OpenDSA is a collection of open source tutorials for teaching data structures and algorithms. It was created with the goals of visualizing complex, abstract topics; increasing the amount of practice material available to students; and providing immediate feedback and incremental assessment. In this thesis, I first describe aspects of the OpenDSA architecture relevant to collecting user interaction data. I then present an analysis of the interaction log data gathered from three classes during Spring 2013. The analysis focuses on determining the time distribution of student activity, determining the time required for assignment completion, and exploring \credit-seeking" behaviors and behavior related to non-required exercises. We identified clusters of students based on when they completed exercises, verified the reliability of estimated time requirements for exercises, provided evidence that a majority of students do not read the text, discovered a measurement that could be used to identify exercises that require additional development, and found evidence that students complete exercises after obtaining credit. Furthermore, we determined that slideshow usage was fairly high (even when credit was not ordered), and skipping to the end of slideshows was more common when credit was offered but also occurred when it was not. / Master of Science

Electronic textbooks are different from ebooks (electronic books) in that they allow the user to go beyond just reading material on a computer screen. Electronic textbooks encourage the user to accomplish all of the operations typically performed with a hardcopy text in addition to some functions not possible with paper books. With electronic textbooks users can make annotations in the textbook with e-ink; mark important sections; search over the ink, the text, or even the scanned images; look up items in online dictionaries or encyclopedias; perform interactive reinforcement drills; view simulations; and many other operations afforded by the computing power of the underlying computer and the reach of the Internet connection. These operations encourage students to engage in active reading. The VText framework is designed to provide many of the desired features of an e-textbook in such a way that it produces pedagogical value rather than just convenience for students. Many so-called e-textbook solutions available today provide few features beyond those possible with hardcopy textbooks. The VText framework is built as an add-in to Microsoft's note-taking program, OneNote. The add-in provides features that facilitate the use of OneNote as a reader and as an educational tool while leaving in place OneNote's strengths in note-taking, collaboration, and search. / Master of Science

Iteration, the repetition of computational steps, is a core concept in programming. Students usually learn about iteration in an entry-level Computer Science class. Virginia Tech's Computational Thinking (CT) course is designed to teach non-CS majors computing skills and new ways of thinking. The course covers iteration on Day 8 of the class. We conducted a pretest before, and three post-tests after, Day 8 of the Computational Thinking class in Spring 2018 on 137 students. The pre-test was intended to measure knowledge of iteration before the material was covered. We found from the post-tests that students' knowledge of iteration did not satisfy the course objectives in Spring 2018, because the knowledge gain shown between pre-test and post-tests was not significant. We developed interactive visualizations and exercises for Fall 2018 and Spring 2019. For three semesters we conducted tests and compared the data from Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 (the treatment) against Spring 2018 (the control). We found that Spring 2019 students had greater knowledge gains than Spring 2018 students. Also, we conducted surveys in Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 from students to learn more about their recall, helpfulness, and reuse of the interactive visualizations. Finally, we analyzed data from the interactive exercises and page use to investigate students' usage behavior. / Master of Science / Iteration is a process of repeating a set of instructions or structures. An iterative process repeats until a condition is met or a specified number of repetitions is completed. Students usually learn about iteration in an entry-level Computer Science class. Virginia Tech’s Computational Thinking (CT) course is designed to teach non-CS majors computing skills and new ways of thinking. The course covers iteration on Day 8 of the class. We conducted a pretest before, and three post-tests after, Day 8 of the Computational Thinking class in Spring 2018 on 137 students. The pre-test was intended to measure knowledge of iteration before the material was covered. We found from the post-tests that students’ knowledge of iteration did not satisfy the course objectives in Spring 2018. In particular, the knowledge gain shown between pre-test and post-tests was not significant. We developed interactive visualizations and exercises that were used during Fall 2018 and Spring 2019. We conducted tests and compared the data from Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 (the treatment) against Spring 2018 (the control). To see if there was a statistically significant difference between the absolute score means of three groups, we used independent sample t-tests. Also we used paired sample t-tests to see if there was a greater knowledge gain after using our invention. By analyzing the results of the t-tests, we found that Spring 2019 students had greater knowledge gains than Spring 2018 students. Also, we conducted student surveys in Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 to learn more about their opinions on recall, helpfulness, and reuse of the interactive visualizations. We analyzed data from the interactive exercises and page use to investigate students’ usage behavior.

As more students interact with online learning platforms and eTextbooks, they generate massive amounts of data. For example, the OpenDSA eTextbook system collects clickstream data as users interact with prose, visualizations, and interactive auto-graded exercises. Ideally, instructors and system developers can harness this information to create better instructional experiences. But in its raw event-level form, it is difficult for developers or instructors to understand student behaviors, or to make testable hypotheses about relationships between behavior and performance. In this study, we describe our efforts to break raw event-level data first into sessions (a continuous series of work by a student) and then to meaningfully abstract the events into higher-level descriptions of that session. The goal of this abstraction is to help instructors and researchers gain insights into the students' learning behaviors. For example, we can distinguish when students read material and then attempt the associated exercise, versus going straight to the exercise and then hunting for the answers in the associated material. We first bundle events into related activities, such as the events associated with stepping through a given visualization, or with working a given exercise. Each such group of events defines a state. A state is a basic unit that characterizes the interaction log data, and there are multiple state types including reading prose, interacting with visual contents, and solving exercises. We harnessed the abstracted data to analyze studying behavior and compared it with course performance based on GPA. We analyzed data from the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 sections of a senior-level Formal Languages course, and also from the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 sections of a data structures course. / Master of Science / OpenDSA is an online learning platform used in multiple academic institutions including Virginia Tech's Computer Science courses. They use OpenDSA as the main instructional method and students in these courses generate massive amounts of clickstream data while interacting with the OpenDSA content. The system collects various events logs such as when students opened/closed a certain page, how long they stayed on the page, and how many times they clicked an interface element for visualizations and exercises. However, in its raw event-level form, it is difficult for instructors or developers to understand student behaviors, or to make testable hypotheses about relationships between behavior and performance. We describe our efforts to break raw event-level clickstreams into a session (continuous series of work by a student) and then to abstract the events into meaningful higher-level descriptions of students' behavior. We grouped raw events into related activities, such as the events associated with stepping through a given visualization, or working with a given exercise. We defined such a group of activities as a state, which is a basic unit that can characterize the interaction log data such as reading, slideshows, and exercises state. We harnessed the abstracted data to analyze students' studying behavior and compared it with their course performance based on their GPA. We analyzed data from two offerings of two CS courses at Virginia Tech to gain insights into students' learning behaviors.

Title: Electronic Textbook in Mathematical Methods of Physics Author: Bc. Petr Kolář Department: Department of Physics Education FMP CU Supervisor: RNDr. Vojtěch Žák, Ph.D., Department of Physics Education FMP CU Abstract: The objective of this work is to continue in Electronic Textbook in Introduction of Mathematical Methods of Physics and to create an other studing text not only for the first grade students (future physics teachers) at FMP CU but also for other students of physical and technical domains at universities which should help them with an introduction into mathematic necessary in physics. The main matter of this work is based on preparations and texts of dr. A Hladík, prof. J. Podolský and dr. V. Žák for lectures and exercises of subject Introduction of Mathematical Methods of Physics and Mathematical Methods in Physics I. The author's experience are also reflected. Equally, a small recherche of an existence and an availability of other sources pursuing given matters has been done. Some of these sources are recommended in this work. The created text should help readers with elementary matter of antiderivatives and Riemann integrals, double and triple integrals and integrals of the first kind with a special consideration to their applications in physics. A contribution of this and previous work for...

The goal of the thesis is to formulate suggestion to Czech universities regarding publication of textbooks and academic texts in electronic formats. The thesis also provides a general view of the Czech ebook market -- the history, formats and digital right management of ebooks are described. The process of ebook elaboration and reading devices with their pros and cons are also mentioned. The comparison of world and Czech ebook and etextbook market is emphasized and the availability of Czech etextbooks and academic text in Czech higher education institutions is mapped. The hypothesis that Czech students' demand for etextbooks is sufficient for profitable etextbook elaboration by Czech higher education institutions in the way that prevents from illegal sharing of content and violating of authorial laws is examined.

<p>За потребе израде ове докторске дисертације најпре је направљен&nbsp; интерактивни електронски уџбеник биологије за IV разред гимназије природно-математичког смера, а затим је анализирана ефикасност његове примене у односу на&nbsp; традиционалну наставу. Педагошко истраживање је спроведено на узорку од 167 ученика (85 ученика у експерименталној и 82 ученика у контролној групи). Ученици Е групе су садржаје из наставне теме Основи молекуларне биологије у IV разреду гимназије реализовали применом интерактивног електронског уџбеника, индивидуалним обликом рада, док су ученици К група исте садржаје обрадила традиционалним наставним методама и фронталним обликом рада док су код куће учили из штампаног уџбеника.</p><p>Експериментална и контролна&nbsp; група су уједначене на почетку истраживања на основу успеха ученика из биологије на крају III. разреда гимназије и на основу резултата иницијалног теста.</p><p>Након реализације наведене наставне теме ученици обе групе су радили финални тест, а након 75 дана ретест. Такође су спроведене анкете за ученике Е групе и професоре биологије који раде у гимназији о о примени електронског уџбеника у настави биологије. Након тога су статистички обрађени и&nbsp; aнализирани резултати тестова и анкета.</p><p>Ученици Е групе су остварили бољи успех на финалном тесту и ретесту од ученика К групе. Разлике у њиховом постигнућу на финалном тесту и ретесту (у корист Е групе) су статистички значајне како на појединачним когнитивним нивоима (познавање чињеница, разумевање појмова и примена знања), тако и на тестовима у целини.</p><p>Резултати финалног теста су потврдили већу ефикасност наставе биологије уз примену електронског уџбеника у односу на традиционалну наставу. Резултати ретеста су потврдили већу трајност (квалитет) знања из биологије усвојеног применом електронског уџбеника у односу на знање стечено традиционалним метода рада. Веће постигнуће ученика Е групе на финалном тесту и ретесту у односу на ученике К групе је резултат примене електронског уџбеника и индивидуалног облика рада у настави биологије.</p><p>Ученици Е групе и професори биологије који раде у гимназији су изнели&nbsp; позитивне ставове о примени електронског уџбеника у настави биологије. То показује да они прихватају увођење иновативних модела рада у наставу.</p><p>Веће постигнуће ученика Е групе на финалном тесту и ретесту у односу на ученике К групе као и позитивни ставови ученика и професора о примени електронског уџбеника у настави биологије у гимназији препоручују израду и коришћење електронских уџбеника урађених према важећим наставним програмима у настави биологије и других предмета.</p> / <p>Za potrebe izrade ove doktorske disertacije najpre je napravljen&nbsp; interaktivni elektronski udžbenik biologije za IV razred gimnazije prirodno-matematičkog smera, a zatim je analizirana efikasnost njegove primene u odnosu na&nbsp; tradicionalnu nastavu. Pedagoško istraživanje je sprovedeno na uzorku od 167 učenika (85 učenika u eksperimentalnoj i 82 učenika u kontrolnoj grupi). Učenici E grupe su sadržaje iz nastavne teme Osnovi molekularne biologije u IV razredu gimnazije realizovali primenom interaktivnog elektronskog udžbenika, individualnim oblikom rada, dok su učenici K grupa iste sadržaje obradila tradicionalnim nastavnim metodama i frontalnim oblikom rada dok su kod kuće učili iz štampanog udžbenika.</p><p>Eksperimentalna i kontrolna&nbsp; grupa su ujednačene na početku istraživanja na osnovu uspeha učenika iz biologije na kraju III. razreda gimnazije i na osnovu rezultata inicijalnog testa.</p><p>Nakon realizacije navedene nastavne teme učenici obe grupe su radili finalni test, a nakon 75 dana retest. Takođe su sprovedene ankete za učenike E grupe i profesore biologije koji rade u gimnaziji o o primeni elektronskog udžbenika u nastavi biologije. Nakon toga su statistički obrađeni i&nbsp; analizirani rezultati testova i anketa.</p><p>Učenici E grupe su ostvarili bolji uspeh na finalnom testu i retestu od učenika K grupe. Razlike u njihovom postignuću na finalnom testu i retestu (u korist E grupe) su statistički značajne kako na pojedinačnim kognitivnim nivoima (poznavanje činjenica, razumevanje pojmova i primena znanja), tako i na testovima u celini.</p><p>Rezultati finalnog testa su potvrdili veću efikasnost nastave biologije uz primenu elektronskog udžbenika u odnosu na tradicionalnu nastavu. Rezultati retesta su potvrdili veću trajnost (kvalitet) znanja iz biologije usvojenog primenom elektronskog udžbenika u odnosu na znanje stečeno tradicionalnim metoda rada. Veće postignuće učenika E grupe na finalnom testu i retestu u odnosu na učenike K grupe je rezultat primene elektronskog udžbenika i individualnog oblika rada u nastavi biologije.</p><p>Učenici E grupe i profesori biologije koji rade u gimnaziji su izneli&nbsp; pozitivne stavove o primeni elektronskog udžbenika u nastavi biologije. To pokazuje da oni prihvataju uvođenje inovativnih modela rada u nastavu.</p><p>Veće postignuće učenika E grupe na finalnom testu i retestu u odnosu na učenike K grupe kao i pozitivni stavovi učenika i profesora o primeni elektronskog udžbenika u nastavi biologije u gimnaziji preporučuju izradu i korišćenje elektronskih udžbenika urađenih prema važećim nastavnim programima u nastavi biologije i drugih predmeta.</p> / <p>For the use of the issue of this doctoral thesis was first developed an interactive electronic textbook for biology IV discharge gymnasium of the science stream, and&nbsp; then analyzed the efficiency of its use in relation to traditional teaching. Pedagogical&nbsp; research was conducted on a sample of 167 students (85 students in the experimental and 82 students in the control group). Students E groups are the content of teaching topics Fundamentals of molecular biology in the fourth grade of&nbsp; high school r ealized by using an interactive electronic textbooks, individual form of work, while students K group of the same content processed by traditional teaching&nbsp; methods and frontal form of work while at home learning from printed textbooks.</p><p>Experimental and control groups were matched at baseline based on the success of students in biology at the end of III. year of high school, and based on the results of the initial test.</p><p>Аfter the realization of that teaching topics the students of both groups were doing the final test, a retest after 75 days. They also conducted a survey of students E group and biology professors who work in the gymnasium of the implementation of electronic textbooks in teaching biology. After that, statistically&nbsp; processed and analyzed the results of tests and surveys.&nbsp;</p><p>Students E group have achieved better results in the final test and retest students K group. The differences in their attainment of the final test and retest (in favor of group E) were statistically si gnificant both at the individual level cognitive (knowledge of facts, understanding the concepts and application of knowledge), and the tests as a whole.</p><p>Results of the final test confirmed the greater efficiency of teaching biology with the use of electronic textbooks in comparison to traditional teaching. Retest results have confirmed high durability (quality) knowledge of biology adopted using the electronic textbook in relation to the knowledge gained by traditional methods. Higher student achi evement E group at the final test and retest compared to students in K group is a&nbsp; result of implementation of electronic textbooks and individual forms of work in teaching biology.</p><p>E group students and professors of biology who work in high school&nbsp; are expressed&nbsp; positive views on the implementation of electronic textbooks in teaching biology. This&nbsp; shows that they accept the introduction of innovative models of work in the&nbsp; classroom.</p><p>Higher student achievement E group at the final test and retest compared&nbsp; to students in K group and positive attitudes of students and teachers on the&nbsp; implementation of electronic textbooks in teaching biology in high school suggests the design and use of electronic textbooks performed according to the current curriculum in teaching biology and other subjects.</p>