Shi-Jer Lou

A comparative analysis of the consistency and difference among teacher-assessment, student self-assessment and peer-assessment in a Web-based portfolio assessment environment for high school students

This study explored the consistency and difference of teacher-, student self- and peer-assessment in the context of Web-based portfolio assessment. Participants were 72 senior high school students enrolled in a computer application course. Through the assessment system, the students performed portfolio creation, inspection, self- and peer-assessment; three teachers reviewed portfolios and evaluated learning performances. There were significant differences in the results of the three assessment methods, among which teacher-raters adopted the most rigorous scoring standards, while peer-raters tended to use the most lax standards. The results of self- and teacher-assessment were discovered to be consistent; however, consistency was not discovered between self- and peer-assessment as well as peer- and teacher-assessment. In analyzing their consistency with the end-of-course examination, teacher- and self-assessment demonstrated high consistency, whereas peer-assessment showed a low level of consistency.

How to promote knowledge transfer through a problem-based learning Internet platform for vocational high school students

This study aimed to explore how vocational high school students transfer knowledge through a problem-based learning (PBL) Internet platform. A PBL Internet platform was provided to 33 sophomore mechanical engineering students for a 6-week teaching experiment. A survey questionnaire, observation and interview were research instruments. The findings include: 1) factual, conceptual and process knowledge are the major types of knowledge and the sources of knowledge transfer (KT) include students, instructors and industries, but may be acquired differently depending on the level of problem-solving needs; 2) students’ KT includes highly experienced tacit knowledge and more concrete explicit knowledge; 3) students’ attitudes toward the six domains of using the PBL Internet platform all show positive significance, including the platform, the platform instructors, the platform mobility, online interaction, the PBL and the platform interface mechanism of students’ perceptions; 4) the capability and the willingness for KT in instructors, industries and students all have some impact on the effectiveness of KT.

Why Do People Stick to Play Social Network Sites? An Extension of Expectation-Confirmation Model with Perceived Interpersonal Values and Playfulness Perspectives

The rapid progress of the Internet and communication technologies has changed our daily lives dramatically. The presence of the social networking sites (SNS) provides the users new types of communicating media. Understanding SNS users’ needs, getting popular gathering, acquiring potential users and making users stick on the websites are critical for their sustainable operation. Based upon expectation-confirmation model (ECM), this study explores the factors influencing users’ stickiness on SNS. The instrument for data collection was meticulously developed. The partial least squares technique was applied for validating the proposed research model and hypotheses. The findings of this study are expected to provide practical guidance to the SNS owners and serve as instrumental references to the research discipline to understand the causal effects of the related perceived factors that may influence users’ satisfaction, continuance motivation and stickiness towards SNS. That will further enhance the business performance of the SNS operations.

The investigation of STEM Self-Efficacy and Professional Commitment to Engineering among female high school students

This study employed social cognitive theory and social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as foundations to explore the influence of high school students’ beliefs about female gender roles and female engineer role models on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) self-efficacy and professional commitment to engineering. A total of 88 students from a national girls’ high school participated in STEM project-based learning. A survey questionnaire named The STEM Self-efficacy and Professional Commitment to Engineering Questionnaire, developed by the researchers, was administered to collect data, and a structured equation model was employed to confirm the multi-theoretical model developed in this study. The results of this study show that enhancing the gender role beliefs and engineer role models of female students may increase their STEM self-efficacy and professional commitment to engineering. In other words, the female high school students’ professional commitment to engineering model can explain students’ intentions for future engineering careers. Thus, this study suggests integrating STEM project-based learning into the curricula of various schools and integrating female engineer role models into STEM project-based learning activities for female students, which can enhance female high school students’ STEM self-efficacy and professional commitment to engineering.

A Study of Computer-Assisted Instruction on Music Appreciation: An Example of Chinese Musical Instruments

This research aims at exploring the effects of applying computer-assisted music instruction to Chinese musical instruments. To achieve the purpose, this research began with developing computer-assisted instruction software for Chinese musical instruments, and tested it with 228 students in a vocational high school. This research adopted the pre and post-test nonequivalent control group design. Three classes were assigned to the experimental group with “CAMI in Chinese musical instruments”, and another three classes were assigned to the control group with “traditional narrative teaching approach.” The entire experiment lasted 5 weeks. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS for Windows10.0 and LISREL 8.52. The statistical approaches for this study include descriptive statistical analysis, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and structural equation modeling analysis (SEM). The conclusions are as follows:1. Regarding to students’ learning achievement in “learning Chinese musical instruments”, CAMI approach is superior to the traditional narrative teaching approach.2. In “Learning Chinese Musical Instruments” course, students possess an affirmative perspective in the application of CAMI approach.3. The relationship among “software interface”, “learning attitude” and “cognition learning achievement” tends to be positive.4. CAMI in Chinese musical instruments software is a satisfactory assisting tool for teachers in “LearningChinese Instruments” course.

Effects of Implementing STEM-I Project-Based Learning Activities for Female High School Students.

This study aims to explore the application of STEM-I (STEM-Imagination) project-based learning activities and its effects on the effectiveness, processes, and characteristics of STEM integrative knowledge learning and imagination development for female high school students. A total of 72 female high school students were divided into 18 teams. Students were provided with a place to discuss, share, and integrate learning activities. A questionnaire and focus group interviews were conducted for data collection. The results show that STEM-I project-based learning activities can promote the development of diverse abilities and effectively expand STEM knowledge integration and learning for female high school students as well as enhance their imagination in the project-based activities. Additionally, the STEM-I instructional model with the process of initiation, development, expression, alternative, and links (IDEAL) is confirmed. Finally, some suggestions are proposed for future studies on STEM education and imagination integrative instruction. Effects of Implementing STEM-I Project-Based Learning Activities for Female High School Students

Attitudes towards Knowledge Transfer in the Context of Web Problem-Based Learning Integrated Circuits Course From the Perspective of High School Students

This study was designed to establish a web problem-based learning (WPBL)platform as a knowledge transfer device for the purpose of reducing the poverty gap between rich and poor in Taiwan. As a whole, the result of using the platform was improved rates of knowledge transfer and of student learning results, which is an indirect way to reduce the poverty gap.

How to Determine the Best Indexes of Industry Website by FANP Approach

This study is aimed to evaluate and select design indicators of enterprise web portal through FANP (Fuzzy Analytic Network Process) and establish FANP-based assessment model of design indicators of enterprise web portal. First, we discuss the relevant literature, and analyze demand assessment of web portal when enterprises introduce e-business. The important design indicators of enterprise web portal include five dimensions, totaling 15 design indicators. Based on FANP expert questionnaire analysis results, uncertainty and fuzziness of the expressions or decisions of experts are eliminated to effectively reflect views of the experts. The findings showed among the five web portal design dimensions, the dimension of two-way communication is the most important, followed by distribution, trading mechanism, webpage design and advertisement and promotion. In addition, priority ordering of the overall design indicators is obtained for analyzing the management implications, and the suggestions are provided.

Construction and Application of Incorporating Imagination Cooperative Learning with Team Game Tournament

With the rapid advancement of information technology and the Internet, along with the saturation, development, and transcendence of time and space of information technology, the unavoidable trend of educational reform needs to consider how to adequately engage in instructional design, reconstruction of traditional instruction and internet education, develop new learning forms and models, develop new curricular content, and create new instructional methods in order to create new forms of education. The purpose of school education bears the burden of cultivating various engineering and technical personnel, and this is a key factor for overall national construction and development. Thus, if students can enhance imagination instruction, and engage in technological practice involving their imagination, plan the optimal imagination cooperative instructional model to effectively elevate student imagination innovative and research and development ability, this would not only promote the development and advancement of technological courses, but can serve as a model and exemplar for other subjects. This would result in the overall elevation of national education.

Distance Teaching in the Technology Course in Senior High School

In the general outline of the technology course in senior high school in Taiwan, several topics are included. These curricula emphasize inspiring the students’ capacity for creative design, and developing their ability at the same time. However, faced with teaching so many different categories, the science and technology teacher may lay particular stress on or attach undue importance to one thing, but neglect the other categories to some extent, because of being limited by his own specialty. In order to improve these problems, this research adopts the distance-education method of coordination, combining teachers of different specialties and using teaching equipment which the ordinary high school has at present. After teaching this way in practice, researchers interview the teachers in coordination and conduct a questionnaire investigation of students. The results of this research are as follows: (1) Students give positive opinions about distance team teaching of the class in science and technology. (2) Teachers approve students’ performance in distance team teaching of the class in science and technology. (3) The present science and technology classrooms’ lack of equipment, students, and teachers indicates that sufficient equipment and space should be made available. (4) Teachers and students hold positive opinions about the practice of distance team teaching.