The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the computer software Frizbi Mathematics 4 on 4th grade student&rsquo / s mathematics achievement, retention, attitudes toward mathematics and attitude toward computer assisted learning. Two groups (experimental and control) of primary school students from &ldquo / Sht. Osman Ahmet&rdquo / primary school in Gazimagusa, North Cyprus were used in this study. Control group was taught using a lecture-based traditional instruction and experimental group was taught using educational software, namely Frizbi Mathematics 4. The control group consisted of 26 students where the experimental group consisted of 29 students. The groups were compared on achievement of mathematics, retention, and attitude toward mathematics and computer assisted learning. The study was conducted in spring semester of 2006-2007 academic year and included three units, Multiplication of Natural Numbers, Division of Natural Numbers, and Fractions. Scores on achievement tests were collected three times / at the beginning of the study, immediately after the intervention, and 4 months later. Mathematics attitude scale and computer assisted learning attitude scale were administrated only two times / at the beginning of the study and immediately after the completion of the study. A series of ANOVAs for repeated measures revealed significant difference between the groups on the post achievement tests and attitude scales in favor of experimental group. However, statistically significant differences in favor of treatment group, on the retention tests was attained on the multiplication and division units but not on fractions. The evidence indicates that Frizbi Mathematics 4 for learning and teaching mathematics at the primary school level in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is an effective tool.

Obwohl das Angebot von Feedback in Lehr-Lernsituationen eine wichtige instruktionale Maßnahme darstellt,um Lernende in ihrem Lernprozess zu unterstützen, wird dessen Potenzial in multimedialen Lernumgebungen nur selten optimal genutzt. Feedback, welches in aller Regel im Anschluss an die Bearbeitung von Lernaufgaben bereitgestellt wird und den Lerner über die Qualität seiner Aufgabenbearbeitung informiert, beschränkt sich häufig auf die Bereitstellung einer richtig/falsch Rückmeldung mit einem sich anschließenden, zusätzlichen Lösungsversuch bzw. der Präsentation der richtigen Lösung. Als prototypisch für diese Art der Feedbackgestaltung erweist sich das in mathematischer Grundschulsoftware implementierte Feedback. Der Lerner erhält weder Informationen zu dem Ort und der Art des Fehlers noch einen Hinweis auf die korrekte Lösungsstrategie. Vor diesem Hintergrund bestand ein zentrales Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit in der Entwicklung von fehlerspezifischem informativem tutoriellem Feedback (ITF) für die schriftliche Subtraktion auf der Grundlage des heuristischen Feedbackmodells von Narciss (2004) und der aus diesem Modell abgeleiteten Gestaltungsprinzipien für ITF. Obwohl allgemein erwartet wird, dass informatives Feedback lernwirksamer ist als Feedback, welches nur die richtige Lösung präsentiert, konnte diese Annahme durch die Ergebnisse der empirischen Feedbackforschung bisher nicht bestätigt werden. So ist die Feedbackforschung durch eine inkonsistente Befundlage gekennzeichnet. Vor diesem empirischen Hintergrund bestand ein weiteres zentrales Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit in der Überprüfung der Effektivität des entwickelten fehlerspezifischen ITFs hinsichtlich verschiedener Lern- und motivationaler Parameter. Fehlerspezifisches ITF zeichnet sich dadurch aus, dass bei fehlerhaften Aufgabenlösungen Informationen angeboten werden, die auf der Grundlage einer kognitiven Anforderungs- und Fehleranalyse als korrekturrelevant identifiziert worden waren. Diese korrekturrelevanten Informationen werden dem Lernenden ohne Bekanntgabe der korrekten Lösung präsentiert, so dass sich dieser dazu aufgefordert sieht, die bereitgestellten strategischen Informationen in einem erneuten Lösungsversuch unmittelbar anzuwenden. In zwei Studien mit Viertklässlern wurde dieses computergestützte ITF im Hinblick auf seine Lern- und motivationale Wirksamkeit evaluiert. In der ersten Studie (N = 30) erfolgte diese Evaluation gegen eine Feedbackbedingung, welche das üblicherweise in mathematischer Lernsoftware realisierte Knowledge of Response und Knowledge of Correct Response (KR-KCR) Feedback präsentierte. In der zweiten Studie (N = 105) wurden zwei zusätzliche Feedbackbedingungen "Knowledge about Mistake (KR-KM) und Knowledge on How to proceed (KR-KH)" aufgenommen. Diese sind in ihrem Informationsgehalt zwischen dem ITF und dem KR-KCR Feedbackalgorithmus anzusiedeln. Die Ergebnisse beider Studien bestätigen die postulierte Lern- und motivationale Wirksamkeit des fehlerspezifischen ITFs für die schriftliche Subtraktion. Besonders im Vergleich zu der wenig informativen KR-KCR Feedbackbedingung konnten in beiden Studien signifikante Wirksamkeitsunterschiede nachgewiesen werden. Auch im Vergleich zu den komplexeren Feedbackformen Knowledge about mistake (KR-KM) und Knowledge on how to proceed (KR-KH) konnten für die Schüler der ITF Bedingung bessere Leistungen beobachtet werden, auch wenn diese Unterschiede nur partiell signifikant wurden. Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Untersuchungen zeigen, dass es möglich ist, auf der Grundlage des von Narciss (2004) vorgestellten Feedbackmodells und der aus diesem Feedbackmodell abgeleiteten Gestaltungsprinzipien lern- und motivationsförderliches ITF zu entwickeln. So liefern die Ergebnisse beider Studien erste empirische Belege für die Annahme, dass informatives Feedback nicht nur den Lernprozess unterstützt, sondern auch motivationsförderlich wirkt. / Feedback is considered to be an important factor to promote learning and motivation with computer-based training tools. However the findings of studies on the effectiveness of feedback are rather inconsistent. One reason for these inconsistent findings might be that the implementation of feedback is more based on intuition than on well-founded design principles. Therefore the aims of the present work was (1) to develop theoretical well-founded elaborated feedback forms for a procedural skill like the written subtraction, (2) to implement them in an adaptive feedback algorithm that induces the mindful processing of feedback, and (3) to evaluate this elaborated feedback regarding his impact on learning and motivation. Using results from prior feedback research and from cognitive task and error analysis of written subtraction tasks, information relevant to the correction of typical systematic errors (e.g. location of error, source of error, type of error and hints to the correct solution strategy) were selected. This information was used to design different types of bug-related feedback messages. These different feedback messages were arranged in an adaptive bug-related algorithm presenting three levels of feedback with increasing informational value to support the learner in finding the correct solution on his own. Because the developed feedback allows assisted multiple response attempts for an item by providing relevant information for error correction, but no immediate Knowledge of Correct Response (KCR) feedback, and by encouraging the learner to apply the corrective information to a further attempt, this kind of feedback was called bug-related "informative tutoring feedback (ITF)". In two computer-based learning experiments cognitive and motivational effects of this bug-related ITF were evaluated with forth-grade students with difficulties in written subtraction. In the first study (N=30) the bug-related ITF was compared to the effects of a standard Knowledge of Result-Knowledge of Correct Response feedback (KR-KCR) algorithm. In the second study (N=105) two additional feedback algorithms - Knowledge about Mistake (KR-KM) und Knowledge on How to proceed (KR-KH) - were implemented. These both feedback algorithms range between the bug-related ITF and the simple KR-KCR feedback regarding to their amount of information. In both studies significant positive effects of the bug-related ITF compared to the KR-KCR feedback could be found. Regarding to the more informative KR-KM and KR-KH feedback a positive effect of the bug-related ITF could be showed sporadic. These results are discussed in detail.

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

<p>Computer architecture and assembly language programming microprocessor execution are basic courses taught in every computer science department. Generally, however, students have&nbsp / difficulties in mastering many of the concepts in the courses, particularly students whose first language is not English. In addition to their difficulties in understanding the purpose of given&nbsp / instructions, students struggle to mentally visualize the data movement, control and processing operations. To address this problem, this research proposed a graphical visualization approach&nbsp / and investigated the visual illustrations of such concepts and instruction execution by implementing a graphical visualization simulator as a teaching aid. The graphical simulator developed during the course of this research was applied in a computer architecture course at Kabul University, Afghanistan. Results obtained from student evaluation of the simulator show significant&nbsp / levels of success using the visual simulation teaching aid. The results showed that improved learning was achieved, suggesting that this approach could be useful in other computer science departments in Afghanistan, and elsewhere where similar challenges are experienced.</p>

Objetivos: Desenvolver um programa de computador sobre anatomia em radiografias panorâmicas; analisar a opinião de peritos a respeito do software como método de ensino-aprendizado; analisar a aceitação do método proposto, pelos alunos do 2 0 , 3 0 e 4 0 anos de graduação da Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade Federal de Goiás. Métodos: O software elaborado resultou em um programa tutorial multimídia interativo, estruturado em módulos, compostos dos seguintes temas: formação da imagem na técnica panorâmica, seqüência para interpretação radiográfica, anatomia radiográfica em panorâmicas, jogos e avaliação. Após a conclusão do programa, aplicou-se um questionário a 56 entrevistados (10 professores Doutores em Radiologia, denominados peritos, e 46 alunos de graduação) com a finalidade de avaliar o software como método de ensino-aprendizado. Resultados: As respostas foram analisadas por meio de análise estatística descritiva e verificou-se que: 100% dos avaliadores não fariam qualquer modificação no layout, navegação e conteúdo do módulo de anatomia radiográfica, objetivo central do software; 98% dos alunos e 60% dos peritos aprovaram as imagens desse mesmo módulo. 100% dos entrevistados gostariam de ter mais acesso a softwares educacionais e afirmaram que o programa apresentou-se explicativo e de fácil entendimento. 100% dos peritos declararam que o programa atingiu todos os objetivos propostos e se constitui de um método de ensino-aprendizado válido. Conclusão: O programa foi amplamente aceito pela população 13 pesquisada, tornado sua aplicação factível e pertinente como método de ensino-aprendizado / Objectives: To develop a software about panoramic radiography; to analyze professors opinions about the software as a teacher and learning method; to analyze graduation students - 2 0 , 3 0 and 4 0 levels / Dentistry Scholl of Goiás / Brazil - acceptation of the method. Methods: The software was developed, resulting in a multimedia tutorial containing pages about panoramic technique, interpretation sequences, panoramic radiographic anatomy, games and tests. After the completing said program, a questionnaire was applied to ten professors PhDs in Radiology, denominated experts, and 46 dental graduating students, with the purpose to analyze their opinions about the program as a teaching and learning method. Results: The answers was analyzed descriptively, and it could be observed that, 100% of experts wouldn’t make any alteration on the layout, navigation and texts in the most important part of the program, that is panoramic radiography anatomy; 98% of the students and 60% of the experts approved the images of the refereed modulus. 100% of the interviewed would like to have more educational software, and declared that the program was clear and easily understanding. 100% of the experts affirmed that the program reached all objectives proposed and can be considered as a valid teaching and learning method Conclusion: The program interested and was great accepted by the interviewed population, becoming completely feasible and pertinent the application of the said instrument as a teaching and learning method

Magister Educationis - MEd / This study explored the dialogical argumentation instruction approach to determine whether it enhanced grade ten learners‟ understanding of the chemical equation concept. Toulmin‟s argumentation pattern and the contiguity argumentation theory underpin this study and was used to construct the dialogical argumentation instruction methodology, which was used as the intervention strategy. Information and communication technology and computer-assisted learning were used as contextual environment for this study. This study is located in the interpretive paradigm and the data was collected and analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods based on a quasi-experimental research design model. A survey questionnaire, open-end and fixed choice questionnaires and a chemistry achievement test was used to collect data from a high school in the Western Cape Province

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the perceived attitudes of vocational administrators, vocational office education teachers, and marketing and distributive education teachers toward using microcomputers in vocational education programs. The sample forth is study was randomly selected from all vocational administrators , vocational office education teachers, and marketing and distributive education teachers employed by Texas School Districts. A total of 288 questionnaire were returned from the three vocational education groups. The return was seventy-seven percent. Statistical techniques included descriptive statistics, one-way, and two-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) to describe the responses and to test the seven null hypotheses. The results of the study was reported in two categories: statistical significance of the tested hypotheses, and the educational inferences of the vocational administrators' and vocational teachers' responses to questionnaire items. There were significant differences in the perceived general attitudes of the three groups. There were no significant differences in the perceived general attitudes of the three groups when categorized by levels of age, occupational experience, amount of computer training, and availability of microcomputers. There were no significant differences in hypotheses which tested for differences in the perceived attitudes of the three groups toward utilizing microcomputers for classroom instruction and supportive services.

This study examines the main research hypothesis that there is significant interaction between the effects of computer use/non-use and level of computer training among community college educators in the state of Texas regarding attitudes toward the implementation of administrative and instructional computing. A statewide survey was conducted with deans of instruction and full-time faculty members who represented the three academic transfer departments of natural/physical sciences, social science, and humanities/fine arts. Fifty-five deans of instruction and three hundred fifty-six faculty members participated in the study. A factor analysis of data from the questionnaires revealed four factors which were identified and labeled: Factor One: Computer Applications: Advantages and Disadvantages; Factor Two: Administrative Computer Applications: Advantages and Disadvantages; Factor Three: Apprehensions About Educational Computing; Factor Four: Situational Factors Associated With Computer Applications in Education. A 4x3x2 (professional position x level of computer training x level of computer experience) multivariate analysis of variance of both main and interaction effects was then performed within and across these factors.

The contemporary classroom currently faces an evolving world of computer based training, online courses, instructor-led learning and several blended approaches in-between. With the increased presence of computers and communication in every facet of students' lives, students have changed to adapt to the continuous presence of technology in their daily lives. These recent rapid developments have changed the relationship between technology and communication. Indeed, communication and technology have become linked to such a degree that it is difficult to differentiate one from the other, thereby altering our rhetorical situation as instructors. Instructors can no longer deny the presence of technology in the contemporary classroom, much less in the contemporary composition classroom. This case study serves as a post-modern analysis of the technology based blended classroom. A gap exists between what online learning is (being) today and what it is (becoming) tomorrow. This dissertation explores the gap by examining two rich data sources: online visitor navigational patterns and instructor interviews. The fundamental ideas that this text explores are the following: - Web server logs and PHP logs can be analyzed to yield relevant information that assists in the design, architecture, and administration of online and blended learning courses. - Technology in the writing classroom does not necessarily solve traditional problems associated with the composition classroom. Technology is a tool, not a solution. - Technology has changed the rhetorical situation of the composition classroom. As a result, instructors must adapt to the changed rhetorical environment. Via this study, readers will hopefully gain a better understanding of the relatively unexplored margins between instruction, composition and technology paradigms. Instructors, trainers, technical writers, pedagogues, industry and academia alike must step forward to research technology-assisted pedagogy so that they can de-privilege the paradigms that position technology itself as a solution, and move forward toward realistic and real-world expectations for instructors in technology mediated learning environments.

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics