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This thesis investigates the effects of in-application relaxation and memory technique instructions on effectiveness of human–computer interaction (HCI) in a computer-based learning (CBL) set-up. The literature survey identifies a general absence of a clear definition of effectiveness of human–computer interaction, and even more scarcity of direct reference to the connection between effectiveness of human–computer interaction and learning.

Denna litteraturstudie undersöker hur datorbaserad inlärning påverkar lågpresterande elever i matematik. Syftet med denna studie är att göra en sammanställning av befintlig forskning, för att bidra med kunskap om hur datorbaserad inlärning kan förbättra förståelsen av matematik för elever med matematiska inlärningssvårigheter. Vidare jämförde och undersöktes effekterna datorbaserad inlärning beroende på om det används i form av spel eller instruerande undervisning. Resultaten visar att elever som använder datorer i undervisningen visade signifikant bättre resultat på eftertesten som gjordes i studierna. Den generella slutsatsen från denna studie är att det behövs mer forskning på området. Konsekvenser för framtida matematiska studier diskuteras. / This literature review has an interest to investigate how computer based learning affects low-performing students in mathematics. The purpose of this study is to make a compilation of existing research to contribute knowledge on how computer based learning can improve understanding of mathematics for students with mathematic difficulties. This also leads to an interest of comparing and investigate the effects of computer based learning depending on whether it is games or instructional teaching. Results show that students who use computers in their learning showed significantly better results on the posttests. Conclusions made in this study are that more research is needed. Implications for future mathematic studies were discussed.

Please read the abstract in the 00front part of this document / Thesis (DPhil (Information Science))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Information Science / unrestricted

This paper summarizes a design project entitled "Choose Your Own Teaching Adventure" completed for the Instructional Psychology and Technology Department at Brigham Young University. The purpose of the design project was to prototype a learning tool that instructs beginning pre-service teachers in the classroom application of the principles of behaviorism. Originally, the project was designed to be a static learning object that would be combined with other similar learning modules for additional topics of an Educational Psychology course. At the conclusion of the first prototyping round, however, the project was generalized to become a testing ground for a simulation builder project that would allow other instructors to create their own learning simulation based on the findings of this prototype. The Rapid Prototyping methodology used in this project allowed for quick revisions, lower stakes testing, and more flexibility in the design. The various stages of the design and evaluation process, including revisions and prototypes, are shown and discussed in this paper.

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of a dynamic instructional environment (based on use of Geometer&rsquo / s Sketchpad) on 7th grade students&rsquo / understandings of lines, angles, and polygons and their retention. Besides that, the students&rsquo / attitudes towards computer instruction and its relation with students&rsquo / performance on geometry and retention were investigated. The study was carried out with 63 7th grade students from two classes taught by the same teacher in a state elementary school. One class was assigned as the experimental group (EG), the other as the control group (CG). Students in CG received the instruction on lines, angles, and polygons by the regular traditional method used at the school. In the EG, students worked on the computer activities named as &ldquo / Sketchsheets&rdquo / , prepared by the researcher, with computers provided at the computer-lab. The usage of GSP with Sketchsheets enabled students to create the shapes first and after they explored and discovered the properties of shapes and make generalisations for the development of conjectures. Geometry Performance Test (GPT) and Computer Attitude Scale (CAS) were used in this study. The GPT was administered to both groups of students as a pre-test, post-test, and a delayed post-test. CAS was administered only to the EG students as a post-test. Furthermore, interviews were carried out with three students from EG in order to get their feelings about the dynamic instructional environment. Besides that, both of these classroom and computer sessions were observed and recorded with camera. The results of t-test suggest that GPT mean scores in EG and CG did not significantly differ in pre-test, but EG achieved significantly better than the CG in post and delay-post tests. CAS mean scores and interviews showed that students had positive feelings and decisions towards computer instruction and they preferred computer instruction to traditional instruction. Furthermore, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was performed in order to investigate the relationship between GPT scores and CAS scores. From this analysis, a significant correlation was observed between the GPT scores and CAS scores. This means that the students who had positive attitudes towards computer instruction, achieved significantly better at GPT. The results of this study revealed that Geometer&rsquo / s Sketchpad for learning and teaching geometry in elementary school level is an effective tool.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the mathematics anxiety treatment messages in a computer-based environment on ninth-grade students' mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. The study also examined whether the impact of the treatment messages would be differentiated by learner's gender and by learner's prior mathematics anxiety levels (High vs. Medium vs. Low). Participants were 161 ninth-grade students, who took a required introductory algebra class in a public high school neighboring Utah State University. The learning environment was integrated with a pedagogical agent (animated human-like character) as a tutor. This study employed a pretest and posttest experimental design. Participants' mathematics anxiety was measured at the beginning and at the end of the intervention; participants' mathematics learning was measured before and after each lesson (four lessons in total). The participants were randomly assigned to work with either an agent presenting mathematics anxiety treatment messages (TR) or an agent without presenting the treatment messages (NoTR). Because of student attrition, only 128 students were included for data analysis. The results suggested that mathematics anxiety treatment messages provided by a pedagogical agent had no impact on student mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. Second, there were no main or interaction effects of the treatment messages and learners' gender on mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. Third, there were significant interaction effects between treatment messages and learner's prior mathematics anxiety levels only on current mathematics anxiety (p < .05). High-anxious students in the TR condition decreased their anxiety more than those in the NoTR condition. Medium-anxious students in the TR condition increased their anxiety whereas those in the NoTR condition decreased their anxiety. Low-anxious students in the TR condition did not change their anxiety whereas those in the NoTR condition increased their anxiety.

A quantitative, descriptive research study was conducted at a nursing college to investigate the nature of nursing learners' exposure to computer assisted instruction and computer-based learning, the perceived benefits of this exposure, and the problems that they had encountered. Learners, who had been exposed to computer assisted instruction and computer-based learning, participated. A self-administered, structured questionnaire was administered to collect data. The research results revealed that the learners had limited exposure to educational computer packages, and computer-based learning activities. They encountered numerous problems. Although the learners derived many benefits from computer assisted instruction, this did not result in effective learning. They indicated that they preferred computer assisted instruction more than traditional teaching methods. This study contributed towards recommendations on improving learners' access to the necessary facilities, equipment and educational computer software. The researcher also recommended strategies to ensure that computer assisted instruction is based on sound educational principles. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Um dos mais sérios desafios enfrentados pelas comunidades científica e acadêmica tem sido quebrar os paradigmas tradicionais da educação formal, que é apoiada basicamente na transmissão de conhecimento centrada no professor e que coloca o aluno de forma passiva no processo de ensino e aprendizagem. Da mesma forma que as instituições de ensino enfrentam este desafio, as empresas têm sentido também grande dificuldade na capacitação de seus funcionários de forma a acompanhar, com a mesma velocidade, a mudança de métodos e tecnologia, impostos por um mercado competitivo e globalizado. Para manterem-se competitivos neste contexto da globalização, as empresas buscam como fator diferencial, além de outros, o desenvolvimento de novos produtos de maneira mais eficiente diante das necessidades ditadas pelo mercado. Porém, a dificuldade de proporcionar um treinamento eficaz de seus funcionários, principalmente quanto ao desenvolvimento de novos produtos, pode representar uma restrição à competitividade das empresas. Como uma tentativa de sanar este quadro, foi desenvolvido um cenário de integração que está baseado em um modelo de referência e na vivência dos participantes em uma estória de desenvolvimento de produtos de uma empresa modelo. Porém, pela quantidade de assuntos novos abordados no cenário de integração, suas aplicações anteriores registraram falhas de aprendizagem pelo desnivelamento de conhecimentos e por características particulares de aprendizagem de cada participante. Assim, este trabalho propõe uma nova estrutura para o cenário de integração, baseada em sistemas computacionais para a preparação e ensino dos conceitos abordados no desenvolvimento de produtos, bem como a continuidade do aprendizado após a realização de cursos do cenário de integração. Ainda dentro da proposta deste trabalho, está a implantação desta nova configuração para o cenário de integração para alunos de graduação e a avaliação dos resultados obtidos nesta experiência. / One of the greatest challenges for scientific and academic communities has been to break the traditional paradigms of formal education, which are essentially based on the transmission of teacher-centered knowledge and which place the student in a passive role in the teaching and learning process. Just as educational institutions face this challenge, so do companies encounter serious difficulties in terms of capacitating their employees to cape with the methodological and technological changes brought about by a competitive and globalized market at the same rate that these changes occur. To remain competitive and meet the market- dedicated needs in this globalized context, companies seek more effective new product development methods, among others, as a differentiating factor. However, the difficulties involved in providing effective employee training, particularly insofar as new product development is concerned, may represent a restriction to the competitiveness of companies. In an attempt to reverse this situation, an integration scenario was developed based on a reference model and on the participants\' personal experience in the product development story of a model company. However, owing to the number of new subjects broached in the integration scenario, its previous applications revealed learning failures resulting from participants\' unequal degree of knowledge and their distinct learning characteristics. This work, therefore, proposes a new structure for the integration scenario based on computer systems for the preparation and teaching of the concepts applied to product development, as well as for continued learning following the integration scenario courses. The scope of this work also includes the implementation of this new configuration for the integration scenario for undergraduate students and the assessment of the results of this experience.

Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Informática e Computação. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 2011