Allan H. K. Yuen

Towards a framework for educational affordances of blogs

Accompanying the emergence of blog technology as a dominant online publishing paradigm is a growing interest in its educational benefits and applications. This study sets out to develop an empirically grounded framework for educational blogging in the context of teacher education. A working framework was first proposed that highlights four areas: self-expression, self-reflection, social interaction, and reflective dialogue. An exploratory study was then conducted to examine the framework by involving two groups of student teachers during their teaching practice. This study revealed that the salient values of blogs centered on emotionally charged and social-oriented individual expressions as well as self-reflection. The interactive functionality of blogs was used mostly for exchanging social support rather than reflective dialogue. A new dimension - blog-reading - has emerged through the investigation and been added to the original framework. The findings can contribute to a better understanding of the educational values of blogs and their meaningful applications as educational media.

ICT implementation and school leadership: Case studies of ICT integration in teaching and learning

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government launched a five‐year ICT strategy in schools in late 1998. This paper reports the findings of the analysis on models of change in 18 schools striving to integrate the use of ICT in teaching and learning across the school curriculum. The study shows that the strategy adopted by a school in instituting such change and the resulting variation of pedagogical practices using ICT is strongly dependent on the school leaders’ vision and understanding of the role and impact of ICT in the curriculum, their goals and objectives for ICT integration, as well as the history, culture and background of the school and its general vision and mission.

Understanding online knowledge sharing: An interpersonal relationship perspective

The unique features and capabilities of online learning are built on the ability to connect to a wider range of learning resources and peer learners that benefit individual learners, such as through discussion forums, collaborative learning, and community building. The success of online learning thus depends on the participation, engagement, and social interaction of peer learners, which leads to knowledge sharing. Thus, without frequent and persistent interaction, it is doubtful whether knowledge sharing can take place in online learning. This study argues that theories about the development and maintenance of social relationships provide a theoretical foundation for understanding the motivation to engage in online knowledge sharing behavior. An Online Knowledge Sharing Model (OKSM) is proposed and empirically tested among undergraduate students using an online learning environment. The model introduces two new constructs - Perceived Online Attachment Motivation (POAM) and Perceived Online Relationship Commitment (PORC), which together explained 71 percent of the variance observed in self-reported online knowledge sharing behavior. The findings provide some explanations for the motivation to share knowledge, and have several implications for the design of the features and capabilities of online learning environments.

Exploring the effects of gender and learning styles on computer programming performance: implications for programming pedagogy

Computer programming has been taught in secondary schools for more than two decades. However, little is known about how students learn to program. From the curriculum implementation perspectives, learning style helps address the issue of learner differences, resulting in a shift from a teacher-centred approach to a learner-focused approach. This study aims to investigate the effects of gender and learning styles on computer programming performance. The Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) was employed to measure learning styles. A test was administered to assess students’ programming performance. Two hundred and seventeen secondary school students of age from 14 to 19 participated in this study. Results indicated that no gender differences in programming performance were found after controlling for the effect of student ability. Academic ability had a differential effect on programming knowledge. Sequential learners in general performed better than random learners. These results suggest the importance of the ordering dimension of the GSD in influencing programming performance. Implications of the findings in relation to programming pedagogy are discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modelling programming performance: Beyond the influence of learner characteristics

In the 21st century, the ubiquitous nature of technology today is evident and to a large extent, most of us benefit from the modern convenience brought about by technology. Yet to be technology literate, it is argued that learning to program still plays an important role. One area of research in programming concerns the identification of predictors of programming success. Previous studies have identified a number of predictors. This study examined the effect of a combination of predictors (gender, learning styles, mental models, prior composite academic ability, and medium of instruction) on programming performance. Data were collected anonymously through a website from 131 secondary school students in Hong Kong who opted for computer programming in the Computer and Information Technology curriculum. Partial Least Squares (PLS) modelling was used to test a hypothesized theoretical structural model. All of the five aforementioned variables were either direct or indirect predictors of programming performance and the antecedents accounted for 43.6% of the variance in programming performance. While this study shows the influence of learner characteristics such as gender, learning styles, and mental models on programming performance, it highlights the effect that prior composite academic ability and medium of instruction exert on learning outcomes, which is uncommon among studies of similar purpose. These findings have significant implications for policy makers and educators alike.

Methodological Approaches to Comparing Pedagogical Innovations Using Technology

The study of educational innovations has become increasingly important in education research as many countries around the world have embarked on education reforms that aim to change both the goals and practices in education. There is also a general expectation that such innovations can be leveraged or supported by the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the learning and teaching process. However, comparative studies of innovations are relatively rare. SITES M2, as an international comparative study of innovative pedagogical practices involving 28 participating systems, thus faced important methodological challenges the solution of which was no less an innovation in itself. This paper examines the methods of analysis used and the kind of research findings that resulted from the work of three research teams that had conducted comparisons of the case studies of innovation collected, including the work of the SITES M2 International Coordinating Centre (ICC). Even though all three studies attempted to examine similarities and differences across multiple case studies, the analysis conducted by the ICC looked for characterizations of the innovations while the other two studies developed meaningful ways to compare the cases in terms of “levels of innovation” across a number of dimensions. In discussing the methodological differences across these studies, this paper pays special attention to how one could compare different innovations in terms of their levels or extents of innovation and what such comparisons may contribute to our learning from technology-supported education innovations.

Adolescents' risky online behaviours: The influence of gender, religion, and parenting style

This study explored the influence of gender, religion, and parenting style on risky online behaviours in a sample of 825 Secondary 2 students in Hong Kong. Three risky online behaviours, namely, unauthorised acts (UNAC), internet stickiness (INST), and plagiarism (PLAG) were examined. It was found that males tended to be involved in more risky online behaviours than did females. Christians were no different from non-Christians in terms of risky online behaviours. Parenting style did not seem to be effective in reducing risky online behaviours. There was some evidence that gender moderated the relationship between risky online behaviours and parenting style. Taken together, gender, religion, and parenting style predicted risky online behaviours significantly. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Blogs in pre-service teacher education: exploring the participation issue

Web 2.0 technologies characterised by user participation and sharing have been used increasingly in academic environments. In such learning environments, it is critical to engage learners as active participants rather than passive consumers of online content. The present study attempts to conceptualise the participation issue central to blogs through examining the factors that hinder student teachers from writing academic blogs and exchanging comments. It presents two cases of implementing academic blogging where participation levels varied. Adopting an exploratory case study approach, the study identified multiple inhibiting factors in individual, social, pedagogical, and technological dimensions. Through highlighting a number of critical issues and pitfalls for educators, the study can enhance the exploitation of the pedagogical potential of blogs and increase user engagement in the process.

Fostering Learning Communities in Classrooms: A Case Study of Hong Kong Schools

Over the past few years, curriculum innovation has been regarded as an essential strategy for educational reform throughout the era of educational change. Because of the changing nature of the knowledge age, students need to develop ways of dealing with complex issues and problems that require different kinds of skills and knowledge they have ever learned. Given the advancement of information and communications technologies (ICT), a number of cases of building learning communities in classrooms have been developed in recent years. Realizing the impact of this new learning culture, six primary schools in Hong Kong participated in the implementation of building learning communities through science project works. During the project, students from different schools engaged in the discussion and knowledge construction using a computer mediated communication (CMC) platform called Knowledge Forum. The aim of this case study is to explore the role of ICT in building learning communities and the conditions are essential to building learning communities from the different ways that students and teachers experienced the processes of community and knowledge construction using Knowledge Forum. Through the analysis of the interviews of students and teachers, conditions that support learning community building were emerged in three major themes, namely, conceptions of learning, knowledge construction processes, and development of social processes. Les communautés d’apprentissage dans les classes: une étude de cas. Durant les années passées, l’innovation dans les curricula a été considérée comme une stratégie essentielle pour toute réforme éducative dans cette période de changement éducatif. A cause de la nature changeante des connaissances, les étudiants doivent développer des moyens de traiter les issues et les problèmes complexes qui requièrent des compétences et des savoirs qu’ils n’ont jamais eus. Etant donné l’avancement des technologies de l’information et de la communication (ICT-TIC), de nombreux cas de création de communautés d’apprentissage dans les classes ont été observés pendant les années récentes. Réalisant l’impact de cette nouvelle culture d’enseignement, 6 écoles primaires de Hong Kong ont participé À la mise en oeuvre de communautés d’apprentissage À l’occasion d’un projet en sciences. Pendant ce projet les élèves des différentes écoles se sont engagés dans la discussion et la construction du savoir en utilisant une plateforme de CMC appelé Forum de Savoir. Le but de cette étude de cas est d’explorer le rÔle des (ICT-TIC) dans la construction de ces communautés d’apprentissage et les conditions essentielles pour les construire À partir de la facon dont maîtres et élèves ont expérimenté les processus impliqués dans ce Forum. GrÂce À l’analyse des interviews des élèves et des maîtres, les conditions qui supportent la construction de cette communauté sont apparues sous forme de 3 thèmes majeurs: les conceptions de l’apprentissage, la connaissance des processus de construction et le développement des processus sociaux. Lerngemeinschaften im Klassenzimmer: Eine Fallstudie. In den letzten Jahren ist die Curriculum-Erneuerung als eine wesentliche Strategie für Bildungsreformen in Zeiten des Wandels in der Erziehung betrachtet worden. Wegen der änderungen im Wissensalter müssen Studenten Handlungsweisen für den Umgang mit komplexen Sachverhalten und Problemen entwickeln, die andere Arten von Fähigkeiten und anderes Wissen erfordern, als sie jemals gelernt haben. Auf Grund der Fortschritte in den Informations- und kommunikationstechnologien (ICT) haben sich in den vergangenen Jahren eine Reihe von Lerngemeinschaften innerhalb von Schulungsräumen entwickelt. Unter dem Eindruck der Auswirkungen dieser neuen Lernkultur wurden sechs Grundschulen von Hongkong durch wissenschaftliche Projektarbeiten in den Aufbau von Lerngemeinschaften mit einbezogen. Während der Projektarbeiten haben sich Studenten verschiedener anderer Schulen mit Hilfe einer Computer gestützen Kommunikationssoftware ,,Knowledge Forum’ (CMC) in die Diskussionen und Sacherarbeitungen beteiligt. Diese Fallstudie soll die Rolle von ICT beim Aufbau von Lerngemeinschaften sowie die wesentlichen Bedingungen, die den Aufbau von Lerngemeinschaften fördern, erforschen. Dabei sollen auch die unterschiedlichen Wege, die Studenten und Lehrer bei der Arbeit mit Knowledge Forum eingeschlagen haben, untersucht werden. Durch die Analyse der Interviews von Studenten und Lehrern zeichneten sich drei Hauptthemen, die die Bildung von Lerngemeinschaften fördern, ab: die Lernkonzeption, der Wissensaufbau und die Entwicklung der sozialen Prozesse.

E-Learning System Acceptance and Usage Pattern

In the form of e-learning systems, information and communication technology improves both access to and effectiveness of learning. However, recent studies have found that instructors and students are not always fully engaged in online activities. Other studies have found inconsistent results, with learner participation varying significantly across contexts. This study adopts the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh et al., 2003) to investigate e-learning systems acceptance. An instrument was designed and administered to 128 undergraduate students who were using an e-learning system, named Interactive Learning Network, within a semester of study to examine the acceptance factors. Data were collected at the beginning of the semester (Phase A) as well as at the end of the semester (Phase B). Survey questionnaires were the same at both Phase A and Phase B, containing instruments of UTAUT, behavioural intention and satisfaction.