Eric N. Wiebe

The viability of crowdsourcing for survey research

Online contract labor portals (i.e., crowdsourcing) have recently emerged as attractive alternatives to university participant pools for the purposes of collecting survey data for behavioral research. However, prior research has not provided a thorough examination of crowdsourced data for organizational psychology research. We found that, as compared with a traditional university participant pool, crowdsourcing respondents were older, were more ethnically diverse, and had more work experience. Additionally, the reliability of the data from the crowdsourcing sample was as good as or better than the corresponding university sample. Moreover, measurement invariance generally held across these groups. We conclude that the use of these labor portals is an efficient and appropriate alternative to a university participant pool, despite small differences in personality and socially desirable responding across the samples. The risks and advantages of crowdsourcing are outlined, and an overview of practical and ethical guidelines is provided.

Improving the CS1 experience with pair programming

Pair programming is a practice in which two programmers work collaboratively at one computer, on the same design, algorithm, or code. Prior research indicates that pair programmers produce higher quality code in essentially half the time taken by solo programmers. An experiment was run to assess the efficacy of pair programming in an introductory Computer Science course. Student pair programmers were more self-sufficient, generally perform better on projects and exams, and were more likely to complete the class with a grade of C or better than their solo counterparts. Results indicate that pair programming creates a laboratory environment conducive to more advanced, active learning than traditional labs; students and lab instructors report labs to be more productive and less frustrating.

In Support of Pair Programming in the Introductory Computer Science Course

A formal pair programming experiment was run at North Carolina to empirically assess the educational efficacy of the technique in a CS1 course. Results indicate that students who practice pair programming perform better on programming projects and are more likely to succeed by completing the class with a C or better. Student pairs are more self-sufficient which reduces their reliance on the teaching staff. Qualitatively, paired students demonstrate higher order thinking skills than students who work alone. These results are supportive of pair programming as a collaborative learning technique.

Cloud computing adoption and usage in community colleges

Cloud computing is gaining popularity in higher education settings, but the costs and benefits of this tool have gone largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that lead to technology adoption in a higher education setting. Specifically, we examined a range of predictors and outcomes relating to the acceptance of a cloud computing platform in rural and urban community colleges. Drawing from the Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM3) (Venkatesh, V. and Bala, H., 2008. Technology Acceptance Model 3 and a research agenda on interventions. Decision Sciences, 39 (2), 273–315), we build on the literature by examining both the actual usage and future intentions; further, we test the direct and indirect effects of a range of predictors on these outcomes. Approximately 750 community college students enrolled in basic computing skills courses participated in this study; findings demonstrated that background characteristics such as the students ability to travel to campus had influenced the usefulness perceptions, while ease of use was largely determined by first-hand experiences with the platform, and instructor support. We offer recommendations for community college administrators and others who seek to incorporate cloud computing in higher education settings.

Writing to Learn by Learning to Write in the Disciplines

The traditional distinction between writing across the curriculum and writing in the disciplines (WID) as writing to learn versus learning to write understates WIDs focus on learning in the disciplines. Advocates of WID have described learning as socialization, but little research addresses how writing disciplinary discourses in disciplinary settings encourages socialization into the disciplines. Data from interviews with students who wrote lab reports in a biology lab suggest five ways in which writing promotes learning in scientific disciplines. Drawing on theories of situated learning, the authors argue that apprenticeship genres can encourage socialization into disciplinary communities.

Measuring engagement in video game-based environments

Investigated the User Engagement Scale for measuring engagement in game-play.Exploratory factor analysis revealed 4 factors rather than the original six.The revised scale demonstrated better psychometric properties than original scale.Validity analysis was conducted relative to the Flow State Scale.Revised UES was more predictive of game performance than the FSS. This research investigated the use of the User Engagement Scale (UES) as a psychometric tool to measure engagement during video game-play. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four factors (Focused Attention, Perceived Usability, Aesthetics, and Satisfaction) as compared to the six found in the original development of the UES. In the context of video game-play, a revised UES (UESz) demonstrated better psychometric properties than the original UES defined by six subscales, including enhanced reliability. Further validity analysis included comparisons with the Flow State Scale (FSS), showing the complementary nature of the two scales and what constructs both scales might be measuring in a video game context. Criterion validity analysis demonstrated that UESz was more predictive of game performance than the FSS. Findings related to both the UESz and FSS were discussed relative to an overarching framework of hedonic and utilitarian qualities of game-play.

The Interpretation of Cellular Transport Graphics by Students with Low and High Prior Knowledge

The purpose of this study was to examine how prior knowledge of cellular transport influenced how high school students in the USA viewed and interpreted graphic representations of this topic. The participants were Advanced Placement Biology students (n = 65); each participant had previously taken a biology course in high school. After assessing prior knowledge using the Diffusion and Osmosis Diagnostic Test, two graphical representations of cellular transport processes were selected for analysis. Three different methods of data collection—eye tracking, interviews, and questionnaires—were used to investigate differences in perceived salient features of the graphics, interpretations of the graphics, and processing difficulty experienced while attending to and interpreting the graphics. The results from the eye tracking data, interviews, and instructional representation questionnaires were triangulated and revealed differences in how high and low prior knowledge students attended to and interpreted particle differences, concentration gradient, the role of adenosine triphosphate , endocytosis and exocytosis, and text labels and captions. Without adequate domain knowledge, low prior knowledge students focused on the surface features of the graphics (ex. differences in particle colour) to build an understanding of the concepts represented. On the other hand, with more abundant and better‐organised domain knowledge, high prior knowledge students were more likely to attend to the thematically relevant content in the graphics, which enhanced their understanding. The findings of this study offer a more complete understanding of how differentially prepared learners view and interpret graphics and have the potential to inform instructional design.

Haptic feedback and students' learning about levers: Unraveling the effect of simulated touch

While there has been extensive experimental research on haptics, less has been conducted on cross-modal interactions between visual and haptic perception and even less still on cross-modal applications in instructional settings. This study looks at a simulation on the principles of levers using both visual and haptic feedback: one group received visual and haptic feedback while the other just visual feedback. Using the triangulation of learning scores, eye tracking data, and video analysis of interaction with the levers, the efficacy of haptic feedback to improve learning was explored. The results indicate that while the total fixation time on the levers and numeric readout was greater for the visual and haptic group, very similar patterns of visual attention were seen between groups. Perhaps surprisingly, the visual only group scored higher on an embedded assessment. Explanations for these results are synthesized from theories of cross-modal perception and cognitive architecture.

On pair rotation in the computer science course

In a course environment, pairing a student with one partner for the entire semester is beneficial, but may not be optimal. We conduct a study in two undergraduate level courses to observe the advantages and disadvantages of pair rotation whereby a student pairs with several different students throughout the semester. We summarize teaching staff and student perceptions on the viability of pair rotation. Teachers find pair rotation valuable because the teaching staff can obtain multiple peer evaluations on each student and because dysfunctional pairs are regularly disbanded. However, pair rotation adds to the burden of assigning pairs multiple times per semester. The majority of students in the study perceived pair rotation to be a desirable approach. Additionally, most students considered peer evaluation to be an effective means of providing feedback to teaching staff. However, they did not significantly believe that peer evaluation was an effective means for motivating students.

Increasing engagement in automata theory with JFLAP

We describe the results from a two-year study with fourteen universities on presenting formal languages in a more visual, interactive and applied manner using JFLAP. In our results the majority of students felt that having access to JFLAP made learning course concepts easier, made them feel more engaged in the course and made the course more enjoyable. We also describe changes and additions to JFLAP we have made based on feedback from users. These changes include new algorithms such as a CYK parser and a user-controlled parser, and new resources that include a JFLAP online tutorial, a wiki and a listserv.