Ron Owston

The World Wide Web: A Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning?

ing and learning from the physical boundaries of classrooms and the time restraints of class schedules. Traditional lectures and demonstrations can become Web-based multimedia learning experiences for students. The learning resources of a college or university can be augmented by the learning resources of the world, via the Web. Moreover, the Web can help us refocus our institutions from teaching to learning, from teacher to student. Although there is, perhaps, some merit to these claims, they are expecting much from a tool developed only a few years ago at CERN, Genevas European Laboratory for High Energy Particle Physics, to share research in the high energy physics community. In this article, I would like to come to terms with the hyperbole surrounding the Web by offering an analysis of its present contribution to teaching and learning in K-12 and higher education. The framework that I use for the anal-

Unpacking the potential of educational gaming: A new tool for gaming research

The article begins by reviewing the theoretical bases for the contention that advanced computer-based educational gaming can provide powerful learning experiences, and overviews the limited research on the use of such games. Although studies to date have generally supported their value, most of the published investigations have methodological limitations. Critical process data are typically not collected, and unreliable student and teacher self-reports are heavily relied on in evaluating the educational efficacy of many games. To address these and other limitations, the authors have developed research software that can remotely and unobtrusively record screen activity during game play in classroom settings together with synchronized audio of player discussion. A field trial of this data collection system in which 42 college students were studied as they played a coursework-related Web-based learning game is described, and the article discusses how the trial outcomes concretely demonstrate the methodological advantages the tool offers researchers.

Computer game development as a literacy activity

This study examined computer game development as a pedagogical activity to motivate and engage students in curriculum-related literacy activities. We hypothesized that as a consequence, students would improve their traditional reading and writing skills as well as develop new digital literacy skills. Eighteen classes of grade 4 students were assigned to either an experimental or control group. Both groups studied the same curriculum unit over a 10week period, however, in addition the experimental group developed computer games related to the unit using a game development shell. An analysis of pre- and post-unit scores on two standardized literacy test batteries revealed that the experimental students performed significantly better on one of the subtests, a measure of logical sentence construction (p=.002). Field notes and teacher interview data indicated that game development helped improve student content retention, ability to compare and contrast information presented, utilize more and different kinds of research materials including digital resources, editing skills, and develop an insight into questioning skills.

Word Processors and Children’s Writing in a High-Computer-Access Setting

AbstractStudent writing products and processes were studied during a three-year period, beginning in Grade 3, at a school where students had routine daily access to word processors, and at a nearby comparison school that had only a few, infrequently used computers in its classrooms. A repeated measures MANOVA revealed that writing quality improved significantly (p < .00005) at the high-computer-access school, as determined by holistic measures of writing message (meaning and content quality) and medium (quality of the form and surface features). In-class observations support the contention that the use of word processors strongly contributed to the observed differences between sites. The attributes of the word processor that appeared to explain the observed differences were a combination of the unique ways text is edited, displayed, and manipulated with the computer.

Comments on Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes: Digital Immersion, Teacher Learning, and Games

In this comment article, the author elaborates on three significant issues that Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes (2009) identified but did not explore. First, the author discusses the need for research on the impact that youth’s immersion in a digital world may have on meta-cognitive and social skill development. Then teacher learning with the Web is considered, and the author identifies research questions related to improving the design of professional learning experiences. The author concludes with a discussion of digital games for learning and points to several key areas that need further research.

A Criterion-Based Approach to Software Evaluation

AbstractThe overall poor quality of educational software on the market suggests that educators must continue efforts to evaluate available packages and to disseminate their findings. In this paper, weaknesses in published evaluation procedures are identified, and an alternative, criterion-based model is described. The rationale for the model is drawn from the fields of the assessment of student writing, criterion-referenced testing, and the assessment of second language oral proficiency. Data are presented on the mean ratings of software evaluated with the model, scale intercorrelations, and indicators of its validity and reliability.

CollabU: a design for reflective, collaborative university teaching and learning

This paper describes a collaborative university seminar, CollabU, involving five North-American universities in its first implementation in the Winter of 1999. In this report we emphasize the design process, the role of reflective practice, and the implications of the seminar for understanding emerging transformations in university learning, teaching, and scholarship.

The Value of Supplementing Panel Software Reviews with Field Observations

Keller’s Personalized System of Instruction has been an important innovation in higher education. Although the success of PSI is far reaching, it is not without critics. Keller and other PSI advocates report that many PSI failures were due to people not adhering carefully to the PSI principles and components. This paper addressesthis problem from an instructional systems design perspective and the results suggest that modifications to PSI can be done successfully. Moreover, a systematic approach to the design, development and implementation of courses allows the user to meet the important achievement and successgoals of PSI while avoiding the problems that PSI presents in certain contexts. Keller’s Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) has received considerable attention, both in practice and research (Keller, 1968; Ruskin, 1976; Kulik, Kulik, & Cohen, 1979). An analysis of the research indicated that PSI has been effective in improving end of course achievement, retention and transfer of knowledge learned in the course, time to completion of learning objectives, and student satisfaction (Kulik et al., 1979). PSI is based largely on principles derived from the experimental analysis of behavior. Learning is viewed as behavior generated and maintained by consequences and conditions set by the PSI methodology. The focus is on individual mastery of clearly specified behavioral objectives. The study materials set the occasion for the student to respond and small units of instructional material allow for frequent evaluation of learning. Students receive feedback on their performance, both from the instructional materials and from proctors who serve in an evaluation and student guidance role. Students typically work individually and at their own pace. They also choose the amount of instructional assistance they need, either prior to unit evaluation or as a result of the feedback they receive after completing a unit test. Keller and many of his associates have strongly advocated strict adherence to his guidelines for PSI courses. Keller has frequently indicated his frustration with what he calls SLI (something like it) approaches to PSI that often fail to follow all the PSI Annabel E. Coldeway is Associate Professor of Psychology at Concordia College, Edmonton, AB. Dan O. Coldeway is a Professor with the Centre for Distance Education, A thabasca Un ive rs i t y . CJEC, VOL. 16, NO. 4, PAGES 279 293, ISSN 0710 4340

Computers and the Teaching of Writing: implications for teacher development

ABSTRACT The relationship between the computer and the teaching of writing is complex; it varies over time, is embedded in the classroom social context, and depends on the teachers instructional goals. In this article, several dimensions of this relationship are explored to provide illustrations of its complexity. The conclusion is that the computer literacy workshops or courses typically found in pre‐service or in‐service teacher educational programmes are inadequate to prepare teachers for the teaching of writing with computers. New kinds of courses need to be developed that examine how computers affect classroom culture and the writing process.

Establishing validity in evaluation: The Canadian Indian school evaluations

A key concern of evaluators, particularly those using naturalistic procedures, is establishing the validity of the evaluation results. In this article, an approach designed to strengthen the validity of the case study method of evaluation is outlined. Five aspects of this approach are identified that accomplish this. They are the evaluator selection procedure, the method of setting out the evaluation expectations, the use of on-going feedback, the use of multiple perspectives, and the wide involvement of various audiences.