This study aimed to explore the effects of instructional methods in the asynchronous web-based &ldquo / Science and Math Teaching Methods Course&rdquo / on pre-service teachers&rsquo / achievement, metacognition, and attitudes towards computer, WWW, and the web-based course. It was conducted with two groups, total of 63 third grade pre-service teachers, and one instructor (the researcher), in the Elementary Education Department at Bosphorus University in the academic year of 2003-2004. The Instructor used `Direct Instruction` method based on behaviorist approach for one group, and `Indirect Instruction` method based on constructivist approach for the other one. The general metacognition questionnaire and, attitude scales for the computer and WWW were given as pretests, and after a fourteen-week treatment period they were given as posttests to both groups. Additionally, in the middle of the semester a midterm exam, and at the end of the semester a final exam, and attitudes towards web-based course scale were administered. Thus, the effectiveness of the two different instructional methods was compared. The data obtained were analyzed by statistical techniques of multivariate analyses of covariance. Results of the statistical analyses indicated that the group exposed to the web-based indirect instruction had significantly higher achievement on the final exam than the one exposed to the web based direct instruction. On the other hand, the group exposed to the web based direct instruction had significantly higher attitudes towards web-based course than the one exposed to the web-based indirect instruction. However, the statistical analyses failed to show any significant differences between the groups on the midterm exam, metacognition, and, attitudes towards computer and WWW.

本研究旨在編製「知識創新學習環境量表」，以瞭解學習環境中知識創新氛圍的程度。透過三個獨立樣本A、B及C，分別進行探索性因素分析、驗證性因素分析及複核效化分析。樣本A（332人）以探索性因素分析獲得因素成份，結果顯示此份量表有三個因素，分別命名為「想法因素」、「自主學習者因素」及「社群因素」。其次，透過建立本量表的一系列競爭模式，以樣本B（536人）進行驗證性因素分析之評鑑，結果顯示二階單因素模式為最簡效模式，並且量表具有良好之信、效度。而樣本C（536人）則作為複核效化之分析，結果顯示二階單因素模式具有穩定性與預測力。希冀本量表能提供相關單位做為教學及研究之應用。 / The purpose of this study was to develop the Knowledge Building Environment Scale (KBES). Three independent samples was used to validte the reliability and validity of the scale. Firstly, sample A (n=332) was used to generate the factors through exploratory factor analysis. It resulted in a scale of three factors which contains ‘idea’ factor, ‘agent’ factor and ‘community’ factor. Secondly, a series of competing models was established and evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis through sample B (n=536). Comparing with several competing models, hierarchical model was found to be the most efficient model with good reliability and validity. Finally, the cross-validation was tested by sample C (n=536) for hierarchical model to confirm the stability and predictive power of this model. The KBES can provide relevant institutions as a tool for evaluating learning environments.

New advances in computer programming and more powerful technology have opened up new opportunities for learning though immersive virtual reality simulations. This research highlighted the importance of the role of a lecturer in fostering learning in a technology rich learning environment. Undergraduate business studies students worked collectively to try resolve a problem depicted through an immersive simulation involving a burning factory. The simulation provided a rich personal experience that enabled students with lecturer support to generate effective strategies to address the problem.

The purpose of this study is to use a constructivism as a referent to investigate how students learn physics in a Taiwanese career college classroom. Forty-nine first year, engineering major first students participated in this study of teaching and learning in my college level classroom. The theoretical framework for the study was based on the five dimensions of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) (Taylor & Fraser, 1991: Taylor, Fraser & White, 1994; Taylor, Fraser & Fisher, 1997), namely Personal Relevance, Student Negotiation, Shared Control, Critical Voice, and Uncertainty. These dimensions were employed as analytic themes to examine the qualitative data. / A total of six lessons were observed: two lecture classes, two laboratory practice sessions, and two group discussion sessions. My qualitative observations, supplemented by video- and audio-recordings, of these six lessons were used to produce six classroom narratives. These six narratives were analyzed individually and then comparatively using a cross case analysis whereby the five dimensions of the CLES were employed as analytic themes. The CLES questionnaire was administered at the commencement of the semester and again at the end of the semester in order to determine any quantitative changes in students’ perceptions of their classroom environment. The various analyses were used to make several propositions about the constructivist nature of my classroom. I conclude the study with a discussion of the implications of the study and my reflections on the thesis experience. / The study found that, in my Taiwanese career college physics classroom, (a) the teacher plays a central role in establishing the overall classroom learning environment, (b) student group dynamics are important in the classroom learning environment, (c) the central role of content often works against the establishment of a constructivist classroom, (d) cultural factors play a large role in determining the constructivist nature of the classroom, (e) language plays an important role in the construction of the learning environment, and (f) the students’ learning attitude affected the classroom environment.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:35:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 1640.pdf: 4365691 bytes, checksum: 451de24779c6844de902661f5dd98e13 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-12-12 / This doctorate thesis identifies and analyzes the contributions of two online distance minicourses to the knowledge base (specific knowledge of geometry, pedagogical knowledge of geometry and pedagogical reasoning processes) of thirteen elementary school teachers who teach geometry from the 1st to the 4th grades. They were participating in a teachers training program called Programa de Apoio aos Educadores: espaço de desenvolvimento profissional, and were members of Portal dos Professores UFSCar (www.portaldosprofessores.ufscar.br), a website which provides teachers with professional support. It is a qualitative intervention research which employs a collaborative and constructive methodology for training teachers. The mini-courses, developed for that purpose, were given totally at distance through the virtual learning environment WebCT. The theoretical basis encompasses teachers training, knowledge base for teaching and distance learning via the Internet as a resource for training teachers. The data, which were collected through digital tools (forum, e-mail, chat room, tasks, message board etc.) and non-digital tools (application forms and questionnaires), were analyzed to show the impact the mini-courses had on the teachers` knowledge base. The results showed their knowledge was significantly enhanced and they could think over the teaching of geometry and their own teaching. The results also showed the strong and weak points of training teachers at distance using the virtual learning environment WebCT and the methodology adopted. To conclude, the study offers suggestions for public policies on distance training for teachers via the Internet and for courses in virtual learning environments similar to WebCT / Este estudo identifica e analisa as contribuições de dois Minicursos à distância, via Internet, à base de conhecimento (Conhecimento do Conteúdo Específico de Geometria, Conhecimento Pedagógico do Conteúdo de Geometria e Processos de Raciocínio Pedagógico) de treze professoras que ensinam Geometria da 1ª à 4ª série do Ensino Fundamental, associadas ao "Programa de Apoio aos Educadores: Espaço de Desenvolvimento Profissional" e ao site Portal dos Professores da UFSCar (www.portaldosprofessores.ufscar.br). Nesta pesquisaintervenção, de natureza qualitativa, foi adotada a metodologia construtivo-colaborativa para a formação continuada de professores. Os Minicursos, desenvolvidos para esse fim, foram implementados totalmente à distância, por meio do ambiente virtual de aprendizagem WebCT. O referencial teórico abarca a aprendizagem profissional da docência, a base de conhecimento para o ensino e a Educação a Distância via Internet como recurso para a formação de professores. Os dados, coletados por meio de ferramentas digitais (fórum, correio eletrônico, bate-papo, tarefas/atividades, quadro de comunicações etc.) e não digitais (fichas de inscrição e questionários), foram analisados com vistas à verificação do impacto dos Minicursos na base de conhecimento das professoras-alunas. Os resultados demonstraram que elas ampliaram significativamente sua base de conhecimento para o ensino de Geometria e tiveram a oportunidade de refletir, de forma crítica e fundamentada, sobre o ensino de Geometria e sobre a própria prática pedagógica, modificando-a de forma sustentada. Os resultados indicaram, também, a potencialidade, as dificuldades e os limites da formação de professores a distância por meio do ambiente WebCT e da metodologia utilizada. Na conclusão, são apresentadas sugestões para políticas públicas de formação inicial e continuada de professores, no âmbito da Educação a Distância via Internet, e para o desenvolvimento de cursos em ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem com características similares às do WebCT

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar e analisar potencialidades e desafios da utilização do Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA) como recurso pedagógico para multiplicar a proposta de Educação Permanente em Saúde (EPS) no Brasil por meio de um curso chamado de EPS em Movimento. Através da atuação da pesquisadora nas atividades de secretaria e organização do curso EPS em Movimento foram verificados nas reuniões de curso desafios e impasses os quais motivaram aprofundar o estudo acerca da EPS. O objetivo central foi identificar potencialidades e desafios da utilização do AVA como recurso pedagógico para o curso EPS em Movimento, na perspectiva dos tutores. Para isso, foram escolhidos cinco Estados que comtemplassem as cinco regiões do Brasil (Sul, Sudeste, Centro-Oeste, Nordeste, Norte) assim participaram, respectivamente, os Estados de Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Paraíba e Pará. Foram convidados a participar da pesquisa cinco tutores de cada Estado. Para as respostas das perspectivas dos tutores aplicou-se o método análise de conteúdo, e além dos questionários, a pesquisa contou com diário de campo recolhidos das reuniões de curso com intuito de colaborar nas inferências e formulações de hipóteses. Ficou evidente que há movimentos de reflexão sobre o cotidiano do trabalho através de algumas percepções de tutores. Entretanto, há dificuldades dos tutores em trabalhar o conceito EPS no AVA do Otics. Através de referências constatou-se que a educação a distância (EAD) está cada vez mais comum, sendo uma maneira potente de disseminar o conhecimento. Entende-se que o movimento de EPS pode se dar em vários tipos de encontro. A aposta está em novas ideias de encontros que incentivem o diálogo seja esse virtual ou presencial, assim como na potência de formar tutores aptos a conduzir a proposta da EPS esteja onde estiver. / The purpose of this study was to identify and to analyse the potentialities and challenges of the use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) as an educational resource to multiply the motion of the Permanent Health Education (PHE) in Brazil in the course called EPS em Movimento. By the work of the researcher in the secretariat and organization activities of the EPS em Movimento course were verified in the meetings the challenges and impasses that motivated people to deepen the knowledge about PHE. The main purpose of the research was to identify the potentialities and challenges of using the VLE as an educational resource for the EPS em Movimento course from the perspective of tutors. Five states that behold the five regions of Brazil (South, Southeast, Midwest, Northeast and North) were chosen. Participated of the study the following states respectively: Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Paraíba and Pará. Five tutors of each chosen state were invited to participate. To collect the answers of the tutors’ narratives was applied the Content Analysis Method and in addition to the questionnaires the field journals, collected in the course’s meetings, in order to collaborate on inferences and hypotheses formulations. It is clear that there is reflection about the daily work through some tutors’ narratives. However there are also some difficulties to the tutor to work the concept of PHE in the VLE. Through some referrals it was found that Distance Education is becoming more common and is an efficient tool to disseminate knowledge. It is meant that the PHE movement can occur in different types of encounters. The bet is on new ideas for meetings that encourage dialogue, whether it be virtual or face, as well as in the power to form tutors able to drive the proposal of PHE wherever you are.

Clinical learning experiences form an integral part of the student nurse's training, for it is in the clinical setting that students acquire the knowledge, skills and values necessary for professional practice. The purpose of this research was to explore student nurses experiences during clinical practice. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was utilised, employing the phenomenological method. Unstructured interviews were conducted with student nurses in their final year of the four year nursing programme at a nursing college campus in the Limpopo Province. Tesch's method of data analysis was used. The findings indicate that there are aspects which impact negatively on student nurses' clinical learning experiences, such as lack of teaching and learning support, lack of opportunities for learning, poor theory-practice integration, and poor interpersonal relationships between the students, college tutors and ward staff. Recommendations to enhance the clinical learning experiences of student nurses were made. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

O conhecimento de uma pessoa pode se tornar obsoleto ou incompleto rapidamente, visto que, na chamada sociedade da informação e do conhecimento, a todo instante surgem novas teorias e tecnologias que são rapidamente publicadas e disseminadas pelos novos meios de comunicação e informação, notadamente a Internet. Visando contribuir para a atenuação desse problema, o presente trabalho propõe o desenvolvimento de um ambiente baseado na Web que dê apoio à aprendizagem continuada de um indivíduo dentro de algum campo de interesse, facilitando, assim, a atualização de seus conhecimentos. Do ponto de vista tecnológico, o trabalho se apóia na recuperação de informações em contexto e na tecnologia de agentes de software; do ponto de vista pedagógico, inspira-se na pedagogia de projetos de aprendizagem. / The knowledge of a person can become rapidly obsolete or incomplete, since the called society of information and knowledge, all the time there are new theories and technologies that are quickly published and disseminated by new media and information, notably the Internet. Aiming to reduce this problem, this work proposes the development of a Web-based environment which provides support for lifelong learning of an individual within a certain field of interest, thus facilitating the upgrade of their knowledge. From a technological standpoint, the work relies on Information Retrieval in Context and the Technology of Software Agents, the pedagogical point of view, inspired by the Pedagogy of Learning Projects.

Esta dissertação trata de um estudo sobre as ações dos sujeitos para a constituição da coletividade em um Ambiente Virtual de Escrita Coletiva. Como recurso foi utilizado o Editor de Texto Coletivo - o ETC, desenvolvido pelo NUTED (Núcleo de Tecnologia Digital da Faculdade de Educação, da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS) que serviu de base para a coleta e análise dos dados. Os sujeitos da pesquisa foram estudantes de graduação e pós-graduação da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) de disciplinas da área de informática na educação. Como fundamentação teórica utilizou-se a Epistemologia Genética de Jean Piaget que serviu como referencial para o desenvolvimento deste estudo. Para tanto, a coleta de dados foi realizada através de entrevistas semiestruturadas individuais e em grupo, buscando a fala do aluno. Também foram realizadas observações no ETC e analisadas a escrita e a ação dos sujeitos, no decorrer do processo de trabalho. Os resultados de tais observações foram capturados nos registros dos textos, comentários e no histórico do editor. Além disso, foi utilizado como complemento o Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem ROODA, através de extratos retirados das ferramentas fórum, diário, bate-papos e webfólio. As conclusões indicam um mapeamento das ações dos sujeitos para a constituição da coletividade na Web, a partir do conhecimento e da organização do grupo apoiada na identificação dos conflitos sócio-cognitivos, coordenação de ações/idéias e a construção de uma escala comum de valores entre os participantes. Entretanto foi necessário criar estratégias pedagógicas de utilização do ETC que propiciassem a interação entre os participantes, bem como verificar quais ferramentas potencializam a constituição da coletividade na Web. / This dissertation deals with the subject’s actions to derive a collective writing virtual environment. The Editor de Texto Coletivo [Collective Text Editor, ETC] was used as main resource – ETC, developed by NUTED (Núcleo de Tecnologia Digital da Faculdade de Educação, da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS) [Digital Technology Nucleolus of the School of Education of UFRGS [Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul] was used to collect and analyze data. Subjects were undergraduate and graduate students of the schools of Information Technology and Education. The background theory employed in this study is the Genetic Epistemology by Jean Piaget. Data were collected by structured and semi-structured interviews in order to get the student´s speech. ETC was also used to analyze the subjects’ writings and actions during the workshop. Results of these observations were stored from the texts, comments, and the editor’s records. Also ROODA [Virtual Learning Environment] was used as a tool for the forum summaries, chats, and the web foils. Conclusions indicate a mapping of the subjects’ actions to build a web community starting with the knowledge the group’s organization, its socio-cognitive conflicts, the group’s actions and ideas, as well as the group building of a common values scale. However, the use of pedagogical tools and the use of ETC were key allow the participant’s interaction and to detect the tools that enhance web community establishment.

A presente tese tem como objetivo construir princípios que possam auxiliar a desenvolver a pesquisa científica para investigar Ambientes Virtuais de Aprendizagem (AVAs), sob o ponto de vista do pensamento complexo. Para tanto, o estudo é desenvolvido numa abordagem qualitativa de cunho dialógico, com base no Paradigma do Pensamento Complexo proposto por Edgar Morin. Este estudo indica princípios da pesquisa científica em ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem, fundamentado na compreensão dos desafios que a cibercultura impõe para a realização de pesquisas científicas em AVAs e na análise da dinâmica dos mesmos. Estes princípios são divididos em ontológicos, epistemológicos e metodológicos, e formam o quadro de referência para o desenvolvimento de um tipo de pesquisa que denominamos de PesquisAVA. Esta tem como objeto de estudo os ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem, sendo uma pesquisa que se caracteriza por se realizar no espaço virtual, fazendo uso da tecnologia digital. Através de uma aplicação prática dos princípios, utilizando o AVA ROODA, foi possível identificar as possibilidades e os limites da PesquisAVA. Os limites, de uma maneira geral, dizem respeito às dificuldades da pesquisa fundamentada no paradigma da complexidade de expressar, com as limitações que temos, a multiplicidade dos caminhos, dos olhares, dos contextos. Ainda, incluem as dificuldades de organizar uma quantidade muito grande de dados que normalmente são produzidos nos AVAs. Como possibilidades, a PesquisAVA permite desenvolver a investigação respeitando as especificidades do AVA e explorando as mesmas em proveito da pesquisa. Com esse tipo de pesquisa mostramos que, não só é preciso, mas é possível embasar a investigação em ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem sob um novo paradigma. A PesquisAVA proporciona, também, novas compreensões/ explicações sobre o funcionamento do AVA; o processo de ensino e de aprendizagem nesse ambiente; as relações professor-aluno e aluno-aluno nesse novo espaço/tempo virtual; as novas linguagens; os processos de construção do conhecimento; enfim o complexo contexto que o AVA representa. Diante disso, esse tipo de pesquisa pode contribuir para descobertas sobre processos investigativos no AVA que permitam qualificar, cada vez mais, o uso dos mesmos na educação. / The present thesis has the objective of building principles that can help developing the scientific research to investigate Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) under the complex thinking point of view. For that, the study is developed in a qualitative approach with dialogical characteristics, based on the Complex Thinking Paradigm proposed by Edgar Morin. This study indicates principles of scientific research in virtual learning environments, founded on the comprehension of the challenges imposed by cyberculture to the development of scientific researches in VLEs, and on the analysis of their dynamics. These principles are divided in ontological, epistemological and methodological, and form a reference framework to the development of a kind of research that we call VLE-Research. This research has the virtual learning environments as its object of study, and it is characterized by being developed in virtual spaces, using digital technology. Throughout a practical application of the principles, using the VLE ROODA, it was possible to identify the VLE-Research’s possibilities and limits. The limits, in general, are about the difficulties of the research based on the complexity paradigm to express the multiplicity of ways, of insights, of contexts, taking into consideration the limitations we have. Moreover, they include the difficulties of organizing a huge amount of data that are normally produced in VLEs. As possibilities the VLE-Research permits develop the investigation respecting the specificities of VLE and exploring them in the research’s benefit. With this kind of research we show that not only it is necessary, but also possible to build the investigation in virtual learning environments under a new paradigm. The VLE-Research also provides new comprehensions/explanations about the VLE’s functioning; the teaching and learning processes in this environment; the relations teacher-student and student-student in this new virtual space/time; the new languages; the knowledge construction processes; finally the complex context that the VLE represents. Therefore, this kind of research can contribute for discoveries about investigative processes in VLEs that allow qualifying, more and more, their use in education.