Volume 5, Issue 2, April 2014

ABSTRACT

As social and collaborative technologies emerge, educators and scholars continue to explore and experiment with how these tools might impact pedagogy. For over a decade, educators experimented with the use of blogs in academic settings, a tool that allows for students and instructors to enter into a rich dialogue. With most technology tools, users often leave ‘digital footprints’ throughout the environment. These footprints, in combination with other sources of data, allow researchers to explore relationships between the tool itself and the different types of end users. This study examines two years of institutional blog data, combined with demographic data to help describe the users of a blog platform. Different clusters of users are uncovered, and various use cases are explored, illustrating how different instructors choose to leverage blogs in the flow of a course. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare different blogging groups, results show a strong correlation between entry-dominant bloggers and growth in Grade Point Average (GPA) over time. With the rise in popularity of learning analytics, the results of this study might influence future learning analytics tools and systems

Keywords: Blogs, Weblogs, Learning analytics, Online pedagogy

ABSTRACT

The study examined the effects of two modes of computer-assisted instructional package on solid geometry achievement amongst senior secondary school students in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. Also, the influence of gender on the performance of students exposed to CAI(AT) and CAI(AN) packages were examined. This study adopted a pretest-posttest experimental design with 3 x 2 factorial design and a sample of 120 Senior Secondary class Two (SSII) students (60 male and 60 female). Computer-Assisted Instructional package of two modes; Animation with Text (AT), and Animation with Narration (AN) were employed as treatment instruments and a Solid Geometry Achievement Test (SGAT) was used as test instrument. A trial test was carried out and a reliability co-efficient of 0.78 was obtained using the KR-21. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and t-test was used in analysing data collected. The study revealed that, there were significant differences in the post-test mean scores of CAI(AT), CAI(AN) and the control group (F = 11.468, df = 119, p0.05) and CAI(AN) (t=1.455, df = 38, p>0.05). Based on these findings, it was therefore recommended that mathematics teachers should be encouraged to use CAI(AN) for meaningful and effective teaching and learning of mathematics.

Keywords: Computer-assisted instruction, Multimedia-based learning, Animation+Narration, Animation+On-screen text, Solid geometry, Secondary students

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to measure the quality of distance education services received from educational institutions which are among the leading service enterprises. More specifically, the study aim to find out what the students’ expectations are, to what extent the student expectations are met and whether or not the acquired findings vary according to demographical characteristics of students. Moreover, this study is an attempt to assess if there are any differences among similar higher education institutions that implement distance learning programs in terms of the perceived quality of their educational services. It is hoped to help improve the quality of existing higher distance education services by evaluations based on the results of a comparative study. Therefore, through the SERVQUAL methodology, the current study has focused on determining the level of satisfaction regarding expectations and perceptions of students as customers. The data in the study were collected through a survey administered to a total of 463 university students. The examination of partial SERVQUAL scores and relevant analyses indicate that expectations are not met for any of the five dimensions affecting service quality in the universities providing e-MBA education through distance learning.

Keywords: Distance education, Service quality, SERVQUAL, Higher education, Service expectations, User perspective

ABSTRACT

This article reports a review of the literature that focused on relationship between writing instruction and technology in the secondary classroom since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act over the past two decades. Based on the search, six themes have emerged across the fields of writing instruction and assessment. Within writing instruction, it was found that researchers often focused on a third space (Bhabha, 1994) where writing can take place in meaningful ways. Also, technology often served as a motivator during the instructional process of writing and worked to engage students in varied lessons. Finally, researchers found an increase in the amount of writing for secondary students when technology was introduced into the instructional classroom. Within writing assessment, the research focused on special populations including special education students, minorities, economically disadvantaged and English language learners. Next, technology served as a motivator in both the instruction and assessment of writing and tended to be a factor that increased writing assessment scores. Finally, researchers posit technology can be used to allow teachers to give effective and efficient feedback through the instructional and assessment cycles and tended to increase student assessment scores. These themes emerged across all articles reviewed and truly demonstrate where writing with technology research has occurred in the secondary classroom.

Keywords: Writing, Instruction, Technology, Policy, Secondary Education, Motivation

ABSTRACT

Texts are a group of letters which are printed or displayed in a particular style and size. In the course of the fast speed of technological development everywhere and expanding use of computer based instruction such as online courses, students spend more time on a computer screen than printed media. Texts have been the main element to convey messages. It has also been a significant component for learning. The main goal of this research is to measure the effects of font type and spacing of on screen text and its readability in improving and boosting the learner’s ability to read easily, recall information, and enhance their reading speed and comprehension from on screen text with different topics. The readability of text on screens is necessary to ensure effective engagement in order to enhance the level of students’ readability. For this purpose two font types were selected, Times New Roman (serif) and Verdana (san serif) for the respondents. Verdana was designed only for computer screens display. Readability test on a computer screen was conducted on 30 postgraduate students. Overall, the results showed that there was a significant difference between the readability of serif and san serif font type of on-screen display. The research findings suggest Verdana font type as a better choice in displaying long text for on-screen display.

Keywords: Font type, Readability, Spacing, On-screen text, Serif, San serif

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