An IRS-facilitated collective issue-quest approach to enhancing students’ learning achievement,self-regulation and collective efficacy in flipped classrooms

Flipped classrooms have been recognized as a potential approach that enables students to have flexible time to learn before the class as well as more opportunities to apply knowledge and to interact with peers and the teacher in the class. On the other hand, researchers have pointed out the challenge of engaging students in self-regulated learning and active participation in flipped classrooms. In this study, an Instant Response System (IRS)-facilitated collective issue-quest strategy is proposed for engaging students in active and self-regulated flipped learning. Moreover, a quasi-experimental design was conducted with undergraduate students in an internet marketing course in northern Taiwan to investigate the impacts of the proposed approach on the students’ learning achievement, self-regulation, learning satisfaction and collective efficacy. The experimental results revealed that the learning achievement, collective efficacy and satisfaction of the students who learned with the proposed approach were significantly better than those of the students learning with the conventional flipped classroom approach. Moreover, in the “environment,” “task strategies” and “help seeking” dimensions of self-regulation, the former had significantly higher ratings than the latter. This study contributes analysis results that highlight the benefits of implementing the IRS-facilitated collective issue-quest approach in the flipped classroom. The results of this research may provide a valuable reference for future studies and practice in the field.     

Facilitating effective digital game-based learning behaviors and learning performances of students based on a collaborative knowledge construction strategy

Researchers have recognized the potential of educational computer games in improving students’ learning engagement and outcomes; however, facilitating effective learning behaviors during the gaming process remains an important and challenging issue. In this paper, a collaborative knowledge construction strategy was incorporated into an educational computer game to facilitate students’ knowledge sharing and organizing during the game-based learning process. An experiment was conducted to examine the students’ learning behavioral patterns, group efficacy, and problem-solving awareness. The experimental results revealed that the proposed approach improved the students’ learning achievements and awareness of problem-solving. Moreover, from the analysis of the students’ behavior sequences, it was found that, with the collaborative knowledge construction mechanism, the students revealed significantly more aggressive learning behavioral patterns, such as “comparing and observing the learning targets” and “seeking clues and answers” during the gaming process. This implies that integrating the collaborative knowledge construction mechanism into the gaming process has great potential for helping students effectively learn and organize knowledge as well as fostering their awareness of applying the acquired knowledge to dealing with problems.     

The effectiveness of the student response system (SRS) in English grammar learning in a flipped English as a foreign language (EFL) class

ABSTRACT

Flipped classes are well-known for reversing the typical in-class lecture and out-of-class homework structure by instructing students to learn by themselves from on-line learning materials and inviting them to ask questions based on their individual difficulties in class. Many attempts at integrating this teaching method into English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms have proven to be beneficial to students’ learning achievement and motivation. However, there is little research on how to organize interactive, engaging and effective in-class activities for an EFL flipped classroom. In this study, a student response system (SRS) is proposed to support teachers in organizing in-class activities in a flipped class. To investigate the effectiveness of this approach, a quasi-experiment was conducted in an EFL classroom in an engineering school. The experimental group used the SRS to do in-class activities while the control group followed the conventional method. The results showed that the use of the SRS increased students’ learning motivation and self-efficacy in learning English grammar and improved their participation and engagement in the in-class activities of the flipped learning process. Furthermore, the questionnaire results showed that students accepted the SRS as an instructional method in an EFL flipped class. However, the use of the SRS was not effective in improving students’ grammar learning achievement.     

A microworld-based role-playing game development approach to engaging students in interactive,enjoyable, and effective mathematics learning

In traditional teacher-centered mathematics instruction, students might show low learning motivation owing to the lack of applied contexts. Game-based learning has been recognized as a potential approach to addressing this issue; however, without proper alignment between the gaming and math-applied contexts, the benefits of game-based learning could be limited. Therefore, this study aims to develop a microworld-based educational game, which provides simulated contexts encouraging students to explore, discover, and solve practical problems using the mathematics knowledge gained in the class. A quasi-experimental design was implemented in the learning activity of the “Speedy World” unit in an elementary school mathematics course to examine the effectiveness of the proposed approach. A total of 107 sixth graders participated in the experiment. The experimental results showed that the students who learned with the microworld-based gaming approach had better learning achievement and motivation in the mathematics course than those who learned with the conventional technology-enhanced learning approach. In addition, the students also showed that they highly accepted the microworld-based game for learning mathematics. The findings of this study provide good evidence for the importance and necessity of associating authentic applied contexts with gaming contexts in developing computer educational games for mathematics.     

地方高校在线开放课程建设实践与探索——以南京邮电大学为例

计算机网络、移动终端、大数据挖掘等信息技术的发展不断推进教与学的变革,在线开放课程的发展与应用为翻转课堂、混合式教学提供了支撑条件,充分体现了"以学为中心"的教学理念。南京邮电大学以品牌专业建设为引领,依托教学名师资源,借助教师信息化教学能力提升为手段进行在线开放课程的建设与教学改革探索,文章总结其具体实践的措施及经验,以期对同类地方高校在线开放课程建设提供借鉴。     

Developmental Math Pilot: Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), Psychology Concepts,and Group Work

Researchers observed their students’ frequent choices to use technology and the students' weak developmental math course completion rates. These observations piqued researchers' interest to find a new approach to improve students’ math learning—utilizing disruptive innovation. The purpose of this study was to understand students’ perceptions about learning developmental math with a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and face-to-face group activities interwoven with psychology of learning concepts. Research findings suggest that MOOCs used in developmental math coursework can improve math success, and group work within face-to-face classrooms can increase connectivity to learning. A MOOC was merged with face-to-face psychology of learning group projects, and students described increased connectivity to their learning. For example, Haley exclaimed, “So definitely learned how to learn all over again this semester and I’m doing awesome … It’s like I’m breezing through!”     

An examination of digital game-based situated learning applied to Chinese language poetry education

By gradually placing more importance on game-based education and changing learning motivation by applying game-playing characteristics, students’ learning experiences can be enhanced and a better learning effect can be achieved. When teaching the content of Chinese poetry in Taiwanese junior high schools, most teachers only explain the meaning of Chinese poetry, while it is difficult for students to understand why poets write these poems, resulting in learning confusion. This paper implemented a digital game-based situated learning system based on Tang Dynasty poems for learning Chinese poetry to simulate the situations of hardship encountered by poets when writing poetry in animated form to help junior high school students in Taiwan to have greater understanding when learning the content of Chinese poetry. The research results show that students who used the Gourd Tang Dynasty system in game-based instruction had significantly better learning achievements than students who underwent traditional narrative instruction. Among them, students in the low learning ability group improved in their grades significantly more than students in the high learning ability group in terms of their Tang Dynasty poetry learning. Furthermore, the authors examined the predictive relationships between perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and behavioural intention related to the digital game-based situated learning system for Chinese language poetry. The factor of perceived usefulness was a key factor in the students’ positive attitudes towards the digital game-based situated learning system. There were no significant differences with respect to individual characteristics (i.e. gender, online game experience and digital learning experience). The results demonstrate that this type of system can be widely accepted by students with different learning experiences.     

Effects of integrating mobile technology-assisted peer assessment into flipped learning on students’ dance skills and self-efficacy

ABSTRACT

Dance courses aim to not only intensify learners’ dance skills, but also cultivate their personal dancing features, self-confidence, self-reflection ability, creative power, appreciation ability, to name just a few, in order to attain much higher level artistic performance. In the present study, an approach which integrates mobile peer assessment into flipped learning is proposed. Moreover, a 9-week experiment was conducted to explore the effects of the approach on students’ dance skills, self-efficacy, and learning satisfaction. The results indicated that the students learning with the integrated mobile peer assessment and flipped learning approach had better dance skills than those learning with the conventional flipped learning approach and traditional instruction. In terms of self-efficacy, the students learning with the conventional flipped learning approach outperformed those learning with the proposed approach and traditional instruction. In terms of learning satisfaction, the conventional flipped learning approach outperformed the traditional instruction. Discussion and suggestions are provided accordingly. It is suggested that teachers who want to incorporate flipped learning into dance courses may decide whether to combine peer assessment according to the teaching objectives.     

Using the PCaRD digital game-based learning model of instruction in the middle school mathematics classroom: A case study

Currently there are few pedagogical models available for mathematics teachers who are interested in digital game-based learning. The Play Curricular-activity Reflection and Discussion (PCaRD) model attempts to address this, but lacks the needed exploratory research on its implementation within formal mathematics classrooms. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, this study examined three middle school teachers’ initial experience using PCaRD, the influence of this experience on their digital game-based learning knowledge, and their perceptions on how teaching with digital games impacts student achievement. The findings showed teachers feel PCaRD is a sound Pedagogical model, but needed more practice using it to fully realize its usefulness. Also teachers felt the need to make adaptions to PCaRD based on the composition of their class, and had difficulty implementing the reflection and discussion phases. Finally, teachers felt their low achieving students benefitted most from the use of digital games. Future directions for research are also discussed.     

Effects of learning physics using Augmented Reality on students’ self-efficacy and conceptions of learning

The Augmented Reality (AR)-based learning environment not only provides educators with novel ways to present learning materials but also give learners the opportunity to spontaneously interact with the material. Previous studies have shown that AR has many advantages in education; however, few focuses on the mechanisms behind promoting inquiry motivation, such as the effect of AR on learners’ self-efficacy and conceptions of learning. This study developed an AR-based wave-particle duality learning application, “AROSE,” to explore the effect of AR technology on students’ self-efficacy and conceptions of learning physics. A quasi-experimental study method was used, and 98 high school students aged between 16 and 18 were randomly assigned to experimental and control group. After a 4-week intervention, it was found that integrating AR technology into physics classrooms can (1) significantly enhance students’ physics learning self-efficacy, as indicated by understanding of concepts, higher-level cognitive skills, practice and communication; (2) guide students to be more inclined to higher-level conceptions of learning physics rather than lower ones; and (3) stimulates students’ motivation to learn more deeply.     

Embedding diagnostic mechanisms in a digital game for learning mathematics

Mathematics is closely related to daily life, but it is also one of the lessons which often cause anxiety to primary school students. Digital game-based learning (DGBL) has been regarded as a sound learning strategy in raising learner willingness and interest in many disciplines. Thus, ways of designing a DGBL system to mitigate anxiety are well worth studying. This study adopts an Input–Process–Outcome DGBL model to develop a DGBL system with a diagnostic mechanism strategy for a primary school mathematics course. In addition to exploring the impact of different learning methods on learning performance, this study further analyzes the learning methods in terms of learner anxiety about mathematics, learning motivation and learning satisfaction from the perspective of Attention, Relevance, Confidence-building, and Satisfaction (ARCS) motivation theory. The diagnostic mechanism strategy demonstrates the advantages of the DGBL system for mathematics learning. During the learning process, the ARCS questionnaire revealed that students who engage in learning through the DGBL method are positively motivated. The findings of this study suggest that centering on the daily life experiences of learners, integrating a proper game model into mathematics learning and providing a diagnostic mechanism prompt can effectively enhance interest in learning mathematics and reduce anxiety. When anxiety is mitigated, both learning motivation and learning performance are enhanced.     

Improving learning achievements,motivations and problem-solving skills through a peer assessment-based game development approach

In this study, a peer assessment-based game development approach is proposed for improving students’ learning achievements, motivations and problem-solving skills. An experiment has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in a science course at an elementary school. A total of 167 sixth graders participated in the experiment, 82 of whom were assigned to the experimental group and learned with the peer assessment-based game development approach, while 85 students were in the control group and learned with the conventional game development approach. From the empirical results, it was found that the proposed approach could effectively promote students’ learning achievement, learning motivation, problem-solving skills, as well as their perceptions of the use of educational computer games. Moreover, it was found from the open-ended questions that most of the students perceived peer assessment-based game development as an effective learning strategy that helped them improve their deep learning status in terms of “in-depth thinking,” “creativity,” and “motivation.”     

Developing an educational computer game for migratory bird identification based on a two-tier test approach

Although educational computer games have been recognized as being a promising approach, previous studies have indicated that, without supportive models, students might only show temporary interest during the game-based learning process, and their learning performance is often not as good as expected. Therefore, in this paper, a two-tier test approach is proposed for developing educational computer games. To evaluate the performance of the proposed approach, a role-playing game was developed and an experiment was conducted on the “migratory bird identification” unit of an elementary school natural science course. Two classes of fifth graders participated in the experiment. One class was the experimental group who learned with the proposed game-based learning approach. The other class was the control group who learned with the conventional e-learning approach. The experimental results showed that the proposed approach not only significantly promoted the students’ learning motivation, but also improved their learning achievements. Moreover, it was found that the students who learned with the educational computer game showed significantly higher technology acceptance degree than those who learned with the conventional e-learning approach. Accordingly, it is concluded that the proposed digital game-based learning approach is effective.     

Learning as Making: Using 3D computer-aided design to enhance the learning of shape and space in STEM-integrated ways

The recent and popular “Maker” movement worldwide has revived conversations about creativity, hands-on “Making,” arts and design, humans with tools and digital experiences beyond the flat-screen. However, such conversation mainly revolved outside the realm of formal education. This article presents two learning tasks, one in upper primary (age 10–11) and one in lower secondary (age 12–13), which integrate “Making” and 3D computer-aided design (CAD), thereby facilitating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning in mathematics classrooms. By adopting a design-based research methodology, we examine students' mathematics learning with respect to dissecting and forming 2D shapes and volume of composite solids with the use of 3D CAD and the kinds of integrated STEM learning practices they demonstrated in the activities. Qualitative data were collected in the form of videos of the students' communication and screenshots of their initial and final designs as they engaged with the 3D CAD environment, as well as students' written reflections and teachers' lesson analysis. Results showed that the students used 3D CAD to develop spatial skills and to achieve mathematics learning far beyond using formulae and performing procedures. The learning activities also enabled an integrated STEM learning experience in productive and unobtrusive ways.     

Clickers in the flipped classroom: bring your own device (BYOD) to promote student learning

Flipped classrooms continue to grow in popularity across all levels of education. Following this pedagogical trend, the present study aimed to enhance the face-to-face instruction in flipped classrooms with the use of clickers. A game-like clicker application was implemented through a bring your own device (BYOD) model to gamify classroom dynamics in the spirit of question-and-answer competitions. A series of flipped learning lessons were created for the study, with clickers integrated into question-and-answer activities associated with each of the lessons as formative assessments to assist students in the learning of English as a foreign language. In this quasi-experimental research, the data were gathered using a summative assessment, a perception survey, and individual interviews. The collected data were then analyzed to compare the students’ flipped learning experiences, with or without clicker use. The results indicated that the gamified use of clickers had positive influences on student learning, with regard to their performance, perceptions, and preferences. This study thus suggests that the emerging generation of clicker technology allows for a cost-effective BYOD integration model in flipped classrooms, through which it is possible to seamlessly bridge pre-class and in-class activities and to effectively promote student learning.     

The effects of motivational constructs and engagements on mathematics achievements: a comparative study using TIMSS 2011 data of Chinese Taipei,Singapore, and the USA

Motivational constructs and students’ engagements have great impacts on students’ mathematics achievements, yet they have not been theoretically investigated using international large-scale assessment data. This study utilized the mathematics data of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2011 to conduct a comparative and empirical study on exploring: (1) the changes of motivational constructs from 4th grade to 8th grade; and (2) the effects of motivational constructs from the expectancy-value model and students’ engagements on mathematics achievements. The countries investigated include Chinese Taipei, Singapore, and the USA. The results showed that: (1) students’ motivations deteriorate over school years; (2) self-confidence in mathematics (SCM) has the strongest relationship with mathematics achievements. Furthermore, it is evident that Singapore has the most effective schools in students’ mathematics education. More findings of this comparative study are subsequently discussed.     

Exploring the role of university students’ online self-regulated learning in the flipped classroom: a structural equation model

ABSTRACT

The flipped classroom has gained a great deal of attention in educational research and practice in recent years. The purposes of this study are to understand the relationship between students’ online self-regulated learning (SRL) and their perceptions of learning in a flipped classrooms (FC), to identify possible mediators in this relationship, and to explain how this relationship predicts students’ intentions to participate in an FC. Two questionnaires were used to gather data from 576 undergraduate or graduate students in Taiwan. The structural equation model showed that students’ in-class interactions and online SRL are predictors of their perceived quality of usefulness of online learning activities and positive experience of FC, and these, in turn, associate with their intentional behaviours of participating in FC. While students’ perceived value of interactions in physical classrooms directly related to their intentions to participate in FC, their online SRL predicts their intentions to participate in flipped learning only when mediated by the perceived quality of the usefulness of the online learning activities and positive experience of FC.     

“慕课”对地方普通本科院校的影响与教师应对

"慕课"是指"大规模在线开放课程",从兴起到现在才几年的时间就在全球快速发展起来,照此发展速度,将来地方普通本科院校可能受到较大的影响。文章从为教师提供继续学习的平台和为学生提供聆听世界级高水平教授讲课的机会两个角度分析"慕课"教学模式对于地方普通本科院校的有利之处;还从地方普通本科院校的招生数量和地方普通本科院校教师岗位的稳定性两个方面分析"慕课"教学模式可能带来的不利影响;探讨地方普通本科院校的教师应如何积极借助"慕课"平台提升和重塑自己,从而应对"慕课"教学模式可能带来的影响等问题。     

Exploring the effects of online learning behaviors on short-term and long-term learning outcomes in flipped classrooms

ABSTRACT

The flipped classroom pedagogy has been widely used recently. Despite many researches have paid attention with the learning outcome of flipped classroom, there has been limited attention in regard to investigate the relationship between learning behavior and learning outcomes in a flipped classroom. In this paper, we proposed to investigate the influence of online learning behaviors on short-term and long-term learning outcomes in a flipped classroom. This study used Calculus and grade point average (GPA) scores to represent short-term and long-term learning outcomes, respectively. Multiple linear regression indicated that students’ online learning behavior does not have a significant effect on short-term learning outcomes, but has a significant effect on long-term learning outcomes. For applying multiple correspondence analysis, students were divided into groups according to five grade levels based on their scores. According to GPA grade level, students’ online learning behaviors had a significant effect on long-term learning outcomes for the five groups (GPAa, GPAb, GPAc, GPAd, GPAe). According to their Calculus grade level, students’ online learning behaviors had a significant effect on short-term learning outcomes for three groups (CALa, CALd, and CALe), but two groups (CALb and CALc) did not demonstrate this trend. For exploring the effects of online learning behaviors on future learning outcomes, GPA can be considered representative because the GPA was calculated for the entire academic year 2015. Students in the CALa group exhibited the highest frequency of online learning behaviors and obtained the highest GPA grade levels (GPAa and GPAb). For the CALb, CALc, CALd, and CALe groups, students with a higher frequency of online learning behaviors obtained a higher GPA grade level. These results indicate that students’ online learning behaviors have a positive effect on future learning outcomes.     

翻转课堂教学模式下的学习投入研究

翻转课堂作为信息技术与教育深度融合的一种新型教学模式,是教育教学改革研究的重点之一。翻转课堂的实质是颠倒教学流程,由被动学习转向主动学习,关注学习过程中学生的“做”或“活动”,在很大程度上弥补了传统教学单一授课的缺点。学习投入不仅关注外显的行为投入,还关注情感、认知方面的投入,能够较为全面地反映学生的学习收获。探讨翻转课堂教学模式下的大学生学习投入水平以及影响因素,设计学习投入维度量表与调查问卷。实验结果表明,翻转课堂中丰富的交互活动与多样化的学习途径,能够有效支持教师引导学生进行自主学习、协作学习与答疑讨论等,对提升大学生行为、认知、情感层面的学习投入水平可起到显著作用。