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Institutions are looking to find the best learning technologies to deliver anatomy curricula to diverse student populations, often working with financial and time-based constraints. Visualization techniques, particularly the widespread use of virtual reality headsets, have made once-impossible learning experiences possible. This thesis explores the effect of different learning modalities (virtual reality headset, computer screen, and 3D-printed models) and environments (clinical context or context-free) on knowledge acquisition and learning experiences for a pelvic floor anatomy module. We investigated how these factors, along with mental rotation ability and stereoacuity, impact various aspects of learning, including performance on anatomy tests, perceived workload (measured using the NASA Task Load Index), cybersickness (measured using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire), and engagement during learning (measured using the User Engagement Scale). Significant interactions were found between modality and environment for test scores and workload, a significant main effect of modality and environment for cybersickness, and a significant main effect of modality for engagement. Importantly, though significant differences were found between modalities and environments, participants reported concerningly high levels of workload and cybersickness across all conditions. High levels of engagement were also reported across all learning conditions. The lack of meaningful differences between intervention groups emphasizes the importance of curricular design over the implementation of new technologies and the need to be critical of the impression that a one-size-fits-all solution exists. Theories of cognitive load, constructivism, syncretion, visuospatial ability, cybersickness, and embodied learning in the context of technology-enhanced anatomy education are discussed as the foundation upon which design decisions should be made. A multi-faceted approach focused on aligning learning objectives with learning activities is outlined as a means of driving more impactful research and improving anatomy education. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Institutions are looking to find the best learning technologies to deliver anatomy curricula to diverse student populations, often working with financial and time-based constraints. Visualization techniques have been at the forefront of this innovation, and the widespread use of virtual reality headsets has made once-impossible learning experiences achievable. This thesis explores the effect of different learning modalities and environments on learning with a pelvic floor anatomy module. We investigated how these factors, along with mental rotation ability and stereoacuity impact test performance and the perception of workload, cybersickness, and engagement. The results emphasize the importance of curricular design over the implementation of new technologies and the need to be critical of the impression that a one-size-fits-all solution exists.

The instructional design theory-practice gap is a recognized problem within the research literature. Emphasis on studies that aim to identify how instructional design theories and models are applied in everyday practice has shed light on the need for further investigation into instructional designers' decision-making processes. In particular, given the pervasiveness of computing technology in education, it is important to understand what role technology plays in the design of instruction in higher education settings. The goal of this research was to explore the theory-practice gap in instructional design decision-making within the context of designing technology-enhanced instruction in higher education and determine what can be learned from other design disciplines that will inform the development and refinement of instructional design theories and models. In this qualitative research study, the researcher collected and analyzed data from a web-based questionnaire and follow-up phenomenological interviews. Data analysis employed the use of both content analysis of the questionnaire responses and interpretative phenomenological analysis of the interview transcripts. Findings indicate that instructional designers' decision-making processes are influenced by several factors during the design process. Designers view the roles differently, depending on their position within the design process. Furthermore, concepts of design decision-making which have been contributed to architectural design can be applied to how instructional designers practice. Finally, while technology is an integral part of online course design, its perceived role is dependent on the position of the designer within the designer process. The results build on previous research in the area of instructional design, and add to the body of knowledge about how designers think when making design decisions, as well as, and the role which technology plays in these decisions. Themes uncovered in this study identified specific areas for further study which will help researchers and practitioners connect existing instructional design theories and models to current practices.

<div> <div> <div> <p>In the last two decades, higher education researchers have reported numerous benefits of integrating technology tools in course instruction and their subsequent impact on the students’ learning process. In spite of the accumulation of the large amount of evidence and multiple calls to adopt technology tools in instruction, traditional lecturing is observed to dominate and continue being the preferred mode of instruction in STEM courses. One of the major reasons for the shortage of large-scale adoption of technology-based instruction is attributed to the lack of knowledge and skills of STEM instructors on how to effectively integrate technology tools into their courses. Most faculty development programs that are organized to help instructors build the necessary knowledge and skills end up introducing different technology tools to the instructors without truly helping them understand how to contextualize the tools based on the course requirements and learning needs of the study. This study aimed to understand the experiences of how engineering faculty in India learn to integrate technology tools as part of a 6-week faculty development program. </p> <p>Seven engineering faculty from a single institution attended the 6-week program to redesign a course of their choice by integrating educational technology tools. A conceptual framework called Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) was used to understand how the instructors learned to integrate technology tools into their respective courses. TPACK is a widely used framework that depicts an instructor’s knowledge of educational technology as a multifaceted construct that is combined with their knowledge of the course content and pedagogy. A qualitative case study approach was used in this study to understand how the engineering faculty developed TPACK and highlight the challenges that they encountered while integrating technology tools into their courses. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data that was collected through semi- structured interviews, reflection journals, and final reflections. </p> </div> </div> <div> <div> <p>11 </p> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div> <div> <p>The findings from the study indicate that the faculty developed TPACK in three stages. In the first stage, they developed basic knowledge of content, pedagogy, and technology (also called basic sub-domains of TPACK). The faculty in the next stage formed mental models to intersect and understand the interrelations between the three basic sub-domains. In the last stage, the faculty developed TPACK by building a meta-conceptual awareness of how to utilize the knowledge gained in stage two to address the limitations in their current mode of instruction and the learning needs of the students. It was observed that the faculty after developing TPACK started to emphasize on a more student-centric mode of instruction. The faculty reported to encounter challenges while constructing mental models as they were unable to critically reflect on their courses. They faced difficulty while identifying and integrating technology tools as a result of low- technology self-efficacy. Faculty reported to overcome these challenges and receive support from the other participants as a result of a community of practice that was established prior to the start of the faculty development program. The study at the end provides recommendations to faculty developers on how to design and facilitate effective workshops that are aimed to help instructors integrate technology tools. A model which was developed from the findings of the study is provided to promote large scale integration of technology-based instruction in universities. </p> </div> </div> </div>

No / We describe a study conducted during 2009-12 into innovative assessment practice, evaluating an assessed coursework task on a final year Medical Genetics module for Biomedical Science undergraduates. An authentic e-assessment coursework task was developed, integrating objectively marked online questions with an online DNA sequence analysis tool (BLAST), routinely used by NHS and research professionals. The aim was to combine the assessment of understanding of complex module learning outcomes with real-world authentic skills highly valued in the work place. This approach challenges the oft-heard accusation that online computer-marked tests can lack validity and authenticity in higher education. The study demonstrates the content and construct validity of this form of e-assessment, showing that careful question design, allied with integration with the real life BLAST tool, enables instructors to assess complex higher order understanding, and requires students to demonstrate skills relevant for the work place. A study of three years of test results and measures of internal consistency data also show the reliability of this assessment. In addition, the results of surveys of student opinion and positive feedback from student module feedback questionnaires suggest that it is effective in terms of face validity.

The purpose of this research is to provide information about the psychometric properties of technology-enhanced (TE) items and the effects these items have on the content validity of an assessment. Specifically, this research investigated the impact that the inclusion of TE items has on the construct of a mathematics test, the technical properties of these items, and the influence these item types have on test characteristics. An empirical dataset was used to investigate the impact of including TE items on a multiple-choice (MC) assessment. The test used was the Iowa End-of-Course Algebra I (IEOC-A) assessment. The sample included 3850 students from the state of Iowa who took the IEOC-A assessment in the spring of 2012. The base form of the Algebra EOC assessment consisted of 30 MC items. Sixty TE items were developed and aligned to the same blueprint as the MC items. These items were appended in sets of five to the base form, in effect resulting in 12 different test forms. The forms were randomly assigned to students during the spring administration window. Several methods were used in an attempt to form a more complete understanding of the content characteristics and technical properties of TE items. This research first examined whether adding TE items to an established MC exam had an effect on the construct of the test. The factor analysis confirmed a two-factor model comprising latent factors of MC and TE items, indicating that TE items may add a new dimension to the test. Subsequent to these findings, a more thorough analysis of the item pool was conducted and IRT analyses were done to investigate item information, test information, and relative efficiency. This analysis indicated that there may be a difference in the way students perform on MC and TE items. There is evidence in this particular pool of items that there is a difference in these two item types. This difference may manifest itself as an additional, perhaps unintended, construct on the exam. Additionally, TE items may perform differently depending on the ability level of the student. Specifically, TE items may provide more information, and measure the construct more efficiently than MC items at higher levels of ability. Finally, the quantity of TE items included on a test has the potential to affect the relative efficiency of the instrument, underscoring the importance of selecting items that reinforce the purpose and uses of the test.

The interplay between learning and technology is a growing field that is often referred to as Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL). Within this context, learning applications are software components that are useful for learning purposes, such as textbook replacements, information gathering tools, communication and collaboration tools, knowledge modeling tools, rich lab environments that allows experiments etc. When developing learning applications, the choice of technology depends on many factors. For instance, who and how many the intended end-users are, if there are requirements to support in-application collaboration, platform restrictions, the expertise of the developers, requirements to inter-operate with other systems or applications etc. This thesis provides guidance on a how to develop learning applications based on Semantic Web technology. The focus on Semantic Web technology is due to its basic design that allows expression of knowledge at the web scale. It also allows keeping track of who said what, providing subjective expressions in parallel with more authoritative knowledge sources. The intended readers of this thesis include practitioners such as software architects and developers as well as researchers in TEL and other related fields. The empirical part of the this thesis is the experience from the design and development of two learning applications and two supporting frameworks. The first learning application is the web application Confolio/EntryScape which allows users to collect files and online material into personal and shared portfolios. The second learning application is the desktop application Conzilla, which provides a way to create and navigate a landscape of interconnected concepts. Based upon the experience of design and development as well as on more theoretical considerations outlined in this thesis, three major obstacles have been identified: The first obstacle is: lack of non-expert and user friendly solutions for presenting and editing Semantic Web data that is not hard-coded to use a specific vocabulary. The thesis presents five categories of tools that support editing and presentation of RDF. The thesis also discusses a concrete software solution together with a list of the most important features that have crystallized during six major iterations of development. The second obstacle is: lack of solutions that can handle both private and collaborative management of resources together with related Semantic Web data. The thesis presents five requirements for a reusable read/write RDF framework and a concrete software solution that fulfills these requirements. A list of features that have appeared during four major iterations of development is also presented. The third obstacle is: lack of recommendations for how to build learning applications based on Semantic Web technology. The thesis presents seven recommendations in terms of architectures, technologies, frameworks, and type of application to focus on. In addition, as part of the preparatory work to overcome the three obstacles, the thesis also presents a categorization of applications and a derivation of the relations between standards, technologies and application types. / <p>QC 20121105</p>

This dissertation focuses on the effectiveness of scaffolding in technology-enhanced science learning environments, and specifically the relative merits of computer- and teacher-based scaffolding in science inquiry. Scaffolding is an instructional support that helps learners solve problems, carry out tasks, or achieve goals that they are unable to accomplish on their own. Although support such as scaffolding is necessary when students engage in complex learning environments, many issues must be resolved before educators can effectively implement scaffolding in instruction. To achieve this, this dissertation includes two studies: a systematic literature review and an experimental study. The two studies attempted to reveal some important issues which are not widely recognized in the existing literature. The primary problem confronting the educator is how to determine which of the numerous kinds of scaffolding will allow them to educate students most effectively. The scaffolding forms that researchers create are often confusing, overlapping, or contradictory. In response to this, the first study critically analyzed the ways that researchers have defined and applied scaffolding, and provided suggestions for future scaffolding design and research. Moreover, studies tend to focus only on computer-based scaffolding rather than examining ways to integrate it with teacher-based instruction. Although researchers generally recognize that teacher-based support is important, research in this area is limited. The second study of this dissertation employed a quasi-experimental design with four experimental conditions, each of which include a type of computer-based procedural scaffolding (continuous vs. faded) paired with a type of teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding (early vs. late). Each class was assigned to use one of the four conditions. The findings indicated that students receiving continuous computer-based procedural and early teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding performed statistically better at learning scientific inquiry skills than other treatment groups. Students using faded computer-based procedural and early teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding showed the worst performance. However, among the four groups there existed no statistically significant difference in terms of the effect on students? ability to learn science knowledge. Moreover, teacher-based metacognitive scaffolding did not have a significant impact on either science content knowledge or scientific inquiry skills.

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Technology-enhanced instruction has a great potential to support the learning process. However, the engaging power of technology can become a distracting factor if it is not deployed properly. Unfortunately, the current literature in instructional design and user interface design is broad and not easily accessible by construction faculty. This dissertation presents a framework to guide the development of technology-assisted instruction for the classroom. The framework developed is called EDDE which stands for four conceptual steps involved in the creation of a technology-supported teaching tool: Explore, Design, Develop, and Evaluate. EDDE contains a novel synthesis of the literature in instructional design and user interface design as well as survey data of student subject matter knowledge and information technology background. A computerized tool called EDDEaid makes accessible the large store of knowledge supporting EDDE. Assessment of EDDEaid is presented with evaluation results from nine university faculty that teach construction subjects as well as through critique of and changes to an existing interactive learning tool. EDDE and EDDEaid are found to contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the deployment of technology-enhanced instruction and provide support to construction faculty developing learning tools. / text