Ronald Aust

The use of hyper-reference and conventional dictionaries

A hyper-reference is an online electronic aid that provides immediate access to adjunct information with a direct-return path to the target information. Eighty undergraduate foreign language learners participated in a comparison of hyper-reference and conventional paper dictionary use on the measures of consultation frequency, study time, efficiency, and comprehension. Hyper-reference users consulted over two times as many definitions as conventional dictionary users. Analyses of efficiency (consults per minute) found a higher consultation rate for hyper-reference users than for conventional dictionary users. The study also compared bilingual (Spanish/English) and monolingual (Spanish/simplified Spanish) dictionary use. Bilingual dictionary users consulted 25% more definitions than did monolingual dictionary users. Bilingual dictionary users completed reading in 20% less time than monolingual dictionary users. Efficiency was also higher during bilingual dictionary use than during monolingual dictionary use. Differences in comprehension were not significant. Directions for further research and development concerning electronic text and hyper-references are offered.

Assessing and Monitoring Student Progress in an E-Learning Personnel Preparation Environment.

E-learning has emerged as a form of pedagogy and as a delivery system with broad implications for meeting personnel needs nationally in special education. At present, it is important to make investments in research and development to ensure that this new pedagogy becomes fully developed and is appropriately applied. Assessment and monitoring of student progress in e-learning environments is an important element of this new form of pedagogy that requires research attention to maximize the effectiveness of e-learning when applied to teacher education. The authors draw upon their personal online teaching experience in addressing strategies for assessing student performance and using electronic portfolios in e-learning erevironments, both presented as integral aspects of e-learning instructional process. Perspectives from the literature and lessons learned from the authors are also shared.

The Online Academy formative evaluation approach to evaluating online instruction

The Online Academy (HO29K73002) was funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to develop online instructional modules in the content areas of reading, positive behavior support, and technology across the curriculum. Targeted to preservice teacher education programs in institutions of higher education (IHE), to date, the modules have been adopted for implementation by 162 institutions. A requirement of the funding agency was that the content of the modules be research based. A total of 75 lessons in 22 online modules and an authoring software tool were developed. Each module is approximately equivalent to a one-semester credit course. This paper describes the formative evaluation processes that were employed in creating the instructional design, design and production processes, content development, usability and navigational features of the modules, and the national implementation process.