Effects of traditional,blended and e‐learning on students' achievement in higher education

The study investigates the effect of e‐learning, blended learning and classroom learning on students’ achievement. Two experimental groups together with a control group from Umm Al‐Qura University in Saudi Arabia were identified randomly. To assess students’ achievement in the different groups, pre‐ and post‐achievement tests were used. The results of the study (N = 148) show that there was a statistically significant difference between the three methods in terms of students’ achievement favouring the blended learning method (n = 55) with a substantial effect size of 1.34 (Hedges’ g). No significant difference was found between the e‐learning (n = 43) and traditional learning groups (n = 50) in terms of students’ achievement and with a negligible effect size of 0.02.     

Triple scheme of learning support design for scientific discovery learning based on computer simulation: experimental research

Abstract Learning support studies involving simulation‐based scientific discovery learning have tended to adopt an ad hoc strategies‐oriented approach in which the support strategies are typically pre‐specified according to learners' difficulties in particular activities. This article proposes a more integrated approach, a triple scheme for learning support design on the basis of the systematic analysis of the internal conditions of scientific discovery learning. The triple learning support scheme involves: (a) interpretative support that helps learners with knowledge access and the generation of meaningful and integrative understandings; (b) experimental support that scaffolds learners in systematic and valid experimental activities; and (c) reflective support that increases learners' self‐awareness of the discovery processes and prompts their reflective abstraction and integration. Two experiments were conducted with eighth graders (13‐year‐olds) to examine the effects of these learning supports embedded into a simulation program on floating and sinking. The overall results support the main hypotheses that learning supports in a simulation environment should be directed towards the three perspectives to invite meaningful, systematic, and reflective discovery learning.     

Inventing motivates and prepares student teachers for computer‐based learning

A brief, problem‐oriented phase such as an inventing activity is one potential instructional method for preparing learners not only cognitively but also motivationally for learning. Student teachers often need to overcome motivational barriers in order to use computer‐based learning opportunities. In a preliminary experiment, we found that student teachers who were given paper‐based course material spent more time on follow‐up coursework than teachers who were given a well‐developed computer‐based learning environment (CBLE), leading to higher learning outcomes. Thus, we tested inventing as an instructional method that may help overcome motivational barriers of teachers' use of computer‐supported tools or learning environments in our main experimental study (N = 44). As a computer‐based environment, we used the ‘Assessment of Learning strategies in Learning journals’. The inventing group produced ideas about criteria to evaluate learning strategies based on student cases prior to the learning phase. The control condition read a text containing possible answers to the inventing problem. The inventing activity enhanced motivation prior to the learning phase and assessment skills as assessed by transfer problems. Hence, the inventing activity prepared student teachers to learn from a CBLE in a motivational as well as cognitive way.     

Context‐aware language‐learning application in the green technology building: Which group can benefit the most?

To assess the effects and learner perceptions of context‐aware ubiquitous language learning (CAULL), a green‐building English‐learning application (GBELA) employing sensing technology was created to develop participants' English listening and reading skills using smartphones and QR codes. This study investigated the effects of 40 participants' perceived ease of use, usability, usefulness, learner attitude, satisfaction with the use of GBELA, and self‐efficacy in smartphone and GBELA usage. Quantitative and qualitative data through pretest/post‐test, questionnaires, and semistructured interviews were collected with a focus on green building–based English (GBbE) reading and listening skills. Results proved the effectiveness of the GBELA for both high‐achievement (HA) and low‐achievement (LA) groups. Furthermore, correlations were found between the HA group and ease of use of the GBELA. The correlations among learner perceptions and self‐efficacy showed that a well‐designed context‐aware learning system can help learners enhance self‐efficacy in CAULL mode. Implications for the design of effective context‐ and knowledge‐specific ubiquitous learning systems are provided in the study.     

Evaluation of hypertext in an activity learning environment

Abstract This paper presents a study which evaluates the use and efficiency of two computer learning tools for basic virology. The first, VIROLAB, is a simulation of a biology laboratory in which the learner uses virtual lab facilities to help defective viruses to multiply. The system also includes a hypertext that provides learners with some knowledge on virology. The second tool is the hypertext which has been extracted from VIROLAB and which is now considered as an independent learning environment. This study addressed two specific questions: (1) which of the two tools was the most efficient for knowledge acquisition, and (2) were there any differences in the use of the two hypertexts? Comparison of pre‐ and post‐test scores showed that neither of the two learning tools is better than the other. However, analysis of the navigation paths showed that VIROLAB users dissociated the reading of the integrated hypertext from the problem resolution activities. The implications of this finding for the design of the learning environment are discussed.     

Improving the effectiveness of English vocabulary review by integrating ARCS with mobile game‐based learning

Memorizing English vocabulary is often considered uninteresting, and a lack of motivation exists during learning activities. Moreover, most vocabulary practice systems automatically select words from articles and do not provide integrated model methods for students. Therefore, this study constructed a mobile game‐based English vocabulary practice system, which imitates the popular block elimination game and combines test items of article, difficulty, and teacher model in accordance with curriculum objectives and demands. The participants were first‐year students and classified into traditional group (Group T) and game‐based group (Group G), and learning effectiveness and motivation were analysed in this study. According to statistical analysis results, students who used the game‐based vocabulary practice system, which could captivate their attention and interest, had higher learning effectiveness and provided positive feedback of learning motivation. Furthermore, English teachers could select teaching materials that are consistent with the features, knowledge, and cultural background of learners to improve the relevance dimension of learning motivation.     

Effect of blended learning environment on transfer of learning: an experimental study

The main purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of the blended learning and face‐to‐face learning on students' academic achievements and transfer of learning. The first aim of the study is to analyse the students' academic achievements to determine the change of theoretical knowledge in terms of the instructional method applied in this study. However, students' performances during the learning process are not always a good indicator. Therefore, the second aim of the study is to examine transferring students' theoretical knowledge to their educational multimedia projects. For this purpose, 14 weeks of pre‐ and post‐test experimental study is designed. The study is administered through an educational technology course in which students learn how to develop educational multimedia materials. The participants are undergraduate pre‐service teachers; they are assigned randomly to the experimental and control group. While the experimental group has both online and classroom sessions, the control group has only face‐to‐face classroom sessions. Although there is no significant difference between the groups in terms of academic achievement, the students in the blended group are more successful in transferring their knowledge to their projects than the ones in the face‐to‐face group. In conclusion, the results show that the blended learning approach has a positive effect on the transfer of learning.     

A mobile gamification learning system for improving the learning motivation and achievements

This paper aims to investigate how a gamified learning approach influences science learning, achievement and motivation, through a context‐aware mobile learning environment, and explains the effects on motivation and student learning. A series of gamified learning activities, based on MGLS (Mobile Gamification Learning System), was developed and implemented in an elementary school science curriculum to improve student motivation and to help students engage more actively in their learning activities. The responses to our questionnaire indicate that students valued the outdoor learning activities made possible by the use of a smartphone and its functions. Pre‐ and post‐test results demonstrated that incorporating mobile and gamification technologies into a botanical learning process could achieve a better learning performance and a higher degree of motivation than either non‐gamified mobile learning or traditional instruction. Further, they revealed a positive relationship between learning achievement and motivation. The correlation coefficient for ARCS dimensions and post‐test shows that the ARCS‐A (attention) is greater than ARCS‐R, ARCS‐C and ARCS‐S. This means that the attention (ARCS‐A) of this system is an important dimension in this research. The results could provide parents, teachers and educational organizations with the necessary data to make more relevant educational decision.     

Vocabulary learning by mobile‐assisted authentic content creation and social meaning‐making: two case studies

In recent years, we have witnessed the concomitant rise of communicative and contextualized approaches as well as the paradigmatic development of the mobile‐assisted language learning (MALL) framework in analysing language learning. The focus of MALL research has gradually shifted from content‐based (delivery of learning content through mobile devices) to design‐oriented (authentic and/or social mobile learning activities) study. In this paper, we present two novel case studies of MALL that emphasize learner‐created content. In learning English prepositions and Chinese idioms, respectively, the primary school students used the mobile devices assigned to them on a one‐to‐one basis to take photos in real‐life contexts so as to construct sentences with the newly acquired prepositions or idioms. Subsequently, the learners were voraciously engaged in classroom or online discussion of their semantic constructions, thereby enhancing their understanding of the proper usage of the prepositions or idioms. This work shows the potential of transforming language learning into an authentic seamless learning experience.     

Teaching genetics with multimedia results in better acquisition of knowledge and improvement in comprehension

The main goal of this study was to explore whether the use of multimedia in genetics instruction contributes more to students' knowledge and comprehension than other instructional modes. We were also concerned with the influence of different instructional modes on the retention of knowledge and comprehension. In a quasi‐experimental design, four comparable groups of 3rd and 4th grade high school students were taught the process of protein synthesis: group 1 was taught in the traditional lecture format (n = 112 students), group 2 only by reading text (n = 124 students), group 3 through multimedia that integrated two short computer animations (n = 115 students) and group 4 by text supplemented with illustrations (n = 117 students). All students received one pre‐test in order to estimate their prior knowledge, and two post‐tests in order to assess knowledge and comprehension immediately after learning and again after 5 weeks. Results showed that students comprising groups 3 and 4 acquired better knowledge and improved comprehension skills than the other two groups. Similar results were observed for retention of acquired knowledge and improved comprehension. These findings lead to the conclusion that better learning outcomes can be obtained by the use of animations or at least illustrations when learning genetics.     

Stop talking and type: comparing virtual and face‐to‐face mentoring in an epistemic game

Research has shown that computer games and other virtual environments can support significant learning gains because they allow young people to explore complex concepts in simulated form. However, in complex problem‐solving domains, complex thinking is learned not only by taking action, but also with the aid of mentors who provide guidance in the form of questions, instructions, advice, feedback and encouragement. In this study, we examine one context of such mentoring to understand the impact of replacing face‐to‐face interactions between mentors and students with virtual, chat‐based interactions. We use pre‐ and post‐measures of learning and a post‐measure of engagement, as well as epistemic network analysis (ENA), a novel quantitative method, to examine student and mentor discourse. Our results suggest that mentoring via online chat can be as effective as mentoring face‐to‐face in appropriately structured contexts more generally – and that ENA may be a useful tool for assessing student and mentor discourse in the context of learning interactions.     

Supporting multimedia learning with visual signalling and animated pedagogical agent: moderating effects of prior knowledge

An experiment examined the effects of visual signalling to relevant information in multiple external representations and the visual presence of an animated pedagogical agent (APA). Students learned electric circuit analysis using a computer‐based learning environment that included Cartesian graphs, equations and electric circuit diagrams. The experiment was a 2 (visual signalling, no visual signalling) × 2 (visual APA presence, no visual APA presence) between‐subjects design, resulting in four experimental conditions: visual signalling with APA presence (APA + S), visual signalling without APA presence (S), no visual signalling with APA presence (APA) and no visual signalling without APA presence (C). Signalling was provided via gestures of the APA in the APA + S condition and via dynamic arrows in the S condition. To investigate potential moderating effects of prior knowledge on APA presence and visual signalling factors, middle school students were grouped into low prior knowledge (LPK) and high prior knowledge (HPK) groups using scores on a domain pre‐test. Results revealed that LPK students had higher post‐test scores after learning with visual signalling, resulting in equivalent post‐test performance to their HPK counterparts. LPK students also had higher post‐test scores, higher ratings of graphics understanding and lower perceived difficulty ratings in conditions that included the visual image of the APA. Conversely, HPK students had better post‐test scores after learning without the APA. These results indicate that the effectiveness of visual signalling techniques and the visual presence of an APA is dependent on learner characteristics, including prior domain knowledge.     

The effects of discovery learning and expository instruction on the acquisition of definitional and intuitive knowledge

Abstract Types of learning with a strong emphasis on the responsibility of the learner (such as discovery learning) are gaining popularity over traditional forms of (expository) instruction. Discovery learning distinguishes itself by the central role of learning processes such as hypothesis generation (induction), experiment design, and data interpretation. Expository instruction pays more attention to directly ‘exposing’ definitions and equations to learners. In the current study, students worked with either a simulation (discovery learning) or a hypertext learning environment (expository instruction) with the same domain content. Each of the environments contained a large number of assignments. The study followed a pre‐test, post‐test design. To measure the knowledge acquired a definitional knowledge test, an intuitive knowledge test (where both correctness and speed of answering are aspects that are measured) and a test in which relations needed to be explained were administered. It was predicted that the hypertext group would outperform the simulation group on the definitional knowledge test and it was expected that the simulation group would perform better on the intuitive knowledge test. Results showed that both the interaction with the simulation and with the hypertext resulted in substantial learning gains. It was found that the hypertext group performed better on the definitional knowledge test. On the intuitive knowledge test the hypertext scored better than the simulation group on the correctness of the items but not on the time needed to answer items. On the explanation test there was no difference between the two groups. An analysis of interaction processes as recorded in the logfiles indicates that the differences between both environments in their actual usage were less distinctive than expected. In the simulation group many students followed the assignments given and did not engage in self‐guided discovery. Since the assignments were rather directive, this resulted in ‘discovery behaviour’ that focused on generating outcomes; outcomes that were also, and more directly presented in the hypertext environment. For research and practice, this implies that simulations are to be considered only when clear benefits of discovery are expected, and only with complex domains, sufficient learning time and freedom for students in the assignments to engage in discovery.     

Adjunct aids and signals support online learning from multiple representations

To achieve deeper understanding when learning from multiple representations, learners should actively select, organize and integrate the relevant information from text and graphics within a coherent mental representation. However, as learners often fail to select and integrate all relevant information, especially from graphics, they need specific instructional support. The current study investigated the effects of instructional support in the form of adjunct aids (i.e. fill-in-the blank tasks) with references to the graphics (e.g. “see Figure X”) on retention and understanding. In our study, 106 learners (N) received multimedia instructional materials about the formation of auroras either with or without adjunct aids – the former with references to graphics (signals), or with none. In line with our hypotheses, adjunct aids with signals led to deeper understanding, as reflected by higher scores in the comprehension test. In contrast, adjunct aids with signals did not lead to higher scores in the retention test. Thus, our results are in line with previous research, showing that instructional support for integrating text and graphics specifically fosters deeper understanding. Possible boundary conditions and implications for future research are discussed.     

Quality in e‐learning – a conceptual framework based on experiences from three international benchmarking projects

Between 2008 and 2010, Lund University took part in three international benchmarking projects, E‐xcellence+, the eLearning Benchmarking Exercise 2009, and the First Dual‐Mode Distance Learning Benchmarking Club. A comparison of these models revealed a rather high level of correspondence. From this finding and from desktop studies of the current discourse regarding e‐learning, a conceptual framework for e‐learning has emerged based on a range of critical success factors. This model could be used as a foundation for future e‐learning and as an inspiration to develop, implement, evaluate, and internalize e‐learning. It shows that various aspects of accessibility, flexibility, interactiveness, personalization, and productivity should be embedded in all levels of management and services within the field of e‐learning in higher education. To meet students' expectations, demands, and rights, these critical issues should be taken into account from a holistic perspective with transparency and innovation in mind. Therefore, successful e‐learning requires change from an organizational as well as a pedagogical perspective. One conclusion from this study is that a revolution is on the way and that learning will be reoriented along paradigms of collaboration and networking. Globalization, sustainability, and lifelong learning will be some of the leading concepts in this process.     

云端一体化智慧学习系统的设计

本文提出了一种"云端一体化智慧学习系统"的设计架构和功能模型。该模型以大数据和云计算为基础配置,深度融合了情景感知和学习分析等先进技术,能让用户随时随地获取颗粒化资源,能对学生进行过程性的及时测评,并据此为其规划出最优学习路径,以期实现智慧学习的本质要求。     

Implementation of Web‐based argumentation in facilitating elementary school students to learn environmental issues

This research develops a Web‐based argumentation system named the Web‐based Interactive Argumentation System (WIAS). WIAS can provide teachers with the scaffolding for argumentation instruction. Students can propose their statements, collect supporting evidence and share and discuss with peers online. This research adopts a quasi‐experimental design, applying WIAS to the teaching of environmental issues, including mudslides, global warming and nuclear power. Fifty‐seven elementary school fifth graders from two classes participated in this research. With each class as a unit, they were divided into the WIAS group (n = 30) and the traditional argumentation instruction (TAI) group (n = 27). Before research, all students took the pre‐test of the ‘achievement test for environmental issues (ATEI)’ and the ‘environmental literacy scale (ELS).’ Then all students received argumentation training and six classes of argumentation instruction. Students in the WIAS group performed argumentation in the WIAS, while those in the TAI group performed argumentation in a traditional classroom. After the six‐class argumentation instruction, all students took the post‐test of the ATEI and ELS. The results show that students in the WIAS group have significantly better learning effectiveness than those in the TAI group. Students in the WIAS group also exhibited significantly better improvement in their environmental literacy.     

The impact of computer‐based instruction on the development of EFL learners' writing skills

The current study investigated the application and effectiveness of computer assisted language learning (CALL) in teaching academic writing to Iranian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners by means of Microsoft Word Office. To this end, 44 sophomore intermediate university students majoring in English Language and Literature at an Iranian university who had enrolled in a course called Advanced Writing were randomly divided into two groups. As a pre‐test, a pen‐and‐paper writing task was given to both groups at the beginning of the semester. The control group including 24 male and female students was taught based on traditional approach while the experimental group including 20 male and female students was taught based on CALL. At the end of one semester, a pen‐and‐paper writing task was given to both groups. The results of the post‐test revealed that the students who were exposed to computer‐based instruction outperformed their counterparts in terms of using appropriate articles, tense, plural forms and spelling. Moreover, the students in the experimental group produced paragraphs of higher quality. The findings of this study confirmed the efficacy of computer‐based instruction in the development of EFL learners' writing skills.     

Comparing the effectiveness of peer instruction to individual learning during a chromatography course

Peer instruction has been recognized as an instructional method having a positive impact on learning compared to traditional lectures in science. This method has been widely supported by the socio‐constructivist approach to learning giving a positive role to interaction between peers in the construction of knowledge. As far as we know, no study has been conducted from the socio‐cognitive approach which suggests that individuals working alone perform better than those interacting with others in groups. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine whether peer instruction improves learning when compared with an individual learning method that does not require any interaction with peers. After being randomly divided into either a peer instruction or an individual learning condition in a chromatography course, students had to answer to a series of multiple‐choice questions using clickers at the beginning (pre‐test) and end of (post‐test) the session. Results revealed that the percentage of correct answers increased similarly from the pre‐ to the post‐test in both conditions. Nevertheless, students perceived the peer instruction method as being more satisfying, engaging and useful than the individual learning method. The findings revealed that peer instruction provides subjective benefits, but failed to demonstrate a greater learning gain.