Facilitate Student Learning Research Articles

Teacher–student interactions and feedback in English as a foreign language classrooms

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the quality of teacher–student interactions and feedback in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). Data consisted of 65 video-recorded lessons from 13 classrooms in two lower-secondary schools, and were coded with Classroom Assessment Scoring System–Secondary. Four cases were selected and analysed for feedback practice based on teachers’ use of first language (L1: here, Norwegian) and target language (L2: here, English) in EFL lessons. Teacher–student interactions were characterised by mid quality of emotional support and high quality of classroom organisation, but relatively low quality of instructional support. The results revealed an interdependence between quality of feedback and instructional dialogue, yet there appeared to be difficulties in supporting students’ internal feedback and self-regulation. Engaging in extended feedback dialogues in the L2 seemed to be a central challenge facing the EFL teachers. The results provide knowledge for teacher education and teachers’ facilitation of student learning.

Contributions of Causality Processing Models to the Study of Discourse Comprehension and the Facilitation of Student Learning

Discourse comprehension involves the establishment of semantic or meaningful causal connections. The aim of this paper is to review four models that have contributed to the study of the establishment of these connections: the Causal Chain Model, the Causal Network Model, the Causal Inference Maker, and the Landscape Model. These models contribute to the facilitation of student learning, given that they provide useful tools for improvement of texts structure in order to promote the establishment of meaningful connections and the revision of students’ prior incorrect ideas, and for the design of interventions that promote the generation of inferences and the monitoring of comprehension. The presentation of their key ideas, of empirical support for their psychological validity, and of applications to education will allow us to highlight the contributions that these models make to our understanding of the importance of the processing of causality for discourse comprehension and the facilitation of student learning.

Using Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles and Interdisciplinary Conversations to Transform Introductory Mathematics Courses

We describe how faculty and staff used improvement science design Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles and engaged in interdisciplinary conversations in an effort to improve students’ performance in introductory mathematics courses. This initiative started with College Algebra a course with a large enrollment of students that had a high failure rate. We engaged in PDSA cycles over a period of 4 years. From 2011–2015, we used data from student assessment scores, course evaluations, lab surveys, and instructors’ observations to inform decisions to transform introductory mathematics courses. The transformative efforts positively enhanced students’ performance. Furthermore, to reflect on our PDSA cycles and the broader implications of institutionalized change to mathematics courses, we engaged in frequent interdisciplinary conversations to discuss complexities and challenges. These meetings provided an opportunity to build a common vision about the nature and delivery of the mathematics taught to better serve students The themes of the conversations were on curriculum, assessment, instruction, the complexities of the change process, cultivating a growth mindset, and the need to engage in research in general education mathematics courses. Therefore, in this article we provide insights as to how interdisciplinary conversations were used to implement evidence-based teaching practices and also pedagogical approaches that can be used to facilitate students learning.

Examples and the facilitation of student learning: should instructors provide examples or should students generate their own?

ABSTRACTThis study examined learning differences for students who were given instructor-provided examples during a lesson compared with student-generated examples. In an experiment, 348 students were exposed to an online lesson about fear appeals and were randomly assigned to either a condition where (a) examples of key concepts were provided by the instructor, (b) students were asked to provide their own hypothetical examples of key concepts, or (c) students were asked to provide their own personal examples of key concepts. Data were analyzed to examine differences in students’ test scores while controlling for the impact of their familiarity with the material and grade point averages. Results revealed that, compared with students exposed to instructor-provided examples, students who generated their own scored lower on a test of recall and application. This outcome was modeled using path analysis specifying a moderated serial mediation effect. Specifically, instructor-provided examples created higher lesson clarity for students which helped them organize the lesson material into a more coherent mental model and, subsequently, score higher on the test. The serial indirect effect of example type on learning occurred most prominently for students who were disinterested in the lesson material.

Unrolling the text: Using scrolls to facilitate academic reading

This case study shows how we have used textscrolls to address academic reading in our Facilitating Student Learning postgraduate module. We outline how we explored with staff the potential of the textscroll to offer a more welcoming, accessible, collaborative and dialogic encounter with reading than the codex (bound book or article). Drawing briefly on a literature review commissioned when part of the LearnHigher Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, we consider reading not just as a semantic or linguistic activity but as a socio-political one, especially for those, like our students, who are typically placed as educational outsiders. We harness the work of Dave Middlebrook (one of our co-authors) and his discussion of the power relations of the bound text and the liberatory potential of the unrolled textscroll. We conclude with an example of what happened when one of our staff participants took scrolls back to her third year Design students, and we argue that utilising emancipatory teaching practices can make higher education more inclusive.

Educating undergraduate general nursing students to conduct Mental State Assessments using high fidelity video simulations that develops learning in the affective domain

Nursing students require a range of clinical skills to contribute as part of the mental health care team, we would argue that one of the quintessential skills is the ability to complete and accurately record a Mental State Assessment (MSA). Teaching students how to complete a MSA using high fidelity video simulations (HVFS) prepares them for the reality of clinical practice including cognitive skill development and emotional readiness for clinical practicum in acute mental health care settings. In this study, three HVF simulations were created to facilitate students learning, based on well documented evidence supporting the use of video content as a learning media. However our focus is not only on cognitive skill development in conducting mental state assessments, but in distinguishing the approach to learning in the affective domain. Using this method, students learn to confront and manage their own feelings, beliefs and attitudes and in turn regulate their emotional responses in clinical situations. Pre and post workshop evaluations completed by students for the past three years has resulted in consistently high levels of confidence in ability to conduct a MSA after the workshop. The paired t test was used to calculate the difference between pre and post workshop confidence scores, revealing the two-tailed p value of less than .0001 which is considered to be extremely statistically significant. Therefore, it can be concluded that students completing the 3-day workshop had a significant increase in confidence and competence in performing MSA’s.

Increasing Interpersonal Interactions in an Online Course: Does Increased Instructor E-mail Activity and a Voluntary In-Person Meeting Time Facilitate Student Learning?

Distance learning is expanding rapidly in universities. While theoretical and qualitative literature stress the critical role of effective interpersonal interactions in motivating students and facilitating learning in online environments, quantitative evidence on the benefits of increased interpersonal interactions on student learning outcomes is limited. This study examines the effect of providing a voluntary meeting time and increasing instructor e-mail activity on student grades in a fully online Pre-Calculus course at a public university. Student selection into courses was minimal since students only had access to one condition at a time. We further use a propensity score matching strategy to address demographic variations in student characteristics across cohorts. Our results indicate that the increased interpersonal interaction opportunities increased final exam scores by 0.22 standard deviations and improved passing rates by 19 percentage points. The Rosenbaum’s sensitivity analysis indicates that it is unlikely that these results are due to omitted variable bias.

From Serial Monologue to Deep Dialogue: Designing Online Discussions to Facilitate Student Learning in Teacher Education Courses

ABSTRACTDespite the wide use of discussion in online courses, the quality of these exchanges varies. In this article, the authors draw on the community of inquiry (CoI) model to inform the design of what we call “first responder/connector” (FR/C) discussions, which are student-led asynchronous online discussions. The authors propose and describe four instructional design features of the online FR/C discussions that aim to create the conditions for social connections that support learning in teacher education. The authors illustrate these design features in an example of a FR/C discussion thread in a classroom management course. With these features of online discussion design, teacher educators can assist preservice teachers in moving away from superficial discussion responses to more meaningful dialogue and engagement with peers, ultimately leading to greater learning outcomes.

Drawing as a Way of Knowing: Visual Practices as the Route to Becoming Academic

This case study illustrates what happened when we took a playful approach in a first year undergraduate academic skills module and a graduate Facilitating Student Learning module asking our students to “draw to learn.” We found that they not only enjoyed the challenges we set them, but also that they “blossomed” and approached their academic writing with more confidence and joy. Hence we argue for a more ludic approach to learning and teaching in Higher Education to enable Widening Participation students and their tutors to become the academic writers they want to be. In particular “blind drawing” seems to be a powerful tool for diminishing the fear of failure and for fostering deep understanding as well as self-confidence.

Factors Affecting Quality of Nursing Education in Nursing Technical Institutes at Assuit Governorate

Nursing education programs are challenged to implement new innovative strategies to meet the workforce needs for the future. Aim of this study: determine the factors affecting quality of nursing education as perceived by nursing students and teachers in nursing technical institutes at Assuit City. Subjects & Method: the present study was descriptive design conducted in two nursing institute(University nursing institute and Ministry of health institute at Assuit city)it consists of all second academic year nursing students in two technical nursing institute as following:(University nursing institute (n=150), Ministry of health institute(n=175) and all teachers who are teaching second year in the previous settings(n=20).Tool of study consist of two parts which included: personal data and self-administrated questionnaire tool used to determine the factors affecting quality of nursing education. Results: The incidental teaching is the most factor was not available followed by, clinical infrastructure, and physical facilities as studied subjects reported Conclusion: The incidental teaching is the most factor affecting quality of nursing education was not available. Recommendations: Asking the authorities body who responsible for the development of institutes to pay attention to the infrastructure and supply the institutes with the new buildings. Increase number of clinical teachers in clinical setting to facilitate students learning .

Educational Interventions to Facilitate Student Learning in Basic Nursing Practice -Introducing Portfolio Style Self-reports-

Educational Interventions to Facilitate Student Learning in Basic Nursing Practice -Introducing Portfolio Style Self-reports-

CONTENT ANALYSIS OF DIAGRAMMATIC REPRESENTATIONS IN UPPER PRIMARY SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS

The present study is an attempt to investigate content analysis of diagrammatic representations in upper primary science textbooks based on diagrammatic typology. The study analyzed the distribution of diagrams in different upper primary science book categories. The sample selected consists of a total number of nine 7th grade physics, chemistry and biology textbooks adopted in three Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (I.C.S.E) schools in the Allahabad, India. Content analysis in this research entails a systematic coding and categorizing of the diagrams, drawings, photos, charts and graphs appeared in upper primary school science textbooks. A great amount of diagrams have been used in the upper primary level of science teaching. On average, there are about 1.20 diagrams in physics, 0.80 diagrams in chemistry & 1.06 diagrams in biology textbooks used per page for the purposes of explaining, presenting or evaluating the scientific domain. The results confirmed that upper primary level of science education demands large quantity of diagrams to facilitate students learning. So content analysis of diagrammatic representations of science textbooks is recommended and teachers should adopt such diagrammatic strategies which increase the level of knowledge of learners. Teachers should teach students through different diagrammatic representations skills and to enhance their academic performance.

Supports and Barriers to Establishing and Sustaining Service Learning Partnerships to Facilitate Student Learning

Abstract Date Presented 3/30/2017 This qualitative study investigated the supports and barriers to establishing and sustaining community-based service learning projects. Understanding the factors that affect use of service learning as an educational tool is essential to establishing best practices in occupational therapy education. Primary Author and Speaker: Julie Watson Additional Authors and Speakers: Kayla Collins, Inti Marazita, Prerna Poojary

Exploring Educational Interventions to Facilitate Student Learning in Basic Nursing Practice -Analysis of Self-review Reports-

Exploring Educational Interventions to Facilitate Student Learning in Basic Nursing Practice -Analysis of Self-review Reports-

Exploring China School Professional Tutor’ Beliefs About Learning

Teacher culture, which upwards inherits the mainstream cultural wills of society on one hand and downwards connects student culture, classroom culture, school culture and so forth on the other hand, is the most dynamic and subjective cultural factor. The education of our nation is under a paradigm transition, but subjective confusion, cognition bias, method deficiency and other problems that exist objectively in teacher culture are very unconformable with the transition, therefore the traditional teacher culture acts as a strong resistance against the reform. Teacher culture is developing from free pattern to self-conscious pattern and this means that teachers will create their dignity and well-being through self-actualization and that they, on a basis of critical introspection and conversational understanding, will break the old habits, promote the teaching culture reform with creative educational practice and reconstruct the cultural ecological field of education. School reform efforts in different parts of the world have focused on students’ learning. In particular, most school improvement programs now aim to ensure that students acquire the high-level knowledge and skills that help them to thrive in today’s highly competitive global economy (e.g., Lee & Williams, 2006). In this regard, school reform programs draw from various contemporary theories and research on learning (e.g., Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999; Lambert & McCombs, 1998). The basic idea is that all school improvement efforts should be directed at ensuring students achieves high levels of learning or attainment of well-defined curricular objectives and standards. For example, textbooks (Chien & Young, 2007), computers and educational technology (Gravoso, 2002; Haertnel & Means, 2003; Technology in Schools Task Force, 2003), and educational assessment systems (Black & Wiliam, 2004; Cheung & Ng, 2007; Clark, 2001; Stiggins, 2005) are being reconsidered as regards how they can effectively provide scaffolds and resources for advancing student learning. Likewise, the allocation and management of a school’s financial resources are assessed in terms of whether these are effectively mobilized and utilized towards improving student learning (Bolam, 2006; Chung & Hung, 2006; Retna, 2007). The present study aims to initiate inquiry into the possible roles of China school Professional tutor in promoting student learning, by looking into school Professional tutor’ conceptions or beliefs regarding the learning process. Conceptions and beliefs about learning has been an important focus of research among various education stakeholders. For example, research has focused on students’ conceptions of learning (Purdie & Hattie, 2002) as these conceptions are related to the students’ learning behaviors and strategies (Entwistle & Peterson, 2004; Pillay, Purdie, Boulton-Lewis, 2000). Similarly, research has also focused on conceptions and beliefs about learning of teachers (Boulton-Lewis, Smith, McCrindle, Burnett, & Campbell, 2001; Kane, Sandretto, & Heath, 2002; Samuelowicz & Bain, 2001) and pre-service teachers (Bernardo, 2008; Cliff, 1998) as these cognitions are said to guide teachers practices in the classroom (Calderhead, 1996) and may even be related to student achievement (Gao & Watkins, 2004). This study aims to extend this line of inquiry by exploring the beliefs about learning of school Professional tutor in the China. School Professional tutor are not the direct participants in the learning processes in schools, unlike students and teachers. Nevertheless, how school Professional tutor conceive of their roles in promoting student learning is likely to be shaped by their own conceptions regarding the learning process. If school Professional tutor are to be effective agents in facilitating students learning, they should have a deep and principled understanding of the processes of learning, and the factors that may promote or hinder these processes. In this study, we inquired into the beliefs about learning of practicing school Professional tutor in six different regions of the China by asking them to assess different statements regarding the learning process and indicate their agreement with such statements. Their responses were analyzed using principal components analysis in order to reveal the structure of their beliefs about learning, and possible options for school Professional tutor in relation to the various dimensions of the learning beliefs are discussed.Â

How To Choose Suitable English Coursebooks To Be Used In The English Teaching-Learning Process: Doing A Micro Evaluation

English course books are one of the main elements determining the success of the English teaching-learning process to meet the pre-determined objectives. Currently, the teachers of, English in Indonesia face a complicated tasks in choosing suitable English teaching materials in die form of English course books. The purpose of the article is to discuss an appropriate way to choose English course books suitable with the students socio-economic cultural backgrounds to facilitate students learning. The intended way is that the teachers of English do an empirical evaluation of the course books they are using, a retrospective evaluation. The evaluation can be done through either macro or micro evaluation. The tangible and practical evaluation to do is a micro evaluation in which the teachers of English retrospectively and thoroughly evaluate certain parts of the English course books representing the whole content The criteria to valuate include goals, students backgrounds (topics and vocabulary related to students lives), cultural acceptability, language skills to develop quality of practical materials in the classroom (activating students participation), roles, sequencing of the materials (procedure), formats, instructions, and visualization. If the teachers of English find out such English course books through their evaluation, they can use the course books in the following terms. It a wise way to choose English course books to be used to optimally reach the pre-determined objectives. If the teachers of English do not find such suitable English course books through their evaluation, they can add materials to or reduce the content of the course booksand finally they will have teachers edition English teaching materials.

Classroom Re-design to Facilitate Student Learning: A Case Study of Changes to a University Classroom

This case study examines the physical aspects of a particular university classroom, and what affect specific changes to the classroom had on the perceptions of students, instructors and observers regarding the room as an effective learning space. We compare survey and focus group data collected from students taking courses in the classroom prior to changes to the physical environment with comparable data from students taking courses in the same classroom after specific changes had been made. Immediately following changes to the classroom, notable increases were observed in reported perceptions of student satisfaction with the physical environment, including perceptions of the classroom as a more effective and engaging learning space. Similar perceptions of improvement as a teaching-learning space were reported by instructors and observers. However, subsequent follow-up data collection and analyses suggested little if any sustained increase in perceptions of efficacy of the room as a learning space; indeed, most reported variables returned to baseline levels. The implications of these findings and their relevance to classroom design nevertheless may provide insight regarding the manner in which physical space might support or even enhance teaching and learning.

Facilitating Student Learning in Accounting through Scaffolded Assessment

ABSTRACTWith the emergence of new sets of technological tools, university students are now offered more authentic learning experiences involving real-world, complex problems and their solutions. This focus on problem-based activities and case studies has produced a learning environment that is inherently multidisciplinary. This paper reports on the development of a scaffolded learning assignment with blended components applied in an accounting subject that was taught in a cross-disciplinary setting. The assignment was developed in a sociocultural context, based on a Vygotskian approach, and this paper details its design and development. The five stages of the assignment were carefully scaffolded and included elements of individual and group tasks, finishing with an individual reflection on the process. Formative assessment and associated feedback are important elements of the scaffolding and thus the paper reports both the design and implementation of the assignment, and provides qualitative feedback from students regarding how completing the assignment enhanced their learning in accounting. The paper concludes with suggestions for further applications for the learning design of the assignment.

The Educational Community as In-tentional Community

This paper reassesses a perennial concern of philosophy of education: the nature of the educational community and the role of the teacher in relation to such a community. As an entry point into this broader question, we turn to Philosophy for children (P4C), which has consistently emphasized the importance of community. Yet, not unlike pragmatist notions of community more broadly, the P4C community has largely focused on the goal-directed, purposive, aspect of the process of inquiry. The purpose of our paper is to move beyond P4C (as it has traditionally been conceived) in order to theorize a non-instrumental, in-tentional, educational community without pre-conceived goals or intentions. Drawing largely from the work of Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben, we describe the P4C-classroom as one that refuses to be operative (moving forward toward reaching common goals) and thus undermines the taken-for-granted logic of means and ends that underlies how educational communities are typically depicted and justified. Again drawing from Agamben, we identify the specific ways in which the experience of love and friendship (both of which are pure means rather than means to an end) constitute the in-tentional community. The silence of the voice of the teacher enables the experience of love and friendship to come about. Being included as an exclusion via his/her silence, the teacher is neither immanent (facilitator of student learning) nor transcendent (outside or beyond learning) but alongside the community as a paradigm of friendship.

How we capitalised on casual PBL facilitators’ expertise and experience to add value to our medical programme

While problem-based learning (PBL) has been widely implemented in medical education, it has been acknowledged to be resource-intensive, particularly in terms of academics’ time. In some institutions, such as Bond University (Australia), casual facilitators have been employed (paid hourly) to oversee the PBL tutorials. Apart from considerable experience as PBL facilitators, they also have expertise as allied health professionals or biomedical scientists. Several facilitators have educational qualifications. Recognising that their roles have expanded beyond the PBL tutorial room, we canvassed PBL facilitators in terms of their contributions to Bond University’s medical programme. We can report that our facilitators have contributed to the renewal of Bond’s medical programme, from design (e.g. curriculum structure, case-writing) to PBL case reviews. They are also involved in formative and summative assessment. Facilitators identified that, because of their prolonged involvement with the students in small groups, they consider themselves more than facilitators of student learning. They are role models and personal guides. Recognising the value these casually employed facilitators have added to our medical programme, we will continue to develop their skills in, for example, reviewing cases and assessment. We recommend that if institutions do employ casual facilitators, their expertise and experience can add value to the curriculum and to students’ experience.