Variability in reading ability gains as a function of computer-assisted instruction method of presentation

This study examines the effects on early reading skills of three different methods of presenting material with computer-assisted instruction (CAI): (1) learner-controlled picture menu, which allows the student to choose activities, (2) linear sequencer, which progresses the students through lessons at a pre-specified pace, and (3) mastery-based adaptive sequencer, which progresses students through lessons based on whether or not the student has mastered the given skill. Preschool- and kindergarten-aged children (n = 183) were randomly assigned to one of the three CAI groups and spent 40 min a week, for 13 weeks, using the software program in a computer lab. An additional control group of students attending typical preschool or kindergarten received no CAI. ANCOVA results examining post-test reading ability sum score, covarying pre-test score, indicated that the mastery-based sequencer group significantly outperformed the learner-control and control groups, but was not statistically different from the linear sequence group. Analysis by task, rather than overall reading score, revealed significantly better performance for the linear sequence group over controls and picture menu group on the Initial Sound Fluency task, while the mastery-based sequencer group outperformed all three other groups on Non Word Fluency. In sum, these results suggest that the use of a sequencer is a very important element in presenting computerized reading content for young children.     

On the road to Jerusalem: A computer-assisted simulation game for religious education

Abstract  This paper discusses a computer-assisted simulation and database package designed for upper primary and secondary schools, and is also useful in teacher-training. It allows groups of students to adopt the roles of characters travelling through Palestine at the time of the New Testament. The nature of the package and its use in the classroom are described, and the effect of this type of package on the roles of student and teacher considered.     

The influence of the level of free-choice learning activities on the use of an educational computer game

Employing a mixed-method explorative approach, this study examined the in situ use of and opinions about an educational computer game for learning English introduced in three schools offering different levels of freedom to choose school activities. The results indicated that the general behaviour of the children with the game was very different for each of the schools while there were no significant differences in subjective opinions or previous computer game experience as measured with a questionnaire. The gaming records and interviews informed that children do enjoy playing the game in comparison with other formal learning activities, but appreciate it less as a leisure-time activity. Furthermore it appears that children used to teacher-initiated activities tend to depend on their teacher’s directions for how and when to play. The study highlights the level of choice as one of the important aspects to consider when introducing a game in the classroom. The study also points out some suggestions for the design of educational games, such as providing communication possibilities between players and integrating fast-paced motor-skill based games with learning content in a meaningful way.     

Students' attitudes towards control methods in computer-assisted instruction

Abstract Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) has been used in the teaching of dental students for the last decade at the Royal Dental College Aarhus, Denmark. In oral radiology a number of programs structured according to different teaching principles have been available. The aim of this study was to investigate students' attitudes to three main structures: a fully teacher-controlled structure (TC), a menu based structure with partial learner control (structural communication, SC), and a fully learner-controlled structure (LC) applied on programs for oral radiology. Fifty-seven students were interviewed. Most students (53%) preferred the LC structure, and 56% recognized that they had most influence on program progression in this structure. Male and female students' attitudes differed, however, as significantly more males than females preferred the LC structure ( p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found between the two sexes when asked which structure provided the greatest learning effects and learner influence, but the female students found the SC as efficient as the LC structure.     

Improving literacy skills through learning reading by writing: The iWTR method presented and tested

Learning to read and write is a basic skill that unfortunately not everybody acquires sufficiently. Lack of teachers and time in school are some of the reasons, but in addition the enormous rise in informational activities due to the Internet and other information technology-enabled opportunities has made literacy skills increasingly important to ever more people. This means literacy education must be improved so more children in the world get better chances. In order to contribute to developing better methods for learning to read and write in early years this study tests a new method developed to improve reading and writing learning in early ages. The ICT (Information and communication technologies) supported “Integrated Write to Learn” (iWTR) method lets children in 1st grade use computers and other ICT tools to write texts and subsequently discuss and refine them together with class mates and teachers. Handwriting is postponed to 2nd grade. While the traditional method requires students to go through two development processes in parallel, a cognitive (learning to read and) a motor (learning to write with a pencil), iWTR works with one process at a time, first cognitive development, then (from grade 2) motor skills training. iWTR extends previous WTR methods by more social work methods using a web site and peer comment for providing social meaning and feedback.The method was tested using two test groups and two control groups (total n = 87) by systematically measuring performance in reading and writing using standard tests in combination with observations and student evaluation to assess social and individual effects of work methods.The results show that while reading skills were improved considerably the biggest improvement concerned writing skills. Students in the test group wrote longer texts with better structure, clearer content, and a more elaborate language.     

Learning in serious virtual worlds: Evaluation of learning effectiveness and appeal to students in the E-Junior project

The objective of this study is to present and to evaluate the E-Junior application: a serious virtual world (SVW) for teaching children natural science and ecology. E-Junior was designed according to pedagogical theories and curricular objectives to help children learn about the Mediterranean Sea and its environmental issues while playing. In this study, we present data about the E-Junior evaluation. A class in a serious virtual world (virtual group) was compared with a traditional type of class (traditional group) that contained identical learning objectives and contents but lacked a gaming aspect. Data collection consisted of quantitative and qualitative measures on a sample of 48 children. With regards to learning effectiveness, the results showed that the serious virtual world does not present statistically significant differences with the traditional type of class. However, students from the virtual group reported enjoying the class more, being more engaged, and having greater intentions to participate than students from the traditional group. The plausible explanation for this can be found in the qualitative data. The implications of these results and improvement proposals are also discussed in this work.     

Computer-assisted learning for mathematical problem solving

Previous computer-assisted problem-solving systems have incorporated all the problem-solving steps within a single stage, making it difficult to diagnose stages at which errors occurred when a student encounters difficulties, and imposing a too-high cognitive load on students in their problem solving. This study proposes a computer-assisted system named MathCAL, whose design is based on four problem-solving stages: (1) understanding the problem, (2) making a plan, (3) executing the plan and (4) reviewing the solution. A sample of one hundred and thirty fifth-grade students (aged 11 years old) completed a range of elementary school mathematical problems and empirically demonstrated. The results showed MathCAL to be effective in improving the performance of students with lower problem solving ability. This evaluation allowed us to address the problem of whether the assistances in various stages help students with their problem solving. These assistances improve students’ problem-solving skills in each stage.     

Collaborative activities enabled by GroupScribbles (GS): An exploratory study of learning effectiveness

This paper describes the findings of an exploratory cycle of a design-based research project and examines the learning effectiveness of collaborative activities that are supported by the GroupScribbles (GS) software technology in two Singapore primary science classrooms. The students had ten weeks of GS-based lessons in science, which were co-designed by teachers and researchers to teach the curriculum by tapping on collaborative work in small groups as well as in the whole class. The results show that the GS classes performed better than non-GS classes as measured by traditional assessments. With GS, students were found to have more opportunities to participate in class discussions, and were exposed to diversified ideas. Analysis of data collected in the classroom as well as data on students’ attitudes and perceptions indicate that GS facilitated students’ collaborative learning, and improved students’ epistemology and attitudes toward science learning.     

Analysis of studies of the effects of computer-assisted instruction on the mathematics performance of students with learning disabilities

The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-study of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) studies in mathematics for students with learning disabilities (LD) focusing on examining the effects of CAI on the mathematics performance of students with LD. This study examined a total of 11 mathematics CAI studies, which met the study selection criterion, for students with LD at the elementary and secondary levels and analyzed them in terms of their comparability and effect sizes. Overall, this study found that those CAI studies did not show conclusive effectiveness with relatively large effect sizes. The methodological problems in the CAI studies limit an accurate validation of the CAI’s effectiveness. Implications for future mathematics CAI studies were discussed.     

Effects of teaching and learning styles on students’ reflection levels for ubiquitous learning

Ubiquitous learning (u-learning), in conjunction with supports from the digital world, is recognized as an effective approach for situating students in real-world learning environments. Earlier studies concerning u-learning have mainly focused on investigating the learning attitudes and learning achievements of students, while the causations such as learning style and teaching style were usually ignored. This study aims to investigate the effects of teaching styles and learning styles on reflection levels of students within the context of u-learning. In particular, we investigated the teaching styles at the dimensions of brainstorming and instruction and recall and the learning styles at the dimensions of active and reflective learning. The experiment was conducted with 39 fifth grader students at an elementary school in southern Taiwan. A u-learning environment was established at a butterfly ecology garden to conduct experiments for natural science courses. The experimental results of one-way ANCOVA show that those students who received a matching teaching–learning style presented a significant improvement in their reflection level. That is, matching the learning styles of students with the appropriate teaching styles can significantly improve students’ reflection levels in a u-learning environment.     

Using computer supported collaborative learning strategies for helping students acquire self-regulated problem-solving skills in mathematics

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of a proposed computer-based instructional method in Primary Education for self-regulated problem solving. The proposed instructional method is based on Sternberg’s model of problem solving within an authentic context. It consists of three main phases: observation, collaboration and semi-structured guidance. The ultimate learning objective is to augment the autonomous problem-solving skills of primary school children. In our study the Synergo tool was used, which is a synchronous computer supported collaborative learning tool, as well as the Moodle learning management system. The context which frames the method is authentic, very close to a students’ realistic learning situation. The findings of this study advocate that students can increase their problem-solving skills in a relatively short period of time. At the same time, they can improve their approach to the solution of a given mathematical problem, performing significant signs of autonomy.     

Stochastic frontier estimation of efficient learning in video games

Stochastic Frontier Regression Analysis was used to investigate strategies and skills that are associated with the minimization of time required to achieve proficiency in video games among students in grades four and five. Students self-reported their video game play habits, including strategies and skills used to become good at the video games they play. Results indicated an association between game play time spent during vacation weeks and proficiency at the game, but no such association existed with game play time during typical weeks when school is in session. Several strategies and skills were associated with the minimization of time spent to achieve proficiency at the game, while a few strategies and skills held a negative association with efficient learning in games. Some of the findings paralleled those of prior research on formal education. Gender differences, as well as implications for games and learning are discussed.     

Lasting effects on literacy skills with a computer-assisted learning using syllabic units in low-progress readers

This study examines the effects of a computer-assisted learning (CAL) program in which syllabic units were highlighted inside words in comparison with a CAL program in which the words were not segmented, i.e. one requiring whole word recognition. In a randomised control trial design, two separate groups of French speaking poor readers (2 * 14) in first grade were constituted. They were matched on a range of reading measures and non verbal intelligence and trained intensively over a short period (10 h over a period of 5 weeks). Three tasks were proposed using a classical pre-test/training/post-test design, written word recognition, word reading aloud and word spelling. In addition, three post-test sessions were conducted: one just after training, one after 4 months, and a last one after 9 months. The experimental group trained with the CAL using syllabic units outperformed the control group using CAL with whole word recognition in all the three tasks and there were important lasting effects. The results are discussed in the light of the self-teaching hypothesis and phonological recoding.     

Collaborative learning activities at a distance via interactive videoconferencing in elementary schools: Parents’ attitudes

As schools are increasingly encouraging students to use the Internet and web-based technology at home and in the classroom, concerns among some parents have increased. Today’s parents have learned about computers as adults and did not receive guided participation as children either from their parents or from their teachers.     

Developing Web literacy in collaborative inquiry activities

Although many children are technically skilled in using the Web, their competences to use it in a critical and meaningful way are usually less well developed. In this article, we report on a multiple case study focusing on the possibilities and limitations of collaborative inquiry activities as an appropriate context to acquire Web literacy skills in primary education. Four 5th grade school teachers and their students worked with collaborative inquiry activities on the subject of ‘healthy food’. The project was aimed at both the development of Web literacy skills and content knowledge building. Data from a variety of sources were collected: videotaped and written lesson observations, interviews with teachers and students, teacher diaries, student questionnaires, and student assignments. The teachers appeared to be able to carry out the program to varying degrees. Contextual factors that influenced the realization of the project’s goals and results were the adequacy of the research questions formulated by students, students’ inquiry skills, and the teachers’ teaching styles. Students’ learning results show that it is possible to teach Web literacy skills in the context of collaborative inquiry activities. All classes show knowledge gain with regard to the subject healthy food and all classes but one show knowledge gain with regard to Web literacy skills. Although many students show adequate use of particular Web searching, reading and evaluating skills after the project, inconsistency, impulsiveness and impatience are also typical of their Web behaviour. In the context of collaborative inquiry activities teachers are challenged to deal with the paradox that they want their students to be active knowledge builders with help of the Web, whereas the Web seems to invite students to be more or less passive searchers.     

Students' online interactive patterns in augmented reality-based inquiry activities

Inquiry learning has been developing for years and many countries have incorporated inquiry learning into the scope of K-12 education. Educators have indicated the importance of engaging students in knowledge-sharing activities during the inquiry learning process. In this study, a location-based augmented reality (AR) environment with a five-step guiding mechanism is developed to guide students to share knowledge in inquiry learning activities. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of promoting the knowledge sharing behaviors of students, an experiment has been conducted in an elementary school natural science course. The participants were 57 fourth-grade students from an elementary school in Northern Taiwan, divided into an experimental group of 28 students who learned with the AR-based approach and a control group of 29 students who learned with the conventional in-class mobile learning approach. The students' learning behaviors, including their movements in the real-world environment and interactions with peers, were recorded. Accordingly, the learning patterns and interactions of the two groups were analyzed via lag-sequential analysis and quantitative content analysis. It was found that, in comparison with the conventional inquiry-based mobile learning activity, the AR-based inquiry learning activity is able to engage the students in more interactions for knowledge construction. The findings of this study provide guidance for helping teachers develop effective strategies and learning designs for conducting inquiry-based learning activities.     

A contextual game-based learning approach to improving students' inquiry-based learning performance in social studies courses

Inquiry-based learning, an effective instructional strategy, can be in the form of a problem or task for triggering student engagement. However, how to situate students in meaningful inquiry activities remains to be settled, especially for social studies courses. In this study, a contextual educational computer game is developed to improve students' learning performance based on an inquiry-based learning strategy. An experiment has been conducted on an elementary school social studies course to evaluate the effects of the proposed approach on the inquiry-based learning performances of students with different learning styles. The experimental results indicate that the proposed approach effectively enhanced the students' learning effects in terms of their learning achievement, learning motivation, satisfaction degree and flow state. Furthermore, it is also found that the proposed approach benefited the “active” learning style students more than the “reflective” style students in terms of learning achievement. This suggests the need to provide additional supports to students with particular learning styles in the future.     

Learning style as an influence on the effectiveness of self-paced computer-assisted instruction: Preliminary results

Many have studied the relative effectiveness of self-paced, computer-assisted instruction. An experiment was conducted to investigate whether people of certain who exhibit certain learning styles are more successful using a self-paced instructional package. The preliminary results reported here indicate that differences in learning performance can be identified for different learning style categories (as measured by the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).     

A formative assessment-based mobile learning approach to improving the learning attitudes and achievements of students

The advancement of mobile and wireless communication technologies has encouraged an increasing number of studies concerning mobile learning, in which students are able to learn via mobile devices without being limited by space and time; in particular, the students can be situated in a real-world scenario associated with the learning content. Although such an approach seems interesting to the students, researchers have emphasized the need for well-designed learning support in order to improve the students’ learning achievements. Therefore, it has become an important issue to develop methodologies or tools to assist the students to learn in a mobile learning environment. Based on this perspective, this study proposes a formative assessment-based approach for improving the learning achievements of students in a mobile learning environment. A mobile learning environment has been developed based on this approach, and an experiment on a local culture course has been conducted in southern Taiwan to evaluate its effectiveness. The experimental results show that the proposed approach not only promotes the students’ learning interest and attitude, but also improves their learning achievement.