Assessing pre-service English language teachers’ learning using e-portfolios: Benefits, challenges and competencies gained

Assessment in learning is always of interest to practitioners, academics and researchers, and is always evolving with new implications. Alternative forms of assessment such as e-portfolios have gained recognition in documenting students’ learning, as it is synchronous with both product and process. Vast amount of literature narrates the relative advantages of e-portfolios across disciplines, institutions, and applications. In Malaysia, such alternative assessment practices are less explored so far in teacher education. In this study, 55 pre-service TESOL teachers from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) are required to create and maintain a personal e-portfolio. The aim of the study is to ascertain the future teachers’ practices with e-portfolios in their learning and to determine if these practices lead to teaching competencies. In addition, the study also aims to identify the benefits and challenges of using an e-portfolio as a tool for learning and self-assessment. Findings indicate that participants are appreciative of e-portfolios, as their performance and achievements are traced over time. It is also found that e-portfolios function as a monitoring tool, which helps the teachers recognize their learning and identify their strengths and weaknesses. Challenges are also noted, which include validity and reliability, interrupted Internet connection, negative attitudes participants, time constraints, workload and ethical issues. In terms of teacher competencies, it is found that six competencies emerge from the teachers’ practices of e-portfolios - (1) developing understanding of an effective teacher’s role; (2) developing teaching approaches/activities; (3) improving linguistic abilities; (4) comprehending content knowledge; (5) gaining ICT skills and; (6) the realization of the need to change mindsets.     

From Moodle to Facebook: Exploring students' motivation and experiences in online communities

The present paper documents a qualitative study that examines the motivating and inhibiting factors that influenced students' engagement in online discussions via Moodle and Facebook. The data was collected through individual interviews with 14 pre-service teachers. Using the Activity Theory as a lens, the study reveals a set of factors concerning the technical tools, subjective perceptions, goals of online discussion, social presence within a community, rules for participation, and roles of the participants that affect their online engagement patterns. The findings of the study inform educators and software designers of how online discussions can be better promoted among students, and how a web-based environment more conducive to learning can be created.     

Exploring the TPACK of Taiwanese elementary mathematics and science teachers with respect to use of interactive whiteboards

There has been an increasing tendency to enhance teachers’ ability to apply educational technology. Few researchers have investigated with the relationships between the use of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) and the impact on the technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) of teachers. The purposes of the study were to examine Taiwanese elementary mathematics and science teachers’ TPACK with respect to current use of IWBs. Associations between in-service teachers’ TPACK and other factors were also examined. The IWB-based TPACK questionnaire was developed and validated in an elementary school context. The results indicated that there were significant differences in the TPACK of elementary teachers who used IWBs compared to teachers who did not use IWBs. Furthermore, elementary science teachers demonstrated significantly higher TPACK than elementary mathematics teachers. No significant difference was found in teachers’ TPACK according to gender. The results also showed that teachers’ TPACK differed significantly on the basis of teachers’ varying amounts of teaching experience. Teachers who had more years of teaching experience demonstrated significantly higher TPACK than did teachers who had fewer years of teaching experience. The research implications of this study are provided along with suggestions.     

Combining qualitative evaluation and social network analysis for the study of classroom social interactions

Studying and evaluating real experiences that promote active and collaborative learning is a crucial field in CSCL. Major issues that remain unsolved deal with the merging of qualitative and quantitative methods and data, especially in educational settings that involve both physical and computer-supported collaboration. In this paper we present a mixed evaluation method that combines traditional sources of data with computer logs, and integrates quantitative statistics, qualitative data analysis and social network analysis in an overall interpretative approach. Several computer tools have been developed to assist in this process, integrated with generic software for qualitative analysis. The evaluation method and tools have been incrementally applied and validated in the context of an educational and research project that has been going on during the last three years. The use of the method is illustrated in this paper by an example consisting of the evaluation of a particular category within this project. The proposed method and tools aim at giving an answer to the need of innovative techniques for the study of new forms of interaction emerging in CSCL; at increasing the efficiency of the traditionally demanding qualitative methods, so that they can be used by teachers in curriculum-based experiences; and at the definition of a set of guidelines for bridging different data sources and analysis perspectives.     

Authority and convergence in collaborative learning

Teachers and students have established social roles, norms and conventions when they encounter Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) systems in the classroom. Authority, a major force in the classroom, gives certain people, objects, representations or ideas the power to affect thought and behavior and influences communication and interaction. Effective computer-supported collaborative learning requires students and teachers to change how they understand and assign authority. This paper describes two studies in which students' ideas about authority led them to converge on what they viewed as authoritative representations and styles of representation too early, and the early convergence then hindered their learning. It also describes a third study that illustrates how changes to the CSCL system CAROUSEL (Collaborative Algorithm Representations Of Undergraduates for Self-Enhanced Learning) improved this situation, encouraging students to create representations that were unique, had different styles and emphasized different aspects of algorithms. Based on this research, methods to help students avoid premature convergence during collaborative learning are suggested.     

Online group work patterns: How to promote a successful collaboration

Participation is a complex process, engaging the whole person, implying cognitive, emotional and relational aspects. In online open and distant learning, group work is a commonly used strategy, given its collaborative nature and constructivist framework (2, 4 and 7). In this context, collaborative learning processes are highly dependent on the shared written information and the interactions that are established among the participants. The types of interactions that occur within such groups can influence their knowledge convergence processes, and are often decisive for its success.     

Comparing the social knowledge construction behavioral patterns of problem-based online asynchronous discussion in e/m-learning environments

In recent years, researchers have conducted various studies on applying wireless networking technology and mobile devices in education settings. However, research on behavioral patterns in learners' online asynchronous discussions with mobile devices is limited. The purposes of this study are to develop a mobile learning system, mobile interactive teaching feedback system (MITFS), linked to both mobile devices and the internet, to support learners with online asynchronous discussion, and combine content analysis and sequential analysis to compare and contrast the social knowledge construction behavioral patterns of problem-based asynchronous discussion in e-learning and m-learning environments. This study investigated four weeks of online discussions in an “Introduction to Computer Science” course involving forty first year university students. The control group (online asynchronous discussion without mobile devices) and the experimental group (online asynchronous discussion with mobile devices) in the group discussions were explored. By using content analysis and sequential analysis for the problem-based online asynchronous discussion of the behavioral patterns and differences between students in control and experimental group, the results showed that using mobile devices in online asynchronous discussion influenced students' learning performance. Some interesting results were found. Firstly, when the students used mobile devices in discussion situations, they could more engage in reflecting thinking, sharing more information, and further facilitating social knowledge construction among group members. Secondly, the experimental group performed better than the control group in terms of participation and diversity in knowledge construction behavioral patterns. Finally, based upon the findings, some implications are proposed for further research.     

Analyzing academic achievement of junior high school students by an improved rough set model

Rough set theory (RST) is an emerging technique used to deal with problems in data mining and knowledge acquisition. However, the RST approach has not been widely explored in the field of academic achievement. This investigation developed an improved RST (IMRST) model, which employs linear discriminant analysis to determine a reduct of RST, and analyzed the academic achievements of junior high school students in Taiwan. An interactive interface was created so that students could answer questions to predict their academic achievement and they could learn essential skills for improving their academic achievement. Empirical results showed that the IMRST model selects crucial information from data without predetermining factors and can provide accurate rates for inference rules. Hence, the developed IMRST model is a promising alternative for analyzing academic achievement data.     

Examining the digital divide in K-12 public schools: Four-year trends for supporting ICT literacy in Florida

While there is evidence that access to computers in schools has increased, there remain questions about whether low socio-economic status (SES) schools provide students with equitable supports for achieving information communication technology (ICT) literacy. This research first presents a theoretical model to examine the digital divide within schools. Using this model, this research uses statewide data from four school years to investigate significant trends in ICT integration by school level and SES in Florida. Multilevel models for repeated measures analysis were used to compare models for predicting trends on nine different aspects of school technology integration. Results show statistically significant differences between high and low SES schools at every level in terms of student access to software, student use of software, teacher use of software, and the level of technology support. This research provides evidence of the existence of the digital divide among Florida’s K-12 schools.     

Analyzing the social knowledge construction behavioral patterns of an online synchronous collaborative discussion instructional activity using an instant messaging tool: A case study

Online discussions have been widely utilized as an educational activity, and much research has been conducted on the process and behaviors involved in asynchronous discussions. However, research on behavioral patterns in learners’ synchronous discussions, including the process of social knowledge construction and project coordination is limited. Through the examination of the behavioral patterns and differences between students with high- and low-quality discussions, it may be possible to understand the limitations of knowledge construction in synchronous discussions. Furthermore, these findings may help teachers design and guide synchronous discussions activities. This study is an empirical case study in which college students conducted synchronous discussions based on topics specified by the teacher. The students used a text-based instant messaging (IM) tool in a period of 98 days.     

Students’ perceptions of teaching technologies, application of technologies, and academic performance

This study examined business students’ perceptions of four objectives (i.e., Enjoyment, Learning, Motivation, and Career Application) across five teaching technologies (i.e., Projector, PowerPoint, Video, the Internet, and Lecture), business professors’ effective application of technologies, and students’ academic performance. We collected data from 215 students at a regional state university in the USA. We developed Students’ Perceptions of Technology Scale, SPOTS, specifically for the present study, used the most rigorous criteria, and investigated reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and measurement invariance of this scale. Mean scores revealed that Video conveyed the highest amount of Enjoyment. PowerPoint provided the highest amount of Learning and Motivation. The Internet provided the highest Career Application for future jobs. Younger students preferred Video, whereas older students favored Lecture. Regression results showed that the use of Video for Learning, Projector and Lecture for Enjoyment, PowerPoint for career and Motivation, and the Internet for Learning contributed to professors’ teaching effectiveness. Students’ high ratings for professors’ effective use of the Lecture method and low expectation for the use of a Projector predicted their self-reported GPA (academic performance). Professors may use a different mix of technologies in the classroom and use them creatively in order to promote the most Learning for students and satisfy students’ Learning needs and objectives.     

The impact of ICT on work–life experiences among university Teaching Assistants

Email is now commonplace in the university environment, but little research has addressed the impact of this technology on the work–life experiences of Teaching Assistants (TAs). These workers are of interest as they are typically responsible for most day-to-day, routine interaction with undergraduates, for ensuring students understand lectures and other course materials, and for assessing student work. In the summer of 2006, we undertook a web-based survey of Teaching Assistants at a major Canadian university. We wanted to examine the impact of and experience with information and communication technologies (ICTs) – in this case, the ubiquitous email. We found that these academic workers made extensive use of email, and that their experiences and attitudes were mixed. While relatively few expressed a desire to completely eliminate email use in their practice, problems such as feeling ‘overburdened’ by student email were common. Respondents who had set in-person office hours were twice as likely to assert that email increased their workload, that they felt overburdened by student email, and that they preferred not to communicate with students over email. There were also unexpected differences among TAs in the arts/social sciences compared to those in the math/science disciplines. Our data calls into question the largely optimistic orientation common in research reporting at the nexus point of education and ICTs, and suggests that an approach that is both critical and constructive is warranted when thinking about technology and academic work–life.     

Collaborative learning as a collective competence when students use the potential of meaning in asynchronous dialogues

The aim of this study is to examine and to describe how student teachers engaged in courses in web-based learning environments over a period of 40-weeks develop a collective competence to collaborate. The collective competence of collaboration is defined as the level of learning ability a group of students express when using dialogues as a tool for their own and other’s learning in a web-based learning environment. The students’ contributions to the course assignments, the group responses and the collaborative discussions and dialogues were analysed and interpreted based on Bakhtin’s and Rommetveit’s theories on dialogic interactions and meaning potentials. The results describe three different levels at which students use dialogues as a tool for learning when they collaborate within the group.     

Towards deeper learning through creativity within online communities in primary education

Despite recent British government moves to equip all Primary Schools with fast broadband connections to the Internet, it would seem that many schools as yet make little use of the increased capacity this affords other than to incorporate more and more rich multimedia in the form of interactive games or animated presentations to illustrate particular concepts or practise specific skills. Whilst not wanting to deny the potential and value of such activities, this paper will focus on the potential use of online communities to reverse this rather unidirectional relationship children often experience with the Internet. That is, the potential within online communities to facilitate a more reciprocal relationship as children become benefactors as well as recipients of the wealth of web-based information, and the quality of learning that may ensue.     

Modelling experts' behavior with e-valUAM to measure computer science skills

In this work we present an evaluation method that focuses on experts' behavior instead of the traditional scores based just on the number of correct answers. The method presented here is especially suitable to measure the skills in Computer Science since this is a wide discipline very difficult to evaluate due to the many facts publicly available on the Internet. By using traditional evaluation tools, it is very difficult to measure the real knowledge of the users since they can correctly answer even without having acquired formal academic knowledge. To use this method, we have developed a test that can detect significant differences between standard users and experts in Computer Science. The test is applied by the e-valUAM application, which has been modified to store several parameters from the users' answers. By optimizing the parameters by a linear model, we have developed an equation that can be used to quantitatively compare the results of a single user with the results from the reference group of experts. This optimization is only possible because this group shows good stability and gives statistically different results compared to the other groups. The scores achieved with our method can be used to predict the formal knowledge of the users and modify their training when needed.     

Exploring students’ learning experience in an international online research seminar in the Synchronous Cyber Classroom

The development of computer-mediated communication enables teaching and learning to take place across geographical boundaries. An online synchronous learning environment with cyber face-to-face features affords students the sense of learning together online. This study reports a novel design of organizing a 16-week seminar for doctoral students across Canada, Italy, New Zealand, and Taiwan in the Synchronous Cyber Classroom, an online synchronous learning environment. Students’ learning experiences were explored from the perspective of students’ interactions with students, instructors, and the content, based on which the perception of being in a learning community was formed. This article reports how this international online research seminar was organized, how students’ learning experience was analyzed, and what we learned about students’ learning in this international online research seminar.     

Extending the TAM model to explore the factors that affect Intention to Use an Online Learning Community

An online learning community enables learners to access up-to-date information via the Internet anytime–anywhere because of the ubiquity of the World Wide Web (WWW). Students can also interact with one another during the learning process. Hence, researchers want to determine whether such interaction produces learning synergy in an online learning community. In this paper, we take the Technology Acceptance Model as a foundation and extend the external variables as well as the Perceived Variables as our model and propose a number of hypotheses. A total of 436 Taiwanese senior high school students participated in this research, and the online learning community focused on learning English. The research results show that all the hypotheses are supported, which indicates that the extended variables can effectively predict whether users will adopt an online learning community. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for the future development of online English learning communities.     

A study of social participation and knowledge sharing in the teachers' online professional community of practice

To facilitate professional development of teachers in the online context, the online community of practice (CoPs) has become an important platform in which individuals with similar interests or common goals get together to share their resources, develop working strategies, solve problems, and improve individual as well as organizational performance. In this study, we have collected self-reported knowledge-sharing behaviors from 321 members of the largest online professional CoP of teachers in Taiwan. The results show that closer connections among online CoP members can lead to greater recognition of and altruism towards others. Moreover, performance expectation and self-efficacy belief play essential roles in knowledge-sharing participation. Thus, the development of social relationships among online teacher members helps them obtain potential resources and reliable support through their social network. Also, teachers' membership in the online professional CoP fosters a prosocial attitude that heightens their willingness to share useful resources and solve other members' problems, both emotionally and instrumentally. Consequently, knowledge-sharing behaviors, in terms of knowledge giving and knowing receiving, are significantly predicted by prosocial commitment and performance expectation respectively. The implications to both research and practice are provided in this paper.