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Sample records for learning experiences related

  1. Professional development in sport psychology : relating learning experiences to learning outcomes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hutter, R. I. (Vana); Oldenhof-Veldman, Tanja; Pijpers, J. R. (Rob); Oudejans, Raôul R.D.

    2017-01-01

    To enhance the training of sport psychology consultants, it is important to know which learning experiences are useful for which components of professional development. We interviewed 15 novice consultants on their learning experiences related to 13 different topics. Traditional learning experiences

  2. Feedback of safety - related operational experience: Lessons learned

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elias, D [Commonwealth Edison Co. (United States)

    1997-09-01

    The presentation considers the following aspects of feedback of safety-related operational experience: lessons learned program, objectives, personnel characteristics; three types of documents for transmitting lessons learned issues.

  3. Feedback of safety - related operational experience: Lessons learned

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elias, D.

    1997-01-01

    The presentation considers the following aspects of feedback of safety-related operational experience: lessons learned program, objectives, personnel characteristics; three types of documents for transmitting lessons learned issues

  4. Undergraduate nursing students' experience related to their clinical learning environment and factors affecting to their clinical learning process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arkan, Burcu; Ordin, Yaprak; Yılmaz, Dilek

    2018-03-01

    Clinical education is an essential part of nursing education. The purpose of this study was to explore nurse students' experiences related to cinical learning environments, factors effecting to clinical learning process. Descriptive qualitative design was used in this study, and data were collected from 2nd class nursing student (n = 14). The study took the form of in-depth interviews between August-October 2015. The qualitative interviews were analyzed by using simple content analysis. Data were analyzed manually. Experiences nurse students are described five themes. The themes of the study are (1) effecting persons to clinical learning, (2) educational atmosphere, (3) students' personal charactering, (4) the impact of education in school, and (5) students' perceptions related to clinical learning. Participants stated that they experienced many difficulties during clinical learning process. All students importantly stated that nurse teacher is very effecting to clinical learning. This study contributes to the literature by providing data on beginner nursing student' experiences about clinical learning process. The data of this present study show to Turkish nursing student is affecting mostly from persons in clinical learning. The data of this present study will guide nurse teacher when they plan to interventions to be performed to support student during clinical learning process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Learning From Experience

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Visholm, Steen; Beck, Ulla Charlotte

    2014-01-01

    University and NAPSO2). Seen from the horizon of their experience some of the basic concepts in the theories about GRC need clarifying, revision, and development. The GRC is a part of the learning from experience movement and as a consequence it stresses the underlying basis: learning is personal so everyone...... presented and discussed and two later contributions are presented: Barry Palmer's theory (Palmer, 1979) and Junell Silver and Ruthellen Josselson's study (Silver & Josselson, 2010). The learning concepts of the GRCs are found to be too general and too far from organisational life. As an attempt to move......In this paper the learning concept of group relation's conferences are discussed. The authors have worked with group relations conferences (GRC) in different contexts for many years-mainly as a part of educational programmes for managers and consultants (OPU at IGA Copenhagen, MPO at Roskilde...

  6. Psychotic Experiences and Overhasty Inferences Are Related to Maladaptive Learning.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heiner Stuke

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Theoretical accounts suggest that an alteration in the brain's learning mechanisms might lead to overhasty inferences, resulting in psychotic symptoms. Here, we sought to elucidate the suggested link between maladaptive learning and psychosis. Ninety-eight healthy individuals with varying degrees of delusional ideation and hallucinatory experiences performed a probabilistic reasoning task that allowed us to quantify overhasty inferences. Replicating previous results, we found a relationship between psychotic experiences and overhasty inferences during probabilistic reasoning. Computational modelling revealed that the behavioral data was best explained by a novel computational learning model that formalizes the adaptiveness of learning by a non-linear distortion of prediction error processing, where an increased non-linearity implies a growing resilience against learning from surprising and thus unreliable information (large prediction errors. Most importantly, a decreased adaptiveness of learning predicted delusional ideation and hallucinatory experiences. Our current findings provide a formal description of the computational mechanisms underlying overhasty inferences, thereby empirically substantiating theories that link psychosis to maladaptive learning.

  7. Learning and Experience

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Henning Salling

    2017-01-01

    Abstract: This chapter introduces a psycho-societal approach to theorizing learning, combining a materialist theory of socialization with a hermeneutic interpretation methodology. The term "approach" indicates the intrinsic connection between theory, empirical research process and epistemic subject....... Learning is theorized as dynamic subjective experience of (socially situated) realities, counting on individual subjectivity as well as subjective aspects of social interaction. This psycho-societal theory of subjective experiences conceptualizes individual psychic development as interactional experience...... of societal relations, producing an inner psycho-dynamic as a conscious and unconscious individual resource in future life. The symbolization of immediate sensual experiences form an individual life experience of social integration, language use being the medium of collective, social experience (knowledge...

  8. Experience Learning and Community Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nena Mijoč

    1996-12-01

    Full Text Available Research in the field of education, carried out in living and working environment, which has undergone so profound changes recently, is of extreme importance. In schools, courses and seminars, one cannot prepare him/herself for the changes as these are often so rapid that it is impossible to foresee them. Therefore, one can only learn by experience. In defining the term 'experience learning', the teoreticians vary greatly. In this paper, experience learning is understood as a process of learning taking part mainly outside the planned educational process and including an active and participative attitude towards environment and people. Original and direct experience can thus serve as a basis for gaining new comprehensions, for planning future activities as well as for a reinterpretation of the past experiences. Let us first mention the basic factors of successful experience learning, such as an individual's character features, possibilities for learning, learning atmosphere and positive stimulations. It has been estimated that local community can increase or decrease the possibilities for experience learning. However, the relation is active in other direction too: the more experience learning bas been asserted in a community, the greater its influence on social and cultural development of the community. On has to bear in mind that well-planned education for local community and stimulating sociocultural animation can facilitate the development of local community.

  9. Work-related teaching and learning methods to foster generic skills in Higher Education. An Italian experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Frison

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Within the framework of modernisation of higher education systems in Europe, universities are invited to go beyond a knowledge-based perspective focused on disciplinary approaches and to be more concentrated on encouraging generic skills to deal with today’s complex and unpredictable career paths. The literature about Work-Related Learning and Work-Integrated Learning offers evidence to research regarding contributions of work-related experiences to the development of generic skills. The first part of the article presents a literature review carried out following the matching among three main keywords: work-related learning, generic skills, and higher education. Resources focused on the integration/teaching of generic skills in formal curriculum or in co-curriculum work-related activities and they were collected in order to explore the link between work-related learning in higher education and the development of generic skills. The focus is to identify valuable considerations to improve teaching strategies and methods. The second part presents an Italian work-related experience developed within the course of “Organizational Intervention Research Methods,” which involved 22 master’s degree students. The work-related assignment will be described in addition to the content analysis process of the 22 collected texts and the findings about the development of generic skills.

  10. Evoked prior learning experience and approach to learning as predictors of academic achievement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trigwell, Keith; Ashwin, Paul; Millan, Elena S

    2013-09-01

    In separate studies and research from different perspectives, five factors are found to be among those related to higher quality outcomes of student learning (academic achievement). Those factors are higher self-efficacy, deeper approaches to learning, higher quality teaching, students' perceptions that their workload is appropriate, and greater learning motivation. University learning improvement strategies have been built on these research results. To investigate how students' evoked prior experience, perceptions of their learning environment, and their approaches to learning collectively contribute to academic achievement. This is the first study to investigate motivation and self-efficacy in the same educational context as conceptions of learning, approaches to learning and perceptions of the learning environment. Undergraduate students (773) from the full range of disciplines were part of a group of over 2,300 students who volunteered to complete a survey of their learning experience. On completing their degrees 6 and 18 months later, their academic achievement was matched with their learning experience survey data. A 77-item questionnaire was used to gather students' self-report of their evoked prior experience (self-efficacy, learning motivation, and conceptions of learning), perceptions of learning context (teaching quality and appropriate workload), and approaches to learning (deep and surface). Academic achievement was measured using the English honours degree classification system. Analyses were conducted using correlational and multi-variable (structural equation modelling) methods. The results from the correlation methods confirmed those found in numerous earlier studies. The results from the multi-variable analyses indicated that surface approach to learning was the strongest predictor of academic achievement, with self-efficacy and motivation also found to be directly related. In contrast to the correlation results, a deep approach to learning was

  11. Humanoid infers Archimedes' principle: understanding physical relations and object affordances through cumulative learning experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhat, Ajaz Ahmad; Mohan, Vishwanathan; Sandini, Giulio; Morasso, Pietro

    2016-07-01

    Emerging studies indicate that several species such as corvids, apes and children solve 'The Crow and the Pitcher' task (from Aesop's Fables) in diverse conditions. Hidden beneath this fascinating paradigm is a fundamental question: by cumulatively interacting with different objects, how can an agent abstract the underlying cause-effect relations to predict and creatively exploit potential affordances of novel objects in the context of sought goals? Re-enacting this Aesop's Fable task on a humanoid within an open-ended 'learning-prediction-abstraction' loop, we address this problem and (i) present a brain-guided neural framework that emulates rapid one-shot encoding of ongoing experiences into a long-term memory and (ii) propose four task-agnostic learning rules (elimination, growth, uncertainty and status quo) that correlate predictions from remembered past experiences with the unfolding present situation to gradually abstract the underlying causal relations. Driven by the proposed architecture, the ensuing robot behaviours illustrated causal learning and anticipation similar to natural agents. Results further demonstrate that by cumulatively interacting with few objects, the predictions of the robot in case of novel objects converge close to the physical law, i.e. the Archimedes principle: this being independent of both the objects explored during learning and the order of their cumulative exploration. © 2016 The Author(s).

  12. Humanoid infers Archimedes' principle: understanding physical relations and object affordances through cumulative learning experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Emerging studies indicate that several species such as corvids, apes and children solve ‘The Crow and the Pitcher’ task (from Aesop's Fables) in diverse conditions. Hidden beneath this fascinating paradigm is a fundamental question: by cumulatively interacting with different objects, how can an agent abstract the underlying cause–effect relations to predict and creatively exploit potential affordances of novel objects in the context of sought goals? Re-enacting this Aesop's Fable task on a humanoid within an open-ended ‘learning–prediction–abstraction’ loop, we address this problem and (i) present a brain-guided neural framework that emulates rapid one-shot encoding of ongoing experiences into a long-term memory and (ii) propose four task-agnostic learning rules (elimination, growth, uncertainty and status quo) that correlate predictions from remembered past experiences with the unfolding present situation to gradually abstract the underlying causal relations. Driven by the proposed architecture, the ensuing robot behaviours illustrated causal learning and anticipation similar to natural agents. Results further demonstrate that by cumulatively interacting with few objects, the predictions of the robot in case of novel objects converge close to the physical law, i.e. the Archimedes principle: this being independent of both the objects explored during learning and the order of their cumulative exploration. PMID:27466440

  13. Lessons learned related to packaging and transportation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wallen, C.

    1995-01-01

    The use of lessons learned as a tool for learning from past experiences is well established, especially by many organizations within the nuclear industry. Every person has, at some time, used the principles of lessons learned to adopt good work practices based on their own experiences or the experiences of others. Lessons learned can also help to avoid the recurrence of adverse practices, which is often an area that most lessons-learned programs tend to focus on. This paper will discuss how lessons learned relate to packaging and transportation issues and events experienced at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities. It will also discuss the role performed by the Office of Nuclear and Facility Safety's Office of Operating Experience Analysis and Feedback in disseminating lessons learned and operating experience feedback to the DOE complex. The central concept of lessons learned is that any organization should be able to learn from its own experiences and events. In addition, organizations should implement methodologies to scan external environments for lessons learned, to analyze and determine the relevance of lessons learned, and to bring about the necessary changes learned from these experiences. With increased concerns toward facility safety, the importance of utilizing the lessons-learned principles and the establishment of lessons-learned programs can not be overstated

  14. Multiple-choice pretesting potentiates learning of related information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Little, Jeri L; Bjork, Elizabeth Ligon

    2016-10-01

    Although the testing effect has received a substantial amount of empirical attention, such research has largely focused on the effects of tests given after study. The present research examines the effect of using tests prior to study (i.e., as pretests), focusing particularly on how pretesting influences the subsequent learning of information that is not itself pretested but that is related to the pretested information. In Experiment 1, we found that multiple-choice pretesting was better for the learning of such related information than was cued-recall pretesting or a pre-fact-study control condition. In Experiment 2, we found that the increased learning of non-pretested related information following multiple-choice testing could not be attributed to increased time allocated to that information during subsequent study. Last, in Experiment 3, we showed that the benefits of multiple-choice pretesting over cued-recall pretesting for the learning of related information persist over 48 hours, thus demonstrating the promise of multiple-choice pretesting to potentiate learning in educational contexts. A possible explanation for the observed benefits of multiple-choice pretesting for enhancing the effectiveness with which related nontested information is learned during subsequent study is discussed.

  15. Selection as a learning experience: an exploratory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Visser, Marieke; Laan, Roland F; Engbers, Rik; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke; Fluit, Cornelia

    2018-01-01

    Research on selection for medical school does not explore selection as a learning experience, despite growing attention for the learning effects of assessment in general. Insight in the learning effects allows us to take advantage of selection as an inclusive part of medical students' learning process to become competent professionals. The aims of this study at Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands, were 1) to determine whether students have learning experiences in the selection process, and, if so, what experiences; and 2) to understand what students need in order to utilize the learning effects of the selection process at the start of the formal curriculum. We used focus groups to interview 30 students admitted in 2016 about their learning experiences in the selection process. Thematic analysis was used to explore the outcomes of the interviews and to define relevant themes. In the selection process, students learned about the curriculum, themselves, their relation to others, and the profession they had been selected to enter, although this was not explicitly perceived as learning. Students needed a connection between selection and the curriculum as well as feedback to be able to really use their learning experiences for their further development. Medical school selection qualifies as a learning experience, and students as well as medical schools can take advantage of this. We recommend a careful design of the selection procedure, integrating relevant selection learning experiences into the formal curriculum, providing feedback and explicitly approaching the selection and the formal curriculum as interconnected contributors to students' development.

  16. Experience in Design and Learning Approaches – Enhancing the Framework for Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Merja L.M. Bauters

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In design and learning studies, an increasing amount of attention has been paid to experience. Many design approaches relate experience to embodiment and phenomenology. The growth in the number of applications that use the Internet of Things (IoT has shifted human interactions from mobile devices and computers to tangible, material things. In education, the pressure to learn and update skills and knowledge, especially in work environments, has underlined the challenge of understanding how workers learn from reflection while working. These directions have been fuelled by research findings in the neurosciences, embodied cognition, the extended phenomenological–cognitive system and the role of emotions in decision-making and meaning making. The perspective on experience in different disciplines varies, and the aim is often to categorise experience. These approaches provide a worthwhile view of the importance of experience in learning and design, such as the recent emphasis on conceptual and epistemological knowledge creation. In pragmatism, experience plays a considerable role in research, art, communication and reflection. Therefore, I rely on Peirce’s communicative theory of signs and Dewey’s philosophy of experience to examine how experience is connected to reflection and therefore how it is necessarily tangible.

  17. Event-related potential correlates of emergent inference in human arbitrary relational learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ting; Dymond, Simon

    2013-01-01

    Two experiments investigated the functional-anatomical correlates of cognition supporting untrained, emergent relational inference in a stimulus equivalence task. In Experiment 1, after learning a series of conditional relations involving words and pseudowords, participants performed a relatedness task during which EEG was recorded. Behavioural performance was faster and more accurate on untrained, indirectly related symmetry (i.e., learn AB and infer BA) and equivalence trials (i.e., learn AB and AC and infer CB) than on unrelated trials, regardless of whether or not a formal test for stimulus equivalence relations had been conducted. Consistent with previous results, event related potentials (ERPs) evoked by trained and emergent trials at parietal and occipital sites differed only for those participants who had not received a prior equivalence test. Experiment 2 further replicated and extended these behavioural and ERP findings using arbitrary symbols as stimuli and demonstrated time and frequency differences for trained and untrained relatedness trials. Overall, the findings demonstrate convincingly the ERP correlates of intra-experimentally established stimulus equivalence relations consisting entirely of arbitrary symbols and offer support for a contemporary cognitive-behavioural model of symbolic categorisation and relational inference. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Learning Analytics Architecture to Scaffold Learning Experience through Technology-based Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jannicke Madeleine Baalsrud Hauge

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The challenge of delivering personalized learning experiences is often increased by the size of classrooms and online learning communities. Serious Games (SGs are increasingly recognized for their potential to improve education. However, the issues related to their development and their level of effectiveness can be seriously affected when brought too rapidly into growing online learning communities. Deeper insights into how the students are playing is needed to deliver a comprehensive and intelligent learning framework that facilitates better understanding of learners' knowledge, effective assessment of their progress and continuous evaluation and optimization of the environments in which they learn. This paper discusses current SOTA and aims to explore the potential in the use of games and learning analytics towards scaffolding and supporting teaching and learning experience. The conceptual model (ecosystem and architecture discussed in this paper aims to highlight the key considerations that may advance the current state of learning analytics, adaptive learning and SGs, by leveraging SGs as an suitable medium for gathering data and performing adaptations.

  19. The Influence of Experience, Ability and Interest on e-Learning Effectiveness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haverila, Matti; Barkhi, Reza

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a research conducted to evaluate the effect of learning preconceptions, prior e-learning experience, ability and interest of students on their perceptions regarding the process of e-learning. We study the effectiveness of e-learning as it relates to the level of e-learning experience. The…

  20. Experience in Design and Learning Approaches – Enhancing the Framework for Experience

    OpenAIRE

    Merja L.M. Bauters

    2017-01-01

    In design and learning studies, an increasing amount of attention has been paid to experience. Many design approaches relate experience to embodiment and phenomenology. The growth in the number of applications that use the Internet of Things (IoT) has shifted human interactions from mobile devices and computers to tangible, material things. In education, the pressure to learn and update skills and knowledge, especially in work environments, has underlined the challenge of understanding how wo...

  1. Relative speed of processing determines color-word contingency learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forrin, Noah D; MacLeod, Colin M

    2017-10-01

    In three experiments, we tested a relative-speed-of-processing account of color-word contingency learning, a phenomenon in which color identification responses to high-contingency stimuli (words that appear most often in particular colors) are faster than those to low-contingency stimuli. Experiment 1 showed equally large contingency-learning effects whether responding was to the colors or to the words, likely due to slow responding to both dimensions because of the unfamiliar mapping required by the key press responses. For Experiment 2, participants switched to vocal responding, in which reading words is considerably faster than naming colors, and we obtained a contingency-learning effect only for color naming, the slower dimension. In Experiment 3, previewing the color information resulted in a reduced contingency-learning effect for color naming, but it enhanced the contingency-learning effect for word reading. These results are all consistent with contingency learning influencing performance only when the nominally irrelevant feature is faster to process than the relevant feature, and therefore are entirely in accord with a relative-speed-of-processing explanation.

  2. Exploring the learnings derived from catalytic experiences in a leadership context

    OpenAIRE

    Daphna S. Horowitz; René van Eeden

    2015-01-01

    Orientation: Personal leadership comprises self-awareness, authenticity, inspiration and passion. The concept of personal leadership was explored together with its relationship with leadership-related learnings derived from a catalytic experience. Research purpose: The objective of the study was to explore the leadership-related learnings derived from a catalytic experience and any connection between these learnings, personal leadership and leadership in an organisational context. Mot...

  3. Investigation of learning and experience curves

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krawiec, F.; Thornton, J.; Edesess, M.

    1980-04-01

    The applicability of learning and experience curves for predicting future costs of solar technologies is assessed, and the major test case is the production economics of heliostats. Alternative methods for estimating cost reductions in systems manufacture are discussed, and procedures for using learning and experience curves to predict costs are outlined. Because adequate production data often do not exist, production histories of analogous products/processes are analyzed and learning and aggregated cost curves for these surrogates estimated. If the surrogate learning curves apply, they can be used to estimate solar technology costs. The steps involved in generating these cost estimates are given. Second-generation glass-steel and inflated-bubble heliostat design concepts, developed by MDAC and GE, respectively, are described; a costing scenario for 25,000 units/yr is detailed; surrogates for cost analysis are chosen; learning and aggregate cost curves are estimated; and aggregate cost curves for the GE and MDAC designs are estimated. However, an approach that combines a neoclassical production function with a learning-by-doing hypothesis is needed to yield a cost relation compatible with the historical learning curve and the traditional cost function of economic theory.

  4. In real time: exploring nursing students' learning during an international experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afriyie Asenso, Barbara; Reimer-Kirkham, Sheryl; Astle, Barbara

    2013-10-11

    Abstract Nursing education has increasingly turned to international learning experiences to educate students who are globally minded and aware of social injustices in local and global communities. To date, research with international learning experiences has focused on the benefits for the students participating, after they have completed the international experience. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how nursing students learn during the international experience. The sample consisted of eight nursing students who enrolled in an international learning experience, and data were collected in "real time" in Zambia. The students were observed during learning activities and were interviewed three times. Three major themes emerged from the thematic analysis: expectations shaped students' learning, engagement facilitated learning, and critical reflection enhanced learning. Implications are discussed, related to disrupting media representations of Africa that shape students' expectations, and educational strategies for transformative learning and global citizenship.

  5. Learning More Effectively from Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ioan Fazey

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Developing the capacity for individuals to learn effectively from their experiences is an important part of building the knowledge and skills in organizations to do good adaptive management. This paper reviews some of the research from cognitive psychology and phenomenography to present a way of thinking about learning to assist individuals to make better use of their personal experiences to develop understanding of environmental systems. We suggest that adaptive expertise (an individual's ability to deal flexibly with new situations is particularly relevant for environmental researchers and practitioners. To develop adaptive expertise, individuals need to: (1 vary and reflect on their experiences and become adept at seeking out and taking different perspectives; and (2 become proficient at making balanced judgements about how or if an experience will change their current perspective or working representation of a social, economic, and biophysical system by applying principles of "good thinking." Such principles include those that assist individuals to be open to the possibility of changing their current way of thinking (e.g., the disposition to be adventurous and those that reduce the likelihood of making erroneous interpretations (e.g., the disposition to be intellectually careful. An example of applying some of the principles to assist individuals develop their understanding of a dynamically complex wetland system (the Macquarie Marshes in Australia is provided. The broader implications of individual learning are also discussed in relation to organizational learning, the role of experiential knowledge for conservation, and for achieving greater awareness of the need for ecologically sustainable activity.

  6. Exploring the learnings derived from catalytic experiences in a leadership context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daphna S. Horowitz

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Orientation: Personal leadership comprises self-awareness, authenticity, inspiration and passion. The concept of personal leadership was explored together with its relationship with leadership-related learnings derived from a catalytic experience. Research purpose: The objective of the study was to explore the leadership-related learnings derived from a catalytic experience and any connection between these learnings, personal leadership and leadership in an organisational context. Motivation for the study: Measurement of leaders’ performance remains largely focused on the results achieved. The importance of personal leadership in the corporate environment is often ignored and even questioned. Recognising that there is a relationship between personal leadership and professional leadership enables leaders to connect who they are being and what they are doing. This can enhance their leadership. Research design, approach and method: The study was conducted using a qualitative approach, specifically narrative enquiry. The sample comprised seven leaders who have had catalytic experiences in their lives. In-depth interviews were conducted and thematic analysis was used to identify themes on the leadership-related learnings gained from the leaders’catalytic experiences. Main findings: Elements of personal leadership and the processes involved in the development of personal leadership were identified. It was furthermore shown that challenging experiences serve as learning opportunities and that time for reflection is essential in this learning process. Practical/managerial implications: Leadership lessons are best learnt through experience.Using challenging experiences as learning opportunities may assist leaders in their growth and development. Contribution: Leadership effectiveness and organisational effectiveness may be enhanced by a more holistic view of leadership that includes elements of personal leadership.

  7. Work Experience in Relation to Study Pace and Thesis Grade: Investigating the Mediating Role of Student Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuononen, Tarja; Parpala, Anna; Mattsson, Markus; Lindblom-Ylänne, Sari

    2016-01-01

    University students often work during their studies, and working is considered to be one reason for high dropout rates or slow progress in studies. Moreover, the nature of students' work experience varies greatly. The study aimed to explore how working while studying is related to study success, and took approaches to learning and the nature of…

  8. 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...

  9. Case study on perspicacity of collaborative learning experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdullah, Fadzidah; Majid, Noor Hanita Abdul; Numen, Ibrahim; Kesuma Azmin, Aida; Abd. Rahim, Zaiton; Denan, Zuraini; Emin Sisman, Muhammet

    2017-12-01

    In the attempt to relate to the architectural practice, architectural education today has augmented the development of collaborative learning environment in the campus scenario. Presently, collaborative work among students from the same program and university is considered common. Hence, attempts of collaboration is extended into having learning and teaching collaboration by means of inter-universities. The School of Architecture, at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) has explored into having collaboration across the continent with Fatih Sultan Mehmet Waqf University (FSMWU), among faculty members and students of the two (2) universities This paper explicates the empirical study on students’ perspicacity of their collaborative learning experiences; in term of effectiveness, generative behaviour, and teamwork. Survey with three (3) open-ended questions are distributed to students to express their opinions on learning collaboration that they have had during the execution of the Joint Summer School Program (JSSP). Feedback on their perspicacity is obtained and organised into numerical and understandable data display, using qualitative data processing software. Albeit the relevancy of collaborative learning, students gave both positive and negative feedbacks on their experiences. Suggestions are given to enhance the quality of collaborative learning experience for future development

  10. Assessing propensity to learn from safety-related events

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Drupsteen, L.; Wybo, J.L.

    2015-01-01

    Most organisations aim to use experience from the past to improve safety, for instance through learning from safety-related incidents and accidents. Whether an organisation is able to learn successfully can however only be determined afterwards. So far, there are no proactive measures to assess

  11. Virtual experiences in business administration learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jesse Alves Amâncio

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available In Business Administration, the question about contents’ specialization has arisen, which would difficult the construction of student’s global view and promote detachment between those contents and their application, compromising his professional performance. Considering Theory of Experiential Learning KOLB, 1984 which relates concrete experience and abstract conceptualization, the overcoming of those problems is searched by using a free simulation software that provides a virtual environment for those experiences – in this case, for business plan formulation including all organizational aspects. This paper reports one of those experiences and highlights as important innovations: the appreciation of contents’ integration; the student’s active and critical participation; and the teacher’s essential role as a facilitator of all the process. The incorporation of a new didactical/technological resource to enhance Business Administration Teaching and Learning Process stands out as a contribution of this work.

  12. Students' experiences of learning in relation to didactic strategies during the first year of a nursing programme: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westin, Lars; Sundler, Annelie J; Berglund, Mia

    2015-03-17

    In university undergraduate nursing programmes, didactic strategies that enable students to learn nursing skills, solve problems and develop reflective and critical thinking and practice are needed. The aim of this study was to explore how different didactic strategies support nursing students' experiences of learning during the first year of a reconstructed nursing curriculum. This study employed a qualitative approach. The data were gathered through written narratives that were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Nursing students' experiences of learning through different didactic strategies, were evident in the text. These perspectives were organised into the following themes: To focus on the patient perspective and paying more attention to others, Learning from discussions and reflections on one's own learning, Training for the professional role and becoming more courage, and Gaining insights into nursing and increasing one's self-awareness. The education increased the students' self-awareness, which helped them to pay greater attention to patients and their relative. During the learning process, the students became more courageous, reflected and discovered their shortcomings. Stated didactic strategies supported a broad base of knowledge on nursing and the professional role of nurses. Educators are challenged to strengthen meaningful learning in nursing and to facilitate the progression of nursing programmes.

  13. Student teachers' experiences of a learning programme based on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The aim of this article is to explore student teachers' experiences of the content dimension of the essential features of technology and Technology Education in an OBE related learning programme. To achieve this, a learning programme was developed using criteria derived from these essential features. In gauging ...

  14. Characteristics of Exemplary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)-Related Experiential Learning Opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simmons, Jamie Munn

    Experiential opportunities at the secondary level give students the "intimate and necessary relation between the processes of actual experience and education" (Dewey, 1938, p. 19- 20). Career and Technical Education classes (CTE) and co-curricular experiences, one type of experiential learning, underpin and cultivate student curiosity and often channel interests into STEM-related post-secondary disciplines and career choices. There is little existent research on the characteristics of exemplary experiential learning opportunities and the impact on stakeholders. This study is intended to identify the qualities and characteristics of an exemplary secondary experience through the lived experiences of the stakeholders; students, STEM-related teachers, and CTE/STEM Administrators. A qualitative research design was used to examine characteristics and implications for students of four STEM-related programs throughout Virginia. Conclusions from the study include fundamental principles for providing exemplary experiential STEM-related learning opportunities. These principles include: providing hands-on, real world learning opportunities for students, providing learning opportunities that will enhance student ownership in their learning, providing unique and comprehensive career exploration opportunities for students, providing a schedule for teachers that will give them time to plan, deliver, and manage exemplary experiential learning opportunities, providing continual teacher and administrator in-service training relative to planning and implementing exemplary experiential learning opportunities, investing appropriate funds for providing exemplary experiential learning opportunities. Establishing and maintaining active partnerships with business/industry and colleges/universities, and maintaining active advisory communities, providing appropriate staff to support the provision of exemplary experiential learning opportunities is needed. The need for adequate funding

  15. Joint Extraction of Entities and Relations Using Reinforcement Learning and Deep Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuntian Feng

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We use both reinforcement learning and deep learning to simultaneously extract entities and relations from unstructured texts. For reinforcement learning, we model the task as a two-step decision process. Deep learning is used to automatically capture the most important information from unstructured texts, which represent the state in the decision process. By designing the reward function per step, our proposed method can pass the information of entity extraction to relation extraction and obtain feedback in order to extract entities and relations simultaneously. Firstly, we use bidirectional LSTM to model the context information, which realizes preliminary entity extraction. On the basis of the extraction results, attention based method can represent the sentences that include target entity pair to generate the initial state in the decision process. Then we use Tree-LSTM to represent relation mentions to generate the transition state in the decision process. Finally, we employ Q-Learning algorithm to get control policy π in the two-step decision process. Experiments on ACE2005 demonstrate that our method attains better performance than the state-of-the-art method and gets a 2.4% increase in recall-score.

  16. Joint Extraction of Entities and Relations Using Reinforcement Learning and Deep Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Yuntian; Zhang, Hongjun; Hao, Wenning; Chen, Gang

    2017-01-01

    We use both reinforcement learning and deep learning to simultaneously extract entities and relations from unstructured texts. For reinforcement learning, we model the task as a two-step decision process. Deep learning is used to automatically capture the most important information from unstructured texts, which represent the state in the decision process. By designing the reward function per step, our proposed method can pass the information of entity extraction to relation extraction and obtain feedback in order to extract entities and relations simultaneously. Firstly, we use bidirectional LSTM to model the context information, which realizes preliminary entity extraction. On the basis of the extraction results, attention based method can represent the sentences that include target entity pair to generate the initial state in the decision process. Then we use Tree-LSTM to represent relation mentions to generate the transition state in the decision process. Finally, we employ Q -Learning algorithm to get control policy π in the two-step decision process. Experiments on ACE2005 demonstrate that our method attains better performance than the state-of-the-art method and gets a 2.4% increase in recall-score.

  17. Transformative Learning Approaches for Public Relations Pedagogy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motion, Judy; Burgess, Lois

    2014-01-01

    Public relations educators are frequently challenged by students' flawed perceptions of public relations. Two contrasting case studies are presented in this paper to illustrate how socially-oriented paradigms may be applied to a real-client project to deliver a transformative learning experience. A discourse-analytic approach is applied within the…

  18. 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...

  19. Higher Education Teachers' Experiences with Learning Analytics in Relation to Student Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Deborah; Huijser, Henk; Heath, David; Lizzio, Alf; Toohey, Danny; Miles, Carol; Searle, Bill; Bronnimann, Jurg

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents findings from a study of Australian and New Zealand academics (n = 276) that teach tertiary education students. The study aimed to explore participants' early experiences of learning analytics in a higher education milieu in which data analytics is gaining increasing prominence. Broadly speaking participants were asked about:…

  20. Connecting Formal and Informal Learning Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Mahony, Timothy Kieran

    The learning study reports on part of a larger project being lead by the author. In this dissertation I explore one goal of this project---to understand effects on student learning outcomes as a function of using different methods for connecting out-of-school experiential learning with formal school-based instruction. There is a long history of assuming that "experience is the best teacher"(e.g. Aristotle, 360 BC; Dewey, 1934; Kolb, 1997; Pliny, AD 77). As a practical geographer I endorsed that assumption throughout my teaching career, paying attention to local topography, physical features, and natural resources in the geographic hinterland. I was particularly interested in understanding the impact of the physical landscape on humankind, and reciprocally, noting humankind's widespread impressions on the natural world. Until I began this research project, I assumed that everyone else paid a similar attention to immediate surroundings. The work that I describe in this dissertation emerges out of a conviction that there are many degrees of truth to the idea that experience is a great teacher. Its effectiveness seems to depend on how one's "experience" is mediated, and how "learning from it" is defined. This motivated me to think about design principles for linking people's experiences to learning. I began to explore, experimentally, how I might enhance people's abilities to notice, represent, and discuss their experiences in order to better learn from them. This study investigated how different ways of connecting outdoor learning experiences to formal schooling impacts students' performance. I studied high-school students in outdoor settings as they engaged in evocative issues of learning pertaining to consequential everyday life encounters. Different kinds of "expert mediation" were introduced and tested as the students engaged in investigative activities around the science of dam removal and habitat restoration. I measured outcomes with the aid of pre- and

  1. Mobile Assisted Language Learning Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Daesang; Ruecker, Daniel; Kim, Dong-Joong

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of learning with mobile technology for TESOL students and to explore their perceptions of learning with this type of technology. The study provided valuable insights on how students perceive and adapt to learning with mobile technology for effective learning experiences for both students…

  2. Student nurses' experiences of the clinical learning environment in relation to the organization of supervision: a questionnaire survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundler, Annelie J; Björk, Maria; Bisholt, Birgitta; Ohlsson, Ulla; Engström, Agneta Kullén; Gustafsson, Margareta

    2014-04-01

    The aim was to investigate student nurses' experiences of the clinical learning environment in relation to how the supervision was organized. The clinical environment plays an essential part in student nurses' learning. Even though different models for supervision have been previously set forth, it has been stressed that there is a need both of further empirical studies on the role of preceptorship in undergraduate nursing education and of studies comparing different models. A cross-sectional study with comparative design was carried out with a mixed method approach. Data were collected from student nurses in the final term of the nursing programme at three universities in Sweden by means of a questionnaire. In general the students had positive experiences of the clinical learning environment with respect to pedagogical atmosphere, leadership style of the ward manager, premises of nursing, supervisory relationship, and role of the nurse preceptor and nurse teacher. However, there were significant differences in their ratings of the supervisory relationship (ppedagogical atmosphere (p 0.025) depending on how the supervision was organized. Students who had the same preceptor all the time were more satisfied with the supervisory relationship than were those who had different preceptors each day. Students' comments on the supervision confirmed the significance of the preceptor and the supervisory relationship. The organization of the supervision was of significance with regard to the pedagogical atmosphere and the students' relation to preceptors. Students with the same preceptor throughout were more positive concerning the supervisory relationship and the pedagogical atmosphere. © 2013.

  3. E-Learning Experiences of Hong Kong Students

    OpenAIRE

    J. Lam; R. Chan

    2013-01-01

    The adoption of e-learning in Hong Kong has been increasing rapidly in the past decade. To understand the e-learning experiences of the students, the School of Professional and Continuing Education of The University of Hong Kong conducted a survey. The survey aimed to collect students- experiences in using learning management system, their perceived e-learning advantages, barriers in e-learning and preferences in new e-learning development. A questionnaire with 84 questio...

  4. Assessing student clinical learning experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nehyba, Katrine; Miller, Susan; Connaughton, Joanne; Singer, Barbara

    2017-08-01

    This article describes the use of an activity worksheet and questionnaire to investigate the learning experience of students on clinical placement. The worksheet measures the amount of time students spend in different learning activities, and the questionnaire explores student satisfaction and preferred learning activities. An activity worksheet and questionnaire … investigate[d] the learning experiences of students on clinical placement METHODS: The activity worksheet and questionnaire were used in a cohort pilot study of physiotherapy students on clinical placement. The activity worksheet provides details of the amount of time students engage in a range of clinical and non-clinical tasks while on placement, such as time spent treating patients, working individually, working with their peers and engaging in reflective practice. In combination with the questionnaire results, it allows clinicians to gain an understanding of the clinical learning environment experienced by their students. The data collected using these tools provide a description of the students' activities while undertaking the clinical placement. This information may guide the refinement of the clinical experience, and offers an opportunity to individualise learning activities to match students' needs and preferences. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

  5. The interprofessional learning experience

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Flemming; Morcke, Anne Mette; Hansen, Torben Baek

    2017-01-01

    in a safe and challenging learning environment. The shift to the outpatient setting was strongly and practically supported by the management. This study indicates that student learning can be shifted to the outpatient clinic setting if there is supportive management and dedicated supervisors who establish...... a challenging yet safe interprofessional learning environment....... who worked in an interprofessional outpatient orthopaedic clinic from March 2015 to January 2016. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using systematic text condensation. The students’ self-reported learning experience in this outpatient clinic was characterised by direct patient contact...

  6. e-Learning Continuance Intention: Moderating Effects of User e-Learning Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Kan-Min

    2011-01-01

    This study explores the determinants of the e-learning continuance intention of users with different levels of e-learning experience and examines the moderating effects of e-learning experience on the relationships among the determinants. The research hypotheses are empirically validated using the responses received from a survey of 256 users. The…

  7. Seamless learning: Technology-enhanced learning from practical experiences across contexts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rusman, Ellen

    2018-01-01

    Rusman, E. (2018, 8th of June). Seamless learning: Technology-enhanced learning from practical experiences across contexts. Keynote presentation at the Seamless learning conference, Maastricht, The Netherlands. http://www.ou.nl/slc

  8. Persons' various experiences of learning processes in patient education for osteoarthritis, a qualitative phenomenographic approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsson, Ingalill; Sundén, Anne; Ekvall Hansson, Eva

    2018-03-30

    Patient education (PE) is a core treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) with the aim to increase persons' knowledge, self-efficacy, and empowerment. To describe person's various experiences of learning processes in PE for OA. Phenomenography. Semi-structured interviews were performed with the same persons, pre- (11) and post- (9) education. Various experiences on learning processes were found and were described in an outcome space. Achieving knowledge describes self-regulated learning and strongly relates to Control, which describes a high order cognitive learning skill, and minor to Confirm, which describes a cognitive learning skill based on recognition and application. Receiving knowledge describes the expectancy of learning regulated from the educator and strongly relates to Comply, which describes a low-order cognitive learning skill, and minor to Confirm. Different experiences of motivation and learning impact on persons' learning processes which, in turn, influence the persons' capability to accomplish self-efficacy and empowerment. The outcome space may serve as a basis for discussions between healthcare educators involved in PE to better understand what learning implies and to develop PE further.

  9. Impact of audio-visual storytelling in simulation learning experiences of undergraduate nursing students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Sandra; Parker, Christina N; Fox, Amanda

    2017-09-01

    Use of high fidelity simulation has become increasingly popular in nursing education to the extent that it is now an integral component of most nursing programs. Anecdotal evidence suggests that students have difficulty engaging with simulation manikins due to their unrealistic appearance. Introduction of the manikin as a 'real patient' with the use of an audio-visual narrative may engage students in the simulated learning experience and impact on their learning. A paucity of literature currently exists on the use of audio-visual narratives to enhance simulated learning experiences. This study aimed to determine if viewing an audio-visual narrative during a simulation pre-brief altered undergraduate nursing student perceptions of the learning experience. A quasi-experimental post-test design was utilised. A convenience sample of final year baccalaureate nursing students at a large metropolitan university. Participants completed a modified version of the Student Satisfaction with Simulation Experiences survey. This 12-item questionnaire contained questions relating to the ability to transfer skills learned in simulation to the real clinical world, the realism of the simulation and the overall value of the learning experience. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise demographic information. Two tailed, independent group t-tests were used to determine statistical differences within the categories. Findings indicated that students reported high levels of value, realism and transferability in relation to the viewing of an audio-visual narrative. Statistically significant results (t=2.38, psimulation to clinical practice. The subgroups of age and gender although not significant indicated some interesting results. High satisfaction with simulation was indicated by all students in relation to value and realism. There was a significant finding in relation to transferability on knowledge and this is vital to quality educational outcomes. Copyright © 2017. Published by

  10. Memory reactivation during rest supports upcoming learning of related content

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlichting, Margaret L.; Preston, Alison R.

    2014-01-01

    Although a number of studies have highlighted the importance of offline processes for memory, how these mechanisms influence future learning remains unknown. Participants with established memories for a set of initial face–object associations were scanned during passive rest and during encoding of new related and unrelated pairs of objects. Spontaneous reactivation of established memories and enhanced hippocampal–neocortical functional connectivity during rest was related to better subsequent learning, specifically of related content. Moreover, the degree of functional coupling during rest was predictive of neural engagement during the new learning experience itself. These results suggest that through rest-phase reactivation and hippocampal–neocortical interactions, existing memories may come to facilitate encoding during subsequent related episodes. PMID:25331890

  11. Memory reactivation during rest supports upcoming learning of related content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlichting, Margaret L; Preston, Alison R

    2014-11-04

    Although a number of studies have highlighted the importance of offline processes for memory, how these mechanisms influence future learning remains unknown. Participants with established memories for a set of initial face-object associations were scanned during passive rest and during encoding of new related and unrelated pairs of objects. Spontaneous reactivation of established memories and enhanced hippocampal-neocortical functional connectivity during rest was related to better subsequent learning, specifically of related content. Moreover, the degree of functional coupling during rest was predictive of neural engagement during the new learning experience itself. These results suggest that through rest-phase reactivation and hippocampal-neocortical interactions, existing memories may come to facilitate encoding during subsequent related episodes.

  12. Multiple Intelligences, Motivations and Learning Experience Regarding Video-Assisted Subjects in a Rural University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hajhashemi, Karim; Caltabiano, Nerina; Anderson, Neil; Tabibzadeh, Seyed Asadollah

    2018-01-01

    This study investigates multiple intelligences in relation to online video experiences, age, gender, and mode of learning from a rural Australian university. The inter-relationships between learners' different intelligences and their motivations and learning experience with the supplementary online videos utilised in their subjects are…

  13. Active learning machine learns to create new quantum experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melnikov, Alexey A; Poulsen Nautrup, Hendrik; Krenn, Mario; Dunjko, Vedran; Tiersch, Markus; Zeilinger, Anton; Briegel, Hans J

    2018-02-06

    How useful can machine learning be in a quantum laboratory? Here we raise the question of the potential of intelligent machines in the context of scientific research. A major motivation for the present work is the unknown reachability of various entanglement classes in quantum experiments. We investigate this question by using the projective simulation model, a physics-oriented approach to artificial intelligence. In our approach, the projective simulation system is challenged to design complex photonic quantum experiments that produce high-dimensional entangled multiphoton states, which are of high interest in modern quantum experiments. The artificial intelligence system learns to create a variety of entangled states and improves the efficiency of their realization. In the process, the system autonomously (re)discovers experimental techniques which are only now becoming standard in modern quantum optical experiments-a trait which was not explicitly demanded from the system but emerged through the process of learning. Such features highlight the possibility that machines could have a significantly more creative role in future research.

  14. Contagious Learning: Drama, Experience and "Perezhivanie"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Susan; Dolan, Kathryn

    2016-01-01

    The relationship between experience, emotions, cognition, and learning is of increasing interest to educators and researchers who recognise that efforts to promote student engagement and learning must take into account factors beyond the purely cognitive and instrumental. The significance of experience considered as a unity in regard to child…

  15. Do individual differences in children's curiosity relate to their inquiry-based learning?

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Schijndel, Tessa J. P.; Jansen, Brenda R. J.; Raijmakers, Maartje E. J.

    2018-06-01

    This study investigates how individual differences in 7- to 9-year-olds' curiosity relate to the inquiry-learning process and outcomes in environments differing in structure. The focus on curiosity as individual differences variable was motivated by the importance of curiosity in science education, and uncertainty being central to both the definition of curiosity and the inquiry-learning environment. Curiosity was assessed with the Underwater Exploration game (Jirout, J., & Klahr, D. (2012). Children's scientific curiosity: In search of an operational definition of an elusive concept. Developmental Review, 32, 125-160. doi:10.1016/j.dr.2012.04.002), and inquiry-based learning with the newly developed Scientific Discovery task, which focuses on the principle of designing informative experiments. Structure of the inquiry-learning environment was manipulated by explaining this principle or not. As intelligence relates to learning and possibly curiosity, it was taken into account. Results showed that children's curiosity was positively related to their knowledge acquisition, but not to their quality of exploration. For low intelligent children, environment structure positively affected their quality of exploration, but not their knowledge acquisition. There was no interaction between curiosity and environment structure. These results support the existence of two distinct inquiry-based learning processes - the designing of experiments, on the one hand, and the reflection on performed experiments, on the other - and link children's curiosity to the latter process.

  16. Learning from games: Stakeholders’ experiences involved in local health policy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Spitters, Hilde; van de Goor, Ien; Juel Lau, Cathrine

    2018-01-01

    Since public health problems are complex and the related policies need to address a wide range of sectors, cross-sectoral collaboration is beneficial. One intervention focusing on stimulating collaboration is a ‘policy game’. The focus on specific problems facilitates relationships between...... the stakeholders and stimulates cross-sectoral policymaking. The present study explores stakeholders’ learning experiences with respect to the collaboration process in public health policymaking. This was achieved via their game participation, carried out in real-life stakeholder networks in the Netherlands...... the collaboration processes in local policymaking. Specific learning experiences were related to: (i) the stakeholder network, (ii) interaction and (iii) relationships. The game also increased participant’s understanding of group dynamics and need for a coordinator in policymaking. This exploratory study shows...

  17. Sport students' perception of their learning experience: Amazing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Learning environments and activities that focus on learners being active participants can enrich the students' learning experience and in this regard, outdoor adventure education programmes are utilised effectively to enhance the quality and scope of learning. This study investigated the perceived learning experience ...

  18. Teaching and Learning Science for Transformative, Aesthetic Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girod, Mark; Twyman, Todd; Wojcikiewicz, Steve

    2010-11-01

    Drawing from the Deweyan theory of experience (1934, 1938), the goal of teaching and learning for transformative, aesthetic experience is contrasted against teaching and learning from a cognitive, rational framework. A quasi-experimental design was used to investigate teaching and learning of fifth grade science from each perspective across an entire school year including three major units of instruction. Detailed comparisons of teaching are given and pre and post measures of interest in learning science, science identity affiliation, and efficacy beliefs are investigated. Tests of conceptual understanding before, after, and one month after instruction reveal teaching for transformative, aesthetic experience fosters more, and more enduring, learning of science concepts. Investigations of transfer also suggest students learning for transformative, aesthetic experiences learn to see the world differently and find more interest and excitement in the world outside of school.

  19. Learning design thinking online : studying students' learning experience in shared virtual reality

    OpenAIRE

    Lau, Kung Wong

    2010-01-01

    Learning Design Thinking Online: Studying Students' Learning Experience in Shared Virtual Reality My study attempts to deepen understanding about the learning experiences of design students in undertaking design-thinking exercises in a shared virtual reality. This study has identified the areas of an appropriate pedagogy for E-Learning and the use of a shared virtual environment for students in tertiary design education. Specific questions arising ji"Om this research are: (1...

  20. Learning Practice-Based Research Methods: Capturing the Experiences of MSW Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natland, Sidsel; Weissinger, Erika; Graaf, Genevieve; Carnochan, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    The literature on teaching research methods to social work students identifies many challenges, such as dealing with the tensions related to producing research relevant to practice, access to data to teach practice-based research, and limited student interest in learning research methods. This is an exploratory study of the learning experiences of…

  1. Physical experience enhances science learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kontra, Carly; Lyons, Daniel J; Fischer, Susan M; Beilock, Sian L

    2015-06-01

    Three laboratory experiments involving students' behavior and brain imaging and one randomized field experiment in a college physics class explored the importance of physical experience in science learning. We reasoned that students' understanding of science concepts such as torque and angular momentum is aided by activation of sensorimotor brain systems that add kinetic detail and meaning to students' thinking. We tested whether physical experience with angular momentum increases involvement of sensorimotor brain systems during students' subsequent reasoning and whether this involvement aids their understanding. The physical experience, a brief exposure to forces associated with angular momentum, significantly improved quiz scores. Moreover, improved performance was explained by activation of sensorimotor brain regions when students later reasoned about angular momentum. This finding specifies a mechanism underlying the value of physical experience in science education and leads the way for classroom practices in which experience with the physical world is an integral part of learning. © The Author(s) 2015.

  2. Pedagogical Agents as Learning Companions: Building Social Relations with Learners

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Yanghee

    2005-01-01

    This study examined the potential of pedagogical agents as learning companions (PALs) to build social relations with learners and, consequently, to motivate learning. The study investigated the impact of PAL affect (positive vs. negative vs. neutral), PAL gender (male vs. female), and learner gender (male vs. female) on learners’ social judgments, motivation, and learning in a controlled experiment. Participants were 142 college students in a computer-literacy course. Overall, the results ind...

  3. A field experiment of energy education using integrative learning support system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Obayashi, Fumiaki; Yamamoto, Atsumu; Ito, Kyoko; Shimoda, Hiroshi; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu

    2002-01-01

    A new energy learning support system for higher education was the object of this experiment. The aim of this learning support system is to support students within an integrative study environment in which various personal skills and general knowledge on energy related issues are to be developed. The main goals of this learning tool for the students are to simulate their interest and creativity, to enhance awareness, to increase capability of researching on the subject and to improve problem-solving skills on energy related issues. The salient feature of this learning support system is that it is used for group learning by which each learner can develop the ability to reflect on the subject through mutual discussion. Moreover, in order to keep the attention of the students on the topic and provide them with a better assimilation of the curriculum, a personified agent is used as a cooperative associate who assists learners through natural communication, using voice conversation function in Japanese language. Then, the subject experiment has been conducted. Also, means of effective energy education are discussed in this research. As a conclusion, this learning support system is proven to be effective and the use of it for energy education is recommended. (author)

  4. Information literacy experiencies inside virtual learning environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  5. Superior cognitive mapping through single landmark-related learning than through boundary-related learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ruojing; Mou, Weimin

    2016-08-01

    Cognitive mapping is assumed to be through hippocampus-dependent place learning rather than striatum-dependent response learning. However, we proposed that either type of spatial learning, as long as it involves encoding metric relations between locations and reference points, could lead to a cognitive map. Furthermore, the fewer reference points to specify individual locations, the more accurate a cognitive map of these locations will be. We demonstrated that participants have more accurate representations of vectors between 2 locations and of configurations among 3 locations when locations are individually encoded in terms of a single landmark than when locations are encoded in terms of a boundary. Previous findings have shown that learning locations relative to a boundary involve stronger place learning and higher hippocampal activation whereas learning relative to a single landmark involves stronger response learning and higher striatal activation. Recognizing this, we have provided evidence challenging the cognitive map theory but favoring our proposal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  6. Digital media Experiences for Visual Learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buhl, Mie

    2013-01-01

    for new tools and new theoretical approaches with which to understand them. the article argues that the current phase of social practices and technological development makes it difficult to disitnguish between experience with digital media and mediated experiences, because of the use of renegotiation og......Visual learning is a topic for didactic studies in all levels of educaion, brought about by an increasing use of digital meida- digital media give rise to discussions of how learning expereienes come about from various media ressources that generate new learning situations. new situations call...... about by the nature of diverse digital artefacts, 3. the learning potentials in using mobils devices for integrating the body in visual perception processes....

  7. Distributed learning enhances relational memory consolidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Litman, Leib; Davachi, Lila

    2008-09-01

    It has long been known that distributed learning (DL) provides a mnemonic advantage over massed learning (ML). However, the underlying mechanisms that drive this robust mnemonic effect remain largely unknown. In two experiments, we show that DL across a 24 hr interval does not enhance immediate memory performance but instead slows the rate of forgetting relative to ML. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this savings in forgetting is specific to relational, but not item, memory. In the context of extant theories and knowledge of memory consolidation, these results suggest that an important mechanism underlying the mnemonic benefit of DL is enhanced memory consolidation. We speculate that synaptic strengthening mechanisms supporting long-term memory consolidation may be differentially mediated by the spacing of memory reactivation. These findings have broad implications for the scientific study of episodic memory consolidation and, more generally, for educational curriculum development and policy.

  8. Making a Case for E - learning: Experiences in E-learning at ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Making a Case for E - learning: Experiences in E-learning at Langston University ... performances can surpass those of students in traditional learning settings. ... The research method was qualitative based mainly on participatory and ...

  9. Nurses' Experiences and Perceptions of Mobile Learning: A Survey in Beijing, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Qian; Sun, Aihua; Wang, Yicong; Zhang, Yan; Wu, Ying

    2018-01-01

    To explore nurses' experience and perceptions toward mobile learning, 397 nurses were investigated. All of them used mobile learning in the past one year through internet, e-books and WeChat. Smartphones were the most used mobile learning tools, followed by a tablet and laptop computer. The mean score of nurses' intention towards mobile learning was 12.1 (ranged from 7 to 15), and it related to nurses' gender, education background, expected effect, ease of operation, self-learning management and perceived interest. Nurses had positive perception toward mobile learning and enough conditions to promote nurses' mobile learning should be provided.

  10. Blogs: Enhancing the Learning Experience for Technology Students

    OpenAIRE

    Birney, Rosanne

    2006-01-01

    Weblogs can be used to enhance the learning experience for technology students, by providing them with several features that are often absent in Learning Management Systems (LMSs). This research aims to demonstrate that weblogs can improve the learning experience by allowing students to reflect on their learning, and by allowing them to easily collaborate with their tutors and with one another. The incorporation of weblogs into the existing learning environment can provide several enhancemen...

  11. Second Language Experience Facilitates Statistical Learning of Novel Linguistic Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potter, Christine E; Wang, Tianlin; Saffran, Jenny R

    2017-04-01

    Recent research has begun to explore individual differences in statistical learning, and how those differences may be related to other cognitive abilities, particularly their effects on language learning. In this research, we explored a different type of relationship between language learning and statistical learning: the possibility that learning a new language may also influence statistical learning by changing the regularities to which learners are sensitive. We tested two groups of participants, Mandarin Learners and Naïve Controls, at two time points, 6 months apart. At each time point, participants performed two different statistical learning tasks: an artificial tonal language statistical learning task and a visual statistical learning task. Only the Mandarin-learning group showed significant improvement on the linguistic task, whereas both groups improved equally on the visual task. These results support the view that there are multiple influences on statistical learning. Domain-relevant experiences may affect the regularities that learners can discover when presented with novel stimuli. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  12. Language experience changes subsequent learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onnis, Luca; Thiessen, Erik

    2013-01-01

    What are the effects of experience on subsequent learning? We explored the effects of language-specific word order knowledge on the acquisition of sequential conditional information. Korean and English adults were engaged in a sequence learning task involving three different sets of stimuli: auditory linguistic (nonsense syllables), visual non-linguistic (nonsense shapes), and auditory non-linguistic (pure tones). The forward and backward probabilities between adjacent elements generated two equally probable and orthogonal perceptual parses of the elements, such that any significant preference at test must be due to either general cognitive biases, or prior language-induced biases. We found that language modulated parsing preferences with the linguistic stimuli only. Intriguingly, these preferences are congruent with the dominant word order patterns of each language, as corroborated by corpus analyses, and are driven by probabilistic preferences. Furthermore, although the Korean individuals had received extensive formal explicit training in English and lived in an English-speaking environment, they exhibited statistical learning biases congruent with their native language. Our findings suggest that mechanisms of statistical sequential learning are implicated in language across the lifespan, and experience with language may affect cognitive processes and later learning. PMID:23200510

  13. Teaching and Learning Science for Transformative, Aesthetic Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girod, Mark; Twyman, Todd; Wojcikiewicz, Steve

    2010-01-01

    Drawing from the Deweyan theory of experience (1934, 1938), the goal of teaching and learning for transformative, aesthetic experience is contrasted against teaching and learning from a cognitive, rational framework. A quasi-experimental design was used to investigate teaching and learning of fifth grade science from each perspective across an…

  14. Social Learning Analytics in Higher Education. An experience at the Primary Education stage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose Javier Díaz-Lázaro

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The concept of Learning Analytics, as we understand it today, is relatively new but the practice of evaluating user behavior is not innovative. For years, technological development, along with other educational aspects, have encouraged, developed and facilitated this practice as a way of providing a personalized quality experience to students. The main goal of this study, carried out in the Primary Education Degree of the University of Murcia, was to research, from the perspective of Social Learning Analytics, how students learn and collaborate in online environments, specifically through their use of social media. With the idea of improving and optimizing future teaching experiences, a pilot study was conducted using weblog, Twitter and Facebook to work with different topics on the subject. The method used in this research was a participant observation and the analysis performed was both quantitative, based mainly on the data gathered from the learning analytics, and qualitative (analyzing students’ content from comments. Results show that there was greater interaction on Facebook than weblogs, where students interacted to deal with aspects related to the learning process and the topic of the subject. This exchange of information grew during the development of the experience. In addition, learning analytics shows that there is a relationship between group members and their interaction and behavior in networks.

  15. Students' Perceptions and Experiences of Mobile Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Daesang; Rueckert, Daniel; Kim, Dong-Joong; Seo, Daeryong

    2013-01-01

    This study focused on how students perceive the use of mobile devices to create a personalized learning experience outside the classroom. Fifty-three students in three graduate TESOL classes participated in this study. All participants completed five class projects designed to help them explore mobile learning experiences with their own mobile…

  16. Thai Undergraduate Chemistry Practical Learning Experiences Using the Jigsaw IV Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jansoon, Ninna; Somsook, Ekasith; Coll, Richard K.

    2008-01-01

    The research reported in this study consisted of an investigation of student learning experiences in Thai chemistry laboratories using the Jigsaw IV method. A hands-on experiment based on the Jigsaw IV method using a real life example based on green tea beverage was designed to improve student affective variables for studying topics related to…

  17. The potential of capstone learning experiences in addressing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The potential of capstone learning experiences in addressing perceived shortcomings in LLB training in South Africa. ... A literature review on capstone courses and learning experiences (collectively referred to ... AJOL African Journals Online.

  18. `Learning Experience' Provided by Science Teaching Practice in a Classroom and the Development of Students' Competences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes, J. Bernardino; Branco, Julia; Jimenez-Aleixandre, Maria Pilar

    2011-11-01

    According to the literature, there is a very important corpus of knowledge that allows for the investigation of some dimensions of `learning experience' provided to students, in relation to epistemic, pedagogical and meta-cognitive practices. However, in the literature, there is little investigation into the invariance (or not) of the characteristics of students' learning experience while being taught a scientific subject by the same teacher. This paper suggests that the relationship between the learning experience provided and the competences developed is not properly highlighted. This paper analyses the learning experience provided to students in epistemic, pedagogical and meta-cognitive terms. The students were taught the proprieties and applications of light by one teacher, in three classes, over 7 weeks. We analysed the data in each referred learning experience, using a pre-defined category system. The students' competences were evaluated by a competence test. The epistemic demand of each item and the students' performances were also analysed. Our findings point to the non invariance of learning experiences provided to students and the influence of some dimensions of learning experiences provided in the development of certain competences. These findings and their implications are contextualized and discussed.

  19. Learning during Tourism: The Experience of Learning from the Tourist's Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Winkle, Christine M.; Lagay, Katya

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of the research described in the paper was to explore the learning experience that occurs during leisure tourism from the tourist's perspective. Learning throughout the lifespan occurs in diverse contexts and travel presents a unique learning environment enabling both unplanned and planned opportunities. The Husserlian phenomenology…

  20. University of Limpopo student nurses' clinical learning experiences ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    University of Limpopo student nurses' clinical learning experiences in a public hospital at ... was applied to explore and describe the experiences of student nurses' clinical learning ... The ethical principles relevant to the study were observed.

  1. Learning Disability: Experience of Diagnosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenyon, Elinor; Beail, Nigel; Jackson, Tom

    2014-01-01

    Studies have focused on the experience of diagnosis from the perspectives of parents of children with learning disabilities, but there has been limited methodologically rigorous investigation into the experience for the person themselves. Eight participants were recruited from a range of different backgrounds. Interviews were analysed using…

  2. Change over a service learning experience in science undergraduates' beliefs expressed about elementary school students' ability to learn science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goebel, Camille A.

    This longitudinal investigation explores the change in four (3 female, 1 male) science undergraduates' beliefs expressed about low-income elementary school students' ability to learn science. The study sought to identify how the undergraduates in year-long public school science-teaching partnerships perceived the social, cultural, and economic factors affecting student learning. Previous service-learning research infrequently focused on science undergraduates relative to science and society or detailed expressions of their beliefs and field practices over the experience. Qualitative methodology was used to guide the implementation and analysis of this study. A sample of an additional 20 science undergraduates likewise involved in intensive reflection in the service learning in science teaching (SLST) course called Elementary Science Education Partners (ESEP) was used to examine the typicality of the case participants. The findings show two major changes in science undergraduates' belief expressions: (1) a reduction in statements of beliefs from a deficit thinking perspective about the elementary school students' ability to learn science, and (2) a shift in the attribution of students, underlying problems in science learning from individual-oriented to systemic-oriented influences. Additional findings reveal that the science undergraduates perceived they had personally and profoundly changed as a result of the SLST experience. Changes include: (1) the gain of a new understanding of others' situations different from their own; (2) the realization of and appreciation for their relative positions of privilege due to their educational background and family support; (3) the gain in ability to communicate, teach, and work with others; (4) the idea that they were more socially and culturally connected to their community outside the university and their college classrooms; and (5) a broadening of the way they understood or thought about science. Women participants stated

  3. Learning from Experience: From Case-Based Teaching to Experience-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Steen, Martijn; Van Twist, Mark; Frissen, Paul

    2017-01-01

    Senior-level civil servants can learn a lot from methods such as theory-lectures and case-teaching, but there is another resource of knowledge and insight that can be utilized more for teaching public administration: the professional experience of participants in training programmes. This paper argues that it is possible to use the professional…

  4. Exploring the lived experiences of people with learning disabilities who are dying of cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuffrey-Wijne, Irene; Bernal, Jane; Hubert, Jane; Butler, Gary; Hollins, Sheila

    Growing numbers of people with learning disabilities are living longer and dying of age related illnesses such as cancer. To explore the experiences of people with learning disabilities who have cancer. The study used participant observation with 13 people with learning disabilities. All had a cancer diagnosis and 10 were terminally ill. Participants were visited regularly at home and in other settings, including hospitals. The main themes were: dependent lives; deprived lives; truth telling and understanding; the importance of families; inexperienced carers and unprepared services; and resilience. To understand the experiences of people with learning disabilities who are dying of cancer, it is important to understand their previous life experiences and key relationships. Healthcare professionals who treat people with respect, dignity and openness can make a positive difference to their care.

  5. The experiences of supporting learning in pairs of nursing students in clinical practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holst, Hanna; Ozolins, Lise-Lotte; Brunt, David; Hörberg, Ulrica

    2017-09-01

    The purpose of this study is to describe how supervisors experience supporting nursing students' learning in pairs on a Developing and Learning Care Unit in Sweden. The present study has been carried out with a Reflective Lifeworld Research (RLR) approach founded on phenomenology. A total of 25 lifeworld interviews were conducted with supervisors who had supervised pairs of students. The findings reveal how supervisors support students' learning in pairs through a reflective approach creating learning space in the encounter with patients, students and supervisors. Supervisors experience a movement that resembles balancing between providing support in learning together and individual learning. The findings also highlight the challenge in supporting both the pairs of students and being present in the reality of caring. In conclusion, the learning space has the potential of creating a relative level of independency in the interaction between pairs of students and their supervisor when the supervisor strives towards a reflective approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Meta-learning from an experiment database

    OpenAIRE

    Driessens, Kurt; Vanwinckelen, Gitte; Blockeel, Hendrik

    2012-01-01

    In this short paper, we present a student project run as part of the Machine Learning and Inductive Inference course at KU Leuven during the 2010-2011 academic year. The goal of the project was to analyze a Machine Learning Experiment database, using standard SQL queries and data mining tools with the goals of (1) giving the students some practice with applying the machine learning techniques on a real problem, (2) teaching them something about the properties of machine learning algorithms...

  7. Docker Containers for Deep Learning Experiments

    OpenAIRE

    Gerke, Paul K.

    2017-01-01

    Deep learning is a powerful tool to solve problems in the area of image analysis. The dominant compute platform for deep learning is Nvidia’s proprietary CUDA, which can only be used together with Nvidia graphics cards. The nivida-docker project allows exposing Nvidia graphics cards to docker containers and thus makes it possible to run deep learning experiments in docker containers.In our department, we use deep learning to solve problems in the area of medical image analysis and use docker ...

  8. Learning experience using an app in Bachelor Degree

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Fossas-Olalla

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this paper is to expose the planning and implementation of a learning improvement app in subjects related to Operations Management in Bachelor`s Degrees. We show the experience of the app in two subjects, commenting on the differences, the difficulties encountered and the analysis of the results of a survey conducted to the students. This initiative arises from the experience of the Research Group on Production and Information and Communication Technologies (GIPTIC-UCM of the Complutense University of Madrid as a result of the participation in an Educational Innovation Project.

  9. Students' perceptions of their learning experiences: A repeat regional survey of healthcare students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamshire, Claire; Barrett, Neil; Langan, Mark; Harris, Edwin; Wibberley, Christopher

    2017-02-01

    Student experience is an international concern and recent research has focused on initiatives to improve students' learning experiences and ultimately reduce attrition levels. To determine similarities and differences between students' perceptions of their learning experiences between 2011 and 2015 in relation to campus-based learning, placement-based learning and personal circumstances. A repeat online survey in 2011 and 2015; using a questionnaire developed from thematic analysis of narrative interviews with a subsample of the target population. Nine universities in the North West of England. A total of 1080 students completed the survey in 2011 and 1983 students in 2015 from a target population of all students studying on commissioned pre-registration healthcare education programmes. An online survey was made available to all undergraduate students studying on Health Education funded programmes within the region and survey respondents were invited to give demographic information and rate their agreement to statements on four-point Likert-type responses. Responses to a repeat survey of healthcare studying in the North West of England in 2015 were strikingly similar overall to those of an original 2011 survey. Although the students were positive overall about their experiences, a number were dissatisfied with some aspects of their experiences - particularly in relation to initial support on campus and whilst studying on placement. Four years on from the original survey, despite a considerable investment in improving students' experiences across the region, there appears to be little change in students' perceptions of their learning experiences CONCLUSION: In the short-term monitoring of student experience needs to be continued; and links to attrition (potential or actual) noted and acted upon. However, given that attrition from these courses has been a long-term problem and the complexity of its resolution a recurrent finding in the literature; new ways of framing

  10. The ICCE Framework: Framing Learning Experiences Afforded by Games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, Aroutis; Shah, Mamta

    2015-01-01

    There is a need for game-based learning frameworks that provide a lens for understanding learning experiences afforded in digital games. These frameworks should aim to facilitate game analyses, identification of learning opportunities, and support for learner experiences. This article uses the inquiry, communication, construction, and expression…

  11. Learning from Change: Issues and Experiences in Participatory ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Learning from Change: Issues and Experiences in Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation. Book cover Learning from Change: Issues and Experiences in Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation. Directeur(s) : Marisol Estrella, Jutta Blauert, Dindo Campilan, John Gaventa, Julian Gonsalves, Irene Guijt, Deb Johnson, and ...

  12. Extending the experiences of learning games

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henriksen, Thomas Duus

    2008-01-01

    The article addresses the question on whether learning games should be thought as realistic, content-rich and fun, based on the disadvantages that these follows these understandings, as well as addressing the advantages of their alternatives. From a discourse analytical perspective......, the opportunities held by other appraoches to 'participatory incentives, understanding of the learning process, and finally the quality of the experience offered by the game-based learning setting....

  13. Students’ Lived Experience of Project-Based Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandy Ferianda

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Inspired by personal experiences during the study time in the Graduate Program in English Language Studies (ELS Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta, this research focused mainly on investigating the ELS students’ lived experience of project-based learning implemented by the ELS lecturers. This study employed hermeneutic phenomenology since it described and interpreted the meanings of ELS students lived experience. The participants of this study were the three ELS students considered to be illuminating from the three different streams batch of 2015. In this study we used one-on-one in depth interview to gain the data. The findings of this study consisted of four prefigured meanings and two emergent meanings namely a authentic learning, b learner autonomy, c cooperative learning, d multiple intelligences, e understanding others, and f personal development. The findings of this study gave implications not only to the ELS students and lecturers, but also to the audience. Lastly, recommendations were also addressed to the ELS students as their habit formation, to the ELS lecturers as their inputs to give more feedbacks to their students, and to the future researchers. Keywords: Lived experience, project-based learning.

  14. Transition to blended learning: experiences from the first year of our blended learning Bachelor of Nursing Studies programme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweeney, Mary-Rose; Kirwan, Anne; Kelly, Mary; Corbally, Melissa; O Neill, Sandra; Kirwan, Mary; Hourican, Susan; Matthews, Anne; Hussey, Pamela

    2016-10-01

    The School of Nursing at Dublin City University offered a new blended learning Bachelor of Nursing Studies programme in the academic year 2011. To document the experiences of the academic team making the transition from a face-to-face classroom-delivered programme to the new blended learning format. Academics who delivered the programme were asked to describe their experiences of developing the new programme via two focus groups. Five dominant themes were identified: Staff Readiness; Student Readiness; Programme Delivery and Student Engagement; Assessment of Module Learning Outcomes and Feedback; and Reflecting on the First Year and Thinking of the Future. Face-to-face tutorials were identified as very important to both academics and students. Reservations about whether migrating the programme to an online format encouraged students to engage in additional practices of plagiarism were expressed by some. Student ability/readiness to engage with technology-enhanced learning was an important determinant of their own success academically. In the field of nursing blended learning is a relatively new and emerging field which will require huge cultural shifts for staff and students alike.

  15. STEM-related, Student-led Service Learning / Community Engagement Projects: Examples and Benefits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swap, R. J.; Wayland, K.

    2015-12-01

    Field-based, STEM-related service learning / community engagement projects present an opportunity for undergraduate students to demonstrate proficiencies related to the process of inquiry. These proficiencies include: appreciation of the larger project context, articulation of an informed question/hypothesis, project proposal development, interdisciplinary collaboration, project management (including planning, implementation reconfiguration and synthesis) and lastly the generation and handing off of acquired knowledge. Calls for these types of proficiencies have been expressed by governmental, non-governmental as well as the private sector. Accordingly, institutions of higher learning have viewed such activities as opportunities for enriching the learning experience for undergraduate students and for making such students more marketable, especially those from STEM-related fields. This institutional interest has provided an opportunity to support and expand field-based learning. Here we present examples of student-led/faculty-mentored international service learning and community engagement projects along the arc of preparation, implementation and post-field process. Representative examples that draw upon environmental science and engineering knowledge have been selected from more than 20 international undergraduate student projects over past decade and include: slow-sand water filtration, rainwater harvesting, methane biodigesters, water reticulation schemes and development and implementation of rocket stoves for communal cooking. We discuss these efforts in terms of the development of the aforementioned proficiencies, the utility of such proficiencies to the larger enterprise of STEM and the potential for transformative student learning outcomes. We share these experiences and lessons learned with the hope that others may intelligently borrow from our approach in a manner appropriate for their particular context.

  16. Differential-associative processing or example elaboration: Which strategy is best for learning the definitions of related and unrelated concepts?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannon, Brenda

    2012-10-01

    Definitions of related concepts (e.g., genotype - phenotype ) are prevalent in introductory classes. Consequently, it is important that educators and students know which strategy(s) work best for learning them. This study showed that a new comparative elaboration strategy, called differential-associative processing, was better for learning definitions of related concepts than was an integrative elaborative strategy, called example elaboration. This outcome occurred even though example elaboration was administered in a naturalistic way (Experiment 1) and students spent more time in the example elaboration condition learning (Experiments 1, 2, 3), and generating pieces of information about the concepts (Experiments 2 and 3). Further, with unrelated concepts ( morpheme-fluid intelligence ), performance was similar regardless if students used differential-associative processing or example elaboration (Experiment 3). Taken as a whole, these results suggest that differential-associative processing is better than example elaboration for learning definitions of related concepts and is as good as example elaboration for learning definitions of unrelated concepts.

  17. Blending Student Technology Experiences in Formal and Informal Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, K.-W.; Khaddage, F.; Knezek, Gerald

    2013-01-01

    In this article, we discuss the importance of recognizing students' technology-enhanced informal learning experiences and develop pedagogies to connect students' formal and informal learning experiences, in order to meet the demands of the knowledge society. The Mobile-Blended Collaborative Learning model is proposed as a framework to…

  18. The Role of Space in Learning: Spatio-Educational Experiences of Female Students within Emirati Higher Education

    OpenAIRE

    Zaidan, Gergana

    2015-01-01

    This interdisciplinary research examines the intersectional relationship between\\ud the domains of space, gender and education. It aims, first, to understand the\\ud spatio-educational experience of Emirati female learners; and second, to make\\ud it possible to enhance their learning experience by exploring the role of space in\\ud learning in a single gender context. This thesis addresses the lack of literature\\ud on women’s spatiality and space in learning, specifically in relation to Arab\\ud...

  19. How Student Teachers Describe the Online Collaborative Learning Experience and Evaluate Its Contribution to Their Learning and Their Future Work as Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Margaliot, Adva; Gorev, Dvora; Vaisman, Tami

    2018-01-01

    This study examined student teachers' attitudes toward online collaborative learning (OCL) as related to their satisfaction, learning experience, contribution to personal knowledge, and future teaching. One hundred and four students participated in a program that retrains university graduates to become K-12 teachers. The study combines both…

  20. 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.

  1. Evaluation of undergraduate clinical learning experiences in the subject of pediatric dentistry using critical incident technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vyawahare, S; Banda, N R; Choubey, S; Parvekar, P; Barodiya, A; Dutta, S

    2013-01-01

    In pediatric dentistry, the experiences of dental students may help dental educators better prepare graduates to treat the children. Research suggests that student's perceptions should be considered in any discussion of their education, but there has been no systematic examination of India's undergraduate dental students learning experiences. This qualitative investigation aimed to gather and analyze information about experiences in pediatric dentistry from the students' viewpoint using critical incident technique (CIT). The sample group for this investigation came from all 240 3rd and 4th year dental students from all the four dental colleges in Indore. Using CIT, participants were asked to describe at least one positive and one negative experience in detail. They described 308 positive and 359 negative experiences related to the pediatric dentistry clinic. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of four key factors related to their experiences: 1) The instructor; 2) the patient; 3) the learning process; and 4) the learning environment. The CIT is a useful data collection and analysis technique that provides rich, useful data and has many potential uses in dental education.

  2. (Re)Counting Meaningful Learning Experiences: Using Student-Created Reflective Videos to Make Invisible Learning Visible during PjBL Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Shaunna

    2016-01-01

    This ethnographic case study investigated how the process of learning during a yearlong after-school, project-based learning (PjBL) experience could be documented by student-created reflective videos. Guided by social constructivism, constant comparative analysis was used to explore the meaningful learning that took place in addition to the…

  3. Non-Constant Learning Rates in Retrospective Experience Curve Analyses and their Correlation to Deployment Programs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wei, Max [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Smith, Sarah J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sohn, Michael D. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2015-07-16

    A key challenge for policy-makers and technology market forecasters is to estimate future technology costs and in particular the rate of cost reduction versus production volume. A related, critical question is what role should state and federal governments have in advancing energy efficient and renewable energy technologies? This work provides retrospective experience curves and learning rates for several energy-related technologies, each of which have a known history of federal and state deployment programs. We derive learning rates for eight technologies including energy efficient lighting technologies, stationary fuel cell systems, and residential solar photovoltaics, and provide an overview and timeline of historical deployment programs such as state and federal standards and state and national incentive programs for each technology. Piecewise linear regimes are observed in a range of technology experience curves, and public investments or deployment programs are found to be strongly correlated to an increase in learning rate across multiple technologies. A downward bend in the experience curve is found in 5 out of the 8 energy-related technologies presented here (electronic ballasts, magnetic ballasts, compact fluorescent lighting, general service fluorescent lighting, and the installed cost of solar PV). In each of the five downward-bending experience curves, we believe that an increase in the learning rate can be linked to deployment programs to some degree. This work sheds light on the endogenous versus exogenous contributions to technological innovation and highlights the impact of exogenous government sponsored deployment programs. This work can inform future policy investment direction and can shed light on market transformation and technology learning behavior.

  4. Flow experience in game based learning – a systematic literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arttu Perttula

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The entertaining elements implemented in a serious game are key factors in determining whether a player will be engaged in a play-learn process and able to achieve the desired learning outcomes. Thus, optimization of subjective playing experience is a crucial part of a game design process. Flow theory can be adopted for measuring user experience and analyzing the quality of serious game designs. In addition, flow seems to have a positive influence on performance enhancement, learning and engagement. The focus of this review is especially on examining the meaning of flow in the context of serious games as well as exploring the relationship between flow and learning, factors that influence occurrence of flow and how flow is operationalized. The review revealed that there are mainly conceptual considerations about flow in serious games, but no robust empirical evidence about the meaning of flow. This is in line with other studies. We argue that research on flow should focus on the specific aspects related to the very nature of serious games that combine enjoyment and learning. Furthermore, new methods to measure flow and analyse the data need to be developed and studied.

  5. Personalization and Contextualization of Learning Experiences based on Semantics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicola Capuano

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Context-aware e-learning is an educational model that foresees the selection of learning resources to make the e-learning content more relevant and suitable for the learner in his/her situation. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that an ontological approach can be used to define leaning contexts and to allow contextualizing learning experiences finding out relevant topics for each context. To do that, we defined a context model able to formally describe a learning context, an ontology-based model enabling the representation of a teaching domain (including context information and a methodology to generate personalized and context-aware learning experiences starting from them. Based on these theoretical components we improved an existing system for personalized e-learning with contextualisation features and experimented it with real users in two University courses. The results obtained from this experimentation have been compared with those achieved by similar systems.

  6. Family experiences, the motivation for science learning and science ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Family experiences, the motivation for science learning and science achievement of ... active learning and achievement goals); boys perceived family experiences ... Recommendations were made as to how schools can support families in ...

  7. Age-related impairments in active learning and strategic visual exploration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly L Brandstatt

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Old age could impair memory by disrupting learning strategies used by younger individuals. We tested this possibility by manipulating the ability to use visual-exploration strategies during learning. Subjects controlled visual exploration during active learning, thus permitting the use of strategies, whereas strategies were limited during passive learning via predetermined exploration patterns. Performance on tests of object recognition and object-location recall was matched for younger and older subjects for objects studied passively, when learning strategies were restricted. Active learning improved object recognition similarly for younger and older subjects. However, active learning improved object-location recall for younger subjects, but not older subjects. Exploration patterns were used to identify a learning strategy involving repeat viewing. Older subjects used this strategy less frequently and it provided less memory benefit compared to younger subjects. In previous experiments, we linked hippocampal-prefrontal co-activation to improvements in object-location recall from active learning and to the exploration strategy. Collectively, these findings suggest that age-related memory problems result partly from impaired strategies during learning, potentially due to reduced hippocampal-prefrontal co-engagement.

  8. Age-related impairments in active learning and strategic visual exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandstatt, Kelly L; Voss, Joel L

    2014-01-01

    Old age could impair memory by disrupting learning strategies used by younger individuals. We tested this possibility by manipulating the ability to use visual-exploration strategies during learning. Subjects controlled visual exploration during active learning, thus permitting the use of strategies, whereas strategies were limited during passive learning via predetermined exploration patterns. Performance on tests of object recognition and object-location recall was matched for younger and older subjects for objects studied passively, when learning strategies were restricted. Active learning improved object recognition similarly for younger and older subjects. However, active learning improved object-location recall for younger subjects, but not older subjects. Exploration patterns were used to identify a learning strategy involving repeat viewing. Older subjects used this strategy less frequently and it provided less memory benefit compared to younger subjects. In previous experiments, we linked hippocampal-prefrontal co-activation to improvements in object-location recall from active learning and to the exploration strategy. Collectively, these findings suggest that age-related memory problems result partly from impaired strategies during learning, potentially due to reduced hippocampal-prefrontal co-engagement.

  9. Discovering students mobile learning experiences in higher education in Nigeria

    OpenAIRE

    Oyelere, Solomon S.; Suhonen, Jarkko; Shonola, Shaibu A.; Joy, Mike

    2016-01-01

    M-learning plays a progressively significant role in the advancement of teaching and learning in higher education. However, the effective implementation of m-learning in higher education will be based on users’ experiences and motivation to use this technology. Though m-learning has become global, developing countries such as Nigeria are yet to enjoy the full potential offered by m-learning. This study is focused on ascertaining students’ experiences with m-learning, determining the influence...

  10. Grounded Learning Experience: Helping Students Learn Physics through Visuo-Haptic Priming and Instruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shih-Chieh Douglas

    2013-01-01

    In this dissertation, I investigate the effects of a grounded learning experience on college students' mental models of physics systems. The grounded learning experience consisted of a priming stage and an instruction stage, and within each stage, one of two different types of visuo-haptic representation was applied: visuo-gestural simulation…

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  12. 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...

  13. Identifying Student Types in a Gamified Learning Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barata, Gabriel; Gama, Sandra; Jorge, Joaquim; Gonçalves, Daniel

    2014-01-01

    Gamification of education is a recent trend, and early experiments showed promising results. Students seem not only to perform better, but also to participate more and to feel more engaged with gamified learning. However, little is known regarding how different students are affected by gamification and how their learning experience may vary. In…

  14. Learning Process and Vocational Experience Attainments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colardyn, Danielle; White, Kathleen M.

    From a search of (mostly French) literature, a hypothesis was formulated that students with both academic training and work experience would solve a practical learning problem more easily than students with academic learning only. A study was conducted at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers in Paris to test this hypothesis. Two groups,…

  15. Student Teachers' Experiences of Relation Building in Teaching Practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Anne Maj; Laursen, Per Fibæk

    The study explores how 22 student teachers in a Danish college of education experience and interpret their own becoming a teacher and the implied attitudes to pupils. The student teachers attending mainstream teacher education and a course in mindful awareness and relational competencies have...... – to a larger extend than the mainstream educated student teachers - learned a reflexive attitude to their state of being in teaching practice and to their relational interaction with children in class....

  16. Learning end-of-life care within a constructivist model: Undergraduate nursing students’ experiences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna E. van der Wath

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Although nursing education aims to equip nursing students to provide care to dying patients and their families, nurses often feel ill-prepared to cope with the emotional labour involved in end-of-life care. Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore and describe nursing students’ experiences of end-of-life care through experiential learning within a constructivist educational model. Method: A qualitative, descriptive design was used. As part of introducing experiential learning, innovative educational practices were initiated during a second year level undergraduate nursing module on end-of-life care. Qualitative data on second-year nursing students’ experiences were collected through written reflections and analysed using open coding. Results: The themes that emerged revealed participants’ sensory and emotional experiences during the learning opportunities. Participants reflected on what they learnt and clarified their values related to death and dying. They indicated how they would apply the new meanings constructed in clinical practice. Conclusion: A constructivist educational model of experiential learning holds potential to enhance value clarification and nursing students’ sensory and emotional awareness of death and dying. Experiential learning is recommended to develop nursing students’ competency inproviding end-of-life care.

  17. Word learning in deaf children with cochlear implants: effects of early auditory experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houston, Derek M; Stewart, Jessica; Moberly, Aaron; Hollich, George; Miyamoto, Richard T

    2012-05-01

    Word-learning skills were tested in normal-hearing 12- to 40-month-olds and in deaf 22- to 40-month-olds 12 to 18 months after cochlear implantation. Using the Intermodal Preferential Looking Paradigm (IPLP), children were tested for their ability to learn two novel-word/novel-object pairings. Normal-hearing children demonstrated learning on this task at approximately 18 months of age and older. For deaf children, performance on this task was significantly correlated with early auditory experience: Children whose cochlear implants were switched on by 14 months of age or who had relatively more hearing before implantation demonstrated learning in this task, but later implanted profoundly deaf children did not. Performance on this task also correlated with later measures of vocabulary size. Taken together, these findings suggest that early auditory experience facilitates word learning and that the IPLP may be useful for identifying children who may be at high risk for poor vocabulary development. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  18. The Experience of Deep Learning by Accounting Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Martin; Baskerville, Rachel

    2013-01-01

    This study examines how to support accounting students to experience deep learning. A sample of 81 students in a third-year undergraduate accounting course was studied employing a phenomenographic research approach, using ten assessed learning tasks for each student (as well as a focus group and student surveys) to measure their experience of how…

  19. A Phenomenological Study of the Online Education Experiences of College Students with Learning Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murders, Michael R.

    2017-01-01

    The body of research concerning college students with learning disabilities is sparse relative to the percentage of college students with learning disabilities who attend college. Further, the majority of existing research fails to capture the student voice and the lived experiences of the students themselves. The purpose of this study was to…

  20. Experience Effect in E-Learning Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Bing; Xu, WenXia; Ge, Jun

    This study is a productivity review on the literature gleaned from SSCI, SCIE databases concerning experience in E-Learning research. The result indicates that the number of literature productions on experience effect in ELearning research is still growing from 2005. The main research development country is Croatia, and from the analysis of the publication year, the number of papers is increasing to the peaking in 2010. And the main source title is British Journal of Educational Technology. In addition the subject area concentrated on Education & Educational Research. Moreover the research focuses on are mainly survey research and empirical research, in order to explore experience effect in E-Learning research. Also the limitations and future research of these research were discussed, so that the direction for further research work can be exploited

  1. Early clinical experience: do students learn what we expect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helmich, Esther; Bolhuis, Sanneke; Laan, Roland; Koopmans, Raymond

    2011-07-01

    Early clinical experience is thought to contribute to the professional development of medical students, but little is known about the kind of learning processes that actually take place. Learning in practice is highly informal and may be difficult to direct by predefined learning outcomes. Learning in medical practice includes a socialisation process in which some learning outcomes may be valued, but others neglected or discouraged. This study describes students' learning goals (prior to a Year 1 nursing attachment) and learning outcomes (after the attachment) in relation to institutional educational goals, and evaluates associations between learning outcomes, student characteristics and place of attachment. A questionnaire containing open-ended questions about learning goals and learning outcomes was administered to all Year 1 medical students (n = 347) before and directly after a 4-week nursing attachment in either a hospital or a nursing home. Two confirmatory focus group interviews were conducted and data were analysed using qualitative and quantitative content analyses. Students' learning goals corresponded with educational goals with a main emphasis on communication and empathy. Other learning goals included gaining insight into the organisation of health care and learning to deal with emotions. Self-reported learning outcomes were the same, but students additionally mentioned reflection on professional behaviour and their own future development. Women and younger students mentioned communication and empathy more often than men and older students. Individual learning goals, with the exception of communicating and empathising with patients, did not predict learning outcomes. Students' learning goals closely match educational goals, which are adequately met in early nursing attachments in both hospitals and nursing homes. Learning to deal with emotions was under-represented as a learning goal and learning outcome, which may indicate that emotional aspects

  2. Perceived learning outcome: the relationship between experience, realism and situation awareness during simulator training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saus, Evelyn-Rose; Johnsen, Bjørn Helge; Eid, Jarle

    2010-01-01

    Navigation errors are a frequent cause of serious accidents and work-related injuries among seafarers. The present study investigated the effects of experience, perceived realism, and situation awareness (SA) on the perceived learning outcome of simulator-based navigation training. Thirty-two Norwegian Navy officer cadets were assigned to a low and a high mental workload conditions based on previous educational and navigational experience. In the low mental workload condition, experience (negatively associated), perceived realism, and subjective SA explained almost half of the total variance in perceived learning outcome. A hierarchical regression analysis showed that only subjective SA made a unique contribution to the learning outcome. In the high mental workload condition, perceived realism and subjective SA together explained almost half of the variance in perceived learning outcome. Furthermore, both perceived realism and subjective SA were shown to make an independent contribution to perceived learning outcomes. The results of this study show that in order to enhance the learning outcomes from simulator training it is necessary to design training procedures and scenarios that enable students to achieve functional fidelity and to generate and maintain SA during training. This can further improve safety and reduce the risk of maritime disasters.

  3. Use of English Vocabulary Learning Strategies by Thai Tertiary-Level Students in Relation to Fields of Study and Language-Learning Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boonkongsaen, Nathaya; Intaraprasert, Channarong

    2014-01-01

    The present study was intended to examine the effects of 1) fields of study (arts, business and science-oriented); and 2) language-learning experiences (whether limited or non-limited to formal classroom instructions) on the use of VLSs among Thai tertiary-level students. The participants were 905 Thai EFL students studying in the Northeast of…

  4. The Effectiveness of the Gesture-Based Learning System (GBLS and Its Impact on Learning Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moamer Ali Shakroum

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Several studies and experiments have been conducted in recent years to examine the value and the advantage of using the Gesture-Based Learning System (GBLS.The investigation of the influence of the GBLS mode on the learning outcomes is still scarce. Most previous studies did not address more than one category of learning outcomes (cognitive, affective outcomes, etc. at the same time when used to understand the impact of GBLS. Moreover, none of these studies considered the difference in students’ characteristics such as learning styles and spatial abilities. Therefore, a comprehensive empirical research on the impact of the GBLS mode on learning outcomes is needed. The purpose of this paper is to fill in the gap and to investigate the effectiveness of the GBLS mode on learning using Technology Mediated Learning (TML models. This study revealed that the GBLS mode has greater positive impact on students’ learning outcomes (cognitive and affective outcomes when compared with other two learning modes that are classified as Computer Simulation Software Learning (CSSL mode and conventional learning mode. In addition, this study also found that the GBLS mode is capable of serving all students with different learning styles and spatial ability levels. The results of this study revealed that the GBLS mode outperformed the existing learning methods by providing a unique learning experience that considers the differences between students. The results have also shown that the Kinect user interface can create an interactive and an enjoyable learning experience.

  5. Pengaruh Learning Climate Terhadap Job Performance Melalui Career Related Continuous Learning

    OpenAIRE

    Anggiani, Sarfilianty

    2017-01-01

    This research objective is to identify and to analyze the relatioship of Learning climatehas an influence on Job Performance through the Career Related Continuous Learning. The result of the study showed that Learning climate influenced Job Performance through the career related continuous learning. Managerial implication and the recommendation for future study are provided.

  6. Perceived learning experiences regarding Education for sustainable development – within Swedish outdoor education traditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annika Manni

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available This article presents results from a Swedish exploratory study investigating perceptions of the learning experiences related to education for sustainable development (ESD by students 10-12 years old. A comprehensive questionnaire with both open and closed questions asking for the students’ cognitive, emotional, practical, social, and situated learning experiences was developed. The empirical material consists of the responses from 209 students from six schools. The schools were selected to get a variety of both school programs regarding ESD and outdoor education activities. The results reported here reveal relationships between areas of students’ learning experiences, mainly between the cognitive, emotional, and social areas. Comparisons between the schools illustrate different approaches to teaching as well as the students’ diverse perceptions of these practices. The questionnaire developed for the project proved to be a valid instrument for researching the relationships and complexities in ESD learning, thus demonstrating its potential for use in future studies.

  7. When in Rome ... Learn why the Romans do what they do: how multicultural learning experiences facilitate creativity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maddux, William W; Adam, Hajo; Galinsky, Adam D

    2010-06-01

    Research suggests that living in and adapting to foreign cultures facilitates creativity. The current research investigated whether one aspect of the adaptation process-multicultural learning-is a critical component of increased creativity. Experiments 1-3 found that recalling a multicultural learning experience: (a) facilitates idea flexibility (e.g., the ability to solve problems in multiple ways), (b) increases awareness of underlying connections and associations, and (c) helps overcome functional fixedness. Importantly, Experiments 2 and 3 specifically demonstrated that functional learning in a multicultural context (i.e., learning about the underlying meaning or function of behaviors in that context) is particularly important for facilitating creativity. Results showed that creativity was enhanced only when participants recalled a functional multicultural learning experience and only when participants had previously lived abroad. Overall, multicultural learning appears to be an important mechanism by which foreign living experiences lead to creative enhancement.

  8. Opportunity to discuss ethical issues during clinical learning experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palese, Alvisa; Gonella, Silvia; Destrebecq, Anne; Mansutti, Irene; Terzoni, Stefano; Morsanutto, Michela; Altini, Pietro; Bevilacqua, Anita; Brugnolli, Anna; Canzan, Federica; Ponte, Adriana Dal; De Biasio, Laura; Fascì, Adriana; Grosso, Silvia; Mantovan, Franco; Marognolli, Oliva; Nicotera, Raffaela; Randon, Giulia; Tollini, Morena; Saiani, Luisa; Grassetti, Luca; Dimonte, Valerio

    2018-01-01

    Undergraduate nursing students have been documented to experience ethical distress during their clinical training and felt poorly supported in discussing the ethical issues they encountered. Research aims: This study was aimed at exploring nursing students' perceived opportunity to discuss ethical issues that emerged during their clinical learning experience and associated factors. An Italian national cross-sectional study design was performed in 2015-2016. Participants were invited to answer a questionnaire composed of four sections regarding: (1) socio-demographic data, (2) previous clinical learning experiences, (3) current clinical learning experience quality and outcomes, and (4) the opportunity to discuss ethical issues with nurses in the last clinical learning experience (from 0 - 'never' to 3 - 'very much'). Participants and research context: Participants were 9607 undergraduate nursing students who were attending 95 different three-year Italian baccalaureate nursing programmes, located at 27 universities in 15 Italian regions. Ethical considerations: This study was conducted in accordance with the Human Subject Research Ethics Committee guidelines after the research protocol was approved by an ethics committee. Overall, 4707 (49%) perceived to have discussed ethical issues 'much' or 'very much'; among the remaining, 3683 (38.3%) and 1217 (12.7%) students reported the perception of having discussed, respectively, 'enough' or 'never' ethical issues emerged in the clinical practice. At the multivariate logistic regression analysis explaining 38.1% of the overall variance, the factors promoting ethical discussion were mainly set at the clinical learning environment levels (i.e. increased learning opportunities, self-directed learning, safety and nursing care quality, quality of the tutorial strategies, competences learned and supervision by a clinical nurse). In contrast, being male was associated with a perception of less opportunity to discuss ethical issues

  9. Evaluation of undergraduate clinical learning experiences in the subject of pediatric dentistry using critical incident technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Vyawahare

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: In pediatric dentistry, the experiences of dental students may help dental educators better prepare graduates to treat the children. Research suggests that student′s perceptions should be considered in any discussion of their education, but there has been no systematic examination of India′s undergraduate dental students learning experiences. Aim: This qualitative investigation aimed to gather and analyze information about experiences in pediatric dentistry from the students′ viewpoint using critical incident technique (CIT. Study Design: The sample group for this investigation came from all 240 3 rd and 4 th year dental students from all the four dental colleges in Indore. Using CIT, participants were asked to describe at least one positive and one negative experience in detail. Results: They described 308 positive and 359 negative experiences related to the pediatric dentistry clinic. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of four key factors related to their experiences: 1 The instructor; 2 the patient; 3 the learning process; and 4 the learning environment. Conclusion: The CIT is a useful data collection and analysis technique that provides rich, useful data and has many potential uses in dental education.

  10. Acceptance of Game-Based Learning and Intrinsic Motivation as Predictors for Learning Success and Flow Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Ninaus

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available There is accumulating evidence that engagement with digital math games can improve students’ learning. However, in what way individual variables critical to game-based learning influence students' learning success still needs to be explored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of students’ acceptance of game-based learning (e.g., perceived usefulness of a game as a learning tool, perceived ease of use, as well as their intrinsic motivation for math (e.g., their math interest, self-efficacy and quality of playing experience on learning success in a game-based rational number training. Additionally, we investigated the influence of the former variables on quality of playing experience (operationalized as perceived flow. Results indicated that the game-based training was effective. Moreover, students’ learning success and their quality of playing experience were predicted by measures of acceptance of game-based learning and intrinsic motivation for math. These findings indicated that learning success in game-based learning approaches are driven by students’ acceptance of the game as a learning tool and content-specific intrinsic motivation. Therefore, the present work is of particular interest to researchers, developers, and practitioners working with game-based learning environments.

  11. Learning in innovation networks: Some simulation experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, Nigel; Ahrweiler, Petra; Pyka, Andreas

    2007-05-01

    According to the organizational learning literature, the greatest competitive advantage a firm has is its ability to learn. In this paper, a framework for modeling learning competence in firms is presented to improve the understanding of managing innovation. Firms with different knowledge stocks attempt to improve their economic performance by engaging in radical or incremental innovation activities and through partnerships and networking with other firms. In trying to vary and/or to stabilize their knowledge stocks by organizational learning, they attempt to adapt to environmental requirements while the market strongly selects on the results. The simulation experiments show the impact of different learning activities, underlining the importance of innovation and learning.

  12. Effect of task-related continuous auditory feedback during learning of tracking motion exercises

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosati Giulio

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This paper presents the results of a set of experiments in which we used continuous auditory feedback to augment motor training exercises. This feedback modality is mostly underexploited in current robotic rehabilitation systems, which usually implement only very basic auditory interfaces. Our hypothesis is that properly designed continuous auditory feedback could be used to represent temporal and spatial information that could in turn, improve performance and motor learning. Methods We implemented three different experiments on healthy subjects, who were asked to track a target on a screen by moving an input device (controller with their hand. Different visual and auditory feedback modalities were envisaged. The first experiment investigated whether continuous task-related auditory feedback can help improve performance to a greater extent than error-related audio feedback, or visual feedback alone. In the second experiment we used sensory substitution to compare different types of auditory feedback with equivalent visual feedback, in order to find out whether mapping the same information on a different sensory channel (the visual channel yielded comparable effects with those gained in the first experiment. The final experiment applied a continuously changing visuomotor transformation between the controller and the screen and mapped kinematic information, computed in either coordinate system (controller or video, to the audio channel, in order to investigate which information was more relevant to the user. Results Task-related audio feedback significantly improved performance with respect to visual feedback alone, whilst error-related feedback did not. Secondly, performance in audio tasks was significantly better with respect to the equivalent sensory-substituted visual tasks. Finally, with respect to visual feedback alone, video-task-related sound feedback decreased the tracking error during the learning of a novel

  13. Improving Learning Experiences through Gamification: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geelan, Benjamin; de Salas, Kristy; Lewis, Ian; King, Carolyn; Edwards, Dale; O'Mara, Aidan

    2015-01-01

    Gamified learning systems are becoming increasingly common within educational institutions, however there is a lack of understanding on the elements of gamification that influence, either positively or negatively, the learning experiences of students using these systems. This study examines an existing gamified learning tool implemented within an…

  14. Children and adolescents with migratory experience at risk in language learning and psychosocial adaptation contexts.

    OpenAIRE

    Figueiredo, Sandra; Silva, Carlos Fernandes da; Monteiro, Sara

    2007-01-01

    A compelling body of evidence shows a strong association between psychological, affective and learning variables, related also with the age and gender factors, which are involved in the language learning development process. Children and adolescents with migratory experience (direct/indirect) can develop behaviours at risk in their academic learning and psychosocial adaptation, according to several stressors as anxiety, low motivation, negative attitudes, within a stressed internal l...

  15. Learning from Experience: Creating Leadership Capabilities through Computer Simulated Leadership Challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, Alice C.; Black, Sylvia Sloan; Smith-Gratto, Karen; Williams, Jacqueline A.

    2007-01-01

    Leadership is often described as something that is learned from experience. However, experiences do not often occur within a controlled environment where learning and its impact can be evaluated. In this paper, we investigate the efficacy of two types of learning experiences. University students received leadership training of equal length through…

  16. Architecting Learning Continuities for Families Across Informal Science Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perin, Suzanne Marie

    By first recognizing the valuable social and scientific practices taking place within families as they learn science together across multiple, everyday settings, this dissertation addresses questions of how to design and scaffold activities that build and expand on those practices to foster a deep understanding of science, and how the aesthetic experience of learning science builds connections across educational settings. Families were invited to visit a natural history museum, an aquarium, and a place or activity of the family's choice that they associated with science learning. Some families were asked to use a set of activities during their study visits based on the practices of science (National Research Council, 2012), which were delivered via smartphone app or on paper cards. I use design-based research, video data analysis and interaction analysis to examine how families build connections between informal science learning settings. Chapter 2 outlines the research-based design process of creating activities for families that fostered connections across multiple learning settings, regardless of the topical content of those settings. Implications of this study point to means for linking everyday family social practices such as questioning, observing, and disagreeing to the practices of science through activities that are not site-specific. The next paper delves into aesthetic experience of science learning, and I use video interaction analysis and linguistic analysis to show how notions of beauty and pleasure (and their opposites) are perfused throughout learning activity. Designing for aesthetic experience overtly -- building on the sensations of enjoyment and pleasure in the learning experience -- can motivate those who might feel alienated by the common conception of science as merely a dispassionate assembly of facts, discrete procedures or inaccessible theory. The third paper, a case study of a family who learns about salmon in each of the sites they visit

  17. Content, Affective, and Behavioral Challenges to Learning: Students' Experiences Learning Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGrath, April L.

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the experiences of and challenges faced by students when completing a statistics course. As part of the requirement for this course, students completed a learning check-in, which consisted of an individual meeting with the instructor to discuss questions and the completion of a learning reflection and study plan. Forty…

  18. Job-demand for Learning, Job-related Learning and Need for Achievement

    OpenAIRE

    Loon, Mark; Casimir, G.

    2007-01-01

    Individual learning is important, as it is both a precursor and an outcome of learning in organisations. Job-related learning is driven by external factors (e.g., the demands of the job) and internal factors (i.e., the personality of the individual). The study examined whether need for achievement moderates the relationship between job-demand for learning and job-related learning. Data were obtained from 153 full-time, white-collar employees from a range of industries. Hierarchical regression...

  19. An assessment of student experiences and learning based on a novel undergraduate e-learning resource.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehta, S; Clarke, F; Fleming, P S

    2016-08-12

    Purpose/objectives The aims of this study were to describe the development of a novel e-learning resource and to assess its impact on student learning experiences and orthodontic knowledge.Methods Thirty-two 4th year dental undergraduate students at Queen Mary University of London were randomly allocated to receive electronic access to e-learning material covering various undergraduate orthodontic topics over a 6-week period. Thirty-one control students were not given access during the study period. All students were asked to complete electronic quizzes both before (T0) and after (T1) the study period and a general questionnaire concerning familiarity with e-learning. The test group also completed a user satisfaction questionnaire at T1. Two focus groups were also undertaken to explore learners' experiences and suggestions in relation to the resource.Results The mean quiz result improved by 3.9% and 4.5% in the control and test groups, respectively. An independent t-test, however, demonstrated a lack of statistical significance in knowledge gain between control and test groups (P = 0.941). The qualitative feedback indicated that students believed that use of the resource enhanced knowledge and basic understanding with students expressing a wish to ingrain similar resources in other areas of undergraduate teaching.Conclusions Use of the novel orthodontic e-resource by 4th year undergraduate students over a 6-week period did not result in a significant improvement in subject knowledge. However, the e-learning has proven popular among undergraduates and the resources will continue to be refined.

  20. The Effect of Emotionality and Openness to Experience on Vocabulary Learning Strategies of Iranian EFL Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shabnam Ranjbaran Oskouei

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available This study explored the relationship between vocabulary learning strategies and learner variables of Iranian learners of English as a foreign Language (EFL with special reference to their personality types to examine what implications these associations have for teaching EFL. It tried to find any possible relation between vocabulary learning strategies use of Iranian EFL students and two personality types, namely emotionality and openness to experience. For so doing, a representative sample of the EFL students was chosen, which comprised 120 second year EFL students from Islamic Azad university of Tabriz.  The data were collected using two questionnaires - Schmitt’s vocabulary learning strategy questionnaire and HEXACO personality assessment questionnaire;only two dimensions of emotionality and openness to experience were investigated in this research. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to measure the associations between the learner variables and use of vocabulary learning strategies. The findings showed differences in strategy use indicating that these strategy choices are correlated with their personality type. It was found that there is a positive relation between emotionality and cognitive strategies, and also between emotionality and metacognitive strategies. The results also showed that there is a positive relation between openness to experience and memory, and social strategies.

  1. The impact of arbitrarily applicable relational responding on evaluative learning about hypothetical money and shock outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dymond, Simon; Molet, Mikael; Davies, Lynette

    2017-08-01

    Evaluative learning comprises changes in preferences after co-occurrences between conditioned stimuli (CSs) and an unconditioned stimulus (US) of affective value. Co-occurrences may involve relational responding. Two experiments examined the impact of arbitrary relational responding on evaluative preferences for hypothetical money and shock outcomes. In Experiment 1, participants were trained to make arbitrary relational responses by placing CSs of the same size but different colours into boxes and were then instructed that these CSs represented different intensities of hypothetical USs (money or shock). Liking ratings of the CSs were altered in accordance with the underlying bigger/smaller than relations. A reversal of preference was also observed: the CS associated with the smallest hypothetical shock was rated more positively than the CS associated with the smallest amount of hypothetical money. In Experiment 2, procedures from Relational Frame Theory (RFT) established a relational network of more than/less than relations consisting of five CSs (A-B-C-D-E). Overall, evaluative preferences were altered, but not reversed, depending on (a) how stimuli had been related to one another during the learning phase and (b) whether those stimuli referred to money or shocks. The contribution of RFT to evaluative learning research is discussed.

  2. New tools for scientific learning in the EduSeis project: the e-learning experiment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Zollo

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available The Educational Seismological Project (EduSeis is a scientific and educational project, the main aim of which is the development and implementation of new teaching methodologies in Earth Sciences, using seismology as a vehicle for scientific learning and awareness of earthquake risk. Within this framework, we have recently been experimenting with new learning and information approaches that are mainly aimed at a high school audience. In particular, we have designed, implemented and tested a model of an e-learning environment in a high school located in the surroundings of the Mt. Vesuvius volcano. The proposed e-learning model is built on the EduSeis concepts and educational materials (web-oriented, and is based on computer-supported collaborative learning. Ten teachers from different disciplines and fifty students at the I.T.I.S. “Majorana” technical high school (Naples have been taking part in a cooperative e-learning experiment in which the students have been working in small groups (communities. The learning process is assisted and supervised by the teachers. The evaluation of the results from this cooperative e-learning experiment has provided useful insights into the content and didactic value of the EduSeis modules and activities. The use of network utilities and the “Learning Community” approach promoted the exchange of ideas and expertises between students and teachers and allowed a new approach to the seismology teaching through a multidisciplinary study.

  3. Experimenting on how to create a sustainable gamified learning design that supports adult students when learning through designing learning games

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weitze, Charlotte Lærke

    2014-01-01

    digital learning games (small games) in cross‐disciplinary subject matters. The experiment has focused on creating a game‐based learning design that enables the students to implement the learning goals into their games, and on making the game design process motivating and engaging. Another focus......This paper presents and discusses the first iteration of a design‐based research experiment focusing on how to create an overall gamified learning design (big Game) facilitating the learning process for adult students by letting them be their own learning designers through designing their own...... of the study has been to create a sustainable learning design that supports the learning game design process and gives teachers the ability to evaluate whether the students have been successful in learning their subject matter through this learning game design process. The findings are that this initial...

  4. The M-Learning Experience of Language Learners in Informal Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sendurur, Emine; Efendioglu, Esra; Çaliskan, Neslihan Yondemir; Boldbaatar, Nomin; Kandin, Emine; Namazli, Sevinç

    2017-01-01

    This study is designed to understand the informal language learners' experiences of m-learning applications. The aim is two-folded: (i) to extract the reasons why m-learning applications are preferred and (ii) to explore the user experience of Duolingo m-learning application. We interviewed 18 voluntary Duolingo users. The findings suggest that…

  5. Field Trips as Valuable Learning Experiences in Geography Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krakowka, Amy Richmond

    2012-01-01

    Field trips have been acknowledged as valuable learning experiences in geography. This article uses Kolb's (1984) experiential learning model to discuss how students learn and how field trips can help enhance learning. Using Kolb's experiential learning theory as a guide in the design of field trips helps ensure that field trips contribute to…

  6. Dyslexia and Learning a Foreign Language: A Personal Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Charlann S.

    2000-01-01

    This participant observer report reviews research on how dyslexia complicates learning a second language, a description of how dyslexia has affected educational experiences, personal experiences learning a foreign language, and recommendations to individuals with dyslexia who are faced with fulfilling a foreign language requirement and their…

  7. Automation and Control Learning Environment with Mixed Reality Remote Experiments Architecture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frederico M. Schaf

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available This work aims to the use of remotely web-based experiments to improve the learning process of automation and control systems theory courses. An architecture combining virtual learning environments, remote experiments, students guide and experiments analysis is proposed based on a wide state of art study. The validation of the architecture uses state of art technologies and new simple developed programs to implement the case studies presented. All implementations presented use an internet accessible virtual learning environment providing educational resources, guides and learning material to create a distance learning course associated with the remote mixed reality experiment. This work is part of the RExNet consortium, supported by the European Alfa project.

  8. The influence of workplace culture on nurses' learning experiences: a systematic review of qualitative evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Kate; White, Sarahlouise; Stephenson, Matthew

    2016-06-01

    A healthy workplace culture enables nurses to experience valuable learning in the workplace. Learning in the workplace enables the provision of evidence-based and continuously improving safe patient care, which is central to achieving good patient outcomes. Therefore, nurses need to learn within a workplace that supports the implementation of evidence-based, professional practice and enables the best patient outcomes; the influence of workplace culture may play a role in this. The purpose of this review was to critically appraise and synthesize the best available qualitative evidence to understand both the nurses' learning experiences within the workplace and the factors within the workplace culture that influence those learning experiences. Registered and enrolled nurses regulated by a nursing and midwifery board and/or recognized health practitioner regulation agency (or their international equivalent). This review considered studies that described two phenomena of interest: the nurses' learning experience, either within an acute healthcare workplace or a workplace-related learning environment and the influence of workplace culture on the nurses' learning experience (within the workplace or workplace-related learning environment). This review considered studies that included nurses working in an acute healthcare organization within a Western culture. This review considered studies that focused on qualitative evidence and included the following research designs: phenomenological, grounded theory and critical theory. Published and unpublished studies in English from 1980 to 2013 were identified using a three-step search strategy, searching various databases, and included hand searching of the reference lists within articles selected for appraisal. For studies meeting the inclusion criteria, methodological quality was assessed using a standardized checklist from the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI). Qualitative data

  9. Enhancing the blended learning experience of Calculus I students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Al-Ghassani

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Blended Learning showed in the last two decades to be one of the effective ways in education and training. We illustrate our initiative experience with blended learning in the course Calculus I. The main goals we want to achieve are improving students understanding of the course concepts, increasing the level of uniformity in this multi-sections course and enhancing students blended learning experience online and offline. Consequently, this affects positively students' academic performance. We describe and discuss the results that we achieved and the challenges we encountered in view of the initiative aims and goals. The blended learning delivery methods were through Learning Management System (LMS as the online medium and through new offline activities inside and outside the classroom. The LMS we used is Moodle. We designed the resources and activities to cater for the learners different needs. The offline activities were chosen and designed to strengthen the weakness in students study skills based in our experience.

  10. Concept formation knowledge and experience in unsupervised learning

    CERN Document Server

    Fisher, Douglas H; Langley, Pat

    1991-01-01

    Concept Formation: Knowledge and Experience in Unsupervised Learning presents the interdisciplinary interaction between machine learning and cognitive psychology on unsupervised incremental methods. This book focuses on measures of similarity, strategies for robust incremental learning, and the psychological consistency of various approaches.Organized into three parts encompassing 15 chapters, this book begins with an overview of inductive concept learning in machine learning and psychology, with emphasis on issues that distinguish concept formation from more prevalent supervised methods and f

  11. Students' perceptions of a blended learning experience in dental education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varthis, S; Anderson, O R

    2018-02-01

    "Flipped" instructional sequencing is a new instructional method where online instruction precedes the group meeting, allowing for more sophisticated learning through discussion and critical thinking during the in-person class session; a novel approach studied in this research. The purpose of this study was to document dental students' perceptions of flipped-based blended learning and to apply a new method of displaying their perceptions based on Likert-scale data analysis using a network diagramming method known as an item correlation network diagram (ICND). In addition, this article aimed to encourage institutions or course directors to consider self-regulated learning and social constructivism as a theoretical framework when blended learning is incorporated in dental curricula. Twenty (second year) dental students at a Northeastern Regional Dental School in the United States participated in this study. A Likert scale was administered before and after the learning experience to obtain evidence of their perceptions of its quality and educational merits. Item correlation network diagrams, based on the intercorrelations amongst the responses to the Likert-scale items, were constructed to display students' changes in perceptions before and after the learning experience. Students reported positive perceptions of the blended learning, and the ICND analysis of their responses before and after the learning experience provided insights into their social (group-based) cognition about the learning experience. The ICNDs are considered evidence of social or group-based cognition, because they are constructed from evidence obtained using intercorrelations of the total group responses to the Likert-scale items. The students positively received blended learning in dental education, and the ICND analyses demonstrated marked changes in their social cognition of the learning experience based on the pre- and post-Likert survey data. Self-regulated learning and social constructivism

  12. First year clinical tutorials: students’ learning experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burgess A

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Annette Burgess,1 Kim Oates,2 Kerry Goulston,2 Craig Mellis1 1Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 2Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia Background: Bedside teaching lies at the heart of medical education. The learning environment afforded to students during clinical tutorials contributes substantially to their knowledge, thinking, and learning. Situated cognition theory posits that the depth and breadth of the students' learning experience is dependent upon the attitude of the clinical teacher, the structure of the tutorial, and the understanding of tutorial and learning objectives. This theory provides a useful framework to conceptualize how students' experience within their clinical tutorials impacts their knowledge, thinking, and learning. Methods: The study was conducted with one cohort (n=301 of students who had completed year 1 of the medical program at Sydney Medical School in 2013. All students were asked to complete a three-part questionnaire regarding their perceptions of their clinical tutor's attributes, the consistency of the tutor, and the best features of the tutorials and need for improvement. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The response rate to the questionnaire was 88% (265/301. Students perceived that their tutors displayed good communication skills and enthusiasm, encouraged their learning, and were empathetic toward patients. Fifty-two percent of students reported having the same communications tutor for the entire year, and 28% reported having the same physical examination tutor for the entire year. Students would like increased patient contact, greater structure within their tutorials, and greater alignment of teaching with the curriculum. Conclusion: Situated cognition theory provides a valuable lens to view students' experience of learning within the

  13. A Feedback Model for Data-Rich Learning Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pardo, Abelardo

    2018-01-01

    Feedback has been identified as one of the factors with the largest potential for a positive impact in a learning experience. There is a significant body of knowledge studying feedback and providing guidelines for its implementation in learning environments. In parallel, the areas of learning analytics or educational data mining have emerged to…

  14. Learning professional ethics: Student experiences in a health mentor program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langlois, Sylvia; Lymer, Erin

    2016-01-01

    The use of patient centred approaches to healthcare education is evolving, yet the effectiveness of these approaches in relation to professional ethics education is not well understood. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and learning of health profession students engaged in an ethics module as part of a Health Mentor Program at the University of Toronto. Students were assigned to interprofessional groups representing seven professional programs and matched with a health mentor. The health mentors, individuals living with chronic health conditions, shared their experiences of the healthcare system through 90 minute semi-structured interviews with the students. Following the interviews, students completed self-reflective papers and engaged in facilitated asynchronous online discussions. Thematic analysis of reflections and discussions was used to uncover pertaining to student experiences and learning regarding professional ethics. Five major themes emerged from the data: (1) Patient autonomy and expertise in care; (2) ethical complexity and its inevitable reality in the clinical practice setting; (3) patient advocacy as an essential component of day-to-day practice; (4) qualities of remarkable clinicians that informed personal ideals for future practice; (5) patients' perspectives on clinician error and how they enabled suggestions for improving future practice. The findings of a study in one university context suggest that engagement with the health mentor narratives facilitated students' critical reflection related to their understanding of the principles of healthcare ethics.

  15. Middle school students' learning of mechanics concepts through engagement in different sequences of physical and virtual experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sullivan, Sarah; Gnesdilow, Dana; Puntambekar, Sadhana; Kim, Jee-Seon

    2017-08-01

    Physical and virtual experimentation are thought to have different affordances for supporting students' learning. Research investigating the use of physical and virtual experiments to support students' learning has identified a variety of, sometimes conflicting, outcomes. Unanswered questions remain about how physical and virtual experiments may impact students' learning and for which contexts and content areas they may be most effective. Using a quasi-experimental design, we examined eighth grade students' (N = 100) learning of physics concepts related to pulleys depending on the sequence of physical and virtual labs they engaged in. Five classes of students were assigned to either the: physical first condition (PF) (n = 55), where students performed a physical pulley experiment and then performed the same experiment virtually, or virtual first condition (VF) (n = 45), with the opposite sequence. Repeated measures ANOVA's were conducted to examine how physical and virtual labs impacted students' learning of specific physics concepts. While we did not find clear-cut support that one sequence was better, we did find evidence that participating in virtual experiments may be more beneficial for learning certain physics concepts, such as work and mechanical advantage. Our findings support the idea that if time or physical materials are limited, using virtual experiments may help students understand work and mechanical advantage.

  16. Learning Robotics in a Science Museum Theatre Play: Investigation of Learning Outcomes, Contexts and Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peleg, Ran; Baram-Tsabari, Ayelet

    2017-12-01

    Theatre is often introduced into science museums to enhance visitor experience. While learning in museums exhibitions received considerable research attention, learning from museum theatre has not. The goal of this exploratory study was to investigate the potential educational role of a science museum theatre play. The study aimed to investigate (1) cognitive learning outcomes of the play, (2) how these outcomes interact with different viewing contexts and (3) experiential learning outcomes through the theatrical experience. The play `Robot and I', addressing principles in robotics, was commissioned by a science museum. Data consisted of 391 questionnaires and interviews with 47 children and 20 parents. Findings indicate that explicit but not implicit learning goals were decoded successfully. There was little synergy between learning outcomes of the play and an exhibition on robotics, demonstrating the effect of two different physical contexts. Interview data revealed that prior knowledge, experience and interest played a major role in children's understanding of the play. Analysis of the theatrical experience showed that despite strong identification with the child protagonist, children often doubted the protagonist's knowledge jeopardizing integration of scientific content. The study extends the empirical knowledge and theoretical thinking on museum theatre to better support claims of its virtues and respond to their criticism.

  17. LEARNING-RELATED SOCIAL SKILLS AS A MEDIATOR BETWEEN TEACHER INSTRUCTION AND CHILD ACHIEVEMENT IN HEAD START

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gershoff, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    Using a subsample of the Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) 2006, this study examined the associations between the amount of teacher instruction in 292 Head Start classrooms with changes in young children’s (n = 936) early academic achievement and learning-related social skills from ages 3 to 5. In general, during the early years, children exhibited relatively stable academic and learning-related social skills. Although the amount of teacher instruction did not predict children’s short-term academic growth directly, it did predict it indirectly through improvements in learning-related social skills, with benefits lasting through the end of kindergarten. These findings demonstrate that gains in children’s learning-related social skills may be necessary before academic gains can be realized. PMID:26692657

  18. Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences and Views on Project-Based Learning Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dag, Funda; Durdu, Levent

    2017-01-01

    Project-based learning (PjBL) has been promoted as an effective and frequently used student-centered learning approach for various learning environments. To have various learning experiences with PjBL is an important requirement for pre-service teachers (PSTs). The purpose of the study was to investigate the experiences PSTs had with group work…

  19. Autonomous reinforcement learning with experience replay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wawrzyński, Paweł; Tanwani, Ajay Kumar

    2013-05-01

    This paper considers the issues of efficiency and autonomy that are required to make reinforcement learning suitable for real-life control tasks. A real-time reinforcement learning algorithm is presented that repeatedly adjusts the control policy with the use of previously collected samples, and autonomously estimates the appropriate step-sizes for the learning updates. The algorithm is based on the actor-critic with experience replay whose step-sizes are determined on-line by an enhanced fixed point algorithm for on-line neural network training. An experimental study with simulated octopus arm and half-cheetah demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed algorithm to solve difficult learning control problems in an autonomous way within reasonably short time. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Indiana secondary students' evolution learning experiences and demarcations of science from non-science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donnelly, Lisa A.

    2007-12-01

    Previous research has documented students' conceptual difficulties learning evolution and how student learning may be related to students' views of evolution and science. This mixed methods study addressed how 74 high school biology students from six Indiana high schools viewed their evolution learning experiences, the demarcations of science from non-science, and evolution understanding and acceptance. Data collection entailed qualitative and quantitative methods including interviews, classroom observations, surveys, and assessments to address students' views of science and non-science, evolution learning experiences, and understanding and acceptance of evolution. Qualitative coding generated several demarcation and evolution learning experience codes that were subsequently used in quantitative comparisons of evolution understanding and acceptance. The majority of students viewed science as empirical, tentative but ultimately leading to certain truth, compatible with religion, the product of experimental work, and the product of human creativity. None of the students offered the consensus NOS view that scientific theories are substantiated explanations of phenomena while scientific laws state relationships or patterns between phenomena. About half the students indicated that scientific knowledge was subjectively and socio-culturally influenced. The majority of students also indicated that they had positive evolution learning experiences and thought evolution should be taught in secondary school. The quantitative comparisons revealed how students who viewed scientific knowledge as subjectively and socio-culturally influenced had higher understanding than their peers. Furthermore, students who maintained that science and religion were compatible did not differ with respect to understanding but had higher acceptance than their peers who viewed science and religion as conflicting. Furthermore, students who maintained that science must be consistent with their

  1. What Students Really Learn: Contrasting Medical and Nursing Students' Experiences of the Clinical Learning Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-01-01

    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…

  2. Are positive learning experiences levers for lifelong learning among low educated workers?van kennistekorten?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sanders, J.M.A.F.; Damen, M.A.W.; Dam, K. van

    2015-01-01

    Purpose Based on the theory of planned behaviour and social learning theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of training participation and learning experience on the beliefs of low-educated employees about their self-efficacy for learning. Design/methodology/approach

  3. Prior Visual Experience Modulates Learning of Sound Localization Among Blind Individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Qian; Chan, Chetwyn C H; Luo, Yue-Jia; Li, Jian-Jun; Ting, Kin-Hung; Lu, Zhong-Lin; Whitfield-Gabrieli, Susan; Wang, Jun; Lee, Tatia M C

    2017-05-01

    Cross-modal learning requires the use of information from different sensory modalities. This study investigated how the prior visual experience of late blind individuals could modulate neural processes associated with learning of sound localization. Learning was realized by standardized training on sound localization processing, and experience was investigated by comparing brain activations elicited from a sound localization task in individuals with (late blind, LB) and without (early blind, EB) prior visual experience. After the training, EB showed decreased activation in the precuneus, which was functionally connected to a limbic-multisensory network. In contrast, LB showed the increased activation of the precuneus. A subgroup of LB participants who demonstrated higher visuospatial working memory capabilities (LB-HVM) exhibited an enhanced precuneus-lingual gyrus network. This differential connectivity suggests that visuospatial working memory due to the prior visual experience gained via LB-HVM enhanced learning of sound localization. Active visuospatial navigation processes could have occurred in LB-HVM compared to the retrieval of previously bound information from long-term memory for EB. The precuneus appears to play a crucial role in learning of sound localization, disregarding prior visual experience. Prior visual experience, however, could enhance cross-modal learning by extending binding to the integration of unprocessed information, mediated by the cognitive functions that these experiences develop.

  4. Functional coupling networks inferred from prefrontal cortex activity show experience-related effective plasticity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaia Tavoni

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Functional coupling networks are widely used to characterize collective patterns of activity in neural populations. Here, we ask whether functional couplings reflect the subtle changes, such as in physiological interactions, believed to take place during learning. We infer functional network models reproducing the spiking activity of simultaneously recorded neurons in prefrontal cortex (PFC of rats, during the performance of a cross-modal rule shift task (task epoch, and during preceding and following sleep epochs. A large-scale study of the 96 recorded sessions allows us to detect, in about 20% of sessions, effective plasticity between the sleep epochs. These coupling modifications are correlated with the coupling values in the task epoch, and are supported by a small subset of the recorded neurons, which we identify by means of an automatized procedure. These potentiated groups increase their coativation frequency in the spiking data between the two sleep epochs, and, hence, participate to putative experience-related cell assemblies. Study of the reactivation dynamics of the potentiated groups suggests a possible connection with behavioral learning. Reactivation is largely driven by hippocampal ripple events when the rule is not yet learned, and may be much more autonomous, and presumably sustained by the potentiated PFC network, when learning is consolidated. Cell assemblies coding for memories are widely believed to emerge through synaptic modification resulting from learning, yet their identification from activity is very arduous. We propose a functional-connectivity-based approach to identify experience-related cell assemblies from multielectrode recordings in vivo, and apply it to the prefrontal cortex activity of rats recorded during a task epoch and the preceding and following sleep epochs. We infer functional couplings between the recorded cells in each epoch. Comparisons of the functional coupling networks across the epochs allow us

  5. Emotion and language learning: an exploration of experience and motivation in a Mexican university context

    OpenAIRE

    Méndez López, Mariza Guadalupe

    2011-01-01

    Although there have been numerous studies on motivation in foreign language learning and on emotions in general education, little research in foreign language learning have focused on the relation between motivation and learners' emotions (Maclntyre, 2002), as this shift to the affective side of motivation has only recently been suggested. Thus, this study aims to contribute to the body of knowledge on how foreign language learning motivation is shaped by emotional experiences. In order t...

  6. Work related learning, Identities, and Culture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Henning Salling

    2005-01-01

    which reflects the societal transitions. The aim of this article is to consider the connection between these theoretical and methodological questions: Studies into subjective processes (individual and collective learning and identity processes) helps us theorise the contradictory and asynchronous nature...... of individuals’ subjective relation to work and work related learning have revealed a close connection between gender relations and societal work organisation. This observation has become particularly pointed in studies of a number of professions dealing with traditional ‘women’s work’, in which the close links...... of individual and collective learning and identity processes....

  7. An Experiment on How Adult Students Can Learn by Designing Engaging Learning Games

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weitze, Charlotte Lærke

    2014-01-01

    worth investigating as a motivational learning strategy. As meaning can be constructed through the manipulation of materials, which facilitates reflection and new ways of thinking, the use of learning games in education is taken one step further into the building of learning games in collaborative...... enables the students to be the designers of their own learning, by allowing them to create their own digital learning games, while implementing learning goals from cross-disciplinary subject matters (Figure 1). Another focus has been to create a learning design that scaffolds the students’ own learning-game......This article presents and discusses the first iteration of a design-based research experiment focusing on how to create a motivating gamified learning design, one that facilitates a deep learning process for adult students making their own learning games. Using games for learning has attracted...

  8. Age-related changes in learning across early childhood: a new imitation task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickerson, Kelly; Gerhardstein, Peter; Zack, Elizabeth; Barr, Rachel

    2013-11-01

    Imitation plays a critical role in social and cognitive development, but the social learning mechanisms contributing to the development of imitation are not well understood. We developed a new imitation task designed to examine social learning mechanisms across the early childhood period. The new task involves assembly of abstract-shaped puzzle pieces in an arbitrary sequence on a magnet board. Additionally, we introduce a new scoring system that extends traditional goal-directed imitation scoring to include measures of both children's success at copying gestures (sliding the puzzle pieces) and goals (connecting the puzzle pieces). In Experiment 1, we demonstrated an age-invariant baseline from 1.5 to 3.5 years of age, accompanied by age-related changes in success at copying goals and gestures from a live demonstrator. In Experiment 2, we applied our new task to learning following a video demonstration. Imitation performance in the video demonstration group lagged behind that of the live demonstration group, showing a protracted video deficit effect. Across both experiments, children were more likely to copy gestures at earlier ages, suggesting mimicry, and only later copy both goals and gestures, suggesting imitation. Taken together, the findings suggest that different social learning strategies may predominate in imitation learning dependent upon the degree of object affordance, task novelty, and task complexity. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Recognition of prior learning candidates’ experiences in a nurse training programme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nomathemba B. Mothokoa

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Recognition of prior learning (RPL in South Africa is critical to the development of an equitable education and training system. Historically, nursing has been known as one of the professions that provides access to the training and education of marginalised groups who have minimal access to formal education. The advent of implementing RPL in nursing has, however, not been without challenges. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of RPL nursing candidates related to a 4-year comprehensive nursing training programme at a nursing education institution in Gauteng. An exploratory, descriptive and contextual qualitative research design was undertaken. The research sample comprised 13 purposefully selected participants. Face-to-face individual interviews, using open-ended questions, were used to collect data, which were analysed using Tesch’s approach. Recognition of prior learning candidates experienced a number of realities as adult learners. On a positive note, their prior knowledge and experience supported them in their learning endeavours. Participants, however, experienced a number of challenges on personal, interpersonal and socialisation, and educational levels. It is important that opportunities are created to support and assist RPL candidates to complete their nursing training. This support structure, among others, should include the provision of RPL-related information, giving appropriate advice, coaching and mentoring, effective administration services, integrated curriculum design, and a variety of formative and summative assessment practices.

  10. The South African Military Nursing College Pupil Enrolled Nurses’ experiences of the clinical learning environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ernestina M. Caka

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The study focused on the clinical learning experiences of Pupil Enrolled Nurses (PENs within the military health service. The purpose of the research was to explore and describe the learning experiences of PENs within the Military health clinical learning environment. An explorative, descriptive, contextual design which is qualitative in nature was used to guide the study. The military as a training institution prides itself on preparing nurses both as soldiers and nurses, this could be both challenging and exasperating for students, as the scopes are diverse. Being notably very hierarchical, the military’s rules constantly take precedence over nursing rules. For the duration of nursing training, students are allocated in the clinical learning area to acquire competencies such as problem solving, cognitive and psychomotor skills (Kuiper & Pesut 2003:383. Students learn how to merge theory and practice and apply theories in the practical sense. This is however, not done in isolation from the military codes, as they are intertwined. Attendance of military parades and drills are incorporated during this phase. This could create missed opportunities from the clinical learning as students are expected to leave the clinical setting for this purpose. Three focus group sessions were conducted and the experiences of the students, as narrated by themselves, yielded valuable insights. The researcher wrote field notes and assisted with the management of the audio tapes for easy retrieval of information. Data was analysed by the researcher, independent of the cocoder. Two themes relating to the PENs’ learning experiences emerged from the data analysed: (1 facilitators of clinical learning, (2 and barriers to clinical learning. The findings obtained depicted those factors which facilitated and obstructed student learning. These findings made it possible for the researcher to make recommendations concerning positive interventions which could be taken to

  11. Exploring nursing students’ experience of peer learning in clinical practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravanipour, Maryam; Bahreini, Masoud; Ravanipour, Masoumeh

    2015-01-01

    Background: Peer learning is an educational process wherein someone of the same age or level of experience level interacts with other students interested in the same topic. There is limited evidence specifically focusing on the practical use of peer learning in Iran. The aim of this study was to explore nursing students’ experiences of peer learning in clinical practice. Materials and Methods: A qualitative content analysis was conducted. Focus groups were used to find the students’ experiences about peerlearning. Twenty-eight baccalaureate nursing students at Bushehr University of Medical Sciences were selected purposively, and were arranged in four groups of seven students each. The focus group interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview schedule. All interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using conventional content analysis method. Results: The analysis identified four themes: Paradoxical dualism, peer exploitation, first learning efficacy, and socialization practice. Gained advantages and perceived disadvantages created paradoxical dualism, and peer exploitation resulted from peer selection and peer training. Conclusion: Nursing students reported general satisfaction concerning peer learning due to much more in-depth learning with little stress than conventional learning methods. Peer learning is a useful method for nursing students for practicing educational leadership and learning the clinical skills before they get a job. PMID:26097860

  12. Learning Experiences Reuse Based on an Ontology Modeling to Improve Adaptation in E-Learning Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadj M'tir, Riadh; Rumpler, Béatrice; Jeribi, Lobna; Ben Ghezala, Henda

    2014-01-01

    Current trends in e-Learning focus mainly on personalizing and adapting the learning environment and learning process. Although their increasingly number, theses researches often ignore the concepts of capitalization and reuse of learner experiences which can be exploited later by other learners. Thus, the major challenge of distance learning is…

  13. Undergraduate Student Self-Efficacy and Perceptions of Virtual World Learning Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanton, Lorraine May

    2017-01-01

    Virtual worlds are innovative teaching and learning methods that can provide immersive and engaging learning experiences (Lu, 2010). Though they have potential benefits, students sometimes experience a steep learning curve and discomfort with the technology (Warburton, 2009). This study explored how students in two American Studies classes using…

  14. 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 ...

  15. Repeated nicotine exposure enhances reward-related learning in the rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olausson, Peter; Jentsch, J David; Taylor, Jane R

    2003-07-01

    Repeated exposure to addictive drugs causes neuroadaptive changes in cortico-limbic-striatal circuits that may underlie alterations in incentive-motivational processes and reward-related learning. Such drug-induced alterations may be relevant to drug addiction because enhanced incentive motivation and increased control over behavior by drug-associated stimuli may contribute to aspects of compulsive drug-seeking and drug-taking behaviors. This study investigated the consequences of repeated nicotine treatment on the acquisition and performance of Pavlovian discriminative approach behavior, a measure of reward-related learning, in male rats. Water-restricted rats were trained to associate a compound conditioned stimulus (tone+light) with the availability of water (the unconditioned stimulus) in 15 consecutive daily sessions. In separate experiments, rats were repeatedly treated with nicotine (0.35 mg/kg, s.c.) either (1) prior to the onset of training, (2) after each daily training session was completed (ie postsession injections), or (3) received nicotine both before the onset of training as well as after each daily training session. In this study, all nicotine treatment schedules increased Pavlovian discriminative approach behavior and, thus, prior repeated exposure to nicotine, repeated postsession nicotine injections, or both, facilitated reward-related learning.

  16. Professional Learning Experiences and Administrator Practice: Is There a Connection?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bickmore, Dana L.

    2012-01-01

    This study identified the formal and informal professional learning experiences in which school administrators engaged and the relationship between these professional learning experiences and administrator practice. The researcher developed an instrument that solicited school administrators' engagement and perceived value of formal and informal…

  17. Early clinical experience: do students learn what we expect?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Helmich, E.; Bolhuis, S.; Laan, R.F.J.M.; Koopmans, R.T.C.M.

    2011-01-01

    CONTEXT: Early clinical experience is thought to contribute to the professional development of medical students, but little is known about the kind of learning processes that actually take place. Learning in practice is highly informal and may be difficult to direct by predefined learning outcomes.

  18. Early clinical experience : do students learn what we expect?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Helmich, Esther; Bolhuis, Sanneke; Laan, Roland; Koopmans, Raymond

    CONTEXT Early clinical experience is thought to contribute to the professional development of medical students, but little is known about the kind of learning processes that actually take place. Learning in practice is highly informal and may be difficult to direct by predefined learning outcomes.

  19. Learning related modulation of functional retrieval networks in man.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersson, K M; Sandblom, J; Gisselgård, J; Ingvar, M

    2001-07-01

    The medial temporal lobe has been implicated in studies of episodic memory tasks involving spatio-temporal context and object-location conjunctions. We have previously demonstrated that an increased level of practice in a free-recall task parallels a decrease in the functional activity of several brain regions, including the medial temporal lobe, the prefrontal, the anterior cingulate, the anterior insular, and the posterior parietal cortices, that in concert demonstrate a move from elaborate controlled processing towards a higher degree of automaticity. Here we report data from two experiments that extend these initial observations. We used a similar experimental approach but probed for effects of retrieval paradigms and stimulus material. In the first experiment we investigated practice related changes during recognition of object-location conjunctions and in the second during free-recall of pseudo-words. Learning in a neural network is a dynamic consequence of information processing and network plasticity. The present and previous PET results indicate that practice can induce a learning related functional restructuring of information processing. Different adaptive processes likely subserve the functional re-organisation observed. These may in part be related to different demands for attentional and working memory processing. It appears that the role(s) of the prefrontal cortex and the medial temporal lobe in memory retrieval are complex, perhaps reflecting several different interacting processes or cognitive components. We suggest that an integrative interactive perspective on the role of the prefrontal and medial temporal lobe is necessary for an understanding of the processing significance of these regions in learning and memory. It appears necessary to develop elaborated and explicit computational models for prefrontal and medial temporal functions in order to derive detailed empirical predictions, and in combination with an efficient use and development of

  20. Reasons of the problems that academicians experience in management of teaching and learning process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Süleyman Göksoy

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The present research aims to examine the problems that academicians experience in management of teaching-learning process, to reveal the reasons of the problems and to develop solution suggestions. Case study design of qualitative research methods was used in this research and it includes 41 volunteer academicians. Structured interview form was used in data collection and the data were analyzed with content analysis. It was found that most of the problems academicians experience in management of teaching-learning process were related to students. They also had problems with classroom/course management. In management of teaching-learning processes of the academicians, problems were related to students, physical infrastructure, educational system and society/environment. It can be asserted that most of the problems can be solved if their reasons are determined and handled. Also it is suggested that incoming academicians who are new to academic life need to follow the regulations that includes student discipline regulations and the students need to be informed about the negative behaviors and their consequences at the beginning of the term.

  1. Learning by Helping? Undergraduate Communication Outcomes Associated with Training or Service-Learning Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Jennifer; DuBois, Melinda; Wigderson, Sara

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated communication outcomes after training or applied service-learning experiences. Pre-practicum trainees learned active listening skills over 10 weeks. Practicum students were successful trainees who staffed a helpline. Community interns were trained and supervised at community agencies. Undergraduate students in psychology…

  2. Online Leadership and Learning: How Online Leaders May Learn From Their Working Experience

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kolbæk, Ditte

    2018-01-01

    Online working environments develop and change continuously, meaning that online leaders and online team members must learn to adapt to change and should utilize emerging possibilities for doing their jobs. The purpose of this chapter is to explore how online leaders learn from experiences develo...

  3. Students' experiences with interactivity and learning in a high school physics multimedia distance learning course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villarreal-Stewart, Irene

    The purpose guiding this research has been to learn about and describe the phenomena of interactivity from the learners' perspectives and to learn which of the interactivity affordances and practices were actually used by students and why in the process of learning physics using an interactive multimedia distance learning course system. The bigger purpose behind learning about and describing interactivity has been to gain knowledge and perspective for its instructional design to benefit the learner, the school as curriculum implementer, and instructional media designers to create better products. Qualitative methodology in the interpretivist tradition was used, that is, in-depth interviews and on-site observations, to gain understanding of interactivity from the learners' perspective and to gain understanding of the student learning context impacting and shaping the students' interactivity experiences. NVivo was used to sort, organize and index data. All data were read on three levels: literally, interpretively, and reflexively; and were read comparatively to other perspectives to get descriptions and interpretations that were holistic to the implementation and had potential insight to improve practice for instructional designers, teachers, administrators, specifically to improve the learning experience for students. Site-Specific Findings: Students watched videos, resisted using phone and e-mail, and worked math problems to demonstrate learning, which resulted in very little interactivity, virtually no dialogue about physics, no physical activity, one-way communication, multifaceted dissatisfaction, student need for teacher involvement in the learning enterprise, student appreciation for interactivity, and expressed desire for a real, live teacher. I also found that some students did experience the system as interactive, did experience learner control and self-directed learning, and despite dissatisfaction, liked and appreciated the course. Wider Applications

  4. Emergence of a learning community: a transforming experience at the boundaries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raia, Federica

    2013-03-01

    I narrate a process of transformation, a professional and personal journey framed by an experience that captured my attention shaping my interpretation and reflections. From a critical complexity framework I discuss the emergence of a learning community from the cooperation among individuals of diverse social and cultural worlds sharing the need to change a traditional professional development program structure and develop a new science education Masters Degree/Certification program. I zoom into the continual redefinition of the community, its evolution and complex interrelations among its participants and the emergence of a learning community as a boundary space having an emancipatory role and allowing growth and learning. I analyze the dialectical relationship between agents' behavior either impeding growth or having an emancipatory function of a mindful RelationalAct in a complex adaptive system framework.

  5. Students' experiences of blended learning across a range of postgraduate programmes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smyth, Siobhan; Houghton, Catherine; Cooney, Adeline; Casey, Dympna

    2012-05-01

    The article describes the students' experiences of taking a blended learning postgraduate programme in a school of nursing and midwifery. The indications to date are that blended learning as a pedagogical tool has the potential to contribute and improve nursing and midwifery practice and enhance student learning. Little is reported about the students' experiences to date. Focus groups were conducted with students in the first year of introducing blended learning. The two main themes that were identified from the data were (1) the benefits of blended learning and (2) the challenges to blended learning. The blended learning experience was received positively by the students. A significant finding that was not reported in previous research was that the online component meant little time away from study for the students suggesting that it was more invasive on their everyday life. It is envisaged that the outcomes of the study will assist educators who are considering delivering programmes through blended learning. It should provide guidance for further developments and improvements in using Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and blended learning in nurse education. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Experiences of Practice-Based Learning in Phenomenographic Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rovio-Johansson, Airi

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The paper aims to examine, within the context of professional practice and learning, how designers collaboratively working in international teams experience practice-based learning and how such occasions contribute to professional development. Design/methodology/approach: The paper introduces the cooperation project between Tibro Training…

  7. Students' Evaluation of Their English Language Learning Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maizatulliza, M.; Kiely, R.

    2017-01-01

    In the field of English language teaching and learning, there is a long history of investigating students' performance while they are undergoing specific learning programmes. This research study, however, focused on students' evaluation of their English language learning experience after they have completed their programme. The data were gathered…

  8. 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.

  9. Learning causes reorganization of neuronal firing patterns to represent related experiences within a hippocampal schema.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenzie, Sam; Robinson, Nick T M; Herrera, Lauren; Churchill, Jordana C; Eichenbaum, Howard

    2013-06-19

    According to schema theory as proposed by Piaget and Bartlett, learning involves the assimilation of new memories into networks of preexisting knowledge, as well as alteration of the original networks to accommodate the new information. Recent evidence has shown that rats form a schema of goal locations and that the hippocampus plays an essential role in adding new memories to the spatial schema. Here we examined the nature of hippocampal contributions to schema updating by monitoring firing patterns of multiple CA1 neurons as rats learned new goal locations in an environment in which there already were multiple goals. Before new learning, many neurons that fired on arrival at one goal location also fired at other goals, whereas ensemble activity patterns also distinguished different goal events, thus constituting a neural representation that linked distinct goals within a spatial schema. During new learning, some neurons began to fire as animals approached the new goals. These were primarily the same neurons that fired at original goals, the activity patterns at new goals were similar to those associated with the original goals, and new learning also produced changes in the preexisting goal-related firing patterns. After learning, activity patterns associated with the new and original goals gradually diverged, such that initial generalization was followed by a prolonged period in which new memories became distinguished within the ensemble representation. These findings support the view that consolidation involves assimilation of new memories into preexisting neural networks that accommodate relationships among new and existing memories.

  10. Learning from experience in the context of work

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kolbæk, Ditte

    experience in the context of work. The educational design is called Proactive Review (PR) and includes two opposite directions simultaneously, proactive, which entails looking ahead and review, which entails reflecting on the past. The subjects for learning in a PR may be any group of employees that have...... in the field, more specifically an educational design of seven questions called PR, four roles involved in PR and suggestions for organizational requirements and codes of conduct that support learning from experience in the context of work...

  11. Analysis of previous perceptual and motor experience in breaststroke kick learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ried Bettina

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available One of the variables that influence motor learning is the learner’s previous experience, which may provide perceptual and motor elements to be transferred to a novel motor skill. For swimming skills, several motor experiences may prove effective. Purpose. The aim was to analyse the influence of previous experience in playing in water, swimming lessons, and music or dance lessons on learning the breaststroke kick. Methods. The study involved 39 Physical Education students possessing basic swimming skills, but not the breaststroke, who performed 400 acquisition trials followed by 50 retention and 50 transfer trials, during which stroke index as well as rhythmic and spatial configuration indices were mapped, and answered a yes/no questionnaire regarding previous experience. Data were analysed by ANOVA (p = 0.05 and the effect size (Cohen’s d ≥0.8 indicating large effect size. Results. The whole sample improved their stroke index and spatial configuration index, but not their rhythmic configuration index. Although differences between groups were not significant, two types of experience showed large practical effects on learning: childhood water playing experience only showed major practically relevant positive effects, and no experience in any of the three fields hampered the learning process. Conclusions. The results point towards diverse impact of previous experience regarding rhythmic activities, swimming lessons, and especially with playing in water during childhood, on learning the breaststroke kick.

  12. Vicarious learning of children's social-anxiety-related fear beliefs and emotional Stroop bias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Askew, Chris; Hagel, Anna; Morgan, Julie

    2015-08-01

    Models of social anxiety suggest that negative social experiences contribute to the development of social anxiety, and this is supported by self-report research. However, there is relatively little experimental evidence for the effects of learning experiences on social cognitions. The current study examined the effect of observing a social performance situation with a negative outcome on children's (8 to 11 years old) fear-related beliefs and cognitive processing. Two groups of children were each shown 1 of 2 animated films of a person trying to score in basketball while being observed by others; in 1 film, the outcome was negative, and in the other, it was neutral. Children's fear-related beliefs about performing in front of others were measured before and after the film and children were asked to complete an emotional Stroop task. Results showed that social fear beliefs increased for children who saw the negative social performance film. In addition, these children showed an emotional Stroop bias for social-anxiety-related words compared to children who saw the neutral film. The findings have implications for our understanding of social anxiety disorder and suggest that vicarious learning experiences in childhood may contribute to the development of social anxiety. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Providing pervasive Learning eXperiences by Combining Internet of Things and e-Learning standards

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aroua TAAMALLAH

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, learning is more and more taking place anywhere and anytime. This implies that e-learning environments are expanded from only virtual learning environments to both virtual and physical ones. Thanks to the evolution of Internet, ICT (Information and Communication Technology and Internet of Things, new learning scenarios could be experienced by learners either individually or collaboratively. These learning scenarios are Pervasive in such a way that they allow to mix virtual and physical learning environments as well. They are therefore characterized by possible interactions of the learner with the physical environment, the Learner's contextual data detection as well as the adaptation of pedagogical strategies and services according to this context. This paper aims to take advantage of this trend and keep up also with existing e-Learning standards such as IMS LD and LOM. The solution proposed is therefore to extend these standards models with that of Internet of Things and to provide an adaptation approach of learning activities based on learner's context and her/his track using the eXperience API. In this context and in order to allow both reasoning capabilities and interoperability between the proposed models Ontological representations and implementation are therefore proposed. Moreover a technical architecture highlighting the required software components and their interactions is provided. And finally, a relevant pervasive learning scenario is implemented and experimented.

  14. Learning Grasp Strategies Composed of Contact Relative Motions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platt, Robert, Jr.

    2007-01-01

    Of central importance to grasp synthesis algorithms are the assumptions made about the object to be grasped and the sensory information that is available. Many approaches avoid the issue of sensing entirely by assuming that complete information is available. In contrast, this paper proposes an approach to grasp synthesis expressed in terms of units of control that simultaneously change the contact configuration and sense information about the object and the relative manipulator-object pose. These units of control, known as contact relative motions (CRMs), allow the grasp synthesis problem to be recast as an optimal control problem where the goal is to find a strategy for executing CRMs that leads to a grasp in the shortest number of steps. An experiment is described that uses Robonaut, the NASA-JSC space humanoid, to show that CRMs are a viable means of synthesizing grasps. However, because of the limited amount of information that a single CRM can sense, the optimal control problem may be partially observable. This paper proposes expressing the problem as a k-order Markov Decision Process (MDP) and solving it using Reinforcement Learning. This approach is tested in a simulation of a two-contact manipulator that learns to grasp an object. Grasp strategies learned in simulation are tested on the physical Robonaut platform and found to lead to grasp configurations consistently.

  15. Towards design guidelines for work related learning arrangements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.H. Lappia

    2011-01-01

    Work related learning is a topic of considerable interest currently and can be broadly seen to be concerned with all forms of training and learning closely related to the daily work of employees. From the angle of higher education work related learning is an important development because parts of

  16. Augmented Reality Learning Experiences: Survey of Prototype Design and Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Marc Ericson C.; Chen, Angie; Taketomi, Takafumi; Yamamoto, Goshiro; Miyazaki, Jun; Kato, Hirokazu

    2014-01-01

    Augmented reality (AR) technology is mature for creating learning experiences for K-12 (pre-school, grade school, and high school) educational settings. We reviewed the applications intended to complement traditional curriculum materials for K-12. We found 87 research articles on augmented reality learning experiences (ARLEs) in the IEEE Xplore…

  17. How to explore learning as an occupational experience

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lunn, Tine Bieber Kirkegaard; Sørensen, Marie-Louise; Østergaard, Amanda

    occupation as a theoretical concept, and learning and mastering occupation as a competence. We learn from doing, sharing the doing and developing skills through doing (1). How do we design the curriculum so that the students can embody the power and meaning of occupation? By rethinking curriculum we designed...... “Exploratorium of occupation”. A learning space to explore and do occupation. Students reflect and work on challenges, feelings, motivation, adaptation and adjustments to seek the potential of their chosen occupation. Experience is shared and participants will participate in exploring learning about occupation....

  18. Identifying Adverse Drug Events by Relational Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Page, David; Costa, Vítor Santos; Natarajan, Sriraam; Barnard, Aubrey; Peissig, Peggy; Caldwell, Michael

    2012-07-01

    The pharmaceutical industry, consumer protection groups, users of medications and government oversight agencies are all strongly interested in identifying adverse reactions to drugs. While a clinical trial of a drug may use only a thousand patients, once a drug is released on the market it may be taken by millions of patients. As a result, in many cases adverse drug events (ADEs) are observed in the broader population that were not identified during clinical trials. Therefore, there is a need for continued, post-marketing surveillance of drugs to identify previously-unanticipated ADEs. This paper casts this problem as a reverse machine learning task , related to relational subgroup discovery and provides an initial evaluation of this approach based on experiments with an actual EMR/EHR and known adverse drug events.

  19. 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"…

  20. Learning Experience with Virtual Worlds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Christian

    2008-01-01

    Virtual worlds create a new opportunity to enrich the educational experience through media-rich immersive learning. Virtual worlds have gained notoriety in games such as World of Warcraft (WoW), which has become the most successful online game ever, and in "general purpose" worlds, such as Second Life (SL), whose participation levels (more than 10…

  1. Identity and Belonging in Social Learning Groups: The Importance of Distinguishing Social, Operational and Knowledge-Related Identity Congruence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Gwyneth

    2010-01-01

    Collaborative learning has much to offer but not all learners participate fully and peer groups can be exclusive. The article examines how belonging or "congruence" in learning groups is related to identities of gender, age, ethnicity and socio-economic status. A study of student experiences of collaborative learning on three different…

  2. Professional Learning between Past Experience and Future Work

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weber, Kirsten

    2010-01-01

    This paper is about learning, qualification and possible professionalization in human service work. With human services we primarily refer to work related to health care, child care, social work, and education. I present empirical findings from different phases of training and workplace experience...... of Danish child care pedagogues. The investigation is part of a human resource centered research program studying the development of welfare institutions and systems in Denmark. Welfare institutions have been developing since World War II as an important aspect of and precondition for the socio...... reality as well as defensive “shyings-away”. It cannot be produced by a formal education alone, neither can it emerge from life experiences alone. In the development of research methodology we explore the interplay of regression and progression, the lifelong and everyday active functions of what was named...

  3. Leaving the lecture room and learning LCM: - Experiences from Aalborg University after 13 years and 1950 students on LCA and related issues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riisgaard, Henrik

    2003-01-01

    the above with focus on learning processes other than courses. The empirical data stems from 13 years experience of facilitating learning processes and a study of Aalborg University graduates with a professional career based on LCA. Besides ordinary LCA courses, this papers describes the problem...

  4. Students' perceptions of a community-based service-learning project related to aging in place.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oakes, Claudia E; Sheehan, Nancy W

    2014-01-01

    This article describes a service-learning project that was designed to help undergraduate health professions students understand the complexities related to aging in place. The service-learning project also incorporated a research component to expose the students to the research process. Students' reflections regarding the benefits that they derived from the experience suggest that they value learning about older adults through one-on-one interactions more than they value the opportunity to participate in the research project. Implications for undergraduate health professional education are discussed.

  5. Understanding students’ and clinicians’ experiences of informal interprofessional workplace learning: an Australian qualitative study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rees, Charlotte E; Kent, Fiona; Brown, Ted; Hood, Kerry; Leech, Michelle; Newton, Jennifer; Storr, Michael; Williams, Brett

    2018-01-01

    Objectives While postgraduate studies have begun to shed light on informal interprofessional workplace learning, studies with preregistration learners have typically focused on formal and structured work-based learning. The current study investigated preregistration students’ informal interprofessional workplace learning by exploring students’ and clinicians’ experiences of interprofessional student-clinician (IPSC) interactions. Design A qualitative interview study using narrative techniques was conducted. Setting Student placements across multiple clinical sites in Victoria, Australia. Participants Through maximum variation sampling, 61 participants (38 students and 23 clinicians) were recruited from six professions (medicine, midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, paramedicine and physiotherapy). Methods We conducted 12 group and 10 individual semistructured interviews. Themes were identified through framework analysis, and the similarities and differences in subthemes by participant group were interrogated. Results Six themes relating to four research questions were identified: (1) conceptualisations of IPSC interactions; (2) context for interaction experiences; (3) the nature of interaction experiences; (4) factors contributing to positive or negative interactions; (5) positive or negative consequences of interactions and (6) suggested improvements for IPSC interactions. Seven noteworthy differences in subthemes between students and clinicians and across the professions were identified. Conclusions Despite the results largely supporting previous postgraduate research, the findings illustrate greater breadth and depth of understandings, experiences and suggestions for preregistration education. Educators and students are encouraged to seek opportunities for informal interprofessional learning afforded by the workplace. PMID:29666140

  6. Relating Cortical Wave Dynamics to Learning and Remembering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Mercado III

    2014-12-01

    relate to both mental experiences and memory-based performances, may provide new insights into the nature of learning and memory.

  7. Influence of Perceptual Saliency Hierarchy on Learning of Language Structures: An Artificial Language Learning Experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Tao; Lam, Yau W; Shuai, Lan

    2016-01-01

    Psychological experiments have revealed that in normal visual perception of humans, color cues are more salient than shape cues, which are more salient than textural patterns. We carried out an artificial language learning experiment to study whether such perceptual saliency hierarchy (color > shape > texture) influences the learning of orders regulating adjectives of involved visual features in a manner either congruent (expressing a salient feature in a salient part of the form) or incongruent (expressing a salient feature in a less salient part of the form) with that hierarchy. Results showed that within a few rounds of learning participants could learn the compositional segments encoding the visual features and the order between them, generalize the learned knowledge to unseen instances with the same or different orders, and show learning biases for orders that are congruent with the perceptual saliency hierarchy. Although the learning performances for both the biased and unbiased orders became similar given more learning trials, our study confirms that this type of individual perceptual constraint could contribute to the structural configuration of language, and points out that such constraint, as well as other factors, could collectively affect the structural diversity in languages.

  8. Influence of Perceptual Saliency Hierarchy on Learning of Language Structures: An Artificial Language Learning Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Tao; Lam, Yau W.; Shuai, Lan

    2016-01-01

    Psychological experiments have revealed that in normal visual perception of humans, color cues are more salient than shape cues, which are more salient than textural patterns. We carried out an artificial language learning experiment to study whether such perceptual saliency hierarchy (color > shape > texture) influences the learning of orders regulating adjectives of involved visual features in a manner either congruent (expressing a salient feature in a salient part of the form) or incongruent (expressing a salient feature in a less salient part of the form) with that hierarchy. Results showed that within a few rounds of learning participants could learn the compositional segments encoding the visual features and the order between them, generalize the learned knowledge to unseen instances with the same or different orders, and show learning biases for orders that are congruent with the perceptual saliency hierarchy. Although the learning performances for both the biased and unbiased orders became similar given more learning trials, our study confirms that this type of individual perceptual constraint could contribute to the structural configuration of language, and points out that such constraint, as well as other factors, could collectively affect the structural diversity in languages. PMID:28066281

  9. Changing students' perceptions of the homeless: A community service learning experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardner, Janet; Emory, Jan

    2018-03-01

    The homeless are an underserved, local vulnerable population that can benefit from a service learning clinical practicum experience for baccalaureate prepared nursing students. Negative attitudes and disrespect among healthcare workers has been identified by the homeless as a barrier to healthcare. A service learning experience with a vulnerable population has been shown to change nursing students' attitudes and beliefs. A large university in a southern city partnered with a community based organization that provided services to the homeless to educate senior nursing students in a service learning experience. The goal of this project was to examine attitudes and perceptions of nursing students toward the homeless population before and after participation in a service learning clinical practicum experience. This case study utilized a pre and post experience questionnaire to collect qualitative data for the purposes of the project. The findings revealed students demonstrated a decrease in fear, an increase in empathy, and a deeper understanding of the advocacy role of nurses for people experiencing homelessness. Nurse educators are challenged to engage students with vulnerable populations to change the attitudes and perceptions for improvement in the overall health of communities served worldwide. Partnerships and service learning experiences can benefit all. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Internship-Related Learning Outcomes and Their Influential Factors: The Case of Vietnamese Tourism and Hospitality Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nghia, Tran Le Huu; Duyen, Nguyen Thi My

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of Tourism and Hospitality interns in Vietnam to identify dimensions of internship-related learning outcomes and factors influencing these learning outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 interns to identify the dimensions of…

  11. Powerful Learning Experiences and Suzuki Music Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reuning-Hummel, Carrie; Meyer, Allison; Rowland, Gordon

    2016-01-01

    Powerful Learning Experiences (PLEs) of Suzuki music teachers were examined in this fifth study in a series. The definition of a PLE is: "Experiences that stand out in memory because of their high quality, their impact on one's thoughts and actions over time, and their transfer to a wide range of contexts and circumstances." Ten…

  12. Lessons Learned from Missing Flooding Barriers Operating Experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simic, Z.; Veira, M. P.

    2016-01-01

    time or they do not provide sufficient instructions. Most of the events are related to deficiencies discovered during walk-down, review, maintenance and sometimes to incidents. Perhaps these lessons learned from recent events could help filling the missing gap to have most complete flooding protection. This paper presents results from the most recent activity related to the operational experience feedback for the nuclear power plant safety in the EC JRC Clearinghouse. (author).

  13. Study Abroad: Enhanced Learning Experience in Cultural Diversity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaoko, Japheth

    2010-01-01

    This paper examines how a study abroad experiential learning course in diversity provided a cultural immersion experience for a group of social work students from a small private university in central Kentucky. The students participated in a three-week international education experience in Kenya and reported this experience helped them become more…

  14. Experiences of Chinese international students learning English at ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article aims to provide insight into the experiences of Chinese international students in some South African tertiary institutions. The study investigates their successes and failures in endeavouring to learn English and the culture shock and 'learning shock' they endure when registering to study in an African country with ...

  15. Information Literacy (IL) learning experiences: A literature review ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper is a review of extant literature on information literacy. The study reports literature on IL learning experiences in institutions across the globe. It also discusses the spectrum of literacy to give information literacy a context. Furthermore, the paper presents an overview of IL learning initiatives in academic ...

  16. Using Social Networks to Enhance Teaching and Learning Experiences in Higher Learning Institutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balakrishnan, Vimala

    2014-01-01

    The paper first explores the factors that affect the use of social networks to enhance teaching and learning experiences among students and lecturers, using structured questionnaires prepared based on the Push-Pull-Mooring framework. A total of 455 students and lecturers from higher learning institutions in Malaysia participated in this study.…

  17. Learning in Early Childhood: Experiences, Relationships and "Learning to Be"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tayler, Collette

    2015-01-01

    Learning in the earliest stage of life--the infancy, toddlerhood and preschool period--is relational and rapid. Child-initiated and adult-mediated conversations, playful interactions and learning through active involvement are integral to young children making sense of their environments and to their development over time. The child's experience…

  18. Didactic Experiments Suggest Enhanced Learning Outcomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pals Svendsen, Lisbet

    2011-01-01

    and presenting material in the language studied, just as they were encouraged to systematically use evaluation processes to enhance learning outcomes. Eventually, increased grade point averages suggested that the experiment was successful. The article also mentions subsequent revisions to the original format...

  19. Young children’s learning of relational categories:multiple comparisons and their cognitive constraints

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Pierre eThibaut

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Relational categories are notoriously difficult to learn because they are not defined by intrinsic stable properties. We studied the impact of comparisons on relational concept learning with a novel word learning task in 42-month-old children. Capitalizing on Gentner et al. (2011, two, three or four pairs of stimuli were introduced with a novel relational word. In a given trial, the set of pairs was composed of either close or far pairs (e.g., close pair: knife1-watermelon, knife2-orange, knife3-slice of bread and knife4-meat; far pair: ax-evergreen tree, saw-log, cutter-cardboard and knife-slice of bread, for the cutter for relation. Close pairs (2 vs. 3 vs. 4 pairs led to random generalizations whereas comparisons with far pairs gave the expected relational generalization. The 3 pair case gave the best results. It is argued that far pairs promote deeper comparisons than close pairs. As shown by a control experiment, this was the case only when far pairs display well known associations.

  20. Machine learning with quantum relative entropy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuda, Koji

    2009-01-01

    Density matrices are a central tool in quantum physics, but it is also used in machine learning. A positive definite matrix called kernel matrix is used to represent the similarities between examples. Positive definiteness assures that the examples are embedded in an Euclidean space. When a positive definite matrix is learned from data, one has to design an update rule that maintains the positive definiteness. Our update rule, called matrix exponentiated gradient update, is motivated by the quantum relative entropy. Notably, the relative entropy is an instance of Bregman divergences, which are asymmetric distance measures specifying theoretical properties of machine learning algorithms. Using the calculus commonly used in quantum physics, we prove an upperbound of the generalization error of online learning.

  1. Machine learning with quantum relative entropy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsuda, Koji [Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Spemannstr. 38, Tuebingen, 72076 (Germany)], E-mail: koji.tsuda@tuebingen.mpg.de

    2009-12-01

    Density matrices are a central tool in quantum physics, but it is also used in machine learning. A positive definite matrix called kernel matrix is used to represent the similarities between examples. Positive definiteness assures that the examples are embedded in an Euclidean space. When a positive definite matrix is learned from data, one has to design an update rule that maintains the positive definiteness. Our update rule, called matrix exponentiated gradient update, is motivated by the quantum relative entropy. Notably, the relative entropy is an instance of Bregman divergences, which are asymmetric distance measures specifying theoretical properties of machine learning algorithms. Using the calculus commonly used in quantum physics, we prove an upperbound of the generalization error of online learning.

  2. PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF LEARNING-RELATED NEUROMODULATION IN MOLLUSCAN MECHANOSENSORY NEURONS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, William G; Kirschman, David; Rozen, Danny; Maynard, Barbara

    1996-12-01

    to 5-HT over a wide range of concentrations. We also performed experiments on two outgroup species (Akera bullata and Bulla gouldiana) and found that spike duration was unaffected by 5-HT, whereas excitability was increased. This study suggests that 5-HT-induced spike broadening arose more recently in opisthobranch evolution, whereas 5-HT-induced excitability increase is a more ancestral trait that may have been expressed in the earliest opisthobranchs. Both traits are absent in the aplysiid species D. dolabrifera, demonstrating that a lineage can lose learning-related mechanisms. The phylogenetic variation observed in the present study presents the opportunity to test general models about learning mechanisms and their evolution in unique ways. © 1996 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  3. Chemical and nuclear emergencies: Interchanging lessons learned from planning and accident experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adler, V.; Sorensen, J.H.; Rogers, G.O.

    1989-01-01

    Because the goal of emergency preparedness for both chemical and nuclear hazards is to reduce human exposure to hazardous materials, this paper examines the interchange of lessons learned from emergency planning and accident experience in both industries. While the concerns are slightly different, sufficient similarity is found for each to draw implications from the others experience. Principally the chemical industry can learn from the dominant planning experience associated with nuclear power plants, while the nuclear industry can chiefly learn from the chemical industry's accident experience. 23 refs

  4. Social Learning Analytics in Higher Education. An Experience at the Primary Education Stage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díaz-Lázaro, José Javier; Fernández, Isabel M. Solano; del Mar Sánchez Vera, María

    2017-01-01

    The concept of Learning Analytics, as we understand it today, is relatively new but the practice of evaluating user behavior is not innovative. For years, technological development, along with other educational aspects, have encouraged, developed and facilitated this practice as a way of providing a personalized quality experience to students. The…

  5. Student journals: a means of assessing transformative learning in aging related courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Adrienne L; Pitman Brown, Pamela; Morales, Justin P

    2015-01-01

    In courses where topics are sensitive or even considered taboo for discussion, it can be difficult to assess students' deeper learning. In addition, incorporating a wide variety of students' values and beliefs, designing instructional strategies and including varied assessments adds to the difficulty. Journal entries or response notebooks can highlight reflection upon others' viewpoints, class readings, and additional materials. These are useful across all educational levels in deep learning and comprehension strategies assessments. Journaling meshes with transformative learning constructs, allowing for critical self-reflection essential to transformation. Qualitative analysis of journals in a death and dying class reveals three transformative themes: awareness of others, questioning, and comfort. Students' journal entries demonstrate transformative learning via communication with others through increased knowledge/exposure to others' experiences and comparing/contrasting others' personal beliefs with their own. Using transformative learning within gerontology and geriatrics education, as well as other disciplined aging-related courses is discussed.

  6. Exploring Students' Perceptions of Service-Learning Experiences in an Undergraduate Web Design Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sang Joon; Wilder, Charlie; Yu, Chien

    2018-01-01

    Service-learning is an experiential learning experience where students learn and develop through active participation in community service to meet the needs of a community. This study explored student learning experiences in a service-learning group project and their perceptions of service-learning in an undergraduate web design course. The data…

  7. Learning to make things happen: Infants' observational learning of social and physical causal events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waismeyer, Anna; Meltzoff, Andrew N

    2017-10-01

    Infants learn about cause and effect through hands-on experience; however, they also can learn about causality simply from observation. Such observational causal learning is a central mechanism by which infants learn from and about other people. Across three experiments, we tested infants' observational causal learning of both social and physical causal events. Experiment 1 assessed infants' learning of a physical event in the absence of visible spatial contact between the causes and effects. Experiment 2 developed a novel paradigm to assess whether infants could learn about a social causal event from third-party observation of a social interaction between two people. Experiment 3 compared learning of physical and social events when the outcomes occurred probabilistically (happening some, but not all, of the time). Infants demonstrated significant learning in all three experiments, although learning about probabilistic cause-effect relations was most difficult. These findings about infant observational causal learning have implications for children's rapid nonverbal learning about people, things, and their causal relations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Identifying Features of Bodily Expression As Indicators of Emotional Experience during Multimedia Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentin Riemer

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The importance of emotions experienced by learners during their interaction with multimedia learning systems, such as serious games, underscores the need to identify sources of information that allow the recognition of learners’ emotional experience without interrupting the learning process. Bodily expression is gaining in attention as one of these sources of information. However, to date, the question of how bodily expression can convey different emotions has largely been addressed in research relying on acted emotion displays. Following a more contextualized approach, the present study aims to identify features of bodily expression (i.e., posture and activity of the upper body and the head that relate to genuine emotional experience during interaction with a serious game. In a multimethod approach, 70 undergraduates played a serious game relating to financial education while their bodily expression was captured using an off-the-shelf depth-image sensor (Microsoft Kinect. In addition, self-reports of experienced enjoyment, boredom, and frustration were collected repeatedly during gameplay, to address the dynamic changes in emotions occurring in educational tasks. Results showed that, firstly, the intensities of all emotions indeed changed significantly over the course of the game. Secondly, by using generalized estimating equations, distinct features of bodily expression could be identified as significant indicators for each emotion under investigation. A participant keeping their head more turned to the right was positively related to frustration being experienced, whereas keeping their head more turned to the left was positively related to enjoyment. Furthermore, having their upper body positioned more closely to the gaming screen was also positively related to frustration. Finally, increased activity of a participant’s head emerged as a significant indicator of boredom being experienced. These results confirm the value of bodily

  9. Semi-Supervised Learning to Identify UMLS Semantic Relations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Yuan; Uzuner, Ozlem

    2014-01-01

    The UMLS Semantic Network is constructed by experts and requires periodic expert review to update. We propose and implement a semi-supervised approach for automatically identifying UMLS semantic relations from narrative text in PubMed. Our method analyzes biomedical narrative text to collect semantic entity pairs, and extracts multiple semantic, syntactic and orthographic features for the collected pairs. We experiment with seeded k-means clustering with various distance metrics. We create and annotate a ground truth corpus according to the top two levels of the UMLS semantic relation hierarchy. We evaluate our system on this corpus and characterize the learning curves of different clustering configuration. Using KL divergence consistently performs the best on the held-out test data. With full seeding, we obtain macro-averaged F-measures above 70% for clustering the top level UMLS relations (2-way), and above 50% for clustering the second level relations (7-way).

  10. A Smart Material Interfaces Learning Experience

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Minuto, A.; Pittarello, Fabio; Nijholt, Antinus

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes a learning experience held with a class of primary school children who were introduced to a novel class of resources, named smart materials, and the interfaces built with them (Smart Material Interfaces). The pupils were guided along a multidisciplinary educational path in which

  11. The patient as experience broker in clinical learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stockhausen, Lynette J

    2009-05-01

    A review of the literature reveals deficit information on patient's involvement in student's learning. The study presented in this paper investigates how the educationally unprepared patient engages with students and experienced clinicians to become involved in learning and teaching encounters. As a qualitative study 14 adult patients were interviewed to determine how they perceived experienced clinicians and students engage in learning and teaching moments and how the patient contributes to students learning to care. Revealed is a new and exciting dimension in learning and teaching in the clinical environment. Patients as experience brokers are positioned in a unique learning triad as they mediate and observe teaching and learning to care between students and experienced clinicians whilst also becoming participants in teaching to care. Further investigation is warranted to determine the multi-dimensional aspects of patients' involvement in student learning in various clinical environments. Future studies have the potential to represent a new educational perspective (andragogy).

  12. Comfort and experience with online learning: trends over nine years and associations with knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, David A; Thompson, Warren G

    2014-07-01

    Some evidence suggests that attitude toward computer-based instruction is an important determinant of success in online learning. We sought to determine how comfort using computers and perceptions of prior online learning experiences have changed over the past decade, and how these associate with learning outcomes. Each year from 2003-2011 we conducted a prospective trial of online learning. As part of each year's study, we asked medicine residents about their comfort using computers and if their previous experiences with online learning were favorable. We assessed knowledge using a multiple-choice test. We used regression to analyze associations and changes over time. 371 internal medicine and family medicine residents participated. Neither comfort with computers nor perceptions of prior online learning experiences showed a significant change across years (p > 0.61), with mean comfort rating 3.96 (maximum 5 = very comfortable) and mean experience rating 4.42 (maximum 6 = strongly agree [favorable]). Comfort showed no significant association with knowledge scores (p = 0.39) but perceptions of prior experiences did, with a 1.56% rise in knowledge score for a 1-point rise in experience score (p = 0.02). Correlations among comfort, perceptions of prior experiences, and number of prior experiences were all small and not statistically significant. Comfort with computers and perceptions of prior experience with online learning remained stable over nine years. Prior good experiences (but not comfort with computers) demonstrated a modest association with knowledge outcomes, suggesting that prior course satisfaction may influence subsequent learning.

  13. Self-supervised learning as an enabling technology for future space exploration robots: ISS experiments on monocular distance learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Hecke, Kevin; de Croon, Guido C. H. E.; Hennes, Daniel; Setterfield, Timothy P.; Saenz-Otero, Alvar; Izzo, Dario

    2017-11-01

    Although machine learning holds an enormous promise for autonomous space robots, it is currently not employed because of the inherent uncertain outcome of learning processes. In this article we investigate a learning mechanism, Self-Supervised Learning (SSL), which is very reliable and hence an important candidate for real-world deployment even on safety-critical systems such as space robots. To demonstrate this reliability, we introduce a novel SSL setup that allows a stereo vision equipped robot to cope with the failure of one of its cameras. The setup learns to estimate average depth using a monocular image, by using the stereo vision depths from the past as trusted ground truth. We present preliminary results from an experiment on the International Space Station (ISS) performed with the MIT/NASA SPHERES VERTIGO satellite. The presented experiments were performed on October 8th, 2015 on board the ISS. The main goals were (1) data gathering, and (2) navigation based on stereo vision. First the astronaut Kimiya Yui moved the satellite around the Japanese Experiment Module to gather stereo vision data for learning. Subsequently, the satellite freely explored the space in the module based on its (trusted) stereo vision system and a pre-programmed exploration behavior, while simultaneously performing the self-supervised learning of monocular depth estimation on board. The two main goals were successfully achieved, representing the first online learning robotic experiments in space. These results lay the groundwork for a follow-up experiment in which the satellite will use the learned single-camera depth estimation for autonomous exploration in the ISS, and are an advancement towards future space robots that continuously improve their navigation capabilities over time, even in harsh and completely unknown space environments.

  14. Student perception of travel service learning experience in Morocco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puri, Aditi; Kaddoura, Mahmoud; Dominick, Christine

    2013-08-01

    This study explores the perceptions of health profession students participating in academic service learning in Morocco with respect to adapting health care practices to cultural diversity. Authors utilized semi-structured, open-ended interviews to explore the perceptions of health profession students. Nine dental hygiene and nursing students who traveled to Morocco to provide oral and general health services were interviewed. After interviews were recorded, they were transcribed verbatim to ascertain descriptive validity and to generate inductive and deductive codes that constitute the major themes of the data analysis. Thereafter, NVIVO 8 was used to rapidly determine the frequency of applied codes. The authors compared the codes and themes to establish interpretive validity. Codes and themes were initially determined independently by co-authors and applied to the data subsequently. The authors compared the applied codes to establish intra-rater reliability. International service learning experiences led to perceptions of growth as a health care provider among students. The application of knowledge and skills learned in academic programs and service learning settings were found to help in bridging the theory-practice gap. The specific experience enabled students to gain an understanding of diverse health care and cultural practices in Morocco. Students perceived that the experience gained in international service learning can heighten awareness of diverse cultural and health care practices to foster professional growth of health professionals.

  15. How the machine learning conquers reconstruction in neutrino experiments

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2017-01-01

    An evolution from the purely algorithmic approaches towards the machine learning solutions started a few years ago in the neutrino experiments. Now, this process turns into a true boom, especially in the experiments based on the imaging technologies, such as LArTPC’s used in MicroBooNE and DUNE experiments or liquid scintillator detector implemented by the NOvA Collaboration. High resolution, image-like projections of events obtained with these detectors proved to be hard pattern recognition problems for the conventional reconstruction techniques. In the seminar, I will present why the neutrino events are so challenging and how the essential difficulties are now being attacked with the machine learning.

  16. Experimenting `learn by doing' and `learn by failing'

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pozzi, Rossella; Noè, Carlo; Rossi, Tommaso

    2015-01-01

    According to the literature, in recent years, developing experiential learning has fulfilled the requirement of a deep understanding of lean philosophy by engineering students, demonstrating the advantages and disadvantages of some of the key principles of lean manufacturing. On the other hand, the literature evidences how some kinds of game-based experiential learning overlook daily difficulties, which play a central role in manufacturing systems. To fill the need of a game overcoming such lack of vision, an innovative game direct in-field, named Kart Factory, has been developed. Actual production shifts are simulated, while keeping all the elements peculiar to a real production set (i.e. complexity, effort, safety). The working environment is a real pedal car assembly department, the products to be assembled have relevant size and weight (i.e. up to 35 kg approximately), and the provided tools are real production equipment (e.g. keys, screwdrivers, trans-pallets, etc.). Due to the need to maximise the impact on students, a labour-intensive process characterises the production department. The whole training process is based on three educational principles: Experience Value Principle, Error Value Principle, and Team Value Principle. As the 'learn by doing' and 'learn by failing' are favoured, the theory follows the practice, while crating the willingness to 'do' instead of just designing or planning. The gathered data prove the Kart Factory's effectiveness in reaching a good knowledge of lean concepts, notwithstanding the students' initial knowledge level.

  17. Learner’s Learning Experiences & Difficulties towards (ESL among UKM Undergraduates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nooreiny Maarof

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to investigate the learners learning experiences and difficulties of ESL among the UKM undergraduates. This study will be focusing on identifying the factors behind Malaysian undergraduate’s experiences and also their difficulties in the English as Second Language (ESL classroom. This paper discusses some of the issues of English language learning experiences at the tertiary level in this country. It reflects on how the teaching of English is variously conceptualized in our classrooms, raising important questions about the positions of English literacy to Malaysian undergraduates. A qualitative research method was employed, whereby a semi-structured interview session was conducted compromising thirty Bachelor of Arts undergraduates (BA ELS. The findings of this study suggests learners at tertiary  level do face challenges in their ESL classroom learning,  in areas such as the learning environment itself needs to be improved, the quality of education, the academics, the role of educators and the teaching approach were among others pointed out by the learners themselves.  Keywords: English language teaching, English as Second language (ESL, learner’s experiences, learner’s difficulties, language learners

  18. Blended learning as a solution to practice-related problems in vocational schools

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjærgaard, Hanne Wacher; Duch, Henriette Skjærbæk; Mark, Lene

    Four different types of vocational schools have experimented with blended learning as a way of dealing with problems faced in their students’ theoretical and practical training and the interplay between these. A large part of this has involved the need for differentiated teaching...... as will be illustrated through selected cases. The foci of the cases are: •How can students be part of school-based teaching and learning during periods of practical training? •How can authentic practice be brought into school-based practical training? •How may blended learning assist and support students who...... are otherwise challenged in terms of meeting the prescribed competence goals? Methodologically, scenarios have been employed as a tool for defining the practice-related problems teachers meet in their practice and describing ways in which blended learning may present solutions. Subsequently, the solutions have...

  19. Learning and knowing technology as lived experience in people with Alzheimer's disease: a phenomenological study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenberg, Lena; Nygård, Louise

    2017-12-01

    Most research on learning in the field of dementia has studied teaching approaches, while little is known about learning as experienced and enacted by the people with dementia. The aim was to explore the lived experience of learning and maintaining knowledge related to technology among people with mild to moderate stage dementia. Seven persons with dementia were interviewed in-depth, and data were analyzed with a phenomenological approach. The participants positioned themselves on a continuum from 'Updating and expanding is not for me' to 'Updating and expanding is really for me'. They used different ways of learning in their everyday life - relying on one's habituated repertoire of actions, on other people or on technology itself, or belonging to a learning context. We have much to gain from better understanding of how people with dementia strive to learn and maintain their skills and knowledge related to technology. This is particularly important as they seem to use other approaches than those employed in current teaching methods. The necessity of learning stands out particularly when it comes to the interaction with the current multitude and ever-changing designs of technologies, including assistive technologies developed specifically to support people with dementia.

  20. A "Uses and Gratification Expectancy Model" to Predict Students' "Perceived e-Learning Experience"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondi, Makingu; Woods, Peter; Rafi, Ahmad

    2008-01-01

    This study investigates "how and why" students' "Uses and Gratification Expectancy" (UGE) for e-learning resources influences their "Perceived e-Learning Experience." A "Uses and Gratification Expectancy Model" (UGEM) framework is proposed to predict students' "Perceived e-Learning Experience," and…

  1. Learning to Support Learning Together: An Experience with the Soft Systems Methodology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, Adolfo; Mejia, Andres

    2008-01-01

    An action research approach called soft systems methodology (SSM) was used to foster organisational learning in a school regarding the role of the learning support department within the school and its relation with the normal teaching-learning activities. From an initial situation of lack of coordination as well as mutual misunderstanding and…

  2. Theme-Based Project Learning: Design and Application of Convergent Science Experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chun, Man-Seog; Kang, Kwang Il; Kim, Young H.; Kim, Young Mee

    2015-01-01

    This case study aims to verify the benefits of theme-based project learning for convergent science experiments. The study explores the possibilities of enhancing creative, integrated and collaborative teaching and learning abilities in science-gifted education. A convergent project-based science experiment program of physics, chemistry and biology…

  3. A pedagogical design pattern framework for sharing experiences and enhancing communities of practice within online and blended learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    May, Michael; Neutszky-Wulff, Chresteria; Rosthøj, Susanne

    2016-01-01

    for teachers at the University of Copenhagen a new and simpler pedagogical design pattern framework was developed for interfaculty sharing of experiences and enhancing communities of practice in relation to online and blended learning across the university. The framework of pedagogical design patterns were...... applied to describe the learning design in four online and blended learning courses within different academic disciplines: Classical Greek, Biostatistics, Environmental Management in Europe, and Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation. Future perspectives for using the framework for developing...... new E-learning patterns for online and blended learning courses are discussed....

  4. Effects of Learning Experience on Forgetting Rates of Item and Associative Memories

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jiongjiong; Zhan, Lexia; Wang, Yingying; Du, Xiaoya; Zhou, Wenxi; Ning, Xueling; Sun, Qing; Moscovitch, Morris

    2016-01-01

    Are associative memories forgotten more quickly than item memories, and does the level of original learning differentially influence forgetting rates? In this study, we addressed these questions by having participants learn single words and word pairs once (Experiment 1), three times (Experiment 2), and six times (Experiment 3) in a massed…

  5. The connection between students' out-of-school experiences and science learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Natalie A.

    This study sought to understand the connection between students' out-of-school experiences and their learning in science. This study addresses the following questions: (a) What effects does contextualized information have on student achievement and engagement in science? (b) To what extent do students use their out-of-school activities to construct their knowledge and understanding about science? (c) To what extent do science teachers use students' skills and knowledge acquired in out-of-school settings to inform their instructional practices? This study integrates mixed methods using both quantitative and qualitative approaches to answer the research questions. It involves the use of survey questionnaire and science assessment and features two-level hierarchical analyses of student achievement outcomes nested within classrooms. Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) analyses were used to account for the cluster effect of students nested within classrooms. Interviews with students and teachers were also conducted to provide information about how learning opportunities that take place in out-of-school settings can be used to facilitate student learning in science classrooms. The results of the study include the following: (a) Controlling for student and classroom factors, students' ability to transfer science learning across contexts is associated with positive learning outcomes such as achievement, interest, career in science, self-efficacy, perseverance, and effort. Second, teacher practice using students' out-of-school experiences is associated with decrease in student achievement in science. However, as teachers make more connection to students' out-of-school experiences, the relationship between student effort and perseverance in science learning and transfer gets weaker, thus closing the gaps on these outcomes between students who have more ability to establish the transfer of learning across contexts and those who have less ability to do so. Third, science teachers

  6. The Self-Taught Career Musician: Investigating Learning Sources and Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Leah

    2016-01-01

    This article reports early findings from a qualitative study of 10 full-time musicians who are self-taught, to investigate their learning biographies. The aim is to identify, define and explore learning sources and experiences across the musician's learning biography. Conducted in Melbourne, Australia, the musicians were recruited through snowball…

  7. Creating stories for learning about the neonatal care experience through the eyes of student nurses: An interpretive, narrative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petty, Julia

    2017-01-01

    Storytelling is an increasingly well recognised and valued platform to learn about the human experience within healthcare. Little is known however about how stories can enhance understanding in neonatal care, a specialised field offering rich opportunities for learning. This study focuses on the creation of stories based on the experiences of student nurses to inform teaching and learning strategies in the neonatal field. The study aimed to create stories from the narratives of student nurses working within the neonatal field and identify what key themes for learning emerged in order to develop a storytelling resource to share experiences with their peers. An interpretive, constructivist approach was used to collect, analyse and create stories from student nurse's experiences, in line with narrative inquiry. Six pre-registration children's nursing students were selected by purposive sampling. Interviews were undertaken within six weeks following placement completion in an agreed location. Narratives were obtained by semi-structured interviews. Narrative analysis and core story creation was undertaken to construct stories and key learning themes emerged which provided the pedagogical basis for subsequent digital resource development. Key themes emerged relating to the insight and observances of student nurses and the neonatal journey they had experienced, including the nature of neonatal care, experiences of the neonate and parents, the environment and their own learning transition. Preliminary peer evaluation of the storytelling resource revealed storytelling as an interesting and novel approach to teaching & learning, learning from ones' peers, preparation for practice and a valuable insight into a new specialist area. The study has value to teaching and learning by enabling an appreciation of how narrative can be used to portray the experiences of learners. Findings also support an approach to analysing narrative to create stories for learning and inform

  8. How do general practice registrars learn from their clinical experience? A critical incident study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmwood, C

    1997-01-01

    This preliminary study of RACGP registrars in the period of subsequent general practice experience examines the types of clinical experiences from which registrars learn, what they learn from the experiences and the process of learning from such experiences. A critical incident method was used on a semi structured interview process. Registrars were asked to recall clinical incidents where they had learnt something of importance. Data were sorted and categorised manually. Nine registrars were interviewed before new categories of data ceased to develop. Registrars learnt from the opportunity to follow up patients. An emotional response to the interaction was an important part of the learning process. Learning from such experiences is haphazard and unstructured. Registrars accessed human resources in response to their clinical difficulties rather than text or electronic based information sources. Registrars should be aware of their emotional responses to interactions with patients; these emotional responses often indicate important learning opportunities. Clinical interactions and resultant learning could be made less haphazard by structuring consultations with patients with specific problems. These learning opportunities should be augmented by the promotion of follow up of patients.

  9. Lifelong Learning at the Technion: Graduate Students' Perceptions of and Experiences in Distance Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussein-Farraj, Rania; Barak, Miri; Dori, Yehudit Judy

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the development of two Distance Learning (DL) courses and their effect on students' perceptions and learning experiences. Our study included about 260 science and engineering graduate students. Among them, 105 students were divided into two research groups: on-campus students (N=70) and DL students (N=35). These two groups…

  10. The influence of linguistic and musical experience on Cantonese word learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, Angela; Wang, Yue

    2012-06-01

    Adult non-native speech perception is subject to influence from multiple factors, including linguistic and extralinguistic experience such as musical training. The present research examines how linguistic and musical factors influence non-native word identification and lexical tone perception. Groups of native tone language (Thai) and non-tone language listeners (English), each subdivided into musician and non-musician groups, engaged in Cantonese tone word training. Participants learned to identify words minimally distinguished by five Cantonese tones during training, also completing musical aptitude and phonemic tone identification tasks. First, the findings suggest that either musical experience or a tone language background leads to significantly better non-native word learning proficiency, as compared to those with neither musical training nor tone language experience. Moreover, the combination of tone language and musical experience did not provide an additional advantage for Thai musicians above and beyond either experience alone. Musicianship was found to be more advantageous than a tone language background for tone identification. Finally, tone identification and musical aptitude scores were significantly correlated with word learning success for English but not Thai listeners. These findings point to a dynamic influence of musical and linguistic experience, both at the tone dentification level and at the word learning stage.

  11. Healthcare students' experiences when integrating e-learning and flipped classroom instructional approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telford, Mark; Senior, Emma

    2017-06-08

    This article describes the experiences of undergraduate healthcare students taking a module adopting a 'flipped classroom' approach. Evidence suggests that flipped classroom as a pedagogical tool has the potential to enhance student learning and to improve healthcare practice. This innovative approach was implemented within a healthcare curriculum and in a module looking at public health delivered at the beginning of year two of a 3-year programme. The focus of the evaluation study was on the e-learning resources used in the module and the student experiences of these; with a specific aim to evaluate this element of the flipped classroom approach. A mixed-methods approach was adopted and data collected using questionnaires, which were distributed across a whole cohort, and a focus group involving ten participants. Statistical analysis of the data showed the positive student experience of engaging with e-learning. The thematic analysis identified two key themes; factors influencing a positive learning experience and the challenges when developing e-learning within a flipped classroom approach. The study provides guidance for further developments and improvements when developing e-learning as part of the flipped classroom approach.

  12. Relationships between the quality of blended learning experience, self-regulated learning, and academic achievement of medical students: a path analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kassab, Salah Eldin; Al-Shafei, Ahmad I; Salem, Abdel Halim; Otoom, Sameer

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the relationships between the different aspects of students' course experience, self-regulated learning, and academic achievement of medical students in a blended learning curriculum. Perceptions of medical students (n=171) from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain), on the blended learning experience were measured using the Student Course Experience Questionnaire (SCEQ), with an added e-Learning scale. In addition, self-regulated learning was measured using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Academic achievement was measured by the scores of the students at the end of the course. A path analysis was created to test the relationships between the different study variables. Path analysis indicated that the perceived quality of the face-to-face component of the blended experience directly affected the motivation of students. The SCEQ scale "quality of teaching" directly affected two aspects of motivation: control of learning and intrinsic goal orientation. Furthermore, appropriate course workload directly affected the self-efficacy of students. Moreover, the e-Learning scale directly affected students' peer learning and critical thinking but indirectly affected metacognitive regulation. The resource management regulation strategies, time and study environment, and effort regulation directly affected students' examination scores (17% of the variance explained). However, there were no significant direct relationships between the SCEQ scales and cognitive learning strategies or examination scores. The results of this study will have important implications for designing blended learning courses in medical schools.

  13. Peer Mentorship and Transformational Learning: PhD Student Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preston, Jane P.; Ogenchuk, Marcella J.; Nsiah, Joseph K.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the paper is to describe our peer mentorship experiences and explain how these experiences fostered transformational learning during our PhD graduate program in educational administration. As a literature backdrop, we discuss characteristics of traditional forms of mentorship and depict how our experiences of peer mentorship was…

  14. Teachers' Teaching Experience and Students' Learning Outcomes ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    cce

    Items 1 - 6 ... Keywords: teaching experience, students' learning outcomes, teacher incentives ... revealed that experienced teachers' perception of their teaching objectives were ... African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. .... Years. English language. Mathematics Physics. Chemistry. Biology. %.

  15. A Blended Learning Experience in Statistics for Psychology Students Using the Evaluation as a Learning Tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto VALENTÍN CENTENO

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Teaching statistics course Applied Psychology, was based on different teaching models that incorporate active teaching methodologies. In this experience have combined approaches that prioritize the use of ICT with other where evaluation becomes an element of learning. This has involved the use of virtual platforms to support teaching that facilitate learning and activities where no face-to-face are combined. The design of the components of the course is inspired by the dimensions proposed by Carless (2003 model. This model uses evaluation as a learning element. The development of this experience has shown how the didactic proposal has been positively interpreted by students. Students recognized that they had to learn and deeply understand the basic concepts of the subject, so that they can teach and assess their peers.

  16. Participation in Informal Science Learning Experiences: The Rich Get Richer?

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeWitt, Jennifer; Archer, Louise

    2017-01-01

    Informal science learning (ISL) experiences have been found to provide valuable opportunities to engage with and learn about science and, as such, form a key part of the STEM learning ecosystem. However, concerns remain around issues of equity and access. The Enterprising Science study builds upon previous research in this area and uses the…

  17. Individual classroom experiences: a sociocultural comparison for understanding efl classroom language learning Individual classroom experiences: a sociocultural comparison for understanding efl classroom language learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Miccoli

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho compara as experiências de sala de aula (ESA de duas universitárias na aprendizagem de língua inglesa. As ESA emergiram de entrevistas individuais, onde vídeos das aulas promoveram a reflexão. A análise revelou que experiências de natureza cognitiva, social ou afetiva influem diretamente no processo de aprendizagem e as que se referem ao contexto, à história, crenças e metas dos alunos influem indiretamente no mesmo. A singularidade de algumas experiências levou à sua categorização como ESA individuais (ESAI. Ao comparar as ESAI de duas informantes, a importância da análise sociocultural do processo de aprendizagem de sala de aula fica evidente. Concluiremos com uma defesa do valor da teoria sociocultural no estudo da aprendizagem de língua estrangeira em sala de aula e com a apresentação das implicações deste estudo para pesquisadores e professores. This paper compares the classroom experiences (CEs of two university students in their process of learning English as a foreign language (EFL. The CEs emerged from individual interviews, where classroom videos promoted reflection. The analysis revealed that cognitive, social and affective experiences directly influence the learning process and that those which refer to setting, learner’s personal background, beliefs and goal influence the learning process indirectly. The analysis also revealed the singularity of some of these CEs that led to their categorization as individual CEs (ICEs. When comparing the ICEs of the two participants, the importance of a sociocultural analysis of the classroom learning process becomes evident. We conclude with an analysis of the value of sociocultural theory in the study of classroom EFL learning and with the implications of this study for teachers and researchers.

  18. Learning pathways during clinical placement of physiotherapy students: a Malaysian experience of using learning contracts and reflective diaries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayiesah Ramli

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Learning contracts and reflective diaries are educational tools that have been recently introduced to physiotherapy students from Malaysia during clinical education. It is unclear how students perceive the experience of using a learning contract and reflective diary. This study explores the learning pathways of the students after using a learning contract and a reflective diary for the first time in their clinical placement. Methods: A total of 26 final-year physiotherapy students completed a learning contract and a reflective diary during clinical placements. Two researchers explored the data qualitatively by the thematic content analysis method using NVivo. Results: A total of four and six main learning themes were identified from the data of the students through a learning contract and reflective diary. Conclusion: These learning themes reflected the views of the students about what they have considered to be important learning pathways during their clinical placements. They give valuable insights into the experiences and opinions of students during their clinical education process, which should be useful for enhancing teaching and learning methods in physiotherapy education.

  19. Linking Learning Contexts: The Relationship between Students’ Civic and Political Experiences and Their Self-Regulation in School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malafaia, Carla; Teixeira, Pedro M.; Neves, Tiago; Menezes, Isabel

    2016-01-01

    This paper considers the relationship between self-regulation strategies and youth civic and political experiences, assuming that out-of-school learning can foster metacognition. The study is based on a sample of 732 Portuguese students from grades 8 and 11. Results show that the quality of civic and political participation experiences, together with academic self-efficacy, are significant predictors of young people’s self-regulation, particularly regarding cognitive and metacognitive strategies (elaboration and critical thinking). Such effects surpass even the weight of family cultural and school variables, such as the sense of school belonging. Therefore, we argue that the pedagogical value of non-formal civic and political experiences is related to learning in formal pedagogical contexts. This is because civic and political participation with high developmental quality can stimulate higher-order cognitive engagement and, thus, contribute to the development of learning strategies that promote academic success. PMID:27199812

  20. Linking Learning Contexts: The Relationship between Students' Civic and Political Experiences and Their Self-Regulation in School.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malafaia, Carla; Teixeira, Pedro M; Neves, Tiago; Menezes, Isabel

    2016-01-01

    This paper considers the relationship between self-regulation strategies and youth civic and political experiences, assuming that out-of-school learning can foster metacognition. The study is based on a sample of 732 Portuguese students from grades 8 and 11. Results show that the quality of civic and political participation experiences, together with academic self-efficacy, are significant predictors of young people's self-regulation, particularly regarding cognitive and metacognitive strategies (elaboration and critical thinking). Such effects surpass even the weight of family cultural and school variables, such as the sense of school belonging. Therefore, we argue that the pedagogical value of non-formal civic and political experiences is related to learning in formal pedagogical contexts. This is because civic and political participation with high developmental quality can stimulate higher-order cognitive engagement and, thus, contribute to the development of learning strategies that promote academic success.

  1. The analysis of mathematics teachers' learning on algebra function limit material based on teaching experience difference

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma'rufi, Budayasa, I. Ketut; Juniati, Dwi

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the analysis of mathematics teachers' learning on algebra function limit material based on teaching experience difference. The purpose of this study is to describe the analysis of mathematics teacher's learning on limit algebraic functions in terms of the differences of teaching experience. Learning analysis focused on Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of teachers in mathematics on limit algebraic functions related to the knowledge of pedagogy. PCK of teachers on limit algebraic function is a type of specialized knowledge for teachers on how to teach limit algebraic function that can be understood by students. Subjects are two high school mathematics teacher who has difference of teaching experience they are one Novice Teacher (NP) and one Experienced Teacher (ET). Data are collected through observation of learning in the class, videos of learning, and then analyzed using qualitative analysis. Teacher's knowledge of Pedagogic defined as a knowledge and understanding of teacher about planning and organizing of learning, and application of learning strategy. The research results showed that the Knowledge of Pedagogy on subject NT in mathematics learning on the material of limit function algebra showed that the subject NT tended to describe procedurally, without explaining the reasons why such steps were used, asking questions which tended to be monotonous not be guiding and digging deeper, and less varied in the use of learning strategies while subject ET gave limited guidance and opportunities to the students to find their own answers, exploit the potential of students to answer questions, provide an opportunity for students to interact and work in groups, and subject ET tended to combine conceptual and procedural explanation.

  2. Anatomy by whole body dissection: a focus group study of students' learning experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgess, Annette; Ramsey-Stewart, George

    2015-01-01

    The social construction of knowledge within medical education is essential for learning. Students' interactions within groups and associated learning artifacts can meaningfully impact learning. Situated cognition theory poses that knowledge, thinking, and learning are located in experience. In recent years, there has been a reported decline in time spent on anatomy by whole body dissection (AWBD) within medical programs. However, teaching by surgeons in AWBD provides unique opportunities for students, promoting a deeper engagement in learning. In this study, we apply situated cognition theory as a conceptual framework to explore students' perceptions of their learning experience within the 2014 iteration of an 8-week elective AWBD course. At the end of the course, all students (n=24) were invited to attend one of three focus groups. Framework analysis was used to code and categorize data into themes. In total, 20/24 (83%) students participated in focus groups. Utilizing situated cognition theory as a conceptual framework, we illustrate students' learning experiences within the AWBD course. Students highlighted opportunities to create and reinforce their own knowledge through active participation in authentic dissection tasks; guidance and clinical context provided by surgeons as supervisors; and the provision of an inclusive learning community. Situated cognition theory offers a valuable lens through which to view students' learning experience in the anatomy dissection course. By doing so, the importance of providing clinical relevance to medical teaching is highlighted. Additionally, the value of having surgeons teach AWBD and the experience they share is illustrated. The team learning course design, with varying teaching methods and frequent assessments, prompting student-student and student-teacher interaction, was also beneficial for student learning.

  3. Concept-Based Learning in Clinical Experiences: Bringing Theory to Clinical Education for Deep Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, Ann

    2016-07-01

    Concept-based learning is used increasingly in nursing education to support the organization, transfer, and retention of knowledge. Concept-based learning activities (CBLAs) have been used in clinical education to explore key aspects of the patient situation and principles of nursing care, without responsibility for total patient care. The nature of best practices in teaching and the resultant learning are not well understood. The purpose of this multiple-case study research was to explore and describe concept-based learning in the context of clinical education in inpatient settings. Four clinical groups (each a case) were observed while they used CBLAs in the clinical setting. Major findings include that concept-based learning fosters deep learning, connection of theory with practice, and clinical judgment. Strategies used to support learning, major teaching-learning foci, and preconditions for concept-based teaching and learning will be described. Concept-based learning is promising to support integration of theory with practice and clinical judgment through application experiences with patients. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(7):365-371.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

  4. Understanding students' and clinicians' experiences of informal interprofessional workplace learning: an Australian qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rees, Charlotte E; Crampton, Paul; Kent, Fiona; Brown, Ted; Hood, Kerry; Leech, Michelle; Newton, Jennifer; Storr, Michael; Williams, Brett

    2018-04-17

    While postgraduate studies have begun to shed light on informal interprofessional workplace learning, studies with preregistration learners have typically focused on formal and structured work-based learning. The current study investigated preregistration students' informal interprofessional workplace learning by exploring students' and clinicians' experiences of interprofessional student-clinician (IPSC) interactions. A qualitative interview study using narrative techniques was conducted. Student placements across multiple clinical sites in Victoria, Australia. Through maximum variation sampling, 61 participants (38 students and 23 clinicians) were recruited from six professions (medicine, midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, paramedicine and physiotherapy). We conducted 12 group and 10 individual semistructured interviews. Themes were identified through framework analysis, and the similarities and differences in subthemes by participant group were interrogated. Six themes relating to four research questions were identified: (1) conceptualisations of IPSC interactions; (2) context for interaction experiences; (3) the nature of interaction experiences; (4) factors contributing to positive or negative interactions; (5) positive or negative consequences of interactions and (6) suggested improvements for IPSC interactions. Seven noteworthy differences in subthemes between students and clinicians and across the professions were identified. Despite the results largely supporting previous postgraduate research, the findings illustrate greater breadth and depth of understandings, experiences and suggestions for preregistration education. Educators and students are encouraged to seek opportunities for informal interprofessional learning afforded by the workplace. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  5. Nursing student voices: reflections on an international service learning experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Main, E Eve; Garrett-Wright, Dawn; Kerby, Molly

    2013-01-01

    For the past decade participation in service and experiential learning in higher education has increased. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of BSN and MSN students participating in a multidisciplinary service-learning course in a rural, underserved village in Belize. Researchers analyzed student journals utilizing qualitative data analysis techniques. There were eight consistent themes found in the student journals. The findings indicate that international service learning opportunities increase students' awareness of their place in a global society and the potential contribution they can make in society. For the past decade, service and experiential learning in higher education, including nursing education, has become increasingly important. Simply put, service and experiential learning combine community service activities with a student's academic study for the sole purpose of enriching the academic experience. As faculty, we feel the goal of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education is to produce an educated professional who will become a responsible citizen.

  6. Experience and lessons learned in the assessment of safety justifications for experiments mounted in research reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cox, R.F.

    1990-01-01

    Some experiments in research reactors are arguably a risky undertaking due to their uncertain outcome. The justifications for such experiments require careful assessment to validate their undertaking. The public, the operators and the installation itself must be safeguarded. Assessment of the potential risk is an acquired skill but in doing so the route can be eased by learning from the lessons experience can teach. This paper, essentially for the usage of safety managers, sets out some of the issues relating to the assessment process gained from our experience over a few tens of years in the assessment of experiments. Many of the conclusions reached may appear all too obvious viewed in retrospect, but they were not necessarily clear at the time. Those organizations setting up assessment teams may find some of the conclusions of value such that their proposed management system can embrace methodologies for assessment that can avoid or lessen the impact of some of the pitfalls we have tried to identify. Failure to recognise some of these points may run the risk of delayed clearances, dilated timescales and cost overruns. It is in the hope of reducing all these penalties that we offer our experiences

  7. The Relationship between Self-Determination, Achievement Goal Orientation and Satisfaction with the Learning Experience: Working with Adult Lifelong Learners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodd, Jane

    2013-01-01

    This exploratory study investigated how self-perceptions of self-determination and of achievement goal orientation were related to self-perceptions of satisfaction with the learning experience in a population of 495 adults engaged in non-formal lifelong learning through participation as amateur members of the United States Dressage Association.…

  8. How Supervisor Experience Influences Trust, Supervision, and Trainee Learning: A Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheu, Leslie; Kogan, Jennifer R; Hauer, Karen E

    2017-09-01

    Appropriate trust and supervision facilitate trainees' growth toward unsupervised practice. The authors investigated how supervisor experience influences trust, supervision, and subsequently trainee learning. In a two-phase qualitative inductive content analysis, phase one entailed reviewing 44 internal medicine resident and attending supervisor interviews from two institutions (July 2013 to September 2014) for themes on how supervisor experience influences trust and supervision. Three supervisor exemplars (early, developing, experienced) were developed and shared in phase two focus groups at a single institution, wherein 23 trainees validated the exemplars and discussed how each impacted learning (November 2015). Phase one: Four domains of trust and supervision varying with experience emerged: data, approach, perspective, clinical. Early supervisors were detail oriented and determined trust depending on task completion (data), were rule based (approach), drew on their experiences as trainees to guide supervision (perspective), and felt less confident clinically compared with more experienced supervisors (clinical). Experienced supervisors determined trust holistically (data), checked key aspects of patient care selectively and covertly (approach), reflected on individual experiences supervising (perspective), and felt comfortable managing clinical problems and gauging trainee abilities (clinical). Phase two: Trainees felt the exemplars reflected their experiences, described their preferences and learning needs shifting over time, and emphasized the importance of supervisor flexibility to match their learning needs. With experience, supervisors differ in their approach to trust and supervision. Supervisors need to trust themselves before being able to trust others. Trainees perceive these differences and seek supervision approaches that align with their learning needs.

  9. Exploring body-anchored and experience-based learning in a community of practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stelter, Reinhard

    2008-01-01

    which, in a second step, is presented as part of the social realm and as one of the prerequisites of learning in a community of practice. This integration is established and becomes visible through the following two concepts: 1. Reification as the outflow of co-ordinated action, and 2. narratives......The article aims to integrate body-anchored and experience-based learning in the theoretical concept of learning in a community of practice. Present moment, epoché, intentional orientation and meaning making are introduced as the four basic premises for body-anchored and experience-based learning...

  10. Moving toward heutagogical learning: Illuminating undergraduate nursing students' experiences in a flipped classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Rebecca D; Schlairet, Maura C

    2017-02-01

    Nurse educators rely on the tenets of educational theory and evidence-based education to promote the most effective curriculum and facilitate the best outcomes. The flipped classroom model, in which students assume personal responsibility for knowledge acquisition in a highly engaging and interactive environment, supports self-directed learning and the unique needs of clinical education. To understand how students perceived their experiences in the flipped classroom and how students' learning dispositions were affected by the flipped classroom experience. A phenomenological approach was used to gain deeper understanding about students' perspectives, perceptions and subjective experiences of the flipped classroom model. The focus of the study was on characteristics of student learning. Fourteen Bachelors of Science of Nursing (BSN) students at a regional university in the southeastern United States. Using data transcribed from face-to-face, semi-structured interviews, experiential themes were extracted from the qualitative data (student-reported experiences, attributes, thoughts, values, and beliefs regarding teaching and learning in the context of their experience of the flipped classroom) using Graneheim's and Lundman's (2004) guidelines; and were coded and analyzed within theoretical categories based on pedagogical, andragogical or heutagogical learning dispositions. Experiential themes that emerged from students' descriptions of their experiences in the flipped classroom included discernment, challenge, relevance, responsibility, and expertise. The flipped classroom model offers promising possibilities for facilitating students' movement from learning that is characteristic of pedagogy and andragogy toward heutagogical learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Enhancing Children's Outdoor Learning Experiences with a Mobile Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rikala, Jenni

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines how a mobile learning application can enhance children's outdoor learning experiences. The study draws upon empirical evidence gathered in one case study conducted in a Finnish primary school setting in the fall of 2012. The data were collected with student and teacher surveys. The case study indicated that the mobile…

  12. Relations between blended learning possibilities and teachers' approaches to blended learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stenalt, Maria Hvid; Nielsen, Tobias Alsted; Bager-Elsborg, Anna

    Higher Education has embraced blended learning as a way of enhancing quality in teaching and helping students to learn. This presentation addresses relations between blended learning possiblities presented to teachers in a teacher training project and teachers’ approaches to blended learning. We...... suggest that in order to identify the level of impact of integrating technologies in teaching and learning, we need to understand the factors influencing approaches to design of courses for blended contexts. Participants in the teacher training project come from the Department of Law at Aarhus University......: • Optain locally-embedded knowledge about blended learning • Develop opportunities for law students to receive (more) feedback • Comply with strategic aims The results so far suggest that teachers provide a disciplinary perspective on the key dimensions of blended learning, which influences...

  13. Meaningful Learning with Mobile Devices: Pre-Service Class Teachers' Experiences of Mobile Learning in the Outdoors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kärki, Tomi; Keinänen, Heli; Tuominen, Anu; Hoikkala, Marianna; Matikainen, Eila; Maijala, Hanna

    2018-01-01

    The authors consider the use of mobile learning environment ActionTrack in teacher education. Pre-service class teachers' (N = 277) experiences of the mobile learning environment were measured with a 7-point Likert-scale questionnaire based on seven attributes of meaningful learning. Students' ratings for different attributes were analysed…

  14. Experiments as Liminal Learning Spaces in Leadership Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjærgaard, Annemette; Meier, Frank; Tangkjær, Christian

    In this paper we address the question of what professional practitioner students learn from experiments in leadership development programs. Drawing from our own design and teaching in a leadership programme, we explore how certain models and frameworks become threshold concepts for students’ lear...... practical implications for using threshold concepts in designing experiments in leadership development education for professional practitioners....

  15. Exploring entrepreneurial learning during formal business rescue processes: Insights from the South African experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anéa Burke-le Roux

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Orientation: Currently, little is known about entrepreneurial learning under turnaround and rescue conditions. A better understanding of the content dimensions as well as the factors that drive or restrain entrepreneurial learning during business rescue (BR is relevant for theory and industry development. Research purpose: BR is a fairly new regime in South Africa that extends beyond turnaround practices. It is acknowledged that business failure can fuel cognitive processes and subsequently entrepreneurial learning but to what extent in the context of formal BR proceedings requires exploration. Practice suggests that the role of the business rescue practitioner (BRP as ‘disproportionate influencer’ can affect the learning of filing entrepreneurs. Motivation for the study: In the absence of guidelines, this study set out to explore and make sense of the specific content dimensions that entrepreneurs learn during such proceedings to assist role players. Research design, approach and method: The research question for this exploratory investigation obtained first-hand accounts from subjects that have been directly involved in BR proceedings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. ‘Investigator triangulation’ was also used to extract as much richness and data as possible applying interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings: We extracted three key content dimensions which entrepreneurs learned during BR: rescue process, business related and personal learnings. Entrepreneurs with ‘positive’ experiences of BR learned more than those with negative experiences. The key driving and restraining factors to entrepreneurial learning were both associated with the behaviour of the BRP. Practical/managerial implications: BR has introduced another dimension to learning from business failure. Understanding the content dimensions learned by entrepreneurs during BR broadens insights of the Regulator, BRPs and educators about the potential long

  16. Learning through Experience: The Transition from Doctoral Student to Social Work Educator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oktay, Julianne S.; Jacobson, Jodi M.; Fisher, Elizabeth

    2013-01-01

    The researchers conducted an exploratory study using grounded theory qualitative research methods to examine experiences of social work doctoral students as they learned to teach ("N"?=?14). A core category, "learning through experience," representing a basic social process, was identified. The doctoral students experienced…

  17. Learners' experiences of learning support in selected Western Cape schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olaniyi Bojuwoye

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The study explored Western Cape primary and secondary school learners' experiences regarding the provision and utilization of support services for improving learning. A qualitative interpretive approach was adopted and data gathered through focus group interviews involving 90 learners. Results revealed that learners received and utilized various forms of learning support from their schools, teachers, and peers. The learning support assisted in meeting learners' academic, social and emotional needs by addressing barriers to learning, creating conducive learning environments, enhancing learners' self-esteem and improving learners' academic performance.

  18. An Examination of Game-Based Learning from Theories of Flow Experience and Cognitive Load

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Chih-Hung; Chu, Chih-Ming; Liu, Hsiang-Hsuan; Yang, Shun-Bo; Chen, Wei-Hsuan

    2013-01-01

    This study aims to discuss whether game-based learning with the integration of games and digital learning could enhance not only the flow experience in learning but achieve the same flow experience in pure games. In addition, the authors discovered that whether the game-based learning could make learners to reveal higher cognitive load. The…

  19. Self-willed learning: experiments in wild pedagogy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jickling, Bob

    2015-03-01

    This paper is comprised of written text and photographs of wild experiences that relive a series of ontological experiments. The text represents reflections on these experiences. The photographs, artistic expressions of the same experiences, have been made with a homemade pinhole camera—without a lens and viewfinder—thus demanding special sensual presence during creation. The form of this experimental work is reminiscent of a lyric philosophy that seeks to engage the participant—reader of text and viewer of images—with these experiments. Component pairings are arranged for viewing with text on the left and photographs on the right. Together these parings invite participants to explore patterned resonances in the world. Implicit throughout are considerations of relationships between wildness, wild learning, and a form of wild pedagogy.

  20. Interface learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thorhauge, Sally

    2014-01-01

    "Interface learning - New goals for museum and upper secondary school collaboration" investigates and analyzes the learning that takes place when museums and upper secondary schools in Denmark work together in local partnerships to develop and carry out school-related, museum-based coursework...... for students. The research focuses on the learning that the students experience in the interface of the two learning environments: The formal learning environment of the upper secondary school and the informal learning environment of the museum. Focus is also on the learning that the teachers and museum...... professionals experience as a result of their collaboration. The dissertation demonstrates how a given partnership’s collaboration affects the students’ learning experiences when they are doing the coursework. The dissertation presents findings that museum-school partnerships can use in order to develop...

  1. Teaching and learning curriculum programs: recommendations for postgraduate pharmacy experiences in education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Eric A; Brown, Bonnie; Gettig, Jacob; Martello, Jay L; McClendon, Katie S; Smith, Kelly M; Teeters, Janet; Ulbrich, Timothy R; Wegrzyn, Nicole; Bradley-Baker, Lynette R

    2014-08-01

    Recommendations for the development and support of teaching and learning curriculum (TLC) experiences within postgraduate pharmacy training programs are discussed. Recent attention has turned toward meeting teaching- and learning-related educational outcomes through a programmatic process during the first or second year of postgraduate education. These programs are usually coordinated by schools and colleges of pharmacy and often referred to as "teaching certificate programs," though no national standards or regulation of these programs currently exists. In an effort to describe the landscape of these programs and to develop a framework for their basic design and content, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Pharmacy Practice Section's Task Force on Student Engagement and Involvement, with input from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, reviewed evidence from the literature and conference proceedings and considered author experience and expertise over a two-year period. The members of the task force created and reached consensus on a policy statement and 12 recommendations to guide the development of best practices of TLC programs. The recommendations address topics such as the value of TLC programs, program content, teaching and learning experiences, feedback for participants, the development of a teaching portfolio, the provision of adequate resources for TLC programs, programmatic assessment and improvement, program transparency, and accreditation. TLC programs provide postgraduate participants with valuable knowledge and skills in teaching applicable to the practitioner and academician. Postgraduate programs should be transparent to candidates and seek to ensure the best experiences for participants through systematic program implementation and assessments. Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Knowledge Transfer in Health Care Through Digitally Collecting Learning Experiences - Results of Witra Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behrends, Marianne; Kupka, Thomas; Schmeer, Regina; Meyenburg-Altwarg, Iris; Marschollek, Michael

    2016-01-01

    The goal of the project Witra Care was to investigate how far the use of mobile technology is suitable to collect experience-based knowledge of nurses. Nine new employees and seven experienced nurses received for six weeks a mobile phone or a tablet pc with a mobile application that allowed them to collect learning object as pictures, videos, audio files or notes. In Witra Care the nurses created 303 learning objects. They have found the collecting of learning experiences was helpful for their learning processes. The learning objects demonstrate various aspects of daily routines in nursing. The results of Witra Care show that the documentation of learning experiences with mobile devices helps to gather information about the practical knowledge in the daily work of nurses, identifies individual learning needs of the employees and supports them in their personal learning processes.

  3. Learning Active Citizenship: Conflicts between Students' Conceptualisations of Citizenship and Classroom Learning Experiences in Lebanon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akar, Bassel

    2016-01-01

    Education for active citizenship continues to be a critical response for social cohesion and reconstruction in conflict-affected areas. Oftentimes, approaches to learning and teaching in such contexts can do as much harm as good. This study qualitatively examines 435 students' reflections of their civics classroom learning experiences and their…

  4. Conditional High-Order Boltzmann Machines for Supervised Relation Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yan; Wang, Wei; Wang, Liang; Tan, Tieniu

    2017-09-01

    Relation learning is a fundamental problem in many vision tasks. Recently, high-order Boltzmann machine and its variants have shown their great potentials in learning various types of data relation in a range of tasks. But most of these models are learned in an unsupervised way, i.e., without using relation class labels, which are not very discriminative for some challenging tasks, e.g., face verification. In this paper, with the goal to perform supervised relation learning, we introduce relation class labels into conventional high-order multiplicative interactions with pairwise input samples, and propose a conditional high-order Boltzmann Machine (CHBM), which can learn to classify the data relation in a binary classification way. To be able to deal with more complex data relation, we develop two improved variants of CHBM: 1) latent CHBM, which jointly performs relation feature learning and classification, by using a set of latent variables to block the pathway from pairwise input samples to output relation labels and 2) gated CHBM, which untangles factors of variation in data relation, by exploiting a set of latent variables to multiplicatively gate the classification of CHBM. To reduce the large number of model parameters generated by the multiplicative interactions, we approximately factorize high-order parameter tensors into multiple matrices. Then, we develop efficient supervised learning algorithms, by first pretraining the models using joint likelihood to provide good parameter initialization, and then finetuning them using conditional likelihood to enhance the discriminant ability. We apply the proposed models to a series of tasks including invariant recognition, face verification, and action similarity labeling. Experimental results demonstrate that by exploiting supervised relation labels, our models can greatly improve the performance.

  5. Linking learning contexts: The relationship between students’ civic and political experiences and their self-regulation in school

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla eMalafaia

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper considers the relationship between self-regulation strategies and youth civic and political experiences, assuming that out-of-school learning can foster metacognition. The study is based on a sample of 732 Portuguese students from grades 8 and 11. Results show that the quality of civic and political participation experiences, together with academic self-efficacy, are significant predictors of young people’s self-regulation, particularly regarding cognitive and metacognitive strategies (elaboration and critical thinking. Such effects surpass even the weight of family cultural and school variables, such as the sense of school belonging. There-fore, we argue that the pedagogical value of non-formal civic and political experiences is re-lated to learning in formal pedagogical contexts. This is because civic and political participa-tion with high developmental quality can stimulate higher-order cognitive engagement and, thus, contribute to the development of learning strategies that promote academic success.

  6. Relations between the tendency to invest in virtual presence, actual virtual presence and learning outcomes in educational computer games

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schrader, Claudia; Bastiaens, Theo

    2018-01-01

    The study examines whether the effect of virtual presence on learning is influenced by learner characteristics. More specifically, the focus is on how the variation in the actual experience of virtual presence and learning is related to learners' individual tendency to invest in virtual presence for

  7. How Are Students' Attitudes Related to Learning Outcomes?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metsärinne, Mika; Kallio, Manne

    2016-01-01

    This article is a part of a research project aimed to find out how different background variables are related to learning outcomes in technology education related to the school subject Sloyd (craft). The research question of this article is: "How are ninth grade students' attitudes towards the subject related to their learning outcomes?"…

  8. Learning English: Experiences and Needs of Saudi Engineering Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unruh, Susan; Obeidat, Fayiz

    2015-01-01

    In this qualitative study, Saudi engineering students talk openly of their experiences learning English in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and as university students in the United States (US). These students reported that they learned only the basics of vocabulary and grammar in KSA. Consequently, they came to the US with few English skills. In…

  9. Evaluation of a blended learning model in geriatric medicine: a successful learning experience for medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duque, Gustavo; Demontiero, Oddom; Whereat, Sarah; Gunawardene, Piumali; Leung, Oliver; Webster, Peter; Sardinha, Luis; Boersma, Derek; Sharma, Anita

    2013-06-01

    Despite the increasingly ageing population, teaching geriatric medicine at medical schools is a challenge due to the particularities of this subspecialty and the lack of student interest in this subject. We assessed a blended system that combines e-learning and person-to-person interaction. Our program offered the students a hands-on learning experience based on self-reflection, access to technology, interactive learning, frequent interaction with the multidisciplinary team, more exposure to patients, and regular feedback. Our results indicate that the students appreciate this system as a rich and effective learning experience demonstrated by their positive feedback and by their significant improvement in knowledge assessed at the end of their rotation. Implementing an interactive blended system is a beneficial approach to teaching geriatric medicine in medical schools and to motivating medical students' interest in this important medical subspecialty. © 2012 The Authors. Australasian Journal on Ageing © 2012 ACOTA.

  10. Cloud Computing Technologies in Writing Class: Factors Influencing Students’ Learning Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jenny WANG

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The proposed interactive online group within the cloud computing technologies as a main contribution of this paper provides easy and simple access to the cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS system and delivers effective educational tools for students and teacher on after-class group writing assignment activities. Therefore, this study addresses the implementation of the most commonly used cloud applications, Google Docs, in a higher education course. The learning environment integrated Google Docs that students are using to develop and deploy writing assignments in between classes has been subjected to learning experience assessment. Using the questionnaire as an instrument to study participants (n=28, the system has provided an effective learning environment in between classes for the students and the instructor to stay connected. Factors influencing students’ learning experience based on cloud applications include frequency of interaction online and students’ technology experience. Suggestions to cope with challenges regarding the use of them in higher education including the technical issues are also presented. Educators are therefore encouraged to embrace cloud computing technologies as they design the course curriculum in hoping to effectively enrich students’ learning.

  11. The experiment editor: supporting inquiry-based learning with virtual labs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galan, D.; Heradio, R.; de la Torre, L.; Dormido, S.; Esquembre, F.

    2017-05-01

    Inquiry-based learning is a pedagogical approach where students are motivated to pose their own questions when facing problems or scenarios. In physics learning, students are turned into scientists who carry out experiments, collect and analyze data, formulate and evaluate hypotheses, and so on. Lab experimentation is essential for inquiry-based learning, yet there is a drawback with traditional hands-on labs in the high costs associated with equipment, space, and maintenance staff. Virtual laboratories are helpful to reduce these costs. This paper enriches the virtual lab ecosystem by providing an integrated environment to automate experimentation tasks. In particular, our environment supports: (i) scripting and running experiments on virtual labs, and (ii) collecting and analyzing data from the experiments. The current implementation of our environment supports virtual labs created with the authoring tool Easy Java/Javascript Simulations. Since there are public repositories with hundreds of freely available labs created with this tool, the potential applicability to our environment is considerable.

  12. Measuring Choice to Participate in Optional Science Learning Experiences during Early Adolescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sha, Li; Schunn, Christian; Bathgate, Meghan

    2015-01-01

    Cumulatively, participation in optional science learning experiences in school, after school, at home, and in the community may have a large impact on student interest in and knowledge of science. Therefore, interventions can have large long-term effects if they change student choice preferences for such optional science learning experiences. To…

  13. Plasticity-related genes in brain development and amygdala-dependent learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehrlich, D E; Josselyn, S A

    2016-01-01

    Learning about motivationally important stimuli involves plasticity in the amygdala, a temporal lobe structure. Amygdala-dependent learning involves a growing number of plasticity-related signaling pathways also implicated in brain development, suggesting that learning-related signaling in juveniles may simultaneously influence development. Here, we review the pleiotropic functions in nervous system development and amygdala-dependent learning of a signaling pathway that includes brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), extracellular signaling-related kinases (ERKs) and cyclic AMP-response element binding protein (CREB). Using these canonical, plasticity-related genes as an example, we discuss the intersection of learning-related and developmental plasticity in the immature amygdala, when aversive and appetitive learning may influence the developmental trajectory of amygdala function. We propose that learning-dependent activation of BDNF, ERK and CREB signaling in the immature amygdala exaggerates and accelerates neural development, promoting amygdala excitability and environmental sensitivity later in life. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

  14. Numeric Input Relations for Relational Learning with Applications to Community Structure Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jiang, Jiuchuan; Jaeger, Manfred

    2015-01-01

    distribution is defined by the model from numerical input variables that are only used for conditioning the distribution of discrete response variables. We show how numerical input relations can very easily be used in the Relational Bayesian Network framework, and that existing inference and learning methods......Most work in the area of statistical relational learning (SRL) is focussed on discrete data, even though a few approaches for hybrid SRL models have been proposed that combine numerical and discrete variables. In this paper we distinguish numerical random variables for which a probability...... use the augmented RBN framework to define probabilistic models for multi-relational (social) networks in which the probability of a link between two nodes depends on numeric latent feature vectors associated with the nodes. A generic learning procedure can be used to obtain a maximum-likelihood fit...

  15. Explaining Health and Social Care Students' Experiences of Meaningfulness in Vocational Education: The Importance of Life Goals, Learning Support, Perceived Competence, and Autonomous Motivation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Støen Utvaer, Britt Karin

    2014-01-01

    The experience of meaning in a learning situation is a stated goal of Knowledge Promotion Reform in Norway. This study, guided by self-determination theory, examines how pursuing intrinsic and extrinsic life goals relates to the experience of meaning in vocational education. The study also examines how learning support, perceived competence, and…

  16. The role of herbivore- and plant-related experiences in intraspecific host preference of a relatively specialized parasitoid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morawo, Tolulope; Fadamiro, Henry

    2017-09-06

    Parasitoids use odor cues from infested plants and herbivore hosts to locate their hosts. Specialist parasitoids of generalist herbivores are predicted to rely more on herbivore-derived cues than plant-derived cues. Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a relatively specialized larval endoparasitoid of Heliothis virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which is a generalist herbivore on several crops including cotton and soybean. Using M. croceipes/H. virescens as a model system, we tested the following predictions about specialist parasitoids of generalist herbivores: (i) naive parasitoids will show innate responses to herbivore-emitted kairomones, regardless of host plant identity and (ii) herbivore-related experience will have a greater influence on intraspecific oviposition preference than plant-related experience. Inexperienced (naive) female M. croceipes did not discriminate between cotton-fed and soybean-fed H. virescens in oviposition choice tests, supporting our first prediction. Oviposition experience alone with either host group influenced subsequent oviposition preference while experience with infested plants alone did not elicit preference in M. croceipes, supporting our second prediction. Furthermore, associative learning of oviposition with host-damaged plants facilitated host location. Interestingly, naive parasitoids attacked more soybean-fed than cotton-fed host larvae in two-choice tests when a background of host-infested cotton odor was supplied, and vice versa. This suggests that plant volatiles may have created an olfactory contrast effect. We discussed ecological significance of the results and concluded that both plant- and herbivore-related experiences play important role in parasitoid host foraging. © 2017 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  17. Learning to teach mathematics with technology: A survey of professional development needs, experiences and impacts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennison, Anne; Goos, Merrilyn

    2010-04-01

    The potential for digital technologies to enhance students' mathematics learning is widely recognised, and use of computers and graphics calculators is now encouraged or required by secondary school mathematics curriculum documents throughout Australia. However, previous research indicates that effective integration of technology into classroom practice remains patchy, with factors such as teacher knowledge, confidence, experience and beliefs, access to resources, and participation in professional development influencing uptake and implementation. This paper reports on a large-scale survey of technology-related professional development experiences and needs of Queensland secondary mathematics teachers. Teachers who had participated in professional development were found to be more confident in using technology and more convinced of its benefits in supporting students' learning of mathematics. Experienced, specialist mathematics teachers in large metropolitan schools were more likely than others to have attended technology-related professional development, with lack of time and limited access to resources acting as hindrances to many. Teachers expressed a clear preference for professional development that helps them meaningfully integrate technology into lessons to improve student learning of specific mathematical topics. These findings have implications for the design and delivery of professional development that improves teachers' knowledge, understanding, and skills in a diverse range of contexts.

  18. Effectiveness of a Core-Competency-based Program on Residents' Learning and Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charles, Lesley; Triscott, Jean; Dobbs, Bonnie; Tian, Peter George; Babenko, Oksana

    2016-06-01

    The Care of the Elderly (COE) Diploma Program is a six-to-twelve-month enhanced skills program taken after two years of core residency training in Family Medicine. In 2010, we developed and implemented a core-competency-based COE Diploma program (CC), in lieu of one based on learning objectives (LO). This study assessed the effectiveness of the core-competency-based program on residents' learning and their training experience as compared to residents trained using learning objectives. The data from the 2007-2013 COE residents were used in the study, with nine and eight residents trained in the LO and CC programs, respectively. Residents' learning was measured using preceptors' evaluations of residents' skills/abilities throughout the program (118 evaluations in total). Residents' rating of training experience was measured using the Graduate's Questionnaire which residents completed after graduation. For residents' learning, overall, there was no significant difference between the two programs. However, when examined as a function of the four CanMEDS roles, there were significant increases in the CC residents' scores for two of the CanMEDS roles: Communicator/Collaborator/Manager and Scholar compared to residents in the LO program. With respect to residents' training experience, seven out of ten program components were rated by the CC residents higher than by the LO residents. The implementation of a COE CC program appears to facilitate resident learning and training experience.

  19. Blended learning experience in teacher education: the trainees´ perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika Černá

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with blended learning in the context of pre-graduate English language teacher education. Firstly, the concept of blended learning is defined, then, the attention is focused on the online component of a blend, namely on the issue of interpersonal interaction including the challenges, which learning through online networking poses. Finally, results of a small–scale research are provided to offer insights into teacher trainees´ perspective of the blended learning experience at the University of Pardubice, Czech Republic.

  20. Action Learning as Relational Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boydell, Tom; Blantern, Chris

    2007-01-01

    In this paper we propose that all knowledge is made through social processes and is political (of the people involved). If one invests in a relational or historical ontology (a philosophical choice) there are implications for the way action learning is practiced. We illuminate some of these "relational practices". We purport that action learning…

  1. Use of Simulation in Nursing Education: Initial Experiences on a European Union Lifelong Learning Programme--Leonardo Da Vinci Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terzioglu, Fusun; Tuna, Zahide; Duygulu, Sergul; Boztepe, Handan; Kapucu, Sevgisun; Ozdemir, Leyla; Akdemir, Nuran; Kocoglu, Deniz; Alinier, Guillaume; Festini, Filippo

    2013-01-01

    Aim: The aim of this paper is to share the initial experiences on a European Union (EU) Lifelong Learning Programme Leonardo Da Vinci Transfer of Innovation Project related to the use of simulation-based learning with nursing students from Turkey. The project started at the end of the 2010 involving 7 partners from 3 different countries including…

  2. Word learning in adults with second language experience: Effects of phonological and referent familiarity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaushanskaya, Margarita; Yoo, Jeewon; Van Hecke, Stephanie

    2014-01-01

    Purpose The goal of this research was to examine whether phonological familiarity exerts different effects on novel word learning for familiar vs. unfamiliar referents, and whether successful word-learning is associated with increased second-language experience. Method Eighty-one adult native English speakers with various levels of Spanish knowledge learned phonologically-familiar novel words (constructed using English sounds) or phonologically-unfamiliar novel words (constructed using non-English and non-Spanish sounds) in association with either familiar or unfamiliar referents. Retention was tested via a forced-choice recognition-task. A median-split procedure identified high-ability and low-ability word-learners in each condition, and the two groups were compared on measures of second-language experience. Results Findings suggest that the ability to accurately match newly-learned novel names to their appropriate referents is facilitated by phonological familiarity only for familiar referents but not for unfamiliar referents. Moreover, more extensive second-language learning experience characterized superior learners primarily in one word-learning condition: Where phonologically-unfamiliar novel words were paired with familiar referents. Conclusions Together, these findings indicate that phonological familiarity facilitates novel word learning only for familiar referents, and that experience with learning a second language may have a specific impact on novel vocabulary learning in adults. PMID:22992709

  3. Learning Ethics through Virtual Fieldtrips: Teaching Ethical Theories through Virtual Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houser, Rick; Thoma, Steve; Coppock, Amanda; Mazer, Matthew; Midkiff, Lewis; Younanian, Marisa; Young, Sarah

    2011-01-01

    Teaching ethical reasoning is considered an important component of the undergraduate learning experience. A recent approach to teaching using experiential learning is through virtual worlds such as Second Life. We discuss how ethics may be taught using experiential learning in the virtual world of Second Life. Participants in the class in this…

  4. Workplace Stress and the Student Learning Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevenson, Anne; Harper, Sarah

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the possible effects of workplace stress in academics on the student learning experience. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaires were designed and distributed to all academic staff at a Scottish Higher Education Institute. This measured perceived levels of stress amongst academic staff and the possible impact of this…

  5. Supporting learning experiences beyond the school context

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rusman, Ellen

    2015-01-01

    In this workshop you’ll become familiar with two examples of how technology can support learning experiences that go beyond, but still connect to, the school context. The first example, called Elena, is for primary schools. The second example, called weSPOT, is for secondary schools. The Elena

  6. Generative Inferences Based on Learned Relations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Dawn; Lu, Hongjing; Holyoak, Keith J.

    2017-01-01

    A key property of relational representations is their "generativity": From partial descriptions of relations between entities, additional inferences can be drawn about other entities. A major theoretical challenge is to demonstrate how the capacity to make generative inferences could arise as a result of learning relations from…

  7. Does using active learning in thermodynamics lectures improve students’ conceptual understanding and learning experiences?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Georgiou, H; Sharma, M D

    2015-01-01

    Encouraging ‘active learning’ in the large lecture theatre emerges as a credible recommendation for improving university courses, with reports often showing significant improvements in learning outcomes. However, the recommendations are based predominantly on studies undertaken in mechanics. We set out to examine those claims in the thermodynamics module of a large first year physics course with an established technique, called interactive lecture demonstrations (ILDs). The study took place at The University of Sydney, where four parallel streams of the thermodynamics module were divided into two streams that experienced the ILDs and two streams that did not. The programme was first implemented in 2011 to gain experience and refine logistical matters and repeated in 2012 with approximately 500 students. A validated survey, the thermal concepts survey, was used as pre-test and post-test to measure learning gains while surveys and interviews provided insights into what the ‘active learning’ meant from student experiences. We analysed lecture recordings to capture the time devoted to different activities in a lecture, including interactivity. The learning gains were in the ‘high gain’ range for the ILD streams and ‘medium gain’ for the other streams. The analysis of the lecture recordings showed that the ILD streams devoted significantly more time to interactivity while surveys and interviews showed that students in the ILD streams were thinking in deep ways. Our study shows that ILDs can make a difference in students’ conceptual understanding as well as their experiences, demonstrating the potential value-add that can be provided by investing in active learning to enhance lectures. (paper)

  8. Learning by playing: A cross-sectional descriptive study of nursing students' experiences of learning clinical reasoning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koivisto, Jaana-Maija; Multisilta, Jari; Niemi, Hannele; Katajisto, Jouko; Eriksson, Elina

    2016-10-01

    Clinical reasoning is viewed as a problem-solving activity; in games, players solve problems. To provide excellent patient care, nursing students must gain competence in clinical reasoning. Utilising gaming elements and virtual simulations may enhance learning of clinical reasoning. To investigate nursing students' experiences of learning clinical reasoning process by playing a 3D simulation game. Cross-sectional descriptive study. Thirteen gaming sessions at two universities of applied sciences in Finland. The prototype of the simulation game used in this study was single-player in format. The game mechanics were built around the clinical reasoning process. Nursing students from the surgical nursing course of autumn 2014 (N=166). Data were collected by means of an online questionnaire. In terms of the clinical reasoning process, students learned how to take action and collect information but were less successful in learning to establish goals for patient care or to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. Learning of the different phases of clinical reasoning process was strongly positively correlated. The students described that they learned mainly to apply theoretical knowledge while playing. The results show that those who played digital games daily or occasionally felt that they learned clinical reasoning by playing the game more than those who did not play at all. Nursing students' experiences of learning the clinical reasoning process by playing a 3D simulation game showed that such games can be used successfully for learning. To ensure that students follow a systematic approach, the game mechanics need to be built around the clinical reasoning process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Teaching population health and community-based care across diverse clinical experiences: integration of conceptual pillars and constructivist learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valentine-Maher, Sarah K; Van Dyk, Elizabeth J; Aktan, Nadine M; Bliss, Julie Beshore

    2014-03-01

    Nursing programs are challenged to prepare future nurses to provide care and affect determinants of health for individuals and populations. This article advances a pedagogical model for clinical education that builds concepts related to both population-level care and direct care in the community through a contextual learning approach. Because the conceptual pillars and hybrid constructivist approach allow for conceptual learning consistency across experiences, the model expands programmatic capacity to use diverse community clinical sites that accept only small numbers of students. The concept-based and hybrid constructivist learning approach is expected to contribute to the development of broad intellectual skills and lifelong learning. The pillar concepts include determinants of health and nursing care of population aggregates; direct care, based on evidence and best practices; appreciation of lived experience of health and illness; public health nursing roles and relationship to ethical and professional formation; and multidisciplinary collaboration. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

  10. Creating Learning Objects to Enhance the Educational Experiences of American Sign Language Learners: An Instructional Development Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simone Conceição

    2002-10-01

    Full Text Available Little attention has been given to involving the deaf community in distance teaching and learning or in designing courses that relate to their language and culture. This article reports on the design and development of video-based learning objects created to enhance the educational experiences of American Sign Language (ASL hearing participants in a distance learning course and, following the course, the creation of several new applications for use of the learning objects. The learning objects were initially created for the web, as a course component for review and rehearsal. The value of the web application, as reported by course participants, led us to consider ways in which the learning objects could be used in a variety of delivery formats: CD-ROM, web-based knowledge repository, and handheld device. The process to create the learning objects, the new applications, and lessons learned are described.

  11. Learner's Learning Experiences & Difficulties towards (ESL) among UKM Undergraduates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maarof, Nooreiny; Munusamy, Indira Malani A/P

    2015-01-01

    This paper aims to investigate the learners learning experiences and difficulties of ESL among the UKM undergraduates. This study will be focusing on identifying the factors behind Malaysian undergraduate's experiences and also their difficulties in the English as Second Language (ESL) classroom. This paper discusses some of the issues of English…

  12. Job-demand for learning and job-related learning: the moderating effect of need for achievement

    OpenAIRE

    Loon, M; Casimir, G

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of the research is to examine whether need for achievement moderates the relationship between job-demand for learning and job-related learning. Design/methodology/approach: Data were obtained from 153 participants full-time. The scales for job-demand for learning and job-related learning were developed for this research, whilst the scale for need for achievement was obtained from an external source. Hierarchical regression analysis was used in testing the hypothesized mod...

  13. Informal Learning: A Lived Experience in a University Musicianship Class

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mok, Annie O.

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates how a class of university music students who engaged in a "lived" experience of informal learning adopted methods and strategies to complete a self-learning "aural copying" performance assignment in a musicianship class in Hong Kong. Data were collected from observations of the performances and the…

  14. Higher Education Learning Experiences among Vietnamese Immigrant Women in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Ya-Ling; Wu, Hsing-Chen

    2015-01-01

    Based on a sociocultural approach to adult learning and poststructural feminist theories, this study draws on interviews with 11 married Vietnamese women to explore the higher education learning experiences of Vietnamese immigrant women in Taiwan. On the basis of their husbands' permission and support, Vietnamese immigrant women embraced the…

  15. Learning with the ATLAS Experiment at CERN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnett, R. M.; Johansson, K. E.; Kourkoumelis, C.; Long, L.; Pequenao, J.; Reimers, C.; Watkins, P.

    2012-01-01

    With the start of the LHC, the new particle collider at CERN, the ATLAS experiment is also providing high-energy particle collisions for educational purposes. Several education projects--education scenarios--have been developed and tested on students and teachers in several European countries within the Learning with ATLAS@CERN project. These…

  16. Educators' experiences of inclusive learning contexts: An ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Our purpose in the research was to explore the experiences of educators in ordinary schools regarding the challenges experienced in inclusive learning contexts and to identify the competencies they used to deal with some of these challenges. A qualitative research design was chosen, using a case study. The study was ...

  17. Instant messaging and nursing students' clinical learning experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pimmer, Christoph; Brühlmann, Florian; Odetola, Titilayo Dorothy; Dipeolu, Oluwafemi; Gröhbiel, Urs; Ajuwon, Ademola J

    2018-05-01

    Although learning in clinical settings is a key element of nursing education, for many learners these are challenging developmental contexts often marked by isolation and a lack of belongingness. Despite the massive appropriation of mobile instant messaging (MIM) platforms and the connective properties attendant to them, very little is known about their role in and impact on nursing students' clinical learning experiences. To address this gap, the study, which was part of a multinational research project on the use of mobile social media in health professions education in developing countries, examined the use of the instant messaging platform WhatsApp by nursing students during placements and potential associations with socio-professional indicators. The survey involved a total number of 196 nursing students from 5 schools in Oyo State, Nigeria. The findings suggest that students used WhatsApp relatively frequently and they perceived that this platform strongly enhanced their communication with other students and nurses. WhatsApp use during placements was positively associated with students' maintained social capital with peer students, the development of a professional identity, placement satisfaction and with reduced feelings of isolation from professional communities. The determinants that influenced WhatsApp use during placements were perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. No associations were found between WhatsApp use during placement and age, attitude, subjective norms and placement duration. This study is one of the first of its kind that points to the relevance of mobile instant messaging as part of nursing students' (inter)personal learning environments in clinical settings and, particularly, in the development setting under investigation. Further research is needed to corroborate these findings, to enhance the understanding of the impact mechanisms, and to evaluate a more systematic use of MIM in clinical learning contexts. Copyright © 2018

  18. Movement-related theta rhythm in humans: coordinating self-directed hippocampal learning.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raphael Kaplan

    Full Text Available The hippocampus is crucial for episodic or declarative memory and the theta rhythm has been implicated in mnemonic processing, but the functional contribution of theta to memory remains the subject of intense speculation. Recent evidence suggests that the hippocampus might function as a network hub for volitional learning. In contrast to human experiments, electrophysiological recordings in the hippocampus of behaving rodents are dominated by theta oscillations reflecting volitional movement, which has been linked to spatial exploration and encoding. This literature makes the surprising cross-species prediction that the human hippocampal theta rhythm supports memory by coordinating exploratory movements in the service of self-directed learning. We examined the links between theta, spatial exploration, and memory encoding by designing an interactive human spatial navigation paradigm combined with multimodal neuroimaging. We used both non-invasive whole-head Magnetoencephalography (MEG to look at theta oscillations and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI to look at brain regions associated with volitional movement and learning. We found that theta power increases during the self-initiation of virtual movement, additionally correlating with subsequent memory performance and environmental familiarity. Performance-related hippocampal theta increases were observed during a static pre-navigation retrieval phase, where planning for subsequent navigation occurred. Furthermore, periods of the task showing movement-related theta increases showed decreased fMRI activity in the parahippocampus and increased activity in the hippocampus and other brain regions that strikingly overlap with the previously observed volitional learning network (the reverse pattern was seen for stationary periods. These fMRI changes also correlated with participant's performance. Our findings suggest that the human hippocampal theta rhythm supports memory by coordinating

  19. A Service-Learning Project Using Crowdfunding Strategy: Students' Experience and Reflection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mat-jizat, Jessnor Elmy; Khalid, Khalizul

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to explore students' experience and reflection in doing a Service Learning project as part of their course work. The Service Learning project allows the students to practice their knowledge of raising capital through crowdfunding, and at the same time situates them in an environment where they could learn from the…

  20. An Analysis of Creative Process Learning in Computer Game Activities Through Player Experiences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilawan Inchamnan

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This research investigates the extent to which creative processes can be fostered through computer gaming. It focuses on creative components in games that have been specifically designed for educational purposes: Digital Game Based Learning (DGBL. A behavior analysis for measuring the creative potential of computer game activities and learning outcomes is described. Creative components were measured by examining task motivation and domain-relevant and creativity-relevant skill factors. The research approach applied heuristic checklists in the field of gameplay to analyze the stage of player activities involved in the performance of the task and to examine player experiences with the Player Experience of Need Satisfaction (PENS survey. Player experiences were influenced by competency, autonomy, intuitive controls, relatedness and presence. This study examines the impact of these activities on the player experience for evaluating learning outcomes through school records. The study is designed to better understand the creative potential of people who are engaged in learning knowledge and skills during the course while playing video games. The findings show the creative potential that occurred to yield levels of creative performance within game play activities to support learning. The anticipated outcome is knowledge on how video games foster creative thinking as an overview of the Creative Potential of Learning Model (CPLN. CPLN clearly describes the interrelationships between principles of learning and creative potential, the interpretation of the results is indispensable.

  1. Sustainable assessment of learning experiences based on projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ignacio TRAVERSO RIBÓN

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In a project-based learning experience, the detailed monitoring of the activities in which team members participate can be useful to evaluate their work. Using learning-oriented assessment procedures, supervisors can assess the teamwork abilities with a formative purpose. Evaluation strategies such as self-assessment, peer assessment and co-assessment are often used to make evaluation formative and sustainable. Conducting an assessment strategy is not easy for team members, since they need before to have a reasonable understanding of the evaluation process and criteria. This paper describes a learning-oriented evaluation methodology and an open data framework that can be applied to collaborative project settings. An evaluation rubric and a series of indicators that provide evidences about the developed skills have been elaborated and applied in a small-scale project-based course. Projects were managed and developed with the help of an open source software forge that contains a ticketing tool for planning and tracking of tasks, a version control repository to save the software outcomes, and using a wiki to host text deliverables. The experience provides evidences in favor of using the assessment method and open data framework to make teamwork evaluation more sustainable.

  2. Learning experiences for the transition to professional work

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leigh N. Wood

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available A better educated workforce contributes to a more informed and tolerant society with higher economic output, and this is also associated with higher levels of personal health, interpersonal trust and civic and social engagement. Against this backdrop, the role of universities has expanded, as university learning has moved beyond providing an education to preparing students for leadership positions within society. This article examines the effectiveness of final-year learning experiences from the perception of recent graduates. The aim is to improve undergraduate curriculum to facilitate the transition to professional employment. An online quantitative and qualitative survey instrument was developed to investigate graduates’ perceptions of their different learning experiences and assessment types in their senior year. Four hundred and twelve alumni from five universities completed the survey. Our results indicate that graduates value case studies, group work and oral presentations, and that graduates rate lectures and guest lectures from practitioners as the least important in their transition to work. The results validate the use of graduate capability frameworks and mapping the development of the skills over the curriculum. These results are useful for curriculum designers to assist with designing programmes on the transition to professional work.

  3. Effectiveness of a Core-Competency–based Program on Residents’ Learning and Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charles, Lesley; Triscott, Jean; Dobbs, Bonnie; Tian, Peter George; Babenko, Oksana

    2016-01-01

    Background The Care of the Elderly (COE) Diploma Program is a six-to-twelve-month enhanced skills program taken after two years of core residency training in Family Medicine. In 2010, we developed and implemented a core-competency–based COE Diploma program (CC), in lieu of one based on learning objectives (LO). This study assessed the effectiveness of the core-competency–based program on residents’ learning and their training experience as compared to residents trained using learning objectives. Methods The data from the 2007–2013 COE residents were used in the study, with nine and eight residents trained in the LO and CC programs, respectively. Residents’ learning was measured using preceptors’ evaluations of residents’ skills/abilities throughout the program (118 evaluations in total). Residents’ rating of training experience was measured using the Graduate’s Questionnaire which residents completed after graduation. Results For residents’ learning, overall, there was no significant difference between the two programs. However, when examined as a function of the four CanMEDS roles, there were significant increases in the CC residents’ scores for two of the CanMEDS roles: Communicator/Collaborator/Manager and Scholar compared to residents in the LO program. With respect to residents’ training experience, seven out of ten program components were rated by the CC residents higher than by the LO residents. Conclusion The implementation of a COE CC program appears to facilitate resident learning and training experience. PMID:27403213

  4. Learning-Ability Relations in Adulthood

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hultsch, David F.; And Others

    1976-01-01

    Two successive recall tasks and eight ability measures were presented to women of five age groups to investigate the changing relation between performance and ability measures at various stages of the learning process during adulthood. (MS)

  5. Different patterns of oviposition learning in two closely related ectoparasitoid wasps with contrasting reproductive strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasakawa, Kôji; Uchijima, Kenta; Shibao, Harunobu; Shimada, Masakazu

    2013-02-01

    Many parasitoid wasps learn host-associated cues and use them in subsequent host-searching behavior. This associative learning, namely "oviposition learning," has been investigated in many studies. However, few studies have compared multiple species, and no comparative study has previously been conducted on ectoparasitoid species. We compared the effects of oviposition learning on host preference and offspring sex ratio in two closely related ectoparasitoid wasps with contrasting reproductive strategies, Anisopteromalus calandrae (r-strategist) and its sibling species (K-strategist). Using two bruchine hosts, Callosobruchus chinensis and Callosobruchus maculatus larvae infesting the cowpea Vigna unguiculata, oviposition choice experiments were performed at high and low host densities. In both species, no conspicuous effect on the offspring sex ratio was detected, but effects on host preference were found to differ between the species. In A. calandrae, the effects were detected only at high host density, suggesting that oviposition learning plays a role in host discrimination from a short distance but not from a long distance. In the sibling species, those effects were not detected in any of the cases, suggesting the absence of oviposition learning. These results are compatible with those of previous comparative studies of endoparasitoid wasps in that few lifetime oviposition experiences and/or low reward per foraging decision result in low or absent oviposition learning ability. This finding may indicate that ecological traits contributing to learning ability are similar between endoparasitoid and ectoparasitoid wasps. Thus, our species comparison of ectoparasitoids provides another model system for investigating learning and memory dynamics in parasitoid wasps.

  6. Learning experiences on role-emerging placements: an exploration from the students' perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dancza, Karina; Warren, Alison; Copley, Jodie; Rodger, Sylvia; Moran, Monica; McKay, Elizabeth; Taylor, Ann

    2013-12-01

    Occupational therapy educators are challenged to provide students with practical experiences which prepare them for ever changing health-care contexts on graduation. Role-emerging placements have been widely used internationally to help meet this challenge, but research into the learning experiences of students during these innovative placements is limited. This research investigated the enablers and barriers to learning from the perspectives of students on such placements from two European universities. Two separate qualitative studies tracked 10 final year students. Interviews explored their learning experiences prior to, during and after an eight- or 10-week role-emerging placement in a range of settings. Four themes emerged, which were (1) adapting to less doing, more thinking and planning; (2) understanding the complexity of collaboration and making it work; (3) emotional extremes; and (4) realising and using the occupational therapy perspective. These placements presented a 'roller coaster' of authentic learning experiences which created the opportunity for students to use occupation in practice and develop skills for collaborative working in an interprofessional environment. Whereas students viewed their role-emerging placement experiences positively, challenges included the emotional responses of students and placement pace. Findings suggest the need for supportive student placement experiences in both established and role-emerging areas to prepare students for a range of opportunities in an uncertain future. © 2013 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  7. Collaborative mining and transfer learning for relational data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levchuk, Georgiy; Eslami, Mohammed

    2015-06-01

    Many of the real-world problems, - including human knowledge, communication, biological, and cyber network analysis, - deal with data entities for which the essential information is contained in the relations among those entities. Such data must be modeled and analyzed as graphs, with attributes on both objects and relations encode and differentiate their semantics. Traditional data mining algorithms were originally designed for analyzing discrete objects for which a set of features can be defined, and thus cannot be easily adapted to deal with graph data. This gave rise to the relational data mining field of research, of which graph pattern learning is a key sub-domain [11]. In this paper, we describe a model for learning graph patterns in collaborative distributed manner. Distributed pattern learning is challenging due to dependencies between the nodes and relations in the graph, and variability across graph instances. We present three algorithms that trade-off benefits of parallelization and data aggregation, compare their performance to centralized graph learning, and discuss individual benefits and weaknesses of each model. Presented algorithms are designed for linear speedup in distributed computing environments, and learn graph patterns that are both closer to ground truth and provide higher detection rates than centralized mining algorithm.

  8. The Design, Experience and Practice of Networked Learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    . The Design, Experience and Practice of Networked Learning will prove indispensable reading for researchers, teachers, consultants, and instructional designers in higher and continuing education; for those involved in staff and educational development, and for those studying post graduate qualifications...

  9. Network Supervision of Adult Experience and Learning Dependent Sensory Cortical Plasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blake, David T

    2017-06-18

    The brain is capable of remodeling throughout life. The sensory cortices provide a useful preparation for studying neuroplasticity both during development and thereafter. In adulthood, sensory cortices change in the cortical area activated by behaviorally relevant stimuli, by the strength of response within that activated area, and by the temporal profiles of those responses. Evidence supports forms of unsupervised, reinforcement, and fully supervised network learning rules. Studies on experience-dependent plasticity have mostly not controlled for learning, and they find support for unsupervised learning mechanisms. Changes occur with greatest ease in neurons containing α-CamKII, which are pyramidal neurons in layers II/III and layers V/VI. These changes use synaptic mechanisms including long term depression. Synaptic strengthening at NMDA-containing synapses does occur, but its weak association with activity suggests other factors also initiate changes. Studies that control learning find support of reinforcement learning rules and limited evidence of other forms of supervised learning. Behaviorally associating a stimulus with reinforcement leads to a strengthening of cortical response strength and enlarging of response area with poor selectivity. Associating a stimulus with omission of reinforcement leads to a selective weakening of responses. In some preparations in which these associations are not as clearly made, neurons with the most informative discharges are relatively stronger after training. Studies analyzing the temporal profile of responses associated with omission of reward, or of plasticity in studies with different discriminanda but statistically matched stimuli, support the existence of limited supervised network learning. © 2017 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 7:977-1008, 2017. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  10. Taking an active stance: How urban elementary students connect sociocultural experiences in learning science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Upadhyay, Bhaskar; Maruyama, Geoffrey; Albrecht, Nancy

    2017-12-01

    In this interpretive case study, we draw from sociocultural theory of learning and culturally relevant pedagogy to understand how urban students from nondominant groups leverage their sociocultural experiences. These experiences allow them to gain an empowering voice in influencing science content and activities and to work towards self-determining the sciences that are personally meaningful. Furthermore, tying sociocultural experiences with science learning helps generate sociopolitical awareness among students. We collected interview and observation data in an urban elementary classroom over one academic year to understand the value of urban students' sociocultural experiences in learning science and choosing science activities.

  11. The "Tutorless" Design Studio: A Radical Experiment in Blended Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Glen Andrew

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes a pedagogical experiment in which a suite of novel blended learning strategies was used to replace the traditional role of design tutors in a first year architectural design studio. The pedagogical objectives, blended learning strategies and outcomes of the course are detailed. While the quality of the student design work…

  12. Zoology Students' Experiences of Collaborative Enquiry in Problem-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harland, Tony

    2002-01-01

    This paper presents an action-research case study that focuses on experiences of collaboration in a problem-based learning (PBL) course in Zoology. Our PBL model was developed as a research activity in partnership with a commercial organisation. Consequently, learning was grounded in genuine situations of practice in which a high degree of…

  13. 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...

  14. Evaluative research of a learning experience within the Secondary Education Teachers’ Training Master

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vicente CARRASCO EMBUENA

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper contributes the results of the evaluative research of a didactic experience contextualized within the Master on Secondary education Teachers’ Training, developed at the University of Alicante during the 2009-2010 year and related to the subject Curricular Design and Adaptation, which belongs to the general module. An active learning methodological proposal has been offered to guarantee the students’ motivation, to train them in competences and to help their learning process. what has been researched is the incidence these methodologies have on learning, from a subjective perception, through the analysis of the results of a questionnaire offered to two different groups of students, which gave their opinion about the class development and about what it has contributed to their own training. On the other hand, the students’ level of achievement has been objectively analyzed. In both cases, the results show important percentages of achievement success and a high degree of satisfaction towards the class activities and the learning carried out. In addition, some suggestions to improve this curricular proposal are also set out.

  15. Family experiences, the motivation for science learning and science ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Schulze, Salome

    Student Motivation for Science Learning questionnaire combined with items investigating family experiences. ... science achievement: inadequate school resources and weak household ..... informal interviews with the science teachers of the.

  16. Service learning in Guatemala: using qualitative content analysis to explore an interdisciplinary learning experience among students in health care professional programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fries, Kathleen S; Bowers, Donna M; Gross, Margo; Frost, Lenore

    2013-01-01

    Interprofessional collaboration among health care professionals yields improved patient outcomes, yet many students in health care programs have limited exposure to interprofessional collaboration in the classroom and in clinical and service-learning experiences. This practice gap implies that students enter their professions without valuing interprofessional collaboration and the impact it has on promoting positive patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to describe the interprofessional experiences of students in health care professional programs as they collaborated to provide health care to Guatemalan citizens over a 7-day period. In light of the identified practice gap and a commitment by college administration to fund interprofessional initiatives, faculty educators from nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy conducted a qualitative study to explore a service-learning initiative focused on promoting interprofessional collaboration. Students collaborated in triads (one student from each of the three disciplines) to provide supervised health care to underserved Guatemalan men, women, children, and infants across a variety of community and health care settings. Eighteen students participated in a qualitative research project by describing their experience of interprofessional collaboration in a service-learning environment. Twice before arriving in Guatemala, and on three occasions during the trip, participants reflected on their experiences and provided narrative responses to open-ended questions. Qualitative content analysis methodology was used to describe their experiences of interprofessional collaboration. An interprofessional service-learning experience positively affected students' learning, their growth in interprofessional collaboration, and their understanding and appreciation of health care professions besides their own. The experience also generated feelings of gratitude for the opportunity to be a member of an interprofessional

  17. Pre-learning stress differentially affects long-term memory for emotional words, depending on temporal proximity to the learning experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoladz, Phillip R; Clark, Brianne; Warnecke, Ashlee; Smith, Lindsay; Tabar, Jennifer; Talbot, Jeffery N

    2011-07-06

    Stress exerts a profound, yet complex, influence on learning and memory and can enhance, impair or have no effect on these processes. Here, we have examined how the administration of stress at different times before learning affects long-term (24-hr) memory for neutral and emotional information. Participants submerged their dominant hand into a bath of ice cold water (Stress) or into a bath of warm water (No stress) for 3 min. Either immediately (Exp. 1) or 30 min (Exp. 2) after the water bath manipulation, participants were presented with a list of 30 words varying in emotional valence. The next day, participants' memory for the word list was assessed via free recall and recognition tests. In both experiments, stressed participants exhibited greater blood pressure, salivary cortisol levels, and subjective pain and stress ratings than non-stressed participants in response to the water bath manipulation. Stress applied immediately prior to learning (Exp. 1) enhanced the recognition of positive words, while stress applied 30 min prior to learning (Exp. 2) impaired free recall of negative words. Participants' recognition of positive words in Experiment 1 was positively associated with their heart rate responses to the water bath manipulation, while participants' free recall of negative words in Experiment 2 was negatively associated with their blood pressure and cortisol responses to the water bath manipulation. These findings indicate that the differential effects of pre-learning stress on long-term memory may depend on the temporal proximity of the stressor to the learning experience and the emotional nature of the to-be-learned information. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Clinical Experience and Learning Style of Flight Nurse and Aeromedical Evacuation Technician Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Jong, Marla J; Dukes, Susan F; Dufour, Karey M; Mortimer, Darcy L

    2017-01-01

    The clinical experience and preferred learning style of U.S. Air Force flight nurses and aeromedical evacuation technicians are unknown. Using a cross-sectional survey design, we gathered data regarding the clinical experience, level of comfort providing clinical care, and preferred learning style of 77 active duty (AD), Air Force Reserve (AFR), and Air National Guard (ANG) nurses enrolled in the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Flight Nurse course, and 121 AD, AFR, and ANG medical technicians enrolled in the Aeromedical Evacuation Technician course. Nurses and medical technicians reported 7.6 ± 5.5 and 3.9 ± 4.5 yr of experience, respectively. AD, AFR, and ANG nurses had comparable years of experience: 5.8 ± 3.2, 8.3 ± 6.6, and 7.9 ± 4.2 yr, respectively; however, AD medical technicians had more years of experience (5.6 ± 4.4 yr) than AFR (3.1 ± 4.8 yr) and ANG (1.9 ± 2.8 yr) medical technicians. Both nurses and medical technicians reported infrequently caring for patients with various disease processes and managing equipment or devices that they will routinely encounter when transporting patients as an aeromedical evacuation clinician. Nurses and medical technicians preferred a kinesthetic learning style or a multimodal learning style that included kinesthetic learning. Nearly all (99%) nurses and 97% of medical technicians identified simulation as their preferred teaching method. These findings confirm faculty concerns regarding the clinical experience of flight nurse and aerospace evacuation technician students.De Jong MJ, Dukes SF, Dufour KM, Mortimer DL. Clinical experience and learning style of flight nurse and aeromedical evacuation technician students. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(1):23-29.

  19. Combining lived experience with the facilitation of enquiry-based learning: a 'trigger' for transformative learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stacey, G; Oxley, R; Aubeeluck, A

    2015-09-01

    What is known on the subject The values underpinning recovery-orientated practice are recited in the literature and influential in the content of mental health nurse education internationally. However, scepticism exists regarding the degree to which students' assimilate the principles of recovery into their practice due to the troublesome and challenging nature of learning at a transformational level, also known as threshold concept learning. Evaluation suggests that this combination of educational approaches positively influences students' prior understandings, beliefs and values in relation to the prospect for people with significant mental health problems to recover. The components of threshold concepts are useful as a deductive framework for the evaluation of educational initiatives which attempt to initiate transformative learning. While this forum clearly holds significant potential for student development, support and preparation is needed for both the student and the facilitator in order to enable the possibility of learning which influences attitudes, beliefs and practice. The aim of this paper is to discuss the potential for combining lived experience of mental distress with the facilitation of enquiry-based learning (EBL) to act as a trigger for transformative learning in the context of promoting the understanding of mental health 'recovery' in nurse education.The values underpinning recovery-orientated practice are recited in the literature and influential in mental health nurse education internationally. However, scepticism exists regarding the degree to which students assimilate into their practice. An open-ended was distributed to a cohort of pre-registration nursing students receiving the co-facilitated EBL (n = 112). Data demonstrated how the specific attributes of this educational approach were identified by students as impacting positively on ill-informed preconceptions, understanding of complex theory and their future practice. Results were

  20. Service learning in Guatemala: using qualitative content analysis to explore an interdisciplinary learning experience among students in health care professional programs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fries KS

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Kathleen S Fries,1 Donna M Bowers,2 Margo Gross,3 Lenore Frost31Nursing Program, 2Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Science, 3Graduate Program in Occupational Therapy, College of Health Professions, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT, USAIntroduction: Interprofessional collaboration among health care professionals yields improved patient outcomes, yet many students in health care programs have limited exposure to interprofessional collaboration in the classroom and in clinical and service-learning experiences. This practice gap implies that students enter their professions without valuing interprofessional collaboration and the impact it has on promoting positive patient outcomes.Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the interprofessional experiences of students in health care professional programs as they collaborated to provide health care to Guatemalan citizens over a 7-day period.Methods: In light of the identified practice gap and a commitment by college administration to fund interprofessional initiatives, faculty educators from nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy conducted a qualitative study to explore a service-learning initiative focused on promoting interprofessional collaboration. Students collaborated in triads (one student from each of the three disciplines to provide supervised health care to underserved Guatemalan men, women, children, and infants across a variety of community and health care settings. Eighteen students participated in a qualitative research project by describing their experience of interprofessional collaboration in a service-learning environment. Twice before arriving in Guatemala, and on three occasions during the trip, participants reflected on their experiences and provided narrative responses to open-ended questions. Qualitative content analysis methodology was used to describe their experiences of interprofessional collaboration.Results: An interprofessional service-learning

  1. An adaptive multi-agent memetic system for personalizing e-learning experiences

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Acampora, G.; Gaeta, M.; Munoz, E.; Vitiello, A.

    2011-01-01

    The rapid changes in modern knowledge, due to exponential growth of information sources, are complicating learners' activity. For this reason, novel approaches are necessary to obtain suitable learning solutions able to generate efficient, personalized and flexible learning experiences. From this

  2. Mathematical E-Learning: State of the Art and Experiences at the Open University of Catalonia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juan, A.; Huertas, A.; Steegmann, C.; Corcoles, C.; Serrat, C.

    2008-01-01

    In this article we present a review of the state of the art in mathematical e-learning and some personal experiences on this area developed during the last eleven years at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), a completely online university located in Spain. The article discusses important aspects related to online mathematics courses offered in…

  3. 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…

  4. Service-learning abroad: a life-changing experience for nursing students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawkins, Janice Evans; Vialet, Channel L

    2012-01-01

    Incorporating service-learning experiences into nursing education is one way to help prepare students for practice in a global, culturally diverse society. Partnering with a church with a long-term mission program in El Salvador offers the nursing school at Old Dominion University opportunity to develop a service-learning program and support healthcare missions.

  5. Family experiences, the motivation for science learning and science ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Schulze, Salome

    Student Motivation for Science Learning questionnaire combined with items investigating family experiences. The findings .... decisions and formulate behavioural goals for their ..... science achievement, making interpretation diffi- cult and ...

  6. International experience in the implementation of the lessons learned from the Three Mile Island incident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1983-08-01

    This document consists of two parts and an Appendix. Part I provides a summary of worldwide experiences and subsequent recommendations regarding the implementation of the Three Mile Island-Unit 2 incident lessons learned. Part II gives in a summary fashion, specific responses and actions of the mentioned countries and international organizations as categorized into ten (10) subject areas. The Appendix, on the other hand, contains examples of the experiences of Brazil, Germany (F.R.), Hungary, and the Philippines, on the implementation of TMI lessons learned. This document should be useful to countries with nuclear power development programmes in that it provides a means for comparison of their actions with others. For countries which are embarking on their first nuclear power project, the document should provide a useful reference for specific TMI-related issues that need to be considered in their nuclear programmes

  7. Do greater mouse-eared bats experience a trade-off between energy conservation and learning?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruczyński, Ireneusz; Clarin, Theresa M A; Siemers, Bjoern M

    2014-11-15

    Bats, some species of rodents and some birds are able to save energy during the summer period by decreasing their body temperature and falling into torpor. Some studies indicate that torpor prevents sleeping and causes effects similar to sleep deprivation. Impairment of processes stabilizing memory slows down learning accuracy and speed. We conducted two experiments to test whether greater mouse-eared bats, Myotis myotis, which commonly use torpor during the summer period, experience a trade-off between energy savings and learning abilities. We compared learning speed and accuracy in bats that were exposed to low (7°C) and higher ambient temperatures (22°C) between training and experimental sessions. Tests were conducted in experiments with food reward (food search) and without food reward (perch search). Time spent with the skin temperature above 30°C was significantly longer for bats exposed to 22°C than for those exposed to 7°C, and longer in experiments with food reward than without food reward. We observed only a very weak tendency for better accuracy and shorter search times in bats exposed to 22°C than in those exposed to 7°C. Our data indicate that memory consolidation of bats under natural conditions is not affected by daily torpor when bats are in good condition and may therefore defend against a rapid fall into torpor. We suggest that homeostatic processes connected with the circadian rhythm allow protection of the consolidation of memory for relatively simple tasks despite time spent in torpor. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  8. Sequencing learning experiences to engage different level learners in the workplace: An interview study with excellent clinical teachers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, H Carrie; O'Sullivan, Patricia; Teherani, Arianne; Fogh, Shannon; Kobashi, Brent; ten Cate, Olle

    2015-01-01

    Learning in the clinical workplace can appear to rely on opportunistic teaching. The cognitive apprenticeship model describes assigning tasks based on learner rather than just workplace needs. This study aimed to determine how excellent clinical teachers select clinical learning experiences to support the workplace participation and development of different level learners. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with medical school faculty identified as excellent clinical teachers teaching multiple levels of learners. We explored their approach to teach different level learners and their perceived role in promoting learner development. We performed thematic analysis of the interview transcripts using open and axial coding. We interviewed 19 clinical teachers and identified three themes related to their teaching approach: sequencing of learning experiences, selection of learning activities and teacher responsibilities. All teachers used sequencing as a teaching strategy by varying content, complexity and expectations by learner level. The teachers initially selected learning activities based on learner level and adjusted for individual competencies over time. They identified teacher responsibilities for learner education and patient safety, and used sequencing to promote both. Excellent clinical teachers described strategies for matching available learning opportunities to learners' developmental levels to safely engage learners and improve learning in the clinical workplace.

  9. Is that really my movement? - Students' experiences of a video-supported interactive learning model for movement awareness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Backåberg, Sofia; Gummesson, Christina; Brunt, David; Rask, Mikael

    2015-01-01

    Healthcare staff and students have a great risk of developing musculoskeletal symptoms. One cause of this is heavy load related work activities such as manual handling, in which the quality of individual work technique may play a major role. Preventive interventions and well-defined educational strategies to support movement awareness and long-lasting movement changes need to be developed. The aim of the present study was to explore nursing students' experiences of a newly developed interactive learning model for movement awareness. The learning model, which is based on a life-world perspective with focus on interpersonal interaction, has been used with 11 undergraduate students from the second and final year. Each student participated in three individual video sessions with a facilitator. Two individual interviews were carried out with each student during the learning process and one interview 12-18 months after the last session. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and a phenomenological hermeneutic method inspired by Paul Ricoeur and described by Lindseth and Norberg was used to interpret the interviews and diary notes. The interpretation resulted in three key themes and nine subthemes. The key themes were; "Obtaining better preconditions for bodily awareness," "Experiencing changes in one's own movement," and "Experiencing challenges in the learning process." The interactive learning model entails a powerful and challenging experience that develops movement awareness. The experience of meaningfulness and usefulness emerges increasingly and alternates with a feeling of discomfort. The learning model may contribute to the body of knowledge of well-defined educational strategies in movement awareness and learning in, for example, preventive interventions and ergonomic education. It may also be valuable in other practical learning situations where movement awareness is required.

  10. Leading and Learning as a Transcultural Experience: A Visual Account

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schratz, Michael

    2009-01-01

    Leaving one's own territory in research by taking part in an international project is like learning a new language: it's not just learning a new vocabulary and grammar, but is a total human experience which is best learnt in everyday activity. Social scientists like Jean Lave argued that "knowledge-in-practice, constituted in the settings of…

  11. Experience and learning in the workplace : conscious thinking about work and the self

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Dellen, Teije

    2015-01-01

    Abstract In this article the question is raised what students in adult, in particular workplace, learning need to know and understand at least about the theory and practice of experience and learning of adults and moreover why they need to learn it. So contemporary adult learning theory is discussed

  12. Norwegian Nurses’ Experiences with Blended Learning: An Evaluation Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edda Johansen

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available An increasing number of nurses undertake continuing education via information and communication technologies. Development of best practice, based on students’ own experiences, is vital in order to create the most effective learning environment. This paper describes the challenges to and facilitators of learning for a group of Norwegian nurses enrolled in a postgraduate course in wound management delivered by blended learning, which combines face-to-face and online components. Data was gathered through a focus group interview and inductive content analysis was used to identify themes emerging from the data. A number of both personal and academic facilitators, and challenges impacted on these adult learners. Technical and academic problems combined with a lack of time created a steep learning curve for these adult students. Valuable feedback, IT support at home and an increased competence eventually gave them a foundation for lifelong learning. Blended learning is an important way to offer postgraduate courses to give adults access to continuing educational programmes independent of geographical location. Both academic and personal challenges and facilitators should be taken into account when educators design blended learning courses in order to facilitate an effective learning environment for adults through the best blend of face-to-face and online learning.

  13. Exploring Teachers' Blended Learning Experiences in a Rural Alabama High School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Aslean Madison

    2017-01-01

    The use of blended learning is fast becoming a practice used in public schools to address 21st century learning challenges. However, despite the growing use of instructional delivery models that blend online learning platforms with traditional instruction in brick and mortar classrooms, little is known about teachers' experiences with the…

  14. Undergraduate Political Communication in Action: Volunteer Experiences in a Situated Learning Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brubaker, Jennifer

    2011-01-01

    In many college classes, students spend their time learning about the theories from the linear logic of a textbook. However, true learning occurs when these theories are integrated with hands-on authentic experiences. Situated learning courses are designed to bridge the gap between the theoretical and the authentic. Students apply classroom…

  15. Subtitles and language learning principles, strategies and practical experiences

    CERN Document Server

    Mariotti, Cristina; Caimi, Annamaria

    2014-01-01

    The articles collected in this publication combine diachronic and synchronic research with the description of updated teaching experiences showing the educational role of subtitled audiovisuals in various foreign language learning settings.

  16. International academic service learning: lessons learned from students' travel experiences of diverse cultural and health care practices in morocco.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaddoura, Mahmoud; Puri, Aditi; Dominick, Christine A

    2014-01-01

    Academic service learning (ASL) is an active teaching-learning approach to engage students in meaningful hands-on activities to serve community-based needs. Nine health professions students from a private college and a private university in the northeastern United States volunteered to participate in an ASL trip to Morocco. The participants were interviewed to reflect on their experiences. This article discusses the lessons learned from students' ASL experiences regarding integrating ASL into educational programs. The authors recommend a paradigm shift in nursing and dental hygiene curricula to appreciate diversity and promote cultural competency, multidisciplinary teamwork, and ethics-based education. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

  17. Investigating the experience: A case study of a science professional development program based on Kolb's experiential learning model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Brian L.

    Professional development for educators has been defined as the process or processes by which teachers achieve higher levels of professional competence and expand their understanding of self, role, context and career (Duke and Stiggins, 1990). Currently, there is limited research literature that examines the effect a professional development course, which uses David Kolb's experiential learning model, has on the professional growth and teaching practice of middle school science teachers. The purpose of this interpretive case study is to investigate how three science teachers who participated in the Rivers to Reef professional development course interpreted the learning experience and integrated the experience into their teaching practice. The questions guiding this research are (1) What is the relationship between a professional development course that uses an experiential learning model and science teaching practice? (2) How do the Rivers to Reef participants reflect on and describe the course as a professional growth experience? The creation of the professional development course and the framework for the study were established using David Kolb's (1975) experiential learning theory and the reflection process model designed by David Boud (1985). The participants in the study are three middle school science teachers from schools representing varied settings and socioeconomic levels in the southeastern United States. Data collected used the three-interview series interview format designed by Dolbere and Schuman (Seidman, 1998). Data was analyzed for the identification of common categories related to impact on science teaching practice and professional growth. The major finding of this study indicates the years of teaching experience of middle school science teachers significantly influences how they approach professional development, what and how they learn from the experience, and the ways in which the experience influences their teaching practices.

  18. A qualitative study of physicians' experiences with online learning in a masters degree program: benefits, challenges, and proposed solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyrbye, Liselotte; Cumyn, Annabelle; Day, Hollis; Heflin, Mitchell

    2009-02-01

    In response to challenges to faculty development (e.g. time away from clinical, teaching, and other responsibilities; lack of mentors; and limited resources) online learning has become an important venue to provide education for physicians in curriculum development, instruction, assessment, evaluation, educational leadership, and education scholarship. Online learning however has its own unique challenges. Little is known about clinician-educators' experiences while participating in online programs and few studies have focused on their approaches to facilitate online learning. To explore the experiences of physicians pursuing a degree in higher education with online learning, including motivations for choosing this format, barriers encountered, and ideas for facilitating learning in the online environment. All students (n = 71) enrolled in online courses in the University of Illinois at Chicago Masters of Health Profession Education Program were surveyed in the spring of 2006. Responses were analysed using a qualitative approach. Of the 48 students who completed the survey (response rate 68%) 45 (94%) were physicians. The online format is convenient, flexible, and may be beneficial for learning. Students' responses raise issues inherent to online learning that must be addressed to optimize student-centered learning. These issues relate to: clarity of communication; difficulties in negotiating team work and in building relationships; technical demands; learning style preferences, and time commitment. Students provided recommendations for strategies to address these issues such as how to communicate clearly, facilitate teamwork, and optimize time management. Member checking supported the analysis. Online education programs meet the needs of physicians but have associated challenges. Further research is needed to explore the potential value of student suggested ways to optimize the online learning experience.

  19. The Experience of Contrasting Learning Styles, Learning Preferences, and Personality Types in the Community College English Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrence, William K.

    2014-01-01

    This study focuses on the classroom experiences of students who identify themselves as learning best as reflective-observers (Assimilators) in contrast to those who learn best as active- experimenters (Accommodators), with additional consideration for their self-identified personality type (introvert vs. extrovert) as well as one of the VARK…

  20. Job-demand for learning and job-related learning: the mediating effect of job performance improvement initiatives

    OpenAIRE

    Loon, M; Bartram, T

    2007-01-01

    This study examined whether job-performance-improvementinitiatives mediate the relationship between individuals’ job-demand for learning and job-related learning. Data were obtained from 115 full-time\\ud employees in a diverse range of occupations. A partial least squares analysis revealed that job-performance-improvement-initiatives mediate partially the effects of job-demand for learning on job-related learning. Several implications\\ud for future research and policy are drawn from the findi...

  1. Early Foundations for Mathematics Learning and Their Relations to Learning Disabilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geary, David C

    2013-02-01

    Children's quantitative competencies upon entry into school can have lifelong consequences. Children who start behind generally stay behind, and mathematical skills at school completion influence employment prospects and wages in adulthood. I review the current debate over whether early quantitative learning is supported by (a) an inherent system for representing approximate magnitudes, (b) an attentional-control system that enables explicit processing of quantitative symbols, such as Arabic numerals, or (c) the logical problem-solving abilities that facilitate learning of the relations among numerals. Studies of children with mathematical learning disabilities and difficulties have suggested that each of these competencies may be involved, but to different degrees and at different points in the learning process. Clarifying how and when these competencies facilitate early quantitative learning and developing interventions to address their impact on children have the potential to yield substantial benefits for individuals and for society.

  2. Development and examination of the psychometric properties of the Learning Experience Scale in nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takase, Miyuki; Imai, Takiko; Uemura, Chizuru

    2016-06-01

    This paper examines the psychometric properties of the Learning Experience Scale. A survey method was used to collect data from a total of 502 nurses. Data were analyzed by factor analysis and the known-groups technique to examine the construct validity of the scale. In addition, internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha, and stability was examined by test-retest correlation. Factor analysis showed that the Learning Experience Scale consisted of five factors: learning from practice, others, training, feedback, and reflection. The scale also had the power to discriminate between nurses with high and low levels of nursing competence. The internal consistency and the stability of the scale were also acceptable. The Learning Experience Scale is a valid and reliable instrument, and helps organizations to effectively design learning interventions for nurses. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  3. Influence of Teachers' Teaching Experience on Students' Learning ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    cce

    Items 1 - 6 ... should encourage experienced teachers to stay on the job through the provision of incentives .... sampling technique. The instrument used to collect data was an inventory titled 'secondary schools teachers' teaching experience and students' learning .... Source: Statistics Division, Ministry of Education, Akure.

  4. Enhancing Student Success in Online Learning Experiences through the Use of Self-Regulation Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharp, Laurie A.; Sharp, Jason H.

    2016-01-01

    Online learning experiences have greatly changed the landscape of instruction. Many courses in postsecondary environments incorporate some type of technological enhancement, which holds benefits for both postsecondary institutions and learners. However, online learning experiences require different pedagogical characteristics than traditional…

  5. Sampling Memories: Using Hip-Hop Aesthetics to Learn from Urban Schooling Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petchauer, Emery

    2012-01-01

    This article theorizes and charts the implementation of a learning activity designed from the hip-hop aesthetic of sampling. The purpose of this learning activity was to enable recent urban school graduates to reflect upon their previous schooling experiences as a platform for future learning in higher education. This article illustrates what…

  6. 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.

  7. Employability and work-related learning activities in higher education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Magnell, Marie; Kolmos, Anette

    2017-01-01

    The focus of this paper is on how academic staff perceive their roles and responsibilities regarding work-related learning, and how they approach and implement work-related learning activities in curricula across academic environments in higher education. The study is based on case studies...

  8. Learned Helplessness in High School Students Following Experience of Noncontingent Rewards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buys, Nicholas J.; Winefield, Anthony H.

    1982-01-01

    Compared high-school students differing in achievement motivation in a learned helplessness experiment. A strong helplessness effect was observed in both high- and low-achievement motivation groups. Results show a strong learned helplessness effect unrelated to individual differences in achievement motivation and refute claims that helplessness…

  9. Relational Analysis of High School Students' Cognitive Self-Regulated Learning Strategies and Conceptions of Learning Biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadi, Özlem

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyze the relation between students' cognitive learning strategies and conceptions of learning biology. The two scales, "Cognitive Learning Strategies" and "Conceptions of Learning Biology", were revised and adapted to biology in order to measure the students' learning strategies and…

  10. Predict-share-observe-explain learning activity for the Torricelli's tank experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panich, Charunya; Puttharugsa, Chokchai; Khemmani, Supitch

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to study the students' scientific concept and achievement on fluid mechanics before and after the predict-share-observe-explain (PSOE) learning activity for the Torricelli's tank experiment. The 24 participants, who were selected by purposive sampling, were students at grade 12 at Nannakorn School, Nan province. A one group pre-test/post-test design was employed in the study. The research instruments were 1) the lesson plans using the PSOE learning activity and 2) two-tier multiple choice question and subjective tests. The results indicated that students had better scientific concept about Torricelli's tank experiment and the post-test mean score was significantly higher than the pre-test mean score at a 0.05 level of significance. Moreover, the students had retention of knowledge after the PSOE learning activity for 4 weeks at a 0.05 level of significance. The study showed that the PSOE learning activity is suitable for developing students' scientific concept and achievement.

  11. Exploring Nursing Students' Experiences of Learning Using Phenomenography: A Literature Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barry, Sinead; Ward, Louise; Walter, Ruby

    2017-10-01

    The purpose of this extensive international and national literature review was to explore how phenomenography identifies nursing students' experiences of learning within preregistration (or prelicensure) nursing education. Data were collected utilizing a comprehensive search of electronic databases. Full text, peer-reviewed, and scholarly articles published in English using the search terms phenomengraph*, nurs*, student, education, and learning were reviewed. Two discreet themes emerged exploring students' experiences of learning within preregistration nursing education: (a) Phenomenography was a beneficial method to expose variation in students' understandings of a challenging concept or topic and (b) phenomenography was beneficial to evaluate teaching methods in attempt to improve student learning of challenging and complex concepts. On the basis of these findings, future research utilizing phenomenography within nursing education has potential to uncover variation in students' understandings of mental health, with future consideration of implications to nursing curriculum design and development. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(10):591-598.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

  12. Learning, Work, and Language Games

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weber, Kirsten

    2013-01-01

    The article provides an example of psycho-societal analysis of work related learning. Initially a conceptual framework of learning and life experience is established drawing on Alfred Lorenzer and Oskar Negt, and the interactional development of psychoanalysis. A case of learning experience from...... process, which is related to a career shift enforced by labor market transition requiring male workers to retrain for a social work profession which used to be female, and more widely to a reconfiguration of the societal relation between work and gender. The final section discusses the methodological...... framework for analyzing learning processes by means of interpreting language use. The notion of language game connects the level of unconscious social engagements and level of formal learning and knowledge, and the opportunity for a deeper understanding of professional learning and identity is indicated...

  13. Solar cost reduction through technical improvements: the concepts of learning and experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krawiec, F.; Flaim, T.

    1979-10-01

    The concepts of learning and experience are reviewed and their usefulness for predicting the future costs of solar technologies are evaluated. The literature review indicated that the cost estimates for solar energy technologies are typically made assuming a fixed production process, characterized by standard capacity factors, overhead, and labor costs. The learning curve is suggested as a generalization of the costs of potential solar energy systems. The concept of experience is too ambiguous to be useful for cost estimation. There is no logical reason to believe that costs will decline purely as a function of cumulative production, and experience curves do not allow the analyst to identify logical sources of cost reduction directly. The procedures for using learning and aggregated cost curves to estimate the costs of solar technologies are outlined. It is recommended that production histories of analogous products and processes are analyzed and the learning and cost curves for these surrogates are estimated. These curves, if judged applicable, can be used to predict the cost reductions in manufacturing solar energy technologies.

  14. Challenges in relation to assessment of prior learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wahlgren, Bjarne; Aarkrog, Vibe

    2013-01-01

    The paper deals about preliminary results from an on-going project: “From unskilled worker to skilled worker in record time”. The aim of the project is to qualify unskilled workers for skilled positions in record time by drafting up a plan for the training based on assessment of the students’ (the....... Observations and or with the students about the students’ workplace based experiences and learning and 2. Drafting up an individual study plan based on the individual student’s prior learning....

  15. Influence of Teachers' Teaching Experience on Students' Learning ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article examined teachers' teaching experience and students' learning outcomes in the secondary schools in Ondo State Nigeria. As a correlational survey, the study population comprised all the 257 secondary schools that presented students for the year 2003 senior secondary certificate (SSC) examinations in the ...

  16. Lessening Sensitivity: Student Experiences of Teaching and Learning Sensitive Issues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowe, Pam

    2015-01-01

    Despite growing interest in learning and teaching as emotional activities, there is still very little research on experiences of sensitive issues. Using qualitative data from students from a range of social science disciplines, this study investigates student's experiences. The paper highlights how, although they found it difficult and distressing…

  17. Finance Students' Experiences of Lecture-Based Active Learning Tasks

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCullough, Kerry; Munro, Nicholas

    2018-01-01

    Consistent with current higher education concerns with student engagement and the student experience, this study explored third-year undergraduate Finance students' experiences of lecture-based active learning tasks. Finance students from the 2012 and 2014 cohorts from a South African university were invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire…

  18. Posthuman learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hasse, Cathrine

    This book shall explore the concept of learning from the new perspective of the posthuman. The vast majority of cognitive, behavioral and part of the constructionist learning theories operate with an autonomous individual who learn in a world of separate objects. Technology is (if mentioned at all......) understood as separate from the individual learner and perceived as tools. Learning theory has in general not been acknowledging materiality in their theorizing about what learning is. A new posthuman learning theory is needed to keep up with the transformations of human learning resulting from new...... technological experiences. One definition of learning is that it is a relatively permanent change in behavior as the result of experience. During the first half of the twentieth century, two theoretical approaches dominated the domain of learning theory: the schools of thought commonly known as behaviorism...

  19. Collaborative learning environments and collective creation in 3 weeks bside project experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Javier Rodríguez Sánchez

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available This  paper proposes  a  socio-critical review  and  reflection  related to collaborative learning environment as pedagogical agent and its relationship with artistic-practice communities of collective creativity. The main goal of this research is to introduce the case study 3 weeks bside project experience (3WBPE, from now on. Through participatory action research and the analysis of different concepts and their practical and theoretical aspects. In the framework of an education self-manage- ment development universe, the project pro- cess is based on a collaborative learning. It is focused on the constructions of a common discourse about the idea of territory that is represented in a publication and site specific exhibition. 3WBPE allowed setting up stanc- es that suggest a social interaction transfer related to construction of belong, participa- tion and transformation environment, ques- tion a teacher role or collective creation of a project, emphasizing the importance of pro- cess as a goal, beyond of culture artifact pro- ductions. It was dealt with dialog structures, where a social harmony supposed a personal and common reflection space about author’s stance, nigh socio-culture environments and the bond within the education, arts and visu- al culture focused in the horizontal and flexi- ble work capacity, that proposes a collabora- tive learning environment settings.

  20. Proactive Review – learn from experience to improve bottom line

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kolbæk, Ditte

    2016-01-01

    This article aims to provide a theoretically based and proven educational design for lessons learned. Called a Proactive Review, this educational design is exemplified in a case study of a global information technology company classified as big business, where Proactive Reviews were developed...... and implemented in over 40 countries. This article explores how employees who solve a task together can learn from the experience and share this learning with relevant colleagues to improve work practices, services, and/or products. This article describes the format of Proactive Reviews, suggestions for starting...

  1. Improve Business Results by Learning from Experience in Proactive Reviews

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kolbæk, Ditte

    2018-01-01

    This article aims to provide a theoretically based and proven educational design for lessons learned. Called a Proactive Review, this educational design is exemplified in a case study of a global information technology company classified as big business, where Proactive Reviews were developed...... and implemented in over 40 countries. This article explores how employees who solve a task together can learn from the experience and share this learning with relevant colleagues to improve work practices, services, and/or products. This article describes the format of Proactive Reviews, suggestions for starting...

  2. Group work as an incentive for learning – students’ experiences of group work

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva eHammar Chiriac

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Group work is used as a means for learning at all levels in educational systems. There is strong scientific support for the benefits of having students learning and working in groups. Nevertheless, studies about what occurs in groups during group work and which factors actually influence the students’ ability to learn is still lacking. Likewise, the question of why some group work is successful and other work results in the opposite is still unsolved. The aim of this article is to add to the current level of knowledge and understandings regarding the essence behind successful group work in higher education. This research is focused on the students’ experiences of group work and learning in groups, which is an almost non-existing aspect of research on group work prior to the beginning of the 21st century. A primary aim is to give university students a voice in the matter by elucidating the students’ positive and negative points of view and how the students assess learning when working in groups. Furthermore, the students’ explanations of why some group work ends up being a positive experience resulting in successful learning, while in other cases, the result is the reverse, are of interest. Data were collected through a study-specific questionnaire, with multiple choice and open-ended questions. The questionnaires were distributed to students in different study programs at two universities in Sweden. The present result is based on a reanalysis and qualitative analysis formed a key part of the study. The results indicate that most of the students’ experiences involved group work that facilitated learning, especially in the area of academic knowledge. Three important prerequisites (learning, study-social function and organization for group work that served as an effective pedagogy and as an incentive for learning were identified and discussed. All three abstractions facilitate or hamper students’ learning, as well as impact their

  3. Group work as an incentive for learning – students’ experiences of group work

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammar Chiriac, Eva

    2014-01-01

    Group work is used as a means for learning at all levels in educational systems. There is strong scientific support for the benefits of having students learning and working in groups. Nevertheless, studies about what occurs in groups during group work and which factors actually influence the students’ ability to learn is still lacking. Similarly, the question of why some group work is successful and other group work results in the opposite is still unsolved. The aim of this article is to add to the current level of knowledge and understandings regarding the essence behind successful group work in higher education. This research is focused on the students’ experiences of group work and learning in groups, which is an almost non-existing aspect of research on group work prior to the beginning of the 21st century. A primary aim is to give university students a voice in the matter by elucidating the students’ positive and negative points of view and how the students assess learning when working in groups. Furthermore, the students’ explanations of why some group work ends up being a positive experience resulting in successful learning, while in other cases, the result is the reverse, are of interest. Data were collected through a study-specific questionnaire, with multiple choice and open-ended questions. The questionnaires were distributed to students in different study programs at two universities in Sweden. The present result is based on a reanalysis and qualitative analysis formed a key part of the study. The results indicate that most of the students’ experiences involved group work that facilitated learning, especially in the area of academic knowledge. Three important prerequisites (learning, study-social function, and organization) for group work that served as an effective pedagogy and as an incentive for learning were identified and discussed. All three abstractions facilitate or hamper students’ learning, as well as impact their experiences with

  4. Bilateral Benefits: Student Experiences of Work-Based Learning during Work Placement

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Donovan, Dermot

    2018-01-01

    This article explores the varied learning experiences among third-year students undertaking a structured work placement module in the furniture and wood manufacturing industries. Using situated learning theory, the article considers the outcomes of in-depth interviews with 10 students and offers an insight into the multifaceted interactions…

  5. A descriptive study of registered nurses' experiences with web-based learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atack, Lynda; Rankin, James

    2002-11-01

    To describe the experiences of registered nurses (RNs) who enrolled in a web-based course from either their home or the workplace. In order to maintain competency in rapidly changing health care systems, and meet the challenge of overcoming traditional barriers to continuing education, RNs need access to innovative educational delivery methods. As yet, little is known about the web-based learners' experience, particularly when courses are accessed from the nursing practice setting. The article focuses on the results from questionnaires conducted with 57 RNs enrolled in a web-based, postdiploma course. These findings emanate from a larger study using survey method and focus group interviews. Nurses' experiences were measured using the Online Learner Support Instrument which was developed and tested for use in the study. Most nurses found the course highly satisfactory. Not all experiences were positive however, and a number of challenges were faced. Access to the course from home was reported as very satisfactory for the majority, while work users encountered a number of serious barriers such as insufficient time and limited computer access. The RNs made significant gains in their learning with e-mail, Internet, keyboarding and word processing skills during the 16-week course. Lack of computer skills, erroneous perceptions of course workload and inadequate preparation for web learning were largely responsible for the majority of withdrawals. Web-based learning can be an effective mode of delivery for nursing education. Advance preparation by educational institutions, employers and prospective students is essential. Teachers, peers, technology, course design and the learning environment are key variables that influence the learners' experience and success.

  6. Learning by experience on the example of mathematic pendulum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horváth, Peter

    2017-01-01

    The very suitable topic for independent student activities is the investigation of factors influencing an oscillation period of the mathematic pendulum. The article describes the experience from particular lessons. Students themselves were discovering new facts. They learned about the physics practice of acquiring new knowledge. The knowledge quality and retention was compared between the experimental classes and classes with a traditional instruction one year after the experiment.

  7. Peer learning partnerships: exploring the experience of pre-registration nursing students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christiansen, Angela; Bell, Amelia

    2010-03-01

    This paper explores the impact of a peer learning initiative developed to facilitate, purposefully, mutually supportive learning relationships between student nurses in the practice setting. Finding effective strategies to support learning in the practice setting has been the focus of professional concern for a considerable time. In the UK clinical mentorship is seen as pivotal to ensuring fitness to practice; however, recent debate on the nature of learning has revealed the clinical workplace as a rich learning environment where learning occurs not only through hierarchical relationships, but also from a network of peer relationships. Formalising peer relationships through peer assisted learning is increasingly suggested as a strategy to support workplace learning and support novice students' transition to the clinical setting. Despite the developing literature in this field there is limited understanding about how students experience facilitated peer relationships. An interpretive qualitative design. Focus group interviews were used to collect interactive and situated discourse from nursing students who had recently participated in peer learning partnerships (n = 54). Narrative data were analysed thematically. Findings suggest that active support from a fellow student reduced the feelings of social isolation experienced by novice students in initial clinical placements, helping them to deal more effectively with the challenges faced and reducing the factors that have an impact on attrition. In addition, the reciprocity of the peer learning partnerships facilitated understanding of mentorship and created a heightened sense of readiness for registration and professional practice. Peer learning partnerships facilitated by mentors in clinical practice can support the transition to nursing for first year students and can help more experienced students gain a confidence and a heightened readiness for mentorship and registered practice. Facilitated peer learning

  8. Career development learning in higher education: how authentic work experiences and opportunities for career exploration canincrease self-efficacy and inform career identity

    OpenAIRE

    Benton, Paula

    2015-01-01

    A recent study suggests that enhancing career development is a key motivator for students entering university (Kandiko & Mawer, 2013). This article discusses the place of career development learning within the ‘employability’ agenda. It draws upon on social learning and constructivist theories of career development in a qualitative case study exploring undergraduate students’ experiences of placements in relation to their career development learning and employability. Findings suggest signifi...

  9. Learning in Organizations - an Object Relations Perspective

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Anders Siig

    Learning in organizations – an object relations perspective As a researcher with a primary interest in the study of learning environments in organizations I have conducted a number of empirical research projects primarily concerning work places in the state sector. The aim of the research has been...... of organizations as learning environments for the employees. Theoretically I draw on object relations theory. Within this tradition the theoretical point of departure is twofold: the study of work conditions in hospitals carried out by Menzies (1975) and Hinschelwood & Skogstad (2000). With regard to the first...... positive and negative impact do they have with respect to the staff itself? With regard to Hinschelwood & Skogstad (2000) they are introduced to further develop and contrast Menzies’ theoretical ideas. Instead of only emphasizing the connection between the work organization and the defence techniques...

  10. Medical students' preferences for problem-based learning in relation to culture and personality: a multicultural study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holen, Are; Manandhar, Kedar; Pant, Devendra S; Karmacharya, Biraj M; Olson, Linda M; Koju, Rajendra; Mansur, Dil I

    2015-07-19

    The aim of this study was to explore positive and negative preferences towards problem-based learning in relation to personality traits and socio-cultural context. The study was an anonymous and voluntary cross-sectional survey of medical students (N=449) in hybrid problem-based curricula in Nepal, Norway and North Dakota. Data was collected on gender, age, year of study, cohabitation and medical school. The PBL Preference Inventory identified students' positive and negative preferences in relation to problem-based learning; the personality traits were detected by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. The determinants of the two kinds of preferences were analyzed by hierarchical multiple linear regressions. Positive preferences were mostly determined by personality; associations were found with the traits Extra-version, Openness to experience, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism; the first three are related to sociability, curiosity and orderliness, the last, to mental health. The learn-ing environments of such curricula may be supportive for some and unnerving for others who score high on Neuroticism. Negative preferences were rather determined by culture, but also, they correlated with Neuroticism and Conscientiousness. Negative preferences were lower among females and students living in symmetrical relationships. Some high on Conscientiousness disliked group work, and the negative correlation with Agreeableness indicated that less sociable students were not predisposed to this kind of learning activity. Preferences related to problem-based learning were significantly and independently determined both by personality traits and culture. More insights into the nature of students' preferences may guide aspects of curriculum modifications and the daily facilitation of groups.

  11. Expansive learning in the university setting: the case for simulated clinical experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haigh, Jacquelyn

    2007-03-01

    This paper argues that simulated practice in the university setting is not just a second best to learning in the clinical area but one which offers the potential for deliberation and deep learning [Eraut, M., 2000. Non-formal learning, implicit learning and tacit knowledge in professional work. Journal of Educational Psychology, 70, 113-136]. The context of student learning in an undergraduate midwifery programme is analysed using human activity theory [Engeström, Y., 2001. Expansive learning at work: toward an activity theoretical reconceptualization. Journal of Education and Work, 14, 133-156]. The advantages of this approach to student learning as opposed to situated learning theory and the concept of legitimate peripheral participation [Lave, J., Wenger, E., 1991. Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge University Press, New York] are discussed. An activity system changes as a result of contradictions and tensions between what it purports to produce and the views of stakeholders (multi-voicedness) as well as its historical context (Historicity of activity). A focus group with students highlights their expressed need for more simulated practice experience. The views of midwifery lecturers are sought as an alternative voice on this tension in the current programme. Qualitative differences in types of simulated experience are explored and concerns about resources are raised in the analysis. Discussion considers the value of well planned simulations in encouraging the expression of tacit understanding through a group deliberative learning process [Eraut, M., 2000. Non-formal learning, implicit learning and tacit knowledge in professional work. Journal of Educational Psychology, 70, 113-136].

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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

  13. The Influence of Learning Management Technology to Student’s Learning Outcome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taufiq Lilo Adi Sucipto

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The study examines the influence of learning management systems to the implementation of flipped classroom model in a vocational school in Indonesia. The flipped classroom is a relatively new educational model that inverts students’ time to study on lectures and time spent on homework. Despite studies have been conducted on the model, few addressed the impact of the use of a learning management system to the performance of students involved in such learning model particularly within Indonesian educational systems context. A quasi-experiment approach was applied to an experiment class and another control class. Upon the analysis, the results emphasized previously held research outcomes. The use of Edmodo learning management systems enhances students’ performance in the experiment class, relative to those of the control class.     Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

  14. Impact of Service-Learning Experiences in Culinary Arts and Nutrition Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daugherty, Jamie B.

    2015-01-01

    A grant from a regional nonprofit organization for the 2012-2013 academic year facilitated the revision of an existing course learning objective in a Culinary Nutrition lab course--performing effective culinary demonstrations--to include a service-learning experience. This course is a graduation requirement in a research- and science-based…

  15. Factors Impacting Students' Online Learning Experience in a Learner-Centred Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Y.

    2016-01-01

    Technologies bring a new era of content presentation for online teaching and learning. With more instructors adopting new tools to design online teaching materials, students are often put into learning contexts with certain new design components. Assessing learner experience and outcome in these contexts is challenging because of the complexity…

  16. Collaborative learning in gerontological clinical settings: The students' perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suikkala, Arja; Kivelä, Eeva; Käyhkö, Pirjo

    2016-03-01

    This study deals with student nurses' experiences of collaborative learning in gerontological clinical settings where aged people are involved as age-experts in students' learning processes. The data were collected in 2012 using the contents of students' reflective writing assignments concerning elderly persons' life history interviews and the students' own assessments of their learning experiences in authentic elder care settings. The results, analyzed using qualitative content analysis, revealed mostly positive learning experiences. Interaction and collaborative learning activities in genuine gerontological clinical settings contributed to the students' understanding of the multiple age-related and disease-specific challenges as well as the issues of functional decline that aged patients face. Three types of factors influenced the students' collaborative learning experiences in gerontological clinical settings: student-related, patient-related and learning environment-related factors. According to the results, theoretical studies in combination with collaboration, in an authentic clinical environment, by student nurses, elderly patients, representatives of the elder care staff and nurse educators provide a feasible method for helping students transform their experiences with patients into actual skills. Their awareness of and sensitivity to the needs of the elderly increase as they learn. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Using ICT at an Open Distance Learning (ODL) Institution in South Africa: The Learning Experiences of Students with Visual Impairments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokiwa, S. A.; Phasha, T. N.

    2012-01-01

    For students with visual impairments, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an important means through which they can learn and access learning materials at various levels of education. However, their learning experiences in using such form of technologies have been rarely documented, thus suggests society's lack of…

  18. Is the learning value of workplace-based assessment being realised? A qualitative study of trainer and trainee perceptions and experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrett, Aileen; Galvin, Rose; Scherpbier, Albert J J A; Teunissen, Pim W; O'Shaughnessy, Ann; Horgan, Mary

    2017-03-01

    Workplace-based assessments (WBAs) were originally intended to inform learning and development by structuring effective observation-based feedback. The success of this innovation has not yet been established due in part to the widely varied tools, implementation strategies and research approaches. Using a conceptual framework of experience, trajectories and reifications in workplace learning, we aimed to explore trainer and trainee experiences and perceptions of the learning value of WBAs. Trainers and trainees who had used at least one WBA in the previous year were invited to participate in semistructured interviews for this phenomenological study. We used a template analysis method to explore and compare the experiences of the two groups, using the emergent themes to develop an understanding of the impact of these experiences on perceptions of learning value. Nine trainers and eight trainees participated in the study. Common themes emerged among the two groups around issues of responsibility and engagement along with (mis)understandings of the purpose of the individual tools. Trainer-specific themes emerged related to the concurrent implementation of a new e-portfolio and perceptions of increased workload. Trainees associated WBA with a training structure support value but could not translate experiences into learning values. WBAs provide trainees with a justified reason to approach trainers for feedback. WBAs, however, are not being reified as the formative assessments originally intended. A culture change may be required to change the focus of WBA research and reconceptualise this set of tools and methods as a workplace learning practice . Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  19. Grower networks support adoption of innovations in pollination management: The roles of social learning, technical learning, and personal experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garbach, Kelly; Morgan, Geoffrey P

    2017-12-15

    Management decisions underpinning availability of ecosystem services and the organisms that provide them in agroecosystems, such as pollinators and pollination services, have emerged as a foremost consideration for both conservation and crop production goals. There is growing evidence that innovative management practices can support diverse pollinators and increase crop pollination. However, there is also considerable debate regarding factors that support adoption of these innovative practices. This study investigated pollination management practices and related knowledge systems in a major crop producing region of southwest Michigan in the United States, where 367 growers were surveyed to evaluate adoption of three innovative practices that are at various stages of adoption. The goals of this quantitative, social survey were to investigate grower experience with concerns and benefits associated with each practice, as well as the influence of grower networks, which are comprised of contacts that reflect potential pathways for social and technical learning. The results demonstrated that 17% of growers adopted combinations of bees (e.g. honey bees, Apis mellifera, with other species), representing an innovation in use by early adopters; 49% of growers adopted flowering cover crops, an innovation in use by the early majority 55% of growers retained permanent habitat for pollinators, an innovation in use by the late majority. Not all growers adopted innovative practices. We found that growers' personal experience with potential benefits and concerns related to the management practices had significant positive and negative relationships, respectively, with adoption of all three innovations. The influence of these communication links likely has different levels of importance, depending on the stage of the adoption that a practice is experiencing in the agricultural community. Social learning was positively associated with adopting the use of combinations of bees

  20. Is that really my movement?—Students' experiences of a video-supported interactive learning model for movement awareness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sofia Backåberg

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Healthcare staff and students have a great risk of developing musculoskeletal symptoms. One cause of this is heavy load related work activities such as manual handling, in which the quality of individual work technique may play a major role. Preventive interventions and well-defined educational strategies to support movement awareness and long-lasting movement changes need to be developed. The aim of the present study was to explore nursing students’ experiences of a newly developed interactive learning model for movement awareness. The learning model, which is based on a life-world perspective with focus on interpersonal interaction, has been used with 11 undergraduate students from the second and final year. Each student participated in three individual video sessions with a facilitator. Two individual interviews were carried out with each student during the learning process and one interview 12–18 months after the last session. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and a phenomenological hermeneutic method inspired by Paul Ricoeur and described by Lindseth and Norberg was used to interpret the interviews and diary notes. The interpretation resulted in three key themes and nine subthemes. The key themes were; “Obtaining better preconditions for bodily awareness,” “Experiencing changes in one's own movement,” and “Experiencing challenges in the learning process.” The interactive learning model entails a powerful and challenging experience that develops movement awareness. The experience of meaningfulness and usefulness emerges increasingly and alternates with a feeling of discomfort. The learning model may contribute to the body of knowledge of well-defined educational strategies in movement awareness and learning in, for example, preventive interventions and ergonomic education. It may also be valuable in other practical learning situations where movement awareness is required.

  1. Community-based medical education: is success a result of meaningful personal learning experiences?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Len; Walters, Lucie; Rosenthal, David

    2014-01-01

    Community-based medical education (CBME) is the delivery of medical education in a specific social context. Learners become a part of social and medical communities where their learning occurs. Longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) are year-long community-based placements where the curriculum and clinical experience is typically delivered by primary care physicians. These programs have proven to be robust learning environments, where learners develop strong communication skills and excellent clinical reasoning. To date, no learning model has been offered to describe CBME. The characteristics of CBME are explored by the authors who suggest that the social and professional context provided in small communities enhances medical education. The authors postulate that meaningfulness is engendered by the authentic context, which develops over time. These relationships with preceptors, patients and the community provide meaningfulness, which in turn enhances learning. The authors develop a novel learning model. They propose that the context-rich environment of CBME allows for meaningful relationships and experiences for students and that such meaningfulness enhances learning.

  2. The ICAP Active Learning Framework Predicts the Learning Gains Observed in Intensely Active Classroom Experiences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin L. Wiggins

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available STEM classrooms (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in postsecondary education are rapidly improved by the proper use of active learning techniques. These techniques occupy a descriptive spectrum that transcends passive teaching toward active, constructive, and, finally, interactive methods. While aspects of this framework have been examined, no large-scale or actual classroom-based data exist to inform postsecondary education STEM instructors about possible learning gains. We describe the results of a quasi-experimental study to test the apex of the ICAP framework (interactive, constructive, active, and passive in this ecological classroom environment. Students in interactive classrooms demonstrate significantly improved learning outcomes relative to students in constructive classrooms. This improvement in learning is relatively subtle; similar experimental designs without repeated measures would be unlikely to have the power to observe this significance. We discuss the importance of seemingly small learning gains that might propagate throughout a course or departmental curriculum, as well as improvements with the necessity for faculty to develop and implement similar activities.

  3. Lessons learned from the non-proliferation experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McWilliam, C.; Curtis, S. [DOE, Las Vegas, NV (United States)

    1994-12-31

    The Department of Energy sponsored Non-Proliferation Experiment (formerly known as the Chemical Kiloton) involved the detonation of blasting agent approximately equivalent to one kiloton of energy release on the Nevada Test Site in an effort to determine if (and if so, which) discriminators exist between conventional and nuclear detonations of similar yield. Coordination among hundreds of scientists from at least fifteen different organizations were required to design the experiments necessary to collect and interpret data from this unique and complex event. Stakeholders and members of the Group of Scientific Experts of the Conference on Disarmament observed the progress of the experiment first hand. The experiment was a success in that a vast majority of the expected data was collected and shared quickly and efficiently throughout the international scientific community. The management of the project was discussed among the major co-sponsoring organizations and the significant {open_quotes}lessons learned{close_quotes} are presented.

  4. Evaluating the Quality of Veterinary Students' Experiences of Learning in Clinics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthew, Susan M; Ellis, Robert A; Taylor, Rosanne M

    Educators seeking to evaluate the quality of students' experiences of clinic-based learning (CBL) face a challenging task. CBL programs provide multiple opportunities for learning and aim to develop a wide range of skills, knowledge, and capacities. While direct observation of learners provides important information about students' proficiency in performing various clinical tasks, more comprehensive measures are required to unpack and identify factors relating to practice readiness as a whole. This study identified variables that have a logical and statistically significant association with learning outcomes across the broad range of attributes expected of new graduate veterinarians. The research revealed that the extent of final-year veterinary students' practice readiness, as assessed by placement supervisors against criteria relevant to new graduate practice, is related to the quality of their conceptions of and approaches to CBL. Students' conceptions of and approaches to CBL were evaluated using quantitative survey instruments, with a 93% response rate (N=100) obtained for the two questionnaires. Descriptive and exploratory statistics were used to link qualitative differences in students' conceptions of and approaches to CBL with performance against criteria relevant to new graduate practice. Students who reported poorer-quality conceptions of and approaches to CBL (n=38) attained lower levels of achievement than students who reported better-quality conceptions of and approaches to CBL (n=55). Evaluation of students' conceptions of and approaches to CBL can be used by educators seeking to evaluate and improve the extent to which CBL programs are achieving their desired goals.

  5. Enhancing the learning experience of student radiographers with dyslexia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foster, Irene

    2008-01-01

    Widening participation policies and increased awareness of dyslexia has resulted in a marked increase in the numbers of students with dyslexia being identified in higher education in recent years. This study was conducted to not only gain a greater understanding of teaching and learning strategies, but also provide opportunities for improved learning experiences and achievement of students who do not respond well to written forms of assessment. Although a small scale study, the outcomes demonstrate a useful pilot for future scrutiny and basis for further study

  6. Enhancing the learning experience of student radiographers with dyslexia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foster, Irene [Cranfield University, Centre for Radiographic and Medical Studies, RMCS, Shrivenham, Swindon, SN6 8LA (United Kingdom)], E-mail: irene.foster@uwe.ac.uk

    2008-02-15

    Widening participation policies and increased awareness of dyslexia has resulted in a marked increase in the numbers of students with dyslexia being identified in higher education in recent years. This study was conducted to not only gain a greater understanding of teaching and learning strategies, but also provide opportunities for improved learning experiences and achievement of students who do not respond well to written forms of assessment. Although a small scale study, the outcomes demonstrate a useful pilot for future scrutiny and basis for further study.

  7. The role of learning-related dopamine signals in addiction vulnerability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huys, Quentin J M; Tobler, Philippe N; Hasler, Gregor; Flagel, Shelly B

    2014-01-01

    Dopaminergic signals play a mathematically precise role in reward-related learning, and variations in dopaminergic signaling have been implicated in vulnerability to addiction. Here, we provide a detailed overview of the relationship between theoretical, mathematical, and experimental accounts of phasic dopamine signaling, with implications for the role of learning-related dopamine signaling in addiction and related disorders. We describe the theoretical and behavioral characteristics of model-free learning based on errors in the prediction of reward, including step-by-step explanations of the underlying equations. We then use recent insights from an animal model that highlights individual variation in learning during a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm to describe overlapping aspects of incentive salience attribution and model-free learning. We argue that this provides a computationally coherent account of some features of addiction. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. From Playing to Designing: Enhancing Educational Experiences with Location-Based Mobile Learning Games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmonds, Roger; Smith, Simon

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents research into the benefits and implementation strategies of integrating location-based mobile learning games in higher education courses to enhance educational experiences. Two approaches were studied: learning by playing, and learning by designing. In the first, games were developed for undergraduate courses in four discipline…

  9. Improving Student Commitment to Healthcare-Related Design Practice by Improving the Studio Learning Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Lindsay; Hong, Miyoung; Albert, Taneshia West

    2017-10-01

    This case study explores the influence of the healthcare design studio experience on students' short-term professional goals as measured through rates of healthcare-related certification and internship/employment. The value and relevance of interior design is evident in the healthcare design sector. However, interior design students may not perceive this value if it is not communicated through their design education. Students' experience in the design studio plays a crucial role in determining career choices, and students may be more committed to career goals when there is clear connection between major coursework and professional practice. The authors compared healthcare-related certification and internship/employment levels between two student cohorts in a capstone undergraduate interior design healthcare design studio course. The first cohort was led by the existing curriculum. The second cohort was led by the revised curriculum that specifically aimed at encouraging students to commit to healthcare-related design practice. When measured at 3 months from graduation, the second cohort, led by the revised curriculum, saw a 30% increase in Evidence-based Design Accreditation and Certification exam pass rates and a 40% increase in healthcare-related internship/employment. The challenge of interior design education is to instill in emerging professionals not only professional competence but also those professional attitudes that will make them better prepared to design spaces that improve quality of life, particularly in healthcare environments. The results exceeded the project goals, and so this could be considered a promising practice for courses focused on healthcare design education.

  10. A case of learning to teach elementary science: Investigating beliefs, experiences, and tensions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryan, Lynn Ann

    This study examines how preservice elementary teacher beliefs and experiences within the context of reflective science teacher education influence the development of professional knowledge. From a cognitive constructivist theoretical perspective, I conducted a case analysis to investigate the beliefs about science teaching and learning held by a preservice teacher (Barbara), identify the tensions she encountered in learning to teach elementary science, understand the frames from which she identified problems of practice, and discern how her experiences influenced the process of reflecting on her own science teaching. From an analysis of interviews, observation, and written documents, I constructed a profile of Barbara's beliefs that consisted of three foundational and three dualistic beliefs about science teaching and learning. Her foundational beliefs concerned: (a) the value of science and science teaching, (b) the nature of scientific concepts and goals of science instruction, and (c) control in the science classroom. Barbara held dualistic beliefs about: (a) how children learn science, (b) the science students' role, and (c) the science teacher's role. The dualistic beliefs formed two contradictory nests of beliefs. One nest, grounded in life-long science learner experiences, reflected a didactic teaching orientation and predominantly guided her practice. The second nest, not well-grounded in experience, embraced a hands-on approach and predominantly guided her vision of practice. Barbara encountered tensions in thinking about science teaching and learning as a result of inconsistencies between her vision of science teaching and her actual practice. Confronting these tensions prompted Barbara to rethink the connections between her classroom actions and students' learning, create new perspectives for viewing her practice, and consider alternative practices more resonant with her visionary beliefs. However, the self-reinforcing belief system created by her

  11. "Experience and Learning"

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, Henning Salling

    2007-01-01

    to the understanding of knowledge, based on examples from the author's research into professional learning (general practitioners). The pivotal role of language use and language socialisation is explained in brief, developing a psychodynamic complement to a language game concept of language use.......Taking it's point of departure in some critical remarks to some of the most important recent theorizing of learning in the workplace, this chapter presents an alternative framework for theorizing learning as a subjective process in a social and societal context, based in life history research. Key...

  12. Student and educator experiences of maternal-child simulation-based learning: a systematic review of qualitative evidence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacKinnon, Karen; Marcellus, Lenora; Rivers, Julie; Gordon, Carol; Ryan, Maureen; Butcher, Diane

    2017-11-01

    Although maternal-child care is a pillar of primary health care, there is a global shortage of maternal-child health care providers. Nurse educators experience difficulties providing undergraduate students with maternal-child learning experiences for a number of reasons. Simulation has the potential to complement learning in clinical and classroom settings. Although systematic reviews of simulation are available, no systematic reviews of qualitative evidence related to maternal-child simulation-based learning (SBL) for undergraduate nursing students and/or educators have been located. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the appropriateness and meaningfulness of maternal-child simulation-based learning for undergraduate nursing students and nursing educators in educational settings to inform curriculum decision-making. The review questions are: INCLUSION CRITERIA TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS: Pre-registration or pre-licensure or undergraduate nursing or health professional students and educators. Experiences of simulation in an educational setting with a focus relevant to maternal child nursing. Qualitative research and educational evaluation using qualitative methods. North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. A three-step search strategy identified published studies in the English language from 2000 until April 2016. Identified studies that met the inclusion criteria were retrieved and critically appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI) by at least two independent reviewers. Overall the methodological quality of the included studies was low. Qualitative findings were extracted by two independent reviewers using JBI-QARI data extraction tools. Findings were aggregated and categorized on the basis of similarity in meaning. Categories were subjected to a meta-synthesis to produce a single comprehensive set of synthesized findings. Twenty-two articles from 19 studies were included in the review

  13. Clinical learning experiences of male nursing students in a Bachelor of Nursing programme: Strategies to overcome challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sibusiso F. Buthelezi

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Male nursing students are faced with more challenges in the clinical setting than their female counterparts. The ways in which male nurses are viewed and received by nursing staff and patients have an impact on how they perceive themselves and their role in the profession. These perceptions of self have a significant impact on their self-esteem. This study was conducted to explore the clinical learning experiences of male nursing students at a university during their placement in clinical settings in the Western Cape Province, and how these experiences impacted on their self-esteem. Objectives: To describe the learning experiences of male nursing students during placement in clinical settings, and how these impact on their self-esteem. Method: A qualitative, exploratory study was conducted. Purposive sampling was used to select participants. Three focus group (FG discussions, consisting of six participants per group, were used to collect data. Data analysis was conducted by means of Coliazzi’s (1978 seven steps method of qualitative analysis. Study findings: The following three major themes were identified: experiences that related to the constraints in the learning environment, the impact on the self-esteem, and the social support of students working in a female-dominated profession. Conclusion: Male nurses should be supported in nursing training, as the rate at which males enter the profession is increasing.

  14. Vietnamese American Experiences of English Language Learning: Ethnic Acceptance and Prejudice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeffrey LaBelle

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available This article investigates the effects of ethnic acceptance and prejudice on English language learning among immigrant nonnative speakers. During 2004 and 2005, the author conducted participatory dialogues among six Vietnamese and Mexican adult immigrant English language learners. The researcher sought to answer five questions: (1 What are some nonnative English speakers’ experience regarding the way native speakers treat them? (2 How have nonnative English speakers’ experiences of ethnic acceptance or ethnic prejudice affected their learning of English? (3 What do nonnative English speakers think they need in order to lower their anxiety as they learn a new language? (4 What can native English speakers do to lower nonnative speakers’ anxiety? (5 What can nonnative English speakers do to lower their anxiety with native English speakers? Even though many of the adult immigrant participants experienced ethnic prejudice, they developed strategies to overcome anxiety, frustration, and fear. The dialogues generated themes of acceptance, prejudice, power, motivation, belonging, and perseverance, all factors essential to consider when developing English language learning programs for adult immigrants.

  15. Positioning Learning Design: Learner Experience and the challenges of transforming teaching practice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Johnson, Mark; Griffiths, Dai; Hanslot, Zubair

    2010-01-01

    Johnson, M., Griffiths, D., & Hanslot, Z. (2010). Positioning Learning Design: Learner Experience and the challenges of transforming teaching practice. In D. Griffiths, & R. Koper (Eds.), Rethinking Learning and Employment at a Time of Economic Uncertainty. Proceedings of the 6th TENCompetence Open

  16. Real-Time Strategy Video Game Experience and Visual Perceptual Learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yong-Hwan; Kang, Dong-Wha; Kim, Dongho; Kim, Hye-Jin; Sasaki, Yuka; Watanabe, Takeo

    2015-07-22

    Visual perceptual learning (VPL) is defined as long-term improvement in performance on a visual-perception task after visual experiences or training. Early studies have found that VPL is highly specific for the trained feature and location, suggesting that VPL is associated with changes in the early visual cortex. However, the generality of visual skills enhancement attributable to action video-game experience suggests that VPL can result from improvement in higher cognitive skills. If so, experience in real-time strategy (RTS) video-game play, which may heavily involve cognitive skills, may also facilitate VPL. To test this hypothesis, we compared VPL between RTS video-game players (VGPs) and non-VGPs (NVGPs) and elucidated underlying structural and functional neural mechanisms. Healthy young human subjects underwent six training sessions on a texture discrimination task. Diffusion-tensor and functional magnetic resonance imaging were performed before and after training. VGPs performed better than NVGPs in the early phase of training. White-matter connectivity between the right external capsule and visual cortex and neuronal activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were greater in VGPs than NVGPs and were significantly correlated with RTS video-game experience. In both VGPs and NVGPs, there was task-related neuronal activity in the right IFG, ACC, and striatum, which was strengthened after training. These results indicate that RTS video-game experience, associated with changes in higher-order cognitive functions and connectivity between visual and cognitive areas, facilitates VPL in early phases of training. The results support the hypothesis that VPL can occur without involvement of only visual areas. Significance statement: Although early studies found that visual perceptual learning (VPL) is associated with involvement of the visual cortex, generality of visual skills enhancement by action video-game experience

  17. Students' Experiences of Clinic-Based Learning during a Final Year Veterinary Internship Programme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthew, Susan M.; Taylor, Rosanne M.; Ellis, Robert A.

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated veterinary students' experiences of clinic-based learning (CBL) during a comprehensive final year internship programme. Open-ended surveys (n = 93) were used to gather qualitative data about students' conceptions of what is learned during CBL and their approaches to learning in clinics. Phenomenography was used for detailed…

  18. Gaming for the Energy Transition : Experimenting and learning in co-designing a serious game prototype

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gugerell, Katharina; Zuidema, Christian

    2017-01-01

    Experimenting and learning are increasingly considered as means to innovate governance approaches for pursuing a more sustainable society. Learning and experimenting can unfold in different formats, such as games or co-design processes. This paper investigates an experimental co-design process

  19. Soil Science self-learning based on the design and conduction of experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jordán, A.; Bárcenas-Moreno, G.; Zavala, L. M.

    2012-04-01

    This paper presents an experience for introducing the methodology of project-based learning (PBL) in the area of Soil Science in the University of Sevilla (Spain). Currently, teachers try to enhance practical experience of university students in a complementary manner to theoretical knowledge. However, many times this is a difficult process. Practice is an important part of personal work in the vast majority of subjects that degree students receive, since the implementation of the EHEA. In most cases, these experiences are presented as partial small experiments or projects, assigned to the area-specific knowledge agenda. Certain sciences, such as Soil Science, however, require synthesis and integration capabilities of previous knowledge. It is therefore necessary to develop practical programs that address the student not only to the performance of laboratory determinations, but to the formulation of hypotheses, experimental design and problem solving, whether in groups or individually, situated in a wide context and allowing students to make connections with other areas of knowledge. This project involves the development of teamwork experiments, for the study real cases and problems and making decisions in the field of Soil Science. The results of the experimental work were publicly exposed as posters and oral presentations and were discussed during a mini-congress open to students and a general audience. The open and dynamic nature of the project substantially improves student motivation, which adds value to our project. Due to the multidisciplinary character of Soil Science it is relatively easy to propose projects of some complexity, and therefore, provides good conditions for introducing the PBL methodology. The teacher's role is also important and is not limited to observe or qualify the students, but it is a catalyst for learning. It is important that teacher give the leadership of the process and make the students themselves feel the protagonists of the

  20. A Learning Experience of the Gender Perspective in English Teaching Contexts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mojica, Claudia Patricia; Castañeda-Peña, Harold

    2017-01-01

    Eighteen Colombian English teachers participated in a course with an emphasis on gender and foreign language teaching in a Master's program in Bogotá. This text describes the design, implementation, and the learning in this educational experience. The analysis of the course was based on a view of learning as a process of participation rooted in…

  1. Leading the Proverbial Thirsty Horse to Water: ESL Learners’ Experience with Language Learning Contracts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Normah Ismail

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available There is agreement among language educators that the process of language teaching and learning should aim to develop autonomous language learners. While the advantages of autonomy seem to be quite obvious, fostering autonomy in practice can prove to be difficult for some language learners. This paper describes the use of learning contracts as a strategy for enhancing learner autonomy among a group of ESL learners in a Malaysian university. Through learners’ account of their experiences with the contracts, the study concludes that the learning contract has potential use for language learning and that learners’ positive learning experience remains the key to the success of any endeavour seeking to promote learner autonomy. The paper ends with some implications for teachers and learners who wish to use the contracts as a strategy for language teaching and learning.

  2. Task Complexity Modulates Sleep-Related Offline Learning in Sequential Motor Skills

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klaus Blischke

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Recently, a number of authors have advocated the introduction of gross motor tasks into research on sleep-related motor offline learning. Such tasks are often designed to be more complex than traditional key-pressing tasks. However, until now, little effort has been undertaken to scrutinize the role of task complexity in any systematic way. Therefore, the effect of task complexity on the consolidation of gross motor sequence memory was examined by our group in a series of three experiments. Criterion tasks always required participants to produce unrestrained arm movement sequences by successively fitting a small peg into target holes on a pegboard. The sequences always followed a certain spatial pattern in the horizontal plane. The targets were visualized prior to each transport movement on a computer screen. The tasks differed with respect to sequence length and structural complexity. In each experiment, half of the participants initially learned the task in the morning and were retested 12 h later following a wake retention interval. The other half of the subjects underwent practice in the evening and was retested 12 h later following a night of sleep. The dependent variables were the error rate and total sequence execution time (inverse to the sequence execution speed. Performance generally improved during acquisition. The error rate was always low and remained stable during retention. The sequence execution time significantly decreased again following sleep but not after waking when the sequence length was long and structural complexity was high. However, sleep-related offline improvements were absent when the sequence length was short or when subjects performed a highly regular movement pattern. It is assumed that the occurrence of sleep-related offline performance improvements in sequential motor tasks is associated with a sufficient amount of motor task complexity.

  3. When practice precedes theory - A mixed methods evaluation of students' learning experiences in an undergraduate study program in nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falk, Kristin; Falk, Hanna; Jakobsson Ung, Eva

    2016-01-01

    A key area for consideration is determining how optimal conditions for learning can be created. Higher education in nursing aims to prepare students to develop their capabilities to become independent professionals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sequencing clinical practice prior to theoretical studies on student's experiences of self-directed learning readiness and students' approach to learning in the second year of a three-year undergraduate study program in nursing. 123 nursing students was included in the study and divided in two groups. In group A (n = 60) clinical practice preceded theoretical studies. In group (n = 63) theoretical studies preceded clinical practice. Learning readiness was measured using the Directed Learning Readiness Scale for Nursing Education (SDLRSNE), and learning process was measured using the revised two-factor version of the Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F). Students were also asked to write down their personal reflections throughout the course. By using a mixed method design, the qualitative component focused on the students' personal experiences in relation to the sequencing of theoretical studies and clinical practice. The quantitative component provided information about learning readiness before and after the intervention. Our findings confirm that students are sensitive and adaptable to their learning contexts, and that the sequencing of courses is subordinate to a pedagogical style enhancing students' deep learning approaches, which needs to be incorporated in the development of undergraduate nursing programs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Building effective learning experiences around visualizations: NASA Eyes on the Solar System and Infiniscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamer, A. J. J.; Anbar, A. D.; Elkins-Tanton, L. T.; Klug Boonstra, S.; Mead, C.; Swann, J. L.; Hunsley, D.

    2017-12-01

    Advances in scientific visualization and public access to data have transformed science outreach and communication, but have yet to realize their potential impacts in the realm of education. Computer-based learning is a clear bridge between visualization and education, but creating high-quality learning experiences that leverage existing visualizations requires close partnerships among scientists, technologists, and educators. The Infiniscope project is working to foster such partnerships in order to produce exploration-driven learning experiences around NASA SMD data and images, leveraging the principles of ETX (Education Through eXploration). The visualizations inspire curiosity, while the learning design promotes improved reasoning skills and increases understanding of space science concepts. Infiniscope includes both a web portal to host these digital learning experiences, as well as a teaching network of educators using and modifying these experiences. Our initial efforts to enable student discovery through active exploration of the concepts associated with Small Worlds, Kepler's Laws, and Exoplanets led us to develop our own visualizations at Arizona State University. Other projects focused on Astrobiology and Mars geology led us to incorporate an immersive Virtual Field Trip platform into the Infiniscope portal in support of virtual exploration of scientifically significant locations. Looking to apply ETX design practices with other visualizations, our team at Arizona State partnered with the Jet Propulsion Lab to integrate the web-based version of NASA Eyes on the Eclipse within Smart Sparrow's digital learning platform in a proof-of-concept focused on the 2017 Eclipse. This goes a step beyond the standard features of "Eyes" by wrapping guided exploration, focused on a specific learning goal into standards-aligned lesson built around the visualization, as well as its distribution through Infiniscope and it's digital teaching network. Experience from this

  5. A gaming approach to learning medical microbiology: students' experiences of flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beylefeld, Adriana A; Struwig, Magdalena C

    2007-11-01

    There is a growing awareness in medical education of general skills(1) required for lifelong learning. Such skills are best achieved when students experience positive affective states while they are learning, as put forth by the Csikszentmihalyian theory of flow. This study describes how a quiz-type board game was used in the School of Medicine of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State to address students' negativity towards medical microbiology. The study population consisted of third-year medical students who had recently completed the Infections module of the undergraduate Learning Programme for Professional Medicine. Data gathered by means of two questionnaire surveys and direct observation showed that the game impacted positively on students' perceptions of and attitudes towards medical microbiology as a subject. A high perceived probability of the game contributing to the acquisition of general skills was recorded, since the experience of positive affect during the process of informal learning went hand-in-hand with heightened team effort and spontaneous communication. This article may be of value to health educators who wish to supplement formal teaching with informal learning so as to enhance not only the recall of factual knowledge, but also the advancement of general skills.

  6. Creating International Community Service Learning Experiences in a Capstone Marketing-Projects Course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metcalf, Lynn E.

    2010-01-01

    This article outlines the development of a project-based capstone marketing course, specifically designed to provide marketing students with an international community service learning experience. It differs significantly from previous studies, which focus on integrating service learning into existing marketing courses and on helping local…

  7. Food memory and its relation with age and liking: An incidental learning experiment with children, young and elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Laureati, M.; Morin-Audebrand, L.; Pagliarini, E.; Sulmont-Rosse, C.; Köster, E.P.; Mojet, J.

    2008-01-01

    The present study compared incidental learning and food memory in children, young adults and elderly people for three sensory modalities (taste, texture and aroma). The relation of gender and liker-status (i.e. how much we like a product) with food memory was also investigated. Participants received

  8. The SAMPLE experience: The development of a rich media online mathematics learning environment

    OpenAIRE

    Chang, Jen

    2006-01-01

    This report documents the development of Sample Architecture for Mathematically Productive Learning Experiences (SAMPLE), a rich media, online, mathematics learning environment created to meet the needs of middle school educators. It explores some of the current pedagogical challenges in mathematics education, and their amplified impacts when coupled with under-prepared teachers, a decidedly wide-spread phenomenon. The SAMPLE publishing experience is discussed in terms of its instructional de...

  9. Deliberate Practice in Medicine: The Motivation to Engage in Work-Related Learning and Its Contribution to Expertise

    Science.gov (United States)

    van de Wiel, Margje W. J.; Van den Bossche, Piet

    2013-01-01

    This study examined physicians' motivation to engage in work-related learning and its contribution to expertise development beyond work experience. Based on deliberate practice theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 residents and 28 experienced physicians in internal medicine, focusing on the activities they engaged in during…

  10. Dataset of two experiments of the application of gamified peer assessment model into online learning environment MeuTutor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tenório, Thyago; Bittencourt, Ig Ibert; Isotani, Seiji; Pedro, Alan; Ospina, Patrícia; Tenório, Daniel

    2017-06-01

    In this dataset, we present the collected data of two experiments with the application of the gamified peer assessment model into online learning environment MeuTutor to allow the comparison of the obtained results with others proposed models. MeuTutor is an intelligent tutoring system aims to monitor the learning of the students in a personalized way, ensuring quality education and improving the performance of its members (Tenório et al., 2016) [1]. The first experiment evaluated the effectiveness of the peer assessment model through metrics as final grade (result), time to correct the activities and associated costs. The second experiment evaluated the gamification influence into peer assessment model, analyzing metrics as access number (logins), number of performed activities and number of performed corrections. In this article, we present in table form for each metric: the raw data of each treatment; the summarized data; the application results of the normality test Shapiro-Wilk; the application results of the statistical tests T -Test and/or Wilcoxon. The presented data in this article are related to the article entitled "A gamified peer assessment model for on-line learning environments in a competitive context" (Tenório et al., 2016) [1].

  11. Work-related lifelong learning for entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lans, T.; Wesselink, R.; Biemans, H.J.A.; Mulder, M.

    2004-01-01

    This article presents a study on work-related lifelong learning for entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector. Accordingly, learning needs, learning preferences, learning motivation and conditions in the context of lifelong learning were identified. The results indicate that technology, IT and

  12. Career-Related Learning and Science Education: The Changing Landscape

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchinson, Jo

    2012-01-01

    Pupils ask STEM subject teachers about jobs and careers in science, but where else do they learn about work? This article outlines career-related learning within schools in England alongside other factors that influence pupils' career decisions. The effect of the Education Act 2011 will be to change career learning in schools. The impact on…

  13. Lesson Learned from the Recent Operating Experience of Domestic Nuclear Power Plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Chang-Ju; Kim, Min-Chull; Koo, Bon-Hyun; Kim, Sang-Jae; Lee, Kyung-Won; Kim, Ji-Tae; Lee, Durk-Hun

    2007-01-01

    According to the public concerns, it seems that one of the main missions of a nuclear regulatory body is to collect operational experiences from various nuclear facilities, and to analyze their follow-up information. The extensive use of lessons learned from operating experiences to back fit safety systems, improve operator training and emergency procedures, and to focus more attention on human factors, safety culture and quality management systems are also desired. Collecting operational experiences has been mainly done regarding the incidents and major failures of components (so called 'event'), which usually demands lots of regulatory resources. This paper concentrates on new information, i.e. lesson learned from recent investigation results of domestic events which contain 5 years' experience. This information can induce many insights for improving operational safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs)

  14. The Potential of Capstone Learning Experiences in addressing perceived shortcomings in LLB Training in South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geo Quinot

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Current debates about legal education in South Africa have revealed the perception that the LLB curriculum does not adequately integrate various outcomes, in particular outcomes relating to the development of skills in communication, problem solving, ethics, and in general a holistic view of the law in practice. One mechanism that has been mooted as a potential remedy to this situation is capstone courses, which will consolidate and integrate the four years of study in the final year and build a bridge to the world of practice. A literature review on capstone courses and learning experiences (collectively referred to as capstones indicates that these curriculum devices as modes of instruction offer particular pedagogical advantages. These include inculcating a strong perception of coherence across the curriculum and hence discipline in students, providing the opportunity for students to reflect on their learning during the course of the entire programme, creating an opportunity to engage with the complexity of law and legal practice, and guiding students through the transition from university to professional identity. An empirical analysis of the modes of instruction used in LLB curricula at 13 South African law faculties/schools indicates that there are six categories of existing modules or learning experiences that already exhibit elements of capstone-course design. These are clinics, internships, moots, research projects, topical capstones and capstone assessment. A further comparative study into foreign law curricula in especially Australia and the United States of America reveals four further noteworthy approaches to capstone-course design, namely problem-based learning, the virtual office, conferences and remedies courses. The empirical study suggests that capstones indeed hold the potential as learning experiences to address some of the challenges facing legal education in South Africa but that further development of this curriculum

  15. The Lived Experience of a Doctoral Student: The Process of Learning and Becoming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callary, Betina; Werthner, Penny; Trudel, Pierre

    2012-01-01

    The PhD experience is often a transition from student to future faculty member, which involves considerable learning and development (Glaze, 2002; Hockey, 2004). Using a lifelong learning perspective (Jarvis, 2009), the purpose of this article is to explore, through a reflective self-study, my process of learning throughout the PhD degree. In this…

  16. Students' perceptions of effective learning experiences in dental school: a qualitative study using a critical incident technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Victoroff, Kristin Zakariasen; Hogan, Sarah

    2006-02-01

    Students' views of their educational experience can be an important source of information for curriculum assessment. Although quantitative methods, particularly surveys, are frequently used to gather such data, fewer studies have employed qualitative methods to examine students' dental education experiences. The purpose of this study is to explore characteristics of effective learning experiences in dental school using a qualitative method. All third-year (seventy) and fourth-year (seventy) dental students enrolled in one midwestern dental school were invited to participate. Fifty-three dental students (thirty-five male and eighteen female; thirty-two third-year and twenty-one fourth-year) were interviewed using a critical incident interview technique. Each student was asked to describe a specific, particularly effective learning incident that he or she had experienced in dental school and a specific, particularly ineffective learning incident, for comparison. Each interview was audiotaped. Students were assured that only the interviewer and one additional researcher would have access to the tapes. Data analysis resulted in identification of key themes in the data describing characteristics of effective learning experiences. The following characteristics of effective learning experiences were identified: 1) instructor characteristics (personal qualities, "checking-in" with students, and an interactive style); 2) characteristics of the learning process (focus on the "big picture," modeling and demonstrations, opportunities to apply new knowledge, high-quality feedback, focus, specificity and relevance, and peer interactions); and 3) learning environment (culture of the learning environment, technology). Common themes emerged across a wide variety of learning incidents. Although additional research is needed, the characteristics of effective learning experiences identified in this study may have implications for individual course design and for the dental school

  17. Embodied Experiences of Place: A Study of History Learning with Mobile Technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, S.; Jewitt, C.; Sakr, M.

    2016-01-01

    This paper reports an empirical study that takes a multimodal analytical approach to examine how mobile technologies shape students' exploration and experience of place during a history learning activity in situ. In history education, mobile technologies provide opportunities for authentic experiential learning activities that have the potential…

  18. Academics and Learners’ Perceptions on Blended Learning as a Strategic Initiative to Improve Student Learning Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying Adeline Ng Ling

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The increasingly tighter shift of socio-economic constraints on higher education sectors in the recent years has called for greater flexibilities in student learning experience both locally and abroad. To this end, we have recently implemented a Blended Learning Initiative in an attempt to provide better learning support and greater flexibility to our students. This initiative is also in line with the University’s aim of having 50% of our learning and teaching delivered on-line by 2020. In this report, we present our findings on academics and learners’ perceptions on the approach which were obtained through surveys. Results showed that blended learning approach was new to the academics and the factors for successful blended learning implementation were identified. Results also showed that learners appreciated the approach as it made learning more accessible and flexible. Furthermore, they also enjoyed the interesting online activities incorporated into their units. In addition, learners were also able to review and pace their own learning. They also perceived that they have the access to the resources and technical ability to cope with online learning materials and activities. Nonetheless, the survey also revealed that learners still prefer to have academics delivering information to them directly rather than a flipped classroom model. In conclusion, findings from this study provide insights that blended learning could be effective to supplement courses offered by the faculty.

  19. Integrating Service-Learning Pedagogy for Preservice Elementary Teachers' Science Identity Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Rachel E.; Bradbury, Leslie U.; McGlasson, Martha A.

    2015-04-01

    The purpose of this article is to explore how preservice elementary teachers (PSETs) interpreted their service-learning experiences within a pre-methods environmentally focused course and how their interpretations shaped their science teaching identities. Along a continuum of service-learning experiences were events that emphasized science learning, that focused on science teaching, and that were transitional, with elements of both science learning and science teaching. These various service-learning experiences were designed to be "boundary experiences" for professional identity development (Geijsel & Meijers in Educational Studies, 3(4), 419-430, 2005), providing opportunities for PSETs to reflect on meanings in cultural contexts and how they are related to their own personal meanings. We analyzed written reflections and end-of-course oral reflection interviews from 42 PSETs on their various service-learning experiences. PSETs discussed themes related to the meanings they made of the service-learning experiences: (a) experiencing science in relation to their lives as humans and future teachers, (b) interacting with elementary students and other PSETs, and (c) making an impact in the physical environment and in the community. The connections that PSETs were making between the discursive spaces (service-learning contexts) and their own meaning-making of these experiences (as connected to their own interests in relation to their future professions and daily lives) shows evidence of the potential that various types of science service-learning experiences have for PSETs in developing inbound science teaching identity trajectories (Wenger in Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998). The findings of this study point to positive outcomes for PSETs when they participate in structured service-learning experiences along a learning to teaching continuum (246).

  20. Learning through Work: Exploring Instances of Relational Interdependencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Billett, Stephen

    2008-01-01

    This paper provides an account of the inter-psychological processes that constitute learning through work. It does this by drawing on deliberations about the relative contributions of the immediate social world (i.e., workplace setting) that individuals encounter and the personal premises for individuals' learning. This account is realised through…

  1. A Learning Experience of the Gender Perspective in English Teaching Contexts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Patricia Mojica

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Eighteen Colombian English teachers participated in a course with an emphasis on gender and foreign language teaching in a Master’s program in Bogotá. This text describes the design, implementation, and the learning in this educational experience. The analysis of the course was based on a view of learning as a process of participation rooted in the praxis of English teachers’ classrooms. This experience reveals that gender is a relevant category in the frame of English language teacher education as it provides teachers with tools from a broader social and educational perspective. This reflection also leads to implications for teachers’ practices with a gender perspective.

  2. THE VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: A REPORT OF BLENDED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Roberto Prado Constantino

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an experiment in uses of virtual learning environments (VLE in the vocational education, evaluated by the Educational Supervision of Vocational and Secondary Schools of Paula Souza Center. The experience occurred in Etec "Jacinto Ferreira de Sá", São Paulo, Brazil, between 2009 and 2011, where the reported activities were organized and developed in the degree of Music, with students of different ages. Using specifics instruments to qualitative research for data collection were selected class record books, the reports to the virtual environment, the records of the participants' personal reflections, interviews and examination of the minutes of class councils involved. The experience has served as a basis for replication in other contexts and vocational courses presented by the institution.

  3. Student nurses' experiences of community-based practice placement learning: a qualitative exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baglin, M R; Rugg, Sue

    2010-05-01

    obstructing factors for development of learning in clinical practice: a student perspective. Issues and innovations in Nursing Education. Journal of Advanced Nursing 34(1), 43-50; Priest, H., 2004. Phenomenology. Nurse Researcher 11(4), 4-6; Stockhausen, L., 2005. Learning to become a nurse: student nurses' reflections on their clinical experiences. Australian Journal of Nursing 22(3), 8-14). The data were analysed using content analysis techniques, exploring their contextual meaning through the development of emergent themes (Neuendorf, K.A., 2002. The Content Analysis Guidebook. Sage Publications, London). The identified themes related to elements of students' basic skill acquisition, the development of their working relationships with mentors, patients and others, the learning opportunities offered by community practice placements and the effects that such placements had on their confidence to practice. These themes are discussed with regard to the published literature, to arrive at conclusions and implications for future nursing education, practice and research. Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Controlled Experiment Replication in Evaluation of E-Learning System's Educational Influence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grubisic, Ani; Stankov, Slavomir; Rosic, Marko; Zitko, Branko

    2009-01-01

    We believe that every effectiveness evaluation should be replicated at least in order to verify the original results and to indicate evaluated e-learning system's advantages or disadvantages. This paper presents the methodology for conducting controlled experiment replication, as well as, results of a controlled experiment and an internal…

  5. Development, Evaluation and Use of a Student Experience Survey in Undergraduate Science Laboratories: The Advancing Science by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory Student Laboratory Learning Experience Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrie, Simon C.; Bucat, Robert B.; Buntine, Mark A.; Burke da Silva, Karen; Crisp, Geoffrey T.; George, Adrian V.; Jamie, Ian M.; Kable, Scott H.; Lim, Kieran F.; Pyke, Simon M.; Read, Justin R.; Sharma, Manjula D.; Yeung, Alexandra

    2015-07-01

    Student experience surveys have become increasingly popular to probe various aspects of processes and outcomes in higher education, such as measuring student perceptions of the learning environment and identifying aspects that could be improved. This paper reports on a particular survey for evaluating individual experiments that has been developed over some 15 years as part of a large national Australian study pertaining to the area of undergraduate laboratories-Advancing Science by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory. This paper reports on the development of the survey instrument and the evaluation of the survey using student responses to experiments from different institutions in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. A total of 3153 student responses have been analysed using factor analysis. Three factors, motivation, assessment and resources, have been identified as contributing to improved student attitudes to laboratory activities. A central focus of the survey is to provide feedback to practitioners to iteratively improve experiments. Implications for practitioners and researchers are also discussed.

  6. Rocket to Creativity: A Field Experience in Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dole, Sharon F.; Bloom, Lisa A.; Doss, Kristy Kowalske

    2016-01-01

    This article reports the impact of a field experience in problem-based (PBL) and project-based learning (PjBL) on in-service teachers' conceptions of experiential learning. Participants had been enrolled in a hybrid class that included an online component in which they learned about PBL and PjBL, and an experiential component in which they…

  7. Physics in your pocket: experimenting and learning with your smartphone

    OpenAIRE

    González, Manuel Á.; González Rebollo, Miguel Ángel

    2015-01-01

    Along the last years the use of mobile devices in education has increased hugely. This increase includes not only the use of ICTs as learning facilitators. Mobile devices have also become useful tools in experimental physics thanks to their rich sets of built-in sensors. The use of smartphones as measurement devices in physics experiments requires careful attention to ensure good learning outcomes. Some aspects that must be considered are the reliability and accuracy of the smartphone sensors...

  8. Learning English in the Shadows: Understanding Chinese Learners' Experiences of Private Tutoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yung, Kevin Wai-Ho

    2015-01-01

    Given that private tutoring has received increasing attention in research as a global educational phenomenon with significant implications for educational practices, it has become necessary for TESOL researchers and practitioners to become aware of its impact on language learning and pedagogy. This study investigated the learning experience and…

  9. Perceptions of Skill Development in a Living-Learning First-Year Experience Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Kerri Anna

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of students and faculty involved in a living-learning first-year experience program at a small, liberal arts institution about developing skills for life-long learning including critical thinking, written communication, and reflection and engagement across disciplines. The researcher…

  10. Creating meaningful learning experiences: Understanding students' perspectives of engineering design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aleong, Richard James Chung Mun

    , relevance, and transfer. With this framework of student learning, engineering educators can enhance learning experiences by engaging all three levels of students' understanding. The curriculum studies orientation applied the three holistic elements of curriculum---subject matter, society, and the individual---to conceptualize design considerations for engineering curriculum and teaching practice. This research supports the characterization of students' learning experiences to help educators and students optimize their teaching and learning of design education.

  11. Work-Related Lifelong Learning for Entrepreneurs in the Agri-Food Sector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lans, Thomas; Wesselink, Renate; Biemans, Harm J. A.; Mulder, Martin

    2004-01-01

    This article presents a study on work-related lifelong learning for entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector. Accordingly, learning needs, learning preferences, learning motivation and conditions in the context of lifelong learning were identified. The results indicate that technology, IT and entrepreneurial competencies will become of increasing…

  12. Why Teach Social Entrepreneurship: Enhance Learning and University-Community Relations through Service-Learning Outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wessel, Stacy; Godshalk, Veronica M.

    2004-01-01

    This article focuses on providing a convincing argument for incorporating social entrepreneurship into the business professor's classroom. The outreach provided by social entrepreneurship enhances learning and promotes university-community relations. Service-learning engagement activities, in the form of social entrepreneurship, create a three-way…

  13. Simulated and Virtual Science Laboratory Experiments: Improving Critical Thinking and Higher-Order Learning Skills

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Nicole A.

    Virtual laboratory experiments using interactive computer simulations are not being employed as viable alternatives to laboratory science curriculum at extensive enough rates within higher education. Rote traditional lab experiments are currently the norm and are not addressing inquiry, Critical Thinking, and cognition throughout the laboratory experience, linking with educational technologies (Pyatt & Sims, 2007; 2011; Trundle & Bell, 2010). A causal-comparative quantitative study was conducted with 150 learners enrolled at a two-year community college, to determine the effects of simulation laboratory experiments on Higher-Order Learning, Critical Thinking Skills, and Cognitive Load. The treatment population used simulated experiments, while the non-treatment sections performed traditional expository experiments. A comparison was made using the Revised Two-Factor Study Process survey, Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, and the Scientific Attitude Inventory survey, using a Repeated Measures ANOVA test for treatment or non-treatment. A main effect of simulated laboratory experiments was found for both Higher-Order Learning, [F (1, 148) = 30.32,p = 0.00, eta2 = 0.12] and Critical Thinking Skills, [F (1, 148) = 14.64,p = 0.00, eta 2 = 0.17] such that simulations showed greater increases than traditional experiments. Post-lab treatment group self-reports indicated increased marginal means (+4.86) in Higher-Order Learning and Critical Thinking Skills, compared to the non-treatment group (+4.71). Simulations also improved the scientific skills and mastery of basic scientific subject matter. It is recommended that additional research recognize that learners' Critical Thinking Skills change due to different instructional methodologies that occur throughout a semester.

  14. The role of experience-based perceptual learning in the face inversion effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Civile, Ciro; Obhi, Sukhvinder S; McLaren, I P L

    2018-04-03

    Perceptual learning of the type we consider here is a consequence of experience with a class of stimuli. It amounts to an enhanced ability to discriminate between stimuli. We argue that it contributes to the ability to distinguish between faces and recognize individuals, and in particular contributes to the face inversion effect (better recognition performance for upright vs inverted faces). Previously, we have shown that experience with a prototype defined category of checkerboards leads to perceptual learning, that this produces an inversion effect, and that this effect can be disrupted by Anodal tDCS to Fp3 during pre-exposure. If we can demonstrate that the same tDCS manipulation also disrupts the inversion effect for faces, then this will strengthen the claim that perceptual learning contributes to that effect. The important question, then, is whether this tDCS procedure would significantly reduce the inversion effect for faces; stimuli that we have lifelong expertise with and for which perceptual learning has already occurred. Consequently, in the experiment reported here we investigated the effects of anodal tDCS at Fp3 during an old/new recognition task for upright and inverted faces. Our results show that stimulation significantly reduced the face inversion effect compared to controls. The effect was one of reducing recognition performance for upright faces. This result is the first to show that tDCS affects perceptual learning that has already occurred, disrupting individuals' ability to recognize upright faces. It provides further support for our account of perceptual learning and its role as a key factor in face recognition. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. New Educational Environments Aimed at Developing Intercultural Understanding While Reinforcing the Use of English in Experience-Based Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonard R. Bruguier

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available New learning environments with communication and information tools are increasingly accessible with technology playing a crucial role in expanding and reconceptualizing student learning experiences. This paper reviews the outcome of an innovative course offered by four universities in three countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Course objectives focused on broadening the understanding of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples primarily in relation to identity as it encouraged students to reflect on their own identity while improving their English skills in an interactive and experiential manner and thus enhancing their intercultural competence.

  16. Conditioning and learning in relation to disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ban, T A; Guy, W

    1985-12-01

    Of the two generally recognized processes through which learning occurs--imprinting and conditioning--only the latter with its two paradigms, classical and operant, has both practical and heuristic implications for disease. From the classical conditioning experiments of Pavlov's laboratory over 100 years ago to the later work in operant conditioning by Skinner and others in the past four decades has evolved much of the basis of modern learning theory and its applications to disease in the form of behavior therapy. Variants of behavior therapy have been employed in the treatment of wide variety of medical and psychiatric illnesses. Recent developments in the study of brain function and biochemistry have led to renewed interest in the conditioning paradigm and its value as tool in these areas of research.

  17. How an Orientation to Learning Influences the Expansive-Restrictive Nature of Teacher Learning and Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feeney, Eric J.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined teachers' learning situated in a school to reveal factors that support and hinder learning in the workplace. The investigation analyzed teachers' orientation to learning, examining beliefs, practices, and experiences about teachers' learning in relation to change in the workplace. A hypothesis is that teacher learning and…

  18. Age-related declines of stability in visual perceptual learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Li-Hung; Shibata, Kazuhisa; Andersen, George J; Sasaki, Yuka; Watanabe, Takeo

    2014-12-15

    One of the biggest questions in learning is how a system can resolve the plasticity and stability dilemma. Specifically, the learning system needs to have not only a high capability of learning new items (plasticity) but also a high stability to retain important items or processing in the system by preventing unimportant or irrelevant information from being learned. This dilemma should hold true for visual perceptual learning (VPL), which is defined as a long-term increase in performance on a visual task as a result of visual experience. Although it is well known that aging influences learning, the effect of aging on the stability and plasticity of the visual system is unclear. To address the question, we asked older and younger adults to perform a task while a task-irrelevant feature was merely exposed. We found that older individuals learned the task-irrelevant features that younger individuals did not learn, both the features that were sufficiently strong for younger individuals to suppress and the features that were too weak for younger individuals to learn. At the same time, there was no plasticity reduction in older individuals within the task tested. These results suggest that the older visual system is less stable to unimportant information than the younger visual system. A learning problem with older individuals may be due to a decrease in stability rather than a decrease in plasticity, at least in VPL. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Rocket to Creativity: A Field Experience in Problem-Based and Project-Based Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharon F. Dole

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of a field experience in problem-based (PBL and project-based learning (PjBL on pre-service and in-service teachers’ conceptions of experiential learning. In our study, participants had been enrolled in a hybrid class that included an online component in which they learned about PBL and PjBL and an experiential component in which they facilitated PBL and PjBL with children in grades 1-9 during a one-week field experience on a university campus. The goal of the field experience is for teachers to change their practice from didactic to inquiry and to promote critical and creative thinking in their students. We used a case study method that involved data derived from six different sources: online structured interviews, follow-up telephone interviews, discussion board posts, reflections, course feedback, and observations. The main theme that emerged from the data analysis was the critical role the field experience played in applying theory to practice. Sub-themes included understanding the process of implementing PBL and PjBL, mastering the logistics of PBL and PjBL, becoming facilitators, and collaborating with partners. Results showed that the field experience gave the teachers the “courage” to experiment with a student-centered methodology.

  20. Mathematics Self-Related Beliefs and Online Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ichinose, Cherie; Bonsangue, Martin

    2016-01-01

    This study examined students' mathematical self-related beliefs in an online mathematics course. Mathematical self-related beliefs of a sample of high school students learning mathematics online were compared with student response data from the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The treatment group reported higher levels…

  1. Gender-related differences in reasoning skills and learning interests of junior high school students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shemesh, Michal

    The purpose of this study was to investigate gender-related differences in the relationship between the development of formal reasoning skills and learning interests during the early adolescent stage. For this purpose, 249 students, from seventh to ninth grade, were assessed for their level of mastery of formal reasoning skills by a test based on videotaped simple experiments. Learning interests were assessed by a written response to an open question. Results showed that adolescent boys develop patterns of formal reasoning before their girl classmates. In addition, boys tend to prefer science and technology subjects, while girls tend to prefer language, social studies, and humanities. Analysis of interactions showed that boys' tendency toward science and technology is positively correlated to their age and development of formal reasoning, while girls' tendency to the above subjects is positively related to their development of formal reasoning capacity, but inversely related to their age. Possible explanations to the above-described findings and suggestions for instructional modes that may increase girls' interest in science and technology are discussed.

  2. Linear time relational prototype based learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gisbrecht, Andrej; Mokbel, Bassam; Schleif, Frank-Michael; Zhu, Xibin; Hammer, Barbara

    2012-10-01

    Prototype based learning offers an intuitive interface to inspect large quantities of electronic data in supervised or unsupervised settings. Recently, many techniques have been extended to data described by general dissimilarities rather than Euclidean vectors, so-called relational data settings. Unlike the Euclidean counterparts, the techniques have quadratic time complexity due to the underlying quadratic dissimilarity matrix. Thus, they are infeasible already for medium sized data sets. The contribution of this article is twofold: On the one hand we propose a novel supervised prototype based classification technique for dissimilarity data based on popular learning vector quantization (LVQ), on the other hand we transfer a linear time approximation technique, the Nyström approximation, to this algorithm and an unsupervised counterpart, the relational generative topographic mapping (GTM). This way, linear time and space methods result. We evaluate the techniques on three examples from the biomedical domain.

  3. Teaching Ethics to Marketing and Logistics Majors: A Transformative Learning Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguirre, Grant; Hyman, Michael R.; Goudge, Darrell; Genchev, Stefan; Carrell, Amy; Hamilton, Corey

    2017-01-01

    Within the context of a transformative learning field experiment, the ethical ideologies of marketing majors, logistics majors, and nonbusiness majors were found to differ. Based on this finding, a field experiment was conducted to determine the effect (if any) that ethics instruction has on marketing and logistics majors versus nonbusiness…

  4. Citizenship education in Lebanon: An introduction into students’ concepts and learning experiences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bassel Akar

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Lebanon continues to use citizenship education as a tool for social cohesion in its post-conflict sectarian society. Recently, teachers from previous studies (Akar, 2006 have raised certain issues concerning the challenges of teaching citizenship in Lebanon’s National and Civic Education classrooms. This initial study in Lebanon explores some of the challenges that students face when learning citizenship within their classroom by investigating their concepts of citizenship in addition to their learning experiences. Thirty-one students from two year-11 classrooms in different schools participated. During a 45-minute class lesson, I administered a survey pack collecting quantitative and qualitative data. This pack included a diamond ranking exercise, open-ended questions and a 15-minute class discussion at the end of class. Evidence showed that these students value active and dynamic behaviours based on humanistic and democratic principles. They also demonstrated a strong sense of national identity with little or no reference to a global one. Finally, the findings showed that traditional methods of learning such as memorization and the paradoxical climate of learning democratic civic behaviours in a society of internal conflicts further challenged their learning experiences.

  5. What else are psychotherapy trainees learning? A qualitative model of students' personal experiences based on two populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascual-Leone, Antonio; Rodriguez-Rubio, Beatriz; Metler, Samantha

    2013-01-01

    After an introductory course in experiential-integrative psychotherapy, 21 graduate students provided personal narratives of their experiences, which were analyzed using the grounded theory method. Results produced 37 hierarchically organized experiences, revealing that students perceived multiple changes in both professional (i.e., skill acquisition and learning related to the therapeutic process) and personal (i.e., self growth in a more private sphere) domains. Analysis also highlighted key areas of difficulties in training. By adding the personal accounts of graduate trainees, this study enriches and extends Pascual-Leone et al.'s (2012) findings on undergraduates' experiences, raising the number of cases represented in the model to 45. Findings confirm the model of novice trainee experiences while highlighting the unique experiences of undergraduate vs. graduate trainees.

  6. Systemic Family Therapy Using the Reflecting Team: The Experiences of Adults with Learning Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anslow, Katharine

    2014-01-01

    This research aimed to illuminate the experiences of adults with learning disabilities of the reflecting team, in the context of their systemic family therapy. Five adults with learning disabilities were recruited from one community learning disability team. A qualitative design using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was appropriate…

  7. Organizational learning viewed from a social learning perspective

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elkjær, Bente; Brandi, Ulrik

    2011-01-01

    This chapter reviews the literature on organizational learning through the lens of a social learning perspective. We start with an individual learning perspective, before moving on to a social learning perspective with a particular focus upon pragmatism. The literature review covers the following...... four issues: the content of learning, the process of learning, the relation between individual and organization, and the concept of organization. An important separator between individual and social learning perspectives is the different emphasis on learning as acquisition of skills and knowledge......, versus learning as encompassing development of identities and socialization to organizational work and life. A pragmatist social learning perspective emphasizes both learning as acquisition through experience and inquiry, and learning as development of identities and socialization through individuals...

  8. Combining traditional anatomy lectures with e-learning activities: how do students perceive their learning experience?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lochner, Lukas; Wieser, Heike; Waldboth, Simone; Mischo-Kelling, Maria

    2016-02-21

    The purpose of this study was to investigate how students perceived their learning experience when combining traditional anatomy lectures with preparatory e-learning activities that consisted of fill-in-the-blank assignments, videos, and multiple-choice quizzes. A qualitative study was conducted to explore changes in study behaviour and perception of learning. Three group interviews with students were conducted and thematically analysed. Data was categorized into four themes: 1. Approaching the course material, 2. Understanding the material, 3. Consolidating the material, and 4. Perceived learning outcome. Students appreciated the clear structure of the course, and reported that online activities encouraged them towards a first engagement with the material. They felt that they were more active during in-class sessions, described self-study before the end-of-term exam as easier, and believed that contents would remain in their memories for a longer time. By adjusting already existing resources, lectures can be combined fairly easily and cost-effectively with preparatory e-learning activities. The creation of online components promote well-structured courses, can help minimize 'student passivity' as a characteristic element of lectures, and can support students in distributing their studies throughout the term, thus suggesting enhanced learning. Further research work should be designed to confirm the afore-mentioned findings through objective measurements of student learning outcomes.

  9. Combining traditional anatomy lectures with e-learning activities: how do students perceive their learning experience?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieser, Heike; Waldboth, Simone; Mischo-Kelling, Maria

    2016-01-01

    Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate how students perceived their learning experience when combining traditional anatomy lectures with preparatory e-learning activities that consisted of fill-in-the-blank assignments, videos, and multiple-choice quizzes. Methods A qualitative study was conducted to explore changes in study behaviour and perception of learning. Three group interviews with students were conducted and thematically analysed. Results Data was categorized into four themes: 1. Approaching the course material, 2. Understanding the material, 3. Consolidating the material, and 4. Perceived learning outcome.  Students appreciated the clear structure of the course, and reported that online activities encouraged them towards a first engagement with the material. They felt that they were more active during in-class sessions, described self-study before the end-of-term exam as easier, and believed that contents would remain in their memories for a longer time. Conclusions By adjusting already existing resources, lectures can be combined fairly easily and cost-effectively with preparatory e-learning activities. The creation of online components promote well-structured courses, can help minimize ‘student passivity’ as a characteristic element of lectures, and can support students in distributing their studies throughout the term, thus suggesting enhanced learning. Further research work should be designed to confirm the afore-mentioned findings through objective measurements of student learning outcomes. PMID:26897012

  10. "My math and me": Nursing students' previous experiences in learning mathematics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Røykenes, Kari

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, 11 narratives about former experiences in learning of mathematics written by nursing students are thematically analyzed. Most students had a positive relationship with the subject in primary school, when they found mathematics fun and were able to master the subject. For some, a change occurred in the transition to lower secondary school. The reasons for this change was found in the subject (increased difficulty), the teachers (movement of teachers, numerous substitute teachers), the class environment and size (many pupils, noise), and the student him- or herself (silent and anonymous pupil). This change was also found in the transition from lower to higher secondary school. By contrast, some students had experienced changes that were positive, and their mathematics teacher was a significant factor in this positive change. The paper emphasizes the importance of previous experiences in learning mathematics to nursing students when learning about drug calculation. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. A pedagogical design pattern framework for sharing experiences and enhancing communities of practice within online and blended learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chresteria Neutszky-Wulff

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available ”Design patterns” were originally proposed in architecture and later in software engineering as a methodology to sketch and share solutions to recurring design problems. In recent years ”pedagogical design patterns” have been introduced as a way to sketch and share good practices in teaching and learning; specifically in the context of technology-enhanced learning (e-learning. Several attempts have been made to establish a framework for describing and sharing such e-learning patterns, but so far they have had limited success. At a series of workshops in a competence-development project for teachers at the University of Copenhagen a new and simpler pedagogical design pattern framework was developed for interfaculty sharing of experiences and enhancing communities of practice in relation to online and blended learning across the university. In this study, the new pedagogical design pattern framework is applied to describe the learning design in four online and blended learning courses within different academic disciplines: Classical Greek, Biostatistics, Environmental Management in Europe, and Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation. Future perspectives for using the framework for developing new E-learning patterns for online and blended learning courses are discussed.

  12. Vaccination learning experiences of nursing students: a grounded theory study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ildarabadi, Eshagh; Karimi Moonaghi, Hossein; Heydari, Abbas; Taghipour, Ali; Abdollahimohammad, Abdolghani

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing students being trained to perform vaccinations. The grounded theory method was applied to gather information through semi-structured interviews. The participants included 14 undergraduate nursing students in their fifth and eighth semesters of study in a nursing school in Iran. The information was analyzed according to Strauss and Corbin's method of grounded theory. A core category of experiential learning was identified, and the following eight subcategories were extracted: students' enthusiasm, vaccination sensitivity, stress, proper educational environment, absence of prerequisites, students' responsibility for learning, providing services, and learning outcomes. The vaccination training of nursing students was found to be in an acceptable state. However, some barriers to effective learning were identified. As such, the results of this study may provide empirical support for attempts to reform vaccination education by removing these barriers.

  13. Components in models of learning: Different operationalisations and relations between components

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirkov Snežana

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper provides the presentation of different operationalisations of components in different models of learning. Special emphasis is on the empirical verifications of relations between components. Starting from the research of congruence between learning motives and strategies, underlying the general model of school learning that comprises different approaches to learning, we have analyzed the empirical verifications of factor structure of instruments containing the scales of motives and learning strategies corresponding to these motives. Considering the problems in the conceptualization of the achievement approach to learning, we have discussed the ways of operational sing the goal orientations and exploring their role in using learning strategies, especially within the model of the regulation of constructive learning processes. This model has served as the basis for researching learning styles that are the combination of a large number of components. Complex relations between the components point to the need for further investigation of the constructs involved in various models. We have discussed the findings and implications of the studies of relations between the components involved in different models, especially between learning motives/goals and learning strategies. We have analyzed the role of regulation in the learning process, whose elaboration, as indicated by empirical findings, can contribute to a more precise operationalisation of certain learning components. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 47008: Unapređivanje kvaliteta i dostupnosti obrazovanja u procesima modernizacije Srbije i br. 179034: Od podsticanja inicijative, saradnje i stvaralaštva u obrazovanju do novih uloga i identiteta u društvu

  14. Clarifying the learning experiences of healthcare professionals with in situ and off-site simulation-based medical education: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sørensen, Jette Led; Navne, Laura Emdal; Martin, Helle Max; Ottesen, Bent; Albrecthsen, Charlotte Krebs; Pedersen, Berit Woetmann; Kjærgaard, Hanne; van der Vleuten, Cees

    2015-10-06

    To examine how the setting in in situ simulation (ISS) and off-site simulation (OSS) in simulation-based medical education affects the perceptions and learning experience of healthcare professionals. Qualitative study using focus groups and content analysis. Twenty-five healthcare professionals (obstetricians, midwives, auxiliary nurses, anaesthesiologists, a nurse anaesthetist and operating theatre nurse) participated in four focus groups and were recruited due to their exposure to either ISS or OSS in multidisciplinary obstetric emergencies in a randomised trial. Departments of obstetrics and anaesthesia, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. Initially participants preferred ISS, but this changed after the training when the simulation site became of less importance. There was a strong preference for simulation in authentic roles. These perceptions were independent of the ISS or OSS setting. Several positive and negative factors in simulation were identified, but these had no relation to the simulation setting. Participants from ISS and OSS generated a better understanding of and collaboration with the various health professionals. They also provided individual and team reflections on learning. ISS participants described more experiences that would involve organisational changes than the OSS participants did. Many psychological and sociological aspects related to the authenticity of the learning experience are important in simulation, but the physical setting of the simulation as an ISS and OSS is the least important. Based on these focus groups OSS can be used provided that all other authenticity elements are taken into consideration and respected. The only difference was that ISS had an organisational impact and ISS participants talked more about issues that would involve practical organisational changes. ISS and OSS participants did, however, go through similar individual and team learning experiences. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For

  15. Experience of e-learning implementation through massive open online courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivleva, N. V.; Fibikh, E. V.

    2016-04-01

    E-learning is considered to be one of the most prospective directions in education development worldwide. To have a competitive advantage over other institutions offering a wide variety of educational services it is important to introduce information and communication technologies into the educational process to develop e-learning on the whole. The aim of the research is to reveal problems which prevent from full implementation of e-learning at the Reshetnev Siberian State Aerospace University (SibSAU) and to suggest ways on solving those problems through optimization of e-learning introduction process at the university by motivating students and teaching staff to participate in massive open online courses and formation of tailored platforms with the view to arrange similar courses at the premises of the university. The paper considers the introduction and development level of e-learning in Russia and at SibSAU particularly. It substantiates necessity to accelerate e-learning introduction process at an aerospace university as a base for training of highly-qualified specialists in the area of aviation, machine building, physics, info-communication technologies and also in other scientific areas within which university training is carried out. The paper covers SibSAU’s experience in e-learning implementation in the educational process through students and teaching staff participation in massive open online courses and mastering other up-to-date and trendy educational platforms and their usage in the educational process. Key words. E-learning, distance learning, online learning, massive open online course.

  16. Online Independent Vocabulary Learning Experience of Hong Kong University Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eunice Tang

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In response to the limited vocabulary size of its undergraduates, an independent vocabulary learning platform, VLearn was designed and launched in a university in Hong Kong. As an elearning environment that supports self-directed vocabulary learning of Chinese learners, the primary aim of VLearn is to equip users with appropriate knowledge and skills for vocabulary expansion. This paper introduces the contents of VLearn, and the theoretical underpinnings of its design. It also reports on the vocabulary learning experience of its users during an eight week evaluation study. Suggestions are made on how independent vocabulary building at higher education, as well as comprehensive vocabulary instruction at early years could be supported by means of technology.

  17. Learning by bidding: evidence from a large-scale natural experiment

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hanousek, Jan; Kočenda, Evžen

    -, č. 247 (2005), s. 1-33 ISSN 1211-3298 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503 Keywords : learning * natural experiment * auction Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp247.pdf

  18. An exploration of students' experiences of Blended Learning in a ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... experiences of Blended Learning through their interaction with the adaptive ... to university resources such as computers and Wi-Fi had a greater chance of ... were discordant - students scored better on online tests than in written tests.

  19. Agoras: Towards Collaborative Game-Based Learning Experiences on Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catala, Alejandro; Garcia-Sanjuan, Fernando; Pons, Patricia; Jaen, Javier; Mocholi, Jose A.

    2012-01-01

    Children nowadays consume and manage lots of interactive digital software. This makes it more interesting and powerful to use digital technologies and videogames supporting learning experiences. However, in general, current digital proposals lack of in-situ social interaction supporting natural exchange and discussion of ideas in the course of…

  20. A Qualitative Study to Improve the Student Learning Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jastania, Raid A.; Balata, Gehan F.; Abd El-Hady, Mohamed I. S.; Gouda, Ahmad; Abd El-Wahab, Mohamad; Mohamad, Abeer S.; Ibrahim, Nashwa M.; Beshr, Eman; Mahdi, Abeer Y.; Mousa, Rabab; Tag, Batool F.; Hisham, Hadeel; El-Sofiani, Ibtehal

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: For any educational institution, student satisfaction is an important goal. Thus, the purpose of the study is to use a structured improvement process, define--measure--analyse--improve--control (DMAIC) methodology, to improve students' satisfaction regarding their learning experience at the College of Pharmacy/Umm Al-Qura University.…

  1. Learning beyond graduation: exploring newly qualified specialists' entrance into daily practice from a learning perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuyvers, Katrien; Donche, Vincent; Van den Bossche, Piet

    2016-05-01

    The entrance of newly qualified medical specialists into daily practice is considered to be a stressful period in which curriculum support is absent. Although engaging in both personal and professional learning and development activities is recognized fundamental for lifelong professional competence, research on medical professionals' entrance into practice is scarce. This research aims to contribute to the framework of medical professionals' informal learning and outlines the results of an exploratory study on the nature of learning in daily practice beyond postgraduate training. Eleven newly qualified physicians from different specialized backgrounds participated in a phenomenographic study, using a critical incident method and a grounded theory approach. Results demonstrated that learning in the workplace is, to a large extent, informal and associated with a variety of learning experiences. Analysis shows that experiences related to diagnostics and treatments are important sources for learning. Furthermore, incidents related to communication, changing roles, policy and organization offer learning opportunities, and therefore categorized as learning experiences. A broad range of learning activities are identified in dealing with these learning experiences. More specifically, actively engaging in actions and interactions, especially with colleagues of the same specialty, are the most mentioned. Observing others, consulting written sources, and recognizing uncertainties, are also referred to as learning activities. In the study, interaction, solely or combined with other learning activities, are deemed as very important by specialists in the initial entrance into practice. These insights can be used to develop workplace structures to support the entrance into practice following postgraduate training.

  2. Innovation in technology for the least product price and cost - a new minimum cost relation for reductions during technological learning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duffey, R.B.

    2004-01-01

    By analogy with the concepts of human learning, we show and introduce a new method to obtain least product cost and price that includes the effect of innovation and technological learning in manufacturing and production. This key result is a new paradigm instead of the usual economic 'power law' formulation. The new analysis is based on extensive analysis of many technological systems, and is directly related to the presence of learning as experience is accumulated. The results agree with the observed data. By using a consistent basis, the method replaces previous empirical 'power law' descriptions of the technological learning curve with a new 'marginal minimum cost equation' (MCE). (author)

  3. Learning experience in endodontics: Brazilian students' perceptions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seijo, Marilia O S; Ferreira, Efigênia F; Ribeiro Sobrinho, Antônio P; Paiva, Saul M; Martins, Renata C

    2013-05-01

    Including students' perceptions in the educational process is considered a key component in monitoring the quality of academic programs. This study aimed to evaluate the concept of one's learning experience in endodontic teaching from the perspective of a group of Brazilian students. A total of 126 self-administered, structured questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate dental students enrolled in endodontics courses during the second semester of the 2009 academic year. The questionnaires were administered during final examinations and focused on students' opinions concerning learning during endodontic treatments, time spent during endodontic treatments, difficulties found during endodontic treatments, quality of endodontic treatments performed, characteristics of the technique employed, and suggestions to improve endodontic teaching. Ninety-one percent of the questionnaires were returned for evaluation. The obtained answers were discussed and analyzed, thereby generating quantitative and qualitative data showing students' perceptions of their experiences in endodontics courses. The main points that can affect the teaching of endodontics, according to the undergraduate students, included patients' absences and delays, selection of patients, preclinical and clinical training, difficulties found, type of technique employed, and teachers' orientation during endodontic treatment. The students' perceptions provided valuable information about the development of the course and the teacher-student relationship, together with the added intention of enhancing the teaching of endodontics as well as other courses.

  4. Faculty perspectives on the inclusion of work-related learning in engineering curricula

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Magnell, Marie; Geschwind, Lars Allan; Kolmos, Anette

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to identify faculty perspectives on the integration of work-related issues in engineering education. A mixed methods approach was used to explore faculty attitudes towards work-related learning, to describe activities related to working life that have been introduced...... into the curriculum and to identify factors that faculty see as important if the amount of work-related learning is to increase. The results show that faculty members are positive about integrating work-related issues into the curriculum. Programmes with more extensive connections to industry offer more integrated...... activities, such as projects with external actors, and use professional contacts established through research in their teaching. In order to increase work-related learning in engineering curricula, faculty request clear goals and pedagogical tools. Other options to increase work-related learning include...

  5. Comparative urban Bangladesh physics learning experiences as described by students and alumni

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Tanzeem Iqbal

    activity during teenage years, (vi) comparative views on learning experiences in schools versus centers and private tutors, (vii) role of novice versus experienced teachers in helping students successfully prepare for exams and (viii) that the expenditure of money for coaching and tutoring does not always result in higher test scores. In phase 2, the participants were selected based on the first phase of the study using a theoretical sampling strategy most closely related to studying the emerging themes. The second phase of the research involved interviewing a theoretical sample of 10 alumni face-to-face to engage in conversation with the participants who were most likely to help confirm or disconfirm the findings from phase 1. Although similar questions were used during the interviews, the researcher avoided asking the participants directly about their meaningful learning experience and tried getting it out by making them describe how lessons were for specific topics, what they learned and understood. The emergent findings are a result of a five-faced prism where each idea reflects off another; namely the five faces and perspectives are: (1) Student Voice (2) Social Learning Theory, (3) Constructivist Learning Environment, (4) Principles of Learning and (5) Brain-based Learning. Study phases 3 and 4 focused on establishing the veracity of the previously identified themes through member checking and further act as an audit trail to validate the work being done over a span of the study at multiple sites. The findings from all the data were analyzed using a theoretical framework of continual interaction and constant comparison among new data with the prior to come to the development or evolving of the unique themes in this study. These findings suggest that a rapidly growing phenomenon of extra-curricular coaching beyond school prior to exams widely exists as early as sixth or eighth grade, sometimes at the cost of cutting back on in-school time. The data further indicate

  6. Food memory and its relation with age and liking: an incidental learning experiment with children, young and elderly people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laureati, M; Morin-Audebrand, L; Pagliarini, E; Sulmont-Rossé, C; Köster, E P; Mojet, J

    2008-09-01

    The present study compared incidental learning and food memory in children, young adults and elderly people for three sensory modalities (taste, texture and aroma). The relation of gender and liker-status (i.e. how much we like a product) with food memory was also investigated. Participants received a complete meal including a custard dessert used as target under incidental learning conditions. 24h later, participants were confronted with a series of samples consisting of the target and slightly modified versions of the target (distractors) and were unexpectedly asked to perform an "absolute memory" ("Did you eat this sample yesterday?") and a "relative memory" test ("Is the present sample less/equal/more pleasant than the one you ate yesterday?"). Participants also performed a hedonic and a discrimination test. Memory for the custard was poor and did not depend on age, but it was related to gender, and to how much participants liked the product. Females and high-likers outperformed males and low-likers in the absolute memory task, but they were not better in discriminating the products on both the hedonic and the perceptual dimension. Results also showed that, contrary to common belief, not all sensory aspects that can be discriminated in perception and in liking, are equally well remembered.

  7. Vocabulary relearning in semantic dementia: Positive and negative consequences of increasing variability in the learning experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Paul; Clarke, Natasha; Jones, Roy W; Noonan, Krist A

    2015-09-01

    Anomia therapy typically aims to improve patients' communication ability through targeted practice in naming a set of particular items. For such interventions to be of maximum benefit, the use of trained (or relearned) vocabulary must generalise from the therapy setting into novel situations. We investigated relearning in three patients with semantic dementia, a condition that has been associated with poor generalisation of relearned vocabulary. We tested two manipulations designed to improve generalisation of relearned words by introducing greater variation into the learning experience. In the first study, we found that trained items were retained more successfully when they were presented in a variety of different sequences during learning. In the second study, we found that training items using a range of different pictured exemplars improved the patients' ability to generalise words to novel instances of the same object. However, in one patient this came at the cost of inappropriate over-generalisations, in which trained words were incorrectly used to name semantically or visually similar objects. We propose that more variable learning experiences benefit patients because they shift responsibility for learning away from the inflexible hippocampal learning system and towards the semantic system. The success of this approach therefore depends critically on the integrity of the semantic representations of the items being trained. Patients with naming impairments in the context of relatively mild comprehension deficits are most likely to benefit from this approach, while avoiding the negative consequences of over-generalisation. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  8. Reciprocal Education Experiences In Two GK-12 Programs: Teachers Learning And Students Teaching In Diverse Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayo, M.; Williams, C.; Rodriguez, T.; Greely, T.; Pyrtle, A. J.; Rivera-Rentas, A. L.; Vilches, M.

    2004-12-01

    The National Science Foundation's Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) Program has enabled science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduate schools across the country to become more active in local area K-12 schools. An overview of a graduate student's experiences, insights gained and lessons learned as a Fellow in the 2003-2004 Universidad Metropolitana's (UMET) environmental science and the 2004-2005 University of South Florida's (USF) ocean science GK-12 Programs is presented. The major goals of the 2003-2004 UMET GK-12 Program were 1) to enrich environmental science teaching and learning via a thematic approach in eight local public schools and 2) to provide UMET graduate students with exposure to teaching methodologies and practical teaching experience. Utilizing examples from local environments in and nearby Carolina, Puerto Rico to teach key science principles at Escuela de la Comunidad Juana Rodriguez Mundo provided numerous opportunities to relate science topics to students' daily life experiences. By 2004, the UMET GK-12 Program had successfully engaged the entire student body (primarily comprised of bilingual minority kindergarten to sixth graders), teachers and school administrators in environment-focused teaching and learning activities. Examples of such activities include tree planting projects to minimize local erosion, conducting a science fair for the first time in many years, and numerous opportunities to experience what "real scientists do" while conducting environmental science investigations. During the 2004-2005 academic year, skills, insights and lessons learned as a UMET GK-12 Fellow are being further enhanced through participation in the USF GK-12 OCEANS Program. The overall objectives of the 2004-2005 USF GK-12 OCEANS assignment at Madeira Beach Elementary School in Saint Petersburg, Florida are to 1) engage students from various ethnic backgrounds and cultures in hands-on science activities, 2) enhance the

  9. Student experiences of participating in five collaborative blended learning courses in Africa and Asia: a survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atkins, Salla; Yan, Weirong; Meragia, Elnta; Mahomed, Hassan; Rosales-Klintz, Senia; Skinner, Donald; Zwarenstein, Merrick

    2016-01-01

    As blended learning (BL; a combination of face-to-face and e-learning methods) becomes more commonplace, it is important to assess whether students find it useful for their studies. ARCADE HSSR and ARCADE RSDH (African Regional Capacity Development for Health Systems and Services Research; Asian Regional Capacity Development for Research on Social Determinants of Health) were unique capacity-building projects, focusing on developing BL in Africa and Asia on issues related to global health. We aimed to evaluate the student experience of participating in any of five ARCADE BL courses implemented collaboratively at institutions from Africa, Asia, and Europe. A post-course student survey with 118 students was conducted. The data were collected using email or through an e-learning platform. Data were analysed with SAS, using bivariate and multiple logistic regression. We focused on the associations between various demographic and experience variables and student-reported overall perceptions of the courses. In total, 82 students responded to the survey. In bivariate logistic regression, the course a student took [ p =0.0067, odds ratio (OR)=0.192; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.058-0.633], male gender of student ( p =0.0474, OR=0.255; 95% CI: 0.066-0.985), not experiencing technical problems ( p learning component to their studies. In contrast, perceiving the assessment as adequate was associated with a worse perception of overall usefulness. In a multiple regression, the course, experiencing no technical problems, and perceiving the discussion as adequate remained significantly associated with a more positively rated perception of the usefulness of the online component of the blended courses. The results suggest that lack of technical problems and functioning discussion forums are of importance during BL courses focusing on global health-related topics. Through paying attention to these aspects, global health education could be provided using BL approaches to student

  10. Freshmen Marketing: A First-Year Experience with Experiential Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greene, Henry

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes an experiential learning activity designed for a New England university freshmen course, BUS101-Marketing First-Year Experience (FYE). The purpose of the activity is to teach basic principles of marketing, develop a general perspective of business, and provide FYE activities that facilitate the college transition. The specific…

  11. Mountain Plains Learning Experience Guide: Marketing. Course: Visual Merchandising.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preston, T.; Egan, B.

    One of thirteen individualized courses included in a marketing curriculum, this course covers the steps to be followed in planning, constructing, and evaluating the effectiveness of merchandise displays. The course is comprised of one unit, General Merchandise Displays. The unit begins with a Unit Learning Experience Guide that gives directions…

  12. The experience of applying academic service learning within the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The experience of applying academic service learning within the discipline of speech pathology and audiology at a South African university. ... The argument put forward is that this type of pedagogy would appear to be applicable across a broad range of disciplines and represents one strategy for assisting higher education ...

  13. Alpbach Summer School - a unique learning experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kern, K.; Aulinas, J.; Clifford, D.; Krejci, D.; Topham, R.

    2011-12-01

    The Alpbach Summer School is a ten-day program that provides a unique opportunity for young european science and engineering students, both undergraduate and graduate, to learn how to approach the entire design process of a space mission. The theme of the 2010 Summer School was "New Space Missions to Understand Climate Change", a current, challenging, very broad and complex topic. The program was established more than 35 years ago and is organised in two interrelated parts: a series of lectures held by renowned experts in the field (in the case of this specific year, climate change and space engineering experts) that provides a technical and scientific background for the workshops that follow, the core of the Summer School. For the workshops the students are split into four international, interdisciplinary teams of about 15 students. In 2010 every team had to complete a number of tasks, four in total: (1) identify climate change research gaps and design a space mission that has not yet been flown or proposed, (2) define the science objectives and requirements of the mission, (3) design a spacecraft that meets the mission requirements, which includes spacecraft design and construction, payload definition, orbit calculations, but also the satellite launch, operation and mission costs and (4) write up a short mission proposal and present the results to an expert review panel. Achieving these tasks in only a few days in a multicultural, interdisciplinary team represents a major challenge for all participants and provides an excellent practical learning experience. Over the course of the program, students do not just learn facts about climate change and space engineering, but scientists also learn from engineers and engineers from scientists. The participants have to deepen their knowledge in an often unfamiliar field, develop organisational and team-work skills and work under pressure. Moreover, teams are supported by team and roving tutors and get the opportunity to

  14. Dataset of two experiments of the application of gamified peer assessment model into online learning environment MeuTutor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thyago Tenório

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In this dataset, we present the collected data of two experiments with the application of the gamified peer assessment model into online learning environment MeuTutor to allow the comparison of the obtained results with others proposed models. MeuTutor is an intelligent tutoring system aims to monitor the learning of the students in a personalized way, ensuring quality education and improving the performance of its members (Tenório et al., 2016 [1]. The first experiment evaluated the effectiveness of the peer assessment model through metrics as final grade (result, time to correct the activities and associated costs. The second experiment evaluated the gamification influence into peer assessment model, analyzing metrics as access number (logins, number of performed activities and number of performed corrections. In this article, we present in table form for each metric: the raw data of each treatment; the summarized data; the application results of the normality test Shapiro–Wilk; the application results of the statistical tests T-Test and/or Wilcoxon. The presented data in this article are related to the article entitled “A gamified peer assessment model for on-line learning environments in a competitive context” (Tenório et al., 2016 [1].

  15. Innovating the Experience of Peer Learning and Earth Science Education in the Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scoates, J. S.; Hanano, D. W.; Weis, D.; Bilenker, L.; Sherman, S. B.; Gilley, B.

    2017-12-01

    The use of active learning and collaborative strategies is widely gaining momentum at the university level and is ideally suited to field instructional settings. Peer learning, when students learn with and from each other, is based on the principle that students learn in a more profound way by explaining their ideas to others and by participating in activities in which they can learn from their peers. The Multidisciplinary Applied Geochemistry Network (MAGNET), an NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) initiative in Canada, recently experimented with this approach during its fourth annual workshop in August 2016. With a group of 25 geochemistry graduate students from universities across Canada, three remarkable field sites in Montana and Wyoming were explored: the Stillwater Complex, the Beartooth Mountains, and Yellowstone National Park. Rather than developing a rigorous teaching curriculum led by faculty, groups of students were tasked with designing and delivering half-day teaching modules that included field activities at each of the locations. Over the course of two months and with feedback from mentors, the graduate students transformed their ideas into formal lesson plans, complete with learning goals, a schedule of teaching activities, equipment lists, and plans for safety and environmental mitigation. This shift, from teacher-centered to learner-centered education, requires students to take greater initiative and responsibility for their own learning and development. We highlight the goals, structure and implementation of the workshop, as well as some of the successes and challenges. We also present the results of participant feedback taken immediately after each lesson and both pre- and post-trip surveys. The outdoor classroom and hands-on activities accelerated learning of field techniques and enhanced understanding of complex geological systems and processes. The trainee-led format facilitated peer knowledge transfer and the

  16. Increasing dopamine levels in the brain improves feedback-based procedural learning: An artificial grammar learning experiment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Vries, M.H.; Ulte, C.; Zwitserlood, P.; Szymanski, B.; Knecht, S.

    2010-01-01

    Recently, an increasing number of studies have suggested a role for the basal ganglia and related dopamine inputs in procedural learning, specifically when learning occurs through trial-by-trial feedback (Shohamy, Myers, Kalanithi, & Gluck. (2008). Basal ganglia and dopamine contributions to

  17. Learning the pedagogical implications of student diversity: The lived experience of preservice teachers learning to teach secondary science in diverse classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larkin, Doug

    This study explores the nature of the changes in thinking that occur in prospective teachers during teacher education programs, particularly as these changes pertain to the pedagogical implications of student diversity within the teaching of high school science. The specific research question examined here is: How do preservice secondary science teachers' conceptions about what it means to teach science in diverse classrooms change during a teacher education program, and in what ways are these changes influenced by their science methods courses and student teaching experiences? The theory of conceptual change serves as the framework for understanding preservice teacher learning in this study. In this research, I describe the experiences of six prospective secondary science teachers from four different teacher education programs located in the Midwestern United States using a multiple case study approach. Qualitative data was collected from students through interviews, questionnaires, teaching portfolios, written coursework, lesson planning materials, and naturalistic observations of student teaching. The questionnaire and interview protocols were based on those developed for the Teacher Education and Learning to Teach study (NCRTE, 1991) and adapted for specific science content areas. Findings of this study include the fact that participants came to view the salience of diversity in science teaching primarily in terms of students' interest, motivation, and engagement. Also, it appeared prospective teachers needed to first recognize the role that student thinking plays in learning before being able to understand the pedagogical implications of student diversity became possible. Finally, while all of the participants increasingly valued student ideas, they did so for a wide variety of reasons, not all of which related to student learning. The implications section of this study highlights opportunities for drawing on science education research to inform multicultural

  18. METALS (Minority Education Through Traveling and Learning in the Sciences) and the Value of Collaborative Field-centered Experiences in the Geosciences (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, L. D.

    2013-12-01

    METALS (Minority Education Through Traveling and Learning in the Sciences) is a field-based, geoscience diversity program developed by a collaborative venture among San Francisco State University, the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of New Orleans, and Purdue University. Since 2010, this program has created meaningful geoscience experiences for underrepresented minorities by engaging 30 high school students in experiential learning opportunities each year. During METALS field trips, the primarily urban students observe natural landforms, measure water quality, conduct beach profiles, and interpret stratigraphic and structural features in locations that have included southern Utah, southern Louisiana, central Wyoming, and northern California. In these geological settings participants are also able to focus on societally relevant, community-related issues. Results from program evaluation suggest that student participants view METALS as: (1) opening up new opportunities for field-based science not normally available to them, (2) engaging in a valuable science-based field experience, (3) an inspirational, but often physically challenging, undertaking that combines high-interest geology content with an exciting outdoor adventure, and (4) a unique social experience that brings together people from various parts of the United States. Further evaluation findings from the four summer trips completed thus far demonstrate that active learning opportunities through direct interaction with the environment is an effective way to engage students in geoscience-related learning. Students also seem to benefit from teaching strategies that include thoughtful reflection, journaling, and teamwork, and mentors are positive about engaging with these approaches. Participants appear motivated to explore geoscience topics further and often discuss having new insights and new perspectives leading to career choices in geosciences. Additionally, students who had a prior and

  19. Wiki Laboratory Notebooks: Supporting Student Learning in Collaborative Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrie, Gwendolyn Angela; Grøndahl, Lisbeth; Boman, Simon; Andrews, Trish

    2016-01-01

    Recent examples of high-impact teaching practices in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory that include course-based undergraduate research experiences and inquiry-based experiments require new approaches to assessing individual student learning outcomes. Instructors require tools and strategies that can provide them with insight into individual…

  20. From user-producer relations to the learning economy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johnson, Bjørn

    2011-01-01

    This paper deals with three issues. First, the conceptual and theoretical development in Lundvall’s writing from user–producer relations to the learning economy is discussed with a focus on his main contributions to innovation theory. Second, Lundvall’s description of the learning economy...... the learning economy is placed as a central concept in the quest for a general theory of innovation, which for many years has characterized Lundvall’s writings....... is extended in that it is argued that it is driven by its internal contradictions, and by the institutional responses to these contradictions. This approach is not in conflict with Lundvall’s views, but he has not pursued it and it may give new insights into the dynamics of the learning economy. Finally...