Ramazan Yilmaz

Educational interface agents as social models to influence learner achievement, attitude and retention of learning

This study examined the impacts of educational interface agents with different attributes on achievement, attitude and retention of elementary school students in their science and technology courses. The study was implemented in four different eighth- grade classes (aged 13-14) of an elementary school. Four different types of educational software, covering living things and life unit of 8th graders, were developed to analyze the impacts of educational software agents with different attributes on the results of learning. The study was conducted according to experimental model with pretest and posttest control group, which is one of the quasi-experimental designs. For five consecutive weeks experimental and control group students used the software designed for this research. The students were asked to fill an attitude scale on science and technology both before and after the implementation. And following completion, an achievement test was applied. The results of the study revealed that students who used a human-like educational interface agent were more successful than both the rest of the experimental groups and the control group in terms of achievement, attitude and retention of learning in science and technology classes. It is also revealed that the software to be developed for elementary school 8th graders (aged 13-14) should be supported with human-like educational interface agents.

The Impact of Interactive Environment and Metacognitive Support on Academic Achievement and Transactional Distance in Online Learning

The aim of the present study is to reveal the impact of the interactive environment and metacognitive support (MS) in online learning on academic achievement and transactional distance (TD). The study is designed as 2 × 2 factorial design, and both qualitative and quantitative research techniques are used. The study was carried out on 127 students, and this research design was implemented in an online learning environment and evaluated based on an achievement test, TD scale, and semistructured interviews. The results of the study revealed that synschronous environments had a significant impact in reducing TD perception. In asynschronous environments, on the other hand, providing students with MS was efficient in reducing TD. In terms of academic success, compared with synschronous environments, MS provided in asynschronous environments caused to a significant difference in achievement test scores of the students. Explanations about findings and implications for instructional design are discussed in Conclusion section.

Cyber bullying and teachers’ awareness

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the awareness levels of teachers with regard to cyber bullying. In line with this purpose, the extent of awareness levels of teachers in general, regarding the issue of personal cyber security in their daily lives and the precautions that can be taken in this context have been measured. Design/methodology/approach – Survey method is used in this study. The participants of this research were 184 teachers working at various provinces in Turkey during 2012-2013 academic year. A scale was used in this study. Findings – The findings of the study reveal that the teachers in the sample group of the study have an average level of awareness on cyber bullying, in general. According to the findings of the study, based on branch, gender and frequency of internet use, there are statistically significant differences among teachers’ awareness levels on cyber bullying. Research limitations/implications – The data collection tool used for the study is a self-report scale...

The Impact of Transactive Memory System and Interaction Platform in Collaborative Knowledge Construction on Social Presence and Self-Regulation.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of transactive memory system (TMS) and interaction platforms in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) on social presence perceptions and self-regulation skills of learners. Within the scope of the study, social presence perceptions and self-regulation skills of students in collaborative groups constructing knowledge in wiki, blog, podcast and Facebook platforms in CSCL processes were compared. The study is designed as a pretest and post-test control group study and was carried out with 97 university students. Social presence and self-regulation scales were administered as pretest in the study. At the end of process, social presence, self-regulation, transactive memory scales and semi-structured student opinion forms were administered as post-test. When the findings were examined, it was seen that interaction platforms and the TMS level of the group did not have a significant impact on social presence perception individually; yet common impact of these two variables was significant. When the impact of interaction platforms and the TMS on self-regulation skills was examined, it was found that whilst interaction platforms had a significant impact, the TMS alone and interaction platforms–TMS common impact were not significant.

Assigned Roles as a Structuring Tool in Online Discussion Groups: Comparison of Transactional Distance and Knowledge Sharing Behaviors:

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of structured discussion by giving participants in online discussion groups different roles in transactional distance perception and knowledge sharing behaviors. In the study, a quasi-experimental design was utilized with pretest and posttest control groups. The study was conducted with 111 first-year undergraduate students at a university for 10 weeks. Quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques were used in the study, and the data were obtained from the Transactional Distance Scale, Knowledge Sharing Behavior Scale, and Student Opinion Determination Form. The findings indicate that online discussions carried out by assigning roles to discussion group members (starter, moderator, arguer, source searcher, and summarizer) decreased students’ transactional distance perceptions and improved knowledge sharing behaviors in online discussions. Different suggestions are offered about how to structure online discussions in accordance with the findings of the qualitative data analysis.

The Effect of the Metacognitive Support via Pedagogical Agent on Self-Regulation Skills:

Flipped Classroom (FC) has become an increasingly popular model in many disciplines in today’s educational system. In order for the FC model to be effective, it is important for the student to have self-regulation skills. It is especially important that students have advanced self-regulatory skills so that the online learning process of the FC model can be successfully completed. It is believed that the metacognitive support (MS) provided by the pedagogical agent during the online process of the FC model will contribute to the development of self-regulation skills of the students. The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of MS via pedagogical agent in the FC model on students’ self-regulation skills.The research was carried out according to experimental design, and the participants of the research consist of 102 university students. The data of the study were collected using self-regulated learning scale. As a result of the research, it was seen that the students of the experimental group who were provided MS with the pedagogic agent were found to have a statistically significant higher level of self-regulation skills than the control group students who were not provided with MS. Several suggestions have been made for the use of pedagogical agent-assisted MS in the design of FC courses.

Cyberloafing in IT classrooms: exploring the role of the psycho-social environment in the classroom, attitude to computers and computing courses, motivation and learning strategies

The purpose of this study is to find out the level of cyberloafing behaviors of the students in information technologies (IT) classrooms; and to examine the relationship between cyberloafing behaviors and the psycho-social perceptions, attitudes and motivation for the courses and learning strategies. Correlational method was utilized; and structural equation modelling is applied to analyze the data. The study was carried out with the students who take Computing I course in the IT classroom. Data were collected from 607 university students by utilizing five self-report instruments: ‘demographic information form’, ‘cyberloafing activities scale’, ‘what is happening in this class? questionnaire’, ‘attitude to computers and computing courses questionnaire’ and ‘motivated strategies for learning questionnaire’. The results demonstrate that students’ cyberloafing behaviors are influenced by their psycho-social perceptions, attitudes and learning strategies. However, the results demonstrate that students’ cyberloafing behaviors aren’t influenced by their motivation for the courses. Further research studies and implications are presented and discussed.

Revize Edilmiş İşlemsel Uzaklık Ölçeğinin Uyarlama Çalışması

Bu arastirma kapsaminda; revize edilmis islemsel uzaklik olceginin Turk kulturune uyarlanmasi ve olcegin gecerlilik ve guvenilirlik analizlerinin gerceklestirilmesi amaclanmistir. Tarama modeline gore yurutulen arastirma, kullanilan veri toplama araclarindaki sorulara uygun sekilde yanitlar veren 227 ogrenciden elde edilen veriler ile gerceklestirilmistir. Uc faktorden ve 12 maddeden olusan revize edilmis islemsel uzaklik olceginin uyarlanmasi surecinde yapilan dogrulayici faktor analizi sonuclari modelin gercek verilerle uyumunun kabul edilebilir duzeylerde oldugunu gostermektedir. Guvenilirlige iliskin yapilan analizler ise olcegin guvenilir ve madde ayirt ediciliginin yuksek oldugunu gostermistir. Olcegin Turkce formu icin hesaplanan Cronbach α katsayilari, alt faktorler icin .83 ile .89 arasinda degismekte iken, olcegin geneli icin .91 olarak hesaplanmistir. Bu bulgular isiginda bu arastirma kapsaminda uyarlamasi gerceklestirilen revize edilmis islemsel uzaklik olceginin, cevrimici ogrenme ortamlarinda islemsel uzaklik algisinin belirlenmesinde kullanilabilecek gecerli ve guvenilir bir olcme araci oldugu soylenebilir.

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Güvenli Bilgi ve İletişim Teknolojisi Kullanım Davranışları ve Bilgi Güvenliği Eğitimine Genel Bir Bakış

Bilgi ve iletisim teknolojilerinin (BIT) bireysel ve toplumsal hayata sagladigi pek cok faydanin yaninda guvenli olmayan BIT kullanimi sonucunda bireyler cesitli problemlerle karsi karsiya kalabilmektedirler. BIT’in guvenli kullanimi konusunda egitim sistemine ve egitimcilere onemli gorevler dusmektedir. Bu amacla Milli Egitim Bakanligi (MEB) guncellenen Bilisim Teknolojileri ve Yazilim dersi mufredatinda ogrenci ihtiyaclarina bagli olarak bilgi guvenligi egitimlerinin verilmesi gerektigini onermistir. Ancak bu konuda ogrenci ihtiyaclarini ortaya koyan calismalarin eksikligi alanyazinda hissedilmektedir. Gerceklestirilen bu calismanin amaci, zorunlu egitim sureclerinden gecerek universiteye yeni baslayan ogrencilerin bilgi guvenligine yonelik davranis durumlarini ortaya koymaktir. Calisma universite birinci siniftaki 124 ogrenci uzerinde yurutulmustur. Arastirmanin verileri nicel ve nitel yontemler kullanilarak elde edilmistir. Elde edilen bulgular dogrultusunda ogrenci ihtiyaclarina bagli olarak Bilisim Teknolojileri ve Yazilim ders mufredatinda yer almasi gereken konulara iliskin oneriler getirilmistir.