From participation to dropout

The academic e-learning practice has to deal with various participation patterns and types of online learners with different support needs. The online instructors are challenged to recognize these and react accordingly. Among the participation patterns, special attention is requested by dropouts, which can perturbate online collaboration. Therefore we are in search of a method of early identification of participation patterns and prediction of dropouts. To do this, we use a quantitative view of participation that takes into account only observable variables. On this background we identify in a field study the participation indicators that are relevant for the course completion, i.e. produce significant differences between the completion and dropout sub-groups. Further we identify through cluster analysis four participation patterns with different support needs. One of them is the dropout cluster that could be predicted with an accuracy of nearly 80%. As a practical consequence, this study recommends a simple, easy-to-implement prediction method for dropouts, which can improve online teaching. As a theoretical consequence, we underline the role of the course didactics for the definition of participation, and call for refining previous attrition models

Technology-Rich Ethnography for Examining the Transition to Authentic Problem-Solving in a High School Computer Programming Class

This study utilized elements of technology-rich ethnography to create a rich description of a multi-user virtual environment in a high school computer programming class. Of particular interest was the transition that took place in classroom culture from one characterized by a well-defined problem solving approach to one more indicative of open learning environment. Using technology, high school students created learning activities and resources for use by younger students in the virtual environment. Evidence supported that high school students initially benefitted from the new open environment; however, some immutable elements of the classroom environment presented barriers to peer collaboration and motivation for high-level, creative work. Our findings lend support to the argument that teachers in high school computer programming classes should incorporate the following features in their curricula: open-ended problem solving, real-world clients, group work, student autonomy and ample opportunities for student creative expression.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Contextualizing instruction: Leveraging students' prior knowledge and experiences to foster understanding of middle school science

Contextualizing science instruction involves utilizing students' prior knowledge and everyday experiences as a catalyst for understanding challenging science concepts. This study of two middle school science classrooms examined how students utilized the contextualizing aspects of project-based instruction and its relationship to their science learning. Observations of focus students' participation during instruction were described in terms of a contextualizing score for their use of the project features to support their learning. Pre/posttests were administered and students' final artifacts were collected and evaluated. The results of these assessments were compared with students' contextualizing scores, demonstrating a strong positive correlation between them. These findings provide evidence to support claims of contextualizing instruction as a means to facilitate student learning, and point toward future consideration of this instructional method in broader research studies and the design of science learning environments. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 79–100, 2008Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57510/1/20203_ftp.pd

Computer-supported collaborative learning with digital video cases in teacher education: the impact of teaching experience on knowledge convergence

Case-based learning is ascribed high potential with respect to the education of pre-service teachers as well as the further education of experienced in-service teachers, as it can provide opportunities for the application of professional knowledge to authentic classroom situations. In addition to the application and acquisition of knowledge, the aspect of knowledge convergence (i.e., increasing similarity of collaborative learners with respect to their knowledge) should be taken into account when homogeneous benefits are desired for all participants of a case-based training. A field study with 29 pre-service teachers and 24 in-service teachers from adult education was conducted to examine effects of different levels of teaching experience on knowledge application, knowledge acquisition, and knowledge convergence in a computer-supported collaborative case-based learning environment. An innovative approach to measuring knowledge convergence was introduced, using the positions of annotations (i.e., flags placed on the timeline of the case video) made by learners during their case analyses as an indicator of their shared focus of attention. This measure was found to positively correlate with the application and acquisition of professional knowledge. Teaching experience affected both processes and outcomes of case-based learning, suggesting different means of instructional support for pre-service and in-service teachers

Video-based Simulations: Considerations for Teaching Students with Developmental Disabilities

The use of video-based multimedia simulations for teaching functional skills to persons with developmental disabilities remains an unexplored application of technology for this group. This article examines the historical literature in this area, and discusses future considerations, design issues, and implications of using multimedia simulations. Implementation issues are presented, and suggestions regarding design, development, and application of multimedia simulations are offered. Considerations address the importance of appropriate role modeling and the combination of video-based simulation and in vivo training to foster generalization and maintenance in the context of transition to the real world.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

“Maestro, what is ‘quality’?”: Language, literacy, and discourse in project-based science

Recent curriculum design projects have attempted to engage students in authentic science learning experiences in which students engage in inquiry-based research projects about questions of interest to them. Such a pedagogical and curricular approach seems an ideal space in which to construct what Lee and Fradd referred to as instructional congruence. It is, however, also a space in which the everyday language and literacy practices of young people intersect with the learning of scientific and classroom practices, thus suggesting that project-based pedagogy has the potential for conflict or confusion. In this article, we explore the discursive demands of project-based pedagogy for seventh-grade students from non-mainstream backgrounds as they enact established project curricula. We document competing Discourses in one project-based classroom and illustrate how those Discourses conflict with one another through the various texts and forms of representation used in the classroom and curriculum. Possibilities are offered for reconstructing this classroom practice to build congruent third spaces in which the different Discourses and knowledges of the discipline, classroom, and students' lives are brought together to enhance science learning and scientific literacy. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 469–498, 2001Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34514/1/1014_ftp.pd