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DRAFT…
To compare anything it is necessary to reduce other variables so that the measurand is the variable that can be later analysed…
Some anticedents of learner attitudes:
| eLearning |
Book learning |
Learner dimension
- Learner attitude to computers
- Learner computer anxiety
- Learner Internet self efficacy
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Learner dimension
- Learner attitude to printed material
- Learner ‘text’ anxiety
- Learner self efficacy
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Instructor dimension
- Instructor response timeliness
- Instructor attitude to eLearning
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Instructor dimension
- Instructor response timeliness
- Instructor attitude to self-learning
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Course dimension
- eLearning course flexibility
- eLearning course quality
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Course dimension
- Distance learning course flexibility
- Distance learning course quality
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Technology dimension
- Technology quality
- Internet quality
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Technology dimension
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Design dimension
- Perceived usefulness
- Perceived ease of use
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Design dimension
- Perceived usefulness
- Perceived ease of use
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Environmental dimension
- Diversity in assessment
- Learner perceived interaction with others
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Environmental dimension
- Diversity in assessment
- Learner perceived lack of interaction with others
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Lesson dimension (learning package)
- Perceived multimedia quality (expectation)
- Perceived usefulness of activities
- Pace and time avaialble
- Interaction with the content (activities)
- Entertainment
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Lesson dimension (learning package)
- Perceived production quality
- Perceived usefulness of activities
- Pace and time avaialble
- Interaction with the content (activities)
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Adapted in part from: Koseler, S. O. a. R. (2009) Evaluating E-Learning Systems, VDM
and…
In comparing learning ‘packages’ delivered by different methods, other outside influences (ie unwanted variables) may be as follows. Also noted are possible methods of reducing their effect.
For this example a group of say 15 students is considered and the group will learn something from ‘paper’ and something very similar by an eLearning package.
| Variable |
Control method |
| Type of learner |
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| Quantity of content |
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| Quality of content |
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| Etc |
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Well-written objective statements provides a clear picture of the outcome or performance you expect as a result of the lesson. It should be specific, concise, and, most importantly, observable or measurable.
Objective statements contain three parts: behavior, conditions, and criteria.
The following table shows how these parts interact.
| Objective Part |
Description |
Example |
| Behavior |
What students will be able to do |
Students will create a time line of the main events at Gettysburg, |
| Conditions |
How they will be able to do it |
after generating a graphic organizer on Chapter 5: A Decisive Battle, |
| Criterion |
Degree of accuracy observed |
with a rubric rating of 3 (out of 5) or better. |
In this example, the lesson plan would call for the students to first generate a graphic organizer about a chapter titled “A Decisive Battle.” Then, the students will create a time line of the main events at Gettysburg. The teacher will assess each time line using a rubric. Any students who do not earn a rubric rating of a 3 or better will require additional instruction or reinforcement.
Additional Examples:
Given four works of short fiction of contrasting genres, the student will analyze and match each work with its correct genre.
Using the washingtonpost.com Web site, the student will correctly identify and print out two examples each of a news article and an editorial regarding a topical new item.
Given twenty examples of incorrect verb tense usage, the student will identify and correct a minimum of sixteen instances.
When writing objective statements, ask yourself these questions:
Does the objective focus on student performance?
Is the task measurable or observable?
What criteria will I use to establish that the objective has been reached?
Note:
Avoid words like understand, learn, and know. They are not measurable because there is no product involved.
Sometimes the degree of accuracy is implied by words such as correctly and successfully.
Not all lessons result in a tangible product. Therefore, when students verbally demonstrate their learning, the measurable action involves telling, explaining, or discussing.
I have been thinking about different ways to compare virtual learning with other methods and in particular, paper-based or classroom-based learning. I have thought about looking at college results after an eLearning system was embedded compared to before – but there seemed to be too many variables. I considered reducing the comparisson to a very small aspect of learning such as reading from a printed page vs. on-screen. But, what i really want to look at is one ‘experience’ compared to another ie and online experience compared to printed or classroom delivery.
Searching the literature has produced little to help so far (much more to do in this respect of course). One significant publication by the US DOE into the ‘Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning’ (2009) states that, “An unexpected finding was the small number of rigorous published studies contrasting online and face-to-face learning conditions for K12 students.” At least it is not just me who can’t find it then!
So, back to basics then. I would like to trial the following idea and produce a paper outlining the method and results. This will be a very useful experience even if inconclusive and will allow developments of similar ideas for my final thesis.
Outline: Create three 45 minutes (nominal) learning sessions.
- self-study on paper
- self-study online
- classroom teacher-led session.
Same general subject for each session, eg. hybrid cars as it will be new to year one FE students, but a different topic for each session. However, the learning objectives will be almost identical. One multiple-choice test will cover all three sessions but will be analysed to show results for each. Say, 10 identical question types relating to each session. I will also use a questionaire for general feedback. One typical FE group of 15-20 students will be used for the study. Maybe more later for the final thesis.
Each session/package will contain:
- 5 objectives
- 500 words of text
- 5 images
- 2 specific activities
- 2 SAQs
- 1 additional resource pack (1. some books, 2. links/forums, 3. the tutor) maybe, maybe not needed…
Objectives for each session: These need to be ‘identical’ but relating to different topics.
After completing this lesson/ session/package, you will be able to:
- State some facts (e.g, operating voltage, percentage, torque etc.)
- Name the main components
- State the purpose of the main components
- Describe the way something works
- State advantages/disadvantages
Assessment questions: Two ‘questions on each objective for each session (mixed up in a 30 question multiple-choice test). The questions for the same objective in different sessions will be ‘identical’ e.g. for objective number one:
The voltage of the battery is
- 12V
- 100V
- 147V
- 240V
The percentage improvement in fuel economy is
- 6%
- 10%
- 16%
- 26%
Notes: Clearly there will be many variables that will need to be teased out and considered further but finding problems by trialling this research will be as useful as gaining significant results.
So, to do…
Decide if I copare three methods or two.. then…
Two/Three sets of objectives
Two/Three learning packages
Two/Three assessment tests
One evaluation questionnaire
Arrange access to students
Maybe another questionnaire for tutors about general use of elearning so as to cross reference results from a different angle…
The Global Positioning System that we use was built by the US military and has been fully operational since 1995. There are other partially built or proposed satellite positioning systems, but none of these is fully operational yet.
The GPS system currently has 31 active satellites in orbits inclined 55 degrees to the equator. The satellites orbit about 20,000km from the earth’s surface and make two orbits per day. The orbits are designed so that there are always 6 satellites in view, from most places on the earth.
The GPS receiver gets a signal from each GPS satellite. The satellites transmit the exact time the signals are sent. By subtracting the time the signal was transmitted from the time it was received, the GPS can tell how far it is from each satellite. The GPS receiver also knows the exact position in the sky of the satellites, at the moment they sent their signals. So given the travel time of the GPS signals from three satellites and their exact position in the sky, the GPS receiver can determine your position in three dimensions – east, north and altitude.
There is a complication. To calculate the time the GPS signals took to arrive, the GPS receiver needs to know the time very accurately. The GPS satellites have atomic clocks that keep very precise time, but it’s not feasible to equip a GPS receiver with an atomic clock. However, if the GPS receiver uses the signal from a fourth satellite it can solve an equation that lets it determine the exact time, without needing an atomic clock.
If the GPS receiver is only able to get signals from 3 satellites, you can still get your position, but it will be less accurate. As we noted above, the GPS receiver needs 4 satellites to work out your position in 3-dimensions. If only 3 satellites are available, the GPS receiver can get an approximate position by making the assumption that you are at mean sea level. If you really are at mean sea level, the position will be reasonably accurate. However if you are in the mountains, the 2-D fix could be hundreds of metres off.
A modern GPS receiver will typically track all of the available satellites simultaneously, but only a selection of them will be used to calculate your position.
via How GPS Works.
This is a simple representation of my data collection process horizontal axis is time (say 3 years), and the vertical axis represents the number of samples:
Ideas about following a single group (longitudinal) and testing them at different times (sample size to be considered here i.e. a single class or better a cohort). Or, different groups at different stages could be tested at the same time and the results compared. Need to consider further what is the best/most appropriate model is for this. Still need to refine the research questions to decide the best model.
- There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.
- To find yourself, think for yourself.
- I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- I was afraid that by observing objects with my eyes and trying to comprehend them with each of my other senses I might blind my soul altogether.
- How many are the things I can do without!
- The unexamined life is not worth living.
- Enjoy yourself — it’s later than you think.
- An education obtained with money is worse than no education at all
- Whom do I call educated? First, those who manage well the circumstances they encounter day by day. Next, those who are decent and honorable in their intercourse with all men, bearing easily and good naturedly what is offensive in others and being as agreeable and reasonable to their associates as is humanly possible to be… those who hold their pleasures always under control and are not ultimately overcome by their misfortunes… those who are not spoiled by their successes, who do not desert their true selves but hold their ground steadfastly as wise and sober minded men.
- True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.
- I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.
- Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have laboured hard for.
- How much there is in the world I do not want.
- Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.
- The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.
- Wisdom begins in wonder
Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. (Socrates, 469-399 BC)
Thinking about the start point for the thesis…
Start the main intro with an example of a float valve and how it works and extend this to show how the reader has learnt from what they have just read… and pose the question would it have been better in an e-format etc… use hand drawn sketches maybe develop objectives and make the online version… The e-version will (arguably) be better but of course the cost would be significant compared to the paper…
Also allows allusions to the filling of a vessel, a tank of knowledge, drip feed, overflow, etc!
Still thinking… not meant to be flippant, allbeit a bit tongue in cheek, rather i want it to be illustrative…
Of course all the other stuff about why this study how it has been done, what else has been done etc. will be included…
http://statistics.open.ac.uk/advisory
stats-advisory@open.ac.uk
Deductive reasoning (top down) general to specific…
hypothesis -> experiment – > data analysis -> conclusion -> hypothesis
Inductive reasoning (bottom up)
hypothesis -> data analysis -> conclusion -> hypothesis
Data analysis is easy… it is more difficult to find the question to ask…
A useful reminder about the quality and usefulness of questions…
- Validity – does the question test what it was intended to test?
- Authenticity – can it be attributed to the source?
- Currency – is it up to date?
- Sufficiency – are there enough results to form an opinion on?
Attended a lecture by Jon Hilton from Flybrid Systems (most excellent lecture by a very knowledgeable engineer)
The kinetic energy recovery systems has been developed for use by F1 racing cars – but will cascade down to road vehicles soon (2012 est)
The flywheel runs in a vacuum up to 64000 rpm – cool!
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