A major challenge for Information Technology (IT) programs is that the rapid pace of evolution of computing technology leads to frequent redesign of IT courses. The problem is exacerbated by several factors. Firstly, the changing technology is the subject matter of the discipline and is also frequently used to support instruction; secondly, this discipline has only been formalized as a four-year university program within recent years and there is a lack of established textbooks and curriculum models; finally, updating courses is seldom rewarded in a higher education system that favors research and teaching for promotion and tenure. Thus, continuously updating their courses place a significant burden on the faculty. A case study approach was used to describe and explain the change processes in updating IT courses. Several faculty members at two institutions were interviewed and course changes were identified and analyzed. The analysis revealed a set of recurrent themes in change processes. An instructional design architecture approach also revealed a set of design domains representing the structure of the change processes. The design domains were analyzed in terms of the design decisions they represented, and also in terms of structures, functions and activities, which are related to Structures-Behaviors-Functions (SBF) analysis. The design domains model helped to explain both negative and positive outcomes that were observed in the data. When design efforts impact multiple domains the design is likely to be more difficult. Understanding the design domain architecture will assist future designers in this discipline.

Cette recherche qualitative est une étude de cas sur la construction du discours pédagogique dans un processus de développement de formations en ligne. Les données furent recueillies lors d’une série d’entretiens semi-dirigés avec différents acteurs du processus de développement de ces formations en ligne et analysées à l’aide des trois règles du concept de dispositif pédagogique de Basil Bernstein, soit les règles distributives, de recontextualisation et d’évaluation. Nous relevons certaines problématiques inhérentes au processus en lien avec la qualité de l’éducation produite dans un tel contexte, la condition des travailleurs qui y œuvrent, la légitimité d’un logiciel enseignant et l’éventuel impact de tels processus sur la nature des savoirs enseignés. / This qualitative case study focuses on how pedagogical discourse is developped in an online course development process. Data was collected during a series of semi-directed interviews with different actors of this process and analyzed using the three rules of Basil Bernstein’s pedagogical device : distributive rules, recontextualisation rules and evaluation rules. We present certain problems inherent to this online course development process, including questions relating to the quality of education, the conditions of workers, the legitimacy of a teaching program and the eventual impact of such a process on the nature of knowledge which is taught.

This study was motivated by a desire to address the challenges of introductory programming courses. Ethiopian universities teach such courses in large classes (80+ students) and students complain about the difficulty of the courses and teaching variation of instructors. The study was set to explore optimum course and learning environment design approaches. The research question raised was: how can a blended learning approach be used to improve large class teaching of programming? In an action design research approach, the study was initiated with redesigning two consecutive courses and a supportive blended learning environment on the basis of existing learning theories and educational design frameworks. Two cycles of action research were conducted for a dual goal of refinement and evaluation of the intervention. The action research was conducted during the 2012/13 academic year with 240 students at the beginning. A predominantly quantitative first cycle of action research produced a mixed outcome. The students’ marks from assessment activities were fairly close to results from two other international universities. A pre- and post-implementation survey of students’ approach to learning showed a slight class level change towards the deep learning approach. Conversely, some students were found at-risk (not progressing well) and certain technologies, particularly program visualisation tools, were found underutilised. The second action research cycle aimed to explain the result from the first round. A grounded action research evaluation of data from focus group discussions, interviews and participants’ memos identified plausible factors for meaningful programming learning in a large class. These factors were use of collaborative and pair programming; alignment of learning and assignment activities; integrated use of e-learning; and use of large class strategies like student mentors and team teaching. A critical realist interpretation of the result of the action research suggested that students can learn programming in large classes, 200+ in this study, with a course and learning environment design that keeps them engaged in learning and assessment activities. The study concludes that improved learning of programming can be possible with the use of students as mentors and changed role-dynamics of instructors, which presupposes adaptation of suitable pedagogical approaches and use of technologies. / School of Computing / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Systems)

<p>Ova disretacija bavi se korpusnom<br />IZ lingvistikom, ali iz perspektive teorijskih<br />metodolo&scaron;kih i praktičnih aspekata<br />koncipiranja kursa korpusne lingvistike koji<br />je utemeljen na principima interaktivne<br />nastave. Glavni cilj ovog istraživanja jeste<br />da se u njemu formuli&scaron;u principi<br />projektovanja interaktivnih kurseve koji su<br />usklađeni sa sadržajima studijskih programa<br />i sadržaja ostalih kurseva, ali i koji su<br />pedago&scaron;ki efikasni i orijentisani na studenta.<br />Drugi cilj istraživanje jeste da se u skladu<br />sa ovim principima koncipira kurs korpusne<br />lingvistike koji je optimalno prilagođen<br />uvođenju korpusne lingvistike i interaktivne<br />natave na diplomske akademske studije<br />anglistike u Srbiji. Treći cilj istraživanja je<br />da proveri inicijalnu hipotezu da će kurs<br />korpusne lingvistike projektovan u skladu sa<br />principima koncipiranja interaktivne natave i<br />sproveden u hibridnom okruženju biti<br />superioran u odnosi na kurs istih sadržaja ali<br />sproveden isključivo primenom<br />tradicionalnih metoda nastave.</p> / <p>This thesis deals with corpus linguistics, but<br />AB from the point of view of theoretical,<br />methodological and practical aspects of<br />designing a course in corpus lingusitics<br />which is based on the principles of<br />interactive teaching and learning. The main<br />aim of the research is to formulate principles<br />of designing interactive courses which are<br />alligned with curricula and syllaby, but<br />which are also pegogically efficient and<br />student-friendly. The secondary aim is to<br />design a course in accordance with these<br />principles which is optimally suitable for<br />introducing corpus linguistic and interactive<br />teaching methods to MA studies of English<br />language and linguistics in Serbia. The third<br />aim of the research is to test the initial<br />hypothesis that a course designed in accordance with interactive principles of course design and realized as a hybrid course will be superior to the same course based entirely on traditional teaching methods.</p>

This study was motivated by a desire to address the challenges of introductory programming courses. Ethiopian universities teach such courses in large classes (80+ students) and students complain about the difficulty of the courses and teaching variation of instructors. The study was set to explore optimum course and learning environment design approaches. The research question raised was: how can a blended learning approach be used to improve large class teaching of programming? In an action design research approach, the study was initiated with redesigning two consecutive courses and a supportive blended learning environment on the basis of existing learning theories and educational design frameworks. Two cycles of action research were conducted for a dual goal of refinement and evaluation of the intervention. The action research was conducted during the 2012/13 academic year with 240 students at the beginning. A predominantly quantitative first cycle of action research produced a mixed outcome. The students’ marks from assessment activities were fairly close to results from two other international universities. A pre- and post-implementation survey of students’ approach to learning showed a slight class level change towards the deep learning approach. Conversely, some students were found at-risk (not progressing well) and certain technologies, particularly program visualisation tools, were found underutilised. The second action research cycle aimed to explain the result from the first round. A grounded action research evaluation of data from focus group discussions, interviews and participants’ memos identified plausible factors for meaningful programming learning in a large class. These factors were use of collaborative and pair programming; alignment of learning and assignment activities; integrated use of e-learning; and use of large class strategies like student mentors and team teaching. A critical realist interpretation of the result of the action research suggested that students can learn programming in large classes, 200+ in this study, with a course and learning environment design that keeps them engaged in learning and assessment activities. The study concludes that improved learning of programming can be possible with the use of students as mentors and changed role-dynamics of instructors, which presupposes adaptation of suitable pedagogical approaches and use of technologies. / School of Computing / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Systems)

No description available.

No description available.