The impact of online video lecture recordings and automated feedback on student performance

To what extent a blended learning configuration of face-to-face lectures, online on-demand video recordings of the face-to-face lectures and the offering of online quizzes with appropriate feedback has an additional positive impact on the performance of these students compared to the traditional face-to-face course approach? In a between-subjects design in which students were randomly assigned to a group having access to the online lectures including multiple choice quizzes and appropriate feedback or to a group having access to the online lectures only, 474 students (161 men and 313 women) of a course on European Law agreed to participate in the experiment. By using regression analysis we found that the course grade of the students was predicted by their grade point average, their study discipline, their grade goal for the course, the expected difficulty-level of the course, the number of online lectures they viewed, the number of lectures the students attended in person and the interaction between the lectures they viewed online and attended in person. Students who attended few lectures had more benefit from viewing online lectures than students who attended many lectures. In contrast to our expectations, the regression analysis did not show a significant effect of automated feedback on student performance. Offering recordings of face-to-face lectures is an easy extension of a traditional course and is of practical importance, because it enables students who are often absent from the regular face-to-face lectures to be able to improve their course grade by viewing the lectures online.     

Effects of visual feedback on medical students’ procrastination within web-based planning and reflection protocols

Procrastination is a very common problem among students that results from ineffective selfregulation. In two field-experimental studies (N = 18 and N = 49), we investigated whether visual feedback on students’ previous procrastination was effective in provoking a decrease in students’ future procrastination as well as improvements in self-regulated learning. The visual feedback was implemented as a dynamic line chart in a web-based planning and reflection protocol used once a week by medical students to record their class preparation and homework once a week. In the protocols, the students planned and reflected on their personal learning processes and they estimated retrospectively their inclination to procrastinate. The results of both studies consistently showed that presenting students a line chart that adaptively visualizes the course and extent of their self-reported previous procrastination led to a statistically significant and practically relevant decrease in their future procrastination. Furthermore, the visualization had positive effects on other variables central to self-regulated learning. The studies provide converging evidence that the inclination to procrastinate can successfully be counteracted both by a parsimonious and easy-to-implement method. They are suggestive of ways how Internet technology can be used support students’ self-regulated learning.     

Affective learning: improving engagement and enhancing learning with affect-aware feedback

This paper describes the design and ecologically valid evaluation of a learner model that lies at the heart of an intelligent learning environment called iTalk2Learn. A core objective of the learner model is to adapt formative feedback based on students’ affective states. Types of adaptation include what type of formative feedback should be provided and how it should be presented. Two Bayesian networks trained with data gathered in a series of Wizard-of-Oz studies are used for the adaptation process. This paper reports results from a quasi-experimental evaluation, in authentic classroom settings, which compared a version of iTalk2Learn that adapted feedback based on students’ affective states as they were talking aloud with the system (the affect condition) with one that provided feedback based only on the students’ performance (the non-affect condition). Our results suggest that affect-aware support contributes to reducing boredom and off-task behavior, and may have an effect on learning. We discuss the internal and ecological validity of the study, in light of pedagogical considerations that informed the design of the two conditions. Overall, the results of the study have implications both for the design of educational technology and for classroom approaches to teaching, because they highlight the important role that affect-aware modelling plays in the adaptive delivery of formative feedback to support learning.     

‘There was a lot of learning going on’ Using a digital medium to support learning in a professional course for new HE lecturers

This small scale action research study investigated the experiences of learners over two iterations as they completed a patchwork text assignment within the digital medium of a personal learning system (PLS). The aim was to investigate the extent to which using a PLS can facilitate formative and collaborative feedback to assist student learning. A secondary question, linked to the course being a post graduate Certificate for new HE teachers within a geographically dispersed university, was to examine if using a PLS in the programme would influence their interest in using it with their own students in the future. This question is of particular importance for the tutors of this programme, as the university attracts mainly part-time students who are studying at a distance from the university campus. The study was carried out as part of the JISC funded Flourish Project, whose overall aim was to examine the use of a PLS to support the development of academic staff.     

Is FLIP enough? Or should we use the FLIPPED model instead?

The flipped learning model, which “flips” traditional in-class lectures with collaborative activities, has gained many followers and converts in K-12 education. However, a review of previous studies shows that the flipped model is still underutilized and underexplored in the higher education context. Research and design models for flipped learning in higher education are also insufficient. This study attempts to fill this gap by developing a model that can provide a foundation for further research and practice for flipped learning in higher education. Building from the four pillars of F-L-I-P™ (Flexible Environments, Learning Culture, Intentional Content, and Professional Educators), the proposed research and design model named “FLIPPED” adds three extra letters—P-E-D (Progressive Activities, Engaging Experiences, and Diversified Platforms)—to the F-L-I-P™ acronym. This model was implemented in a “Holistic Flipped Classroom” environment and evaluated based on a student survey, interviews, and an analysis of computer system logs. Findings demonstrated that the proposed model was effective; students reported that they were satisfied with the course, their attendance improved, and their study efforts increased. Results also suggested that the transactional distance changed during the learning process: highly motivated students performed much better than less motivated students. However, some students retained their former passive learning habits, and this resulted in an obstruction to full adoption. Reflections on the achievements and challenges of the “FLIPPED” model have culminated in various examples, guidelines, and suggestions for practitioners as they consider their own design, implementation, and adoption.¹     

Beyond being there? Evaluating augmented digital records

Technological advances have made possible a new generation of digital prosthetic memory devices (or memory aids). Yet we currently know little about when, how and why these devices might be useful. We evaluated two novel prosthetic memory devices in naturalistic and controlled learning settings. Both devices provide controlled access to annotated digital records of lectures, potentially freeing students from taking detailed notes, allowing them to re-access lecture recordings whenever they choose. Digital records had benefits over traditional learning aids (e.g. handouts/personal notes): Students were more accurate in answering class quizzes using digital records, and spontaneous digital records usage outside lectures showed strategic access during important aspects of the course. Native speakers who used digital records performed better on coursework, and non-native language speakers used digital records extensively. Despite being a verbatim record, digital records did not substitute for attendance: students who had attended lectures performed better on quizzes and final coursework and few students listened to lectures from beginning to end. Digital records are thus a highly promising teaching tool, but prosthetic memory devices are best understood as working in synergy with current tools to aid human memory, rather than replacing it. We conclude by discussing potential theory and design implications.     

Effects on learning of time spent by university students attending lectures and/or watching online videos

We apply Carroll's model of school learning, which theorizes about the relationship between time and learning, to motivate the design of a large, first‐year, university mathematics course, where students have the choice to attend lectures and/or watch online videos. The theoretical model informs how the course and resources are designed in order to assist students to spend the time they need to master a task in an efficient manner. We examine the relationship between learning and time spent on lectures and/or videos, by analysing data collected on lecture attendance, videos accessed, and mathematical achievement, prior to, and at the end of, the course. Findings show that students use videos as either a complement to, or substitute for, the lecture, and time spent using either or both resources has a significant impact on learning.     

Efficient learning using a virtual learning environment in a university class

This study examines a blended learning setting in an undergraduate course in psychology. A virtual learning environment (VLE) complemented the face-to-face lecture. The usage was voluntary and the VLE was designed to support the learning process of the students. Data from users (N = 80) and non-users (N = 82) from two cohorts were collected. Control variables such as demographical data, attitude towards the learning subject, computer literacy, motivation, learning effort and available infrastructure were captured by means of a self-report. As a learning outcome, the grade in the final exam was included. For the VLE-users, the mean performance in the VLE was taken as a predictor for success in the final exam. Two different groups of VLE-users were observed and classified into ’light and ’heavy’ users. The results showed that among those students who had spent two or more hours per week for pre- and post processing of the lectures, ‘heavy’ VLE-users performed better than non-users in the final exam. Additionally, the ‘heavy’ users’ performance in the VLE was the best predictor for the grade in the final exam. We discuss the results in the context of self-regulated learning competence.     

Providing feedback on computer-based algebra homework in middle-school classrooms

Homework is transforming at a rapid rate with continuous advances in educational technology. Computer-based homework, in particular, is gaining popularity across a range of schools, with little empirical evidence on how to optimize student learning. The current aim was to test the effects of different types of feedback on computer-based homework. In the study, middle school students completed a computer-based pretest, homework assignment, and posttest containing challenging algebraic problems. On the homework assignment, students were assigned to different feedback conditions. In Experiment 1 (N = 103), students received no feedback or correct-answer feedback after each problem. In Experiment 2 (N = 143), students received (1) no feedback, (2) correct-answer feedback, (3) try-again feedback, or (4) explanation feedback after each problem. For students with low prior knowledge, feedback resulted in better posttest performance than no feedback. However, students with high prior knowledge learned just as much whether they received feedback or not. Results suggest the provision of basic feedback on computer-based homework can benefit novice students’ mathematics learning.     

Is the effectiveness of lecture capture related to teaching approach or content type?

The purpose of two related studies was to explore the relationships between course characteristics (teaching approach, content type, and level of curricular coordination), lecture-capture implementation, and learning in a veterinary medical education environment. Two hundred and twenty two students and 35 faculty members participated in the first study, which surveyed respondents regarding their perception of lecture-capture use and impact on learning. Four hundred and ninety one students participated in the second study, which compared scores on a standardized test of basic science knowledge among groups experiencing various levels of lecture-capture implementation. Students were most likely to view captured lectures in courses that moved quickly, relied heavily on lecture, were perceived as highly relevant to their future success, and contained information not available in other formats. A greater percentage of students than faculty perceived lecture capture as beneficial to learning. Higher views of captured lectures were associated with higher test scores in disciplines that relied most heavily on a straight-lecture teaching approach and had a basic science – research teaching context. The number of lecture-capture views was not significantly related to test scores in disciplines that relied less heavily on straight lecture for instruction and had a basic science – applied teaching context.     

Mobile formative assessment tool based on data mining techniques for supporting web-based learning

Current trends clearly indicate that online learning has become an important learning mode. However, no effective assessment mechanism for learning performance yet exists for e-learning systems. Learning performance assessment aims to evaluate what learners learned during the learning process. Traditional summative evaluation only considers final learning outcomes, without concerning the learning processes of learners. With the evolution of learning technology, the use of learning portfolios in a web-based learning environment can be beneficially adopted to record the procedure of the learning, which evaluates the learning performances of learners and produces feedback information to learners in ways that enhance their learning. Accordingly, this study presents a mobile formative assessment tool using data mining, which involves six computational intelligence theories, i.e. statistic correlation analysis, fuzzy clustering analysis, grey relational analysis, K-means clustering, fuzzy association rule mining and fuzzy inference, in order to identify the key formative assessment rules according to the web-based learning portfolios of an individual learner for the performance promotion of web-based learning. Restated, the proposed method can help teachers to precisely assess the learning performance of individual learner utilizing only the learning portfolios in a web-based learning environment. Hence, teachers can devote themselves to teaching and designing courseware, since they save a lot of time in measuring learning performance. More importantly, teachers can understand the main factors influencing learning performance in a web-based learning environment based on the interpretable learning performance assessment rules obtained. Experimental results indicate that the evaluation results of the proposed scheme are very close to those of summative assessment results and the factor analysis provides simple and clear learning performance assessment rules. Furthermore, the proposed learning feedback with formative assessment can clearly promote the learning performances and interests of learners.     

Toward a Complexity of Online Learning: Learners in Online First-Year Writing

In response to the growing presence of online first-year writing courses, this paper describes a case study of two online first-year writing courses and addresses the questions: What do students in an online first-year writing course perceive as good study habits, and what helps them succeed? Data includes surveys, online discussions, course management statistics, and selected interviews. The study is supported by social cognitive theory described by psychologist Albert Bandura; this methodology allows for examination of internal, external, and behavioral characteristics of participating students. Results of the study indicate that students who rated themselves as making good use of study time also succeeded in the course. Insights from students include information about study activities, management of study time, access to technology, and attitudes about online courses. A surprising result of the study was that students did not consider communication with peers as a productive study activity, despite a deliberate attempt by instructors to build peer interaction into the course. Yet students also reported high levels of engagement and positive attitudes about online learning. The social cognitive lens provides helpful insights about these complex findings by examining the external, internal, and behavioral aspects of online first-year writing students in this study.     

Using blogging to enhance the initiation of students into academic research

For the net-generation students learning in a Web 2.0 world, research is often equated with Googling and approached with a mindset accustomed to cut-and-paste practices. Recognizing educators’ concern over such students’ learning dispositions on the one hand, and the educational affordances of blogging on the other, this study examines the use of blogging to initiate students into academic research at the tertiary level. It focuses on the experiences of three students from a third-year music class working on their research paper with blog-based supervision provided by the teacher. The course, in a hybrid fashion, combined face-to-face lectures and tutorials with blog sharing and discussion. The students’ individually-owned blogs were specifically used as their research diaries in which they logged in their work in progress, they then received input from both the teacher and fellow students. Based on the researcher’s self-evaluation of the teaching-supervising process, an analysis of the students’ blog discourse, and students’ survey feedback, this article offers useful insights and suggestions for educators interested in either using or researching on blogging as a means to develop students’ research skills and understanding.     

Short- and long-term effects of students’ self-directed metacognitive prompts on navigation behavior and learning performance

This study seeks to promote learning in computer-based learning environments utilizing students’ self-directed metacognitive prompts. Such prompts are based on the idea of instructing students to design their own metacognitive scaffolds and learn with them afterward. In a pre-post experimental design, students in the experimental group (n = 35) were instructed to configure their own metacognitive prompts before learning whereas students in the control group (n = 35) learned without prompts. Log file analysis of navigation behavior indicates that students who learned with their individually designed, self-directed prompts visited relevant webpages significantly more often and spent a longer time on them compared with students in the control group. Moreover, participants in the experimental group attained better transfer performance immediately after learning. The long-term effect in transfer performance was even greater in a follow-up learning session conducted after three weeks without any instructional support in either group. These results are consistent with theories of metacognition and self-regulated learning and indicate that self-directed prompts can lead to sustainable effects.     

Promoting socially shared regulation of learning in CSCL: Progress of socially shared regulation among high- and low-performing groups

Collaborative groups encounter many challenges in their learning. They need to recognize challenges that may hinder collaboration, and to develop appropriate strategies to strengthen collaboration. This study aims to explore how groups progress in their socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) in the context of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). Teacher education students (N = 103) collaborated in groups of three to four students during a two-month multimedia course. The groups used the Virtual Collaborative Research Institute (VCRI) learning environment along with regulation tools that prompted them to recognize challenges that might hinder their collaboration and to develop SSRL strategies to overcome these challenges.In the data analysis, the groups reported challenges, and the SSRL strategies they employed were analyzed to specify the focus and function of the SSRL. Process discovery was used to explore how groups progressed in their SSRL. The results indicated that depending on the phase of the course, the SSRL focus and function shifted from regulating external challenges towards regulating the cognitive and motivational aspects of their collaboration. However, the high-performing groups progressed in their SSRL in terms of evidencing temporal variety in challenges and SSRL strategies across time, which was not the case with low performing groups.     

E-portfolios supporting primary students' writing performance and peer feedback

E-portfolios show great promise for supporting students' writing performance and facilitating peer feedback, but empirical research of their use in primary education is limited. To address this gap, a yearlong study was conducted in a 4th grade primary class in Cyprus implementing e-portfolios (n = 20) to help students document their progress and send feedback to peers. A generic, open source weblog tool localized into Greek was used as an e-portfolio tool. Data sources included 176 student-essays, 1306 instances of peer feedback, students pre- and post-tests on writing performance, nine videotaped student interviews and one teacher interview. A paired samples t-test analysis showed that there was a statistically significant difference between students' pre-test (M = 62.6, SD = 9.82, n = 20) and post-test (M = 76.5, SD = 12.6, n = 20) on writing performance (t (19) = −8.03, p < .01). A repeated measures analysis of variance on e-portfolio artifacts showed that there were learning gains with respect to students' writing performance over time [F(4.01, 76.25) = 31.59, p < .01, η² = 0.89]. A qualitative analysis of students' comments showed that students provided more thorough peer feedback over time and became gradually more capable of providing corrective feedback. The qualitative analysis of student interviews provided evidence that students valued peer feedback in their portfolios. The analysis of the teacher interview showed that average and high-ability students benefited the most from peer feedback. This study provided evidence that e-portfolios can support the development of students' writing performance and peer feedback skills in the context of primary school essay writing. Instructional implications for portfolio implementation are offered.     

Team members' perceptions of online teamwork learning experiences and building teamwork trust: A qualitative study

Teamwork factors can facilitate team members, committing themselves to the purposes of maximizing their own and others' contributions and successes. It is important for online instructors to comprehend students' expectations on learning collaboratively. The aims of this study were to investigate online collaborative learning experiences and to identify important factors that were crucial for building teamwork trust. A qualitative research method was utilized in the study. Data were collected from students' responses of three open-ended questions and interviews. The results indicated that students who enjoyed working in the group setting had a good relationship with their team members and they trusted their team members. In contrast, the questionable behaviors of members (lack of communication and low level of individual accountability) were negative factors of their teamwork experiences. In addition, students considered individual accountability, familiarity with team members, commitment toward quality work, and team cohesion were important factors for building trust with team members. Quantitative analyses confirmed that teamwork trust was correlated significantly with two of the important factors for building trust indicated by team members: familiarity with members (r = .74) and team cohesion (r = .79). Implications and recommendations for future research were also discussed.