Dirk T. Tempelaar

The role of academic motivation in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

In recent years, increasing attention has been devoted to virtual learning. In the last decade, a large number of studies in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) have assessed how social interaction, learning processes and outcomes in virtual settings are intertwined. Although recent research findings indicate that learners differ with respect to the amount and type of discourse contributed in virtual settings, little is known about the causes of these differences. The research presented here looks into the effects of motivation of learners on their contribution to discourse using the Deci and Ryan framework of (intrinsic/extrinsic) motivation. This study of 100 participants who were randomly distributed in six groups of 14 members collaborated in a virtual setting to remediate deficiencies in economics indicates that individuals differed with respect to the amount of discourse activity. Furthermore, an integrated multi-method approach (Content Analysis, Social Network Analysis and Academic Motivation Scale) was used in order to examine the impact of academic motivation on the type of discourse activity contributed and on the position of the learner in the social network. The results indicate that highly intrinsically motivated learners become central and prominent contributors to cognitive discourse. In contrast, extrinsically motivated learners contribute on average and are positioned throughout the social network. The research results reveal that differences in academic motivation influences the type of contributions to discourse as well as the position a learner takes within the social network.

In search for the most informative data for feedback generation

Formative assessment data have high predictive power in generating learning feedback.Track data from e-tutorial systems are second-best predictors for timely feedback.Predictive power of LMS data falls short in LA applications with rich data sources.Learning dispositions take a unique position being complementary to all other data.Combination of several data sources in LA is key to get timely, predictive feedback. Learning analytics seek to enhance the learning processes through systematic measurements of learning related data and to provide informative feedback to learners and teachers. Track data from learning management systems (LMS) constitute a main data source for learning analytics. This empirical contribution provides an application of Buckingham Shum and Deakin Cricks theoretical framework of dispositional learning analytics: an infrastructure that combines learning dispositions data with data extracted from computer-assisted, formative assessments and LMSs. In a large introductory quantitative methods module, 922 students were enrolled in a module based on the principles of blended learning, combining face-to-face problem-based learning sessions with e-tutorials. We investigated the predictive power of learning dispositions, outcomes of continuous formative assessments and other system generated data in modelling student performance of and their potential to generate informative feedback. Using a dynamic, longitudinal perspective, computer-assisted formative assessments seem to be the best predictor for detecting underperforming students and academic performance, while basic LMS data did not substantially predict learning. If timely feedback is crucial, both use-intensity related track data from e-tutorial systems, and learning dispositions, are valuable sources for feedback generation.

The Structural Relationship between Students' Epistemological Beliefs and Conceptions of Teaching and Learning.

The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between students’ epistemological beliefs and conceptions of teaching and learning. The results showed that the epistemological beliefs dimension ‘learning effort/process’ was positively related to the constructivist conception of teaching and learning, and negatively related to the traditional conception of teaching and learning, indicating that students recognize the importance of self‐directed learning. The relationships that were established between the ‘expert knowledge’ dimension of epistemological beliefs and the conceptions of teaching and learning show that students who do not believe in teachers as a main source of expertise tend to have constructivist conceptions of teaching and learning. Moreover, a positive relationship was found between the ‘certainty of knowledge’ dimension and the traditional conception of teaching and learning. These findings are in line with a constructivist philosophy of education and the principles of problem‐based learning.

Social presence, web-videoconferencing and learning in virtual teams

The potential of information technology to facilitate collaboration in education has grown considerably in recent years. The use of Web videoconferencing, whereby learners in an online classroom can simultaneously collaborate using audiovisual communication tools, increases the learners ability in social and emotional expression, thus improving communication which may enhance learning satisfaction. This paper compares two cohorts of students who attended the same online course in economics. Both could communicate via a discussion board and one cohort had the additional opportunity to participate in Web conferences. Contrary to expectations, learning satisfaction did not seem to increase with the introduction of Web videoconferencing. This finding leads to several questions for future research.

The Role of Metacognition in Business Education

‘Metacognition’, or the set of skills indicated as critical thinking in the domain of business education, constitutes an important aim in many educational programmes. At the same time, empirical studies demonstrate that teaching metacognitive skills is much harder than teaching cognitive ones. Moreover, the assessment of metacognitive skills poses unique problems. This study focuses on the assessment of metacognition (critical thinking) by means of a recently developed self-report instrument, the ‘Awareness of Independent Learning Inventory’, or AILI. Participants are undergraduate students in a business and economics programme. The study investigates the structure of metacognition, its relationship with background factors and its influence on course performance.

Remedial Online Teaching on a Summer Course

This paper is based on experiences with remedial online learning from a national collaboration initiative in the Netherlands involving the University of Amsterdam, Erasmus Rotterdam University and Maastricht University (www.web-spijkeren.nl). The central question is how prior knowledge tests and online remedial summer courses can contribute to mitigating the problems of heterogeneous student enrolment. Although the insights gathered for the paper are from pilots for first-year Bachelors programmes, the guidance they provide on how to implement an online summer course programme successfully should prove valuable to other organizations.

Longitudinal Study of Online Remedial Education Effects

An increasing number of students are choosing to follow a bachelor or master program at a foreign university. As the transparency in higher education is still limited, a student might make an inefficient decision when selecting a program. Several studies have found that lack of knowledge, skills, or academic integration lead to higher drop-out rates. Although remedial programs might mitigate these problems, the rates of long-term success of online remedial programs in terms of knowledge retention are unclear. In this contribution, we compared the short- and long-term effects of two online remedial courses, each with a distinctly different educational philosophy (problem-based learning vs. cognitive learning theory). The success of these courses was measured in a longitudinal study of the 850 participants in a first-year international business bachelor program. We found some empirical support that both courses improved study performance as well as study success.

Academic and social integration of Master students: a cross-institutional comparison between Dutch and international students

In Europe there is a growing concern among educators and policy makers that students are not well-prepared to start a Master programme. This study draws on longitudinal research conducted at four universities in the Netherlands and a follow-up exploratory purposively chosen from one of the study sites. In Study 1, differences in academic performance between 146 Dutch and 215 international students were identified by focussing on their levels of academic and social integration. Afterwards, students from 53 countries were clustered into ten geographical clusters using Hofstede culture difference scores. In Study 2, a questionnaire about perceived transitional barriers was completed by 159 Master students at one of the four institutes. The results of Study 1 indicate that academic and social integration scores of Western European and domestic students were comparable. Eastern European, non-European and in particular Southern Asian and Confucian Asian Master students had significantly lower academic and social integration scores. Follow-up regressions showed that academic adjustment is the main predictor of study- performance, irrespective of cultural differences. Study 2 indicates that half of the Master students experienced a substantial change in their learning strategies, language and research methods. We encourage UK higher educational institutes to conduct more research on whether the specific needs of international Master students are sufficiently supported.

Who Profits Most from Blended Learning

The authors investigate the relationship between student learning choices and learning styles in the use of an innovative learning environment for statistics. For teaching introductory statistics to first-year students in economics and business, Maastricht University uses a blended learning environment. It allows students to individualize learning by attuning the available learning tools to their personal preferences. The blended learning environment consists of tutorials focused on problem-based learning, lectures, independent learning and an electronic learning environment (ALEKS) based on knowledge space theory. The paper examines the intensity of use of ALEKS and investigates the relationship between this and student learning dispositions in a correlational study. Data from around 4,650 students are used. The findings suggest that less academically-inclined students, such as those with ‘surface’ approaches to learning, profit most from the availability of e-learning tools.

Towards Actionable Learning Analytics Using Dispositions

Studies in the field of learning analytics (LA) have shown students’ demographics and learning management system (LMS) data to be effective identifiers of “at risk” performance. However, insights generated by these predictive models may not be suitable for pedagogically informed interventions due to the inability to explain why students display these behavioral patterns. Therefore, this study aims at providing explanations of students’ behaviors on LMS by incorporating dispositional dimensions (e.g., self-regulation and emotions) into conventional learning analytics models. Using a combination of demographic, trace, and self-reported data of eight contemporary social-cognitive theories of education from 1,069 students in a blended introductory quantitative course, we demonstrate the potential of dispositional characteristics of students, such as procrastination and boredom. Our results highlight the need to move beyond simple engagement metrics, whereby dispositional learning analytics provide an actionable bridge between learning analytics and educational intervention.