Learning in a Sheltered Internet Environment: The Use of WebQuests

Science.gov (United States)

Segers, Eliane; Verhoeven, Ludo

2009-01-01

The present study investigated the effects on learning in a sheltered Internet environment using so-called WebQuests in elementary school classrooms in the Netherlands. A WebQuest is an assignment presented together with a series of web pages to help guide children's learning. The learning gains and quality of the work of 229 sixth graders…

Wild birds learn to eavesdrop on heterospecific alarm calls.

Science.gov (United States)

Magrath, Robert D; Haff, Tonya M; McLachlan, Jessica R; Igic, Branislav

2015-08-03

Many vertebrates gain critical information about danger by eavesdropping on other species' alarm calls [1], providing an excellent context in which to study information flow among species in animal communities [2-4]. A fundamental but unresolved question is how individuals recognize other species' alarm calls. Although individuals respond to heterospecific calls that are acoustically similar to their own, alarms vary greatly among species, and eavesdropping probably also requires learning [1]. Surprisingly, however, we lack studies demonstrating such learning. Here, we show experimentally that individual wild superb fairy-wrens, Malurus cyaneus, can learn to recognize previously unfamiliar alarm calls. We trained individuals by broadcasting unfamiliar sounds while simultaneously presenting gliding predatory birds. Fairy-wrens in the experiment originally ignored these sounds, but most fled in response to the sounds after two days' training. The learned response was not due to increased responsiveness in general or to sensitization following repeated exposure and was independent of sound structure. Learning can therefore help explain the taxonomic diversity of eavesdropping and the refining of behavior to suit the local community. In combination with previous work on unfamiliar predator recognition (e.g., [5]), our results imply rapid spread of anti-predator behavior within wild populations and suggest methods for training captive-bred animals before release into the wild [6]. A remaining challenge is to assess the importance and consequences of direct association of unfamiliar sounds with predators, compared with social learning-such as associating unfamiliar sounds with conspecific alarms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impacts and Characteristics of Computer-Based Science Inquiry Learning Environments for Precollege Students

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, Dermot F.; Linn, Marcia C.; Ludvigsen, Sten

2014-01-01

The National Science Foundation-sponsored report "Fostering Learning in the Networked World" called for "a common, open platform to support communities of developers and learners in ways that enable both to take advantage of advances in the learning sciences." We review research on science inquiry learning environments (ILEs)…

The experience of work in a call centre environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanet Hauptfleisch

2006-10-01

Full Text Available This qualitative research study explored the work experience in a call centre environment in an information technology call centre based in South Africa, which service foreign customers exclusively. Three data collection methods were used, namely narratives, in-depth interviews with call centre consultants, and observation. Following a grounded theory approach, four themes were elicited, namely the perceptions of team members, uncertainty created by a constantly changing environment, perceived distances due to management practices, and depersonalisation experienced while actually dealing with customers. In addition to this, the reported impact of these themes on work performance was explored and compared to existing research.

The Integration of Personal Learning Environments & Open Network Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Chih-Hsiung; Sujo-Montes, Laura; Yen, Cherng-Jyh; Chan, Junn-Yih; Blocher, Michael

2012-01-01

Learning management systems traditionally provide structures to guide online learners to achieve their learning goals. Web 2.0 technology empowers learners to create, share, and organize their personal learning environments in open network environments; and allows learners to engage in social networking and collaborating activities. Advanced…

Exploration of Textual Interactions in CALL Learning Communities: Emerging Research and Opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

White, Jonathan R.

2017-01-01

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has greatly enhanced the realm of online social interaction and behavior. In language classrooms, it allows the opportunity for students to enhance their learning experiences. "Exploration of Textual Interactions in CALL Learning Communities: Emerging Research and Opportunities" is an ideal…

Virtual Learning Environments on the Go: CALL Meets MALL

Science.gov (United States)

Arús Hita, Jorge

2016-01-01

This paper presents "Eating out," a Moodle-based digital learning resource for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching that can be run both on computers and mobile devices. It is argued that Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) resources do not necessarily need to be specifically designed for such platforms. Rather, a carefully…

Development and Evaluation of Mechatronics Learning System in a Web-Based Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Shyr, Wen-Jye

2011-01-01

The development of remote laboratory suitable for the reinforcement of undergraduate level teaching of mechatronics is important. For the reason, a Web-based mechatronics learning system, called the RECOLAB (REmote COntrol LABoratory), for remote learning in engineering education has been developed in this study. The web-based environment is an…

The Effectiveness of Using Contextual Clues, Dictionary Strategy and Computer Assisted Language Learning (Call In Learning Vocabulary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zuraina Ali

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the effectiveness of three vocabulary learning methods that are Contextual Clues, Dictionary Strategy, and Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL in learning vocabulary among ESL learners. First, it aims at finding which of the vocabulary learning methods namely Dictionary Strategy, Contextual Clues, and CALL that may result in the highest number of words learnt in the immediate and delayed recall tests. Second, it compares the results of the Pre-test and the Delayed Recall Post-test to determine the differences of learning vocabulary using the methods. A quasi-experiment that tested the effectiveness of learning vocabulary using Dictionary Strategy, Contextual clues, and CALL involved 123 first year university students. Qualitative procedures included the collection of data from interviews which were conducted to triangulate the data obtain from the quantitative inquiries. Findings from the study using ANOVA revealed that there were significant differences when students were exposed to Dictionary Strategy, Contextual Clues and CALL in the immediate recall tests but not in the Delayed Recall Post-test. Also, there were significant differences when t test was used to compare the scores between the Pre-test and the Delayed Recall Post-test in using the three methods of vocabulary learning. Although many researchers have advocated the relative effectiveness of Dictionary Strategy, Contextual Clues, and CALL in learning vocabulary, the study however, is still paramount since there is no study has ever empirically investigated the relative efficacy of these three methods in a single study.

Pervasive Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hundebøl, Jesper; Helms, Niels Henrik

2006-01-01

The potentials of pervasive communication in learning within industry and education are right now being explored through different R&D projects. This paper outlines the background for and the possible learning potentials in what we describe as pervasive learning environments (PLE). PLE?s differ...... from virtual learning environments (VLE) primarily because in PLE?s the learning content is very much related to the actual context in which the learner finds himself. Two local (Denmark) cases illustrate various aspects of pervasive learning. One is the eBag, a pervasive digital portfolio used...

Constructivism, the so-called semantic learning theories, and situated cognition versus the psychological learning theories.

Science.gov (United States)

Aparicio, Juan José; Rodríguez Moneo, María

2005-11-01

In this paper, the perspective of situated cognition, which gave rise both to the pragmatic theories and the so-called semantic theories of learning and has probably become the most representative standpoint of constructivism, is examined. We consider the claim of situated cognition to provide alternative explanations of the learning phenomenon to those of psychology and, especially, to those of the symbolic perspective, currently predominant in cognitive psychology. The level of analysis of situated cognition (i.e., global interactive systems) is considered an inappropriate approach to the problem of learning. From our analysis, it is concluded that the pragmatic theories and the so-called semantic theories of learning which originated in situated cognition can hardly be considered alternatives to the psychological learning theories, and they are unlikely to add anything of interest to the learning theory or to contribute to the improvement of our knowledge about the learning phenomenon.

Social Learning: Medical Student Perceptions of Geriatric House Calls

Science.gov (United States)

Abbey, Linda; Willett, Rita; Selby-Penczak, Rachel; McKnight, Roberta

2010-01-01

Bandura's social learning theory provides a useful conceptual framework to understand medical students' perceptions of a house calls experience at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. Social learning and role modeling reflect Liaison Committee on Medical Education guidelines for "Medical schools (to) ensure that the learning…

Constructivist Learning Environment During Virtual and Real Laboratory Activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ari Widodo

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Laboratory activities and constructivism are two notions that have been playing significant roles in science education. Despite common beliefs about the importance of laboratory activities, reviews reported inconsistent results about the effectiveness of laboratory activities. Since laboratory activities can be expensive and take more time, there is an effort to introduce virtual laboratory activities. This study aims at exploring the learning environment created by a virtual laboratory and a real laboratory. A quasi experimental study was conducted at two grade ten classes at a state high school in Bandung, Indonesia. Data were collected using a questionnaire called Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES before and after the laboratory activities. The results show that both types of laboratories can create constructivist learning environments. Each type of laboratory activity, however, may be stronger in improving certain aspects compared to the other. While a virtual laboratory is stronger in improving critical voice and personal relevance, real laboratory activities promote aspects of personal relevance, uncertainty and student negotiation. This study suggests that instead of setting one type of laboratory against the other, lessons and follow up studies should focus on how to combine both types of laboratories to support better learning.

Metacognitive components in smart learning environment

Science.gov (United States)

Sumadyo, M.; Santoso, H. B.; Sensuse, D. I.

2018-03-01

Metacognitive ability in digital-based learning process helps students in achieving learning goals. So that digital-based learning environment should make the metacognitive component as a facility that must be equipped. Smart Learning Environment is the concept of a learning environment that certainly has more advanced components than just a digital learning environment. This study examines the metacognitive component of the smart learning environment to support the learning process. A review of the metacognitive literature was conducted to examine the components involved in metacognitive learning strategies. Review is also conducted on the results of study smart learning environment, ranging from design to context in building smart learning. Metacognitive learning strategies certainly require the support of adaptable, responsive and personalize learning environments in accordance with the principles of smart learning. The current study proposed the role of metacognitive component in smart learning environment, which is useful as the basis of research in building environment in smart learning.

Complexity Theory and CALL Curriculum in Foreign Language Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassan Soleimani

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Complexity theory literally indicates the complexity of a system, behavior, or a process. Its connotative meaning, while, implies dynamism, openness, sensitivity to initial conditions and feedback, and adaptation properties of a system. Regarding English as a Foreign/ Second Language (EFL/ESL this theory emphasizes on the complexity of the process of teaching and learning, including all the properties of a complex system. The purpose of the current study is to discuss the role of CALL as a modern technology in simplifying the process of teaching and learning a new language while integrating into the complexity theory. Nonetheless, the findings obtained from reviewing previously conducted studies in this field confirmed the usefulness of CALL curriculum in EFL/ESL contexts. These findings can also provide pedagogical implications for employing computer as an effective teaching and learning tool.

Technological learning in energy-environment-economy modelling: A survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahouli-Brahmi, Sondes

2008-01-01

This paper aims at providing an overview and a critical analysis of the technological learning concept and its incorporation in energy-environment-economy models. A special emphasis is put on surveying and discussing, through the so-called learning curve, both studies estimating learning rates in the energy field and studies incorporating endogenous technological learning in bottom-up and top-down models. The survey of learning rate estimations gives special attention to interpreting and explaining the sources of variability of estimated rates, which is shown to be mainly inherent in R and D expenditures, the problem of omitted variable bias, the endogeneity relationship and the role of spillovers. Large-scale models survey show that, despite some methodological and computational complexity related to the non-linearity and the non-convexity associated with the learning curve incorporation, results of the numerous modelling experiments give several new insights with regard to the analysis of the prospects of specific technological options and their cost decrease potential (bottom-up models), and with regard to the analysis of strategic considerations, especially inherent in the innovation and energy diffusion process, in particular the energy sector's endogenous responses to environment policy instruments (top-down models)

Usage, attitudes and workload implications for a Web-based learning environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Collis, Betty; Messing, John

2001-01-01

At the University of Twente, a locally developed Web-based learning environment called the TeleTOP system is being implemented throughout the university after being first developed and used in the Faculty of Educational Science and Technology, followed by use in the Department of Telematics.

Pervasive Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Helms, Niels Henrik; Hundebøl, Jesper

2006-01-01

The potentials of pervasive communication in learning within industry and education are right know being explored through different R&D projects. This paper outlines the background for and the possible learning potentials in what we describe as pervasive learning environments (PLE). PLE's differ...... from virtual learning environments (VLE) primarily because in PLE's the learning content is very much related to the actual context in which the learner finds himself. Two local (Denmark) cases illustrate various aspects of pervasive learning. One is the eBag, a pervasive digital portfolio used...... in schools. The other is moreover related to work based learning in that it foresees a community of practitioners accessing, sharing and adding to knowledge and learning objects held within a pervasive business intelligence system. Limitations and needed developments of these and other systems are discussed...

Pervasive Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hundebøl, Jesper; Helms, Niels Henrik

in schools. The other is moreover related to work based learning in that it foresees a community of practitioners accessing, sharing and adding to knowledge and learning objects held within a pervasive business intelligence system. Limitations and needed developments of these and other systems are discussed......Abstract: The potentials of pervasive communication in learning within industry and education are right know being explored through different R&D projects. This paper outlines the background for and the possible learning potentials in what we describe as pervasive learning environments (PLE). PLE......'s differ from virtual learning environments (VLE) primarily because in PLE's the learning content is very much related to the actual context in which the learner finds himself. Two local (Denmark) cases illustrate various aspects of pervasive learning. One is the eBag, a pervasive digital portfolio used...

Enhancing Learning within the 3-D Virtual Learning Environment

OpenAIRE

Shirin Shafieiyoun; Akbar Moazen Safaei

2013-01-01

Today’s using of virtual learning environments becomes more remarkable in education. The potential of virtual learning environments has frequently been related to the expansion of sense of social presence which is obtained from students and educators. This study investigated the effectiveness of social presence within virtual learning environments and analysed the impact of social presence on increasing learning satisfaction within virtual learning environments. Second Life, as an example of ...

Designing Learning Resources in Synchronous Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Rene B

2015-01-01

Computer-mediated Communication (CMC) and synchronous learning environments offer new solutions for teachers and students that transcend the singular one-way transmission of content knowledge from teacher to student. CMC makes it possible not only to teach computer mediated but also to design...... and create new learning resources targeted to a specific group of learners. This paper addresses the possibilities of designing learning resources within synchronous learning environments. The empirical basis is a cross-country study involving students and teachers in primary schools in three Nordic...... Countries (Denmark, Sweden and Norway). On the basis of these empirical studies a set of design examples is drawn with the purpose of showing how the design fulfills the dual purpose of functioning as a remote, synchronous learning environment and - using the learning materials used and recordings...

Effective Learning Environments in Relation to Different Learning Theories

OpenAIRE

Guney, Ali; Al, Selda

2012-01-01

There are diverse learning theories which explain learning processes which are discussed within this paper, through cognitive structure of learning process. Learning environments are usually described in terms of pedagogical philosophy, curriculum design and social climate. There have been only just a few studies about how physical environment is related to learning process. Many researchers generally consider teaching and learning issues as if independent from physical environment, whereas p...

Evolution of learning strategies in temporally and spatially variable environments: a review of theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki, Kenichi; Feldman, Marcus W

2014-02-01

The theoretical literature from 1985 to the present on the evolution of learning strategies in variable environments is reviewed, with the focus on deterministic dynamical models that are amenable to local stability analysis, and on deterministic models yielding evolutionarily stable strategies. Individual learning, unbiased and biased social learning, mixed learning, and learning schedules are considered. A rapidly changing environment or frequent migration in a spatially heterogeneous environment favors individual learning over unbiased social learning. However, results are not so straightforward in the context of learning schedules or when biases in social learning are introduced. The three major methods of modeling temporal environmental change--coevolutionary, two-timescale, and information decay--are compared and shown to sometimes yield contradictory results. The so-called Rogers' paradox is inherent in the two-timescale method as originally applied to the evolution of pure strategies, but is often eliminated when the other methods are used. Moreover, Rogers' paradox is not observed for the mixed learning strategies and learning schedules that we review. We believe that further theoretical work is necessary on learning schedules and biased social learning, based on models that are logically consistent and empirically pertinent. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evolution of learning strategies in temporally and spatially variable environments: A review of theory

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki, Kenichi; Feldman, Marcus W.

2013-01-01

The theoretical literature from 1985 to the present on the evolution of learning strategies in variable environments is reviewed, with the focus on deterministic dynamical models that are amenable to local stability analysis, and on deterministic models yielding evolutionarily stable strategies. Individual learning, unbiased and biased social learning, mixed learning, and learning schedules are considered. A rapidly changing environment or frequent migration in a spatially heterogeneous environment favors individual learning over unbiased social learning. However, results are not so straightforward in the context of learning schedules or when biases in social learning are introduced. The three major methods of modeling temporal environmental change – coevolutionary, two-timescale, and information decay – are compared and shown to sometimes yield contradictory results. The so-called Rogers’ paradox is inherent in the two-timescale method as originally applied to the evolution of pure strategies, but is often eliminated when the other methods are used. Moreover, Rogers’ paradox is not observed for the mixed learning strategies and learning schedules that we review. We believe that further theoretical work is necessary on learning schedules and biased social learning, based on models that are logically consistent and empirically pertinent. PMID:24211681

Attitudes of Jordanian Undergraduate Students towards Using Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farah Jamal Abed Alrazeq Saeed

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The study aimed at investigating the attitudes of Jordanian undergraduate students towards using computer assisted -language learning (CALL and its effectiveness in the process of learning the English language.  In order to fulfill the study’s objective, the researchers used a questionnaire to collect data, followed-up with semi-structured interviews to investigate the students’ beliefs towards CALL. Twenty- one of Jordanian BA students majoring in English language and literature were selected according to simple random sampling. The results revealed positive attitudes towards CALL in facilitating the process of writing assignments, gaining information; making learning enjoyable; improving their creativity, productivity, academic achievement, critical thinking skills, and enhancing their knowledge about vocabulary grammar, and culture. Furthermore, they believed that computers can motivate them to learn English language and help them to communicate and interact with their teachers and colleagues. The researchers recommended conducting a research on the same topic, taking into consideration the variables of age, gender, experience in using computers, and computer skills.

Studying Language Learning Opportunities Afforded by a Collaborative CALL Task

Science.gov (United States)

Leahy, Christine

2016-01-01

This research study explores the learning potential of a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) activity. Research suggests that the dual emphasis on content development and language accuracy, as well as the complexity of L2 production in natural settings, can potentially create cognitive overload. This study poses the question whether, and…

Is CALL Obsolete? Language Acquisition and Language Learning Revisited in a Digital Age

Science.gov (United States)

Jarvis, Huw; Krashen, Stephen

2014-01-01

In this article, Huw Jarvis and Stephen Krashen ask "Is CALL Obsolete?" When the term CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) was introduced in the 1960s, the language education profession knew only about language learning, not language acquisition, and assumed the computer's primary contribution to second language acquisition…

Mapping Students’ Informal Learning Using Personal Learning Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jelena Anđelković Labrović

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Personal learning environments are a widely spared ways of learning, especially for the informal learning process. The aim of this research is to identify the elements of studens’ personal learning environment and to identify the extent to which students use modern technology for learning as part of their non-formal learning. A mapping system was used for gathering data and an analysis of percentages and frequency counts was used for data analysis in the SPSS. The results show that students’ personal learning environment includes the following elements: Wikipedia, Google, YouTube and Facebook in 75% of all cases, and an interesting fact is that all of them belong to a group of Web 2.0 tools and applications.

Conditions for Productive Learning in Network Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ponti, M.; Dirckinck-Holmfeld, Lone; Lindström, B.

2004-01-01

are designed without a deep understanding of the pedagogical, communicative and collaborative conditions embedded in networked learning. Despite the existence of good theoretical views pointing to a social understanding of learning, rather than a traditional individualistic and information processing approach......The Kaleidoscope1 Jointly Executed Integrating Research Project (JEIRP) on Conditions for Productive Networked Learning Environments is developing and elaborating conceptual understandings of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) emphasizing the use of cross-cultural comparative......: Pedagogical design and the dialectics of the digital artefacts, the concept of collaboration, ethics/trust, identity and the role of scaffolding of networked learning environments.   The JEIRP is motivated by the fact that many networked learning environments in various European educational settings...

Students’ Motivation for Learning in Virtual Learning Environments

OpenAIRE

Beluce, Andrea Carvalho; Oliveira, Katya Luciane de

2015-01-01

The specific characteristics of online education require of the student engagement and autonomy, factors which are related to motivation for learning. This study investigated students’ motivation in virtual learning environments (VLEs). For this, it used the Teaching and Learning Strategy and Motivation to Learn Scale in Virtual Learning Environments (TLSM-VLE). The scale presented 32 items and six dimensions, three of which aimed to measure the variables of autonomous motivation, controlled ...

Designing Geometry 2.0 learning environments: a preliminary study with primary school students

Science.gov (United States)

Joglar Prieto, Nuria; María Sordo Juanena, José; Star, Jon R.

2014-04-01

The information and communication technologies of Web 2.0 are arriving in our schools, allowing the design and implementation of new learning environments with great educational potential. This article proposes a pedagogical model based on a new geometry technology-integrated learning environment, called Geometry 2.0, which was tested with 39 sixth grade students from a public school in Madrid (Spain). The main goals of the study presented here were to describe an optimal role for the mathematics teacher within Geometry 2.0, and to analyse how dynamic mathematics and communication might affect young students' learning of basic figural concepts in a real setting. The analyses offered in this article illustrate how our Geometry 2.0 model facilitates deeply mathematical tasks which encourage students' exploration, cooperation and communication, improving their learning while fostering geometrical meanings.

Exploring Collaborative Learning Effect in Blended Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Z.; Liu, R.; Luo, L.; Wu, M.; Shi, C.

2017-01-01

The use of new technology encouraged exploration of the effectiveness and difference of collaborative learning in blended learning environments. This study investigated the social interactive network of students, level of knowledge building and perception level on usefulness in online and mobile collaborative learning environments in higher…

The learning environment and learning styles: a guide for mentors.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinales, James Jude

The learning environment provides crucial exposure for the pre-registration nursing student. It is during this time that the student nurse develops his or her repertoire of skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in order to meet competencies and gain registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The role of the mentor is vital within the learning environment for aspiring nurses. The learning environment is a fundamental platform for student learning, with mentors key to identifying what is conducive to learning. This article will consider the learning environment and learning styles, and how these two essential elements guide the mentor in making sure they are conducive to learning.

Pre-Service Teachers' Uses of and Barriers from Adopting Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Samani, Ebrahim; Baki, Roselan; Razali, Abu Bakar

2014-01-01

Success in implementation of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) programs depends on the teachers' understanding of the roles of CALL programs in education. Consequently, it is also important to understand the barriers teachers face in the use of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) programs. The current study was conducted on 14…

Authoring a Web-enhanced interface for a new language-learning environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominique Hémard

2000-12-01

Full Text Available Computer-based applications in second language teaching have now been used for a protracted period of time, evolving from a deductive approach relying on grammatical progression to inductive methods and, more recently, exploratory interaction better suited to the constructivist mode. However, despite the initial adoption of a traditional learning environment, the first, albeit influential, generation of software design was poorly recognized, or worse, even met with scepticism by academics inasmuch as it did not seem to represent or, indeed, symbolize good teaching practices (Laurillard, 1991. As a result, original CALL programmes, such as gap-filling or substituting exercises, were often only considered appropriate as supplementary teaching material and, as such, referred to or introduced within courses as convenient adjuncts providing students with greater practical experience. Equally, students as users were never consulted on the use of CALL or, indeed, implicated beyond the designed interaction. Indeed, it was generally assumed that, since computer-based learning was a new concept, it would be, by itself, attractive and generate increased enthusiasm within the language-learning context. This situation was made even worse by a developmental process, dominated by self-taught, in-house authoring, which was too often amateurish, task-based in approach and empirical. Unfortunately, despite recent development in multimedia and hypermedia, this CALL legacy has been affecting CALL in design, practice and projected use.

A Development of Game-Based Learning Environment to Activate Interaction among Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Takaoka, Ryo; Shimokawa, Masayuki; Okamoto, Toshio

Many studies and systems that incorporate elements such as “pleasure” and “fun” in the game to improve a learner's motivation have been developed in the field of learning environments. However, few are the studies of situations where many learners gather at a single computer and participate in a game-based learning environment (GBLE), and where the GBLE designs the learning process by controlling the interactions between learners such as competition, collaboration, and learning by teaching. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to propose a framework of educational control that induces and activates interaction between learners intentionally to create a learning opportunity that is based on the knowledge understanding model of each learner. In this paper, we explain the design philosophy and the framework of our GBLE called “Who becomes the king in the country of mathematics?” from a game viewpoint and describe the method of learning support control in the learning environment. In addition, we report the results of the learning experiment with our GBLE, which we carried out in a junior high school, and include some comments by a principal and a teacher. From the results of the experiment and some comments, we noticed that a game may play a significant role in weakening the learning relationship among students and creating new relationships in the world of the game. Furthermore, we discovered that learning support control of the GBLE has led to activation of the interaction between learners to some extent.

Effect of Cognitive Style on Learning and Retrieval of Navigational Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maddalena Boccia

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Field independence (FI has been found to correlate with a wide range of cognitive processes requiring cognitive restructuring. Cognitive restructuring, that is going beyond the information given by the setting, is pivotal in creating stable mental representations of the environment, the so-called “cognitive maps,” and it affects visuo-spatial abilities underpinning environmental navigation. Here we evaluated whether FI, by fostering cognitive restructuring of environmental cues on the basis of an internal frame of reference, affects the learning and retrieval of a novel environment. Fifty-four participants were submitted to the Embedded Figure Test (EFT for assessing their Cognitive Style (CS and to the Perspective Taking/Spatial Orientation Test (PTSOT and the Santa Barbara Sense of Direction Scale (SBSOD for assessing their spatial perspective taking and orientation skills. They were also required to learn a path in a novel, real environment (route learning, RL, to recognize landmarks of this path among distracters (landmark recognition, LR, to order them (landmark ordering, LO and to draw the learned path on a map (map drawing, MD. Retrieval tasks were performed both immediately after learning (immediate-retrieval and the day after (24 h-retrieval. Performances on EFT significantly correlated with the time needed to learn the path, with MD (both in the immediate- and in the 24 h- retrievals, results on LR (in 24-retrieval and performances on PTSOT. Interestingly, we found that gender interacted with CS on RL (time of learning and MD. Females performed significantly worse than males only if they were classified as FD, but did not differ from males if they were classified as FI. These results suggest that CS affects learning and retrieval of navigational environment, especially when a map-like representation is required. We propose that CS may be pivotal in forming the cognitive map of the environment, likely due to the higher ability of FI

The Adaptation Study of the Questionnaires of the Attitude towards CALL (A-CALL), the Attitude towards CAL (A-CAL), the Attitude towards Foreign Language Learning (A-FLL) to Turkish Language

Science.gov (United States)

Erdem, Cahit; Saykili, Abdullah; Kocyigit, Mehmet

2018-01-01

This study primarily aims to adapt the Foreign Language Learning (FLL), Computer assisted Learning (CAL) and Computer assisted Language Learning (CALL) scales developed by Vandewaetere and Desmet into Turkish context. The instrument consists of three scales which are "the attitude towards CALL questionnaire" ("A-CALL")…

Learning Based Approach for Optimal Clustering of Distributed Program's Call Flow Graph

Science.gov (United States)

Abofathi, Yousef; Zarei, Bager; Parsa, Saeed

Optimal clustering of call flow graph for reaching maximum concurrency in execution of distributable components is one of the NP-Complete problems. Learning automatas (LAs) are search tools which are used for solving many NP-Complete problems. In this paper a learning based algorithm is proposed to optimal clustering of call flow graph and appropriate distributing of programs in network level. The algorithm uses learning feature of LAs to search in state space. It has been shown that the speed of reaching to solution increases remarkably using LA in search process, and it also prevents algorithm from being trapped in local minimums. Experimental results show the superiority of proposed algorithm over others.

School and workplace as learning environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Christian Helms

In vocational education and training the school and the workplace are two different learning environments. But how should we conceive of a learning environment, and what characterizes the school and the workplace respectively as learning environments? And how can the two environ-ments be linked......? These questions are treated in this paper. School and workplace are assessed us-ing the same analytical approach. Thereby it is pointed out how different forms of learning are en-couraged in each of them and how different forms of knowledge are valued. On this basis sugges-tions are made about how to understand...

Designing Creative Learning Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Cochrane

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Designing creative learning environments involves not only facilitating student creativity, but also modeling creative pedagogical practice. In this paper we explore the implementation of a framework for designing creative learning environments using mobile social media as a catalyst for redefining both lecturer pedagogical practice, as well as redesigning the curriculum around student generated m-portfolios.

Learning Environment And Pupils Academic Performance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Learning Environment And Pupils Academic Performance: Implications For Counselling. ... facilities as well as learning materials to make teaching and learning easy. In addition, teachers should provide conducive classroom environment to ...

Creating a flexible learning environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, B A; Jones, S; Winters, P

1990-01-01

Lack of classroom space is a common problem for many hospital-based nurse educators. This article describes how nursing educators in one institution redesigned fixed classroom space into a flexible learning center that accommodates their various programs. Using the nursing process, the educators assessed their needs, planned the learning environment, implemented changes in the interior design, and evaluated the outcome of the project. The result was a learning environment conducive to teaching and learning.

Group Modeling in Social Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Stankov, Slavomir; Glavinic, Vlado; Krpan, Divna

2012-01-01

Students' collaboration while learning could provide better learning environments. Collaboration assumes social interactions which occur in student groups. Social theories emphasize positive influence of such interactions on learning. In order to create an appropriate learning environment that enables social interactions, it is important to…

Integrated Spreadsheets as Learning Environments for Young Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergei Abramovich

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This classroom note shares experience of using spreadsheets with a group of 2nd grade students. The main feature of the learning environments that made effective the integration of technology and grade appropriate mathematics is the use of images of modern tools such as the Nintendo DC, the Play Station Portable, and the iPhone. The idea is illustrated by presenting a number of worksheets of so modified spreadsheets called integrated spreadsheets. The authors suggest using spreadsheets in that way offers an attractive interface for young students and enhances significantly their on-task behavior.

SCAFFOLDING IN CONNECTIVIST MOBILE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ozlem OZAN

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Social networks and mobile technologies are transforming learning ecology. In this changing learning environment, we find a variety of new learner needs. The aim of this study is to investigate how to provide scaffolding to the learners in connectivist mobile learning environment: Ø to learn in a networked environment, Ø to manage their networked learning process, Ø to interact in a networked society, and Ø to use the tools belonging to the network society. The researcher described how Vygotsky's “scaffolding” concept, Berge’s “learner support” strategies, and Siemens’ “connectivism” approach can be used together to satisfy mobile learners’ needs. A connectivist mobile learning environment was designed for the research, and the research was executed as a mixed-method study. Data collection tools were Facebook wall entries, personal messages, chat records; Twitter, Diigo, blog entries; emails, mobile learning management system statistics, perceived learning survey and demographic information survey. Results showed that there were four major aspects of scaffolding in connectivist mobile learning environment as type of it, provider of it, and timing of it and strategies of it. Participants preferred mostly social scaffolding, and then preferred respectively, managerial, instructional and technical scaffolding. Social scaffolding was mostly provided by peers, and managerial scaffolding was mostly provided by instructor. Use of mobile devices increased the learner motivation and interest. Some participants stated that learning was more permanent by using mobile technologies. Social networks and mobile technologies made it easier to manage the learning process and expressed a positive impact on perceived learning.

Attitudes of Jordanian Undergraduate Students towards Using Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL)

Science.gov (United States)

Saeed, Farah Jamal Abed Alrazeq; Al-Zayed, Norma Nawaf

2018-01-01

The study aimed at investigating the attitudes of Jordanian undergraduate students towards using computer assisted-language learning (CALL) and its effectiveness in the process of learning the English language. In order to fulfill the study's objective, the researchers used a questionnaire to collect data, followed-up with semi-structured…

Judgments of Learning in Collaborative Learning Environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Helsdingen, Anne

2010-01-01

Helsdingen, A. S. (2010, March). Judgments of Learning in Collaborative Learning Environments. Poster presented at the 1st International Air Transport and Operations Symposium (ATOS 2010), Delft, The Netherlands: Delft University of Technology.

Experiential Learning and Learning Environments: The Case of Active Listening Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Huerta-Wong, Juan Enrique; Schoech, Richard

2010-01-01

Social work education research frequently has suggested an interaction between teaching techniques and learning environments. However, this interaction has never been tested. This study compared virtual and face-to-face learning environments and included active listening concepts to test whether the effectiveness of learning environments depends…

Self-organized Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dalsgaard, Christian; Mathiasen, Helle

2007-01-01

system actively. The two groups used the system in their own way to support their specific activities and ways of working. The paper concludes that self-organized learning environments can strengthen the development of students’ academic as well as social qualifications. Further, the paper identifies......The purpose of the paper is to discuss the potentials of using a conference system in support of a project based university course. We use the concept of a self-organized learning environment to describe the shape of the course. In the paper we argue that educational technology, such as conference...... systems, has a potential to support students’ development of self-organized learning environments and facilitate self-governed activities in higher education. The paper is based on an empirical study of two project groups’ use of a conference system. The study showed that the students used the conference...

Blended Learning in Personalized Assistive Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Marinagi, Catherine; Skourlas, Christos

2013-01-01

In this paper, the special needs/requirements of disabled students and cost-benefits for applying blended learning in Personalized Educational Learning Environments (PELE) in Higher Education are studied. The authors describe how blended learning can form an attractive and helpful framework for assisting Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (D-HH) students to…

Learning environment, learning styles and conceptual understanding

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrer, Lourdes M.

1990-01-01

In recent years there have been many studies on learners developing conceptions of natural phenomena. However, so far there have been few attempts to investigate how the characteristics of the learners and their environment influence such conceptions. This study began with an attempt to use an instrument developed by McCarthy (1981) to describe learners in Malaysian primary schools. This proved inappropriate as Asian primary classrooms do not provide the same kind of environment as US classrooms. It was decided to develop a learning style checklist to suit the local context and which could be used to describe differences between learners which teachers could appreciate and use. The checklist included four dimensions — perceptual, process, self-confidence and motivation. The validated instrument was used to determine the learning style preferences of primary four pupils in Penang, Malaysia. Later, an analysis was made regarding the influence of learning environment and learning styles on conceptual understanding in the topics of food, respiration and excretion. This study was replicated in the Philippines with the purpose of investigating the relationship between learning styles and achievement in science, where the topics of food, respiration and excretion have been taken up. A number of significant relationships were observed in these two studies.

THE BLENDED LEARNING OF ELECTRICITY USING LEARNING OBJECTS IN ENGINEERING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lilia Maria Siqueira

2010-09-01

Full Text Available This work presents a proposal for the blended learning of Electricity education in Engineering, using resources called learning objects. The experience occurred with students enrolled on the Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering courses at PUCPR University. It made possible the contact with interdisciplinary themes related to the study of electricity and the professional curriculum contents. The learning objects, offered during the semester, were anchored on PUCPR’s proprietary virtual educational environment, called Eureka. The students’ evaluation results showed that the study through learning objects in a virtual environment is significant for learning.

Learning Networks Distributed Environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Martens, Harrie; Vogten, Hubert; Koper, Rob; Tattersall, Colin; Van Rosmalen, Peter; Sloep, Peter; Van Bruggen, Jan; Spoelstra, Howard

2005-01-01

Learning Networks Distributed Environment is a prototype of an architecture that allows the sharing and modification of learning materials through a number of transport protocols. The prototype implements a p2p protcol using JXTA.

Learning Environment and Student Effort

Science.gov (United States)

Hopland, Arnt O.; Nyhus, Ole Henning

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between satisfaction with learning environment and student effort, both in class and with homework assignments. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use data from a nationwide and compulsory survey to analyze the relationship between learning environment and student effort. The…

The Learning Impact of a 4-Dimensional Digital Construction Learning Environment

OpenAIRE

Chris Landorf; Stephen Ward

2017-01-01

This paper addresses a virtual environment approach to work integrated learning for students in construction-related disciplines. The virtual approach provides a safe and pedagogically rigorous environment where students can apply theoretical knowledge in a simulated real-world context. The paper describes the development of a 4-dimensional digital construction environment and associated learning activities funded by the Australian Office for Learning and Teaching. The environment was trialle...

Students’ digital learning environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caviglia, Francesco; Dalsgaard, Christian; Davidsen, Jacob

2018-01-01

The objective of the paper is to examine the nature of students’ digital learning environments to understand the interplay of institutional systems and tools that are managed by the students themselves. The paper is based on a study of 128 students’ digital learning environments. The objectives...... used tools in the students’ digital learning environments are Facebook, Google Drive, tools for taking notes, and institutional systems. Additionally, the study shows that the tools meet some very basic demands of the students in relation to collaboration, communication, and feedback. Finally...... of the study are 1) to provide an overview of tools for students’ study activities, 2) to identify the most used and most important tools for students and 3) to discover which activities the tools are used for. The empirical study reveals that the students have a varied use of digital media. Some of the most...

Creating a supportive learning environment for students with learning difficulties

OpenAIRE

Grah, Jana

2013-01-01

Co-building of supporting learning environment for the learners with learning difficulties is one of the 21st century inclusive school’s elements. Since the physical presence of learners with learning difficulties in the classroom does not self-evidently lead to an effective co-operation and implementation of 21st century inclusive school, I have dedicated my doctor thesis to the establishment of supporting learning environment for the learners with learning difficulties in primary school wit...

Personal Learning Environments for Language Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Panagiotis Panagiotidis

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The advent of web 2.0 and the developments it has introduced both in everyday practice and in education have generated discussion and reflection concerning the technologies which higher education should rely on in order to provide the appropriate e-learning services to future students. In this context, the Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs, which are widely used in universities around the world to provide online courses to every specific knowledge area and of course in foreign languages, have started to appear rather outdated. Extensive research is under progress, concerning the ways in which educational practice will follow the philosophy of web 2.0 by adopting the more learner-centred and collaborative approach of e-learning 2.0 applications, without abandoning the existing investment of the academic institutions in VLEs, which belong to the e-learning 1.0 generation, and, thus, serve a teacher- or coursecentred approach. Towards this direction, a notably promising solution seems to be the exploitation of web 2.0 tools in order to form Personal Learning Environments (PLEs. These are systems specifically designed or created by the combined use of various external applications or tools that can be used independently or act as a supplement to existing VLE platforms, creating a personalized learning environment. In a PLE, students have the opportunity to form their own personal way of working, using the tools they feel are most appropriate to achieve their purpose. Regarding the subject of foreign language, in particular, the creation of such personalized and adaptable learning environments that extend the traditional approach of a course seems to promise a more holistic response to students’ needs, who, functioning in the PLE, could combine learning with their daily practice, communicating and collaborating with others, thus increasing the possibilities of access to multiple sources, informal communication and practice and eventually

Personal Learning Environments for Language Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Panagiotis Panagiotidis

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The advent of web 2.0 and the developments it has introduced both in everyday practice and in education have generated discussion and reflection concerning the technologies which higher education should rely on in order to provide the appropriate e-learning services to future students.In this context, the Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs, which are widely used in universities around the world to provide online courses to every specific knowledge area and of course in foreign languages, have started to appear rather outdated. Extensive research is under progress, concerning the ways in which educational practice will follow the philosophy of web 2.0 by adopting the more learner-centred and collaborative approach of e-learning 2.0 applications, without abandoning the existing investment of the academic institutions in VLEs, which belong to the e-learning 1.0 generation, and, thus, serve a teacher- or coursecentred approach.Towards this direction, a notably promising solution seems to be the exploitation of web 2.0 tools in order to form Personal Learning Environments (PLEs. These are systems specifically designed or created by the combined use of various external applications or tools that can be used independently or act as a supplement to existing VLE platforms, creating a personalized learning environment. In a PLE, students have the opportunity to form their own personal way of working, using the tools they feel are most appropriate to achieve their purpose.Regarding the subject of foreign language, in particular, the creation of such personalized and adaptable learning environments that extend the traditional approach of a course seems to promise a more holistic response to students’ needs, who, functioning in the PLE, could combine learning with their daily practice, communicating and collaborating with others, thus increasing the possibilities of access to multiple sources, informal communication and practice and eventually acquiring

Profiling medical school learning environments in Malaysia: a validation study of the Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean Tackett

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose: While a strong learning environment is critical to medical student education, the assessment of medical school learning environments has confounded researchers. Our goal was to assess the validity and utility of the Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale (JHLES for preclinical students at three Malaysian medical schools with distinct educational and institutional models. Two schools were new international partnerships, and the third was school leaver program established without international partnership. Methods: First- and second-year students responded anonymously to surveys at the end of the academic year. The surveys included the JHLES, a 28-item survey using five-point Likert scale response options, the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM, the most widely used method to assess learning environments internationally, a personal growth scale, and single-item global learning environment assessment variables. Results: The overall response rate was 369/429 (86%. After adjusting for the medical school year, gender, and ethnicity of the respondents, the JHLES detected differences across institutions in four out of seven domains (57%, with each school having a unique domain profile. The DREEM detected differences in one out of five categories (20%. The JHLES was more strongly correlated than the DREEM to two thirds of the single-item variables and the personal growth scale. The JHLES showed high internal reliability for the total score (α=0.92 and the seven domains (α, 0.56-0.85. Conclusion: The JHLES detected variation between learning environment domains across three educational settings, thereby creating unique learning environment profiles. Interpretation of these profiles may allow schools to understand how they are currently supporting trainees and identify areas needing attention.

Constructivist learning theories and complex learning environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R-J. Simons; Dr. S. Bolhuis

2004-01-01

Learning theories broadly characterised as constructivist, agree on the importance to learning of the environment, but differ on what exactly it is that constitutes this importance. Accordingly, they also differ on the educational consequences to be drawn from the theoretical perspective. Cognitive

Effective Learning Environments in Relation to Different Learning Theories

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guney, A.; Al, S.

2012-01-01

There are diverse learning theories which explain learning processes which are discussed within this paper, through cognitive structure of learning process. Learning environments are usually described in terms of pedagogical philosophy, curriculum design and social climate. There have been only just

Influences of Formal Learning, Personal Learning Orientation, and Supportive Learning Environment on Informal Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Woojae; Jacobs, Ronald L.

2011-01-01

While workplace learning includes formal and informal learning, the relationship between the two has been overlooked, because they have been viewed as separate entities. This study investigated the effects of formal learning, personal learning orientation, and supportive learning environment on informal learning among 203 middle managers in Korean…

Architecture for Collaborative Learning Activities in Hybrid Learning Environments

OpenAIRE

Ibáñez, María Blanca; Maroto, David; García Rueda, José Jesús; Leony, Derick; Delgado Kloos, Carlos

2012-01-01

3D virtual worlds are recognized as collaborative learning environments. However, the underlying technology is not sufficiently mature and the virtual worlds look cartoonish, unlinked to reality. Thus, it is important to enrich them with elements from the real world to enhance student engagement in learning activities. Our approach is to build learning environments where participants can either be in the real world or in its mirror world while sharing the same hybrid space in a collaborative ...

Collaborations in Open Learning Environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spoelstra, Howard

2015-01-01

This thesis researches automated services for professionals aiming at starting collaborative learning projects in open learning environments, such as MOOCs. It investigates the theoretical backgrounds of team formation for collaborative learning. Based on the outcomes, a model is developed

Web-Based Learning Environment Based on Students’ Needs

Science.gov (United States)

Hamzah, N.; Ariffin, A.; Hamid, H.

2017-08-01

Traditional learning needs to be improved since it does not involve active learning among students. Therefore, in the twenty-first century, the development of internet technology in the learning environment has become the main needs of each student. One of the learning environments to meet the needs of the teaching and learning process is a web-based learning environment. This study aims to identify the characteristics of a web-based learning environment that supports students’ learning needs. The study involved 542 students from fifteen faculties in a public higher education institution in Malaysia. A quantitative method was used to collect the data via a questionnaire survey by randomly. The findings indicate that the characteristics of a web-based learning environment that support students’ needs in the process of learning are online discussion forum, lecture notes, assignments, portfolio, and chat. In conclusion, the students overwhelmingly agreed that online discussion forum is the highest requirement because the tool can provide a space for students and teachers to share knowledge and experiences related to teaching and learning.

Students’ Motivation for Learning in Virtual Learning Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Carvalho Beluce

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The specific characteristics of online education require of the student engagement and autonomy, factors which are related to motivation for learning. This study investigated students’ motivation in virtual learning environments (VLEs. For this, it used the Teaching and Learning Strategy and Motivation to Learn Scale in Virtual Learning Environments (TLSM-VLE. The scale presented 32 items and six dimensions, three of which aimed to measure the variables of autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and demotivation. The participants were 572 students from the Brazilian state of Paraná, enrolled on higher education courses on a continuous education course. The results revealed significant rates for autonomous motivational behavior. It is considered that the results obtained may provide contributions for the educators and psychologists who work with VLEs, leading to further studies of the area providing information referent to the issue investigated in this study.

Relationship between learning environment characteristics and academic engagement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Opdenakker, Marie-Christine; Minnaert, Alexander

The relationship between learning environment characteristics and academic engagement of 777 Grade 6 children located in 41 learning environments was explored. Questionnaires were used to tap learning environment perceptions of children, their academic engagement, and their ethnic-cultural

Evaluating the Motivational Impact of CALL Systems: Current Practices and Future Directions

Science.gov (United States)

Bodnar, Stephen; Cucchiarini, Catia; Strik, Helmer; van Hout, Roeland

2016-01-01

A major aim of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) is to create computer environments that facilitate students' second language (L2) acquisition. To achieve this aim, CALL employs technological innovations to create novel types of language practice. Evaluations of the new practice types serve the important role of distinguishing effective…

School and workplace as learning environments in VET

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Christian Helms

as limitations for learning, and thus frame the opportunities for learning. The second, the socio-cultural learning environment is constituted by the social and cultural relations and communities in the workplace and in school. I distinguish between three different types of social relations in the workplace......The aim of this paper is to present an analytical model to study school and workplace as different learning environments and discuss some findings from the application of the model on a case study. First the paper tries to answer the question: what is a learning environment? In most other studies...... schools and workplaces are not only considered to be different learning environment, but are also analysed using different approaches. In this paper I will propose a common model to analyse and compare the two learning environments, drawing on sociology of work (Kern & Schumann 1984; Braverman 1976...

Factors Influencing Learning Environments in an Integrated Experiential Program

Science.gov (United States)

Koci, Peter

The research conducted for this dissertation examined the learning environment of a specific high school program that delivered the explicit curriculum through an integrated experiential manner, which utilized field and outdoor experiences. The program ran over one semester (five months) and it integrated the grade 10 British Columbian curriculum in five subjects. A mixed methods approach was employed to identify the students' perceptions and provide richer descriptions of their experiences related to their unique learning environment. Quantitative instruments were used to assess changes in students' perspectives of their learning environment, as well as other supporting factors including students' mindfulness, and behaviours towards the environment. Qualitative data collection included observations, open-ended questions, and impromptu interviews with the teacher. The qualitative data describe the factors and processes that influenced the learning environment and give a richer, deeper interpretation which complements the quantitative findings. The research results showed positive scores on all the quantitative measures conducted, and the qualitative data provided further insight into descriptions of learning environment constructs that the students perceived as most important. A major finding was that the group cohesion measure was perceived by students as the most important attribute of their preferred learning environment. A flow chart was developed to help the researcher conceptualize how the learning environment, learning process, and outcomes relate to one another in the studied program. This research attempts to explain through the consideration of this case study: how learning environments can influence behavioural change and how an interconnectedness among several factors in the learning process is influenced by the type of learning environment facilitated. Considerably more research is needed in this area to understand fully the complexity learning

The VREST learning environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunst, E E; Geelkerken, R H; Sanders, A J B

2005-01-01

The VREST learning environment is an integrated architecture to improve the education of health care professionals. It is a combination of a learning, content and assessment management system based on virtual reality. The generic architecture is now being build and tested around the Lichtenstein protocol for hernia inguinalis repair.

How People Learn in an Asynchronous Online Learning Environment: The Relationships between Graduate Students' Learning Strategies and Learning Satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Beomkyu

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between learners' learning strategies and learning satisfaction in an asynchronous online learning environment. In an attempt to shed some light on how people learn in an online learning environment, one hundred and sixteen graduate students who were taking online learning courses…

Student-Teacher Interaction in Online Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Robert D., Ed.

2015-01-01

As face-to-face interaction between student and instructor is not present in online learning environments, it is increasingly important to understand how to establish and maintain social presence in online learning. "Student-Teacher Interaction in Online Learning Environments" provides successful strategies and procedures for developing…

A Well Designed School Environment Facilitates Brain Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Tak Cheung; Petrie, Garth

2000-01-01

Examines how school design facilitates learning by complementing how the brain learns. How the brain learns is discussed and how an artistic environment, spaciousness in the learning areas, color and lighting, and optimal thermal and acoustical environments aid student learning. School design suggestions conclude the article. (GR)

DrModelica - An Interactive Environment for Learning Modelica and Modeling using MathModelica

OpenAIRE

Lengquist Sandelin, Eva-Lena; Monemar, Susanna; Fritzson, Peter; Bunus, Peter

2003-01-01

This paper states the need for interactive teaching materials for programming languages within the area of modeling and simulation. We propose an interactive teaching material for the modeling language Modelica inspired by existing tutoring systems for Java and Scheme. The purpose of this new teaching material, called DrModelica, is to facilitate the learning of Modelica through an environment that integrates programming, program documentation and visualization. The teaching material is inten...

CLEW: A Cooperative Learning Environment for the Web.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Marcelo Blois; Noya, Ricardo Choren; Fuks, Hugo

This paper outlines CLEW (collaborative learning environment for the Web). The project combines MUD (Multi-User Dimension), workflow, VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) and educational concepts like constructivism in a learning environment where students actively participate in the learning process. The MUD shapes the environment structure.…

DynaLearn-An Intelligent Learning Environment for Learning Conceptual Knowledge

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bredeweg, Bert; Liem, Jochem; Beek, Wouter; Linnebank, Floris; Gracia, Jorge; Lozano, Esther; Wißner, Michael; Bühling, René; Salles, Paulo; Noble, Richard; Zitek, Andreas; Borisova, Petya; Mioduser, David

2013-01-01

Articulating thought in computerbased media is a powerful means for humans to develop their understanding of phenomena. We have created DynaLearn, an intelligent learning environment that allows learners to acquire conceptual knowledge by constructing and simulating qualitative models of how systems

Learning Environments Designed According to Learning Styles and Its Effects on Mathematics Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Özerem, Aysen; Akkoyunlu, Buket

2015-01-01

Problem Statement: While designing a learning environment it is vital to think about learner characteristics (learning styles, approaches, motivation, interests… etc.) in order to promote effective learning. The learning environment and learning process should be designed not to enable students to learn in the same manner and at the same level,…

Learning Object Metadata in a Web-Based Learning Environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Avgeriou, Paris; Koutoumanos, Anastasios; Retalis, Symeon; Papaspyrou, Nikolaos

2000-01-01

The plethora and variance of learning resources embedded in modern web-based learning environments require a mechanism to enable their structured administration. This goal can be achieved by defining metadata on them and constructing a system that manages the metadata in the context of the learning

A Data-enhanced On-line Learning Environment for Undergraduate Earth System Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

di, L.; Deng, M.

2004-12-01

Earth system science (ESS) research often requires integrating, analyzing, and modeling with large amount of multi-disciplinary, multi-source geospatial data. Satellite remote sensing is one of the major sources of such data. Currently, NASA EOSDIS has archived more than three petabytes of Earth remote sensing data. Those data are essential for conducting ESS research. Therefore, training students on how to effectively use large amount of remote sensing data in ESS research is the essential part of their ESS education. However, currently most of undergraduate students have never been trained to handle the huge volume of available data because of lack of resources and suitable teaching technology at ESS colleges. In order to reduce this problem, we are developing a web-based geospatial information system, called GeoBrain, for providing a data-enhanced on-line learning and research environment for ESS education and research. The system makes petabytes of NASA EOS data and information easily accessible to higher-education users. The system allows users to dynamically and collaboratively develop interoperable, web-executable geospatial process and analysis modules and models, and run them on-line against any part of the peta-byte archives for getting back the customized information products rather than raw data. The system makes a data-enhanced ESS learning and research environment, backed by petabytes of NASA EOS data and unavailable to students and professors before, available to them at their desktops. In order to integrate this new learning environment into the undergraduate ESS teaching and research, a NASA EOS Higher Education Alliance (NEHEA), consisting of the GeoBrain development team led by GMU and a group of Earth science educators selected from an open RFP process, has been formed. NEHEA members are incorporating the data enhanced learning environment into their teaching and on-going research and will develop new courses for taking advantages of the

Ubiquitous mobile knowledge construction in collaborative learning environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Baloian, Nelson; Zurita, Gustavo

2012-01-01

Knowledge management is a critical activity for any organization. It has been said to be a differentiating factor and an important source of competitiveness if this knowledge is constructed and shared among its members, thus creating a learning organization. Knowledge construction is critical for any collaborative organizational learning environment. Nowadays workers must perform knowledge creation tasks while in motion, not just in static physical locations; therefore it is also required that knowledge construction activities be performed in ubiquitous scenarios, and supported by mobile and pervasive computational systems. These knowledge creation systems should help people in or outside organizations convert their tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, thus supporting the knowledge construction process. Therefore in our understanding, we consider highly relevant that undergraduate university students learn about the knowledge construction process supported by mobile and ubiquitous computing. This has been a little explored issue in this field. This paper presents the design, implementation, and an evaluation of a system called MCKC for Mobile Collaborative Knowledge Construction, supporting collaborative face-to-face tacit knowledge construction and sharing in ubiquitous scenarios. The MCKC system can be used by undergraduate students to learn how to construct knowledge, allowing them anytime and anywhere to create, make explicit and share their knowledge with their co-learners, using visual metaphors, gestures and sketches to implement the human-computer interface of mobile devices (PDAs).

Student Motivation in Constructivist Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Cetin-Dindar, Ayla

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between constructivist learning environment and students'motivation to learn science by testing whether students' self-efficacy in learning science, intrinsically and extrinsically motivated science learning increase and students' anxiety about science assessment decreases when more…

Evidence-Centered Design for Diagnostic Assessment within Digital Learning Environments: Integrating Modern Psychometrics and Educational Data Mining

Science.gov (United States)

Rupp, André A.; Nugent, Rebecca; Nelson, Brian

2012-01-01

In recent years the educational community has increasingly embraced digital technologies for the purposes of developing alternative learning environments, providing diagnostic feedback, and fostering the development of so-called 21st-century skills. This special issue is dedicated to bridging recent work from the disciplines of educational and…

The Predicaments of Language Learners in Traditional Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Shafie, Latisha Asmaak; Mansor, Mahani

2009-01-01

Some public universities in developing countries have traditional language learning environments such as classrooms with only blackboards and furniture which do not provide conducive learning environments. These traditional environments are unable to cater for digital learners who need to learn with learning technologies. In order to create…

Smile: Student Modification in Learning Environments. Establishing Congruence between Actual and Preferred Classroom Learning Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yarrow, Allan; Millwater, Jan

1995-01-01

This study investigated whether classroom psychosocial environment, as perceived by student teachers, could be improved to their preferred level. Students completed the College and University Classroom Environment Inventory, discussed interventions, then completed it again. Significant deficiencies surfaced in the learning environment early in the…

A collaborative learning environment for Management Education based on Experiential Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lidón, Iván; Rebollar, Rubén; Møller, Charles

2011-01-01

from a student learning perspective. This paper presents the design and the operating principles of a learning environment that has been formulated in a joint development by teachers and researchers of the universities of Zaragoza (Spain) and Aalborg (Denmark). In this paper we describe what...... the learning environment developed consists in, beginning by presenting the theoretical foundation considered for its design, to then describe it in detail and present it. Finally, we will discuss the implications of this environment for researching and teaching in this field, and gather the conclusions...

Clinical Learning Environment at Shiraz Medical School

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sedigheh Ebrahimi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Clinical learning occurs in the context of a dynamic environment. Learning environment found to be one of the most important factors in determining the success of an effective teaching program. To investigate, from the attending and resident's perspective, factors that may affect student leaning in the educational hospital setting at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS. This study combined qualitative and quantitative methods to determine factors affecting effective learning in clinical setting. Residents evaluated the perceived effectiveness of the university hospital learning environment. Fifty two faculty members and 132 residents participated in this study. Key determinants that contribute to an effective clinical teaching were autonomy, supervision, social support, workload, role clarity, learning opportunity, work diversity and physical facilities. In a good clinical setting, residents should be appreciated and given appropriate opportunities to study in order to meet their objectives. They require a supportive environment to consolidate their knowledge, skills and judgment.

Clinical learning environment at Shiraz Medical School.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaee, Rita; Ebrahimi, Sedigheh

2013-01-01

Clinical learning occurs in the context of a dynamic environment. Learning environment found to be one of the most important factors in determining the success of an effective teaching program. To investigate, from the attending and resident's perspective, factors that may affect student leaning in the educational hospital setting at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). This study combined qualitative and quantitative methods to determine factors affecting effective learning in clinical setting. Residents evaluated the perceived effectiveness of the university hospital learning environment. Fifty two faculty members and 132 residents participated in this study. Key determinants that contribute to an effective clinical teaching were autonomy, supervision, social support, workload, role clarity, learning opportunity, work diversity and physical facilities. In a good clinical setting, residents should be appreciated and given appropriate opportunities to study in order to meet their objectives. They require a supportive environment to consolidate their knowledge, skills and judgment. © 2013 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.

Active Learning Environment with Lenses in Geometric Optics

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Tural, Güner

2015-01-01

Geometric optics is one of the difficult topics for students within physics discipline. Students learn better via student-centered active learning environments than the teacher-centered learning environments. So this study aimed to present a guide for middle school teachers to teach lenses in geometric optics via active learning environment…

Learning styles: individualizing computer-based learning environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim Musson

1995-12-01

Full Text Available While the need to adapt teaching to the needs of a student is generally acknowledged (see Corno and Snow, 1986, for a wide review of the literature, little is known about the impact of individual learner-differences on the quality of learning attained within computer-based learning environments (CBLEs. What evidence there is appears to support the notion that individual differences have implications for the degree of success or failure experienced by students (Ford and Ford, 1992 and by trainee end-users of software packages (Bostrom et al, 1990. The problem is to identify the way in which specific individual characteristics of a student interact with particular features of a CBLE, and how the interaction affects the quality of the resultant learning. Teaching in a CBLE is likely to require a subset of teaching strategies different from that subset appropriate to more traditional environments, and the use of a machine may elicit different behaviours from those normally arising in a classroom context.

The sociability of computer-supported collaborative learning environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kreijns, C.J.; Kirschner, P.A.; Jochems, W.M.G.

2002-01-01

There is much positive research on computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments in asynchronous distributed learning groups (DLGs). There is also research that shows that contemporary CSCL environments do not completely fulfil expectations on supporting interactive group learning,

Reponsive and Open Learning Environments (ROLE: Requirements, Evaluation and Reflection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Effie Lai-Chong Law

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Coordinating requirements engineering (RE and evaluation studies across heterogeneous technology-enhanced learning (TEL environments is deemed challenging, because each of them is situated in a specific organizational, technical and socio-cultural context. We have dealt with such challenges in the project of ROLE (http://www.role-project.eu/ in which five test-beds are involved in deploying and evaluating Personal Learning Environments (PLEs. They include Higher Education Institutions (HEIs and global enterprises in and beyond Europe, representing a range of values and assumptions. While the diversity provides fertile grounds for validating our research ideas, it poses many challenges for conducting comparison studies. In the paper, we first provide an overview of the ROLE project, focusing on its missions and aims. Next we present a Web2.0-inspired RE approach called Social Requirements Engineering (SRE. Then we depict our initial attempts to evaluate the ROLE framework and report some preliminary findings. One major outcome is that the technology adoption process must work on the basis of existing LMS, extending them with the ROLE functionality rather than embracing LMS functionality in ROLE.

Memory Transformation Enhances Reinforcement Learning in Dynamic Environments.

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Santoro, Adam; Frankland, Paul W; Richards, Blake A

2016-11-30

Over the course of systems consolidation, there is a switch from a reliance on detailed episodic memories to generalized schematic memories. This switch is sometimes referred to as "memory transformation." Here we demonstrate a previously unappreciated benefit of memory transformation, namely, its ability to enhance reinforcement learning in a dynamic environment. We developed a neural network that is trained to find rewards in a foraging task where reward locations are continuously changing. The network can use memories for specific locations (episodic memories) and statistical patterns of locations (schematic memories) to guide its search. We find that switching from an episodic to a schematic strategy over time leads to enhanced performance due to the tendency for the reward location to be highly correlated with itself in the short-term, but regress to a stable distribution in the long-term. We also show that the statistics of the environment determine the optimal utilization of both types of memory. Our work recasts the theoretical question of why memory transformation occurs, shifting the focus from the avoidance of memory interference toward the enhancement of reinforcement learning across multiple timescales. As time passes, memories transform from a highly detailed state to a more gist-like state, in a process called "memory transformation." Theories of memory transformation speak to its advantages in terms of reducing memory interference, increasing memory robustness, and building models of the environment. However, the role of memory transformation from the perspective of an agent that continuously acts and receives reward in its environment is not well explored. In this work, we demonstrate a view of memory transformation that defines it as a way of optimizing behavior across multiple timescales. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/3612228-15$15.00/0.

A Call to Action for Research in Digital Learning: Learning without Limits of Time, Place, Path, Pace…or Evidence

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Cavanaugh, Cathy; Sessums, Christopher; Drexler, Wendy

2015-01-01

This essay is a call for rethinking our approach to research in digital learning. It plots a path founded in social trends and advances in education. A brief review of these trends and advances is followed by discussion of what flattened research might look like at scale. Scaling research in digital learning is crucial to advancing understanding…

Context-aware Cloud Computing for Personal Learning Environment

OpenAIRE

Chen, Feng; Al-Bayatti, Ali Hilal; Siewe, Francois

2016-01-01

Virtual learning means to learn from social interactions in a virtual platform that enables people to study anywhere and at any time. Current Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are a range of integrated web based applications to support and enhance the education. Normally, VLEs are institution centric; are owned by the institutions and are designed to support formal learning, which do not support lifelong learning. These limitations led to the research of Personal Learning Environments (PLE...

CALL--Enhanced L2 Listening Skills--Aiming for Automatization in a Multimedia Environment

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Mayor, Maria Jesus Blasco

2009-01-01

Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and L2 listening comprehension skill training are bound together for good. A neglected macroskill for decades, developing listening comprehension skill is now considered crucial for L2 acquisition. Thus this paper makes an attempt to offer latest information on processing theories and L2 listening…

Language Learning in Outdoor Environments: Perspectives of preschool staff

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martina Norling

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Language environment is highlighted as an important area in the early childhood education sector. The term language environment refers to language-promoting aspects of education, such as preschool staff’s use of verbal language in interacting with the children. There is a lack of research about language learning in outdoor environments; thus children’s language learning is mostly based on the indoor physical environment. The aim of this study is therefore to explore, analyse, and describe how preschool staff perceive language learning in outdoor environments. The data consists of focus-group interviews with 165 preschool staff members, conducted in three cities in Sweden. The study is meaningful, thus results contribute knowledge regarding preschool staffs’ understandings of language learning in outdoor environments and develop insights to help preschool staff stimulate children’s language learning in outdoor environments.

Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments. Second Edition

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Jonassen, David, Ed.; Land, Susan, Ed.

2012-01-01

"Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments" provides students, faculty, and instructional designers with a clear, concise introduction to the major pedagogical and psychological theories and their implications for the design of new learning environments for schools, universities, or corporations. Leading experts describe the most…

Toward Project-based Learning and Team Formation in Open Learning Environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spoelstra, Howard; Van Rosmalen, Peter; Sloep, Peter

2014-01-01

Open Learning Environments, MOOCs, as well as Social Learning Networks, embody a new approach to learning. Although both emphasise interactive participation, somewhat surprisingly, they do not readily support bond creating and motivating collaborative learning opportunities. Providing project-based

The Internet: A Learning Environment.

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McGreal, Rory

1997-01-01

The Internet environment is suitable for many types of learning activities and teaching and learning styles. Every World Wide Web-based course should provide: home page; introduction; course overview; course requirements, vital information; roles and responsibilities; assignments; schedule; resources; sample tests; teacher biography; course…

The Relationship among Self-Regulated Learning, Procrastination, and Learning Behaviors in Blended Learning Environment

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Yamada, Masanori; Goda, Yoshiko; Matsuda, Takeshi; Kato, Hiroshi; Miyagawa, Hiroyuki

2015-01-01

This research aims to investigate the relationship among the awareness of self-regulated learning (SRL), procrastination, and learning behaviors in blended learning environment. One hundred seventy nine freshmen participated in this research, conducted in the blended learning style class using learning management system. Data collection was…

EDUCATION REFORMS TOWARDS 21ST CENTURY SKILLS: TRANSFORMING STUDENTS' LEARNING EXPERIENCES THROUGH EFFECTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

OpenAIRE

Harriet Wambui Njui

2018-01-01

This paper reviews literature on learning environments with a view to making recommendations on how teachers could create effective and high-quality learning environments that provide learners with transformative learning experiences as they go through the process of education. An effective learning environment is critical because quality education, which is essential to real learning and human development, is influenced by factors both inside and outside the classroom. Learning institutions ...

A Design Framework for Personal Learning Environments

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Rahimi, E.

2015-01-01

The purpose of our research was to develop a PLE (personal learning environment) design framework for workplace settings. By doing such, the research has answered this research question, how should a technology-based personal learning environment be designed, aiming at supporting learners to gain

A Study on Students’ Views On Blended Learning Environment

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Meryem YILMAZ SOYLU

2006-07-01

Full Text Available In the 21st century, information and communication technologies (ICT have developed rapidly and influenced most of the fields and education as well. Then, ICT have offered a favorable environment for the development and use of various methods and tools. With the developments in technology, blended learning has gained considerable popularity in recent years. Together with the developments it brought along the description of particular forms of teaching with technology. Blended learning is defined simply as a learning environment that combines technology with face-to-face learning. In other words blended learning means using a variety of delivery methods to best meet the course objectives by combining face-to-face teaching in a traditional classroom with teaching online. This article examines students’ views on blended learning environment. The study was conducted on 64 students from Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies in 2005–2006 fall semester in Instructional Design and Authoring Languages in PC Environment at Hacettepe University. The results showed that the students enjoyed taking part in the blended learning environment. Students’ achievement levels and their frequency of participation to forum affected their views about blended learning environment. Face-to-face interaction in blended learning application had the highest score. This result demonstrated the importance of interaction and communication for the success of on-line learning.

The effects of different learning environments on students' motivation for learning and their achievement.

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Baeten, Marlies; Dochy, Filip; Struyven, Katrien

2013-09-01

Research in higher education on the effects of student-centred versus lecture-based learning environments generally does not take into account the psychological need support provided in these learning environments. From a self-determination theory perspective, need support is important to study because it has been associated with benefits such as autonomous motivation and achievement. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of different learning environments on students' motivation for learning and achievement, while taking into account the perceived need support. First-year student teachers (N= 1,098) studying a child development course completed questionnaires assessing motivation and perceived need support. In addition, a prior knowledge test and case-based assessment were administered. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was set up consisting of four learning environments: (1) lectures, (2) case-based learning (CBL), (3) alternation of lectures and CBL, and (4) gradual implementation with lectures making way for CBL. Autonomous motivation and achievement were higher in the gradually implemented CBL environment, compared to the CBL environment. Concerning achievement, two additional effects were found; students in the lecture-based learning environment scored higher than students in the CBL environment, and students in the gradually implemented CBL environment scored higher than students in the alternated learning environment. Additionally, perceived need support was positively related to autonomous motivation, and negatively to controlled motivation. The study shows the importance of gradually introducing students to CBL, in terms of their autonomous motivation and achievement. Moreover, the study emphasizes the importance of perceived need support for students' motivation. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

Personal Learning Environments: A Solution for Self-Directed Learners

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Haworth, Ryan

2016-01-01

In this paper I discuss "personal learning environments" and their diverse benefits, uses, and implications for life-long learning. Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) are Web 2.0 and social media technologies that enable individual learners the ability to manage their own learning. Self-directed learning is explored as a foundation…

Information literacy experiencies inside virtual learning environments

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Patricia Hernández Salazar

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Objective. Suggest the use of virtual learning environments as an Information Literacy (IL alternative. Method. Analysis of the main elements of web sites. To achieve this purpose the article includes the relationship between IL and the learning virtual environment (by defining both phrases; phases to create virtual IL programs; processes to elaborate didactic media; the applications that may support this plan; and the description of eleven examples of learning virtual environments IL experiences from four countries (Mexico, United States of America, Spain and United Kingdom these examples fulfill the conditions expressed. Results. We obtained four comparative tables examining five elements of each experience: objectives; target community; institution; country; and platform used. Conclusions. Any IL proposal should have a clear definition; IL experiences have to follow a didactic systematic process; described experiences are based on IL definition; the experiences analyzed are similar; virtual learning environments can be used as alternatives of IL.

Measuring the clinical learning environment in anaesthesia.

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Smith, N A; Castanelli, D J

2015-03-01

The learning environment describes the way that trainees perceive the culture of their workplace. We audited the learning environment for trainees throughout Australia and New Zealand in the early stages of curriculum reform. A questionnaire was developed and sent electronically to a large random sample of Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists trainees, with a 26% final response rate. This new instrument demonstrated good psychometric properties, with Cronbach's α ranging from 0.81 to 0.91 for each domain. The median score was equivalent to 78%, with the majority of trainees giving scores in the medium range. Introductory respondents scored their learning environment more highly than all other levels of respondents (P=0.001 for almost all comparisons). We present a simple questionnaire instrument that can be used to determine characteristics of the anaesthesia learning environment. The instrument can be used to help assess curricular change over time, alignment of the formal and informal curricula and strengths and weaknesses of individual departments.

University Libraries and Digital Learning Environments

OpenAIRE

2011-01-01

University libraries around the world have embraced the possibilities of the digital learning environment, facilitating its use and proactively seeking to develop the provision of electronic resources and services. The digital environment offers opportunities and challenges for librarians in all aspects of their work – in information literacy, virtual reference, institutional repositories, e-learning, managing digital resources and social media. The authors in this timely book are leading exp...

Learning How to Design a Technology Supported Inquiry-Based Learning Environment

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Hakverdi-Can, Meral; Sonmez, Duygu

2012-01-01

This paper describes a study focusing on pre-service teachers' experience of learning how to design a technology supported inquiry-based learning environment using the Internet. As part of their elective course, pre-service science teachers were asked to develop a WebQuest environment targeting middle school students. A WebQuest is an…

Reading a Story: Different Degrees of Learning in Different Learning Environments

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Anna Maria Giannini

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The learning environment in which material is acquired may produce differences in delayed recall and in the elements that individuals focus on. These differences may appear even during development. In the present study, we compared three different learning environments in 450 normally developing 7-year-old children subdivided into three groups according to the type of learning environment. Specifically, children were asked to learn the same material shown in three different learning environments: reading illustrated books (TB; interacting with the same text displayed on a PC monitor and enriched with interactive activities (PC-IA; reading the same text on a PC monitor but not enriched with interactive narratives (PC-NoIA. Our results demonstrated that TB and PC-NoIA elicited better verbal memory recall. In contrast, PC-IA and PC-NoIA produced higher scores for visuo-spatial memory, enhancing memory for spatial relations, positions and colors with respect to TB. Interestingly, only TB seemed to produce a deeper comprehension of the story’s moral. Our results indicated that PC-IA offered a different type of learning that favored visual details. In this sense, interactive activities demonstrate certain limitations, probably due to information overabundance, emotional mobilization, emphasis on images and effort exerted in interactive activities. Thus, interactive activities, although entertaining, act as disruptive elements which interfere with verbal memory and deep moral comprehension.

Reading a Story: Different Degrees of Learning in Different Learning Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Giannini, Anna Maria; Cordellieri, Pierluigi; Piccardi, Laura

2017-01-01

The learning environment in which material is acquired may produce differences in delayed recall and in the elements that individuals focus on. These differences may appear even during development. In the present study, we compared three different learning environments in 450 normally developing 7-year-old children subdivided into three groups according to the type of learning environment. Specifically, children were asked to learn the same material shown in three different learning environments: reading illustrated books (TB); interacting with the same text displayed on a PC monitor and enriched with interactive activities (PC-IA); reading the same text on a PC monitor but not enriched with interactive narratives (PC-NoIA). Our results demonstrated that TB and PC-NoIA elicited better verbal memory recall. In contrast, PC-IA and PC-NoIA produced higher scores for visuo-spatial memory, enhancing memory for spatial relations, positions and colors with respect to TB. Interestingly, only TB seemed to produce a deeper comprehension of the story's moral. Our results indicated that PC-IA offered a different type of learning that favored visual details. In this sense, interactive activities demonstrate certain limitations, probably due to information overabundance, emotional mobilization, emphasis on images and effort exerted in interactive activities. Thus, interactive activities, although entertaining, act as disruptive elements which interfere with verbal memory and deep moral comprehension.

Integrating Collaborative and Decentralized Models to Support Ubiquitous Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Barbosa, Jorge Luis Victória; Barbosa, Débora Nice Ferrari; Rigo, Sandro José; de Oliveira, Jezer Machado; Rabello, Solon Andrade, Jr.

2014-01-01

The application of ubiquitous technologies in the improvement of education strategies is called Ubiquitous Learning. This article proposes the integration between two models dedicated to support ubiquitous learning environments, called Global and CoolEdu. CoolEdu is a generic collaboration model for decentralized environments. Global is an…

Learning to care for older patients: hospitals and nursing homes as learning environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Huls, Marije; de Rooij, Sophia E; Diepstraten, Annemie; Koopmans, Raymond; Helmich, Esther

2015-03-01

A significant challenge facing health care is the ageing of the population, which calls for a major response in medical education. Most clinical learning takes place within hospitals, but nursing homes may also represent suitable learning environments in which students can gain competencies in geriatric medicine. This study explores what students perceive as the main learning outcomes of a geriatric medicine clerkship in a hospital or a nursing home, and explicitly addresses factors that may stimulate or hamper the learning process. This qualitative study falls within a constructivist paradigm: it draws on socio-cultural learning theory and is guided by the principles of constructivist grounded theory. There were two phases of data collection. Firstly, a maximum variation sample of 68 students completed a worksheet, giving brief written answers on questions regarding their geriatric medicine clerkships. Secondly, focus group discussions were conducted with 19 purposively sampled students. We used template analysis, iteratively cycling between data collection and analysis, using a constant comparative process. Students described a broad range of learning outcomes and formative experiences that were largely distinct from their learning in previous clerkships with regard to specific geriatric knowledge, deliberate decision making, end-of-life care, interprofessional collaboration and communication. According to students, the nursing home differed from the hospital in three aspects: interprofessional collaboration was more prominent; the lower resources available in nursing homes stimulated students to be creative, and students reported having greater autonomy in nursing homes compared with the more extensive educational guidance provided in hospitals. In both hospitals and nursing homes, students not only learn to care for older patients, but also describe various broader learning outcomes necessary to become good doctors. The results of our study, in particular the

E-Learning Systems, Environments and Approaches

OpenAIRE

Isaias, P.; Spector, J.M.; Ifenthaler, D.; Sampson, D.G.

2015-01-01

The volume consists of twenty-five chapters selected from among peer-reviewed papers presented at the CELDA (Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age) 2013 Conference held in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, in October 2013 and also from world class scholars in e-learning systems, environments and approaches. The following sub-topics are included: Exploratory Learning Technologies (Part I), e-Learning social web design (Part II), Learner communities through e-Learning implementations (Par...

Students’ Preferred Characteristics of Learning Environments in Vocational Secondary Education

OpenAIRE

Ingeborg Placklé; Karen D. Könings; Wolfgang Jacquet; Katrien Struyven; Arno Libotton; Jeroen J. G. van Merriënboer; Nadine Engels

2014-01-01

If teachers and teacher educators are willing to support the learning of students, it is important for them to learn what motivates students to engage in learning. Students have their own preferences on design characteristics of powerful learning environments in vocational education. We developed an instrument – the Inventory Powerful Learning Environments in Vocational Education - to measure students’ preferences on characteristics of powerful learning environments in vocational education. W...

Students Preferred Characteristics of Learning Environments in Vocational Secondary Education

OpenAIRE

Placklé, Ingeborg

2014-01-01

If teachers and teacher educators are willing to support the learning of students, it is important for them to learn what motivates students to engage in learning. Students have their own preferences on design characteristics of powerful learning environments in vocational education. We developed an instrument - the Inventory Powerful Learning Environments in Vocational Education - to measure studentsâ preferences on characteristics of powerful learning environments in voca-tional education. ...

The clinical learning environment in nursing education: a concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Flott, Elizabeth A; Linden, Lois

2016-03-01

The aim of this study was to report an analysis of the clinical learning environment concept. Nursing students are evaluated in clinical learning environments where skills and knowledge are applied to patient care. These environments affect achievement of learning outcomes, and have an impact on preparation for practice and student satisfaction with the nursing profession. Providing clarity of this concept for nursing education will assist in identifying antecedents, attributes and consequences affecting student transition to practice. The clinical learning environment was investigated using Walker and Avant's concept analysis method. A literature search was conducted using WorldCat, MEDLINE and CINAHL databases using the keywords clinical learning environment, clinical environment and clinical education. Articles reviewed were written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals between 1995-2014. All data were analysed for recurring themes and terms to determine possible antecedents, attributes and consequences of this concept. The clinical learning environment contains four attribute characteristics affecting student learning experiences. These include: (1) the physical space; (2) psychosocial and interaction factors; (3) the organizational culture and (4) teaching and learning components. These attributes often determine achievement of learning outcomes and student self-confidence. With better understanding of attributes comprising the clinical learning environment, nursing education programmes and healthcare agencies can collaborate to create meaningful clinical experiences and enhance student preparation for the professional nurse role. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Advanced Training Technologies and Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Noor, Ahmed K. (Compiler); Malone, John B. (Compiler)

1999-01-01

This document contains the proceedings of the Workshop on Advanced Training Technologies and Learning Environments held at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, March 9-10, 1999. The workshop was jointly sponsored by the University of Virginia's Center for Advanced Computational Technology and NASA. Workshop attendees were from NASA, other government agencies, industry, and universities. The objective of the workshop was to assess the status and effectiveness of different advanced training technologies and learning environments.

Perceived Satisfaction, Perceived Usefulness and Interactive Learning Environments as Predictors to Self-Regulation in e-Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Liaw, Shu-Sheng; Huang, Hsiu-Mei

2013-01-01

The research purpose is to investigate learner self-regulation in e-learning environments. In order to better understand learner attitudes toward e-learning, 196 university students answer a questionnaire survey after use an e-learning system few months. The statistical results showed that perceived satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and…

The Effects of Integrating Social Learning Environment with Online Learning

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Raspopovic, Miroslava; Cvetanovic, Svetlana; Medan, Ivana; Ljubojevic, Danijela

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present the learning and teaching styles using the Social Learning Environment (SLE), which was developed based on the computer supported collaborative learning approach. To avoid burdening learners with multiple platforms and tools, SLE was designed and developed in order to integrate existing systems, institutional…

Incremental learning of concept drift in nonstationary environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Elwell, Ryan; Polikar, Robi

2011-10-01

We introduce an ensemble of classifiers-based approach for incremental learning of concept drift, characterized by nonstationary environments (NSEs), where the underlying data distributions change over time. The proposed algorithm, named Learn(++). NSE, learns from consecutive batches of data without making any assumptions on the nature or rate of drift; it can learn from such environments that experience constant or variable rate of drift, addition or deletion of concept classes, as well as cyclical drift. The algorithm learns incrementally, as other members of the Learn(++) family of algorithms, that is, without requiring access to previously seen data. Learn(++). NSE trains one new classifier for each batch of data it receives, and combines these classifiers using a dynamically weighted majority voting. The novelty of the approach is in determining the voting weights, based on each classifier's time-adjusted accuracy on current and past environments. This approach allows the algorithm to recognize, and act accordingly, to the changes in underlying data distributions, as well as to a possible reoccurrence of an earlier distribution. We evaluate the algorithm on several synthetic datasets designed to simulate a variety of nonstationary environments, as well as a real-world weather prediction dataset. Comparisons with several other approaches are also included. Results indicate that Learn(++). NSE can track the changing environments very closely, regardless of the type of concept drift. To allow future use, comparison and benchmarking by interested researchers, we also release our data used in this paper. © 2011 IEEE

A SIMULTANEOUS MOBILE E-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND APPLICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasan KARAL

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present study was to design a mobile learning environment that enables the use of a teleconference application used in simultaneous e-learning with mobile devices and to evaluate this mobile learning environment based on students’ views. With the mobile learning environment developed in the study, the students are able to follow a teleconference application realized by using appropriate mobile devices. The study was carried out with 8 post-graduate students enrolled in Karadeniz Technical University (KTU, Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies (CEIT, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Science. The students utilized this teleconference application using mobile devices supporting internet access and Adobe Flash technology. Of the 8 students, 4 accessed the system using EDGE technology and 4 used wireless internet technology. At the end of the application, the audio and display were delayed by 4-5 seconds with EDGE technology, and were delayed by 7-8 seconds with wireless internet technology. Based on the students’ views, it was concluded that the environment had some deficiencies in terms of quality, especially in terms of the screen resolution. Despite this, the students reported that this environment could provide more flexibility in terms of space and time when compared to other simultaneous distance education applications. Although the environment enables interaction, in particular, the problem of resolution caused by screen size is a disadvantage for the system. When this mobile learning application is compared to conventional education environments, it was found that mobile learning does have a role in helping the students overcome the problems of participating in learning activities caused by time and space constraints.

Sociocultural Perspective of Science in Online Learning Environments. Communities of Practice in Online Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Erdogan, Niyazi

2016-01-01

Present study reviews empirical research studies related to learning science in online learning environments as a community. Studies published between 1995 and 2015 were searched by using ERIC and EBSCOhost databases. As a result, fifteen studies were selected for review. Identified studies were analyzed with a qualitative content analysis method…

Investigation of the Relationship between Learning Process and Learning Outcomes in E-Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Yurdugül, Halil; Menzi Çetin, Nihal

2015-01-01

Problem Statement: Learners can access and participate in online learning environments regardless of time and geographical barriers. This brings up the umbrella concept of learner autonomy that contains self-directed learning, self-regulated learning and the studying process. Motivation and learning strategies are also part of this umbrella…

A Reinforcement Learning Approach to Call Admission Control in HAPS Communication System

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Ni Shu Yan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The large changing of link capacity and number of users caused by the movement of both platform and users in communication system based on high altitude platform station (HAPS will resulting in high dropping rate of handover and reduce resource utilization. In order to solve these problems, this paper proposes an adaptive call admission control strategy based on reinforcement learning approach. The goal of this strategy is to maximize long-term gains of system, with the introduction of cross-layer interaction and the service downgraded. In order to access different traffics adaptively, the access utility of handover traffics and new call traffics is designed in different state of communication system. Numerical simulation result shows that the proposed call admission control strategy can enhance bandwidth resource utilization and the performances of handover traffics.

Towards a stated position in pedagogical discourse mediated by virtual learning environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina Maria Varini Mutti

2008-01-01

Full Text Available With a view towards a pedagogy for computer-based environments concerning distance learning and focusing on higher education, this study aimed to reveal the effects of implied meanings in the act of interpretation that idealized a synchronous and asynchronous communication tool called forchat. For discursive analysis, verbal formulations were taken from the corpus studied, which provided the themes for the sustaining principles within the dimensions of their purpose, format and use in virtual classrooms set up as learning communities. The results of the analysis highlight the uncloaking of the illusion of oneness, from the participants' immersion in the flow of the interaction, supported by another, non-capitalistic, space-time dimension for interactive exchanges. This dimension recognizes the subjects' heterogeneities and the meanings produced in the discursive order of the telematic writings.

Immersive Learning Environment Using 3D Virtual Worlds and Integrated Remote Experimentation

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Roderval Marcelino

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This project seeks to demonstrate the use of remote experimentation and 3D virtual environments applied to the teaching-learning in the areas of exact sciences-physics. In proposing the combination of remote experimentation and 3D virtual worlds in teaching-learning process, we intend to achieve greater geographic coverage, contributing to the construction of new methodologies of teaching support, speed of access and foremost motivation for students to continue in scientific study of the technology areas. The proposed architecture is based on a model implemented fully featured open source and open hardware. The virtual world was built in OpenSim software and integrated it a remote physics experiment called "electrical panel". Accessing the virtual world the user has total control of the experiment within the 3D virtual world.

Towards an intelligent environment for distance learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Morales

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Mainstream distance learning nowadays is heavily influenced by traditional educational approaches that produceshomogenised learning scenarios for all learners through learning management systems. Any differentiation betweenlearners and personalisation of their learning scenarios is left to the teacher, who gets minimum support from the system inthis respect. This way, the truly digital native, the computer, is left out of the move, unable to better support the teachinglearning processes because it is not provided with the means to transform into knowledge all the information that it storesand manages. I believe learning management systems should care for supporting adaptation and personalisation of bothindividual learning and the formation of communities of learning. Open learner modelling and intelligent collaborativelearning environments are proposed as a means to care. The proposal is complemented with a general architecture for anintelligent environment for distance learning and an educational model based on the principles of self-management,creativity, significance and participation.

Technically Speaking: Transforming Language Learning through Virtual Learning Environments (MOOs).

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von der Emde, Silke; Schneider, Jeffrey; Kotter, Markus

2001-01-01

Draws on experiences from a 7-week exchange between students learning German at an American college and advanced students of English at a German university. Maps out the benefits to using a MOO (multiple user domains object-oriented) for language learning: a student-centered learning environment structured by such objectives as peer teaching,…

Investigating CALL in the Classroom: Situational Variables to Consider

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Darlene Liutkus

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A new paradigm in second language pedagogy has Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL playing a significant role. Much of the literature to-date claims that CALL can have a positive impact on students’ second language acquisition (SLA. Mixed method of research produces data to investigate if CALL positively affects student language proficiency, motivation and autonomy. Classroom observation of participants in their natural environment is a qualitative technique used but has situational variables that could skew results if not structured. A questionnaire is a quantitative tool that can offer insight regarding participants’ perception of performance but can contradict what the researcher has observed. This paper will take an in-depth look at variables such as: instructor’s pedagogical application; blending CALL into the curriculum; types of CALL implemented; feedback received and their implications for design of the data collection tools

INTUITEL and the Hypercube Model - Developing Adaptive Learning Environments

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Kevin Fuchs

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper we introduce an approach for the creation of adaptive learning environments that give human-like recommendations to a learner in the form of a virtual tutor. We use ontologies defining pedagogical, didactic and learner-specific data describing a learner's progress, learning history, capabilities and the learner's current state within the learning environment. Learning recommendations are based on a reasoning process on these ontologies and can be provided in real-time. The ontologies may describe learning content from any domain of knowledge. Furthermore, we describe an approach to store learning histories as spatio-temporal trajectories and to correlate them with influencing didactic factors. We show how such analysis of spatiotemporal data can be used for learning analytics to improve future adaptive learning environments.

Engaging students in a community of learning: Renegotiating the learning environment.

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Theobald, Karen A; Windsor, Carol A; Forster, Elizabeth M

2018-03-01

Promoting student engagement in a student led environment can be challenging. This article reports on the process of design, implementation and evaluation of a student led learning approach in a small group tutorial environment in a three year Bachelor of Nursing program at an Australian university. The research employed three phases of data collection. The first phase explored student perceptions of learning and engagement in tutorials. The results informed the development of a web based learning resource. Phase two centred on implementation of a community of learning approach where students were supported to lead tutorial learning with peers. The final phase constituted an evaluation of the new approach. Findings suggest that students have the capacity to lead and engage in a community of learning and to assume greater ownership and responsibility where scaffolding is provided. Nonetheless, an ongoing whole of course approach to pedagogical change would better support this form of teaching and learning innovation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Creating Dynamic Learning Environment to Enhance Students’ Engagement in Learning Geometry

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Sariyasa

2017-04-01

Learning geometry gives many benefits to students. It strengthens the development of deductive thinking and reasoning; it also provides an opportunity to improve visualisation and spatial ability. Some studies, however, have pointed out the difficulties that students encountered when learning geometry. A preliminary study by the author in Bali revealed that one of the main problems was teachers’ difficulties in delivering geometry instruction. It was partly due to the lack of appropriate instructional media. Coupling with dynamic geometry software, dynamic learning environments is a promising solution to this problem. Employing GeoGebra software supported by the well-designed instructional process may result in more meaningful learning, and consequently, students are motivated to engage in the learning process more deeply and actively. In this paper, we provide some examples of GeoGebra-aided learning activities that allow students to interactively explore and investigate geometry concepts and the properties of geometry objects. Thus, it is expected that such learning environment will enhance students’ internalisation process of geometry concepts.

Soft Systems Methodology for Personalized Learning Environment

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Nair, Uday

2015-01-01

There are two sides to a coin when it comes to implementing technology at universities; on one side, there is the university using technologies via the virtual learning environment that seems to be outdated with the digital needs of the students, and on the other side, while implementing technology at the university learning environment the focus…

Evaluation of a Learning Object Based Learning Environment in Different Dimensions

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Ünal Çakıroğlu

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Learning Objects (LOs are web based learning resources presented by Learning Object Repositories (LOR. For recent years LOs have begun to take place on web and it is suggested that appropriate design of LOs can make positive impact on learning. In order to support learning, research studies recommends LOs should have been evaluated pedagogically and technologically, and the content design created by using LOs should have been designed through appropriate instructional models. Since the use of LOs have recently begun, an exact pedagogical model about efficient use of LOs has not been developed. In this study a LOR is designed in order to be used in mathematics education. The LOs in this LOR have been evaluated pedagogically and technologically by mathematics teachers and field experts. In order to evaluate the designed LO based environment, two different questionnaires have been used. These questionnaires are developed by using the related literature about web based learning environments evaluation criteria and also the items are discussed with the field experts for providing the validity. The reliability of the questionnaires is calculated cronbach alpha = 0.715 for the design properties evaluation survey and cronbach alpha =0.726 for pedagogic evaluation. Both of two questionnaires are five point Likert type. The first questionnaire has the items about “Learning Support of LOs, Competency of LOR, The importance of LOs in mathematics education, the usability of LOs by students”. “The activities on LOs are related to outcomes of subjects, there are activities for students have different learning styles. There are activities for wondering students.” are examples for items about learning support of LOs. “System helps for exploration of mathematical relations”, “I think teaching mathematics with this system will be enjoyable.” are example items for importance of LOs in mathematics education. In the competency of LOR title, �

Neural correlates of threat perception: neural equivalence of conspecific and heterospecific mobbing calls is learned.

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Marc T Avey

Full Text Available Songbird auditory areas (i.e., CMM and NCM are preferentially activated to playback of conspecific vocalizations relative to heterospecific and arbitrary noise. Here, we asked if the neural response to auditory stimulation is not simply preferential for conspecific vocalizations but also for the information conveyed by the vocalization. Black-capped chickadees use their chick-a-dee mobbing call to recruit conspecifics and other avian species to mob perched predators. Mobbing calls produced in response to smaller, higher-threat predators contain more "D" notes compared to those produced in response to larger, lower-threat predators and thus convey the degree of threat of predators. We specifically asked whether the neural response varies with the degree of threat conveyed by the mobbing calls of chickadees and whether the neural response is the same for actual predator calls that correspond to the degree of threat of the chickadee mobbing calls. Our results demonstrate that, as degree of threat increases in conspecific chickadee mobbing calls, there is a corresponding increase in immediate early gene (IEG expression in telencephalic auditory areas. We also demonstrate that as the degree of threat increases for the heterospecific predator, there is a corresponding increase in IEG expression in the auditory areas. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the amount IEG expression between conspecific mobbing calls or heterospecific predator calls that were the same degree of threat. In a second experiment, using hand-reared chickadees without predator experience, we found more IEG expression in response to mobbing calls than corresponding predator calls, indicating that degree of threat is learned. Our results demonstrate that degree of threat corresponds to neural activity in the auditory areas and that threat can be conveyed by different species signals and that these signals must be learned.

Neural Correlates of Threat Perception: Neural Equivalence of Conspecific and Heterospecific Mobbing Calls Is Learned

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Avey, Marc T.; Hoeschele, Marisa; Moscicki, Michele K.; Bloomfield, Laurie L.; Sturdy, Christopher B.

2011-01-01

Songbird auditory areas (i.e., CMM and NCM) are preferentially activated to playback of conspecific vocalizations relative to heterospecific and arbitrary noise [1]–[2]. Here, we asked if the neural response to auditory stimulation is not simply preferential for conspecific vocalizations but also for the information conveyed by the vocalization. Black-capped chickadees use their chick-a-dee mobbing call to recruit conspecifics and other avian species to mob perched predators [3]. Mobbing calls produced in response to smaller, higher-threat predators contain more “D” notes compared to those produced in response to larger, lower-threat predators and thus convey the degree of threat of predators [4]. We specifically asked whether the neural response varies with the degree of threat conveyed by the mobbing calls of chickadees and whether the neural response is the same for actual predator calls that correspond to the degree of threat of the chickadee mobbing calls. Our results demonstrate that, as degree of threat increases in conspecific chickadee mobbing calls, there is a corresponding increase in immediate early gene (IEG) expression in telencephalic auditory areas. We also demonstrate that as the degree of threat increases for the heterospecific predator, there is a corresponding increase in IEG expression in the auditory areas. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the amount IEG expression between conspecific mobbing calls or heterospecific predator calls that were the same degree of threat. In a second experiment, using hand-reared chickadees without predator experience, we found more IEG expression in response to mobbing calls than corresponding predator calls, indicating that degree of threat is learned. Our results demonstrate that degree of threat corresponds to neural activity in the auditory areas and that threat can be conveyed by different species signals and that these signals must be learned. PMID:21909363

Neural correlates of threat perception: neural equivalence of conspecific and heterospecific mobbing calls is learned.

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Avey, Marc T; Hoeschele, Marisa; Moscicki, Michele K; Bloomfield, Laurie L; Sturdy, Christopher B

2011-01-01

Songbird auditory areas (i.e., CMM and NCM) are preferentially activated to playback of conspecific vocalizations relative to heterospecific and arbitrary noise. Here, we asked if the neural response to auditory stimulation is not simply preferential for conspecific vocalizations but also for the information conveyed by the vocalization. Black-capped chickadees use their chick-a-dee mobbing call to recruit conspecifics and other avian species to mob perched predators. Mobbing calls produced in response to smaller, higher-threat predators contain more "D" notes compared to those produced in response to larger, lower-threat predators and thus convey the degree of threat of predators. We specifically asked whether the neural response varies with the degree of threat conveyed by the mobbing calls of chickadees and whether the neural response is the same for actual predator calls that correspond to the degree of threat of the chickadee mobbing calls. Our results demonstrate that, as degree of threat increases in conspecific chickadee mobbing calls, there is a corresponding increase in immediate early gene (IEG) expression in telencephalic auditory areas. We also demonstrate that as the degree of threat increases for the heterospecific predator, there is a corresponding increase in IEG expression in the auditory areas. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the amount IEG expression between conspecific mobbing calls or heterospecific predator calls that were the same degree of threat. In a second experiment, using hand-reared chickadees without predator experience, we found more IEG expression in response to mobbing calls than corresponding predator calls, indicating that degree of threat is learned. Our results demonstrate that degree of threat corresponds to neural activity in the auditory areas and that threat can be conveyed by different species signals and that these signals must be learned.

The Importance of a Teacher in a Distance Education and the Progressive Methods of Teaching in a Virtual Learning Environment

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Olga Miščenko

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the article is to analyze the experience of the first work years of teaching the students, who study by distance, to compare other authors’ experience and to examine the advantages of Moodle virtual learning environment (VLE, searching for new applications of it. The relevance of e-learning is noted. It is affirmed that metacognitive learning strategies are typical for learning foreign languages in virtual environment. It is said that the Internet is a tool that ensures studies by distance. It is said that raising the qualification and learning by distance allows a responsible employee to improve foreign language skills while lifelong learning. VLE adaptability for teaching and studying English is being discussed. It is stated that the Internet conditions all types of methods in the virtual environment, application, and its existence expands and deepens the learning approach. In the paper it is claimed that the Moodle VLE function is to improve the learning process to ensure a high level of expertise and the objectivity of assessment. Studying in conventional way and in the virtual environment are briefly compared. Moodle virtual learning environment application objectives to learning outcomes, emphasizing the importance of the traditional teaching methods, the student’s responsibility to call attention to the learning process and system characteristics are defined. It is noted that learning in the virtual environment is based on the principles of epistemology, therefore the Moodle system meets the didactic tasks. The virtual learning environment possibilities ensure a very good feedback and increase students’ motivation, and, consequently, that provides better knowledge. It is emphasized that while teaching by distance, the teacher’s responsibility, his role in the development of educational material and the course tasks have increased. Some specific cases for various forms of studies and exercises to perform in the

Construction of a Digital Learning Environment Based on Cloud Computing

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Ding, Jihong; Xiong, Caiping; Liu, Huazhong

2015-01-01

Constructing the digital learning environment for ubiquitous learning and asynchronous distributed learning has opened up immense amounts of concrete research. However, current digital learning environments do not fully fulfill the expectations on supporting interactive group learning, shared understanding and social construction of knowledge.…

Clinical learning environments: place, artefacts and rhythm.

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Sheehan, Dale; Jowsey, Tanisha; Parwaiz, Mariam; Birch, Mark; Seaton, Philippa; Shaw, Susan; Duggan, Alison; Wilkinson, Tim

2017-10-01

Health care practitioners learn through experience in clinical environments in which supervision is a key component, but how that learning occurs outside the supervision relationship remains largely unknown. This study explores the environmental factors that inform and support workplace learning within a clinical environment. An observational study drawing on ethnographic methods was undertaken in a general medicine ward. Observers paid attention to interactions among staff members that involved potential teaching and learning moments that occurred and were visible in the course of routine work. General purpose thematic analysis of field notes was undertaken. A total of 376 observations were undertaken and documented. The findings suggest that place (location of interaction), rhythm (regularity of activities occurring in the ward) and artefacts (objects and equipment) were strong influences on the interactions and exchanges that occurred. Each of these themes had inherent tensions that could promote or inhibit engagement and therefore learning opportunities. Although many learning opportunities were available, not all were taken up or recognised by the participants. We describe and make explicit how the natural environment of a medical ward and flow of work through patient care contribute to the learning architecture, and how this creates or inhibits opportunities for learning. Awareness of learning opportunities was often tacit and not explicit for either supervisor or learner. We identify strategies through which tensions inherent within space, artefacts and the rhythms of work can be resolved and learning opportunities maximised. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

USING PCU-CAMEL, A WEB-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, IN EVALUATING TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS

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Arlinah Imam Rahardjo

2008-01-01

Full Text Available PCU-CAMEL (Petra Christian University-Computer Aided Mechanical Engineering Department Learning Environment has been developed to integrate the use of this web-based learning environment into the traditional, face-to-face setting of class activities. This integrated learning method is designed as an effort to enrich and improve the teaching-learning process at Petra Christian University. A study was conducted to introduce the use of PCU-CAMEL as a tool in evaluating teaching learning process. The study on this method of evaluation was conducted by using a case analysis on the integration of PCU-CAMEL to the traditional face-to-face meetings of LIS (Library Information System class at the Informatics Engineering Department of Petra Christian University. Students’ responses documented in some features of PCU-CAMEL were measured and analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of this integrated system in developing intrinsic motivation of the LIS students of the first and second semester of 2004/2005 to learn. It is believed that intrinsic motivation can drive students to learn more. From the study conducted, it is concluded that besides its capability in developing intrinsic motivation, PCU-CAMEL as a web-based learning environment, can also serve as an effective tool for both students and instructors to evaluate the teaching-learning process. However, some weaknesses did exist in using this method of evaluating teaching-learning process. The free style and unstructured form of the documentation features of this web-based learning environment can lead to ineffective evaluation results

Nurturing gerontology students' intrinsic motivation to cocreate: The design of a powerful learning environment.

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Jukema, Jan S; Veerman, Mieke; Van Alphen, Jacqueline; Visser, Geraldine; Smits, Carolien; Kingma, Tineke

2017-09-21

Professionals such as gerontologists play an important role in the design, development and implementation of age-friendly services. and products, by using working methods and principles of co-creation. A Dutch undergraduate applied gerontology programme aims to train students in the why, how and what of co-creation. The degree to which students are intrinsically motivated to develop competencies depends on how their psychological needs are met. These needs are autonomy, an awareness of competence and a sense of relatedness, as described in the self-determination theory. To nurture the intrinsic motivation of the applied gerontology students, a realistic, powerful learning environment called the Living Lab Applied Gerontology was designed and implemented. The aim of this paper is to present the design of this powerful learning environment and to discuss its value for nurturing the students' intrinsic motivation for co-creation. Based on a focus group with eight students, we identify directions for further research and development of living labs.

Evaluation of students' perception of their learning environment and approaches to learning

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Valyrakis, Manousos; Cheng, Ming

2015-04-01

This work presents the results of two case studies designed to assess the various approaches undergraduate and postgraduate students undertake for their education. The first study describes the results and evaluation of an undergraduate course in Water Engineering which aims to develop the fundamental background knowledge of students on introductory practical applications relevant to the practice of water and hydraulic engineering. The study assesses the effectiveness of the course design and learning environment from the perception of students using a questionnaire addressing several aspects that may affect student learning, performance and satisfaction, such as students' motivation, factors to effective learning, and methods of communication and assessment. The second study investigates the effectiveness of supervisory arrangements based on the perceptions of engineering undergraduate and postgraduate students. Effective supervision requires leadership skills that are not taught in the University, yet there is rarely a chance to get feedback, evaluate this process and reflect. Even though the results are very encouraging there are significant lessons to learn in improving ones practice and develop an effective learning environment to student support and guidance. The findings from these studies suggest that students with high level of intrinsic motivation are deep learners and are also top performers in a student-centered learning environment. A supportive teaching environment with a plethora of resources and feedback made available over different platforms that address students need for direct communication and feedback has the potential to improve student satisfaction and their learning experience. Finally, incorporating a multitude of assessment methods is also important in promoting deep learning. These results have deep implications about student learning and can be used to further improve course design and delivery in the future.

Learning Design Patterns for Hybrid Synchronous Video-Mediated Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weitze, Charlotte Lærke

2016-01-01

This article describes an innovative learning environment where remote and face-to-face full-time general upper secondary adult students jointly participate in the same live classes at VUC Storstrøm, an adult learning centre in Denmark. The teachers developed new learning designs as a part of the...... activating and equal learning designs for the students. This article is written on the basis of a chapter in the PhD–thesis by the author....

Ubiquitous Learning Environments in Higher Education: A Scoping Literature Review

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Virtanen, Mari Aulikki; Haavisto, Elina; Liikanen, Eeva; Kääriäinen, Maria

2018-01-01

Ubiquitous learning and the use of ubiquitous learning environments heralds a new era in higher education. Ubiquitous learning environments enhance context-aware and seamless learning experiences available from any location at any time. They support smooth interaction between authentic and digital learning resources and provide personalized…

Students’ Preferred Characteristics of Learning Environments in Vocational Secondary Education

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Ingeborg Placklé

2014-12-01

Full Text Available If teachers and teacher educators are willing to support the learning of students, it is important for them to learn what motivates students to engage in learning. Students have their own preferences on design characteristics of powerful learning environments in vocational education. We developed an instrument - the Inventory Powerful Learning Environments in Vocational Education - to measure students’ preferences on characteristics of powerful learning environments in vocational education. We investigated whether student preferences on the design of their learning environments are in line with what is described in the literature as beneficial for learning. Data of 544 students show that the preferences of students support most characteristics of PLEs in vocational education. Looking through the eyes of students, teachers have to challenge their students and encourage them to take their learning in their own hands. Adaptive learning support is needed. Remarkable, students do not prefer having reflective dialogues with teachers or peers.

U-CrAc Flexible Interior Doctrine, Agile Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Søren Bolvig; Rosenstand, Claus Andreas Foss

2012-01-01

The research domain of this article is flexible learning environment for immediate use. The research question is: How can the learning environment support an agile learning process? The research contribution of this article is a flexible interior doctrine. The research method is action research...

[Learning about social determinants of health through chronicles, using a virtual learning environment].

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Restrepo-Palacio, Sonia; Amaya-Guio, Jairo

2016-01-01

To describe the contributions of a pedagogical strategy based on the construction of chronicles, using a Virtual Learning Environment for training medical students from Universidad de La Sabana on social determinants of health. Descriptive study with a qualitative approach. Design and implementation of a Virtual Learning Environment based on the ADDIE instructional model. A Virtual Learning Environment was implemented with an instructional design based on the five phases of the ADDIE model, on the grounds of meaningful learning and social constructivism, and through the narration of chronicles or life stories as a pedagogical strategy. During the course, the structural determinants and intermediaries were addressed, and nine chronicles were produced by working groups made up of four or five students, who demonstrated meaningful learning from real life stories, presented a coherent sequence, and kept a thread; 82% of these students incorporated in their contents most of the social determinants of health, emphasizing on the concepts of equity or inequity, equality or inequality, justice or injustice and social cohesion. A Virtual Learning Environment, based on an appropriate instructional design, allows to facilitate learning of social determinants of health through a constructivist pedagogical approach by analyzing chronicles or life stories created by ninth-semester students of medicine from Universidad de La Sabana.

Nursing students' perceptions of learning in practice environments: a review.

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Henderson, Amanda; Cooke, Marie; Creedy, Debra K; Walker, Rachel

2012-04-01

Effective clinical learning requires integration of nursing students into ward activities, staff engagement to address individual student learning needs, and innovative teaching approaches. Assessing characteristics of practice environments can provide useful insights for development. This study identified predominant features of clinical learning environments from nursing students' perspectives across studies using the same measure in different countries over the last decade. Six studies, from three different countries, using the Clinical Leaning Environment Inventory (CLEI) were reviewed. Studies explored consistent trends about learning environment. Students rated sense of task accomplishment high. Affiliation also rated highly though was influenced by models of care. Feedback measuring whether students' individual needs and views were accommodated consistently rated lower. Across different countries students report similar perceptions about learning environments. Clinical learning environments are most effective in promoting safe practice and are inclusive of student learners, but not readily open to innovation and challenges to routine practices. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Personal Learning Environment – a Conceptual Study

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Herbert Mühlburger

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of digital technologies as well as the World Wide Web on education rises dramatically. In former years Learning Management Systems (LMS were introduced on educational institutes to address the needs both their institutions and their lecturers. Nowadays a shift from an institution-centered approach to a learner-centered one becomes necessary to allow individuality through the learning process and to think about learning strategies in general. In this paper a first approach of a Personal Learning Environment (PLE is described. The technological concept is pointed out as well as a study about the graphical user-interface done at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz. It can be concluded that PLEs are the next generation environments, which help to improve the learning and teaching behavior

Creating sustainable empowering learning environments through ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... as these impede optimal learning especially among rural and immigrant communities in South Africa, Canada and the world over. The primary focus of all papers herein therefore is on the creation of sustainable empowering learning environments through engaged scholarship spearheaded by the university.

Create a good learning environment and motivate active learning enthusiasm

Science.gov (United States)

Bi, Weihong; Fu, Guangwei; Fu, Xinghu; Zhang, Baojun; Liu, Qiang; Jin, Wa

2017-08-01

In view of the current poor learning initiative of undergraduates, the idea of creating a good learning environment and motivating active learning enthusiasm is proposed. In practice, the professional tutor is allocated and professional introduction course is opened for college freshman. It can promote communication between the professional teachers and students as early as possible, and guide students to know and devote the professional knowledge by the preconceived form. Practice results show that these solutions can improve the students interest in learning initiative, so that the active learning and self-learning has become a habit in the classroom.

Students’ digital learning environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caviglia, Francesco; Dalsgaard, Christian; Davidsen, Jacob

2018-01-01

used tools in the students’ digital learning environments are Facebook, Google Drive, tools for taking notes, and institutional systems. Additionally, the study shows that the tools meet some very basic demands of the students in relation to collaboration, communication, and feedback. Finally...

Invited Reaction: Influences of Formal Learning, Personal Learning Orientation, and Supportive Learning Environment on Informal Learning

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Cseh, Maria; Manikoth, Nisha N.

2011-01-01

As the authors of the preceding article (Choi and Jacobs, 2011) have noted, the workplace learning literature shows evidence of the complementary and integrated nature of formal and informal learning in the development of employee competencies. The importance of supportive learning environments in the workplace and of employees' personal learning…

Mobile Learning for Higher Education in Problem-Based Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rongbutsri, Nikorn

2011-01-01

This paper describes the PhD project on Mobile Learning for Higher Education in Problem-Based Learning Environment which aims to understand how students gain benefit from using mobile devices in the aspect of project work collaboration. It demonstrates research questions, theoretical perspective...

What students really learn: contrasting medical and nursing students' experiences of the clinical learning environment.

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Liljedahl, Matilda; Boman, Lena Engqvist; Fält, Charlotte Porthén; Bolander Laksov, Klara

2015-08-01

This paper explores and contrasts undergraduate medical and nursing students' experiences of the clinical learning environment. Using a sociocultural perspective of learning and an interpretative approach, 15 in-depth interviews with medical and nursing students were analysed with content analysis. Students' experiences are described using a framework of 'before', 'during' and 'after' clinical placements. Three major themes emerged from the analysis, contrasting the medical and nursing students' experiences of the clinical learning environment: (1) expectations of the placement; (2) relationship with the supervisor; and (3) focus of learning. The findings offer an increased understanding of how medical and nursing students learn in the clinical setting; they also show that the clinical learning environment contributes to the socialisation process of students not only into their future profession, but also into their role as learners. Differences between the two professions should be taken into consideration when designing interprofessional learning activities. Also, the findings can be used as a tool for clinical supervisors in the reflection on how student learning in the clinical learning environment can be improved.

Enhancing the Learning Environment by Learning all the Students' Names

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Anker Helms

the method to learn all the students' names enhances the learning environment substantially.  ReferencesCranton, Patricia (2001) Becoming an authentic teacher in higher education. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Pub. Co.Wiberg, Merete (2011): Personal email communication June 22, 2011.Woodhead, M. M. and Baddeley......Short abstract This paper describes how the teaching environment can be enhanced significantly by a simple method: learning the names of all the students. The method is time-efficient: In a course with 33 students I used 65 minutes in total. My own view of the effect was confirmed in a small study......: The students felt more valued, secure and respected. They also made an effort to learn each other's names. Long abstract In high school teachers know the students' names very soon - anything else is unthinkable (Wiberg, 2011). Not so in universities where knowing the names of all the students is the exception...

Blended learning in paediatric emergency medicine: preliminary analysis of a virtual learning environment.

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Spedding, Ruth; Jenner, Rachel; Potier, Katherine; Mackway-Jones, Kevin; Carley, Simon

2013-04-01

Paediatric emergency medicine (PEM) currently faces many competing educational challenges. Recent changes to the working patterns have made the delivery of effective teaching to trainees extremely difficult. We developed a virtual learning environment, on the basis of socioconstructivist principles, which allows learning to take place regardless of time or location. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a blended e-learning approach for PEM training. We evaluated the experiences of ST3 trainees in PEM using a multimodal approach. We classified and analysed message board discussions over a 6-month period to look for evidence of practice change and learning. We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with trainees approximately 5 months after they completed the course. Trainees embraced the virtual learning environment and had positive experiences of the blended approach to learning. Socioconstructivist learning did take place through the use of message boards on the virtual learning environment. Despite their initial unfamiliarity with the online learning system, the participants found it easy to access and use. The participants found the learning relevant and there was an overlap between shop floor learning and the online content. Clinical discussion was often led by trainees on the forums and these were described as enjoyable and informative. A blended approach to e-learning in basic PEM is effective and enjoyable to trainees.

A Preliminary Investigation of Self-Directed Learning Activities in a Non-Formal Blended Learning Environment

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Schwier, Richard A.; Morrison, Dirk; Daniel, Ben K.

2009-01-01

This research considers how professional participants in a non-formal self-directed learning environment (NFSDL) made use of self-directed learning activities in a blended face-to-face and on line learning professional development course. The learning environment for the study was a professional development seminar on teaching in higher education…

The new learning environment is personal

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Vries, P.

2013-01-01

In a traditional sense the learning environment is qualified as the institutional setting for the teaching and learning to take place. This comprises the students, the teachers, management, the services and all the buildings, the classrooms, the equipment, the tools and laboratories that constitute

Technology-supported environments for learning through cognitive conflict

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Anne McDougall

2002-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines ways in which the idea of cognitive conflict is used to facilitate learning, looking at the design and use of learning environments for this purpose. Drawing on previous work in science education and educational computing, three approaches to the design of learning environments utilizing cognitive conflict are introduced. These approaches are described as confrontational, guiding and explanatory, based on the level of the designer's concern with learners' pre-existing understanding, the extent of modification to the learner's conceptual structures intended by the designer, and the directness of steering the learner to the desired understanding. The examples used to illustrate the three approaches are taken from science education, specifically software for learning about Newtonian physics; it is contended however that the argument of the paper applies more broadly, to learning environments for many curriculum areas for school levels and in higher education.

Mobile e-Learning for Next Generation Communication Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Tin-Yu; Chao, Han-Chieh

2008-01-01

This article develops an environment for mobile e-learning that includes an interactive course, virtual online labs, an interactive online test, and lab-exercise training platform on the fourth generation mobile communication system. The Next Generation Learning Environment (NeGL) promotes the term "knowledge economy." Inter-networking…

Social Networks as Learning Environments for Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.A.Cortés

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Learning is considered as a social activity, a student does not learn only of the teacher and the textbook or only in the classroom, learn also from many other agents related to the media, peers and society in general. And since the explosion of the Internet, the information is within the reach of everyone, is there where the main area of opportunity in new technologies applied to education, as well as taking advantage of recent socialization trends that can be leveraged to improve not only informing of their daily practices, but rather as a tool that explore different branches of education research. One can foresee the future of higher education as a social learning environment, open and collaborative, where people construct knowledge in interaction with others, in a comprehensive manner. The mobility and ubiquity that provide mobile devices enable the connection from anywhere and at any time. In modern educational environments can be expected to facilitate mobile devices in the classroom expansion in digital environments, so that students and teachers can build the teaching-learning process collectively, this partial derivative results in the development of draft research approved by the CONADI in “Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia”, "Social Networks: A teaching strategy in learning environments in higher education."

Designing Virtual Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Veirum, Niels Einar

2003-01-01

The main objective of this working paper is to present a conceptual model for media integrated communication in virtual learning environments. The model for media integrated communication is very simple and identifies the necessary building blocks for virtual place making in a synthesis of methods...

Students’ perception of the learning environment in a distributed medical programme

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Kiran Veerapen

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Background : The learning environment of a medical school has a significant impact on students’ achievements and learning outcomes. The importance of equitable learning environments across programme sites is implicit in distributed undergraduate medical programmes being developed and implemented. Purpose : To study the learning environment and its equity across two classes and three geographically separate sites of a distributed medical programme at the University of British Columbia Medical School that commenced in 2004. Method : The validated Dundee Ready Educational Environment Survey was sent to all students in their 2nd and 3rd year (classes graduating in 2009 and 2008 of the programme. The domains of the learning environment surveyed were: students’ perceptions of learning, students’ perceptions of teachers, students’ academic self-perceptions, students’ perceptions of the atmosphere, and students’ social self-perceptions. Mean scores, frequency distribution of responses, and inter- and intrasite differences were calculated. Results : The perception of the global learning environment at all sites was more positive than negative. It was characterised by a strongly positive perception of teachers. The work load and emphasis on factual learning were perceived negatively. Intersite differences within domains of the learning environment were more evident in the pioneer class (2008 of the programme. Intersite differences consistent across classes were largely related to on-site support for students. Conclusions : Shared strengths and weaknesses in the learning environment at UBC sites were evident in areas that were managed by the parent institution, such as the attributes of shared faculty and curriculum. A greater divergence in the perception of the learning environment was found in domains dependent on local arrangements and social factors that are less amenable to central regulation. This study underlines the need for ongoing

Students' perception of the learning environment in a distributed medical programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Veerapen, Kiran; McAleer, Sean

2010-09-24

The learning environment of a medical school has a significant impact on students' achievements and learning outcomes. The importance of equitable learning environments across programme sites is implicit in distributed undergraduate medical programmes being developed and implemented. To study the learning environment and its equity across two classes and three geographically separate sites of a distributed medical programme at the University of British Columbia Medical School that commenced in 2004. The validated Dundee Ready Educational Environment Survey was sent to all students in their 2nd and 3rd year (classes graduating in 2009 and 2008) of the programme. The domains of the learning environment surveyed were: students' perceptions of learning, students' perceptions of teachers, students' academic self-perceptions, students' perceptions of the atmosphere, and students' social self-perceptions. Mean scores, frequency distribution of responses, and inter- and intrasite differences were calculated. The perception of the global learning environment at all sites was more positive than negative. It was characterised by a strongly positive perception of teachers. The work load and emphasis on factual learning were perceived negatively. Intersite differences within domains of the learning environment were more evident in the pioneer class (2008) of the programme. Intersite differences consistent across classes were largely related to on-site support for students. Shared strengths and weaknesses in the learning environment at UBC sites were evident in areas that were managed by the parent institution, such as the attributes of shared faculty and curriculum. A greater divergence in the perception of the learning environment was found in domains dependent on local arrangements and social factors that are less amenable to central regulation. This study underlines the need for ongoing comparative evaluation of the learning environment at the distributed sites and

Effects of prior knowledge on learning from different compositions of representations in a mobile learning environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

T.-C. Liu (Tzu-Chien); Y.-C. Lin (Yi-Chun); G.W.C. Paas (Fred)

2014-01-01

textabstractTwo experiments examined the effects of prior knowledge on learning from different compositions of multiple representations in a mobile learning environment on plant leaf morphology for primary school students. Experiment 1 compared the learning effects of a mobile learning environment

Virtual Learning Environment for Interactive Engagement with Advanced Quantum Mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Pedersen, Mads Kock; Skyum, Birk; Heck, Robert; Müller, Romain; Bason, Mark; Lieberoth, Andreas; Sherson, Jacob F.

2016-01-01

A virtual learning environment can engage university students in the learning process in ways that the traditional lectures and lab formats cannot. We present our virtual learning environment "StudentResearcher," which incorporates simulations, multiple-choice quizzes, video lectures, and gamification into a learning path for quantum…

From Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) to Mobile Assisted Language Use (MALU)

Science.gov (United States)

Jarvis, Huw; Achilleos, Marianna

2013-01-01

This article begins by critiquing the long-established acronym CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning). We then go on to report on a small-scale study which examines how student non-native speakers of English use a range of digital devices beyond the classroom in both their first (L1) and second (L2) languages. We look also at the extent to…

Early results of experiments with responsive open learning environments

OpenAIRE

Friedrich, M.; Wolpers, M.; Shen, R.; Ullrich, C.; Klamma, R.; Renzel, D.; Richert, A.; Heiden, B. von der

2011-01-01

Responsive open learning environments (ROLEs) are the next generation of personal learning environments (PLEs). While PLEs rely on the simple aggregation of existing content and services mainly using Web 2.0 technologies, ROLEs are transforming lifelong learning by introducing a new infrastructure on a global scale while dealing with existing learning management systems, institutions, and technologies. The requirements engineering process in highly populated test-beds is as important as the t...

A Review of Multimedia Glosses and Their Effects on L2 Vocabulary Acquisition in CALL Literature

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Mohsen, Mohammed Ali; Balakumar, M.

2011-01-01

This article reviews the literature of multimedia glosses in computer assisted language learning (CALL) and their effects on L2 vocabulary acquisition during the past seventeen years. Several studies have touched on this area to examine the potential of multimedia in a CALL environment in aiding L2 vocabulary acquisition. In this review, the…

Call cultures in orang-utans?

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Serge A Wich

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Several studies suggested great ape cultures, arguing that human cumulative culture presumably evolved from such a foundation. These focused on conspicuous behaviours, and showed rich geographic variation, which could not be attributed to known ecological or genetic differences. Although geographic variation within call types (accents has previously been reported for orang-utans and other primate species, we examine geographic variation in the presence/absence of discrete call types (dialects. Because orang-utans have been shown to have geographic variation that is not completely explicable by genetic or ecological factors we hypothesized that this will be similar in the call domain and predict that discrete call type variation between populations will be found. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We examined long-term behavioural data from five orang-utan populations and collected fecal samples for genetic analyses. We show that there is geographic variation in the presence of discrete types of calls. In exactly the same behavioural context (nest building and infant retrieval, individuals in different wild populations customarily emit either qualitatively different calls or calls in some but not in others. By comparing patterns in call-type and genetic similarity, we suggest that the observed variation is not likely to be explained by genetic or ecological differences. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These results are consistent with the potential presence of 'call cultures' and suggest that wild orang-utans possess the ability to invent arbitrary calls, which spread through social learning. These findings differ substantially from those that have been reported for primates before. First, the results reported here are on dialect and not on accent. Second, this study presents cases of production learning whereas most primate studies on vocal learning were cases of contextual learning. We conclude with speculating on how these findings might

Interactive learning environments to support independent learning: the impact of discernability of embedded support devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Martens, Rob; Valcke, Martin; Portier, Stanley

2017-01-01

In this article the effectivity of prototypes of interactive learning environments (ILE) is investigated. These computer-based environments are used for independent learning. In the learning materials, represented in the prototypes, a clear distinction is made between the basic content and embedded

A Collaborative Model for Ubiquitous Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Barbosa, Jorge; Barbosa, Debora; Rabello, Solon

2016-01-01

Use of mobile devices and widespread adoption of wireless networks have enabled the emergence of Ubiquitous Computing. Application of this technology to improving education strategies gave rise to Ubiquitous e-Learning, also known as Ubiquitous Learning. There are several approaches to organizing ubiquitous learning environments, but most of them…

Learning Design for a Successful Blended E-learning Environment: Cultural Dimensions

OpenAIRE

Al-Huwail, N.; Gulf Univ. for Science & Technology; Al-Sharhan, S.; Gulf Univ. for Science & Technology; Al-Hunaiyyan, A.; Gulf Univ. for Science & Technology

2007-01-01

Blended e-learning is becoming an educational issue especially with the new development of e-learning technology and globalization. This paper presents a new framework for delivery environment in blended e-learning. In addition, new concepts related to the learning strategies and multimedia design in blended e-learning are introduced. The work focuses on the critical cultural factors that affect a blended elearning system. Since it is common that good systems may fail due to cultural issues, ...

Students’ digital learning environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caviglia, Francesco; Dalsgaard, Christian; Davidsen, Jacob

2018-01-01

of the study are 1) to provide an overview of tools for students’ study activities, 2) to identify the most used and most important tools for students and 3) to discover which activities the tools are used for. The empirical study reveals that the students have a varied use of digital media. Some of the most......, the study shows that most of the important tools are not related to the systems provided by the educational institutions. Based on the study, the paper concludes with a discussion of how institutional systems connect to the other tools in the students’ practices, and how we can qualify students’ digital......The objective of the paper is to examine the nature of students’ digital learning environments to understand the interplay of institutional systems and tools that are managed by the students themselves. The paper is based on a study of 128 students’ digital learning environments. The objectives...

Practical Applications and Experiences in K-20 Blended Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Kyei-Blankson, Lydia, Ed.; Ntuli, Esther, Ed.

2014-01-01

Learning environments continue to change considerably and is no longer confined to the face-to-face classroom setting. As learning options have evolved, educators must adopt a variety of pedagogical strategies and innovative technologies to enable learning. "Practical Applications and Experiences in K-20 Blended Learning Environments"…

Distributed Scaffolding: Synergy in Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Ustunel, Hale H.; Tokel, Saniye Tugba

2018-01-01

When technology is employed challenges increase in learning environments. Kim et al. ("Sci Educ" 91(6):1010-1030, 2007) presented a pedagogical framework that provides a valid technology-enhanced learning environment. The purpose of the present design-based study was to investigate the micro context dimension of this framework and to…

Digital Communication Applications in the Online Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Lambeth, Krista Jill

2011-01-01

Scope and method of study. The purpose of this study was for the researcher to obtain a better understanding of the online learning environment, to explore the various ways online class instructors have incorporated digital communication applications to try and provide learner-centered online learning environments, and to examine students'…

Student-Centred Learning Environments: An Investigation into Student Teachers' Instructional Preferences and Approaches to Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Baeten, Marlies; Dochy, Filip; Struyven, Katrien; Parmentier, Emmeline; Vanderbruggen, Anne

2016-01-01

The use of student-centred learning environments in education has increased. This study investigated student teachers' instructional preferences for these learning environments and how these preferences are related to their approaches to learning. Participants were professional Bachelor students in teacher education. Instructional preferences and…

Preparing Teachers for Emerging Blended Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, Kevin M.; Stallings, Dallas T.

2014-01-01

Blended learning environments that merge learning strategies, resources, and modes have been implemented in higher education settings for nearly two decades, and research has identified many positive effects. More recently, K-12 traditional and charter schools have begun to experiment with blended learning, but to date, research on the effects of…

[Personal emergency call system based on human vital and system technical parameters in a Smart Home environment].

Science.gov (United States)

Hampicke, M; Schadow, B; Rossdeutscher, W; Fellbaum, K; Boenick, U

2002-11-01

Progress in microtechnology and radio transmission technology has enabled the development of highly reliable emergency-call systems. The present article describes systems that have been specially designed to improve the safety and independence of handicapped and elderly persons living at home. For such persons immediate help in an emergency situation is of crucial importance. The technical state of the art of emergency-call systems specially developed for use by the elderly, is briefly discussed, in particular the well-known radio emergency-call button, with the aid of which an alarm can be activated manually. This system, however, does not offer adequate safety in all emergency situations. Alternative or complementary systems designed to automatically trigger an alarm on the basis of the recording and evaluation of so-called vital parameters, are therefore proposed. In addition, in a smart-home environment with networked devices, further parameters--so-called environment parameters can be used. It is found that the identification of an emergency situation becomes more reliable as the number of parameters employed increases.

Digital Learning Environments: New possibilities and opportunities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Otto Peters

2000-06-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the general problem whether and, if so, how far the impact of the digitised learning environment on our traditional distance education will change the way in which teachers teach and learners learn. Are the dramatic innovations a menace to established ways of learning and teaching or are they the panacea to overcome some of the difficulties of our system of higher learning and to solve some of our educational problems caused by the big and far-reaching educational paradigm shift? This paper will not deal with technical or technological achievements in the field of information and communication which are, of course, revolutionary and to be acknowledged and admired. Rather, the digital learning environment will be analysed from a pedagogical point of view in order to find out what exactly are the didactic possibilities and opportunities and what are its foreseeable disadvantages.

Learning in the e-environment: new media and learning for the future

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milan Matijević

2015-03-01

Full Text Available We live in times of rapid change in all areas of science, technology, communication and social life. Every day we are asked to what extent school prepares us for these changes and for life in a new, multimedia environment. Children and adolescents spend less time at school or in other settings of learning than they do outdoors or within other social communities (family, clubs, societies, religious institutions and the like. Experts must constantly inquire about what exactly influences learning and development in our rich media environment. The list of the most important life competences has significantly changed and expanded since the last century. Educational experts are attempting to predict changes in the content and methodology of learning at the beginning of the 21st century. Answers are sought to key questions such as: what should one learn; how should one learn; where should one learn; why should one learn; and how do these answers relate to the new learning environment? In his examination of the way children and young people learn and grow up, the author places special attention on the relationship between personal and non-personal communication (e.g. the internet, mobile phones and different types of e-learning. He deals with today's questions by looking back to some of the more prominent authors and studies of the past fifty years that tackled identical or similar questions (Alvin Toffler, Ivan Illich, George Orwell, and the members of the Club of Rome. The conclusion reached is that in today's world of rapid and continuous change, it is much more crucial than in the last century, both, to be able to learn, and to adapt to learning with the help of new media.

Help Options for L2 Listening in CALL: A Research Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Cross, Jeremy

2017-01-01

In this article, I present an agenda for researching help options for second language (L2) listening in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) environments. I outline several theories which researchers in the area draw on, then present common points of concern identified from a review of related literature. This serves as a means to…

Gendered learning environments in managerial work

OpenAIRE

Gustavsson, Maria; Fogelberg Eriksson, Anna

2010-01-01

The aim is to investigate female and male managers’ learning environments with particular focus on their opportunities for and barriers to learning and career development in the managerial work of a male-dominated industrial company. In the case study 42 managers, 15 women and 27 men in the company were interviewed. The findings demonstrate that the male managers were provided with significantly richer opportunities to participate in activities conducive to learning and career development tha...

Education for Knowledge Society: Learning and Scientific Innovation Environment

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Alexander O. Karpov

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Cognitive-active learning research-type environment is the fundamental component of the education system for the knowledge society. The purpose of the research is the development of conceptual bases and a constructional model of a cognitively active learning environment that stimulates the creation of new knowledge and its socio-economic application. Research methods include epistemic-didactic analysis of empirical material collected as a result of the study of research environments at schools and universities; conceptualization and theoretical modeling of the cognitively active surrounding, which provides an infrastructure of the research-type cognitive process. The empirical material summarized in this work was collected in the research-cognitive space of the “Step into the Future” program, which is one of the most powerful systems of research education in present-day Russia. The article presents key points of the author's concept of generative learning environments and a model of learning and scientific innovation environment implemented at Russian schools and universities.

From Personal to Social: Learning Environments that Work

Science.gov (United States)

Camacho, Mar; Guilana, Sonia

2011-01-01

VLE (Virtual Learning Environments) are rapidly falling short to meet the demands of a networked society. Web 2.0 and social networks are proving to offer a more personalized, open environment for students to learn formally as they are already doing informally. With the irruption of social media into society, and therefore, education, many voices…

Learning about “wicked” problems in the Global South. Creating a film-based learning environment with “Visual Problem Appraisal”

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Witteveen, L.M.; Lie, R.

2012-01-01

The current complexity of sustainable development in the Global South calls for the design of learning strategies that can deal with this complexity. One such innovative learning strategy, called Visual Problem Appraisal (VPA), is highlighted in this article. The strategy is termed visual as it

Virtual Learning Environments and Learning Forms -experiments in ICT-based learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Helbo, Jan; Knudsen, Morten

2004-01-01

This paper report the main results of a three year experiment in ICT-based distance learning. The results are based on a full scale experiment in the education, Master of Industrial Information Technology (MII) and is one of many projects deeply rooted in the project Virtual Learning Environments...... and Learning forms (ViLL). The experiment was to transfer a well functioning on-campus engineering program based on project organized collaborative learning to a technology supported distance education program. After three years the experiments indicate that adjustments are required in this transformation....... The main problem is that we do not find the same self regulatoring learning effect in the group work among the off-campus students as is the case for on-campus students. Based on feedback from evaluation questionnaires and discussions with the students didactic adjustments have been made. The revised...

Ethnography in the Danish Veterinary Learning Environment

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Camilla Kirketerp Nielsen

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The overall objective of this project is research-based development, implementation and evaluation of a game-based learning concept to be used in the veterinary education. Herd visits and animal contact are essential for the development of veterinary competences and skills during education. Yet veterinary students have little occasion to reach/attain a proper level of confidence in their own skills/abilities, as they have limited “training-facilities” (Kneebone & Baillie, 2008. One possible solution mightbe to provide a safe, virtual environment (game-based where students could practise interdisciplinary clinical skills in an easily-accessible, interactive setting. A playable demo using Classical Swine Fever in a pig herd as an example has been produced for this purpose. In order totailor the game concept to the specific veterinary learning environment and to ensure compliance with both learning objectives and the actual learning processes/procedures of the veterinary students, the project contains both a developmental aspect (game development and an exploration of the academic (scholastic and profession (practice oriented learning context. The initial phase of the project was a preliminary exploration of the actual learning context, providing an important starting point for the upcoming phase in which I will concentrate on research-based development, implementation and evaluation of a game-based virtual environment in this course context. In the academic (scholastic and profession (practice oriented learning context of a veterinary course in Herd Health Management (Pig module,ethnographic studies have been conducted by using multiple data collection methods; participant observation, spontaneous dialogues and interviews (Borgnakke, 1996; Hammersley & Atkinson, 2007. All courserelated activities in the different learning spaces (commercial pig herds, auditoriums, post-mortem examinations, independent group work were followed.This paper will

Learning and instruction with computer simulations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Anthonius J.M.

1991-01-01

The present volume presents the results of an inventory of elements of such a computer learning environment. This inventory was conducted within a DELTA project called SIMULATE. In the project a learning environment that provides intelligent support to learners and that has a simulation as its

Students experiences with collaborative learning in asynchronous computer-supported collaborative learning environments.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dewiyanti, Silvia; Brand-Gruwel, Saskia; Jochems, Wim; Broers, Nick

2008-01-01

Dewiyanti, S., Brand-Gruwel, S., Jochems, W., & Broers, N. (2007). Students experiences with collaborative learning in asynchronous computer-supported collaborative learning environments. Computers in Human Behavior, 23, 496-514.

Hipatia: a hypermedia learning environment in mathematics

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Marisol Cueli

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Literature revealed the benefits of different instruments for the development of mathematical competence, problem solving, self-regulated learning, affective-motivational aspects and intervention in students with specific difficulties in mathematics. However, no one tool combined all these variables. The aim of this study is to present and describe the design and development of a hypermedia tool, Hipatia. Hypermedia environments are, by definición, adaptive learning systems, which are usually a web-based application program that provide a personalized learning environment. This paper describes the principles on which Hipatia is based as well as a review of available technologies developed in different academic subjects. Hipatia was created to boost self-regulated learning, develop specific math skills, and promote effective problem solving. It was targeted toward fifth and sixth grade students with and without learning difficulties in mathematics. After the development of the tool, we concluded that it aligned well with the logic underlying the principles of self-regulated learning. Future research is needed to test the efficacy of Hipatia with an empirical methodology.

A Semi-Open Learning Environment for Mobile Robotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrique Sucar

2007-05-01

Full Text Available We have developed a semi-open learning environment for mobile robotics, to learn through free exploration, but with specific performance criteria that guides the learning process. The environment includes virtual and remote robotics laboratories, and an intelligent virtual assistant the guides the students using the labs. A series of experiments in the virtual and remote labs are designed to gradually learn the basics of mobile robotics. Each experiment considers exploration and performance aspects, which are evaluated by the virtual assistant, giving feedback to the user. The virtual laboratory has been incorporated to a course in mobile robotics and used by a group of students. A preliminary evaluation shows that the intelligent tutor combined with the virtual laboratory can improve the learning process.

Gendered Learning Environments in Managerial Work

Science.gov (United States)

Gustavsson, Maria; Eriksson, Anna Fogelberg

2010-01-01

The aim is to investigate female and male managers' learning environments with particular focus on their opportunities for and barriers to learning and career development in the managerial work of a male-dominated industrial company. In the case study 42 managers, 15 women and 27 men in the company were interviewed. The findings demonstrate that…

Appreciation of learning environment and development of higher-order learning skills in a problem-based learning medical curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Mala-Maung; Abdullah, Azman; Abas, Zoraini W

2011-12-01

This cross-sectional study determined the appreciation of the learning environment and development of higher-order learning skills among students attending the Medical Curriculum at the International Medical University, Malaysia which provides traditional and e-learning resources with an emphasis on problem based learning (PBL) and self-directed learning. Of the 708 participants, the majority preferred traditional to e-resources. Students who highly appreciated PBL demonstrated a higher appreciation of e-resources. Appreciation of PBL is positively and significantly correlated with higher-order learning skills, reflecting the inculcation of self-directed learning traits. Implementers must be sensitive to the progress of learners adapting to the higher education environment and innovations, and to address limitations as relevant.

Nigerian Physiotherapy Clinical Students' Perception of Their Learning Environment Measured by the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure Inventory

Science.gov (United States)

Odole, Adesola C.; Oyewole, Olufemi O.; Ogunmola, Oluwasolape T.

2014-01-01

The identification of the learning environment and the understanding of how students learn will help teacher to facilitate learning and plan a curriculum to achieve the learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate undergraduate physiotherapy clinical students' perception of University of Ibadan's learning environment. Using the…

Students' Conception of Learning Environment and Their Approach to Learning and Its Implication on Quality Education

Science.gov (United States)

Belaineh, Matheas Shemelis

2017-01-01

Quality of education in higher institutions can be affected by different factors. It partly rests on the learning environment created by teachers and the learning approach students are employing during their learning. The main purpose of this study is to examine the learning environment at Mizan Tepi University from students' perspective and their…

Students' perceptions of learning environment in Guilan University of Medical Sciences

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Mahdokht Taheri

2013-05-01

Full Text Available  Background and purpose: There is an increasing interest and concern regarding the role of learning environment in undergraduate medical education in recent years. Educational environment is one of the most important factors determining the success of an effective curriculum. The quality of educational environment has been identified to be crucial for effective learning.we compared the perceptions of Basic sciences students and clinical phase regarding the learning environment and also to identify the gender related differences in their perceptions.Method: In this study, the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM inventory was used. The total score for all subscales is 200. In this study, DREEM was administered to undergraduate medical students of basic sciences students (n=120, and clinical phase (n= 100 and the scores were compared using a nonparametric test.Results Between the two batches, basic sciences students were found to be more than satisfied with the learning environment at GUMS compared to the clinical phase. Gender wise, there was not much difference in the students' perceptions.Conclusion: This study revealed that both groups of students perceived learning environment relatively more Negative than Positive in GUMS. It is essential for faculty members to place more efforts on observing principals of instructional design and create an appropriate educational environment in order to provide a better learning for students.Keywords:LEARNING ENVIRONMENT,,MEDICAL SCHOOL

Online EEG-Based Workload Adaptation of an Arithmetic Learning Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Carina; Rosenstiel, Wolfgang; Bogdan, Martin; Gerjets, Peter; Spüler, Martin

2017-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate a closed-loop EEG-based learning environment, that adapts instructional learning material online, to improve learning success in students during arithmetic learning. The amount of cognitive workload during learning is crucial for successful learning and should be held in the optimal range for each learner. Based on EEG data from 10 subjects, we created a prediction model that estimates the learner's workload to obtain an unobtrusive workload measure. Furthermore, we developed an interactive learning environment that uses the prediction model to estimate the learner's workload online based on the EEG data and adapt the difficulty of the learning material to keep the learner's workload in an optimal range. The EEG-based learning environment was used by 13 subjects to learn arithmetic addition in the octal number system, leading to a significant learning effect. The results suggest that it is feasible to use EEG as an unobtrusive measure of cognitive workload to adapt the learning content. Further it demonstrates that a promptly workload prediction is possible using a generalized prediction model without the need for a user-specific calibration.

Improvement of Inquiry in a Complex Technology-Enhanced Learning Environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pedaste, Margus; Kori, Külli; Maeots, Mario; de Jong, Anthonius J.M.; Riopel, Martin; Smyrnaiou, Zacharoula

2016-01-01

Inquiry learning is an effective approach in science education. Complex technology-enhanced learning environments are needed to apply inquiry worldwide to support knowledge gain and improvement of inquiry skills. In our study, we applied an ecology mission in the SCY-Lab learning environment and

Personal Learning Environments for Supporting Out-of-Class Language Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Reinders, Hayo

2014-01-01

A Personal Learning Environment (PLE) it is a combination of tools (usually digital) and resources chosen by the learner to support different aspects of the learning process, from goal setting to materials selection to assessment. The importance of PLEs for teachers lies in their ability to help students develop autonomy and prepare them for…

Learning in Non-Stationary Environments Methods and Applications

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Lughofer, Edwin

2012-01-01

Recent decades have seen rapid advances in automatization processes, supported by modern machines and computers. The result is significant increases in system complexity and state changes, information sources, the need for faster data handling and the integration of environmental influences. Intelligent systems, equipped with a taxonomy of data-driven system identification and machine learning algorithms, can handle these problems partially. Conventional learning algorithms in a batch off-line setting fail whenever dynamic changes of the process appear due to non-stationary environments and external influences.   Learning in Non-Stationary Environments: Methods and Applications offers a wide-ranging, comprehensive review of recent developments and important methodologies in the field. The coverage focuses on dynamic learning in unsupervised problems, dynamic learning in supervised classification and dynamic learning in supervised regression problems. A later section is dedicated to applications in which dyna...

Personal Learning Environments in Black and White

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kalz, Marco

2010-01-01

Kalz, M. (2010, 22 January). Personal Learning Environments in Black and White. Presentation provided during the workshop "Informal Learning and the use of social software in veterinary medicine" of the Noviceproject (http://www.noviceproject.eu), Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Supporting Student Learning in Computer Science Education via the Adaptive Learning Environment ALMA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Gasparinatou

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This study presents the ALMA environment (Adaptive Learning Models from texts and Activities. ALMA supports the processes of learning and assessment via: (1 texts differing in local and global cohesion for students with low, medium, and high background knowledge; (2 activities corresponding to different levels of comprehension which prompt the student to practically implement different text-reading strategies, with the recommended activity sequence adapted to the student’s learning style; (3 an overall framework for informing, guiding, and supporting students in performing the activities; and; (4 individualized support and guidance according to student specific characteristics. ALMA also, supports students in distance learning or in blended learning in which students are submitted to face-to-face learning supported by computer technology. The adaptive techniques provided via ALMA are: (a adaptive presentation and (b adaptive navigation. Digital learning material, in accordance with the text comprehension model described by Kintsch, was introduced into the ALMA environment. This material can be exploited in either distance or blended learning.

Nursing students' satisfaction of the clinical learning environment: a research study.

Science.gov (United States)

Papastavrou, Evridiki; Dimitriadou, Maria; Tsangari, Haritini; Andreou, Christos

2016-01-01

The acquisition of quality clinical experience within a supportive and pedagogically adjusted clinical learning environment is a significant concern for educational institutions. The quality of clinical learning usually reflects the quality of the curriculum structure. The assessment of the clinical settings as learning environment is a significant concern within the contemporary nursing education. The nursing students' satisfaction is considered as an important factor of such assessment, contributing to any potential reforms in order to optimize the learning activities and achievements within clinical settings. The aim of the study was to investigate nursing students' satisfaction of the clinical settings as learning environments. A quantitative descriptive, correlational design was used. A sample of 463 undergraduate nursing students from the three universities in Cyprus were participated. Data were collected using the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher (CLES + T). Nursing students were highly satisfied with the clinical learning environment and their satisfaction has been positively related to all clinical learning environment constructs namely the pedagogical atmosphere, the Ward Manager's leadership style, the premises of Nursing in the ward, the supervisory relationship (mentor) and the role of the Nurse Teacher (p relationship. The frequency of meetings among the students and the mentors increased the students' satisfaction with the clinical learning environment. It was also revealed that 1st year students were found to be more satisfied than the students in other years. The supervisory relationship was evaluated by the students as the most influential factor in their satisfaction with the clinical learning environment. Student's acceptance within the nursing team and a well-documented individual nursing care is also related with students' satisfaction. The pedagogical atmosphere is considered pivotal, with reference to

Mobile Learning Environment System (MLES): The Case of Android-based Learning Application on Undergraduates' Learning

OpenAIRE

Hanafi, Hafizul Fahri; Samsudin, Khairulanuar

2012-01-01

Of late, mobile technology has introduced new, novel environment that can be capitalized to further enrich the teaching and learning process in classrooms. Taking cognizance of this promising setting, a study was undertaken to investigate the impact of such an environment enabled by android platform on the learning process among undergraduates of Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia; in particular, this paper discusses critical aspects of the design and implementation of the android le...

COOPERATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WITH THE WEB 2.0 TOOL E-PORTFOLIOS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soh OR KAN

2011-07-01

Full Text Available In recent years, the development of information and communication technology (ICT in the world and Malaysia namely has created a significant impact on the methods of communicating information and knowledge to the learners and consequently, innovative teaching techniques have evolved to change the ways teachers teach and the ways students learn. This study main focuses are directed on developing a cooperative learning environment to promote an active learning environment of smart schools in Malaysia. Within this learning process, multimedia technology and Web 2.0 tools, namely, MyPortfolio were integrated to provide the students to learn on their own as well as to document their progress and experience within this cooperative learning environment. The core purpose of this study is to establish the impact on student learning, their perceptions and learning experiences of the cooperative learning environment using web 2.0 tools among the smart secondary schools students in Malaysia. Surveys were conducted to students to ascertain their reaction towards these learning environment activities. The results of this project were encouraging as the students managed to cope with each other to reach their common goal. The usage of blogs acts as an important tool to enhance team cooperation and to foster a learning community within the class.

Personalised Peer-Supported Learning: The Peer-to-Peer Learning Environment (P2PLE)

Science.gov (United States)

Corneli, Joseph; Mikroyannidis, Alexander

2011-01-01

The Peer-to-Peer Learning Environment (P2PLE) is a proposed approach to helping learners co-construct their learning environment using recommendations about people, content, and tools. The work draws on current research on PLEs, and participant observation at the Peer-to-Peer University (P2PU). We are particularly interested in ways of eliciting…

Personalized e-Learning Environments: Considering Students' Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Eyharabide, Victoria; Gasparini, Isabela; Schiaffino, Silvia; Pimenta, Marcelo; Amandi, Analía

Personalization in e-learning systems is vital since they are used by a wide variety of students with different characteristics. There are several approaches that aim at personalizing e-learning environments. However, they focus mainly on technological and/or networking aspects without caring of contextual aspects. They consider only a limited version of context while providing personalization. In our work, the objective is to improve e-learning environment personalization making use of a better understanding and modeling of the user’s educational and technological context using ontologies. We show an example of the use of our proposal in the AdaptWeb system, in which content and navigation recommendations are provided depending on the student’s context.

Miscellany of Students' Satisfaction in an Asynchronous Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Larbi-Siaw, Otu; Owusu-Agyeman, Yaw

2017-01-01

This study investigates the determinants of students' satisfaction in an asynchronous learning environment using seven key considerations: the e-learning environment, student-content interaction, student and student interaction, student-teacher interaction, group cohesion and timely participation, knowledge of Internet usage, and satisfaction. The…

Virtual Learning Environments and Learning Forms -experiments in ICT-based learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Helbo, Jan; Knudsen, Morten

2004-01-01

This paper report the main results of a three year experiment in ICT-based distance learning. The results are based on a full scale experiment in the education, Master of Industrial Information Technology (MII) and is one of many projects deeply rooted in the project Virtual Learning Environments...... didactic model has until now been a positive experience........ The main problem is that we do not find the same self regulatoring learning effect in the group work among the off-campus students as is the case for on-campus students. Based on feedback from evaluation questionnaires and discussions with the students didactic adjustments have been made. The revised...

Creative and Playful Learning: Learning through Game Co-Creation and Games in a Playful Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Kangas, Marjaana

2010-01-01

This paper reports on a pilot study in which children aged 7-12 (N = 68) had an opportunity to study in a novel formal and informal learning setting. The learning activities were extended from the classroom to the playful learning environment (PLE), an innovative playground enriched by technological tools. Curriculum-based learning was intertwined…

Applying a Framework for Student Modeling in Exploratory Learning Environments: Comparing Data Representation Granularity to Handle Environment Complexity

Science.gov (United States)

Fratamico, Lauren; Conati, Cristina; Kardan, Samad; Roll, Ido

2017-01-01

Interactive simulations can facilitate inquiry learning. However, similarly to other Exploratory Learning Environments, students may not always learn effectively in these unstructured environments. Thus, providing adaptive support has great potential to help improve student learning with these rich activities. Providing adaptive support requires a…

Postgraduate trainees' perceptions of the learning environment in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Increased performance in both areas requires routine assessment of the learning environment to identify components that need attention. Objective. To evaluate the perception of junior doctors undergoing specialist training regarding the learning environment in a teaching hospital. Methods. This was a single-centre, ...

ADILE: Architecture of a database-supported learning environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hiddink, G.W.

2001-01-01

This article proposes an architecture for distributed learning environments that use databases to store learning material. As the layout of learning material can inhibit reuse, the ar-chitecture implements the notion of "separation of layout and structure" using XML technology. Also, the

Learning from data for aquatic and geothenical environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bhattacharya, B.

2005-01-01

The book presents machine learning as an approach to build models that learn from data, and that can be used to complement the existing modelling practice in aquatic and geotechnical environments. It provides concepts of learning from data, and identifies segmentation (clustering), classification,

Burnout and the learning environment of anaesthetic trainees.

Science.gov (United States)

Castanelli, D J; Wickramaarachchi, S A; Wallis, S

2017-11-01

Burnout has a high prevalence among healthcare workers and is increasingly recognised as an environmental problem rather than reflecting a personal inability to cope with work stress. We distributed an electronic survey, which included the Maslach Burnout Inventory Health Services Survey and a previously validated learning environment instrument, to 281 Victorian anaesthetic trainees. The response rate was 50%. We found significantly raised rates of burnout in two of three subscales. Ninety-one respondents (67%) displayed evidence of burnout in at least one domain, with 67 (49%) reporting high emotional exhaustion and 57 (42%) reporting high depersonalisation. The clinical learning environment tool demonstrated a significant negative correlation with burnout (r=-0.56, P Burnout was significantly more common than when previously measured in Victoria in 2008 (62% versus 38%). Trainees rated examination preparation the most stressful aspect of the training program. There is a high prevalence of burnout among Victorian anaesthetic trainees. We have shown a significant correlation exists between the clinical learning environment measure and the presence of burnout. This correlation supports the development of interventions to improve the clinical learning environment, as a means to improve trainee wellbeing and address the high prevalence of burnout.

Virtual Learning Environment for Interactive Engagement with Advanced Quantum Mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Pedersen, Mads Kock; Skyum, Birk; Heck, Robert; Müller, Romain; Bason, Mark; Lieberoth, Andreas; Sherson, Jacob F.

2016-06-01

A virtual learning environment can engage university students in the learning process in ways that the traditional lectures and lab formats cannot. We present our virtual learning environment StudentResearcher, which incorporates simulations, multiple-choice quizzes, video lectures, and gamification into a learning path for quantum mechanics at the advanced university level. StudentResearcher is built upon the experiences gathered from workshops with the citizen science game Quantum Moves at the high-school and university level, where the games were used extensively to illustrate the basic concepts of quantum mechanics. The first test of this new virtual learning environment was a 2014 course in advanced quantum mechanics at Aarhus University with 47 enrolled students. We found increased learning for the students who were more active on the platform independent of their previous performances.

The Effects of Different Learning Environments on Students' Motivation for Learning and Their Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Baeten, Marlies; Dochy, Filip; Struyven, Katrien

2013-01-01

Background: Research in higher education on the effects of student-centred versus lecture-based learning environments generally does not take into account the psychological need support provided in these learning environments. From a self-determination theory perspective, need support is important to study because it has been associated with…

Sense of coherence, career adaptability and burnout of early-career Black staff in the call centre environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nisha Harry

2013-11-01

Research purpose: This study explored whether call centre agents’ sense of coherence significantly influences their career adaptability and whether their burnout levels significantly moderate the sense of coherence–career adaptability relationship. The research also investigated whether age, gender and years of service (as control variables, along with sense of coherence, predicted career adaptability. Motivation for the study: The positive psychological construct of career adaptability and its association with call centre agents’ sense of coherence, burnout, age, gender and years of service have not yet been investigated in the call centre environment. Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional quantitative survey design was used. The Orientation to Life, Career Adapt-Abilities Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory General Scale were administered to a non-probability purposive sample of 409 early-career Black staff employed in three of the largest outsourced financial call centres in Africa. Main findings: Multiple regression analyses revealed that age, gender and meaningfulness significantly predicted call centre agents’ career adaptability, but that their burnout levels do not significantly moderate the sense of coherence–career adaptability relationship. Practical/managerial implications: Enhancing call centre agents’ sense of meaningfulness will increase their levels of career adaptability and career wellbeing. Contribution/value-add: This research is the first to investigate the construct of career adaptability in the call centre environment and adds new knowledge and insights to the existing wellness and positive psychology literature.

PENGARUH PERMAINAN CALL CARDS TERHADAP HASIL BELAJAR DAN AKTIVITAS PEMBELAJARAN BIOLOGI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Machin

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Tujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui pengaruh permainan call cards terhadap hasil belajar dan aktivitas pembelajaran. Aktivitas pembelajaran yang diukur meliputi aktivitas individual siswa dan kinerja guru. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian eksperimental. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa media permainan call cards berkontribusi sebesar 46% terhadap hasil belajar siswa. Hasil belajar siswa yang diberi media permainan call cards lebih baik daripada hasil belajar siswa yang tidak diberi mediapermainan call cards. Dengan demikian, media permainan call cards dapat menjadi alternatif dalam pencapaian hasil belajar biologi yang lebih baik.   Research purposes to determine the effect of call cards game against learning outcomes and learning activities. Learning activities that were measured included the activity of individual student and teacher performance. This research was experimental. The results showed that the media play call cards account for 46% of the student learning outcomes. Learning outcomes of students who were given media cards call the game better than the learning outcomes of students who were not given mediapermainan call cards. Thus, the media play call cards can be an alternative in achieving the learning outcomes of biology better.

Theoretical framework on selected core issues on conditions for productive learning in networked learning environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dirckinck-Holmfeld, Lone; Svendsen, Brian Møller; Ponti, Marisa

The report documents and summarises the elements and dimensions that have been identified to describe and analyse the case studies collected in the Kaleidoscope Jointly Executed Integrating Research Project (JEIRP) on Conditions for productive learning in network learning environments.......The report documents and summarises the elements and dimensions that have been identified to describe and analyse the case studies collected in the Kaleidoscope Jointly Executed Integrating Research Project (JEIRP) on Conditions for productive learning in network learning environments....

Communicating the Library as a Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Nitecki, Danuta A.; Simpson, Katherine

2016-01-01

Lack of commonly used vocabulary for informal learning environments hinders precise communication concerning what is observed, assessed, and understood about the relationship between space and learning. This study empirically extends taxonomies of terms and phrases that describe such relationships through content analysis of descriptions of…

The Effectiveness of Blended Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Eryilmaz, Meltem

2015-01-01

The object of this experimental study is to measure the effectiveness of a blended learning environment which is laid out on the basis of features for face to face and online environments. The study was applied to 110 students who attend to Atilim University, Ankara, Turkey and take Introduction to Computers Course. During the application,…

Living and learning in a rural environment: a nursing student perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Pront, Leeanne; Kelton, Moira; Munt, Rebecca; Hutton, Alison

2013-03-01

This study investigates the influences on nursing student learning who live and learn in the same rural environment. A declining health workforce has been identified both globally and in Australia, the effects of which have become significantly apparent in the rural nursing sector. In support of rural educational programs the literature portrays rural clinical practice experiences as significant to student learning. However, there is little available research on what influences learning for the nursing student who studies in their own rural community. The aim of this study was to understand what influences student learning in the rural clinical environment. Through a multiple case study design five nursing students and two clinical preceptors from a rural clinical venue were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed to identify factors that influenced student learning outcomes. The most significant influence on nursing student learning in the rural clinical environment was found to include the environment itself, the complex relationships unique to living and studying in a rural community along with the capacity to link theory to practice. The rural environment influences those in it, the demands placed on them, the relationships they form, the ability to promote learning and the time to teach and learn. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Creating a Learning Environment for Engineering Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Hans Peter

2004-01-01

Until recently discussions about improvement of educational quality have focussed on the teacher – it was as-sumed that by training the teacher you could increase the students’ learning outcome. Realising that other changes than better teaching were necessary to give the students more useful......? And the introduction of IT has highlighted the importance of the learning environment, but the focus has narrowly been on the physical environment. However, the mental frame-work is also very important. To assure educational quality it is necessary to take all these elements into account and consider the total...

The Impact of Multitasking Learning Environments in the Middle Grades

Science.gov (United States)

Drinkwine, Timothy

2013-01-01

This research study considers the status of middle school students in the 21st century in terms of their tendency to multitask in their daily lives and the overall influence this multitasking has on teaching and learning environments. Student engagement in the learning environment and students' various learning styles are discussed as primary…

Use of Heuristics to Facilitate Scientific Discovery Learning in a Simulation Learning Environment in a Physics Domain

Science.gov (United States)

Veermans, Koen; van Joolingen, Wouter; de Jong, Ton

2006-01-01

This article describes a study into the role of heuristic support in facilitating discovery learning through simulation-based learning. The study compares the use of two such learning environments in the physics domain of collisions. In one learning environment (implicit heuristics) heuristics are only used to provide the learner with guidance…

promoting self directed learning in simulation based discovery learning environments through intelligent support.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veermans, K.H.; de Jong, Anthonius J.M.; van Joolingen, Wouter

2000-01-01

Providing learners with computer-generated feedback on their learning process in simulationbased discovery environments cannot be based on a detailed model of the learning process due to the “open” character of discovery learning. This paper describes a method for generating adaptive feedback for

Design of Feedback in Interactive Multimedia Language Learning Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vehbi Türel

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In interactive multimedia environments, different digital elements (i. e. video, audio, visuals, text, animations, graphics and glossary can be combined and delivered on the same digital computer screen (TDM 1997: 151, CCED 1987, Brett 1998: 81, Stenton 1998: 11, Mangiafico 1996: 46. This also enables effectively provision and presentation of feedback in pedagogically more efficient ways, which meets not only the requirement of different teaching and learning theories, but also the needs of language learners who vary in their learning-style preferences (Robinson 1991: 156, Peter 1994: 157f.. This study aims to bring out the pedagogical and design principles that might help us to more effectively design and customise feedback in interactive multimedia language learning environments. While so doing, some examples of thought out and customized computerised feedback from an interactive multimedia language learning environment, which were designed and created by the author of this study and were also used for language learning purposes, will be shown.

Virtual learning environment for interactive engagement with advanced quantum mechanics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mads Kock Pedersen

2016-04-01

Full Text Available A virtual learning environment can engage university students in the learning process in ways that the traditional lectures and lab formats cannot. We present our virtual learning environment StudentResearcher, which incorporates simulations, multiple-choice quizzes, video lectures, and gamification into a learning path for quantum mechanics at the advanced university level. StudentResearcher is built upon the experiences gathered from workshops with the citizen science game Quantum Moves at the high-school and university level, where the games were used extensively to illustrate the basic concepts of quantum mechanics. The first test of this new virtual learning environment was a 2014 course in advanced quantum mechanics at Aarhus University with 47 enrolled students. We found increased learning for the students who were more active on the platform independent of their previous performances.

The Influence of Virtual Learning Environments in Students' Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Paulo; Miranda, Luísa; Morais, Carlos

2017-01-01

This paper focuses mainly on the relation between the use of a virtual learning environment (VLE) and students' performance. Therefore, virtual learning environments are characterised and a study is presented emphasising the frequency of access to a VLE and its relation with the students' performance from a public higher education institution…

The Value of Interactive Assignments in the Online Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Florenthal, Bela

2016-01-01

The offerings of Web-based supplemental material for textbooks have been increasingly growing. When deciding to adopt a textbook, instructors examine the added value of the associated supplements, also called "e-learning tools," to enhance students' learning of course concepts. In this study, one such supplement, interactive assignments,…

Development and Validation of Culture-Sensitive Physics Learning Environment Survey (CS-PLES

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Marie Paz E. Morales

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The study combined qualitative approaches with quantitative research design to come up with a survey instrument called Culture-Sensitive Physics Learning Environment Survey (CS-PLES.This survey instrument is intended to extract the learners’ beliefs and expectations on the integration of culture and language in the teaching and learning process of physics concepts. Significant contribution of the instrument can be traced to establishing and defining the constructs and categories on how curriculum localization and context-based science learning can be developed aligned with students’ expectations and beliefs. The development process employed non-conventional processes adopted from literature which included pilot study to identify pre-deterministic constructs and specific categories for the items to be included in the survey. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and factor analysis to establish the categories or constructs of the survey instruments. Reliability measures of the instrument and its respective constructs were established for standardization. These categories were intended to aid researchers for an in-depth analysis when the instrument is administered for its purpose. The raw statistical categories were qualitatively paralleled with the pre-deterministic constructs to establish congruence of the survey tool to Instructional Congruence Framework (ICF.

Application of Cognitive and Socio-Cultural Theories in CALL

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Mustafa Akın Güngör

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Since it is quite difficult in traditional learning atmospheres for the learners to be exposed to the target language adequately in foreign language acquisition, CALL in which virtual environment is designed in more appropriate way has given rise. Two main paradigms, cognitive model and socio-cultural theory, have also been adopted in CALL. Moreover, rather than applying one theory, combination of these paradigms is unavoidable. However, application of this combination is challenging in practice, as these two theories have different principles. Furthermore, when it comes to online education, it turns into more challenging process. In this poster this combination is presented with the help of sample applications from Gazi University.

Creating a Total Quality Environment (TQE) for Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Freed, Jann E.

2005-01-01

This article describes a model for creating a total quality environment (TQE) for learning in which everyone is considered a learner. The model consists of 11 interrelated characteristics derived from the literature in the areas of continuous improvement, leadership, learning, learning organizations, and spirituality. The characteristics in the…

Education for Knowledge Society: Learning and Scientific Innovation Environment

OpenAIRE

Alexander O. Karpov

2017-01-01

Cognitive-active learning research-type environment is the fundamental component of the education system for the knowledge society. The purpose of the research is the development of conceptual bases and a constructional model of a cognitively active learning environment that stimulates the creation of new knowledge and its socio-economic application. Research methods include epistemic-didactic analysis of empirical material collected as a result of the study of research environments at school...

Peer Evaluation in CMC Learning Environment and Writing Skill

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Morteza Mellati

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Peer evaluation and technology-based instruction as the various domains of language teaching perspectives might affect language development. Group work in a technology-based environment might be more successful when learners are involved in developing the assessment process particularly peer assessment. This study investigated the effectiveness of peer evaluation in technology-based language environment and its effects on English writing ability. To reach this goal, 70 Iranian learners were participated in English language writing context. They were divided into two groups, one group assigned to CMC (Computer-Mediated Communication language learning context and the other assigned to a traditional learning environment. Both groups were encouraged to evaluate their classmates’ writing tasks. In addition, interviews were conducted with two learners. Comparing these two groups provides comprehensive guidelines for teachers as well as curriculum designers to set adjusted writing language environment for more effective and creative language teaching and learning. E-collaboration classroom tasks have high intrinsic motivation as well as significant effects on learners’ outcomes. Cooperative tasks specifically in technology-based environment lead learners to group working and consequently group learning. Computer-Mediated Communication is meaningful, especially in contexts in which teachers stimulate group work activities.

Reconfiguring Course Design in Virtual Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mullins, Michael; Zupancic, Tadeja

2007-01-01

for architectural students offers some innovative insights into experientially oriented educational interfaces. A comparative analysis of VIPA courses and project results are presented in the paper. Special attention in the discussion is devoted to the improvements of e-learning solutions in architecture......Although many administrators and educators are familiar with e-learning programs, learning management systems and portals, fewer may have experience with virtual distributed learning environments and their academic relevance. The blended learning experience of the VIPA e-learning project....... The criterion of the relation between the actual applicability of selected e-learning solutions and elements of collaborative educational interfaces with VR are taken into account. A system of e-learning applicability levels in program and course development and implementation of architectural tectonics...

The Role of the Constructivist Learning Theory and Collaborative Learning Environment on Wiki Classroom, and the Relationship between Them

Science.gov (United States)

Alzahrani, Ibraheem; Woollard, John

2013-01-01

This paper seeks to discover the relationship between both the social constructivist learning theory and the collaborative learning environment. This relationship can be identified by giving an example of the learning environment. Due to wiki characteristics, Wiki technology is one of the most famous learning environments that can show the…

Learning environments matter: Identifying influences on the motivation to learn science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salomé Schulze

2015-05-01

Full Text Available In the light of the poor academic achievement in science by secondary school students in South Africa, students' motivation for science learning should be enhanced. It is argued that this can only be achieved with insight into which motivational factors to target, with due consideration of the diversity in schools. The study therefore explored the impact of six motivational factors for science learning in a sample of 380 Grade Nine boys and girls from three racial groups, in both public and independent schools. The students completed the Student Motivation for Science Learning questionnaire. Significant differences were identified between different groups and school types. The study is important for identifying the key role of achievement goals, science learning values and science self-efficacies. The main finding emphasises the significant role played by science teachers in motivating students for science in terms of the learning environments that they create. This has important implications for future research, aimed at a better understanding of these environments. Such insights are needed to promote scientific literacy among the school students, and so contribute to the improvement of science achievement in South Africa.

Mining Learning Social Networks for Cooperative Learning with Appropriate Learning Partners in a Problem-Based Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chih-Ming; Chang, Chia-Cheng

2014-01-01

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.…

Comparative study of the effectiveness of three learning environments: Hyper-realistic virtual simulations, traditional schematic simulations and traditional laboratory

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Maria Isabel Suero

2011-10-01

Full Text Available This study compared the educational effects of computer simulations developed in a hyper-realistic virtual environment with the educational effects of either traditional schematic simulations or a traditional optics laboratory. The virtual environment was constructed on the basis of Java applets complemented with a photorealistic visual output. This new virtual environment concept, which we call hyper-realistic, transcends basic schematic simulation; it provides the user with a more realistic perception of a physical phenomenon being simulated. We compared the learning achievements of three equivalent, homogeneous groups of undergraduates—an experimental group who used only the hyper-realistic virtual laboratory, a first control group who used a schematic simulation, and a second control group who used the traditional laboratory. The three groups received the same theoretical preparation and carried out equivalent practicals in their respective learning environments. The topic chosen for the experiment was optical aberrations. An analysis of variance applied to the data of the study demonstrated a statistically significant difference (p value <0.05 between the three groups. The learning achievements attained by the group using the hyper-realistic virtual environment were 6.1 percentage points higher than those for the group using the traditional schematic simulations and 9.5 percentage points higher than those for the group using the traditional laboratory.

Non-formal Learning through Ludic Engagement within Interactive Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersson, Eva

Adaptive responsive environments that encourage interaction for children with severe disabilities offer a distinct potential for play and learning in rehabilitation. Physical training and therapy for these children is often enduring, tedious, and boring through repetition – and this is often...... the case for both the child and the facilitator/therapist. Despite this, little is yet known about how the utilization of empowering technology influences the users’ communication and learning. The aim of this thesis is twofold: to contribute to the understanding of the role of action and interaction...... in the learning involved when people with different abilities are using interactive environments, and to make a contribution to the research field by concluding at tentative generalizations on design for non-formal learning in interactive environments.      The thesis consists of seven studies which analyze...

Maintaining collaborative, democratic and dialogue-based learning processes in virtual and game-based learning environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gyldendahl Jensen, Camilla; Sorensen, Elsebeth Korsgaard

2017-01-01

The incorporation and use of virtual learning platforms, including computer games, in the education sector, challenge these years the complexity of the learning environment regarding maintaining collaborative, democratic and dialogue-based learning processes that support a high degree of reflection....... When virtual learning platforms are used in an educational context, a fundamental paradox appears as the student needs an active and practice-oriented participation identity to learn while at the same time needing to learn to acquire a participation identity. This identity is raised and trained...... by being a continuous part of a community that recalls the scenarios of reality. It is therefore crucial that the learning environment reflects the reality of which the students' professionalism is unfolded. Learning is, therefore, something more and not just the acquisition of knowledge and past actions...

THE BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ON THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING PROCESS: A Balance for Motivation and Achievement

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Bahar ISIGUZEL

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to determine the effects on motivation and success within the application of blended learning environments in the foreign language class. The research sample is formed by third grade students studying in the tourism and hotel management programs of the faculty for tourism and the faculty of economics and administrative sciences at the Nevsehir Hacı Bektas Veli University (Turkey in fall semester of the 2012-2013 academic year. The research group consists of 62 students and there of 35 students belong to the experimental group and the other 27 persons belong to the control group. While the experimental group was subject to 14 hours online and 6 hours traditional face to face learning, the control group was subject to only 6 hours traditional face to face learning. The research has been completed after a 10 week application. The data on the research have been collected with German course achievement tests via the German Language Learning Motivation Scale. The results reveal that the experimental group of students attending the German classes in blended learning environments has more success and higher motivation compared to the control group attending German language classes in the traditional learning environment. Even if the learners achieve certain success and motivation findings in the classroom and face to face environments performed along with teaching-learning activities mainly in control of the instructor, the success and motivation effect of the blended learning environment could not be achieved.

Understanding and Predicting Student Self-Regulated Learning Strategies in Game-Based Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Sabourin, Jennifer L.; Shores, Lucy R.; Mott, Bradford W.; Lester, James C.

2013-01-01

Self-regulated learning behaviors such as goal setting and monitoring have been found to be crucial to students' success in computer-based learning environments. Consequently, understanding students' self-regulated learning behavior has been the subject of increasing attention. Unfortunately, monitoring these behaviors in real-time has…

Mapping Students Use of Technologies in Problem Based Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rongbutsri, Nikorn; Khalid, Md. Saifuddin; Ryberg, Thomas

2011-01-01

This paper aims to understand how students use technology to enhance their learning in problem-based learning environments. The research methodology is based on both qualitative and quantitative studies. The results are based on students’ interviews, a survey and students’ reflections in course......-related blog posts; they show that students have positive perceptions toward using technologies in problem-based learning environments....

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION ABOUT CLINICAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN THE PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY MEDICAL FACILITIES

OpenAIRE

Dewi, Dian Puspita; Rahayu, Gandes Retno; Kristina, Tri Nur

2018-01-01

Background: Learning environment is an important factor in learning process and can affect students' competence and work-readiness. Learning environment is not only about physical facilities but also social and psychological condition. The complexity of clinical learning environments pose challenges and problems that may affect students learning process so it is necessary to monitoring and evaluating students learning environments. This study aims to assess students' perception of their learn...

Engaging Students' Learning Through a Blended Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Stuart

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Within the furniture manufacturing industry a high proportion of occupational accidents are as a result of non-compliance to machining regulations and incorrect work practices. Safety training plays an important role in reducing accidents and promoting a safety culture within this sector. This article details an action research study undertaken during the first year of a new Degree in Timber Product Technology, which set out to evaluate the impact a blended learning environment and reusable learning objects (RLOs could have on promoting safe work practices and a safety culture amongst students. A constructivist approach was taken and the module design was underpinned by Kolb’s model of experiential learning, placing more responsibility on the learners for their own learning and encouraging them to reflect upon their experiences. The findings of this study suggest that students with prior industry machining experience required a change in their attitude to machining which was achieved within the practical labs, while students with no machining experiences were intimidated by the learning environment in the practical labs but whose learning experience was enhanced through the use of RLOs and other eLearning resources. In order to reduce occupational accidents in the furniture manufacturing industry the promotion of continuing professional development (CPD training courses is required in order to change workers’ behaviour to machine safety and encourage lifelong learning so as to promote a safety culture within the furniture manufacturing industry.

Video-calls to reduce loneliness and social isolation within care environments for older people: an implementation study using collaborative action research.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamir, Sonam; Hennessy, Catherine Hagan; Taylor, Adrian H; Jones, Ray B

2018-03-02

Older people in care may be lonely with insufficient contact if families are unable to visit. Face-to-face contact through video-calls may help reduce loneliness, but little is known about the processes of engaging people in care environments in using video-calls. We aimed to identify the barriers to and facilitators of implementing video-calls for older people in care environments. A collaborative action research (CAR) approach was taken to implement a video-call intervention in care environments. We undertook five steps of recruitment, planning, implementation, reflection and re-evaluation, in seven care homes and one hospital in the UK. The video-call intervention 'Skype on Wheels' (SoW) comprised a wheeled device that could hold an iPad and handset, and used Skype to provide a free video-call service. Care staff were collaborators who implemented the intervention within the care-setting by agreeing the intervention, recruiting older people and their family, and setting up video-calls. Field notes and reflective diaries on observations and conversations with staff, older people and family were maintained over 15 months, and analysed using thematic analysis. Four care homes implemented the intervention. Eight older people with their respective social contacts made use of video-calls. Older people were able to use SoW with assistance from staff, and enjoyed the use of video-calls to stay better connected with family. However five barriers towards implementation included staff turnover, risk averseness, the SoW design, lack of family commitment and staff attitudes regarding technology. The SoW intervention, or something similar, could aid older people to stay better connected with their families in care environments, but if implemented as part of a rigorous evaluation, then co-production of the intervention at each recruitment site may be needed to overcome barriers and maximise engagement.

Big Data X-Learning Resources Integration and Processing in Cloud Environments

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Kong Xiangsheng

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The cloud computing platform has good flexibility characteristics, more and more learning systems are migrated to the cloud platform. Firstly, this paper describes different types of educational environments and the data they provide. Then, it proposes a kind of heterogeneous learning resources mining, integration and processing architecture. In order to integrate and process the different types of learning resources in different educational environments, this paper specifically proposes a novel solution and massive storage integration algorithm and conversion algorithm to the heterogeneous learning resources storage and management cloud environments.

Extended Immersive Learning Environment: A Hybrid Remote/Virtual Laboratory

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Lírio Shaeffer

2010-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a collaborative virtual learning environment, which includes technologies such as 3D virtual representations, learning and content management systems, remote experiments, and collaborative learning spaces, among others. It intends to facilitate the construction, management and sharing of knowledge among teachers and students, in a global perspective. The environment proposes the use of 3D social representations for accessing learning materials in a dynamic and interactive form, which is regarded to be closer to the physical reality experienced by teachers and students in a learning context. A first implementation of the proposed extended immersive learning environment, in the area of solid mechanics, is also described, including the access to theoretical contents and a remote experiment to determine the elastic modulus of a given object.These instructions give you basic guidelines for preparing camera-ready papers for conference proceedings. Use this document as a template if you are using Microsoft Word 6.0 or later. Otherwise, use this document as an instruction set. The electronic file of your paper will be formatted further. Define all symbols used in the abstract. Do not cite references in the abstract.

Nursing students' assessment of the learning environment in different clinical settings.

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Bisholt, Birgitta; Ohlsson, Ulla; Engström, Agneta Kullén; Johansson, Annelie Sundler; Gustafsson, Margareta

2014-05-01

Nursing students perform their clinical practice in different types of clinical settings. The clinical learning environment is important for students to be able to achieve desired learning outcomes. Knowledge is lacking about the learning environment in different clinical settings. The aim was to compare the learning environment in different clinical settings from the perspective of the nursing students. A cross-sectional study with comparative design was conducted. Data was collected from 185 nursing students at three universities by means of a questionnaire involving the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher (CLES + T) evaluation scale. An open-ended question was added in order to ascertain reasons for dissatisfaction with the clinical placement. The nursing students' satisfaction with the placement did not differ between clinical settings. However, those with clinical placement in hospital departments agreed more strongly that sufficient meaningful learning situations occurred and that learning situations were multi-dimensional. Some students reported that the character of the clinical setting made it difficult to achieve the learning objectives. In the planning of the clinical placement, attention must be paid to whether the setting offers the student a meaningful learning situation where the appropriate learning outcome may be achieved. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning Analytics: The next frontier for computer assisted language learning in big data age

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Yu Qinglan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Learning analytics (LA has been applied to various learning environments, though it is quite new in the field of computer assisted language learning (CALL. This article attempts to examine the application of learning analytics in the upcoming big data age. It starts with an introduction and application of learning analytics in other fields, followed by a retrospective review of historical interaction between learning and media in CALL, and a penetrating analysis on why people would go to learning analytics to increase the efficiency of foreign language education. As approved in previous research, new technology, including big data mining and analysis, would inevitably enhance the learning of foreign languages. Potential changes that learning analytics would bring to Chinese foreign language education and researches are also presented in the article.

Pupils' Views on an ICT-Based Learning Environment in Health Learning

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Räihä, Teija; Tossavainen, Kerttu; Enkenberg, Jorma; Turunen, Hannele

2014-01-01

This paper presents a study that examined pupils' views on an ICT-based learning environment in health learning. The study was a part of the wider European Network of Health Promoting Schools programme (ENHPS; since 2008, Schools for Health in Europe, SHE) in Finland, and particularly its sub-project, From Puijo to the World with Health Lunch,…

Linkages between motivation, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning and preferences for traditional learning environments or those with an online component

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Daniel Auld

2010-10-01

Full Text Available This study assessed 96 law school students’ preferences for online, hybrid, or traditional learning environments, and their reasons for these preferences, learning strategies, and motivational orientations. A discriminant analysis revealed that non-traditional learning environment familiarity, self-efficacy, and employment status were the strongest predictors of preferences for non-traditional learning environments. Preferences for traditional environments were attributed to students’ familiarity and ability to engage in and foster personal interaction. Preferences for hybrid and online environments were attributed to opportunities for enhanced learning given the convenience and flexible manner in which students with time and familial constraints could access these environments.

Teaching strategies in web technologies for virtual learning environments

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Ilber Dario Saza-Garzón

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The virtual learning environments (AVAs have been a subject of discussion and questions mainly on finding the best teaching practices, which tools you can use them and how to achieve optimum utilization have better results in virtual education, for Therefore in this paper some elements about the characteristics, history, teaching, studies have virtual environments and web applications as tools to support teaching and learning, are set for a virtual tutor note the when planning, designing, creating and implementing online courses. Thus the reader will find concepts, explanations and different evolutionary processes that wins ICT and how are you have been involved in the educational context, spotting potential applications from mediation of teaching, plus some suggestions of how to carry out exposed use thereof in virtual learning environments to strengthen the different processes of teaching and learning.

Developing an effective corrective action process : lessons learned from operating a confidential close call reporting system

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-05

In 2007, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) launched : C3RS, the Confidential Close Call Reporting System, as a : demonstration project to learn how to facilitate the effective : reporting and implementation of corrective actions, and assess t...

Resident burnout: evaluating the role of the learning environment.

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van Vendeloo, Stefan N; Godderis, Lode; Brand, Paul L P; Verheyen, Kees C P M; Rowell, Suria A; Hoekstra, Harm

2018-03-27

Although burnout is viewed as a syndrome rooted in the working environment and organizational culture, the role of the learning environment in the development of resident burnout remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the association between burnout and the learning environment in a cohort of Belgian residents. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey among residents in a large university hospital in Belgium. We used the Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (UBOS-C) to assess burnout and the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT) to assess the learning environment. A total of 236 residents (29 specialties) completed the survey (response rate 34.6%), of which 98 (41.5%) met standard criteria for burnout. After multivariate regression analysis adjusting for hours worked per week, quality of life and satisfaction with work-life balance, we found an inverse association between D-RECT scores and the risk of burnout (adjusted odds ratio; 0.47 for each point increase in D-RECT score; 95% CI, 0.23 - 0.95; p = 0.01). Resident burnout is highly prevalent in our cohort of Belgian residents. Our results suggest that the learning environment plays an important role in reducing the risk of burnout among residents.

Managing the Collaborative Learning Environment.

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Wagner, June G.

2002-01-01

The feature story in this issue, "Managing the Collaborative Learning Environment," focuses on the growing emphasis on teamwork in the workplace. It discusses how the concept of empowering employees in the workplace is evolving and the benefits--faster decision making, lower costs and absenteeism, higher productivity and quality, and…

Tourism websites in English as a source for the autonomous learning of specialized terminology: A CALL application

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Ángel Felices Lago

2016-04-01

Full Text Available For years now, it has been an unquestioned fact that a large majority of textbooks available in English for Tourism, either in book format, CD-Rom or web site access are based on situations and professional contexts connected with the Anglo-Saxon environment, even though the vast majority of graduates in Tourism in Spain (and other countries end up working in the region (autonomous community of origin or in the province of reference for studies. There is, therefore, a clear dysfunction between the textbooks available in the market and the materials and situations that the students will face in their professional future. However, the Internet now allows us to exploit the availability of vast quantities of local resources (websites, blogs, etc. with their corresponding versions in English, which include tourist information referring to, for example, hotels, restaurants, historical and artistic heritage sites, tour operators, travel agencies, trade fairs or specialized services at the national, regional or communal levels. All these sites offer a special showcase of all the linguistic resources available (be they lexical, syntactic or terminological that the learners must acquire for their professional development. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to offer the results of the computer-assisted language learning (CALL project entitled Autonomous Learning of Specialized Vocabulary in English for Tourism (http://wdb.ugr.es/~afelices/, which takes into consideration the previous premises in order to promote, as its title indicates, autonomous learning in a more realistic professional context and to serve as a model for the development of similar e-learning platforms in other regions or countries.

TELMA: Technology-enhanced learning environment for minimally invasive surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-González, Patricia; Burgos, Daniel; Oropesa, Ignacio; Romero, Vicente; Albacete, Antonio; Sánchez-Peralta, Luisa F; Noguera, José F; Sánchez-Margallo, Francisco M; Gómez, Enrique J

2013-06-01

Cognitive skills training for minimally invasive surgery has traditionally relied upon diverse tools, such as seminars or lectures. Web technologies for e-learning have been adopted to provide ubiquitous training and serve as structured repositories for the vast amount of laparoscopic video sources available. However, these technologies fail to offer such features as formative and summative evaluation, guided learning, or collaborative interaction between users. The "TELMA" environment is presented as a new technology-enhanced learning platform that increases the user's experience using a four-pillared architecture: (1) an authoring tool for the creation of didactic contents; (2) a learning content and knowledge management system that incorporates a modular and scalable system to capture, catalogue, search, and retrieve multimedia content; (3) an evaluation module that provides learning feedback to users; and (4) a professional network for collaborative learning between users. Face validation of the environment and the authoring tool are presented. Face validation of TELMA reveals the positive perception of surgeons regarding the implementation of TELMA and their willingness to use it as a cognitive skills training tool. Preliminary validation data also reflect the importance of providing an easy-to-use, functional authoring tool to create didactic content. The TELMA environment is currently installed and used at the Jesús Usón Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre and several other Spanish hospitals. Face validation results ascertain the acceptance and usefulness of this new minimally invasive surgery training environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Playing SNES in the Retro Learning Environment

OpenAIRE

Bhonker, Nadav; Rozenberg, Shai; Hubara, Itay

2016-01-01

Mastering a video game requires skill, tactics and strategy. While these attributes may be acquired naturally by human players, teaching them to a computer program is a far more challenging task. In recent years, extensive research was carried out in the field of reinforcement learning and numerous algorithms were introduced, aiming to learn how to perform human tasks such as playing video games. As a result, the Arcade Learning Environment (ALE) (Bellemare et al., 2013) has become a commonly...

Students’ goal orientations and learning strategies in a powerful learning environment : a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopman, M.; Bakx, A.W.E.A.; Beijaard, D.

2014-01-01

In Dutch secondary education, experiments with powerful social constructivist learning environments are conducted that aim to appeal to students’ intrinsic goal orientations, use of deep cognitive learning strategies, and self-direction of meta-cognitive learning strategies. The aim of this study is

A machine learning model to determine the accuracy of variant calls in capture-based next generation sequencing.

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van den Akker, Jeroen; Mishne, Gilad; Zimmer, Anjali D; Zhou, Alicia Y

2018-04-17

Next generation sequencing (NGS) has become a common technology for clinical genetic tests. The quality of NGS calls varies widely and is influenced by features like reference sequence characteristics, read depth, and mapping accuracy. With recent advances in NGS technology and software tools, the majority of variants called using NGS alone are in fact accurate and reliable. However, a small subset of difficult-to-call variants that still do require orthogonal confirmation exist. For this reason, many clinical laboratories confirm NGS results using orthogonal technologies such as Sanger sequencing. Here, we report the development of a deterministic machine-learning-based model to differentiate between these two types of variant calls: those that do not require confirmation using an orthogonal technology (high confidence), and those that require additional quality testing (low confidence). This approach allows reliable NGS-based calling in a clinical setting by identifying the few important variant calls that require orthogonal confirmation. We developed and tested the model using a set of 7179 variants identified by a targeted NGS panel and re-tested by Sanger sequencing. The model incorporated several signals of sequence characteristics and call quality to determine if a variant was identified at high or low confidence. The model was tuned to eliminate false positives, defined as variants that were called by NGS but not confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The model achieved very high accuracy: 99.4% (95% confidence interval: +/- 0.03%). It categorized 92.2% (6622/7179) of the variants as high confidence, and 100% of these were confirmed to be present by Sanger sequencing. Among the variants that were categorized as low confidence, defined as NGS calls of low quality that are likely to be artifacts, 92.1% (513/557) were found to be not present by Sanger sequencing. This work shows that NGS data contains sufficient characteristics for a machine-learning-based model to

Pre-registration nursing student's quality of practice learning: Clinical learning environment inventory (actual) questionnaire.

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Shivers, Eleanor; Hasson, Felicity; Slater, Paul

2017-08-01

Clinical learning is a vital component of nurse education and assessing student's experiences can provide useful insights for development. Whilst most research in this area has focused on the acute setting little attention has been given to all pre-registration nurses' experience across the clinical placements arenas. To examine of pre-registration nursing students (first, second and third year) assessment of their actual experiences of their most recent clinical learning clinical learning experience. A cross sectional survey involving a descriptive online anonymous questionnaire based on the clinical learning environment inventory tool. One higher education institution in the United Kingdom. Nursing students (n=147) enrolled in an undergraduate nursing degree. This questionnaire included demographic questions and the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (CLEI) a 42 item tool measuring student's satisfaction with clinical placement. SPPS version 22 was employed to analyse data with descriptive and inferential statistics. Overall students were satisfied with their clinical learning experience across all placement areas. This was linked to the 6 constructs of the clinical learning environment inventory; personalization, innovation, individualization, task orientation, involvement, satisfaction. Significant differences in student experience were noted between age groups and student year but there was no difference noted between placement type, age and gender. Nursing students had a positive perception of their clinical learning experience, although there remains room for improvement. Enabling a greater understanding of students' perspective on the quality of clinical education is important for nursing education and future research. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Implementing an Active Learning Environment to Influence Students' Motivation in Biochemistry

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Cicuto, Camila Aparecida Tolentino; Torres, Bayardo Baptista

2016-01-01

The Biochemistry: Biomolecules Structure and Metabolism course's goal is to promote meaningful learning through an active learning environment. Thus, study periods (SP) and discussion groups (DG) are used as a substitute for lecture classes. The goal of this study was to evaluate how this learning environment influences students' motivation (n =…

Seamless Learning Environments in Higher Education with Mobile Devices and Examples

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Marín, Victoria I.; Jääskelä, Päivikki; Häkkinen, Päivi; Juntunen, Merja; Rasku-Puttonen, Helena; Vesisenaho, Mikko

2016-01-01

The use of seamless learning environments that have the potential to support lifelong learning anytime and anywhere has become a reality. In this sense, many educational institutions have started to consider introducing seamless learning environments into their programs. The aim of this study is to analyze how various educational university…

Software scaffolds to promote regulation during scientific inquiry learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Manlove, S.A.; Lazonder, Adrianus W.; de Jong, Anthonius J.M.

2007-01-01

This research addresses issues in the design of online scaffolds for regulation within inquiry learning environments. The learning environment in this study included a physics simulation, data analysis tools, and a model editor for students to create runnable models. A regulative support tool called

The Differences across Distributed Leadership Practices by School Position According to the Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL)

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Blitz, Mark H.; Modeste, Marsha

2015-01-01

The Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL) is a multi-source assessment of distributed instructional leadership. As part of the validation of CALL, researchers examined differences between teacher and leader ratings in assessing distributed leadership practices. The authors utilized a t-test for equality of means for the…

Learning e-Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel ZAMFIR

2009-01-01

Full Text Available What You Understand Is What Your Cognitive Integrates. Scientific research develops, as a native environment, knowledge. This environment consists of two interdependent divisions: theory and technology. First division occurs as a recursive research, while the second one becomes an application of the research activity. Over time, theories integrate methodologies and technology extends as infrastructure. The engine of this environment is learning, as the human activity of knowledge work. The threshold term of this model is the concepts map; it is based on Bloom’ taxonomy for the cognitive domain and highlights the notion of software scaffolding which is grounded in Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory with its major theme, Zone of Proximal Development. This article is designed as a conceptual paper, which analyzes specific structures of this type of educational research: the model reflects a foundation for a theory and finally, the theory evolves as groundwork for a system. The outcomes of this kind of approach are the examples, which are, theoretically, learning outcomes, and practically exist as educational objects, so-called e-learning.

Flexible Learning Environments: Leveraging the Affordances of Flexible Delivery and Flexible Learning

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Hill, Janette R.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this article is to explore the key features of "flexible learning environments" (FLEs). Key principles associated with FLEs are explained. Underlying tenets and support mechanisms necessary for the implementation of FLEs are described. Similarities and differences in traditional learning and FLEs are explored. Finally, strategies…

Blended synchronous learning environment: Student perspectives

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Conklina Sheri

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Distance education environments can take many forms, from asynchronous to blended synchronous environments. Blended synchronous learning environment (BSLE can be defined as an innovative setting in which students can decide to attend classes either face-to-face or via a synchronous virtual connection. Many educators are unfamiliar teaching in BSLE because of lack of experience or exposure to this delivery method. Thus, it is important to understand the optimal organisational structures and the effective management of BSLE courses to facilitate student learning and interaction. Seeking to understand this teaching method, an exploratory mixed-method study was conducted to examine graduate students’ perceptions of the BSLE. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected from a questionnaire and analysed. The findings revealed that students were satisfied with the BSLE, interactions, and the instructor. However, findings showed that the instructor divided attention between face-to-face and online synchronous students, which can cause cognitive overload and compromise the quality of instruction. Additionally, this study suggests that technical difficulties can affect students’ satisfaction with BSLE courses. Implications for further research and limitations are discussed.

Theoretical Foundations for Enhancing Social Connectedness in Online Learning Environments

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Slagter van Tryon, Patricia J.; Bishop, M. J.

2009-01-01

Group social structure provides a comfortable and predictable context for interaction in learning environments. Students in face-to-face learning environments process social information about others in order to assess traits, predict behaviors, and determine qualifications for assuming particular responsibilities within a group. In online learning…

Learning activities in a political context - development of the working environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ledskov, Annette

2002-01-01

are identified – ‘the politically actors’ and ‘the translator’. When facilitating learning activities in the management of work environment it is necessary to be aware of this political nature of the actions .In understanding learning in the management of work environment it is beneficial to look at the concept......This paper addresses a learning approach as a method for developing new strategies for managing work environment. On the basis of interviews in two companies an analysis of how actors involved in the management of work environment act concerning their task and role is conducted. Two roles...

Effects of Collaborative Learning Styles on Performance of Students in a Ubiquitous Collaborative Mobile Learning Environment

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Fakomogbon, Michael Ayodele; Bolaji, Hameed Olalekan

2017-01-01

Collaborative learning is an approach employed by instructors to facilitate learning and improve learner's performance. Mobile learning can accommodate a variety of learning approaches. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of collaborative learning styles on performance of students in a mobile learning environment. The specific purposes…

A Working Model for Intercultural Learning and Engagement in Collaborative Online Language Learning Environments

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Lawrence, Geoff

2013-01-01

Given the emerging focus on the intercultural dimension in language teaching and learning, language educators have been exploring the use of information and communications technology ICT-mediated language learning environments to link learners in intercultural language learning communities around the globe. Despite the potential promise of…

Stimulating Collaboration and Discussion in Online Learning Environments.

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Clark, Jim

2001-01-01

Discussion of the advantages of online learning environments (OLEs) for distance education focuses on the importance of collaboration and discussion to make the students feel more central to the learning process. Presents methods to stimulate collaboration and discussion in OLEs. (Author/LRW)

Evaluation of Hybrid and Distance Education Learning Environments in Spain

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Ferrer-Cascales, Rosario; Walker, Scott L.; Reig-Ferrer, Abilio; Fernandez-Pascual, Maria Dolores; Albaladejo-Blazquez, Natalia

2011-01-01

This article describes the adaptation and validation of the "Distance Education Learning Environments Survey" (DELES) for use in investigating the qualities found in distance and hybrid education psycho-social learning environments in Spain. As Europe moves toward post-secondary student mobility, equanimity in access to higher education,…

Learning Tools for Knowledge Nomads: Using Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in Web-based Learning Environments.

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Loh, Christian Sebastian

2001-01-01

Examines how mobile computers, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), can be used in a Web-based learning environment. Topics include wireless networks on college campuses; online learning; Web-based learning technologies; synchronous and asynchronous communication via the Web; content resources; Web connections; and collaborative learning. (LRW)

Studying the mechanisms of language learning by varying the learning environment and the learner.

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Goldin-Meadow, Susan

Language learning is a resilient process, and many linguistic properties can be developed under a wide range of learning environments and learners. The first goal of this review is to describe properties of language that can be developed without exposure to a language model - the resilient properties of language - and to explore conditions under which more fragile properties emerge. But even if a linguistic property is resilient, the developmental course that the property follows is likely to vary as a function of learning environment and learner, that is, there are likely to be individual differences in the learning trajectories children follow. The second goal is to consider how the resilient properties are brought to bear on language learning when a child is exposed to a language model. The review ends by considering the implications of both sets of findings for mechanisms, focusing on the role that the body and linguistic input play in language learning.

A Neural Network Model to Learn Multiple Tasks under Dynamic Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Tsumori, Kenji; Ozawa, Seiichi

When environments are dynamically changed for agents, the knowledge acquired in an environment might be useless in future. In such dynamic environments, agents should be able to not only acquire new knowledge but also modify old knowledge in learning. However, modifying all knowledge acquired before is not efficient because the knowledge once acquired may be useful again when similar environment reappears and some knowledge can be shared among different environments. To learn efficiently in such environments, we propose a neural network model that consists of the following modules: resource allocating network, long-term & short-term memory, and environment change detector. We evaluate the model under a class of dynamic environments where multiple function approximation tasks are sequentially given. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model possesses stable incremental learning, accurate environmental change detection, proper association and recall of old knowledge, and efficient knowledge transfer.

Nursing students' perceptions of hospital learning environments--an Australian perspective.

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Chan, Dominic S

2004-01-01

Clinical education is a vital component in the curricula of pre-registration nursing courses and provides student nurses with the opportunity to combine cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills. Various studies have suggested that not all practice settings are able to provide nursing students with a positive learning environment. In order to maximize nursing students' clinical learning outcomes, there is a need to examine the clinical learning environment. The purpose of this study was to assess pre-registration nursing students' perceptions of hospital learning environments during clinical field placement. Quantitative and qualitative methodology was used. One hundred and eight students provided quantitative data through completion of the survey instrument, the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (Actual and Preferred forms). Each form is a 5-point Likert-type questionnaire, made up of 35 items consisted of 5 scales with 7 items per scale. Qualitative data, obtained through semi-structured interview of 21 students from the same cohort, were used to explain and support the quantitative findings. There were significant differences between students' actual and preferred perceptions of the clinical learning environments. Generally students preferred a more positive and favourable clinical environment than they perceived as being actually present. Since participants consisted of nursing students from just one university nursing school in South Australia, the findings may not be representative of all nursing students in general with respect to their clinical placement. However, the value of this study lies in the resulting implication for nursing education and future research. A better understanding of what constitutes quality clinical education from the students' perspective would be valuable in providing better educational experiences.

Supporting cognitive engagement in a learning-by-doing learning environment: Case studies of participant engagement and social configurations in Kitchen Science Investigators

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Gardner, Christina M.

Learning-by-doing learning environments support a wealth of physical engagement in activities. However, there is also a lot of variability in what participants learn in each enactment of these types of environments. Therefore, it is not always clear how participants are learning in these environments. In order to design technologies to support learning in these environments, we must have a greater understanding of how participants engage in learning activities, their goals for their engagement, and the types of help they need to cognitively engage in learning activities. To gain a greater understanding of participant engagement and factors and circumstances that promote and inhibit engagement, this dissertation explores and answers several questions: What are the types of interactions and experiences that promote and /or inhibit learning and engagement in learning-by-doing learning environments? What are the types of configurations that afford or inhibit these interactions and experiences in learning-by-doing learning environments? I explore answers to these questions through the context of two enactments of Kitchen Science Investigators (KSI), a learning-by-doing learning environment where middle-school aged children learn science through cooking from customizing recipes to their own taste and texture preferences. In small groups, they investigate effects of ingredients through the design of cooking and science experiments, through which they experience and learn about chemical, biological, and physical science phenomena and concepts (Clegg, Gardner, Williams, & Kolodner, 2006). The research reported in this dissertation sheds light on the different ways participant engagement promotes and/or inhibits cognitive engagement in by learning-by-doing learning environments through two case studies. It also provides detailed descriptions of the circumstances (social, material, and physical configurations) that promote and/or inhibit participant engagement in these

Veterinary students' perceptions of their learning environment as measured by the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelzer, Jacquelyn M; Hodgson, Jennifer L; Werre, Stephen R

2014-03-24

The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) has been widely used to evaluate the learning environment within health sciences education, however, this tool has not been applied in veterinary medical education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the DREEM tool in a veterinary medical program and to determine veterinary students' perceptions of their learning environment. The DREEM is a survey tool which quantitatively measures students' perceptions of their learning environment. The survey consists of 50 items, each scored 0-4 on a Likert Scale. The 50 items are subsequently analysed within five subscales related to students' perceptions of learning, faculty (teachers), academic atmosphere, and self-perceptions (academic and social). An overall score is obtained by summing the mean score for each subscale, with an overall possible score of 200. All students in the program were asked to complete the DREEM. Means and standard deviations were calculated for the 50 items, the five subscale scores and the overall score. Cronbach's alpha was determined for the five subscales and overall score to evaluate reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate construct validity. 224 responses (53%) were received. The Cronbach's alpha for the overall score was 0.93 and for the five subscales were; perceptions of learning 0.85, perceptions of faculty 0.79, perceptions of atmosphere 0.81, academic self-perceptions 0.68, and social self-perceptions 0.72. Construct validity was determined to be acceptable (p education programs. Four individual items of concern were identified by students. In this setting the DREEM was a reliable and valid tool to measure veterinary students' perceptions of their learning environment. The four items identified as concerning originated from four of the five subscales, but all related to workload. Negative perceptions regarding workload is a common concern of students in health education

Nursing Students' Clinical Learning Environment in Norwegian Nursing Homes: Lack of Innovative Teaching and Learning Strategies

OpenAIRE

Berntsen, Karin; Bjørk, Ida Torunn; Brynildsen, Grethe

2017-01-01

Background: Nursing students hesitate to choose aged care as a career, and the aged care sectors are on an edge regarding nursing positions. Clinical learning environments may influence nursing students’ career choices. Few studies have explored learning environments in nursing homes, although students increasingly have placements there. Objectives: The aim was to produce information for developing nursing students’ learning opportunities in nursing homes. Design: A cross-sectional survey des...

The Videoconferencing Learning Environment: Technology, Interaction and Learning Intersect

Science.gov (United States)

Saw, K. G.; Majid, Omar; Ghani, N. Abdul; Atan, H.; Idrus, R. M.; Rahman, Z. A.; Tan, K. E.

2008-01-01

This paper is a study on the interaction patterns of distance learners enrolled in the Mathematics and Physics programmes of Universiti Sains Malaysia in the videoconferencing learning environment (VCLE). Interaction patterns are analysed in six randomly chosen videoconferencing sessions within one academic year. The findings show there are more…

Peer Learning in Social Media Enhanced Learning Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne-Maritta Tervakari

2012-09-01

Full Text Available TUT Circle, a dedicated social media service for students at Tampere University of Technology (TUT, was used as a learning environment for the purpose of enhancing students‘ collaboration, communication and networking skills required in business and working life and for promoting peer learning in small groups. Unfortunately, active conversation was limited. The students intensively read content created by other students, but they did not actively present their opinions, arguments or comments. Another reason for the lack of real conversation was procrastination. The students seemed to need more encouragement to comment on or question the ideas of others, more support to promote intergroup interaction and more assistance with time management.

Formative assessment in an online learning environment to support flexible on-the-job learning in complex professional domains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tamara van Gog; Desirée Joosten-ten Brinke; F. J. Prins; Dominique Sluijsmans

2010-01-01

This article describes a blueprint for an online learning environment that is based on prominent instructional design and assessment theories for supporting learning in complex domains. The core of this environment consists of formative assessment tasks (i.e., assessment for learning) that center on

Designing a Secure Exam Management System (SEMS) for M-Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiiali, Mustafa; Ozkaya, Armagan; Altun, Halis; Haddad, Hatem; Alier, Marc

2016-01-01

M-learning has enhanced the e-learning by making the learning process learner-centered. However, enforcing exam security in open environments where each student has his/her own mobile/tablet device connected to a Wi-Fi network through which it is further connected to the Internet can be one of the most challenging tasks. In such environments,…

Differentiated Learning Environment--A Classroom for Quadratic Equation, Function and Graphs

Science.gov (United States)

Dinç, Emre

2017-01-01

This paper will cover the design of a learning environment as a classroom regarding the Quadratic Equations, Functions and Graphs. The goal of the learning environment offered in the paper is to design a classroom where students will enjoy the process, use their skills they already have during the learning process, control and plan their learning…

Knowledge Sharing Practice in a Play-Like Learning Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Benjaminsen, Nana

2007-01-01

The topic of this paper is play-like learning as it occurs when technology based learning environments is invited into the classroom. Observations of 5th grade classes playing with Lego Robolab, is used to illustrate that different ways of learning becomes visible when digital technology...

Extending human potential in a technical learning environment

Science.gov (United States)

Fielden, Kay A.

This thesis is a report of a participatory inquiry process looking at enhancing the learning process in a technical academic field in high education by utilising tools and techniques which go beyond the rational/logical, intellectual domain in a functional, objective world. By empathising with, nurturing and sustaining the whole person, and taking account of past patterning as well as future visions including technological advances to augment human awareness, the scene is set for depth learning. Depth learning in a tertiary environment can only happen as a result of the dynamic that exists between the dominant, logical/rational, intellectual paradigm and the experiential extension of the boundaries surrounding this domain. Any experiences which suppress the full, holistic expression of our being alienate us from the fullness of the expression and hence from depth learning. Depth learning is indicated by intrinsic motivation, which is more likely to occur in a trusting and supporting environment. The research took place within a systemic intellectual framework, where emergence is the prime characteristic used to evaluate results.

E-Learning Environments in Academy: Technology, Pedagogy and Thinking Dispositions

Science.gov (United States)

Bouhnik, Dan; Carmi, Golan

2012-01-01

Around two decades have passed since higher education institutions began incorporating the internet as an alternative studying environment, together with frontal class teaching and learning. This kind of environment still poses meaningful challenges for students and teachers that take an active part in E-learning courses. Today it is quite clear…

Does social environment influence learning ability in a family-living lizard?

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, Julia L; Noble, Daniel W A; Byrne, Richard W; Whiting, Martin J

2017-05-01

Early developmental environment can have profound effects on individual physiology, behaviour, and learning. In birds and mammals, social isolation during development is known to negatively affect learning ability; yet in other taxa, like reptiles, the effect of social isolation during development on learning ability is unknown. We investigated how social environment affects learning ability in the family-living tree skink (Egernia striolata). We hypothesized that early social environment shapes cognitive development in skinks and predicted that skinks raised in social isolation would have reduced learning ability compared to skinks raised socially. Offspring were separated at birth into two rearing treatments: (1) raised alone or (2) in a pair. After 1 year, we quantified spatial learning ability of skinks in these rearing treatments (N = 14 solitary, 14 social). We found no effect of rearing treatment on learning ability. The number of skinks to successfully learn the task, the number of trials taken to learn the task, the latency to perform the task, and the number of errors in each trial did not differ between isolated and socially reared skinks. Our results were unexpected, yet the facultative nature of this species' social system may result in a reduced effect of social isolation on behaviour when compared to species with obligate sociality. Overall, our findings do not provide evidence that social environment affects development of spatial learning ability in this family-living lizard.

The learning environment and resident burnout: a national study.

Science.gov (United States)

van Vendeloo, Stefan N; Prins, David J; Verheyen, Cees C P M; Prins, Jelle T; van den Heijkant, Fleur; van der Heijden, Frank M M A; Brand, Paul L P

2018-04-01

Concerns exist about the negative impact of burnout on the professional and personal lives of residents. It is suggested that the origins of burnout among residents are rooted in the learning environment. We aimed to evaluate the association between the learning environment and burnout in a national sample of Dutch residents. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey among all Dutch residents in September 2015. We measured the learning environment using the three domain scores on content, organization, and atmosphere from the Scan of Postgraduate Educational Environment Domains (SPEED) and burnout using the Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (UBOS-C). Of 1,231 responding residents (33 specialties), 185 (15.0%) met criteria for burnout. After adjusting for demographic (age, gender and marital status) and work-related factors (year of training, type of teaching hospital and type of specialty), we found a consistent inverse association between SPEED scores and the risk of burnout (aOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.62, p burnout among residents. This suggests that the learning environment is of key importance in preventing resident burnout.

How Nurses Experience Their Work as a Learning Environment

OpenAIRE

Skår, Randi

2010-01-01

This article explores and illuminates the meaning of nurses’ experiences with their work as a learning environment. A qualitative hermeneutic approach guided the research process and the analysis and interpretation of the transcribed interview-texts of eleven graduate nurses. Three core themes emerged from these informants’ descriptions of their work as a learning environment: ‘participation in the work community’, ‘to engage in interpersonal relations’ and ‘accessing important...

Learning under uncertainty in smart home environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shuai; McClean, Sally; Scotney, Bryan; Nugent, Chris

2008-01-01

Technologies and services for the home environment can provide levels of independence for elderly people to support 'ageing in place'. Learning inhabitants' patterns of carrying out daily activities is a crucial component of these technological solutions with sensor technologies being at the core of such smart environments. Nevertheless, identifying high-level activities from low-level sensor events can be a challenge, as information may be unreliable resulting in incomplete data. Our work addresses the issues of learning in the presence of incomplete data along with the identification and the prediction of inhabitants and their activities under such uncertainty. We show via the evaluation results that our approach also offers the ability to assess the impact of various sensors in the activity recognition process. The benefit of this work is that future predictions can be utilised in a proposed intervention mechanism in a real smart home environment.

The Usability Analysis of An E-Learning Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fulya TORUN

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In this research, an E-learning environment is developed for the teacher candidates taking the course on Scientific Research Methods. The course contents were adapted to one of the constructivist approach models referred to as 5E, and an expert opinion was received for the compliance of this model. An usability analysis was also performed to determine the usability of the e-learning environment. The participants of the research comprised 42 teacher candidates. The mixed method was used in the research. 3 different data collection tools were used in order to measure the three basic concepts of usability analyses, which are the dimensions of effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction. Two of the data collection tools were the scales developed by different researchers and were applied with the approval received from the researchers involved. On the other hand, the usability test as another data tool was prepared by the researchers who conducted this study for the purpose of determining the participants’ success in handling the twelve tasks assigned to them with respect to the use of elearning environment, the seconds they spent on that environment and the number of clicks they performed. Considering the results of the analyses performed within the data obtained, the usability of the developed e-learning environment proved to be at a higher rate.

Model-Based Learning Environment Based on The Concept IPS School-Based Management

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Hamid Darmadi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The results showed: (1 learning model IPS-oriented environment can grow and not you love the cultural values of the area as a basis for the development of national culture, (2 community participation, and the role of government in implementing learning model of IPS-based environment provides a positive impact for the improvement of management school resources, (3 learning model IPS-based environment effectively creating a way of life together peacefully, increase the intensity of togetherness and mutual respect (4 learning model IPS-based environment can improve student learning outcomes, (5 there are differences in the expression of attitudes and results learning among students who are located in the area of conflict with students who are outside the area of conflict (6 analysis of the scale of attitudes among school students da SMA result rewards high school students to the values of unity and nation, respect for diversity and peaceful coexistence, It is recommended that the Department of Education authority as an institution of Trustees and the development of social and cultural values in the province can apply IPS learning model based environments.

Students' use of social software in self-organized learning environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathiasen, Helle; Dalsgaard, Christian

2006-01-01

The paper will argue that new possibilities of digital media, especially social software, have a potential regarding development of self-organized learning environments and facilitating self-governed activities. Based on a sociological perspective, the paper will clarify the concepts of informal...... and formal learning used in this paper. It is argued that formal and informal conditions of learning can supplement each other within an educational setting. A formal setting of project work forms the basis of informal, selfgoverned activities of students. The paper will argue that social software tools can...... support students' self-governed activities and their development of self-organized learning environments....

A Simulated Learning Environment for Teaching Medicine Dispensing Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

McDowell, Jenny; Styles, Kim; Sewell, Keith; Trinder, Peta; Marriott, Jennifer; Maher, Sheryl; Naidu, Som

2016-02-25

To develop an authentic simulation of the professional practice dispensary context for students to develop their dispensing skills in a risk-free environment. A development team used an Agile software development method to create MyDispense, a web-based simulation. Modeled on virtual learning environments elements, the software employed widely available standards-based technologies to create a virtual community pharmacy environment. Assessment. First-year pharmacy students who used the software in their tutorials, were, at the end of the second semester, surveyed on their prior dispensing experience and their perceptions of MyDispense as a tool to learn dispensing skills. The dispensary simulation is an effective tool for helping students develop dispensing competency and knowledge in a safe environment.

An Interactive Learning Environment for Information and Communication Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Hamada, Mohamed; Hassan, Mohammed

2017-01-01

Interactive learning tools are emerging as effective educational materials in the area of computer science and engineering. It is a research domain that is rapidly expanding because of its positive impacts on motivating and improving students' performance during the learning process. This paper introduces an interactive learning environment for…

3D AutoSysLab Prototype - A Social, Immersive and Mixed Reality Approach for Collaborative Learning Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Eduardo Pereira

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Recent evolutions of social networks, virtual environments, Web technologies and 3D virtual worlds motivate the adoption of new technologies in education, opening successive innovative possibilities. These technologies (or tools can be employed in distance education scenarios, or can also enhance traditional learning-teaching (blended or hybrid learning scenario. It is known and a wide advocated issue that laboratory practice is essential to technical education, foremost in engineering. In order to develop a feasible implementation to this research area, a prototype was developed, called 3DAutoSysLab, in which a metaverse is used as social collaborative interface, experiments (real or simulated are linked to virtual objects, learning objects are displayed as interactive medias, and guiding/feedback are supported via an autonomous tutoring system based on user's interaction data mining. This prototype is under test, but preliminary applied results indicate great acceptance and increase of motivation of students.

Creating adaptive environment for e-learning courses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bozidar Radenkovic

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper we provide an approach to creating adaptive environment for e-learning courses. In the context of e-education, successful adaptation has to be performed upon learners’ characteristics. Currently, modeling and discovering users’ needs, goals, knowledge preferences and motivations is one of the most challenging tasks in e-learning systems that deal with large volumes of information. Primary goal of the research is to perform personalizing of distance education system, according to students’ learning styles. Main steps and requirements in applying business intelligence techniques in process of personalization are identified. In addition, we propose generic model and architecture of an adaptive e-learning system by describing the structure of an adaptive course and exemplify correlations among e-learning course content and different learning styles. Moreover, research that dealt with application of data mining technique in a real e-learning system was carried out. We performed adaptation of our e-learning courses using the results from the research.

A Serious Game for Second Language Acquisition in a Virtual Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Perez-Beltrachini

2012-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present I-FLEG, a 3D language game designed for interactively learning French as a second language. I-FLEG differs from previous computer-aided language learning (CALL approaches in that it combines a situated, language learning environment with advanced artificial intelligence and natural language generation techniques which support user adaptivity and the automatic, context-aware generation of learning material. In addition, because it is integrated in a 3D virtual reality environment, IFLEG naturally supports e-learning and facilitates the collection of test data.

Estimating Students’ Satisfaction with Web Based Learning System in Blended Learning Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanja Bauk

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Blended learning became the most popular educational model that universities apply for teaching and learning. This model combines online and face-to-face learning environments, in order to enhance learning with implementation of new web technologies and tools in learning process. In this paper principles of DeLone and Mclean success model for information system are applied to Kano two-dimensional model, for categorizing quality attributes related to satisfaction of students with web based learning system used in blended learning model. Survey results are obtained among the students at “Mediterranean” University in Montenegro. The (dysfunctional dimensions of Kano model, including Kano basic matrix for assessment of the degree of students’ satisfaction level, have been considered in some more detail through corresponding numerical, graphical, and statistical analysis.

Analysis of students’ generated questions in laboratory learning environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Antonio Llorens-Molina

2012-03-01

Full Text Available In order to attain a reliable laboratory work assessment, we argue taking the Learning Environment as a core concept and a research paradigm that considers the factors affecting the laboratory as a particularly complex educational context. With regard to Laboratory Learning Environments (LLEs, a well known approach is the SLEI (Science Laboratory Environment Inventory. The aim of this research is to design and apply an alternative and qualitative assessment tool to characterize Laboratory Learning Environments in an introductory course of organic chemistry. An alternative and qualitative assessment tool would be useful for providing feed-back for experimental learning improvement; serving as a complementary triangulation tool in educational research on LLEs; and generating meaningful categories in order to design quantitative research instruments. Toward this end, spontaneous questions by students have been chosen as a reliable source of information. To process these questions, a methodology based on the Grounded Theory has been developed to provide a framework for characterizing LLEs. This methodology has been applied in two case studies. The conclusions lead us to argue for using more holistic assessment tools in both everyday practice and research. Likewise, a greater attention should be paid to metacognition to achieve suitable self-perception concerning students’ previous knowledge and manipulative skills.

Homeostatic Agent for General Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Naoto

2018-03-01

One of the essential aspect in biological agents is dynamic stability. This aspect, called homeostasis, is widely discussed in ethology, neuroscience and during the early stages of artificial intelligence. Ashby's homeostats are general-purpose learning machines for stabilizing essential variables of the agent in the face of general environments. However, despite their generality, the original homeostats couldn't be scaled because they searched their parameters randomly. In this paper, first we re-define the objective of homeostats as the maximization of a multi-step survival probability from the view point of sequential decision theory and probabilistic theory. Then we show that this optimization problem can be treated by using reinforcement learning algorithms with special agent architectures and theoretically-derived intrinsic reward functions. Finally we empirically demonstrate that agents with our architecture automatically learn to survive in a given environment, including environments with visual stimuli. Our survival agents can learn to eat food, avoid poison and stabilize essential variables through theoretically-derived single intrinsic reward formulations.

Family, Learning Environments, Learning Approaches, and Student Outcomes in a Malaysian Private University

Science.gov (United States)

Kek, Megan A. Yih Chyn; Darmawan, I. Gusti Ngurah; Chen, Yu Sui

2007-01-01

This article presents the quantitative findings from a mixed methods study of students and faculty at a private medical university in Malaysia. In particular, the relationships among students' individual characteristics, general self-efficacy, family context, university and classroom learning environments, curriculum, approaches to learning, and…

Optimising the Blended Learning Environment: The Arab Open University Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdi, Tahrir; Abu Qudais, Mohammed

2018-01-01

This paper will offer some insights into possible ways to optimise the blended learning environment based on experience with this modality of teaching at Arab Open University/Jordan branch and also by reflecting upon the results of several meta-analytical studies, which have shown blended learning environments to be more effective than their face…

Anatomy education environment measurement inventory: A valid tool to measure the anatomy learning environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadie, Siti Nurma Hanim; Hassan, Asma'; Ismail, Zul Izhar Mohd; Asari, Mohd Asnizam; Khan, Aaijaz Ahmed; Kasim, Fazlina; Yusof, Nurul Aiman Mohd; Manan Sulong, Husnaida Abdul; Tg Muda, Tg Fatimah Murniwati; Arifin, Wan Nor; Yusoff, Muhamad Saiful Bahri

2017-09-01

Students' perceptions of the education environment influence their learning. Ever since the major medical curriculum reform, anatomy education has undergone several changes in terms of its curriculum, teaching modalities, learning resources, and assessment methods. By measuring students' perceptions concerning anatomy education environment, valuable information can be obtained to facilitate improvements in teaching and learning. Hence, it is important to use a valid inventory that specifically measures attributes of the anatomy education environment. In this study, a new 11-factor, 132-items Anatomy Education Environment Measurement Inventory (AEEMI) was developed using Delphi technique and was validated in a Malaysian public medical school. The inventory was found to have satisfactory content evidence (scale-level content validity index [total] = 0.646); good response process evidence (scale-level face validity index [total] = 0.867); and acceptable to high internal consistency, with the Raykov composite reliability estimates of the six factors are in the range of 0.604-0.876. The best fit model of the AEEMI is achieved with six domains and 25 items (X 2  = 415.67, P education environment in Malaysia. A concerted collaboration should be initiated toward developing a valid universal tool that, using the methods outlined in this study, measures the anatomy education environment across different institutions and countries. Anat Sci Educ 10: 423-432. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

Educational Game Design. Bridging the gab between computer based learning and experimental learning environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Kristine

2007-01-01

Considering the rapidly growing amount of digital educational materials only few of them bridge the gab between experimental learning environments and computer based learning environments (Gardner, 1991). Observations from two cases in primary school and lower secondary school in the subject...... with a prototype of a MOO storyline. The aim of the MOO storyline is to challenge the potential of dialogue, user involvement, and learning responsibility and to use the children?s natural curiosity and motivation for game playing, especially when digital games involves other children. The paper proposes a model......, based on the narrative approach for experimental learning subjects, relying on ideas from Csikszentmihalyis notion of flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1991), storyline-pedagogy (Meldgaard, 1994) and ideas from Howard Gardner (Gardner, 1991). The model forms the basis for educational games to be used in home...

Gender and Diversity in a Problem and Project Based Learning Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Du, Xiangyun

Problem and Project Based Learning (PBL) has been well used as an educational philosophy and methodology in the construction of student centered and contextualized learning environment. PBL is also regarded as an effective method in producing engineering graduates who can not only meet the needs...... on the learning experiences of engineering students in the PBL environment in Denmark. This book also attempts to question the issue of diversity in engineering education via the exploration of whether or in which ways the PBL environment is friendly to diverse groups of learners such as women....

Implementation of Collaborative Learning in Higher Education Environment

OpenAIRE

Soetam Rizky Wicaksono

2013-01-01

The need of improvement in learning process, especially in higher education environment, has already begun a dilemma for many lecturers. Many experts has already agreed that one of the success factor in learning process improvement is creating collaboration among students. This pre-eliminary action research tried to implement collaborative learning from small groups using simple task and escalating into large group with more complicated collaborative framework. Although there is no quantific...

Convergence of calls as animals form social bonds, active compensation for noisy communication channels, and the evolution of vocal learning in mammals.

Science.gov (United States)

Tyack, Peter L

2008-08-01

The classic evidence for vocal production learning involves imitation of novel, often anthropogenic sounds. Among mammals, this has been reported for dolphins, elephants, harbor seals, and humans. A broader taxonomic distribution has been reported for vocal convergence, where the acoustic properties of calls from different individuals converge when they are housed together in captivity or form social bonds in the wild. Vocal convergence has been demonstrated for animals as diverse as songbirds, parakeets, hummingbirds, bats, elephants, cetaceans, and primates. For most species, call convergence is thought to reflect a group-distinctive identifier, with shared calls reflecting and strengthening social bonds. A ubiquitous function for vocal production learning that is starting to receive attention involves modifying signals to improve communication in a noisy channel. Pooling data on vocal imitation, vocal convergence, and compensation for noise suggests a wider taxonomic distribution of vocal production learning among mammals than has been generally appreciated. The wide taxonomic distribution of this evidence for vocal production learning suggests that perhaps more of the neural underpinnings for vocal production learning are in place in mammals than is usually recognized. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved

Personal Learning Environments, Social Media, and Self-Regulated Learning: A Natural Formula for Connecting Formal and Informal Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Dabbagh, Nada; Kitsantas, Anastasia

2012-01-01

A Personal Learning Environment or PLE is a potentially promising pedagogical approach for both integrating formal and informal learning using social media and supporting student self-regulated learning in higher education contexts. The purpose of this paper is to (a) review research that support this claim, (b) conceptualize the connection…

A Web-Based Learning Support System for Inquiry-Based Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dong Won; Yao, Jingtao

The emergence of the Internet and Web technology makes it possible to implement the ideals of inquiry-based learning, in which students seek truth, information, or knowledge by questioning. Web-based learning support systems can provide a good framework for inquiry-based learning. This article presents a study on a Web-based learning support system called Online Treasure Hunt. The Web-based learning support system mainly consists of a teaching support subsystem, a learning support subsystem, and a treasure hunt game. The teaching support subsystem allows instructors to design their own inquiry-based learning environments. The learning support subsystem supports students' inquiry activities. The treasure hunt game enables students to investigate new knowledge, develop ideas, and review their findings. Online Treasure Hunt complies with a treasure hunt model. The treasure hunt model formalizes a general treasure hunt game to contain the learning strategies of inquiry-based learning. This Web-based learning support system empowered with the online-learning game and founded on the sound learning strategies furnishes students with the interactive and collaborative student-centered learning environment.

Exploring Children's Requirements for Game-Based Learning Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marja Kankaanranta

2008-08-01

Full Text Available End users' expertise in the development of new applications is acknowledged in user-centered and participatory design. Similarly, children's experience of what they find enjoyable and how they learn is a valuable source of inspiration for the design of products intended for them. In this paper, we explore experiences obtained from collaboration with elementary school children in the design of learning environments, based on three projects and three requirements gathering techniques. We also discuss how the children experienced the participation. The children's contribution yielded useful, both expected and unanticipated, outcomes in regard to the user interface and contents of the learning environments under development. Moreover, we present issues related to design collaboration with children, especially in terms of the children's feeling of ownership over the final outcome.

Offering a Framework for Value Co-Creation in Virtual Academic Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Ranjbarfard, Mina; Heidari Sureshjani, Mahboobeh

2018-01-01

Purpose: This research aims to convert the traditional teacher-student models, in which teachers determine the learning resources, into a flexible structure and an active learning environment so that students can participate in the educational processes and value co-creation in virtual academic learning environments (VALEs).…

Facilitative and obstructive factors in the clinical learning environment: Experiences of pupil enrolled nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Lekalakala-Mokgele, Eucebious; Caka, Ernestine M

2015-03-31

The clinical learning environment is a complex social entity that influences student learning outcomes in the clinical setting. Students can experience the clinical learning environment as being both facilitative and obstructive to their learning. The clinical environment may be a source of stress, creating feelings of fear and anxiety which in turn affect the students' responses to learning. Equally, the environment can enhance learning if experienced positively. This study described pupil enrolled nurses' experiences of facilitative and obstructive factors in military and public health clinical learning settings. Using a qualitative, contextual, exploratory descriptive design, three focus group interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached amongst pupil enrolled nurses in a military School of Nursing. Data analysed provided evidence that acceptance by clinical staff and affordance of self-directed learning facilitated learning. Students felt safe to practise when they were supported by the clinical staff. They felt a sense of belonging when the staff showed an interest in and welcomed them. Learning was obstructed when students were met with condescending comments. Wearing of a military uniform in the public hospital and horizontal violence obstructed learning in the clinical learning environment. Students cannot have effective clinical preparation if the environment is not conducive to and supportive of clinical learning, The study shows that military nursing students experience unique challenges as they are trained in two professions that are hierarchical in nature. The students experienced both facilitating and obstructing factors to their learning during their clinical practice. Clinical staff should be made aware of factors which can impact on students' learning. Policies need to be developed for supporting students in the clinical learning environment.

Quality of Learning Facilities and Learning Environment: Challenges for Teaching and Learning in Kenya's Public Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Ndirangu, Mwangi; Udoto, Maurice O.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to report findings on the perceptions of quality of educational facilities in Kenyan public universities, and the implications for teaching/learning, and the learning environment. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted an exploratory descriptive design. A total of 332 and 107 undergraduate students…

Teachers' experiences of teaching in a blended learning environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Jokinen, Pirkko; Mikkonen, Irma

2013-11-01

This paper considers teachers' experiences of teaching undergraduate nursing students in a blended learning environment. The basic idea of the study programme was to support students to reflect on theory and practice, and provide with access to expert and professional knowledge in real-life problem-solving and decision making. Learning was organised to support learning in and about work: students worked full-time and this provided excellent opportunities for learning both in practice, online and face-to-face sessions. The aim of the study was to describe teachers' experiences of planning and implementing teaching and learning in a blended-learning-based adult nursing programme. The research method was qualitative, and the data were collected by three focus group interviews, each with four to six participants. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results show that the blended learning environment constructed by the combination of face-to-face learning and learning in practice with technology-mediated learning creates challenges that must be taken into consideration when planning and implementing blended teaching and learning. However, it provides good opportunities to enhance students' learning in and about work. This is because such programmes support student motivation through the presence of "real-life" and their relevance to the students' own places of work. Nevertheless, teachers require knowledge of different pedagogical approaches; they need professional development support in redesigning teaching and learning. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of the Web-Based Learning Environment in Distance Education: Students' Perceptions of Their Learning Needs

Science.gov (United States)

Atan, Hanafi; Rahman, Zuraidah; Idrus, Rozhan M.

2004-01-01

A study was conducted regarding students' perceptions on the characteristics of the learning requirements in a web-based learning environment. Various aspects of on-line learning were studied including the general web-based support system for the students, the learning materials, instructional strategies of the learning materials and the learning…

Problem-Based Educational Game Becomes Student-Centered Learning Environment

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Rodkroh, Pornpimon; Suwannatthachote, Praweenya; Kaemkate, Wannee

2013-01-01

Problem-based educational games are able to provide a fun and motivating environment for teaching and learning of certain subjects. However, most educational game models do not address the learning elements of problem-based educational games. This study aims to synthesize and to propose the important elements to facilitate the learning process and…

The learning environment and medical student burnout: a multicentre study.

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Dyrbye, Liselotte N; Thomas, Matthew R; Harper, William; Massie, F Stanford; Power, David V; Eacker, Anne; Szydlo, Daniel W; Novotny, Paul J; Sloan, Jeff A; Shanafelt, Tait D

2009-03-01

Little is known about specific personal and professional factors influencing student distress. The authors conducted a comprehensive assessment of how learning environment, clinical rotation factors, workload, demographics and personal life events relate to student burnout. All medical students (n = 3080) at five medical schools were surveyed in the spring of 2006 using a validated instrument to assess burnout. Students were also asked about the aforementioned factors. A total of 1701 medical students (response rate 55%) completed the survey. Learning climate factors were associated with student burnout on univariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] 1.36-2.07; all P burnout (ORs 1.69 and 1.48, respectively; both P student burnout. Students who experienced a positive personal life event had a lower frequency of burnout (OR 0.70; P burnout than students who did not experience a negative personal life event. On multivariate analysis personal characteristics, learning environment and personal life events were all independently related to student burnout. Although a complex array of personal and professional factors influence student well-being, student satisfaction with specific characteristics of the learning environment appears to be a critical factor. Studies determining how to create a learning environment that cultivates student well-being are needed.

Co-Evolution of Social Learning and Evolutionary Preparedness in Dangerous Environments.

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Lindström, Björn; Selbing, Ida; Olsson, Andreas

2016-01-01

Danger is a fundamental aspect of the lives of most animals. Adaptive behavior therefore requires avoiding actions, objects, and environments associated with danger. Previous research has shown that humans and non-human animals can avoid such dangers through two types of behavioral adaptions, (i) genetic preparedness to avoid certain stimuli or actions, and (ii) social learning. These adaptive mechanisms reduce the fitness costs associated with danger but still allow flexible behavior. Despite the empirical prevalence and importance of both these mechanisms, it is unclear when they evolve and how they interact. We used evolutionary agent-based simulations, incorporating empirically based learning mechanisms, to clarify if preparedness and social learning typically both evolve in dangerous environments, and if these mechanisms generally interact synergistically or antagonistically. Our simulations showed that preparedness and social learning often co-evolve because they provide complimentary benefits: genetic preparedness reduced foraging efficiency, but resulted in a higher rate of survival in dangerous environments, while social learning generally came to dominate the population, especially when the environment was stochastic. However, even in this case, genetic preparedness reliably evolved. Broadly, our results indicate that the relationship between preparedness and social learning is important as it can result in trade-offs between behavioral flexibility and safety, which can lead to seemingly suboptimal behavior if the evolutionary environment of the organism is not taken into account.

Emerging Online Learning Environments and Student Learning: An Analysis of Faculty Perceptions

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Gary Brown

2004-01-01

Full Text Available New educational technologies and online learning environments (OLEs are infiltrating today’s college classes and campuses. While research has examined many aspects of this permeation, one research gap exists. How do faculty perceive the learning experience in courses that use OLEs compared to courses that do not? One important factor that may influence faculty perceptions are their reasons for teaching with OLEs. This paper seeks to understand how faculty perceive OLEs as a function of their reasons for teaching with this educational technology. This paper also investigates whether faculty evaluations of OLEs differ based on gender and by years teaching. The results of the analysis reveal several noteworthy patterns. First, it appears that favorable opinions about the learning experiences in online learning environments are not because faculty are motivated to learn about new technologies per se, but because they want to update their vitas and teaching skills. Second, the results suggest that it may be harder to convince older and more experienced faculty to use new technologies compared to younger and less experienced faculty. These results apply to both male and female faculty and provide practical implications for universities and support services on how to recruit and then support faculty who implement educational technologies.

High-Quality Learning Environments for Engineering Design: Using Tablet PCs and Guidelines from Research on How People Learn

OpenAIRE

Enrique Palou; Lourdes Gazca; Juan Antonio Díaz García; José Andrés Rojas Lobato; Luis Geraldo Guerrero Ojeda; José Francisco Tamborero Arnal; María Teresa Jiménez Munguía; Aurelio López-Malo; Juan Manuel Garibay

2012-01-01

A team of several faculty members and graduate students at Universidad de las Amricas Puebla is improving engineering design teaching and learning by creating richer learning environments that promote an interactive classroom while integrating formative assessment into classroom practices by means of Tablet PCs and associated technologies. Learning environments that are knowledge-, learner-, community-, and assessment-centered as highlighted by the How People Learn framework, have been devel...

Constant Change: The Ever-Evolving Personal Learning Environment

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Torres Kompen, Ricardo; Monguet, Josep Ma.; Brigos, Miguel

2015-01-01

There are several definitions for the term "personal learning environment" (PLE); in this article, PLE refers to a group of web technologies, with various degrees of integration and interaction, that helps users and learners manage the flow of information that relates to the learning process, the creation of knowledge, and the…

Procrastination, Participation, and Performance in Online Learning Environments

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Michinov, Nicolas; Brunot, Sophie; Le Bohec, Olivier; Juhel, Jacques; Delaval, Marine

2011-01-01

The present study focuses on a specific learner characteristic in the management of time--procrastination--, and its role in an online learning environment. More specifically, it was expected that procrastination would influence the successfulness of online learning and that this could be explained by the level of participation of learners in…

Using Wikis as a Support and Assessment Tool in Collaborative Digital Game-Based Learning Environments

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Samur, Yavuz

2011-01-01

In computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments, there are many researches done on collaborative learning activities; however, in game-based learning environments, more research and literature on collaborative learning activities are required. Actually, both game-based learning environments and wikis enable us to use new chances…

Review of Opinions of Math Teachers Concerning the Learning Environment That They Design

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Aydin, Bünyamin; Yavuz, Ayse

2016-01-01

Design of appropriate learning environment has a significant importance in creation of aims of the math teaching. In the design of learning environments, teachers play a significant role. The aim of this study is determination of opinions of the math teachers concerning the learning environment that they design. In accordance with this aim, an…

Students' perspectives on e-learning and the use of a virtual learning environment in dance education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leijen, Ä.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304838446; Admiraal, W.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/120226340; Wildschut, L.; Simons, P.R.J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/068032994

2008-01-01

The aim of the study was to find out how dance students experienced learning in an international distance education program delivered in an e-learning format using a virtual learning environment platform. In order to organize the students’ experiences with the various learning assignments, we

An Ontology to Support the Classification of Learning Material in an Organizational Learning Environment: An Evaluation

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Valaski, Joselaine; Reinehr, Sheila; Malucelli, Andreia

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to evaluate whether ontology integrated in an organizational learning environment may support the automatic learning material classification in a specific knowledge area. Design/methodology/approach: An ontology for recommending learning material was integrated in the organizational learning environment…

The use of deep and surface learning strategies among students learning English as a foreign language in an Internet environment.

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Aharony, Noa

2006-12-01

The learning context is learning English in an Internet environment. The examination of this learning process was based on the Biggs and Moore's teaching-learning model (Biggs & Moore, 1993). The research aims to explore the use of the deep and surface strategies in an Internet environment among EFL students who come from different socio-economic backgrounds. The results of the research may add an additional level to the understanding of students' functioning in the Internet environment. One hundred fourty-eight Israeli junior and high school students participated in this research. The methodology was based on special computer software: Screen Cam, which recorded the students' learning process. In addition, expert judges completed a questionnaire which examined and categorized the students' learning strategies. The research findings show a clear preference of participants from all socio-economic backgrounds towards the surface learning strategy. The findings also showed that students from the medium to high socio-economic background used both learning strategies more frequently than low socio-economic students. The results reflect the habits that students acquire during their adjustment process throughout their education careers. A brief encounter with the Internet learning environment apparently cannot change norms or habits, which were acquired in the non-Internet learning environment.

Students’ Views about the Problem Based Collaborative Learning Environment Supported By Dynamic Web Technologies

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Erhan ÜNAL

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to design a problem based collaborative learning environment supported by dynamic web technologies and examine students’ views about this learning environment. The study was designed as a qualitative research. 36 students who took Object Oriented Programming I-II course from a public university at the department of computer programming participated in the study. During the research process, the Object Oriented Programming I-II course was designed with incorporating different dynamic web technologies (Edmodo, Google Services, and Mind42 and Nelson (1999’s collaborative problem solving method. At the end of the course, there were focus group interviews in regards to the students’ views on a learning environment supported by dynamic web technologies and collaborative problem solving method. At the end of the focus group interviews, 4 themes were obtained from the students’ views, including positive aspects of the learning environment, difficulties faced in the learning environment, advantages of the learning environment, and skills gained as a result of the project. The results suggest that problem based collaborative learning methods and dynamic web technologies can be used in learning environments in community colleges.

Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) in a Distance Learning Course on Mathematics Applied to Business

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Bidarra, Jose; Araujo, Joao

2013-01-01

This paper argues that the dominant form of distance learning that is common in most e-learning systems rests on a set of learning devices and environments that may be outdated from the student's perspective, namely because it is not supportive of learner empowerment and does not facilitate the efforts of self-directed learners. For this study we…

Does academic performance or personal growth share a stronger association with learning environment perception?

Science.gov (United States)

Tackett, Sean; Wright, Scott M.; Shochet, Robert S.

2016-01-01

Objectives This study was conducted to characterize the relative strength of associations of learning environment perception with academic performance and with personal growth. Methods In 2012-2014 second and third year students at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine completed a learning environment survey and personal growth scale. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was employed to determine if the proportion of variance in learning environment scores accounted for by personal growth was significantly larger than the proportion accounted for by academic performance (course/clerkship grades). Results The proportion of variance in learning environment scores accounted for by personal growth was larger than the proportion accounted for by academic performance in year 2 [R2Δ of 0.09, F(1,175) = 14.99,  p environment scores shared a small amount of variance with academic performance in years 2 and 3.  The amount of variance between learning environment scores and personal growth was small in year 2 and large in year 3. Conclusions Since supportive learning environments are essential for medical education, future work must determine if enhancing personal growth prior to and during the clerkship year will increase learning environment perception. PMID:27570912

Students' Preferred Characteristics of Learning Environments in Vocational Secondary Education

Science.gov (United States)

Placklé, Ingeborg; Könings, Karen D.; Jacquet, Wolfgang; Struyven, Katrien; Libotton, Arno; van Merriënboer, Jeroen J. G.; Engels, Nadine

2014-01-01

If teachers and teacher educators are willing to support the learning of students, it is important for them to learn what motivates students to engage in learning. Students have their own preferences on design characteristics of powerful learning environments in vocational education. We developed an instrument--the Inventory Powerful Learning…

Enhancing the strategic management of practice learning through the introduction of the role of Learning Environment Manager.

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Congdon, Graham; Baker, Tracey; Cheesman, Amanda

2013-03-01

This paper describes a process evaluation project designed to enhance the strategic management of practice learning within a large Hospital in the North of England. The aim of the project was to introduce the role of the Learning Environment Manager with dedicated responsibility for practice learning of undergraduate student nurses within the Hospital's 49 practice-settings. Whilst aspects of this role were already evident in several of these settings, the project sought to locate and standardise responsibilities related to the organisation and management of learning and teaching in practice explicitly within the existing staffing structure of each practice-setting. Focus group interviews were used to explore significant aspects of the project with key stakeholder groups comprising Learning Environment Managers, the Hospital Clinical Educator, Hospital Department Managers, Ward Managers, Mentors, University Link Lecturers and undergraduate Student Nurses. Interview data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings of the project suggest that the Learning Environment Manager role affords providers of practice learning with a robust approach to establish organisation-wide benchmarks that standardise the strategic management of practice learning in collaboration with partner Universities. The role incorporated many operational activities previously undertaken by the Hospital Clinical Educator, thus enabling the Hospital Clinical Educator to make a more strategic contribution to the on-going quality monitoring and enhancement of practice learning across the Hospital. The Learning Environment Manager role was found to provide mentors with high levels of support which in turn helped to promote consistent, positive and holistic practice learning experiences for undergraduate student nurses across the Hospital. Importantly, the role offers a potent catalyst for nurses in practice to regain responsibility for practice learning and re-establish the value of

The Ghost in the Machine: Are "Teacherless" CALL Programs Really Possible?

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Davies, Ted; Williamson, Rodney

1998-01-01

Reflects critically on pedagogical issues in the production of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) courseware and ways CALL has affected the practice of language learning. Concludes that if CALL is to reach full potential, it must be more than a simple medium of information; it should provide a teaching/learning process, with the real…

Facilitative and obstructive factors in the clinical learning environment: Experiences of pupil enrolled nurses

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Eucebious Lekalakala-Mokgele

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The clinical learning environment is a complex social entity that influences student learning outcomes in the clinical setting. Students can experience the clinical learning environment as being both facilitative and obstructive to their learning. The clinical environment may be a source of stress, creating feelings of fear and anxiety which in turn affect the students’ responses to learning. Equally, the environment can enhance learning if experienced positively. Objectives: This study described pupil enrolled nurses’ experiences of facilitative and obstructive factors in military and public health clinical learning settings. Method: Using a qualitative, contextual, exploratory descriptive design, three focus group interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached amongst pupil enrolled nurses in a military School of Nursing. Results: Data analysed provided evidence that acceptance by clinical staff and affordance of self-directed learning facilitated learning. Students felt safe to practise when they were supported by the clinical staff. They felt a sense of belonging when the staff showed an interest in and welcomed them. Learning was obstructed when students were met with condescending comments. Wearing of a military uniform in the public hospital and horizontal violence obstructed learning in the clinical learning environment. Conclusion: Students cannot have effective clinical preparation if the environment is not conducive to and supportive of clinical learning, The study shows that military nursing students experience unique challenges as they are trained in two professions that are hierarchical in nature. The students experienced both facilitating and obstructing factors to their learning during their clinical practice. Clinical staff should be made aware of factors which can impact on students’ learning. Policies need to be developed for supporting students in the clinical learning

Awareness for Contextualized Digital Contents in Ubiquitous Learning Environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Börner, Dirk

2010-01-01

Börner, D. (2009). Awareness for Contextualized Digital Contents in Ubiquitous Learning Environments. Presented at the Doctoral Consortium of the Fourth European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL 2009). September, 29-October, 2, 2009, Nice, France.

The learning environment of paediatric interns in South Africa.

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Naidoo, Kimesh L; Van Wyk, Jacqueline M; Adhikari, Miriam

2017-11-29

South African (SA) paediatric interns (recently qualified medical graduates) work in a high disease burdened and resource deficient environment for two years, prior to independent practice. Perceptions of this learning environment (LE) influences their approaches to training as well as the outcomes of this period of development. Obstacles to creating a supportive LE and supervisor interaction affects the quality of this training. Measuring perceptions of the LE with validated instruments can help inform improvements in learning during this crucial period of medical education. The aims of this study was to determine the psychometric qualities of the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) amongst paediatric interns across four hospital complexes in South Africa and to measure the LE as perceived by both interns and their supervisors. Construct validity was tested using factor analysis and internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's alpha. A total of 209 interns and 60 supervisors (69% intern response rate) responded to the questionnaire. The PHEEM was found to be very reliable with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.943 and 0.874 for intern and supervisors respectively. Factor analysis using a 3-factor solution accounted for 42% of the variance with the teaching subscale having the best fit compared with the other sub-scales of the original tool. Most interns perceived the learning environment as being more positive than negative however, their perceptions differed significantly from that of their supervisors. Poor infrastructural support from institutions, excessive workloads and inadequate supervision were factors preventing optimal training of paediatric interns. The SA version of the PHEEM tool used was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for use in interns amongst high disease burdened contexts. Various obstacles to creating an ideal learning environment for paediatric interns were identified to be in need of urgent review. Key

Uncertain call likelihood negatively affects sleep and next-day cognitive performance while on-call in a laboratory environment.

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Sprajcer, Madeline; Jay, Sarah M; Vincent, Grace E; Vakulin, Andrew; Lack, Leon; Ferguson, Sally A

2018-05-11

On-call working arrangements are employed in a number of industries to manage unpredictable events, and often involve tasks that are safety- or time-critical. This study investigated the effects of call likelihood during an overnight on-call shift on self-reported pre-bed anxiety, sleep and next-day cognitive performance. A four-night laboratory-based protocol was employed, with an adaptation, a control and two counterbalanced on-call nights. On one on-call night, participants were instructed that they would definitely be called during the night, while on the other on-call night they were told they may be called. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory form x-1 was used to investigate pre-bed anxiety, and sleep was assessed using polysomnography and power spectral analysis of the sleep electroencephalographic analysis. Cognitive performance was assessed four times daily using a 10-min psychomotor vigilance task. Participants felt more anxious before bed when they were definitely going to be called, compared with the control and maybe conditions. Conversely, participants experienced significantly less non-rapid eye movement and stage two sleep and poorer cognitive performance when told they may be called. Further, participants had significantly more rapid eye movement sleep in the maybe condition, which may be an adaptive response to the stress associated with this on-call condition. It appears that self-reported anxiety may not be linked with sleep outcomes while on-call. However, this research indicates that it is important to take call likelihood into consideration when constructing rosters and risk-management systems for on-call workers.

DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHER COMP ETENCES IN CREATING POWERFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN VOCATIONAL SECONDARY EDUCATION

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Inge PLACKLÉ

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Background: At the end of Vocational Secondary Education students should be able to solve authentic problems individually and in group. Powerful learning environments could enforce these learning processes. Research question: “Which critical desirable design principles can we define to create a powerful learning environment in Secondary Vocational Education ? Method: We combine different perspectives of teachers, students and researchers to build a shared model of learning environments, which will be perceived as more powerful by all stakeholders. Based on literature we selected design principles followed by organizing focus groups with teacher educators and teachers to further adapt these principles. Preliminary results: We determined eight design pr inciples: Authenticity learning environment, differentiation, adapted evaluation, self-directed learning, problem solving, teamwork, shared responsibility design learning environment and (labour identity develop ment. Each principle has been further clarified in indicators. This study is part of a larger research project in developing teacher competences in creating powe rful learning enviro nments in Vocational Secondary Education.

Intellectual Property and Copyright Issues in Online Learning Environments.

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Szanto, Edit

2001-01-01

Provides an overview of intellectual property and copyright issues as they relate to online learning environments. Includes a historical perspective; laws and regulations; liability; Web-related issues; higher education; distance learning; compliance strategies; and policy recommendations. (Author/LRW)

Level of Intrinsic Motivation of Distance Education Students in e-Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Firat, Mehmet; Kilinç, Hakan; Yüzer, Tevfik Volkan

2018-01-01

According to researches, motivation that initiates and sustains behaviour is one of the most significant components of learning in any environment. Accordingly, level of intrinsic motivation triggers and sustains the interest of the open and distance education students when it comes to learning on their own in e-learning environments. Despite a…

Foreign language learning in immersive virtual environments

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Chang, Benjamin; Sheldon, Lee; Si, Mei; Hand, Anton

2012-03-01

Virtual reality has long been used for training simulations in fields from medicine to welding to vehicular operation, but simulations involving more complex cognitive skills present new design challenges. Foreign language learning, for example, is increasingly vital in the global economy, but computer-assisted education is still in its early stages. Immersive virtual reality is a promising avenue for language learning as a way of dynamically creating believable scenes for conversational training and role-play simulation. Visual immersion alone, however, only provides a starting point. We suggest that the addition of social interactions and motivated engagement through narrative gameplay can lead to truly effective language learning in virtual environments. In this paper, we describe the development of a novel application for teaching Mandarin using CAVE-like VR, physical props, human actors and intelligent virtual agents, all within a semester-long multiplayer mystery game. Students travel (virtually) to China on a class field trip, which soon becomes complicated with intrigue and mystery surrounding the lost manuscript of an early Chinese literary classic. Virtual reality environments such as the Forbidden City and a Beijing teahouse provide the setting for learning language, cultural traditions, and social customs, as well as the discovery of clues through conversation in Mandarin with characters in the game.

Designing learning environments to promote student learning: ergonomics in all but name.

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Smith, Thomas J

2013-01-01

This report introduces evidence for the conclusion that a common theme underlies almost all proposed solutions for improving the performance of K-12 students, namely their reliance on the design of educational system environments, features and operations. Two categories of design factors impacting such performance are addressed: (1) 9 factors reliably shown to have a strong influence - namely environmental design of classroom and building facilities, longer exposure to learning, cooperative learning designs, early childhood education, teaching quality, nutritional adequacy, participation in physical activity, good physical fitness, and school-community integration; and (2) 11 factors with an equivocal, varied or weak influence - classroom technology, online learning environments, smaller class size, school choice, school funding, school size, school start times, teacher training level, amount of homework, student self-confidence and informal learning. It is concluded that: (1) student learning outcomes, and more broadly the edifice of education itself, are largely defined in terms of an extensive system of design factors and conditions; (2) the time is long overdue for the educational system to acknowledge the central role of E/HF design as the major influence on student performance and learning; and (3) K-12 educators and administrators should emphasize allocation of resources to design factors reliably shown to have a strongly positive impact on student performance, but should treat expenditure on factors with equivocal, varied or weak influence on such performance with more caution and/or skepticism.

Exploring Non-Traditional Learning Methods in Virtual and Real-World Environments

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Lukman, Rebeka; Krajnc, Majda

2012-01-01

This paper identifies the commonalities and differences within non-traditional learning methods regarding virtual and real-world environments. The non-traditional learning methods in real-world have been introduced within the following courses: Process Balances, Process Calculation, and Process Synthesis, and within the virtual environment through…

Perspectives on Advanced Learning Technologies and Learning Networks and Future Aerospace Workforce Environments

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Noor, Ahmed K. (Compiler)

2003-01-01

An overview of the advanced learning technologies is given in this presentation along with a brief description of their impact on future aerospace workforce development. The presentation is divided into five parts (see Figure 1). In the first part, a brief historical account of the evolution of learning technologies is given. The second part describes the current learning activities. The third part describes some of the future aerospace systems, as examples of high-tech engineering systems, and lists their enabling technologies. The fourth part focuses on future aerospace research, learning and design environments. The fifth part lists the objectives of the workshop and some of the sources of information on learning technologies and learning networks.

Towards Entrepreneurial Learning Competencies: The Perspective of Built Environment Students

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Ernest, Kissi; Matthew, Somiah K.; Samuel, Ansah K.

2015-01-01

This paper sought to discuss entrepreneurial learning competencies by determining the outcome of entrepreneurial learning on the views of built environment students in the university setting. In this study, three relevant competencies were identified for entrepreneurial learning through literature, namely: entrepreneurial attitude, entrepreneurial…

Using Facebook as an informal learning environment.

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Cain, Jeff; Policastri, Anne

2011-12-15

To create, implement, and assess the effectiveness of an optional Facebook activity intended to expose students to contemporary business issues not covered in the core content of a pharmacy management and leadership course and to perspectives of experts and thought leaders external to their university. An informal learning strategy was used to create a Facebook group page and guest experts were identified and invited to submit posts pertaining to business-related topics. Students were given instructions for joining the Facebook group but informed that participation was optional. A mixed-methods approach using a student questionnaire, results on examination questions, and a student focus group was used to assess this activity. The informal design with no posting guidelines and no participation requirement was well received by students, who appreciated the unique learning environment and exposure to external experts. Facebook provides an informal learning environment for presenting contemporary topics and the thoughts of guest experts not affiliated with a college or school, thereby exposing students to relevant "real world" issues.

THE ENVIRONMENT AS A CRUCIAL LEARNING FACTOR AT PRE-SCHOOL

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Snježana Močinić

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this essay, the author hypothesizes that physical environment is an essential factor for developing an educational project. The environment is considered a sort of "third educator", playing a decisive role in determining the quality of learning. Classrooms, laboratory, the corridor, the structure of the building itself and the context in which the building is placed; the colours of the walls, the quality of natural and artificial light in the building, the furniture and materials for learning are variables which determine the environment where a child lives, learns, experiences, begins relationships with other people. The educator is very important in the process of a child's development. By means of direct and indirect action, he/she can create an attractive space in the building, more accessible for the processes of functional learning. The empirical research, described in the present survey, underlines the importance of pre-schools as an important place for meeting, interaction, listening and reciprocity leading toward an improvement in the relationship between the child and the school environment. In particular, this empirical research will show the diversity of the places and materials teachers made available to children.

Learning Environment as Correlates of Chemistry Students ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

gold

2012-07-26

Jul 26, 2012 ... The study aimed at assessing how 13 learning environment variables taken ... chemistry education programmes for optimum achievement of students in ... The contribution of chemistry and chemists to social, industrial and.

Investigating Learners' Attitudes toward Virtual Reality Learning Environments: Based on a Constructivist Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hsiu-Mei; Rauch, Ulrich; Liaw, Shu-Sheng

2010-01-01

The use of animation and multimedia for learning is now further extended by the provision of entire Virtual Reality Learning Environments (VRLE). This highlights a shift in Web-based learning from a conventional multimedia to a more immersive, interactive, intuitive and exciting VR learning environment. VRLEs simulate the real world through the…

Learning Environment Facilitating Educational Achievements of Teenagers

OpenAIRE

Šūmane, Ilze

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT. The doctoral thesis of Ilze Šūmane in pedagogy science, school pedagogy sub-discipline ”Learning environment facilitating educational achievements of teenagers” was worked out in the Department of Pedagogy, Faculty of Pedagogy, Psychology and Arts, University of Latvia, under the supervision of Dr.paed., professor Rudīte Andersone from2001 till 2011. The topicality of the research determined by the necessity to improve quality learning and education. During an effective study ...

The Influence of Social Media on Collaborative Learning in a Cohort Environment

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Natasha James-Waldon

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper provides an overview of the impact that social media has on the development of collaborative learning within a cohort environment in a doctoral program. The researchers surveyed doctoral students in an education program to determine how social media use has influenced the doctoral students. The study looked at the following areas: a the ability of social media use to develop a collaborative learning environment, b access to social media content which supports learning, and c whether social media use has contributed to the enhancement of the doctoral students’ academic achievement and learning progress. As social media use and on-line learning become more prevalent in education, it is important to continue to understand the impact that social media has on improving students’ ability to achieve their academic goals. This study provides insight on how doctoral students used social media and how social media use has influenced academic development in their cohort environment. In addition, this paper provides a discerning view into the role social media plays when developing a collaborative learning environment in a cohort.