Na sociedade contemporânea a utilização da tecnologia é cada vez mais incorporada no cotidiano dos indivíduos e atualmente os dispositivos móveis fazem parte do cotidiano dos estudantes. Seu uso demanda novas soluções que aproveitem suas potencialidades e potencial ubiquidade considerando, todavia as limitações que esta classe de dispositivos impõe. O presente estudo abrangeu uma investigação do uso de dispositivos móveis na área de ensino de Técnica de Programação, que é uma etapa básica e fundamental para a construção de sistemas computacionais. Este trabalho aborda a aplicação de dispositivos móveis na construção do conhecimento de algoritmos e programação, considerando os estilos preferenciais de aprendizagem dos estudantes. A pesquisa investiga como aprimorar o processo de construção de conhecimento em algoritmos, com vistas a reduzir os índices de reprovação que, ao longo dos anos, têm sido constatados nesta área. A estratégia educacional utilizada envolveu o uso do ciclo de aprendizagem de Kolb (1984), que trabalha com experiências concretas, reflexão e observação. A metodologia utilizada neste trabalho consistiu em investigar como a tecnologia móvel e os estilos preferenciais preferencial de aprendizagem dos alunos podem alavancar a melhoria neste processo de construção do conhecimento, por meio de um ambiente com objetos educacionais e que enseja interações junto do serviço de SMS. A investigação buscou também adequar as necessidades derivadas de diferentes estilos preferenciais de aprendizagem que os estudantes podem evidenciar, mas considerando as limitações e características dos dispositivos móveis. Como resultado são apresentadas sugestões para as instituições de ensino, relacionadas à utilização dos dispositivos móveis e considerando os estilos preferenciais de aprendizagem. / In the contemporary society, the use of technology has been more and more incorporated to the daily life of individuals and, currently, the mobile devices have made part of the students’ everyday routine. Their usage demands new solutions which take advantage of their potentialities and potential ubiquity regarding, though, the limitations that this class of devices impose. The current study encompassed an investigation of the use of mobile devices within the Technical Programming teaching area which is a basic and fundamental stage to the construction of computer systems. This work approaches the application of mobile devices in the knowledge construction of algorithms and programming, considering the students’ learning styles. The research investigates how to improve the process of knowledge construction on algorithms aiming at reducing the indices of failing that have been verified in this area through the years. The educational strategy utilized involved the use of the learning cycle of Kolb (1984), that works with concrete experiences, reflection and observation. The methodology used within this work consisted in investigating how the mobile technology and the attention to the students’ preferential learning style can boost the improvement within this teaching learning process through an environment with educational objects and that provides students with interactions by the SMS service. The investigation also aimed at making adequate the needs derived from different learning styles the students can evidence, but by considering the limitations and features of the mobile devices. As a result, suggestions – related to the usage of mobile devices and regarding the learning styles – are presented to the education institutions.

This research aimed to provide insight into the use and possible value of purpose built multimedia computer software for the study of English Literature. The software in question was developed in light of many years practical experience of teaching English Literature to secondary school students preparing for external examinations and was designed with the aim of improving their knowledge and understanding of particular works of literature. Informed by a critique of the main research findings about ICT use in learning and teaching since the period when computers were introduced into mainstream schools from the 1980s, the empirical research investigated two of the most prominent theoretical and practical perspectives that have been applied to understanding the relationship between educational resources and learning: Learning Styles Theory and Cognitive Load Theory. These two approaches and their associated instrumentation were applied in a quasi-experimental controlled empirical study in four schools in the north-east of England where the multimedia software was used with groups of students embarking on a study of Shakespeare's Macbeth for GCSE examination. Learning Styles theory and the instrumentation used (Kolb's LSI and Honey & Mumford's LSQ) proved less successful than Cognitive Load Theory in demonstrating reliability and validity and therefore in explaining the relationship between different instructional resources and individual learning. The theoretical integrity and usefulness of these two approaches is discussed and, in particular, the rationale behind the continued use of Learning Styles was explored via interview with school faculty who gave reasons of face validity; the pressure from external inspection; the mechanisms through which they were held professionally accountable; senior management and institutional policy; the legacy of initial teacher training; and established classroom practice. Students using the multimedia software demonstrated improvements in their knowledge and understanding of Macbeth equivalent on average to one GCSE grade above those not using the multimedia resource and Cognitive Load Theory was found to be successful in explaining this and in predicting the relationship between instructional resource and the learning gains of individuals. Limitations of the study are drawn along with conclusions for further research and for enhancing teaching and learning with multimedia resources.

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of self-directed learning readiness among undergraduate students at Saudi Electronic University in Saudi Arabia. This study also investigated whether there were relationships between the level of self-directed learning readiness and selected demographic variables such as gender, college, and age in the sample of undergraduate students in Saudi Arabia. This research utilized a quantitative design. The Self-directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS), which was developed by Guglielmino, was utilized to measure the level of self-directed learning readiness among undergraduate students at Saudi Electronic University on the Riyadh campus. A total of 203 undergraduate students completed the SDLRS questionnaire. Results were that the mean score of SDLRS among undergraduate students at Saudi Electronic University in Riyadh campus included 64 (32.52%) were students with below average 58-201 scores; 71 (34.98%) students with average 202-226 scores; and 68 (33.50%) were students with above average 227-290 scores. age. However, there was a significant difference between the colleges. The results of the Tukey post-hoc test indicated that significant differences existed between the Sciences and Theoretical Studies College students and the Administration and Finance College and Computation and Information College students. The Sciences and Theoretical Studies College scored significantly lower than the other two colleges.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The study attempts to understand how distance education practices influence the learning of calculus. Understanding student learning in a distance education environment is an important factor to consider in improving the learning experiences of students who for one reason or the other opt not to study in conventional institutional of higher education. On one hand, understanding student learning may illuminate the influences that the learning environment has on student learning and on the other hand, it may inform on how learning experiences can be improved. The aim of this study is to acquire a deeper understanding of the diverse manner in which distance students learn calculus, Specific focus is also placed on the distance education contect of the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) influences student learning. The study describes a group of student's experiences of learning calculus in the ZOU distance education environment. / South Africa

Septima Conferencia Iberoamericana de Complejidad, Informatica y Cibernetica, CICIC 2017 - 7th Ibero-American Conference on Complexity, Informatics and Cybernetics, CICIC 2017; Orlando; United States; 21 March 2017 through 24 March 2017; Code 131437 / Adaptive learning systems constitute a new approach to e-learning systems, they allow adapting the content to the individual characteristics of students. Two of its main components are the domain model and the student model, whose key elements are the learning objects (OA) and learning style, respectively. LOs are digital educational content provided by the course while learning style will define how the student learns. Within this context the motivation of this study is to propose a partnership model for relating the LOs with student learning styles. After conducting a systematic review of previous work related a mathematical model of partnership LOs and learning styles by reference to their type of format and content type to determine which is associated LOs better student learning style is presented.

Rhythm is one of the most fundamental and important elements of musical performance, but many scholars maintain that rhythm sight-reading remains one of the biggest challenges for musicians in high school ensembles. The purpose of this study was to determine the rhythm sight-reading strategies of accomplished high school instrumentalists and whether the strategies they used were aligned with their respective visual, aural, kinesthetic, or read/write learning styles as determined by their VARK Questionnaire responses. The five questions that guided this inquiry were: (1) What learning strategies do Florida All-State musicians demonstrate while previewing challenging notated rhythm rhythms? (2) What learning strategies do Florida All-State musicians demonstrate while sight-reading challenging notated rhythms? (3) What sensory learning styles (visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic) do these demonstrated learning strategies represent? (4) Which sensory learning styles do these All-State musicians generally prefer while learning, according to their VARK Questionnaire results? (5) How do the learning strategies used successfully and unsuccessfully by these All-State musicians while sight-reading notated rhythms relate to their sensory learning style preferences? The 30 participants included 11th- and 12th-grade band musicians who had successfully auditioned into the Florida All-State Band or Orchestra multiple times. The verbal protocol analysis (VPA) technique was used to identify each student’s rhythm sight-reading strategies as they previewed and performed challenging rhythms on a keyboard. Data were coded and scored a minimum of two times. Each student musician’s strategies were then compared with his or her learning style preferences as determined by their responses to the VARK Questionnaire. The findings revealed that the participants used a wide variety of sight-reading strategies during both their preview time and while performing rhythms. Participants’ modality preferences, as determined by their responses to the VARK Questionnaire, were aural (83.3%), kinesthetic (73.3%), read/write (56.7%), and visual (53.3%). A comparison of the participants’ learning strategies to their preferred learning style preferences revealed that all 30 of the participants aurally or internally vocalized the rhythm patterns using “dut” or “1-e-&-a” syllables. Additionally, all but one of them utilized kinesthetic pulse strategies. The results of the study suggest that musicians may benefit from learning varied kinesthetic pulse and aural rhythm pattern strategies, as well as visual strategies, in order to select the ones that they like to use and best facilitate the execution of rhythms successfully. Additional findings indicate that high school musicians should be given adequate practice time so they can develop and apply their preferred strategies.

Video games are increasingly becoming more intelligent, able to adapt themselves to the individual gamer. Learning styles are a set of models used to categorize people into different types of learners to explain why some people learn better through different methods. Since learning and exploration are such fundamental parts of the video game experience, it is interesting to consider the possibility of applying these learning style models to video games, allowing the video game to adapt to its player, providing a better experience. To consider such adaptation, the game must first be able to detect that learning style from how the player has interacted with it. Simple metrics collected during game play of an instrumented game (opensource Supertux) are compared to the results of the Hay Group’s Kolb Learning Style Inventory, a paper test designed to determine one’s learning style. A relationship between recordable game play metrics and the academic model for learning would allow a game designer to potentially infer that model from game play and use it to adapt the game to that type of learner.

Educational research has shown that student learning styles, and educators' consideration of learning styles, significantly influence the academic success of adult learners. This project study was designed to identify the perceptions and attitudes of nursing faculty concerning student learning styles and consideration of student learning styles in their praxis. The study was guided by Malcolm Knowles' theory of andragogy, and investigated nursing educators' knowledge about learning styles and course delivery with regards to students with different learning styles. It used a descriptive multiple case study approach and collected data among nursing educators using the Principles of Adult Learning Survey (PALS) (n = 9), teacher interviews (n = 9), and classroom observations (n = 6). The qualitative interview data were analyzed using the constant comparative method, and the PALS and observational data were analyzed using descriptive quantitative methods. The results indicated deficiencies in nursing instructors' knowledge of student learning styles and in nursing instructors' learning style-driven course delivery. Respondents notably cited time limitations, class size, and student resistance as barriers in implementing teaching strategies to address learning style differences. A notable study outcome was developing a 3-day seminar for nursing educators focusing on the deficiencies and barriers identified in the study. Implementing this program may promote positive social change for both nursing educators and nursing students by addressing barriers to learning style-driven teaching methods and facilitating student learning style consideration in planning and delivering nursing education, promoting improved academic performance by nursing students.

This study evaluated the learning styles of undergraduate students completing selected online and traditional courses relating to food, nutrition, or exercise at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Data was collected from 93 students across five courses offered at the University of Massachusetts between Fall 2003 and Spring 2007. Results showed that all four Kolb learning styles were present in both the online and traditional classes. Although not significant assimilators were the most dominant learning style in the online classes and convergers were the most dominant learning style in the traditional classes. Matching a students learning style to an instructors training style had no effect on knowledge, attitude, behavior or satisfaction outcomes, however course format did have an impact on these outcome measures.

Detta examensarbete handlar om att undersöka lärstilar hos elever i grundskolans senare år. Syftet är att undersöka vilka lärstilar sex elever ur grundskolans senare år har genom att utföra enklare teoretiska test. Frågeställningen jag vill undersöka är: Vilka lärstilar har sex elever i grundskolans senare år? Syftet är också att diskutera med var elev om hur de på bästa sätt lär sig kemi, detta med hjälp av intervjufrågor. Två metoder valdes i min undersökning, för att ta reda på vilka lärstilar som fanns representerade i en grupp elever. Enkätundersökning i form av teoretiskt test utfördes först med två grupper elever som ett första steg. Resultatet visade att de två vanligaste sinneslärstilarna i hela elevgruppen var kinestetisk och auditiv. 79 procent av eleverna hade något av dessa två alternativ som främsta sinneslärstil enligt enkätundersökningarna. Dessutom hade alla elever antingen kinestetisk och/eller auditiv sinneslärstil som någon av sina två främsta preferenser, så detta resultat innebär att genom undervisa med auditiva och kinestetiska lärstilsövningar så kan alla dessa elever nås. Även liknande resonemang kan föras gällande gruppens styrkor gällande intelligenser. Ett urval av sex elever ur grupperna gjordes sedan. I ett andra steg utfördes en intervju med var och en av dessa sex elever. Jämfört med tidigare forskning så erhöll denna studie också resultatet att det gick att kartlägga en lärstilsprofil av varje elev, och många intervjusvar stämde väl överens med den lärstil som sammanställdes efter enkäterna. Flera publikationer som använt Flemings VARK questionnaire har fått resultat där de kunnat identifiera elevernas lärstilar. Liu och Ginther (1999) visade i en amerikansk studie att mellan 20 och 30 procent föredrog auditiv sinneslärstil, 40 procent visuell och mellan 30 till 40 procent antingen read/write eller kinestetisk. Kartläggningen av elevernas lärstilar kan vara högst användbart som utgångspunkt i lektionsplanering i ämnet kemi. Inför varje undervisningsmoment så är det viktigt att vara medveten om hur man lägger upp planeringen. Andrews (1984) undersökning kring ordningen på teoretiska och praktiska undervisningsmoment i organisk kemiundervisning visade att om undervisningssättet varieras så att det matchade studenternas lärstilar, så kan studenternas lärande förbättras. Tidigare forskning har visat att en elev som får sin lärstil tillgodosedd i undervisningen kommer att prestera bättre (med 95 procentig säkerhet) (Boström 2007, s. 25).