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.

Στην παρούσα έρευνα επιχειρείται η διερεύνηση των προτιμώμενων τρόπων μάθησης των μεταπτυχιακών φοιτητών στα προγράμματα σπουδών του Ελληνικού Ανοικτού Πανεπιστημίου «Σπουδές στην Εκπαίδευση» και «Εκπαίδευση Ενηλίκων», στο πλαίσιο της εξ αποστάσεως εκπαίδευσης. Ως ερμηνευτικό πλαίσιο της έρευνας χρησιμοποιείται η θεωρία της εμπειρικής μάθησης του Kolb. Η συλλογή των δεδομένων στηρίχθηκε στη μέθοδο της επισκόπησης, με εργαλείο μέτρησης το ερωτηματολόγιο. Από την ποσοτική επεξεργασία των εμπειρικών δεδομένων διαπιστώνεται η τάση των μεταπτυχιακών φοιτητών προς τον συγκλίνοντα μαθησιακό τύπο. Τα αποτελέσματα δείχνουν ότι η μεθοδολογία της εξ αποστάσεως εκπαίδευσης εμπίπτει στις προτιμώμενες μαθησιακές συνθήκες του συγκεκριμένου μαθησιακού τύπου. / This research focuses on the attempt to look into the learning preferences of Hellenic Open University’s post graduate students, in the fields of “Education” and “Adult Education”, that they study in the context of open and distance learning methodology. The interpretative context of the research is formed by Kolb’s theory of experiential learning. The research method is based on the questionnaire. The quantitative processing of data ascertains the tendency of post graduate students towards convergent learning style. The results demonstrate that the methodology of open and distance education, as a learning environment, supports the preferences which associate with convergent learning style.

Text in German / This dissertation shows the possibilities of interdisciplinary application of principles and methods in bible didactics, adult education, school education and learning style research to Christian education in evangelical free churches. The research objective is the establishment and development of a bible didactic methodology for practical teaching in order to convey biblical contents to postmodern adults. This objective is achieved by the practical-theological establishment of the necessity of basic biblical education in free churches, the presentation of the postmodernist church pedagogical framework for bible courses, the elaboration of possible applications of didactic principles of bible didactics, adult education and school education for conveying biblical contents in bible courses, and finally, by the compilation of suitable bible didactic principles and methods for bible courses. The dissertation closes by stating the requirements of pastors and teachers in free churches as well as the challenges of church pedagogy training for future pastors. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Learning style preferences play a significant role during the learning and teaching process. Therefore, a multitude of researchers have developed different models to accommodate students’ various learning styles. Those models share the same goal of trying to classify a particular students’ learning style and to provide an overview of better teaching strategies for educators. This paper presents a research study based on a survey that investigates the learning style preferences of computer network vocational senior secondary school students in Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia. This survey uses the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire developed by Felder and Solomon. In total, 162 data sets from five different schools in five different areas were collected in order to represent the Yogyakarta Province. The findings from the study show that students participating in computer network vocational training preferred active (82.66%), sensing (67.66%), visual (83.83%), and sequential (52.44%) learning styles. Students most strongly prefer visual and least favor verbal (16.17%). Identifying learning styles can benefit teachers as they customize teaching methods and can maximize the learning and teaching process.

This study examines the strategies used by facilitators at Adult Basic Education and Training Centre in order to determine whether the facilitators are responsive to adult learning principle and practices. If inappropriate strategies for the facilitation of learning are used, adult learners are likely to become bored, frustrated, overwhelmed or unable to cope with the challenges of learning. This may contribute to the high drop-out rate that many adult education programmes face. The failure to retain adult learners in ABET programmes may result in adult learners relapsing into illiteracy, which then poses a problem as the overarching goal of the South African government is to eradicate illiteracy. This study aims at answering the following research questions: <ul> <li>What are the perceptions of adult learners of the facilitation of learning in the programmes they are enrolled for?</li> <li>What are the strategies used by ABET facilitators to promote cooperative learning?</il> <li>How do ABET facilitators promote self-directed learning among adult learners?</li> </ul> The theoretical framework on which this study is based is constructivism. Constructivist theory advocates a paradigm shift from traditional methods of teaching to a more learner-centred approach of instruction and learning. Thus, constructivist theory embraces Outcomes-based Education that emphasises that active participation by learners should be the backbone of all learning activities. Both facilitators and learners are required to focus on the outcomes that should be achieved during each learning activity. This study employs a mixed-methods approach that includes quantitative and qualitative research methods. The research design for this study is the case study method. The population of this study comprises adult learners and facilitators at Gaegolelwe Adult Centre. A simple random sampling was used to select forty-seven adult learners to participate in this study. Convenience sampling was used to select 4 facilitators. The methods of data collection used were questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and observations. The findings of this study are the following: <ul> <li>Facilitators at Gaegolelwe Adult Centre cater moderately for learners with different learning styles.</li> <li>Learners are engaged in different learning activities, such as completing tasks individually, in pairs or in groups and are involved in research orientated activities in order to discover things for themselves.</li> <li>Facilitators promote active participation during learning opportunities.</li> <li>Most adult learners demonstrate responsibility towards their own work. However, some do not, and this may be attributed to many competing social roles that must be balanced against the demands of learning.</li> <li>Learners are challenged to develop critical thinking, problem-solving and higher order reasoning skills.</li> <li>Cooperative learning as one strategy of facilitating learning is not utilised to the maximum.</li> <li>It has been observed that the lecture method is predominantly used by facilitators; this is not in line with constructivist learning theory as the latter emphasises the use of different methods of facilitation in order to accommodate learners with diverse learning styles.</li> </ul> The following recommendations have been made: <ul> <li>Facilitators with extensive teaching experience should be engaged to facilitate adult learning. However, they should be educated and trained in methods of facilitating adult learners.</li> <li>Male adults need to be mobilised through mass literacy campaigns to join ABET programmes.</li> <li>Learners should be given the opportunity to make an input in the development of strategies for facilitating learning.</li></ul> Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Early Childhood Education / unrestricted

This study investigated the effects of interactive lessons and learning style on student learning outcomes in self-defense education classes. The study utilized an experimental design that incorporated four self-defense education classes at the University of North Texas (UNT) during the fall semester 2007 (N = 87). A pre-test was administered during the first week of class to determine prior knowledge of the participants. The Visual Auditory Reading/Kinesthetic Inventory (VARK) was used to assess the learning styles of the students and was completed after the pre-test of knowledge was administered. The treatment group received the interactive lesson and the control received a paper review. The difference between the pre and posttest was used as a measure of improvement of the student's learning outcomes. A 2 (treatment/control) by 2 (pretest/posttest) ANOVA with repeated measures was conducted to examine the differential improvement in knowledge across the intervention. Based on the 2-way ANOVA there was a significant difference between the treatment group and the control group based on their learning outcomes. A repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to determine if there was a significant difference between the groups based on the pre and post test scores. Based on the results of a one week study it was determined that interactive lessons do make a significant impact on learning outcomes compared to traditional reviews.

Es besteht eine starke Nachfrage nach einer positiven Applikation zum Lernen, um den strategischen Plan des indonesischen Ministeriums für Bildung und Kultur zu fördern, dass die Ratio von Berufsschule höher als die allgemeinbildende Schule werden kann. Die rasante entwicklung der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie könnte es ermöglichen, den Lernenden ein computergestütztes, personalisiertes E-Learning-System zur Verfügung zu stellen, um die Tatsache zu überwinden, dass jeder Lernende seine eigene Präferenz hat. Diese Studie bietet ein adaptives E-Learning-System, bei dem zwei Quellen der Personalisierung berücksichtigt werden: der Lernstil des Schülers und das Vorwissen. Um die Wirksamkeit des vorgeschlagenen E-Learning-Programms zu untersuchen, werden die Leistungen der Schüler bezüglich der drei niedrigsten Ebenen im kognitiven Bereich (Wissen, Verständnis und Anwendung) in der E-Learning-Gruppe mit denen der traditionellen Unterrichtsgruppe verglichen. Ein weiterer interessanter Bereich ist die sogannte schülerperspektive Usability-Bewertung und die Beziehung zwischen den Usability-Fragebogen angegebenen Aspekten zu erforschen. Der Entwurfs- und Entwicklungsprozess des adaptiven E-Learning-Systems in dieser Studie berücksichtigte sowohl das Instruktionsdesign als auch das Software-Engineering. Die erste Phase begann mit der Analyse des Kandidaten der Teilnehmer, des Fachkurses und des Online-Liefermediums. Der nächste Schritt bestand darin, die Prozedur, die Regelwerk der Adaptation und die Benutzeroberfläche zu entwerfen. Dann wurde Entwicklungsprozess des Lehrsystems auf der Grundlage der aus den vorherigen Phasen gesammelten Daten durchgeführt. Die nächste Phase war die Implementierung des Unterrichtsprogramms für die Schüler in einer kleinen Gruppe. Schließlich wurde die E-Learning-Anwendung in drei verschiedenen Teststrategien bewertet: Funktionsbasiertes Testen, Expertenbasierte Bewertung und benutzerperspektivische Bewertung. Die nächste Aktion ist eine experimentelle Studie, bei der das adaptive E-Learning-System im Lernprozess angewendet wird. An diesem Experiment waren zwei Gruppen beteiligt. Die Experimentalgruppe bestand aus 21 Studenten, die den Unterrichtsfach Digital Simulation mithilfe des adaptiven E-Learning-Systems lernten. Eine andere Gruppe war die Kontrollgruppe, die 21 Schüler umfasste, die dasselbe Unterrichtsfach in der traditionellen Klasse lernten. Es wurden zwei Instrumente verwendet, um die erforderlichen Daten zu erheben. Das erste Instrument bestand aus 30 Multiple-Choice-Fragen, die die kognitiven Ebenen von Wissen, Verstehen und Anwendung enthielten. Dieses Instrument wurde verwendet, um die Schülerleistung bei dem obengeschriebenen Unterrichtsfach zu bewerten. Das zweite Instrument war der Usability-Fragebogen, der aus 30 4-Punkte-Likert Aussagen bestand. Dieser Fragebogen bestand aus vier Dimensionen nämlich Nützlichkeit, Benutzerfreundlichkeit, Lernfreundlichkeit und Zufriedenheit. Mit diesem Fragebogen wurde die Usability der adaptiven E-Learning-Applikation basierend auf die Perspektive des Schülers bewertet. Der Befund dieser Studie ergab ein ungewöhnliches Phänomen, bei dem das Ergebnis des Pre-Tests der Kontrollgruppe signifikant höher als Experimentalgruppe. Zum Post-Test Vergleich, obwohl die Leistung der E-Learning Gruppe höher als der von der regulären war, war der Unterschied zwischen den beiden statistisch nicht signifikant. Der Vergleich der Punktzahlsteigerung wurde gemacht, um zu untersuchen, welche Behandlungsgruppe effektiver war. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die gesamte Punktzahlsteigerung von der Experimentalgruppe signifikant höher als die von der Kontrollgruppe war. Diese Beweise waren auch im Hinblick auf das Wissen, das Verständnis und die Anwendungsebene des kognitiven Bereichs gültig. Diese Ergebnisse bestätigten, dass die Gruppe des adaptiven E-Learning-Systems bezüglich ihrer Leistung effektiver war als die Gruppe der Studenten, die in der traditionellen Klasse lernten. Ein weiterer wichtiger Befund betraf die Bewertung der Usability. Die Punktzahl der Messung wurde anhand verschiedener Ansätze analysiert und ergab, dass der Usability-Score in allen Aspekten (Nützlichkeit, Benutzerfreundlichkeit, Lernfreundlichkeit und Zufriedenheit) den akzeptablen Kriterien zuzuordnen ist. Darüber hinaus wurde die Regressionsanalyse durchgeführt, um die Beziehung zwischen den Variablen zu untersuchen. Der erste Befund ergab, dass die unabhängigen Variablen (Nützlichkeit, Benutzerfreundlichkeit und Lernfreundlichkeit) gleichzeitig die abhängige Variable (Zufriedenheit) beeinflussten. In der Zwischenzeit ergab der Teil t-Test unterschiedliche Ergebnisse. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die variable Benutzerfreundlichkeit die variable Zufriedenheit signifikant beeinflusste. Der variable Nützlichkeit und die Lernfreundlichkeit wirkten sich indessen nicht signifikant auf die variable Zufriedenheit aus. / There is a strong demand for a positive instructional application in order to address the strategic plan of the Ministry of Education and Culture in Indonesia to change the ratio of vocational secondary school to be higher than the general school one. The immense growth of information and communication technology may be possible to provide a computer-based personalized e-learning system to the learners in order to overcome the fact that each student has their own preferences in learning. This study offers an adaptive e-learning system by considering two sources of personalization: the student’s learning style and initial knowledge. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed e-learning program, the students’ achievement in terms of three lowest levels in the cognitive domain (knowledge, comprehension, and application) in the e-learning group is compared with the traditional classroom group. Another area that is interesting to explore is the usability evaluation based on the students’ perspective and the relationship between aspects specified in the usability questionnaire. The design and development process of the adaptive e-learning system in this study was considering both the instructional system design and software engineering. The first phase was started by analyzing the participants’ candidate, the subject course, and the online delivery medium. The next step was designing the procedure, the adaptation set of rules, and the user interface. Then, the process to develop the instructional system based on the data collected from the previous phases was conducted. The next stage was implemented the instructional program to the students in a small group setting. Finally, the e-learning application was evaluated in three different settings: functional-based testing, experts-based assessment, and user-perspective evaluation. The next action is an experimental study by applying the adaptive e-learning system to the learning process. There were two groups involved in this experiment. The experimental group that consisted of 21 students who learned the Digital Simulation course by utilizing the adaptive e-learning system. Another group was the control group that included 21 students who studied the same course through the traditional classroom setting. There were two instruments used to collect the required data. The first instrument contained 30 multiple-choice questions that considered the cognitive levels of knowledge, comprehension, and application. This instrument was used to assess the student achievement of the intended course. The second instrument was the usability questionnaire that consisted of 30 4-point Likert scale statements. This questionnaire was composed of four dimensions, namely usefulness, ease of use, ease of learning, and satisfaction. This questionnaire aimed to evaluate the usability of the adaptive e-learning application based on the student’s perspective. The finding in this study revealed an unusual phenomenon which the pre-test result of the control group was significantly exceeding those of the experimental group. For the post-test score comparison, although there was a higher achievement in the e-learning group than in the regular group, the difference between both achievements was not statistically significant. The comparison in terms of the gain score was conducted in order to investigate which treatment group was more effective. The results indicated that the total gain score achieved by the experimental group was significantly higher than those recorded by the control group. This evidence was also valid with regard to the knowledge, comprehension, and application-level of the cognitive domain. These findings confirmed that the group who utilized the adaptive e-learning system was reported more effective in terms of the achievement score than the group of students who studied in the traditional setting. Another important finding was related to usability evaluation. The measurement score was analyzed through different approaches and revealed that the usability score categorized in the acceptable criteria in all aspects (usefulness, ease of use, ease of learning, and satisfaction). Furthermore, the regression analysis was conducted in order to explore the relation between the variables. The first finding reported that the independent variables (usefulness, ease of use, and ease of learning) simultaneously influenced the dependent variable (satisfaction). In the meantime, the partial t-Test found varying results. The results indicated that the variable ease of use was significantly influenced variable satisfaction. Meanwhile, variable usefulness and ease of learning were not significantly affected variable satisfaction.

In the era of e-Learning, educational materials are considered a crucial point for all the stakeholders. On the one hand, instructors aim at creating learning materials that meet the needs and expectations of learners easily and effec-tively; On the other hand, learners want to acquire knowledge in a way that suits their characteristics and preferences. Consequently, the provision and customization of educational materials to meet the needs of learners is a constant challenge and is currently synonymous with technological devel-opment. Promoting the personalization of learning materials, especially dur-ing their development, will help to produce customized learning materials for specific learners' needs. The main objective of this thesis is to reinforce and strengthen Reuse, Cus-tomization and Ease of Production issues in e-Learning materials during the development process. The thesis deals with the design of a framework based on ontologies and product lines to develop customized Learning Objects (LOs). With this framework, the development of learning materials has the following advantages: (i) large-scale production, (ii) faster development time, (iii) greater (re) use of resources. The proposed framework is the main contribution of this thesis, and is char-acterized by the combination of three models: the Content Model, which addresses important points related to the structure of learning materials, their granularity and levels of aggregation; the Customization Model, which con-siders specific learner characteristics and preferences to customize the learn-ing materials; and the LO Product Line (LOPL) model, which handles the subject of variability and creates matter-them in an easy and flexible way. With these models, instructors can not only develop learning materials, but also reuse and customize them during development. An additional contribution is the Customization Model, which is based on the Learning Style Model (LSM) concept. Based on the study of seven of them, a Global Learning Style Model Ontology (GLSMO) has been con-structed to help instructors with information on the apprentice's characteris-tics and to recommend appropriate LOs for customization. The results of our work have been reflected in the design of an authoring tool for learning materials called LOAT. They have described their require-ments, the elements of their architecture, and some details of their user inter-face. As an example of its use, it includes a case study that shows how its use in the development of some learning components. / En la era del e¿Learning, los materiales educativos se consideran un punto crucial para todos los participantes. Por un lado, los instructores tienen como objetivo crear materiales de aprendizaje que satisfagan las necesidades y ex-pectativas de los alumnos de manera fácil y efectiva; por otro lado, los alumnos quieren adquirir conocimientos de una manera que se adapte a sus características y preferencias. En consecuencia, la provisión y personaliza-ción de materiales educativos para satisfacer las necesidades de los estudian-tes es un desafío constante y es actualmente sinónimo de desarrollo tecnoló-gico. El fomento de la personalización de los materiales de aprendizaje, es-pecialmente durante su desarrollo, ayudará a producir materiales de aprendi-zaje específicos para las necesidades específicas de los alumnos. El objetivo fundamental de esta tesis es reforzar y fortalecer los temas de Reutilización, Personalización y Facilidad de Producción en materiales de e-Learning durante el proceso de desarrollo. La tesis se ocupa del diseño de un marco basado en ontologías y líneas de productos para desarrollar objetos de aprendizaje personalizados. Con este marco, el desarrollo de materiales de aprendizaje tiene las siguientes ventajas: (i) producción a gran escala, (ii) tiempo de desarrollo más rápido, (iii) mayor (re)uso de recursos. El marco propuesto es la principal aportación de esta tesis, y se caracteriza por la combinación de tres modelos: el Modelo de Contenido, que aborda puntos importantes relacionados con la estructura de los materiales de aprendizaje, su granularidad y niveles de agregación, el Modelo de Persona-lización, que considera las características y preferencias específicas del alumno para personalizar los materiales de aprendizaje, y el modelo de Línea de productos LO (LOPL), que maneja el tema de la variabilidad y crea ma-teriales de manera fácil y flexible. Con estos modelos, los instructores no sólo pueden desarrollar materiales de aprendizaje, sino también reutilizarlos y personalizarlos durante el desarrollo. Una contribución adicional es el modelo de personalización, que se basa en el concepto de modelo de estilo de aprendizaje. A partir del estudio de siete de ellos, se ha construido una Ontología de Modelo de Estilo de Aprendiza-je Global para ayudar a los instructores con información sobre las caracterís-ticas del aprendiz y recomendarlos apropiados para personalización. Los resultados de nuestro trabajo se han plasmado en el diseño de una he-rramienta de autor de materiales de aprendizaje llamada LOAT. Se han des-crito sus requisitos, los elementos de su arquitectura, y algunos detalles de su interfaz de usuario. Como ejemplo de su uso, se incluye un caso de estudio que muestra cómo su empleo en el desarrollo de algunos componentes de aprendizaje. / En l'era de l'e¿Learning, els materials educatius es consideren un punt crucial per a tots els participants. D'una banda, els instructors tenen com a objectiu crear materials d'aprenentatge que satisfacen les necessitats i expectatives dels alumnes de manera fàcil i efectiva; d'altra banda, els alumnes volen ad-quirir coneixements d'una manera que s'adapte a les seues característiques i preferències. En conseqüència, la provisio' i personalitzacio' de materials edu-catius per a satisfer les necessitats dels estudiants és un desafiament constant i és actualment sinònim de desenvolupament tecnològic. El foment de la personalitzacio' dels materials d'aprenentatge, especialment durant el seu desenvolupament, ajudarà a produir materials d'aprenentatge específics per a les necessitats concretes dels alumnes. L'objectiu fonamental d'aquesta tesi és reforçar i enfortir els temes de Reutilització, Personalització i Facilitat de Producció en materials d'e-Learning durant el procés de desenvolupament. La tesi s'ocupa del disseny d'un marc basat en ontologies i línia de productes per a desenvolupar objec-tes d'aprenentatge personalitzats. Amb aquest marc, el desenvolupament de materials d'aprenentatge té els següents avantatges: (i) produccio' a gran esca-la, (ii) temps de desenvolupament mes ràpid, (iii) major (re)ús de recursos. El marc proposat és la principal aportacio' d'aquesta tesi, i es caracteritza per la combinacio' de tres models: el Model de Contingut, que aborda punts im-portants relacionats amb l'estructura dels materials d'aprenentatge, la se-ua granularitat i nivells d'agregació, el Model de Línia de Producte, que ges-tiona el tema de la variabilitat i crea materials d'aprenentatge de manera fàcil i flexible. Amb aquests models, els instructors no solament poden desenvolu-par materials d'aprenentatge, sinó que també poden reutilitzar-los i personalit-zar-los durant el desenvolupament. Una contribucio' addicional és el Model de Personalitzacio', que es basa en el concepte de model d'estil d'aprenentatge. A partir de l'estudi de set d'ells, s'ha construït una Ontologia de Model d'Estil d'Aprenentatge Global per a ajudar als instructors amb informacio' sobre les característiques de l'aprenent i recomanar els apropiats per a personalitzacio'. Els resultats del nostre treball s'han plasmat en el disseny d'una eina d'autor de materials d'aprenentatge anomenada LOAT. S'han descrit els seus requi-sits, els elements de la seua arquitectura, i alguns detalls de la seua interfície d'usuari. Com a exemple del seu ús, s'inclou un cas d'estudi que mostra com és el desenvolupament d'alguns components d'aprenentatge. / Ezzat Labib Awad, A. (2017). Enforcing Customization in e-Learning Systems: an ontology and product line-based approach [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/90515 / TESIS

This diploma thesis is aimed at the possibilities of the usage of physical activities in chemistry education. The theoretical part of this thesis contains the analysis of RVP ZV and RVP G, especially the content of the movement. This part is also focused on the physical activities, the types and styles of learning, especially on the kinesthetic learning style, and the motivation of pupils. The practical part of this thesis is focused on the finding of usage physical activities by teachers of chemistry. These data are obtained through interviews with chemistry teachers. These teachers also evaluated the created chemistry physical activities, which are presented in the diploma thesis. The chemistry physical activities also includes methodological instructions for users.

Learning style preferences play a significant role during the learning and teaching process. Therefore, a multitude of researchers have developed different models to accommodate students’ various learning styles. Those models share the same goal of trying to classify a particular students’ learning style and to provide an overview of better teaching strategies for educators. This paper presents a research study based on a survey that investigates the learning style preferences of computer network vocational senior secondary school students in Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia. This survey uses the Index of Learning Styles (ILS) questionnaire developed by Felder and Solomon. In total, 162 data sets from five different schools in five different areas were collected in order to represent the Yogyakarta Province. The findings from the study show that students participating in computer network vocational training preferred active (82.66%), sensing (67.66%), visual (83.83%), and sequential (52.44%) learning styles. Students most strongly prefer visual and least favor verbal (16.17%). Identifying learning styles can benefit teachers as they customize teaching methods and can maximize the learning and teaching process.