Rafi Nachmias

Web-based Learning Environments: Current Pedagogical and Technological State

Abstract The Web is a firmly established, though virtual, reality. Educators, well aware of the potential of We technology, have adopted it for creating new Web-based learning environments. This article presents a study of the characteristics of Web sites as teaching and learning environments. The major questions addressed in this study were: 1. What characterizes educational Web sites at the content, teaching, learning, and communication levels?2. How do key teaching and learning issues appearing on educational Web sites relate to educators’ expectations from the new technology?3. What can a consideration of the current state of affairs teach us about further development and implementation of educational Web sites? To answer these questions we developed a classification scheme (the Taxonomy of WBLE); implemented it for the study of 436 educational Web sites focusing on mathematics, science, and technology learning; and elaborated on practical implications of the study’s results. The overall picture we have unveiled may sound disappointing, and it can be summarized as “one step ahead for the technology, two steps back for the pedagogy.” But a thoughtful discussion of the results suggests directions for the research and development of novel Web-based educational models. Results indicate that many educational Web sites are still predominantly text-based and do not yet exhibit evidence of current pedagogical approaches (e.g., use of inquiry-based activities, application of constructivist learning principles, and use of alternative evaluation methods). Suggestions for future WBLE development are provided.

Improved search engines and navigation preference in personal information management

Traditionally users access their personal files mainly by usingfolder navigation. We evaluate whether recent improvements indesktop search have changed this fundamental aspect of PersonalInformation Management (PIM). We tested this in two studies usingthe same questionnaire: (a) The Windows Studya longitudinalcomparison of Google Desktop and Windows XP SearchCompanion, and (b) The Mac Studya large scale comparison of MacSpotlight and Sherlock. There were few effects forimproved search. First, regardless of search engine, there was astrong navigation preference: on average, users estimated that theyused navigation for 56-68% of file retrieval events but searchedfor only 4-15% of events. Second, the effect of improving thequality of the search engine on search usage was limited andinconsistent. Third, search was used mainly as a last resort whenusers could not remember file location. Finally, there was noevidence that using improved desktop search engines leads people tochange their filing habits to become less reliant on hierarchicalfile organization. We conclude by offering theoretical explanationsfor navigation preference, relating to differences between PIM andInternet retrieval, and suggest alternative design directions forPIM systems.

Cognitive consequences of microcomputer-based laboratories: Graphing skills development

Microcomputers with appropriate graph-generating and input devices such as temperature and light measuring probes enable science students to learn functional relationships of physical phenomena. The graph displays in microcomputer-based laboratories are generated in real time and thus permit learners to comprehend the underlying principle of the laboratory lesson without the delays that the conventional, piecemeal, manual graphing methods entail. Instruction designed from an analysis called a “chain of cognitive accomplishments” enables designers to define an ideal sequence of learner cognitive accomplishments for use in computer-based instruction design. Such ideal sequences lead to improved learning and enable researchers to characterize existing classes and predict student performance.

The user-subjective approach to personal information management systems

In this article we suggest a user-subjective approach to Personal Information Management (PIM) system design. This approach advocates that PIM systems relate to the subjective value-added attributes that the user gives to the data stored in the PIM system. These attributes should facilitate system use: help the user find the information item again, recall it when needed, and use it effectively in the next interaction with the item. Driven from the user-subjective approach are three generic principles which are described and discussed: (a) The subjective classification principle, stating that all information items related to the same subjective topic should be classified together regardless of their technological format; (b) The subjective importance principle, proposing that the subjective importance of information should determine its degree of visual salience and accessibility; and (c) The subjective context principle, suggesting that information should be retrieved and viewed by the user in the same context in which it was previously used. We claim that these principles are only sporadically implemented in operating systems currently available on personal computers, and demonstrate alternatives for interface design.

Internet Usage by Students in an Israeli High School

This study examines the extent and characteristics of Internet usage among 384 junior-high and high school students in Israel. Its focus is on the purpose and patterns of Internet usage by twelve- to eighteen-year-old youngsters, and on the linkage between Internet usage and school activities. The findings show that the Internet is being used by about half of the research population, with the main use being for communication. Search for information comes only in the second place. Low degree of connection was found between Internet usage and school practice. The results show significant sex differences. In general, more boys are using the Internet, and more extensively than girls. Surprisingly, only some differences among age groups were found. The results of the study are discussed in terms of the range of Internet use among youngsters and its emerging role as an alternative knowledge resource outside school.

Needle in a Hyperstack

Abstract This study examines the process of searching for information on the Internet by (a) assessing participants’ success in finding specific information on the Web, (b) identifying the characteristics of the information search process (e.g., search duration, number of steps used), and (c) identifying the search strategies used and assessing their effectiveness. Subjects were 54 graduate students who were asked to accomplish three relatively simple search tasks: (a) find a picture of the Mona Lisa, (b) find a complete text of Robinson Crusoe or David Copperfield, and (c) find a recipe of an apple pie that was accompanied by a photograph. All search processes performed by each participant were recorded and fully logged by tracking software. Findings showed that overall success in searching information was low. About 46% of the search tasks were not accomplished successfully, and only 15% of the students succeeded in all three tasks. Further analysis reveals nine different search strategies used by the students. The distribution of their usage and effectiveness are presented and discussed.

Students' Use of Content in Web-Supported Academic Courses.

The use of the Internet as an instructional tool in higher education is rapidly increasing. Today, there is an increase in the development of academic course websites with huge amounts of learning materials imbedded within them. However, there is little empirical evidence regarding the actual use of these contents by students. In this study, a computer log is used to evaluate how online contents are consumed and to identify the individual differences among students in terms of contents usage and the amount of contents that are presented in Web-supported course sites. The findings of this study show that the amount of content that is accessed is very high, but large differences exist among students. The authors conclude with some ideas for further implications of information retrieved from the Web log as related to content usage in academic websites and show the relevance of logs and content usage for the evaluation of Internet implementation in higher education institutions.

Analysis Schema for the Study of Domains and Levels of Pedagogical Innovation in Schools Using ICT

Many educational systems worldwide are putting much work in the assimilation of ICT in schools, fostering significant changes in the processes of instruction and learning. These changes occur in schools at various levels by means of, e.g., the creation of new learning configurations (beyond traditional time and space configurations), the devise of novel pedagogical solutions, or through the expansion of the schools knowledge-resources space into cyberspace. These transformations, and the processes by which they occur, have become highly interesting research themes with obvious theoretical (e.g., cognitive or curricular issues) as well as practical (e.g., policy or planning issues) implications. We present an analysis schema for the systematic study of these transformational processes in schools using ICT. The schemas dimensions are located within a grid defined by two axes. The horizontal axis represents levels of innovation from preliminary alterations in the schools routine due to the initial assimilation of ICT, to far-reaching transformations of pedagogical practices and learning processes. The vertical axis details domains of innovation, focusing on four main constituents of the school milieu: time/space configurations, students, teachers, and the curriculum. A detailed description of the dimensions as well as the variables suggested for their operationalization, is presented. Implications of using the analysis tool for researchers, practitioners and policy makers are discussed.

Factors Involved in the Implementation of Pedagogical Innovations Using Technology

This paper analyzes the factors involved in successful implementation of innovative pedagogical practices using ICT in ten Israeli schools. The research questions addressed are:1. What is the configuration and intensity level of the various factors involved in the implementation of innovative pedagogical practices using ICT in schools?2. Can a connection be identified between the level of intensity of the different factors affecting the innovation and the level of change in various domains of innovation (e.g., teacher role, student role, curriculum, and time and space configurations)?Data from ten case studies in Israeli schools were analyzed using the framework developed to measure the intensity of the factors involved in the innovation. Infrastructure, factors within the school, school climate and educational policy were found to be the most involved categories. These factors mostly affect aspects of the innovation related to teacher roles, instructional contents and teaching methods.

A research framework for the study of a campus-wide Web-based academic instruction project

The use of the Internet as an instructional tool in higher education is rapidly increasing. The author provides a research framework for the study of campus-wide academic instruction using the Web. This framework consists of three levels: (a) the macro level, which focuses on the diffusion process of the Internet on the campus instruction from the institutional perspective; (b) the mezzo level, which focuses on the emergence of new pedagogies and learning paradigms in courses that integrate the Web into traditional instruction; and (c) the micro level, which concerns the actual usage of the Web in the teaching and learning process of specific courses. First, a background and description of the research framework is provided. Second, the author describes how this framework serves as the research agenda for the study of Virtual TAU—a campus-wide implementation project aimed at integrating the Internet into the traditional instruction of Tel-Aviv University (TAU). Finally, a preliminary discussion of the issues and concerns raised by this research effort is provided.