Designing collaborative,constructionist and contextual applications for handheld devices

This paper explores current applications for handheld devices and questions which of these make full use of the unique attributes of handheld devices in order to facilitate learning in a pedagogically sensible manner. In order to do so, the paper presents a functional framework which analyses handheld application in relation to their use as well as the pedagogical underpinning, if any, that informs their development. Our framework currently consists of seven distinct categories of application, which we term: administrative, referential, interactive, microworld, data collection, location aware and collaborative. We argue that three categories, namely data collection, location aware and collaborative, are particularly suited to learning with handheld devices when they are informed by collaborative, contextual and constructionist learning theories. Furthermore, we contend that applications of the type just outlined deserve further research since they are not attempting to replicate, or even augment, existing learning scenarios but rather they try to create new learning opportunities which would not be possible without (mobile) technology. Finally, the authors introduce a number of applications and learning scenarios that they have developed for handheld devices and explain their position within the framework.     

独立学院计算机应用基础教学探索

在独立学院的新生中,计算机应用基础的水平差异明显,且传统教学大纲中的各块内容相对独立,造成教学内容前后联系不强。在日常教学中,在建构主义教学原理基础上采用了"分层次、模块化"教学方式,提升学生学习的兴趣,同时也使得学生所学更贴近于实际,在相关考试中,取得较好的成绩。     

基于建构主义的《编译原理》课程教学

《编译原理》是高等院校计算机学科开设的一门专业基础课。学生普遍反映这门课抽象、难懂,与实际应用脱节。在该课程的传统教学中,教师讲、学生听,学生缺乏独立思考和动手实践的机会,从而导致学生丧失学习的主动性和积极性,使得这门课程的教学质量难以提高。为了改善以往教学的弊病,基于建构主义,采用Wiki技术,搭建网络平台,实施编译原理课程的项目式教学,取得良好教学效果。     

The preferences toward constructivist Internet-based learning environments among university students in Taiwan

Numerous educators have proposed the development of constructivist Internet-based learning environments for students. When creating the constructivist Internet-based learning environments, it is important for researchers to be aware of students’ preferences toward these environments. Through gathering data from 659 university students in Taiwan, this study developed a questionnaire to assess students’ preferences toward constructivist Internet-based learning environments. The questionnaire, with adequate validity and reliability, included 34 items on the following seven scales: relevance, multiple sources (and interpretations), challenge, student negotiation, cognitive apprenticeship, reflective thinking and epistemological awareness. The questionnaire responses revealed that male students tended to prefer the Internet-based learning environments where they could solve challenging problems, acquire cognitive apprenticeship and guidance from experts, and promote epistemological development than did female students. The findings also suggested that, if educators intend to develop Internet-based learning environments for more academically advanced students, such as graduate students, care should be taken to create more opportunities for them to negotiate ideas, obtain proper guidance, reflect their own thoughts, and explore epistemological issues. Finally, students with more Internet experiences tended to demand more on many features of the constructivist Internet-based learning environments than those with less Internet experiences.     

Improving literacy and metacognition with electronic portfolios: Teaching and learning with ePEARL

Can an electronic portfolio that is both a multimedia container for student work and a tool to support key learning processes have a positive impact on the literacy practices and self-regulated learning skills of students? This article presents the findings of a yearlong study conducted in three Canadian provinces during the 2007–2008 school year initially involving 32 teachers and 388 students. Due to varying levels of implementation our final data set included 14 teachers and 296 students. Using a non-equivalent pre-test/post-test design, we found that grade 4–6 students who were in classrooms where the teacher provided regular and appropriate use of the electronic portfolio tool ePEARL (i.e., medium–high implementation condition, n = 7 classrooms and 121 students), compared to control students (n = 7 classrooms and 175 students) who did not use ePEARL, showed significant improvements (p < .05) in their writing skills on a standardized literacy measure (i.e., the constructed response subtest of the Canadian Achievement Test-4th ed.) and certain metacognitive skills measured via student self-report. The results of this study indicate that teaching with ePEARL has positive impacts on students’ literacy and self-regulated learning skills when the tool is used regularly and integrated into classroom instruction.     

基于建构主义理论的《计算机组成原理》课程教学研究

根据《计算机组成原理》课程的特点,在对建构主义理论分析的基础上,将《计算机组成原理》教学与建构主义理论相结合,对基于建构主义理论的《计算机组成原理》课程的教学改革进行了探讨和分析,有利于进一步提高教学质量,培养学生良好的《计算机组成原理》教学素养和创新意识。     

基于建构主义的高职计算机实践教学思路与方法探讨

本文提出了基于建构主义的高职计算机实践教学新思路,注重以学生为中心,从高职教育的特点、计算机专业发展和高职学生特点的实际情况出发,对实践教学的方法进行了深入探讨并分别进行了举例说明。     

Using narratives in conferences to improve the CMC learning environment

Abstract This paper reports on the use of short stories in Internet discussions to promote student learning. It describes off-campus teacher education students CMC discussions of short stories concerning issues in human development. The content of students' discussions is analysed, as is their perceptions of the value of the discussion stories. The results indicate that the use of narratives can improve the social environment of online conferences and contribute to collaborative student learning.     

建构主义理论与现代外语教学

建构主义理论是认知领域新的重要分支,目前倍受语言学界的推崇。本文阐述建构主义学习理论和教学理论,探析建构主义的发展及代表思想,探讨了该理论对现代外语教学的影响。     

基于建构主义的计算机辅助教学模型的研究

在分析了建构主义理论及其在计算机辅助教学中所具有特征,与总结计算机辅助教学相关技术的基础上,作者定义了基于建构主义理论的计算机辅助教学系统,并逐级描述了该系统的链接关系与数学模型。