式在幼儿园的应用研究

基于问题的学习(PBL)模式是一种通过解决真实的复杂问题获取知识、经验和技能的学习模式。研究者基于学前儿童的心理发展特点,对适用于成人和高年级学生的PBL模式进行修正,使其适用于4～6岁学前儿童。研究发现,接受PBL模式教学的实验组幼儿在知识获得能力、主动学习能力、问题解决能力、合作能力方面的得分均优于对照组幼儿,表明在幼儿园应用PBL模式是可行的,也是有效果的。     

A theory-driven approach to assessing the cognitive effects of PBL

Medical schools are increasingly looking to case-based formats such as problem-based learning (PBL) for their medical students. However, the effects of PBL have not been adequately assessed for an informed decision. An approach to assessment should consider not just the knowledge outcomes expected of all students, but should be tailored to the theoretical goals of PBL: clinical reasoning, integration of scientific and clinical knowledge, and lifelong learning skills. This means that problem-solving processes as well as products need to be measured. In addition, cognitive measures associated with expert performance can be used to assess the extent to which PBL affects the development of expertise. In this study, students taking an elective in PBL were compared with students taking other electives on a realistic pathophysiological explanation task. The problem-solving protocols were examined for coherence, use of science concepts, strategy use, and self-directed learning. The results indicate that cognitive measures can be used to distinguish students who have participated in PBL from their counterparts in terms of knowledge, reasoning, and learning strategies. This suggests that such measures may play a meaningful role in assessment of student learning.     

网络学习行为个性化引导的研究

通过对网络学习中学习者在感觉通道、学习材料、学习环境和思维方式等方面偏好的分析,构建网络学习者学习风格特征结构模型。以此模型作为理论依据,提出对网络学习者学习行为进行采集、诊断和个性化引导的方法,并设计网络学习行为个性化引导系统。     

基于网络环境下协作学习模式的构建和实践

随着信息技术的发展，网络环境已成为学习者学习的重要环境之一。基于网络环境下的协作学习，能够激发学习者的学习动机，消除学习的孤独感，有利于培养学习者之间的合作交流能力和创新能力，增强互助意识，提高学习效率。文章从协作学习的概念和特点入手，介绍了协作学习的四个基本要素，分析了协作学习的几种模式，探讨了基于网络环境下协作学习的教学设计和实施。     

Employing subgoals in computer programming education

The rapid integration of technology into our professional and personal lives has left many education systems ill-equipped to deal with the influx of people seeking computing education. To improve computing education, we are applying techniques that have been developed for other procedural fields. The present study applied such a technique, subgoal labeled worked examples, to explore whether it would improve programming instruction. The first two experiments, conducted in a laboratory, suggest that the intervention improves undergraduate learners’ problem-solving performance and affects how learners approach problem-solving. The third experiment demonstrates that the intervention has similar, and perhaps stronger, effects in an online learning environment with in-service K-12 teachers who want to become qualified to teach computing courses. By implementing this subgoal intervention as a tool for educators to teach themselves and their students, education systems could improve computing education and better prepare learners for an increasingly technical world.     

开放大学移动图书馆建设浅议

移动图书馆的建设作为一所现代开放大学信息化建设水平、科研基础和资源建设等方面的重要标志,是开放大学建设发展的一项公共服务基础.在移动图书馆建设中,馆藏数字资源移动化、资源利用率的提高、跨库资源统一查询、地域及网段限制的突破、实现多终端样式的自适应及同一版式的全文阅读等问题是移动图书馆需要解决的关键问题.     

分布式教学范式对集体智慧的激发

以网络为核心的多媒体技术的发展与新一代e-learning的出现对传统教学范式下的教师来说,既是契机也是挑战。分布式认知是信息技术发展而催生的新理论,面对混合式的学习环境,以它为指导的为分布式认知教学范式展现出了独特的优势。它不仅为教师提供了全新的视角审视课堂环境,并且能够从学习方式、学习者、知识等方面培养集体创新创造、共同合作的能力,为集体智慧的激发创造条件。通过课堂观察与实例分析表明,运用分布式教学范式不仅能优化课堂环境内各种分布式资源的整合,同样的,高效多元的资源利用与共享也能激发集体智慧发挥更大的价值,从而使得课堂效果最大化。     

基于 Kirkpatrick 模式的移动学习绩效评价设计探究

为了完善移动学习绩效评价理论,梳理移动学习概念及特性,以及学习绩效评价在移动学习领域发展现状,通过借鉴美国 Kirkpatrick 评估模式与教学系统设计理论,探索性地提出移动学习绩效评价模式设计原则及五层次绩效评价模式,并提出绩效评价还需进一步研究的问题。该绩效评价模式与传统评价方式相比,具有两大特点：一是关注学习者动态学习过程,包括学习者知识、技能、潜能、态度、行为和实践能力的改变|二是关注学习对学习者未来长期潜在影响以及学习者完成学习后对组织和社会的影响。