Although many researchers have pointed out that educational robots can motivate student learning, learning motivation inevitably declines over time. The sustainability of learning motivation is closely related to instructional strategies. In other words, appropriate instructional strategies are still essential to sustain a learner's learning motivation in robot-assisted instructions. The ARCS model provides systematic guidelines for enhancing and sustaining learning motivation; however, it provides very limited instructional practices in the model. Recent development in educational robot grows rapidly. A humanoid robot, which has a tangible and attractive body and limbs, is able to perform movements and gestures and to interact with its users. This study aims to develop instructional strategies and activities based on the ARCS model and the specific features of the robot teaching assistant (RTA) to enhance and sustain motivation in learning English reading skills. A quasi experiment and a survey were conducted to evaluate the effects of the designed strategies and activities. The results showed that the design of the RTA-based activities following the ARCS model for learning English reading skills was positively and significantly contributed to students¡¦ learning motivation, learning performance and continuance intention.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of science textbook graphical design based on principles of cognitive process on graphical-textual learning performance of different academic achievement fifth graders students. A quasi-experimental design mainly and auxiliary to half-structure questionnaire and interview, fifty-seven elementary students participated in this research. The experiment treatment was students in different classes used different graphical science textbook (one was based on cognitive principles, and another was published by civil). The influences of learning performance compared to published science textbook were assessed using self-developed tests and the qualitative data were analyzed using independent sample t-test. Administration of a student graph perceptive questionnaire and then nine students from high and low achievement groups in each class were interviewed; qualitative data analyzed to infer the mental process. The results showed:(1) High academic achievement students were significantly enhanced leaning performances on knowledge dimension and cognitive process dimension and had strong effect size, the experimental group was better than the contol group. As to low academic achievement students, there was no significant different between these two groups. (2) Schema organizational graph enhance high academic achievement students on conceptual knowledge and assist low academic achievement students recognize material outline; experimental transformational graph enhance high academic achievement students on procedural knowledge and assist low academic achievement students participate in the experiment.

With the rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), researchers have been engaging in exploring the potential of ICTs on educational settings. Game-based learning is an application of ICTs for improving learning performance. Simulation-based learning games are usually developed to create virtual worlds where learners can learn by solving the problems in relation to the real world. However, there are still many subjects which are difficult to be developed as simulation-based learning games; in order to provide the entertainment element for those kind of subjects, this study attempted to design non-simulation learning games instead. Two learning support mechanisms were proposed and examined in this study. One is game-feedback which provides useful information for learners to engage in further learning after the game stage. The other is peer-interaction which constructs an environment to facilitate learners interacting among each other. An experiment was conducted with a total of 80 students enrolled in Computer Networks course. The results show that the mechanism of peer-interaction has a significantly positive effect on learning performance, and the mechanism of game-feedback has a significantly positive effect on the intention toward using the developed system for their further learning. Based on the findings, implications on theoretical and practical aspects were discussed for further research directions and practical applications.

By the catholicity of Internet and the advances of information technology, more and more people use the e-Learning to do the teaching and learning activities. However, whether using the abundant multimedia learning content can really achieve better learning performance? This study tries to use the information processing theory to discuss the impact of fitness bwteeen learner¡¦s different information processing abilities and content¡¦s medium types on cognitive load and learning performance. That is if learner¡¦s information processing abilities can fit with content medium types would result better learning performance. We found that firstly, the diversity of learners¡¦ individual information processing abilities has no impact to the cognitive load. Secondly, the different content medium types with the same quantity of media content also have no impact to the cognitive load. Lastly, the wordy ability learners with wordy content medium type or the phonic ability learners with audio content medium type can lower learner¡¦s cognitive load. It is suggested that educators can apply the results for the adaptive learning. By using information processing ability analysis system to classify learners into wordy ability and phonic ability learners and then give them adaptive content materials according to their own information processing abilities.

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The study presents a pragmatic evaluation of the influence of inductive teaching on grade 11 learners in two high schools in Tshwane West District in the Gauteng province in a form of pseudo experiment complemented with a qualitative investigation. The study focussed on the influence of inductive teaching on the nature of conceptualisation of and the learning achievement with regard to functions in Grade 11. A model adopted by O'Callaghan that identifies and applies the four competencies of modelling a function, interpreting a function, translating and reifying a function proved to be relevant for the investigation and hence was adapted for the study. The methodology used included data collection through pretest-posttest control group experimental design complemented with unstructured interviews. The verification of the reliability of research instruments and data analysis was done with the assistance of the Northwest University (Potchefstroom Campus) Statistical Consultation Services and through identification of common perceptions and experiences of participants. The results of the study did indicate positive influence of inductive teaching on the nature and quality of conceptual learning of the function concept. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The study presents a pragmatic evaluation of the influence of inductive teaching on grade 11 learners in two high schools in Tshwane West District in the Gauteng province in a form of pseudo experiment complemented with a qualitative investigation. The study focussed on the influence of inductive teaching on the nature of conceptualisation of and the learning achievement with regard to functions in Grade 11. A model adopted by O'Callaghan that identifies and applies the four competencies of modelling a function, interpreting a function, translating and reifying a function proved to be relevant for the investigation and hence was adapted for the study. The methodology used included data collection through pretest-posttest control group experimental design complemented with unstructured interviews. The verification of the reliability of research instruments and data analysis was done with the assistance of the Northwest University (Potchefstroom Campus) Statistical Consultation Services and through identification of common perceptions and experiences of participants. The results of the study did indicate positive influence of inductive teaching on the nature and quality of conceptual learning of the function concept. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Nos últimos anos a educação tem sido alvo de muitos estudos, o que provavelmente reflete a sua grande importância no contexto de uma nação. A análise da questão educacional geralmente abrange dois aspectos: o atendimento escolar e a qualidade do ensino. No que tange à inclusão escolar no Brasil, sabe-se que essa variável teve sucesso durante a última década, entretanto, com relação à qualidade de ensino o mesmo não pode ser dito. O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar os determinantes do desempenho escolar das crianças brasileiras, tendo como foco principal a família. A abordagem do papel da família será realizada a partir de dois ensaios: análise do impacto da participação materna no mercado de trabalho sobre o desempenho educacional da criança e avaliação do papel exercido pela família em auxiliar a criança nas atividades escolares. O primeiro estudo utilizará os dados de duas sub-amostras da Pesquisa Mensal de Emprego (PME), dos anos de 1986 a 1995 e de 2002 a 2006. Já na segunda abordagem, serão utilizados os dados do Sistema Nacional de Avaliação da Educação Básica (SAEB), do ano de 2005, nos quais será analisado o desempenho dos estudantes das quartas séries do ensino fundamental. Em geral, os resultados indicaram evidências da relevância dos fatores familiares para os bons resultados escolares da criança, tanto pelo efeito negativo do trabalho materno como pelo efeito positivo de algumas variáveis de investimento e de interação familiar. / Recently, education has been examined by many studies, which reflects its great importance in the context of a nation. The analysis of the educational issue usually involves two aspects: school attendance and quality of education. With regard to Brazilian school attendance, it is known that this variable has had success over the last decade; however, the same can not be said about de quality of educational system. The aim of this research is to analyze the determinants of academic performance of Brazilian children, focusing on the family. The approach will analyze the impact of maternal labor on child educational performance and the role of the family in child school activities. The first study uses data from two sub-samples of Pesquisa Mensal de Emprego (PME), referring to periods from 1986 to 1995 and from 2002 to 2006. In the second approach, will be used data from Sistema Nacional de Avaliação da Educação Básica (SAEB) of 2005, where will be examined the students performance of the fourth series of primary school. The results, in general, show that family factors were relevant for child school performance, considering the negative effect of maternal employment and the positive effects of some variables of investment and family interaction.

<div>Today, machine learning models and Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) are prevalent in various areas. Also, educational Artificial Intelligence (AI) is drawing increasing attention</div><div>with the rapid development of online learning platforms. Researchers explore different types of educational AI to improve students’ learning performance and experience in online classes. Educational AIs can be categorized into “interactive” and “predictive.” Interactive AIs answer simple course questions for students, such as the due day of homework and the final project’s minimum page requirement. Predictive educational AIs play a role in predicting students’ learning states. Instructors can adjust the learning content based on the students’ learning states. However, most AIs are not evaluated in an actual class setting. Therefore, we want to evaluate the effects of a state-of-the-art educational AI model, BKT (Bayesian Knowledge Tracing)-LSTM(Long Short-Term Memory), on students’ learning performance in an actual class setting. Data came from the course CNIT 25501, a large introductory Java program?ming class at Purdue University. Participants were randomly separated into the control and experimental groups (AI-group). Weekly quizzes measured participants’ learning performance. Pre-quiz and base quizzes estimated participants’ prior knowledge levels. Using BKT-LSTM, participants in the experimental group had questions from the knowledge that they were most lacking. However, participants in the control group had questions from randomly picked knowledge. The results suggested that both the experimental and control groups had lower scores in review quizzes than in base quizzes. However, the score difference between base quizzes and review quizzes for the experimental group was more often significantly different (three quizzes) compared to the control group (two quizzes), demonstrating the predictive capability of BKT-LSTM to some extent. Initially, we expected that BKT-LSTM would enhance students’ learning performance. However, in post-quiz, participants in the control group had significantly higher scores than those in the experimental group. The result suggested that continuous complex questions may negatively affect students’ learning initiatives. On the contrary, relatively easy questions may improve their learning initiatives.</div>

Cooperative learning refers to teaching methods that encourage students to work together in small groups to help each other learn educational content. In Sweden, cooperative learning methods are used in classrooms as an educational approach to organize classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences. This thesis investigates how lighting can support cooperative learning in Swedish classrooms to enhance students' learning performance while taking into account visual tasks during different pedagogical activities and visual comfort. To answer this question, the existing lighting of a middle school classroom in Iggesund Skola, Sweden, was studied through a methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative methods. Analysis of literature review, personal observations and interviews, measurements of illuminance, luminance, and color metrics, and 3D simulations formed the foundation of the lighting design proposal for the refurbishment of classrooms.The results show that the lighting requirements of students and teachers have changed with time. To include cooperative learning methods, the users ask for a changeable lighting solution that can work with their flexible learning method. Hence, the design proposal focuses on enhancing students' learning performance while emphasizing the flexibility of their learning method.