1,721,016 research outputs found
Seeing is understanding : the effect of visualisation in understanding programming concepts
No full textHow and why visualisations support learning was the subject of this qualitative instrumental collective case study. Five computer programming languages (PHP, Visual Basic, Alice, GameMaker, and RoboLab) supporting differing degrees of visualisation were used as cases to explore the effectiveness of software visualisation to develop fundamental computer programming concepts (sequence, iteration, selection, and modularity). Cognitive theories of visual and auditory processing, cognitive load, and mental models provided a framework in which student cognitive development was tracked and measured by thirty-one 15-17 year old students drawn from a Queensland metropolitan secondary private girls’ school, as active participants in the research. Seventeen findings in three sections increase our understanding of the effects of visualisation on the learning process. The study extended the use of mental model theory to track the learning process, and demonstrated application of student research based metacognitive analysis on individual and peer cognitive development as a means to support research and as an approach to teaching. The findings also forward an explanation for failures in previous software visualisation studies, in particular the study has demonstrated that for the cases examined, where complex concepts are being developed, the mixing of auditory (or text) and visual elements can result in excessive cognitive load and impede learning. This finding provides a framework for selecting the most appropriate instructional programming language based on the cognitive complexity of the concepts under study
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Improving the Usage of ICT for Teaching and Learning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Australia: A Comparative Study of ICT Use in a Sample of Saudi Arabian and Australian Primary Schools
No full textThe use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for teaching and learning has become essential for quality education. This includes ICT tools such as computers, the Internet, software and a range of devices. Despite this, the infrastructure in Saudi Arabia does not currently allow the widespread implementation of ICT in the education system (Albugami & Ahmed, 2015). A comparative analysis of the similarities and differences of ICT implementation for learning and teaching in Australian and Saudi Arabian primary schools is the focus of this study. The analysis aimed to provide guidance as to how Saudi Arabia might benefit from the increased implementation of ICT tools in primary schools. The investigation was conducted using four constructs of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Framework: Technological Knowledge (TK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) (Schmidt, Baran, Thompson, Mishra, Koehler & Shin, 2009).
Importantly, it drew upon the framework for conceptualising the stages of ICT integration proposed by (Niess, Ronau, Shafer, Driskell, Harper, Johnston, & Kersaint, 2009). The following overarching research questions were intended to guide the qualitative and quantitative collection and analysis of data so that a comparative study of the use of ICT in schools could be completed:
1. What is the current state of ICT usage for teaching and learning in selected primary schools in Saudi Arabia and Australia?
2. What are the similarities and differences in ICT adoption and implementation for learning and teaching between selected schools in Saudi Arabia and Australia?
3. What recommendations can be made for improving ICT usage in teaching and learning in primary schools in Saudi Arabia and Australia?
A correlational comparative study was conducted that collected data from teachers (n = 112) and students (n = 440) at state and independent/private primary schools in both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (n = 4) and Australia (n = 2). The three research questions were investigated in two phases. Phase One involved the collection of quantitative data from surveys administered to both students and teachers concerning ICT usage both inside and outside of school, and their perceptions of the effectiveness of ICT for learning and teaching. In addition, teachers were surveyed on ICT use in teaching and learning TPK. Phase Two consisted of the collection of qualitative data through interviews with a sample of 27 teachers from both Saudi Arabia (n = 18) and Australia (n = 9). Those teachers participated in face-to-face and telephone interviews and provided their responses to both structured and unstructured questions.
Statistical analyses using Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-Square tests revealed a significant difference between private and public Saudi Arabian primary schools in the implementation of the TPACK framework. While no significant differences were found to exist between the selected independent and state Australian primary schools, Saudi Arabian private schools overall were found to be more likely than Saudi Arabian public schools to have adopted expectations that reflected the TPACK model than did Saudi Arabian public schools. Through the NVivo software, qualitative data analysis revealed teachers’ perceptions of ICT use, and the effect of educational policy on teachers’ ICT use.
Australian students were more generally positive about the ways in which they can use ICTs in the classroom effectively to enhance their education than were Saudi students. Further, Australian teachers, like their Saudi counterparts, were very aware of the need for the integration of ICT into education and were certainly in favour of it. By drawing up the Niess et al. (2009) framework, the findings suggested that the sample of Saudi Arabian primary schools most reflected the stages of recognising and accepting the use of ICT in teaching and learning, while the sample of Australian schools studied most reflected aspects which indicated that they had moved beyond the recognising and accepting phases, and demonstrated that they were adapting, exploring and advancing ICT use in teaching and learning.
This study concludes with a set of recommendations for teachers, schools and policymakers to enhance the use of ICT for teaching and learning in both Saudi Arabian and Australian schools. As a result, this study has the potential to contribute to an improved understanding among policymakers, schools and teachers in relation to how ICT can become more widely utilised both in the classroom and at home to achieve higher-quality education outcomes, which is important for the long-term growth and development of both nations’ education systems.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)School Educ & Professional StArts, Education and LawFull Tex
A New Organisational Architecture to Support Personalised Learning: The Role of the Academic Adviser
No full textThis study stemmed from an interest in the impact of disruptive innovations on school-based education. It was premised on a belief that a teacher-centric organisational architecture is at odds with the new technology-rich learning environment in which tomorrow’s schools will operate. This informed the framing of the key research question explored by this study:
In times that are characterised by disruptive innovation due to technological changes, what are the implications for the organisational architecture of schools?
This thesis presents a case study of one school’s attempt to move from a teacher-centric organisational architecture to one focused on the needs of individual students. The Academic Adviser (AcAd) program represented an early stage of this multi-dimensional change process. In investigating the key research question, the following Supporting Research Questions were investigated.
1. What are the perceptions of students in the Academic Adviser (AcAd) program, particularly in relation to the role of the AcAds and the impact of the program on their level of self-regulation and learning power?
2. What are the perceptions of the parents/caregivers of students in the AcAd Program, particularly in relation to the role of the AcAd and the impact of the program on the students’ level of self-regulation and learning power?
3. What are the perceptions of the AcAds in relation to their role, and the impact of the program on the students’ level of self-regulation and learning power?
4. What are the perceptions of Heads of Year, as members of the traditional school architecture with responsibility for pastoral care, about the AcAds and the AcAd Program?
This research was conducted in an independent school in South-East Queensland, Australia between the latter part of 2015 and mid-2017. The focus of the research was one dimension of a strategy to change the school’s organisational architecture from one that revolved around the needs of classroom teachers to one focused on the needs of students. The long-term goal was to harness the potential of emerging digital technologies to personalise the learning experience for all students. To achieve this goal, the school’s board and leadership team decided to build a team of specialist educators to circumvent teacher-related barriers to change and support students through the transition to personalised learning.
The research analyses the impact of a team of AcAds, who focused their attention on approximately 120 individual students who chose to participate in the program. Their role was to promote self-regulation and aspects of learning power in their 30-minute fortnightly meetings with individual students. The program was jointly funded by the school and parents. The perceptions of a sample of 36 students, 33 parents, ten AcAds and the Heads of Year, who had an important pastoral role in the existing organisational architecture of the school were gauged using surveys, interviews and focus groups. These provided a range of quantitative and qualitative data with which to answer the key and supporting research questions.
The thesis reviews a wide range of literature on frustrated attempts to integrate these technologies, adopt constructivist pedagogies and promote connectivism. The new organisational architecture would position students for a time when teachers would relinquish their position as gatekeepers of knowledge. It would also reduce the potential for teachers to impede change, because the delivery of services directly to students would mean that teachers would no longer be the focus of the school’s service supply chain.
The research employed theoretical thematic analysis of qualitative stakeholder data and analysis of quantitative data to conclude that students, parents, AcAds and Heads of Year were supportive of the program and could identify benefits in the form of increased self-regulation, enhanced learning power and expanded learning networks that positioned students for success in a personalised learning environment. Data obtained from all stakeholder groups highlighted the significance of the relationships between the AcAds and the students in the program. The high level of trust provided a foundation for the work of the AcAds. Students, parents, AcAds and Heads of Year were able to clearly and correctly distinguish between the role of the AcAd and the role of the classroom teacher. The program’s focus on strengthening student self-regulation and aspects of learning power was seen as important for success at school and in later life. These groups also acknowledged that the organisational strategies and time-management skills developed in the program helped to reduce student stress levels.
While this research was designed to assess the impact of the program in the unique setting of the case study school, it provided insights that might be of value to other educators, policy-makers and researchers.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)Doctor of Education (EdD)School Educ & Professional StArts, Education and LawFull Tex
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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