Students’ perceptions of collaboration, self-regulated learning, and information seeking in the context of Internet-based learning and traditional learning

This study aims to investigate students’ perceptions of three aspects of learning - collaboration, self-regulated learning (SRL), and information seeking (IS) in both Internet-based and traditional face-to-face learning contexts. A multi-dimensional questionnaire was designed to evaluate each aspect in terms of perceived capability, experience, and interest. The analyses explore (1) potential differences of students’ perceptions between Internet-based and face-to-face learning environments and (2) potential differences in the three aspects in relation to learners’ attributes and the use of the Internet and enrollment in online courses. This study surveyed students in a higher education institute who had had experiences with Internet-based and face-to-face learning. The results showed that students perceived higher levels of collaboration (capability only), SRL (capability and experience) and IS (capability, interest, and experience) in Internet-based learning than in traditional learning environments. In terms of students’ education level, graduate students perceived higher levels of capabilities and interests in some of the aspects, than undergraduate students. In addition, for Internet-based learning, significant differences in collaboration and SRL were found derived from time spent on the Internet related to learning; and students’ perceptions of collaboration, SRL, and IS were all positively correlated to students’ online course-taking experience. Implications for online learning practices and instructor’s facilitation are discussed.     

Five facets of social presence in online distance education

Social presence in online learning environments refers to the degree to which a learner feels personally connected with other students and the instructor in an online learning community. Based on a 19 item Online Social Presence Questionnaire (OSPQ) given to college students in two different online learning courses, a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses consistently revealed five factors representing facets of social presence in online learning environments: social respect (e.g. receiving timely responses), social sharing (e.g., sharing information or expressing beliefs), open mind (e.g., expressing agreement or receiving positive feedback), social identity (e.g., being called by name), and intimacy (e.g., sharing personal experiences). Together, the five factors accounted for 58% of the variance and were based on 19 items. Although much previous research focuses on cognitive aspects of learning in online environments, understanding the role of the learner’s sense of presence may be particularly important in distance learning situations in which students and the instructor are physically separated.     

Exploring relations among college students’ prior knowledge,implicit theories of intelligence,and self-regulated learning in a hypermedia environment

Researchers and educators continue to explore how to assist students in the acquisition of conceptual understanding of complex science topics. While hypermedia learning environments (HLEs) afford unique opportunities to display multiple representations of these often abstract topics, students who do not engage in self-regulated learning (SRL) with HLEs often fail to achieve conceptual understanding. There is a lack of research regarding how student characteristics, such as prior knowledge and students’ implicit theory of intelligence (ITI), interact with SRL to influence academic performance. In this study, structural equation modeling was used to investigate these issues. It was found that prior knowledge and ITI were related to SRL and performance, and that SRL acted as a benevolent moderator, enhancing the positive effects of prior knowledge upon learning, and diminishing the negative effects of having a maladaptive ITI.     

Language learners' digital literacies: Focus on students' information literacy and reading practices online

The widespread use of technology and the Internet have changed many of language learners' everyday practices, including literacies. While there have been many studies with the focus on language learners' digital literacies, few, however, have explored language learners' digital information literacy and online reading practices with the use of social bookmarking tools, especially in a community college setting. We address this gap by investigating community-college language learners' digital literacies when social bookmarking with the focus on digital information and online reading practices from an ecological perspective. In this qualitative multiple-case study, the focal participants were five English learners, students in an English as a Second Language writing course in a community college in the northeastern United States. Data collection included interviews, observations, and researchers' e-journals. Thorough within- and cross-case analysis of data shows that language learners searched for digital texts and evaluated them based on relevance, reliability, interest, language, and importance for them and their learning community in the social bookmarking tool. The participants struggled with the number of results in search engines, keywords, and evaluation of digital texts for relevance and reliability. We show the need for more instruction, support, and guidance of language learners' digital information literacy practices as well as the benefits of providing students with opportunities to read digital texts. Our suggestions for future research include investigating the role of multimodality and other factors that influence language learners' evaluation practices when they look for and read information online.     

Can the use of cognitive and metacognitive self-regulated learning strategies be predicted by learners’ levels of prior knowledge in hypermedia-learning environments?

Research on self-regulated learning (SRL) in hypermedia-learning environments is a growing area of interest, and prior knowledge can influence how students interact with these systems. One hundred twelve (N = 112) undergraduate students’ interactions with MetaTutor, a multi-agent, hypermedia-based learning environment, were investigated, including how prior knowledge affected their use of SRL strategies. We expected that students with high prior knowledge would engage in significantly more cognitive and metacognitive SRL strategies, engage in different sequences of SRL strategies, spend more time engaging in SRL processes, and visit more pages that were relevant to their sub-goals than students with low prior knowledge. Results showed significant differences in the total use of SRL strategies between prior knowledge groups, and more specifically, revealed significant differences in the use of each metacognitive strategy (e.g., judgment of learning), but not each cognitive strategy (e.g., taking notes) between prior knowledge groups. Results also revealed different sequences of use of SRL strategies between prior knowledge groups, and that students spent different amounts of time engaging in SRL processes; however, all students visited similar numbers of relevant pages. These results have important implications on designing multi-agent, hypermedia environments; we can design pedagogical agents that adapt to students’ learning needs, based on their prior knowledge levels.     

Integrated Multimedia City Data (iMCD): A composite survey and sensing approach to understanding urban living and mobility

We describe the Integrated Multimedia City Data (iMCD), a data platform involving detailed person-level self-reported and sensed information, with additional Internet, remote sensing, crowdsourced and environmental data sources that measure the wider social, economic and physical context of the participant. Selected aspects of the platform, which covers the Glasgow, UK, city-region, are available to other researchers, and allows knowledge discovery on critical urban living themes, for example in transportation, lifelong learning, sustainable behavior, social cohesion, ways of being in a digital age, and other topics. It further allows research into the technological and methodological aspects of emerging forms of urban data. Key highlights of the platform include a multi-topic household and person-level survey; travel and activity diaries; a privacy and personal device sensitivity survey; a rich set of GPS trajectory data; accelerometer, light intensity and other personal environment sensor data from wearable devices; an image data collection at approximately 5-second resolution of participants’ daily lives; multiple forms of text-based and multimedia Internet data; high resolution satellite and LiDAR data; and data from transportation, weather and air quality sensors. We demonstrate the power of the platform in understanding personal behavior and urban patterns by means of three examples: an examination of the links between mobility and literacy/learning using the household survey, a social media analysis of urban activity patterns, and finally, the degree of physical isolation levels using deep learning algorithms on image data. The analysis highlights the importance of purposefully designed multi-construct and multi-instrument data collection approaches that are driven by theoretical frameworks underpinning complex urban challenges, and the need to link to policy frameworks (e.g., Smart Cities, Future Cities, UNESCO Learning Cities agendas) that have the potential to translate data to impactful decision-making.     

Recognizing and measuring self-regulated learning in a mobile learning environment

With the realization that more research is needed to explore external factors (e.g., pedagogy, parental involvement in the context of K-12 learning) and internal factors (e.g., prior knowledge, motivation) underlying student-centered mobile learning, the present study conceptually and empirically explores how the theories and methodologies of self-regulated learning (SRL) can help us analyze and understand the processes of mobile learning. The empirical data collected from two elementary science classes in Singapore indicates that the analytical SRL model of mobile learning proposed in this study can illuminate the relationships between three aspects of mobile learning: students’ self-reports of psychological processes, patterns of online learning behavior in the mobile learning environment (MLE), and learning achievement. Statistical analyses produce three main findings. First, student motivation in this case can account for whether and to what degree the students can actively engage in mobile learning activities metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviorally. Second, the effect of students’ self-reported motivation on their learning achievement is mediated by their behavioral engagement in a pre-designed activity in the MLE. Third, students’ perception of parental autonomy support is not only associated with their motivation in school learning, but also associated with their actual behaviors in self-regulating their learning.     

Effects of community of inquiry,learning presence and mentor presence on K-12 online learning outcomes

This study extends the community of inquiry (CoI) framework and self-regulated learning (SRL) theory through an exploration of the structural relationships among existing CoI variables, learning presence (i.e., self-efficacy and online SRL strategy) and learning outcomes in the context of K-12 online learning. To help understand the influence of K-12 mentoring – which is unique to online learning in the U.S. – mentor presence is also included. Structural equation modelling of 696 online 8th through 12th graders' survey responses and final grades showed that adding learning presence to the CoI framework helped to explain how these learners translated their online-learning perceptions into cognitive and affective learning outcomes. We also found that mentor presence significantly and positively predicted online SRL strategy, one of the two components of learning presence. Lastly, we established a connection between the CoI model and various types of learning outcomes that are indicators of K-12 online learning success – though it should be noted that important differences existed between a model based on final grades and two other outcome models. It is hoped that the processes identified in this study will be useful and relevant to K-12 online-learning institutions and educators seeking to improve their offering via a wide range of approaches.     

Health literacy and the internet: An exploratory study on the 2013 HINTS survey

Health literacy rates among American and European adults remain low, with almost half of adults having only basic levels in 2012. In this digital era, the Internet has been recognized as an important medium for improving health literacy. However, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie its impact on health literacy. With a general basis in the Cognitive Mediation Model, this study empirically tested a model that included motivation for health-related Internet use, health-related Internet use, perceived health information overload, and health literacy. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the US-based Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 2013 dataset. The results support for all the paths in our posited model. The effects of motivation for health-related Internet use on health literacy were completely mediated by health-related Internet use and perceived health information overload. The findings extend the Cognitive Mediation Model to the context of health literacy and provide significant implications for the design and dissemination of online health information. Recommendations are made for future research, including further validation of the five-item scale of health literacy.     

Instructing students on effective sequences of examples and problems: Does self-regulated learning improve from knowing what works and why?

Nowadays, students often practice problem-solving skills in online learning environments with the help of examples and problems. This requires them to self-regulate their learning. It is questionable how novices self-regulate their learning from examples and problems and whether they need support. The present study investigated the open questions (1) to what extent students' (novices) task selections align with instructional design principles and (2) whether informing them about these principles would improve their task selections, learning outcomes, and motivation. Higher education students (N = 150) learned a problem-solving procedure by fixed sequences of examples and problems (FS-condition), or by self-regulated learning (SRL). The SRL participants selected tasks from a database, varying in format, complexity, and cover story, either with (ISRL-condition) or without (SRL-condition) watching a video detailing the instructional design principles. Students' task-selection patterns in both SRL conditions largely corresponded to the principles, although tasks were built up in complexity more often in the ISRL-condition than in the SRL-condition. Moreover, there was still room for improvement in students' task selections after solving practice problems. The video instruction helped students to better apply certain principles, but did not enhance learning and motivation. Finally, there were no test performance or motivational differences among conditions. Although these findings might suggest it is relatively ‘safe’ to allow students to independently start learning new problems-solving tasks using examples and problems, caution is warranted: It is unclear whether these findings generalize to other student populations, as the students participating in this study have had some experience with similar tasks or learning with examples. Moreover, as there was still room for improvement in students' task selections, follow-up research should investigate how we can further improve self-regulated learning from examples and practice problems.     

Tutor-facilitated Adult Digital Literacy Learning: Insights from a Case Study

While the digital divide has decreased, those who are still unable to access and use information and communication technologies are left further behind. An effective digital literacy program helps underserved populations gain needed skills and alleviate the demand placed on public library staff. This case study presents findings on a digital literacy learning model that utilizes a self-paced online platform and in-person volunteer tutors. The researchers found that the learner/tutor relationship is an essential part of the learning process, and that tutors develop a variety of strategies for helping learners. The researchers also identify aspects of effective program implementation.     

A framework for self‐regulated digital learning (SRDL)

This article develops a framework for self‐regulated digital learning, which supports for self‐regulated learning (SRL) in e‐learning systems. The framework emphasizes 8 features: learning plan, records/e‐portfolio and sharing, evaluation, human feedback, machine feedback, visualization of goals/procedures/concepts, scaffolding, and agents. Each feature facilitates or supports one or more SRL skills, including planning, monitoring and evaluating learning, applying appropriate cognitive strategies, and setting standards of products or performance. The implementation in domain‐general and ‐specific systems as illustrated by web‐based inquiry and problem‐solving are discussed. Examples and learning effects are elicited from the literature to demonstrate various designs. Approaches for designing SRL systems, educational implications, and new directions for future research incorporating SRL into digital learning are presented.     

Integrating Library Reference Services in an Online Information Literacy Course

SUMMARY

The Internet Navigator, an online information literacy course developed by a team of academic librarians in Utah, offers a model for teaching independent research skills to remote students. The course uses an online textbook that doubles as a self-paced tutorial, and a set of assignments that take students step-by-step through the research process. Assignments are submitted by e-mail and evaluated by reference librarian/instructors. Questions on the assignments follow the pattern of a reference interview helping instructors guide students to use useful research strategies and information sources. Other methods of integrating reference services with online learning are discussed.     

A novel approach for assisting teachers in analyzing student web-searching behaviors

Although previous research has demonstrated the benefits of applying the Internet facilities to the learning process, problems with this strategy have also been identified. One of the major difficulties is owing to the lack of an online learning environment that can record the learning portfolio of using the Internet facilities in education, such that the teacher can analyze and evaluate the learning performance of students, and hence the teaching strategies can be adjusted accordingly. In this paper, we propose a web-search learning environment, called Meta-Analyzer, which is able to assist the teachers in analyzing student learning behaviors of using search engines for problem solving. Two-hundred and twenty students and 54 teachers contributed to the trial of the system. The results have shown that the novel approach is able to gain a better understanding about students’ learning processes and searching strategies in technology-enhanced environments, as well as to assist the teachers to acquire more about the learning status of students, and hence more constructive suggestions can be given accordingly.     

Innovative ways for using gStudy to orchestrate and research social aspects of self-regulated learning

This paper explores the ways three different theoretical perspectives of the social aspects of self-regulated learning [Hadwin, A. F. (2000). Building a case for self-regulating as a socially constructed phenomenon. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada; Hadwin, A. F., & Oshige, M. (2006). Self-regulation, co-regulation, and socially-shared regulation: Examining many faces of social in models of SRL. In A. F. Hadwin, & S. Jarvela (Chairs), Socially constructed self-regulated learning: Where social and self meet in strategic regulation of learning. Symposium conducted at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA] have been operationalized in a computer supported learning environment called gStudy. In addition to contrasting social aspects of SRL and drawing connections with specific collaborative tools and structures, this paper explores the potential of gStudy to advance theory, research, and practice. Specifically it discusses how the utilization of differing collaborative models provides new avenues for systematically researching social aspects of SRL and their roles in collaboration.     

A novel approach for enhancing student reading comprehension and assisting teacher assessment of literacy

For students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), reading exercises are critical not only for developing strong reading comprehension, but also for developing listening, speaking, and writing skills. Prior research suggests that social, collaborative learning environments are best suited for improving language ability. However, opportunities for English learners to collaboratively practice reading comprehension are minimal, and due to resource constraints and a lack of accurate evaluation methods, English instructors rarely assess student literacy effectively. In response to these problems, we propose a Tag-based Collaborative reading learning System (TACO) that makes use of Web 2.0 Internet social tagging techniques to provide a collaborative environment for reading English. We test our system’s ability to both improve reading comprehension and aid teachers in accurately assessing literacy by conducting a three-month trial with 56 participating Taiwanese high school students from February to May 2009. During this period, post-testing results show a significant improvement in reading scores among participants in our tag-based system, and survey feedback from teachers suggests an improved capacity for literacy assessment.     

Understanding mobile learning from the perspective of self‐regulated learning

Cognizant of the research gap in the theorization of mobile learning, this paper conceptually explores how the theories and methodology of self‐regulated learning (SRL), an active area in contemporary educational psychology, are inherently suited to address the issues originating from the defining characteristics of mobile learning: enabling student‐centred, personal, and ubiquitous learning. These characteristics provide some of the conditions for learners to learn anywhere and anytime, and thus, entail learners to be motivated and to be able to self‐regulate their own learning. We propose an analytic SRL model of mobile learning as a conceptual framework for understanding mobile learning, in which the notion of self‐regulation as agency is at the core. The rationale behind this model is built on our recognition of the challenges in the current conceptualization of the mechanisms and processes of mobile learning, and the inherent relationship between mobile learning and SRL. We draw on work in a 3‐year research project in developing and implementing a mobile learning environment in elementary science classes in Singapore to illustrate the application of SRL theories and methodology to understand and analyse mobile learning.     

Building secure Web-based environments: understanding research interrelationships through a construction metaphor

Researchers are attempting to take the Internet to the next level of importance in people's lives. We can think of this as creating Web-based environments - communities of interest centered around a specific sphere of activity, where participants interact exclusively (or at least primarily) via the Web. These environments include all the buzz words that fill the media today, such as e-business, e-government, e-banking, e-law, e-learning, and e-health. Web surfing requires some minimal level of security, and online shopping requires a somewhat higher level of security. But participation in a Web-based environment can demand unprecedented levels of both security and privacy. This is why so much research activity currently exists in this area. Moreover, Web-based environments are complex and multifaceted; consequently, research into securing them is also complex and multifaceted. Thus, we might step back and put together a bigger picture of how this research is organized and interconnected     

The Web in education

The Web has spurred our imagination as to how education could be radically transformed and enhanced through the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). While there have been many significant innovations and successes over the last decade there have also been many unrealised aims. Beliefs in technology-driven change for education have been countered by shortcomings in technological understanding by educationalists and in turn by shortcomings in the understanding of educational theories and learning concepts by technologists. The use of the Web in education has revealed issues such as the distinction between formal and informal learning; the packaging and formatting of learning materials for online distribution and use; the management of learning materials and processes in virtual and managed learning environments; solutions offered by the semantic Web; and how the quality of experience in interactive learning environments relates to the quality of the Internet infrastructure. A comparison between the performance of early and current Web technologies from a user perspective is given for an interactive learning environment which has been in use for over a decade. Client, server, network and protocol components which contribute to the quality of experience for the end user are presented and analysed. In summary, this paper examines the use of the Web in education to date and looks forward to new challenges and aspirations such as MOOCs (massively online open coursewares) and the immersive 3D Web as the basis for the next generation of learning environments.     

Supporting self‐regulated learning in computer‐based learning environments: systematic review of effects of scaffolding in the domain of science education

Despite the widespread assumption that students require scaffolding support for self‐regulated learning (SRL) processes in computer‐based learning environments (CBLEs), there is little clarity as to which types of scaffolds are most effective. This study offers a literature review covering the various scaffolds that support SRL processes in the domain of science education. Effective scaffolds are categorized and discussed according to the different areas and phases of SRL. The results reveal that most studies on scaffolding processes focus on cognition, whereas few focus on the non‐cognitive areas of SRL. In the field of cognition, prompts appear to be the most effective scaffolds, especially for processes during the control phase. This review also shows that studies have paid little attention to scaffold designs, learner characteristics, or various task characteristics, despite the fact that these variables have been found to have a significant influence. We conclude with the implications of our results on future design and research in the field of SRL using CBLEs.