Te-Lien Chou

The Effects of Clickers With Different Teaching Strategies

The aim of this review was to analyze the effects of instance response systems or clickers on students’ learning in different teaching strategies. A total of 128 empirical studies were reviewed; 80% of the studies were conducted in the context of lectures or collaborative learning. Further analysis of the studies using a quasi-experimental design revealed that clicker usage in traditional lectures may enhance students’ attention and participation. However, it is not more effective than low-technology methods such as hand raising or response cards in terms of learning performance. Clickers combined with collaborative peer-aided learning have shown positive results with large effect sizes. Furthermore, incorporating clickers into innovative teaching strategies appears to be promising. Finally, the use of clickers to promote high-order thinking is discussed.

Research Trends and Features of Critical Thinking Studies in E-Learning Environments: A Review

This study investigates critical thinking (CT) studies in e-learning settings to provide a comprehensive analysis of CT studies. Research indexed in the Web of Science database which includes major peer-reviewed social sciences citation index journals in the e-learning field from January 2006 to November 2017 was searched for a systematic review and analysis. A total of 42 studies were selected and synthesized. The distribution of publishing years, geographical areas, education sectors, publications, disciplines, research methods, activities, CT measurement instruments, teaching instruction, the CT roles applied in the studies, and the experiment durations were reviewed. The results showed that most CT studies were conducted in nontraditional teaching environments using strategies such as online discussion or concept mapping; the most used quantitative method was the California critical thinking skills test (CCTST), whereas the most frequently adopted qualitative method was the practical inquiry model of cognitive presence (PIMCP). The common method to enhance students’ CT was online synchronous or asynchronous discussion, and the role that CT played in these studies was as a dependent variable for evaluating whether the designed e-learning instruction(s) can cultivate CT. This study concludes that with active learning instruction and experienced tutor facilitation, students’ CT could be enhanced in a variety of e-learning environments.

Bridging Volunteer Services and Mobile Teaching in the Tablet Reading Community

Abstract Equal access has serious implications for the growing chasm in learning in remote areas and in economically disadvantaged communities. To help bridge the digital divide for children in remote areas, engaging communities to provide the needed resources in remote schools is essential. With an aim to promoting teachers’ adaptation of tablet reading and teaching among remote schools, a platform for sharing experiences and exchanging ideas among teachers was developed. College students also volunteered for follow-up mobile reading promotion in order to provide needed human resources for tablet reading integration among disadvantaged communities. Collaborative efforts by the university and teachers in remote schools provided a case for study. The main issues explored in this study were: (1) how teachers in remote areas adapted tablet reading in the classroom, and (2) what university students experienced from promoting tablet reading. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of integrating volunteer services and civic engagement in promoting tablet reading, and highlights the mutual benefits, challenges, and recommendations for future implementation. Various data resources were integrated into the inductive analysis, and different resources were used for triangulating the reported phenomena. The study concludes that the teachers obtained experience of tablet reading, and the college students experienced innovative volunteer-service opportunities. The collaboration among the society, the university, and learning sites were all essential for promoting tablet reading among children in remote areas.