{"title":"Impact of Online Discussions on Web Based Assessments","authors":"L. Powell, H. Wimmer, Lawrence Kilgus, C. Force","doi":"10.4018/IJDET.2017100106","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4018/IJDET.2017100106","url":null,"abstract":"Thepracticeofincludingonlinediscussionpoststotraditionalcoursesisincreasing.Onlinediscussions allowforactivelearningtooccurasstudentsexpresstheirideasandrespondtoothers.Thetimeand thoughtprovidedbyonlinediscussionpostsallowsstudentstoutilizehigherlevelcognitiveskills. Web-basedassessmentsareanothertechnologytoolthatinstructorsareincludingintheircourses. Thisstudyexaminedtheimpactofonlinediscussionpostsonachievementofweb-basedassessments foranupperlevelundergraduatebusinessandtechnologywritingintensivecourse.Usingatreatment groupandacontrolgroup,studentachievementscoresfortheonlineassessmentsweremeasured. Resultsindicatethatassessedgradesofthetreatmentgroupswerehigherthanthecontrolgroup, howeverstatisticalsignificancewasmixedamongthewebassessments.Theresultsfurtherillustrate theneedforadditionalresearchintoonlinediscussionsappliedtoweb-basedassessments. KEyWORDS Active Learning, Online Discussions, Student Achievement, Web Based Assessments, Writing Intensive Courses","PeriodicalId":298910,"journal":{"name":"Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol.","volume":"103 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131785953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using Learning Analytics to Support Engagement in Collaborative Writing","authors":"Ming Liu, A. Pardo, Li Liu","doi":"10.4018/IJDET.2017100105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4018/IJDET.2017100105","url":null,"abstract":"Online collaborative writing tools provide an efficient way to complete a writing task. However, existing tools only focus on technological affordances and ignore the importance of social affordances in a collaborative learning environment. This article describes a learning analytic system that analyzes writing behaviors, and creates visualizations incorporating individual engagement awareness and group ranking awareness social affordance, and review writing behaviour history technological affordance, to support student engagement. Studies examined the performance of the system used by university students in two collaborative writing activities: collaboratively writing a project proposal N = 41 and writing tutorial discussion answers N = 25. Results show that students agreed with what the visualization conveys and visualizations enhance their engagement in a collaborative writing activity. In addition, students stated that the visualizations were useful to help them reflect on the writing process and support the assessment of individual contributions.","PeriodicalId":298910,"journal":{"name":"Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol.","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126390885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cloud Applications in Language Teaching: Examining Pre-Service Teachers' Expertise, Perceptions and Integration","authors":"I. Aburezeq, Fawzi Fayez Ishtaiwa-Dweikat","doi":"10.4018/IJDET.2017100103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4018/IJDET.2017100103","url":null,"abstract":"This study examined pre-service teachers’ expertise, perceptions and integration of cloud applications in teaching of Arabic and English. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection methods. The findings of the study specified that pre-service teachers did not own sufficient expertise for effective integration of cloud applications. The findings also revealed that participants perceived cloud applications as a valuable tool to improve many aspects of language education. Nonetheless, participants concentrated on integrating limited features of cloud applications. While the study revealed that there was no significant difference in participants’ expertise in integrating cloud applications based on the language they teach, it found that pre-service English teachers had significantly higher levels of positive perceptions and integration of cloud applications than pre-service Arabic teachers. Finally, a positive significant correlation was found between expertise, perceptions, and integration of cloud applications.","PeriodicalId":298910,"journal":{"name":"Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol.","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128491338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sanya Liu, Cheng Ni, Zhi Liu, Xian Peng, Hercy N. H. Cheng
{"title":"Mining Individual Learning Topics in Course Reviews Based on Author Topic Model","authors":"Sanya Liu, Cheng Ni, Zhi Liu, Xian Peng, Hercy N. H. Cheng","doi":"10.4018/IJDET.2017070101","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4018/IJDET.2017070101","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":298910,"journal":{"name":"Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol.","volume":"134 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126603537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Effect of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Learning-Language Lab versus Mobile-Assisted Learning","authors":"Ru-Chu Shih","doi":"10.4018/IJDET.2017070102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4018/IJDET.2017070102","url":null,"abstract":"Inrecentyears, therapidadvancementof information technologyhashadagreat impactonour dailylifeandchangedtheworldinwhichweoperate;inparticular,mobiledeviceshavebecome moreportableandpowerfulthanever.Asaresult,mobile-assistedlanguagelearning(MALL)and ubiquitouslearninghavebeenwidelyadoptedinavarietyofstudies.However,thepurposeofthis studywastoinvestigatetheeffectsofteachingEnglishforspecificpurposes(ESP),i.e.,theBusiness LanguageTestingService(BULATS)forcollegestudentsinalanguagelaboratoryandthroughthe mobileLINEapp.Atotalof72collegestudentswererandomlyassignedtotwogroups,alanguage labgroupandamobilelearninggroup,for10weeksofinstruction.Thefindingsrevealedthatthe studentsinthemobilelearninggrouphadsignificantlypositiveattitudestowardtheteachingmethod andlearningcontentandhighusersatisfaction.Inaddition,thelearningperformanceofthestudents inthemobilelearninggroupwasbetterthanthatinthelanguagelabgroup. KEywoRDS Business Language Testing Service (BULATS), English for Specific Purposes (ESP), Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL), LINE App, Ubiquitous Learning","PeriodicalId":298910,"journal":{"name":"Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol.","volume":"89 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117280780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Live Broadcast Classroom: A Feasible Solution for Chinese Rural Weak Education","authors":"Yuxia Zhou, Y. Xiong","doi":"10.4018/IJDET.2017070103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4018/IJDET.2017070103","url":null,"abstract":"Inequity between urban and rural education prevalently exists in China. A Lack of qualified teachers is the main reason for disadvantaged education in rural areas. In order to solve this problem, Live Broadcast Classroom was adopted for use in grade 5 English classes. 90 students and 3 teachers of 3 classes from two primary schools in Yunnan Province were selected as participants. As for methodology, quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Results showed it was feasible to use Live Broadcast Classroom in solving the inequity problem in micro-level education i.e., classroom: the gap between students' scores and attitudes towards English between urban and rural classes was narrowed. Challenges still exist and some suggestions are put forward in the end.","PeriodicalId":298910,"journal":{"name":"Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol.","volume":"12 9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116506985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yu-Tzu Lin, Ming-Puu Chen, Chia-Hu Chang, P. Chang
{"title":"Exploring the Peer Interaction Effects on Learning Achievement in a Social Learning Platform Based on Social Network Analysis","authors":"Yu-Tzu Lin, Ming-Puu Chen, Chia-Hu Chang, P. Chang","doi":"10.4018/IJDET.2017070105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4018/IJDET.2017070105","url":null,"abstract":"The benefits of social learning have been recognized by existing research. To explore knowledge distribution in social learning and its effects on learning achievement, we developed a social learning platform and explored students' behaviors of peer interactions by the proposed algorithms based on social network analysis. An empirical study was also conducted on a college course to investigate the correlation between peer interaction and learning achievement. The experiment results show that the students who tended to actively contribute knowledge to peers on the social learning platform had better learning achievements than the students who were used to the passive reception of knowledge. Besides, the knowledge transmitters and intermediaries performed better in learning achievement as well, and the knowledge contributors had closer interactions with their peers. The implications derived from the findings can inspire instructors/researchers to facilitate effective social learning, and provide suggestions to develop effective algorithms to analyze social interaction behaviors.","PeriodicalId":298910,"journal":{"name":"Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol.","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121532307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Interpreting Experiences of Students Using Online Technologies to Interact with Content in Blended Tertiary Environments: A Phenomenological Study","authors":"Kimberley Tuapawa","doi":"10.4018/IJDET.2017070106","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4018/IJDET.2017070106","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":298910,"journal":{"name":"Int. J. Distance Educ. Technol.","volume":"90 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124188877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}