published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

In this thesis, we provide computationally efficient algorithms with provable statistical guarantees, for the problem of active learning, by using ideas from sequential analysis. We provide a generic algorithmic framework for active learning in the pool setting, and instantiate this framework by using ideas from learning with experts, stochastic optimization, and multi-armed bandits. For the problem of learning convex combination of a given set of hypothesis, we provide a stochastic mirror descent based active learning algorithm in the stream setting.

The Student-Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) method incorporates active learning pedagogies into space designed to facilitate effective active learning. Methods predominately used to demonstrate the effectiveness of active learning in STEM fields do not generally account for differences in student characteristics; furthermore, there is a lack of data sources that measure student-centered educational practices. This study examined the impact of SCALE-UP on student achievement in introductory biology, as evidenced by course grades. A regression framework was used to account for student characteristics. Course syllabi, classroom observation data, and an instructor interview were examined to gain deeper understanding of teaching practices across classes being compared. Findings indicate the SCALE-UP classroom did not directly impact biology course grades; however, it did impact the nature of active learning techniques used during the course. Implications for practice and future research were discussed.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Nursing schools are facing demands to admit and graduate increasing numbers of students to meet the needs of the future healthcare system. Nursing schools must therefore admit, retain and graduate qualified applicants, able to provide care in complex healthcare environments. Educators are challenged to identify the best educational practices to retain and engage learners in the learning process. Research has indicated that student engagement contributes to student success in college. Learning environments may influence student engagement through the use of active learning strategies in the classroom. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the extent of engagement reported by nursing students in classrooms and determine relationships among student engagement, demographic and academic variables and learning environments. Astin’s (1985) Input-Environments-Output model provided the framework for this study, linking student characteristics, and student engagement in learning with outcomes of learning. A sample of 347 undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students from 5 mid-western schools of nursing completed the Adapted Engaged Learning Index (AELI) and the Active Learning Environments Scale (ALES), measuring their level of engagement and perceived degree of active learning in the classroom, respectively. Subjects also provided demographic data including age, academic level, type and number of hours worked off campus, and prior learning experience. T-test and ANOVA analyses were conducted to compare group differences on demographic, learning environments (active, passive and mixed) and levels of engagement. Results indicated a significant (p≤.001) difference in the level of student engagement related to the perceived active learning occurring in the classroom. Students in active and mixed learning environments reported higher engagement levels than those in passive learning environments. Students over 25 years (p=.003), students with higher GPA’s (p≤ .05) and junior students (p≤ .001) reported significantly higher engagement scores than their counterparts. Findings from this study indicate that student engagement in the learning process may be positively influenced by an active learning environment in the classroom.

In this study the status of the active learning methods of teaching employed in Teachers‟ Training Colleges in Ethiopia was examined from the perspective of the trainee-teachers and their lecturers. Factors relating to active learning were discussed within the framework of the social-cognitive constructivists‟ theory, as learning (knowledge construction) requires the direct involvement of an individual, as well as interaction with the social environment. Three main groups of learning theories were investigated, namely the behavioural, the cognitive and the constructivist theories. The behavioural theories emphasise the transmission of information from the teacher to the learner, whereas the cognitive and constructivist theories emphasise the learners‟ construction of knowledge from their own experiences and their interaction with one another. The methods and strategies for teaching Geography in Ethiopian Teachers‟ Training Colleges were also discussed. The empirical research investigated the perceptions of trainee-teacher and lecturers regarding active learning methods at their respective colleges, the current teaching-learning methods and strategies that the trainee-teachers employ, how they experience the current teaching methods and approaches and other related matters, such as class size and facilities, the integration of assessment with active learning, the teachers‟ attitudes towards active learning, whether or not the lecturers receive short-and long-term training on active learning, the support obtained from the managing body, and whether or not any guidelines existed. Interviews were conducted as embedded research that was intended to supplement the quantitative findings. The results of the empirical investigation indicated a lack of systematic and appropriately organised active learning at college level. Some of the barriers that profoundly hindered the use of active learning pedagogies are the lecturers‟ tendency to maintain the traditional (lecture) method of teaching, insufficient pre-service and in-service training, the large class sizes, the lack of administrative support, the scarcity of resources/facilities, the lack of integration between assessment and active learning, and finally, the absence of guidelines. Pertinent information was extracted from the relevant literature and the empirical study to develop a model to address the problem of active learning in Teachers‟ Training Colleges. Thus, a Model of Active Learning, which is relevant to the teaching of the learning of Geography at College level in the Ethiopian context, was developed. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

In this study the status of the active learning methods of teaching employed in Teachers‟ Training Colleges in Ethiopia was examined from the perspective of the trainee-teachers and their lecturers. Factors relating to active learning were discussed within the framework of the social-cognitive constructivists‟ theory, as learning (knowledge construction) requires the direct involvement of an individual, as well as interaction with the social environment. Three main groups of learning theories were investigated, namely the behavioural, the cognitive and the constructivist theories. The behavioural theories emphasise the transmission of information from the teacher to the learner, whereas the cognitive and constructivist theories emphasise the learners‟ construction of knowledge from their own experiences and their interaction with one another. The methods and strategies for teaching Geography in Ethiopian Teachers‟ Training Colleges were also discussed. The empirical research investigated the perceptions of trainee-teacher and lecturers regarding active learning methods at their respective colleges, the current teaching-learning methods and strategies that the trainee-teachers employ, how they experience the current teaching methods and approaches and other related matters, such as class size and facilities, the integration of assessment with active learning, the teachers‟ attitudes towards active learning, whether or not the lecturers receive short-and long-term training on active learning, the support obtained from the managing body, and whether or not any guidelines existed. Interviews were conducted as embedded research that was intended to supplement the quantitative findings. The results of the empirical investigation indicated a lack of systematic and appropriately organised active learning at college level. Some of the barriers that profoundly hindered the use of active learning pedagogies are the lecturers‟ tendency to maintain the traditional (lecture) method of teaching, insufficient pre-service and in-service training, the large class sizes, the lack of administrative support, the scarcity of resources/facilities, the lack of integration between assessment and active learning, and finally, the absence of guidelines. Pertinent information was extracted from the relevant literature and the empirical study to develop a model to address the problem of active learning in Teachers‟ Training Colleges. Thus, a Model of Active Learning, which is relevant to the teaching of the learning of Geography at College level in the Ethiopian context, was developed. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Context. The amount of training data required to build accurate modelsis a common problem in machine learning. Active learning is a techniquethat tries to reduce the amount of required training data by making activechoices of which training data holds the greatest value.Objectives. This thesis aims to design, implement and evaluate the Ran-dom Forests algorithm combined with active learning that is suitable forpredictive tasks with real-value data outcomes where the amount of train-ing data is small. machine learning algorithms traditionally requires largeamounts of training data to create a general model, and training data is inmany cases sparse and expensive or difficult to create.Methods.The research methods used for this thesis is implementation andscientific experiment. An approach to active learning was implementedbased on previous work for classification type problems. The approachuses the Mahalanobis distance to perform active learning via transduction.Evaluation was done using several data sets were the decrease in predictionerror was measured over several iterations. The results of the evaluationwas then analyzed using nonparametric statistical testing.Results. The statistical analysis of the evaluation results failed to detect adifference between our approach and a non active learning approach, eventhough the proposed algorithm showed irregular performance. The evalu-ation of our tree-based traversal method, and the evaluation of the Maha-lanobis distance for transduction both showed that these methods performedbetter than Euclidean distance and complete graph traversal.Conclusions. We conclude that the proposed solution did not decreasethe amount of required training data on a significant level. However, theapproach has potential and future work could lead to a working active learn-ing solution. Further work is needed on key areas of the implementation,such as the choice of instances for active learning through transduction un-certainty as well as choice of method for going from transduction model toinduction model.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Relevant literature in higher education indicates that the higher education scene is changing fast and that higher education providers and their educators are at the centre of such change. The changing student body is of particular interest to higher education providers as the changing needs of students result in new inquiries into how current students learn and perform. Student engagement is widely suggested as a means of addressing the changing nature of the current generation of students and enhancing student success. Student engagement may be defined as the time and effort students devote to activities that are empirically linked to the desired higher education outcomes. Student success is no longer considered merely as cognitive competence as there is a greater understanding today of what makes up the entire student and his or her learning needs. This study was aimed at determining to what extent student engagement is being promoted at a private higher education institution in the Western Cape, South Africa. A mixed method research design was applied. Self-constructed questionnaires were distributed to staff members and students at the institution and semi-structured interviews with individual staff members and focus group interviews with students were also conducted. Both quantitative and qualitative data were generated and appropriately analysed. From the findings of this study a number of issues emerged. Firstly, it was revealed that the institution as a private provider in the field of culinary arts and hospitality and its educators recognise the changing nature of their students. Secondly, staff seem committed to the concept of student engagement and related practices to foster student success. Thirdly, students acknowledge engagement in their own learning as a favourable feature, but indicate further engagement opportunities to be created by their lecturing staff and the institution. A number of implications also emerged from the study. It is evident that lecturers at The Private Hotel School may aim to gain a better understanding of the current generation of students and they may also focus on determining more ways to facilitate engagement. Furthermore, it is evident that students at this institution may be made more aware of their role in engaging in their own learning. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die relevante literatuur in hoër onderwys dui daarop dat die hoëronderwysomgewing besig is om vinnig te verander en dat die verskaffers van hoër onderwys en hul opvoeders sentraal staan in sulke verandering. Die veranderende behoeftes van studente dien as aansporing vir nuwe navorsing oor hoe teenswoordige studente leer en presteer; gevolglik is die veranderende studenteliggaam van besondere belang vir die verskaffers van hoër onderwys. Daar word algemeen aanbeveel dat studentebetrokkenheid ondersoek word om die veranderende aard van die huidige geslag studente te verken en studentesukses te verhoog. Studentebetrokkenheid kan gedefinieer word as die tyd en moeite wat studente aan aktiwiteite wy wat empiries verbind kan word met verlangde uitkomste in hoër onderwys. Studentesukses word nie meer gesien as slegs kognitiewe bevoegdheid nie aangesien daar tans meer begrip is van wat die hele student en sy of haar leerbehoeftes behels. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om te bepaal tot watter mate studentebetrokkenheid bevorder word by ʼn private hoëronderwysinstelling in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. ʼn Gemengde-metode navorsingsontwerp is gebruik, en self-opgestelde vraelyste is aan personeellede en studente by die instelling uitgedeel. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met individuele personeellede en fokusgroep-onderhoude is met studente gedoen. Beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data is gegenereer en toepaslik ontleed. ʼn Aantal kwessies het vanuit die bevindinge van hierdie studie aan die lig gekom: Eerstens, dat die opvoeders van die instelling as ʼn private verskaffer op die terrein van kulinêre kuns en gasvryheid die veranderende aard van hul studente herken; tweedens, dat die personeel verbind is tot die bevordering van studentebetrokkenheid en verwante praktyke om studentesukses te bevorder; en derdens, dat studente betrokkenheid in hul eie leerproses as ʼn positiewe doelstelling beskou, maar dat verdere geleenthede tot betrokkenheid geskep kan word deur hul doserende personeel en die instelling. ʼn Aantal verdere implikasies het ook vanuit hierdie studie aan die lig gekom. Dit is duidelik dat dosente by The Private Hotel School nog ʼn groter poging kan aanwend om die huidige geslag studente beter te begryp en dat hulle ook kan probeer om meer maniere te vind om studentebetrokkenheid te fasiliteer. Dit blyk verder dat studente by hierdie instelling nog meer bewus kan raak van hoe hulle self tot groter betrokkenheid by hulle eie leerproses kan bydra.

published_or_final_version / Social Work and Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This thesis contains the research findings from my participation in two research projects. The first is the development and assessment of Active Learning Modules (ALMs) for engineering students. The ALMs assist students in learning complex Finite Element Analysis (FEA) principles. We measure the effectiveness of the modules by issuing pre- and post-module quizzes and analyze the differences of the quiz scores. Active learning modules are used to meet the needs of all students’ learning styles. Each student who uses an ALM takes a series of learning style assessment quizzes (MBTI, LIS …). We statistically compare the learning styles and quiz scores to ensure all learning styles are improving equally well. In cases where they are not, we created a tool to make suggestions to the ALM developer on how to adjust the ALM to meet the needs of the outlying learning style group(s). Following modification, the implementation and evaluation process of the ALM is repeated. My second area of research focused on the development of a concise prototype strategy development tool. This tool guides engineering product development teams through six critical prototype strategy choices: (1) How many concepts should be prototyped? (2) How many iterations of a concept should be built? (3) Should the prototype be virtual or physical? (4) Should subsystems be isolated? (5) Should the prototype be scaled? (6) Should the design requirements be temporarily relaxed? This list of choices is not comprehensive but served as a starting point for this groundbreaking research. The tool was tested at The University of Texas at Austin and the United States Air Force Academy. Results indicate the method did improve students’ performance across a number of assessment metrics. / text