Rose M. Marra

Content Analysis of Online Discussion Forums: A Comparative Analysis of Protocols

The discussion forum is a significant component of online courses. Instructors and students rely on these asynchronous forums to engage one another in ways that potentially promote critical thinking, meaningful problem sovving, and knowledge construction. In spite of the importance of these forums, predominantly used methods for assessing the content and outcomes of these forums has often been limited to frequency counts and other quantitative measures. Only recently have researchers developed protocols for conducting meaningful qualitative analysis of online discussion forums. This study compares the application of two content analysis protocols for online discussion boards by applying both to the content of a one-week student-led discussion. Our analysis provides a detailed description of how to use both protocols and evaluates each for its strengths and weaknesses toward the overall goal of providing educators and researchers with valid tools for assessing discussion forum content.

A Comparative Analysis of Online Discussion Participation Protocols

Abstract Thirty-seven graduate students in two course sections were required to contribute to the online discussion of an instructional design case study. The discussion forums required different participation protocols; students in section one implemented a constructive argumentation approach while students in section two had less structure for their postings. The results revealed that both sections exhibited co-construction of knowledge as measured using the content analysis protocol the Interaction Analysis Model (IAM), but the less structured section reached the highest phase of knowledge building. In addition we found that the constructive argumentation approach and the task-oriented nature of the discussion influenced the interactions and co-construction of knowledge. The findings reveal practical implications for effective design of online discussion that may improve the quality of learning.

A Report on a Four-Year Longitudinal Study of Intellectual Development of Engineering Undergraduates

As part of an investigation into the effects of curricular reforms in the undergraduate program in the College of Engineering, a series of Perry-style interviews were conducted over a 4-year period. The study was undertaken in an attempt to assess the impact of collaborative design-based engineering courses that were being implemented. Students who completed the collaborative design course in their first year were higher on the Perry scale than their peers who did not. However, this effect was not sustained through the rest of the curriculum, as more traditional courses dominated. No statistically significant change in Perry position was observed for students in their 1st and 3rd years; however, a growth of approximately one Perry position was observed between the 3rd and 4th years. The relationship of current curricula to this pattern of intellectual development is discussed, and arguments for altering the curriculum to support intellectual development are made.

Orientations to Science Teacher Professional Development: An Exploratory Study

Just as individual teachers have orientations to teaching and learning science that influence their practice, we assert that professional development (PD) projects also have an orientation that guides the design and implementation of the entire project; a construct we term “PD Project Orientation”. The purpose of this study was to validate the existence of this new construct. Using various data sources from nine PD projects we generated and characterized five PD project orientations. We illustrate the characteristics of each orientation with descriptions from specific projects and show the frequency of the orientations and how these orientations were emphasized within each PD project. This study has implications for those designing and implementing PD for science teachers, as well as PD evaluators.

Transfer Effects of Semantic Networks on Expert Systems: Mindtools at Work.

Semantic networks and expert systems can support learning and critical thinking as Mindtools. Mindtools are computer-based tools that function as intellectual partners with the learner in order to engage and facilitate critical thinking and higher-order learning. Semantic networks and expert systems in particular are cognitive reflection tools that help learners to build a representation of what they know by designing their own knowledge bases. Semantic networks have been used as a knowledge elicitation tool for expert system construction; however, the effects of using these tools together has never been formally studied. This study examined the effects of building semantic networks on the coherence and utility of expert systems subsequently constructed. Subjects who constructed semantic networks first produced expert systems with significantly more rules and rule types than a control group. The tasks intentional ambiguity and the differences in thinking necessary for semantic network and expert system construction may have affected the non-significance of other expert system complexity variables.

A Little TLC (Technology Learning Cycle) as a Means to Technology Integration

Discussion and ConclusionsJackie and Larry represented widely differing entry-level technology skills at the onset of PT3 grant faculty development activities. The descriptions of their technology learning activities illustrate how the TLC can he used effectively for individuals with varying entry-level skills and technology learning goals. Although both faculty members were successful in creating technology-based enhancements for their targeted pre-service teacher methods courses, and both engaged with the TLC, their interactions with the TLC cycles varied substantially. • Jackie concentrated more on basic skill development (e.g. PowerPoint, scanning. The TLC provided a framework for in-depth learning on effective integration of technologies into pre-service teacher methods courses and functioned well for two teachers with radically different incoming skill and interest levels. Further, quantitative data from Larry and Jackie’s entire cohort indicates that overall, cohort faculty reported considerable increases in integrating technology in their targeted courses and increased reflection on new uses of technology after one year of PT3 participation. Student data confirmed technology application in these courses, and over three-fourths of students agreed that the instructor was excited about the technology used in this course. Such data suggests that the TLC could be effectively implemented at other institutions when similar support mechanisms are made available to faculty.

Undergraduate Education Students' Perspectives on Classroom Technologies: A Qualitative Analysis.

During the fall 1995 semester at a large eastern university, students enrolled in an undergraduate education course on classroom technologies generated semantic networks and expert systems on educational topics relevant to their areas of study. These tasks were intended to model for pre-service teachers integrated and constructivist uses of technology of classrooms. After completing these tasks, students wrote essays describing their views on how to use technology in their future education careers based upon the experience with technology they had just had. We qualitatively analyzed these essays to ascertain student attitudes in this area. We found that students exposed to such uses of technology were likely to discuss constructivistic uses of technology in the classroom and support the use of these technologies in their future classes. Implications for those involved in pre-service teacher technology courses are also discussed.

Epistemologies of the Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences: Liberal Arts Students' Perceptions.

To help students achieve the essential learning outcomes, it will be necessary to spend time, across all levels of school and college education, revisiting the larger purposes of education and rethinking the kinds of connections across disciplines and levels of learning that will best prepare graduates for a complex and fast-paced world. —Association of American Colleges and Universities (2007, p. 20)

GRADUATE AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION IN ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS. GATE PENN STATE

A new graduate program has been established at Penn State University in the area of in-vehicle, high-power, energy storage systems. A curriculum supporting the educational focus of batteries, ultra-capacitors, and flywheels is described. The need for broad partnership is discussed. GATE Penn State benefits that are provided to a broad range of existing and potential partners, as depicted in Figure 1, are also discussed. Unique to this centre is a hybrid and electric vehicle educational continuum that has been established, spanning from early elementary to graduate school. The GATE Center was established with funding from the US Department of Energy.

Outcomes-Based Assessment: Driving Outreach Program Effectiveness

AbstractEngineering professional societies are leading and prominent providers of engineering outreach activities in the United States. Many outreach efforts are innovative and impressive, but their ability to raise awareness about engineering and recruit more people to study engineering remains largely unknown. Comprehensive assessment and evaluation results that measure how effective these program activities are in meeting their goals and objectives simply are not available. Using the example of an engineering outreach program for high school girls, this paper describes good outreach practices, including use of proven practices and relevant research, effective assessment, and reports of outcomes; provides resources for tools that outreach professionals and practitioners can use to measure and continuously improve outreach impact; and makes the case that application of good engineering practice to outreach delivery is essential to reach engineering professional society outreach goals.