Patrick O'Shea

The Influence of Overt Practice, Achievement Level, and Explanatory Style on Calibration Accuracy and Performance

The authors measured the influence of overt calibration practice, achievement level, and explanatory style on calibration accuracy and exam performance. Students (N = 356) were randomly assigned to either an overt practice or nopractice condition. Students in the overt practice condition made predictions and postdictions about their performance across 5 quizzes by entering their estimates online just before and after completing the quizzes. Students in the no-practice condition did not enter their predictions and postdictions for their quiz performance. Results did not support the hypothesis that overt calibration practice on the quizzes would improve calibration accuracy or exam performance. Higher achieving students were significantly more accurate in their predictions, yet underconfident in their predictions; lower achieving students were less accurate and overconfident. Approximately 32% of the unique variance from achievement, prediction accuracy, and postdiction accuracy was explained by student explanatory style concerning student-centered factors related to studying and test taking and to a task-centered factor.

Research Note: The Results of Formatively Evaluating an Augmented Reality Curriculum Based on Modified Design Principles

This paper describes the results of a formative analysis of a redesigned Augmented Reality AR curriculum. The curriculum, Gray Anatomy, was designed based on lessons learned from the design and implementation process of a previous AR curriculum, Alien Contact! The positive and negative impacts of these modifications were evaluated through a qualitative analysis of gameplay and interview videos taken during two implementations of Gray Anatomy. Results are generally positive, showing that the modifications served their intended purpose; however, there were unintended consequences of these changes that warrant additional inspection.

A Technological Reinvention of the Textbook: A Wikibooks Project.

Abstract Education traditionally has been defined as a one-way relationship between teacher and learner. However, new technologies are dramatically changing that relationship in a multitude of ways. In this article, the authors describe some of these changes and explore one example of the intersection between technology and pedagogy, describing a college course in which students compose the course text using the wiki platform. The process described proceeds from the premise that the needs and capacity of learners in the information age have been transformed and discusses one way that using an appropriate technology may address them. For this wikibook, the creators of the content become the prime users of the content as well. The authors discuss both the philosophical underpinnings and practical implications of this approach. Evaluation of the project suggests that the methodology produces an active, credible learning process. This study explores the advantages and disadvantages of this wiki process to provide context concerning the efficacy and utility of employing particular types of Web 2.0 tools. The course development rationale points to its potential for radically changing how students and teachers interact with the phenomenon of ubiquitous learning.

The Viability and Value of Student- and Teacher-Created Augmented Reality Experiences

This paper describes the process and results of a project to incorporate Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and pedagogical approaches into a Virginian elementary school. The process involved training 5th grade teachers on the design and production of narrative-based AR games in order to give them the skills that they could then pass on to their students. This article focuses on describing the training process, the pedagogical approach, and an exploration of the practical issues that arose from this project (e.g. policy and fiscal issues that dictated the choice of technology). The discussion of the results from this effort demonstrates the promise of the approach, and shows the potential for educational practices. The Viability and Value of Studentand Teacher-Created Augmented Reality Experiences

ACTT Now: A Collaboration Reshaping Teacher Technology Training

ConclusionWhile the FBMP has had to go through many of the growing pains that often come with a new program, it is continuing to develop to meet the changing needs that teachers have in regards to both technology training and implementing technology-infused lessons within their daily classroom activities. As uncertified teachers work toward their particular subject area credentials, they are also working to develop the skills that will make them into the types of teachers that will be better able to help their students experience many of the technological advancements that may provide them with the skills necessary to compete in an ever-changing marketplace. While the goal is to create a teaching staff grounded in the belief and understanding that technology has the potential to fundamentally change how teachers teach and students learn, the FBMP recognizes the fact that teachers themselves are all moving on their own integration continuum. Some are just starting to become familiar with different technological applications, and others are already manipulating technology and using it effectively to benefit their own subject area lessons. Helping teachers move along this continuum is the overarching goal of the program, and by providing a systematic structure for both training and support, the FBMP is working to revamp the educational process in Brunswick County and ultimately raise the standards of both teachers and students across the County as a whole.