Learned Response Research Articles

Learner Autonomy in Foreign Language Education and in Cultural Context

The present paper is a brief review of the theoretical concepts about learner autonomy focusing on highlighting the main themes on learner autonomy in foreign language education and in cultural context as a globalized construct. These themes are based on the concepts of learner responsibility and independence, the importance of the autonomy in foreign language education in both the Western and Eastern style and the role of the culture in the concept of learner independence. The present study also shows that although learner autonomy means a reshaping of the view that the learner is responsible for learning, students and teachers still have their responsibilities of teaching and learning in the language learning process and all this process happens in the frame of the culture as a multifaceted and much-debated concept.

Learner Response to Practising English Online with the InGenio Content Management System

The study described in this paper is based on the process carried out to corroborate the validity of the InGenio Online Course & Tester, developed by the CAMILLE research group at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Spain, as a suitable tool for learners wishing to take, and successfully pass, the Cambridge First Certificate in English examination. The validation process was carried out by means of a pre-course survey and a post-course survey in the form of two online questionnaires with a total of 146 learners of higher-intermediate English enrolled in various technical degrees at the said University. There was sufficient evidence to corroborate its usefulness although a number of recommendations for improvements were discovered.

Incorporating Research in the Biochemistry Laboratory

Many of the undergraduates enrolled in natural science courses will become scientists and technicians in their future careers. As such, it is critical that these students learn necessary skills such as making careful measurements, designing experiments, managing their time, and troubleshooting of experimental difficulties. To provide this training, we have designed and implemented a biochemistry laboratory that teaches many of these skills through the contribution to publishable research projects. Our first set of projects has involved investigating the relationship between protein primary sequence and enzymatic function. Each student is responsible for production and kinetic characterization of a unique point mutant of an enzyme. Students learn all the techniques taught in a traditional biochemistry laboratory while benefiting from an environment that encourages them to become responsible learners through participation in research. The mechanics of running this laboratory course will be discussed along with notable successes and lessons learned.

A Japanese word association database of English

In this paper, two word association (WA) studies are presented in support of recent arguments against the use of native-speaker (NS) norms in WA research. In Study 1, first-language (L1) and second-language (L2) WA norms lists were developed and compared to learner responses as a means of measuring L2 proficiency. The results showed that L2 norms provided a more sensitive measure of L2 lexical development than did traditional NS norms. Study 2 was designed to test the utility of native norms databases in predicting the primary WA responses of Japanese learners to high-frequency English cues. With the exception of only extremely frequent cues, it was shown that native norms were not successful in predicting learner responses. The results of both studies are discussed in terms of cultural and linguistic differences, geographic distance, and dissimilarities in word knowledge between respondent populations. Finally, a proposal is made for the construction of a Japanese WA database of English responses (J-WADE). The methods by which it will be developed, key features, and employment in future research are outlined.

Viewpoint Working with Environmental Education Pedagogies in Life Orientation to Enhance Social and Environmental Responsibility

The aim of this viewpoint paper is to generate interest in working with environmental education pedagogies in order to enhance the quality imperative of social and environmental responsibility for South African learners through the fundamental subject, Life Orientation. Drawing on our own experiences as Life Orientation and environmental education lecturers at a tertiary institution, we build, in this paper, on the initiative of the Department of Basic Education to include social and environmental concerns in the Life Orientation curriculum for the Further Education and Training Phase. As researchers, we therefore highlight, for South African Life Orientation teachers, the parallels that exist between environmental education and Life Orientation, and propose a guiding theoretical framework on how teachers can purposefully and effectively integrate environmental education pedagogies with Life Orientation so as to enhance the quality of their teaching practices and lesson objectives around specific contextual social and environmental concerns for their learners.

Underlying factors related to errors in financial mathematics due to incorrect or rigidity of thinking

The main aim of the study was (1) to identify the underlying factors related to errors due to incorrect association, and (2) to understand why learners continue to make such errors so that mechanisms to avoid such errors could be devised.The study was conducted by means of a case study guided by the positivists’paradigm where the research sample comprised of 105 Grade 10 Mathematics Literacy learners as respondents. Having used Polya’s problem-solving techniques, Threshold Concept and Newman’s Error Analysis as the theoretical frameworks for the study, a four-point Likert scale and a content-based structure-interview questionnaire were developed to address the research question. Four sets of structured-interview questionnaires were used for collecting data, aimed at addressing the main objective of the study. In order to test the reliability and consistency of the questionnaires for this study, Cronbach’s Alpha was tested for standardised items (α = 0.705).Once the data was collected, it was analysed through content and correlation analysis. Based on the frequency table which summarises learner responses, it could be ascertained that the majority (n =63, 60%) of learners admitted to sometimes confusing addition with multiplication. The relationship between learners forgetting to write units and learners writing down an incorrect number/figure revealed a significance where p = .04 (r = +.17) illustrated a weak correlation between the afore-stated variables.

Introducing a learner response system to pre-service education students: Increasing student engagement

Described in this study is a learner response system (clickers) used with first-year undergraduate students in a small group setting. The aim of the project was to address issues faced by us all as we seek to improve class participation, as well as engage students in lectures and tutorials throughout the course. Data collection for this case study incorporated diary entries by the lecturer and student responses to the use of clickers and reflects both the course coordinator’s journey through the process of introducing this new technology and changing students’ responses as they engage with this technology. The article reports on the positive results particularly in relation to increased potential for clickers to be used as a teaching and learning tool. The significance of this study, however, lies in the recognition that pedagogical approaches need to be taken into consideration when planning for effective use of clickers as a tool for engaging students.

E-Learning for the medical team: the present and future of ERS Learning Resources

The term “e-learning” is a comprehensive concept that involves the use of all kinds of electronic media and information and communication technology in education. The broad concept of e-learning in general includes the implementation of all kinds of educational technology in learning and procedures, including online learning and computer-delivered instructions. The foundations of modern e-learning were laid down in 1953–1956 by Burrhus Frederic Skinner (fig. 1) who developed the radical behaviourism theory. Skinner invented the operant conditioning chamber and constructed the first machine which simply presented problems in random order to the learner and gave feedback after each response. In the following years, he developed early computer-based training (CBT) programmes that followed the idea of programmed [1], in which material was carefully sequenced in small parts to build a systematic process of descriptions, questions and answers. Skinner's early machines had substantial limitations. For example, while learners were rewarded for correct responses, they received no feedback or explanation when their responses were incorrect. Figure 1 B.F. Skinner: an early pioneer of e-learning. Image: Silly rabbit, Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-3.0. In 1960, Norman Crowder tried to solve this problem with a technique called intrinsic programming”. The basic principle of this approach was that the learner’s responses determined which material was subsequently presented. At the end of each section, a multiple-choice question was presented to the learner and each choice was linked to another section. If the learner's response was correct, new material was presented. If it was incorrect, review or reinforcement material was presented [2]. Another early computer-assisted instruction system called (Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operation) was developed in 1960 at the University of Illinois (Champaign, IL, USA). The PLATO compiler allowed the development of various forms of teaching logic and was the …

Significant Advancements in Technology to Improve Instruction for all Students

Sharing thoughts on what represents significant advancements involving the education of persons for whom typical instruction is not effective seems simple enough. You think about the work you are engaged in and reflect on how you came to do what you are doing. If you have a record of being persistent in your work, then that becomes the context for your perceptions of significant advancements. While limited as a strategy for framing a vision for the future, the views of an individual do have potential when combined with the perspective of others. Emerging technologies in the realm of instructional change brought about by the Internet provide the framework for the choice of significant advancements, discussed in this article, to improve instruction for all students including students with disabilities. They include the impact of technologies that allow for measuring physiological and motivational responses of online learners that enhance the personalization of online instruction, the impact of wireless computing in contributing to how ubiquitous computing influences learning environments for all learners, and the increased capacity offered by technology to increase sensitivity to variability among online learners and to stimulate research in the important area of inquiry.

Negotiating learner–teacher boundaries in medical education

During a third year medical student seminar on renal failure, Dr. Sara Ender is facilitating a group discussion. One of the medical students, James, puts up his hand. ‘‘Sara, I have a question’’, he says. She is immediately aware that other students may be wondering why James used her first name. Was it intentional? Should she address it? We write this personal view from the perspective of both faculty and learners recently involved in a participatory curriculum development process. While the experience was rewarding on many levels, it has prompted our reflection on some of the unintended, perhaps challenging, outcomes related to more actively involving learners in these processes. Learner engagement is widely recognized as key to their achievement in higher education. Actively involving learners in the co-creation of curriculum offers one way to facilitate this engagement (Bovill 2013). Offering learners the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and experience to curricula in an authentic participatory process has many potential benefits, including: increasing learner responsibility for their own learning; engaging learners in critical exploration of teaching processes; enhancing learner performance; and improving faculty satisfaction (Huppatz 1996). While the argument for learner involvement in curricular design is not new within education and critical pedagogy literature (Rudduck & Fielding 2006), it remains an emerging idea within the higher education and medical education literature. Often, learner engagement in this context is reduced to gathering learner feedback through standard evaluation method, while greater more in-depth attention is paid to the opinions of faculty as ‘experts’ in faculty-led curricular design (Coates 2005). In an attempt to move beyond faculty-led curriculum design and in response to calls at our institution for learner involvement, we recently engaged in a participatory curriculum development process. Our team, consisting of faculty, postgraduate and undergraduate learners, aimed to develop an innovative faculty development program for teachers. The knowledge, perspectives, and experiences of each team member informed all aspects of the curriculum design process. The boundaries of the participatory process evolved organically. From the outset, faculty engaged in a deliberate sharing of roles and encouraged informality with the learners. Ownership and empowerment were fostered through co-creation of the program’s vision and decision-making by consensus. Learners’ opinions and real-life experiences informed and guided the development of the curriculum, resulting in a more relevant and authentic tool for clinical teachers. Reflecting on this experience, the faculty described an enriched understanding of the learner learning experience. Learners felt that the partnership afforded them opportunities to explore educational processes and theory while under the guidance of faculty role models, thus enhancing their current experiences as learners and creating a foundation for their future roles as teachers. Throughout the process, as relationships grew and trust was established, the traditional power differential between faculty and learners (Lempp & Seale 2004) was ‘flattened’. We no longer felt like experts (faculty) and novices (learners) but rather like colleagues working together towards a common goal. Indeed, our involvement in participatory curriculum development changed the nature and boundaries of our relationships. Although these changes furthered the curricular development agenda, they also produced unintended outcomes related to the manner in which we navigated between our different roles within the medical education system. Faculty were faced with feelings of vulnerability when they acknowledged that learners from the project would be present during their clinical teaching sessions, and thus evaluating their roles as effective teachers. Similarly, learners perceived a heightened expectation from faculty and felt increased pressure to perform in the clinical context when faculty from the project were present. Both faculty and learners shared concern that our previous experience working together may be construed as favoritism, and struggled with how to interact with each other in front of peers and colleagues. Learners who were on first name basis with faculty during the co-creation of

Understanding Teachers’ and their Learners’ Perceptions about Museums Visits in South Africa

Learners’ museum visits are meant to contribute to their learning. This paper considers teachers’ and their learners’ objectives about museum visits. Five teachers and ten learners were interviewed before and after the visit to one of four museums. Analysis of the teachers and learners responses highlighted that teachers have many different objectives which sometimes are different from those of their learners’. Teachers and learners were also found to have no clear purpose about the visits. The implications of these findings are discussed. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n14p404

Exploring the effects of a learner response system on EFL reading

Exploring the effects of a learner response system on EFL reading

An investigation of Mathematical Literacy assessment supported by an application of Rasch measurement

Mathematical Literacy (ML) is a relatively new school subject that learners study in the final 3 years of high school and is examined as a matric subject. An investigation of a 2009 provincial examination written by matric pupils was conducted on both the curriculum elements of the test and learner performance. In this study we supplement the prior qualitative investigation with an application of Rasch measurement theory to review and revise the scoring procedures so as to better reflect scoring intentions. In an application of the Rasch model, checks are made on the test as a whole, the items and the learner responses, to ensure coherence of the instrument for the particular reference group, in this case Mathematical Literacy learners in one high school. In this article, we focus on the scoring of polytomous items, that is, items that are scored 0, 1, 2 … m. We found in some instances indiscriminate mark allocations, which contravened assessment and measurement principles. Through the investigation of each item, the associated scoring logic and the output of the Rasch analysis, rescoring was explored. We report here on the analysis of the test prior to rescoring, the analysis and rescoring of individual items and the post rescore analysis. The purpose of the article is to address the question: How may detailed attention to the scoring of the items in a Mathematical Literacy test, through theoretical investigation and the application of the Rasch model, contribute to a more informative and coherent outcome?

Shaping learner contributions in an EFL classroom: Implications for L2 classroom interactional competence

This study investigated the interactional patterns for shaping learner contributions in an EFL classroom with reference to Walsh’s classroom interactional competence (CIC). In doing so, an EFL class at an English preparatory school in a Turkish state university was both videotaped and audiotaped in the course of six classroom hours. Conversation analytic methodology was adopted for the data analysis. The analysis revealed various interactional patterns in post-expansion sequences for shaping learner contributions both in the form-and-accuracy and meaning-and-fluency contexts. There was evidence in the data for repeating, translating, extending, clarifying, summarising, modelling and paraphrasing learner contributions. In addition, there were instances when the teacher used clarification requests and confirmation checks, asked elaboration questions and used the board to shape learner responses and, hence, to construct learning opportunities. As well as revealing parallel findings with those of Walsh’s studies, differently from his findings, this study also uncovered that the teacher shapes learner contributions by translating them into L1/L2 and by using the board. It is also illustrated that the nature of these interactional features showed variation in different L2 classroom contexts. As a result, the findings have implications for teacher education which should encourage prospective teachers to improve their CIC.

Measuring Student Preferences for Stimulus-Response (Rote) Learning

The study developed and distributed a survey to measure students’ preference for stimulus-response learning.The responses of undergraduate and graduate students suggest the desire to maximize grades fosters a strongpreference for instructors who tell students what they need to know and exam questions that incorporate termsand keywords similar to those used in course materials. Although graduate students exhibit a strong partiality foradditional elements of stimulus-response learning, they are less likely than undergraduates to prefer courses inwhich complex assignments are accompanied by step-by-step instructions and most of the required readings arecovered by lectures. They also are less prone to focus their exam preparation on items discussed in class. Giventhe students’ predisposition to replicate information and problem solving strategies conveyed to them, thedevelopment of creativity and critical thinking is dependent on students assuming greater responsibility forlearning. Instructional strategies for achieving the outcome are discussed.

Potential Gaps during the Transition from the Embodied through Symbolic to Formal Worlds of Reflective Symmetry

Even though reflective symmetry is heavily embedded in the everyday, learners continue to experience challenges when they mathematize concepts from this informal/everyday context. In this article we argue that symmetry exists in nature, it can also be symbolized algebraically and it can be abstracted into the world of axioms and theorems. We problematize this multiple nature of symmetry which on one hand is supportive and on the other acts as a contributory factor to learners' gaps in knowledge. Tall's three worlds of mathematics helped us to show the transition of symmetry from the embodied through symbolic to the formal world and the inherent gaps attributed to the shifts in thinking thereof. We then used this same framework to analyse learners' responses to a reflective symmetry task. The results show that many learner responses could be explained explicitly by the lack of flexibility in the applicability of experiences in the embodied world of reflective symmetry. Learners' responses were deeply rooted in the embodied world, which indeed remains helpful in some situations but tended to confuse them in others, hence inhibiting further application. The article recommends that teachers need to understand these subtle changes so that they can address the challenges explicitly.

A case of technology-enhanced formative assessment and achievement in primary grammar: How is quality assurance of formative assessment assured?

This article investigates how using an online resource with learner response devices in primary school classrooms meets quality assurance criteria for formative assessment. It reports a randomised evaluation of the effects of technology-enhanced formative assessment on the grammar learning of pupils in primary schools in England. Instantaneous feedback is provided to teachers and pupils about each pupil's understanding of grammatical concepts just taught.Quality assurance in formative assessment is multi-faceted; it includes promoting attainment and progression, enabling and motivating pupils to show what they can do, and combining information of different kinds to inform decisions about pupils’ learning and achievements.

Spoken grammar practice and feedback in an ASR-based CALL system

Speaking practice is important for learners of a second language. Computer assisted language learning (CALL) systems can provide attractive opportunities for speaking practice when combined with automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology. In this paper, we present a CALL system that offers spoken practice of word order, an important aspect of Dutch grammar. The system uses ASR technology to process the learner's responses and to detect errors so that immediate corrective feedback (CF) can be provided on learner errors. We evaluate the system as a learning environment by analyzing proficiency gains in pre- and post-tests, the logs of the practice sessions, and the learners’ appreciation of the system. In this paper, we present two learning conditions: (1) the learners received oral practice and immediate CF on spoken performance and (2) learners received oral practice and NO CF on spoken performance. We found that our system was successful in providing L2 speaking practice. Results show that both groups improve their proficiency on the target feature as a result of treatment. Between the groups there is no significant difference in learning, but the groups proceeded differently through the sessions, and the learners in the group that received automatic CF evaluated the system more positively than the NO CF group. We discuss the performance of the system as an environment for language learning and the obtained proficiency test results, and relate them to current views on second language acquisition.

Using eye tracking to understand the responses of learners to vocabulary learning strategy instruction and use

This study examined the influence of morphological instruction in an eye-tracking English vocabulary recognition task. Sixty-eight freshmen enrolled in an English course and received either traditional or morphological instruction for learning English vocabulary. The experimental part of the study was conducted over two-hour class periods for seven weeks. To investigate the effects of morphological instruction on English vocabulary learning, all participants completed an English vocabulary recognition task. Fixation time and path during recognition were recorded with an eye-tracking device. A comparison between the post-test performances of both groups showed that the experimental group obtained a considerably higher score on the target eye-tracking vocabulary test. The results of the eye-tracking record showed that participants who received morphological instruction had longer fixation times on the vocabulary and morpheme areas compared with the group that received traditional instruction. In addition, the experimental group had dense fixation paths on the morpheme areas of vocabulary. These results indicate that participants who received morphological instruction considered the morphemes as inferring references to read and inferred unknown words with greater success.

A Study on Dynamic Assessment Techniques, as a Method of Obtaining a High Level of Learning Potential, Untapped by Conventional Assessment

Abstract “Dynamic assessment” is a term which has come to describe a particular style of testing, but more importantly has come to be associated with an alternative way of thinking about assessment. Most succinctly, dynamic assessment involves embedding interaction within the assessment and observing and recording the learner's response and ability to profit from this interaction. There are numerous models of dynamic assessment that vary in terms of the degree of structure and the timing of the intervention, as well as the content of the intervention procedure. The greatest distinction between dynamic assessment and conventional testing, or what is frequently referred to in the literature as static assessment, can be seen in the shift from a product to a process orientation regarding testing. This distinction has numerous implications not only with regard to the actual assessment techniques but also with respect to the types of questions asked and solutions formulated with regard to low cognitive functioning and/or poor academic performance.Dynamic assessment is an interactive process between assessor and assessee. It differs from conventional psychometric assessments in that no ‘normative score’ such as an Intelligence Quotient is computed. It differs also in that mediation is an essential part of the process. Tasks are given to the assessee, with the focus primarily on how the tasks are tackled. This makes it possible to pin- point necessary areas of cognitive development. At different stages for different tasks in the overall process, mediation is given in the cognitive functions and strategies necessary to master the tasks. Dynamic assessment embeds interaction within the framework of a test-intervene-retest approach to psycho educational assessment.