Search

The increase in online education creates a need to explore how learning outcomes, student satisfaction, and student perceptions about online courses are affected by prior online learning experiences. This study examined the role of prior online learning experience on students' perceived cognitive presence, social presence, teaching presence, engagement, and satisfaction. The archival data of online learners at a large midwestern university (a total n=878), including survey responses related to Community of Inquiry (CoI), engagement, and satisfaction, were utilized to conduct statistical analyses to determine whether student responses differed by the number of online courses taken previously. We found that only social presence scores (CoI subscale) and emotional engagement scores (engagement sub-scale) differed by the number of the online courses taken. However, the effect size was small. We concluded that student satisfaction, engagement, and perceptions of cognitive and teaching presence are not related to prior online course experiences. Implications are discussed.

This study aimed to investigate the pre-service teachers' behavioural intentions about using gamification tools and the critical factors affecting their usage. The data were collected from 313 pre-service teachers from two large-scale universities in Turkey through a questionnaire with seven constructs: perceived ease of use, usefulness, self-efficacy, enjoyment, computer anxiety, attitude, and behavioural intention. Firstly, students were trained on the gamification method and Web 2.0 gamification tools (Kahoot!, Classdojo, and Jeopardylabs), then data were collected through a questionnaire. This study used the Technology Acceptance Model as a research framework. The data were analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed that perceived self-efficacy and attitude factors had significant direct effects on pre-service teachers' behavioural intentions to use gamification tools. Furthermore, the perceived enjoyment and usefulness factors significantly affected preservice teachers' attitudes towards using gamification tools. Additionally, the perceived self-efficacy and attitude factors had significant direct effects on perceived enjoyment to use gamification tools. Moreover, indirect effects on the dependent variables were revealed. Eventually, six constructs accounted for 75% of the variance for intention to use gamification tools. As a result, the research model appeared to have a good fit. Based on the findings within the scope of this study, various suggestions for researchers and practitioners were presented.

This study aims to examine the online teaching processes of instructors in higher education in detail and reveal their online teaching competencies. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed method design, where the comparative method was used in the quantitative part of the research and the qualitative part was designed as a descriptive case study. The data were collected from 490 online instructors in various departments of a state university in Turkey. A questionnaire was used to reveal the instructors' practices, experiences, opinions, and online teaching competencies in the emergency remote teaching process. The results indicated that instructors mostly preferred Zoom for synchronous and Canvas for asynchronous applications in online education. The online teaching competencies of instructors in pedagogy, technology, and facilitation dimensions were found to be quite high, while course administration competencies were intermediate. According to the qualitative dimension of the research, most of the instructors reported a significant increase in workload due to online education. They also cited the advantages of online education as well as the pedagogical and technical difficulties encountered.

In providing effective online education, it is crucial that the instructors have the competence to teach online. The aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable online teaching competency scale for online instructors. The data were collected from 392 instructors working in a big state university in Turkey (Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa). The instructors have conducted online courses through synchronous and asynchronous methods during the pandemic process. The development and evaluation process of the scale included exploratory factor analysis and convergent validity. The scale consists of 15 items and represents four factors of online instructors' competencies: pedagogy, facilitation, technology, and course administration. The total variance of the scale was found 64%. Internal consistency coefficient of the whole scale was found to be 0.83 according to reliability analysis. The results of the study revealed that the scale is valid and reliable for measuring instructors' online teaching competency. The implications of the study were discussed in detail.

Regarding the COVID 19 pandemic, the process should be analyzed very well in order to realize effective online education practices possessing high level communication and interaction in higher education. In this respect in this study, initially it is aimed to determine the satisfaction levels of higher education students towards online education during the pandemic process that affects the whole world and then to reveal the changes of these levels according to the variables such as gender, discipline, education level and grade level. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used in the study. The sample of the study consists of 13447 university students studying online in different faculties of Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa in the fall semester of 2020-2021. According to the results, the students' satisfaction with online education was at a moderate level. In addition, it was observed that students preferred Zoom from the synchronous platforms the most and Canvas from the asynchronous platforms in the online education process. On the other hand, satisfaction levels of female students differ significantly from male students, Science and Engineering and Social Sciences students were more satisfied with the process than the Medicine and Health Sciences students. 6th grade students' satisfaction with the process was higher than other grade levels, and graduate students' satisfaction differed significantly from undergraduate and associate degree students. Finally, the significant differences for all variables were at a low effect level. In the research, various suggestions were made for educators and future studies in order to create more effective online learning environments.

The aim of this study is to examine K12 students' preferences and attitudes on mobile learning. In this study, causal-comparative method was used. The sample of the study were 236 students (127 females, 109 males) at K12 level. The students are enrolled in primary (n=104), secondary (n=77), and high school (n=55) levels. The data in the study were collected through a questionnaire. According to the results, watching videos, playing music, playing games, taking a picture, accessing the Internet are the most common uses of mobile devices for the students. The students' attitudes towards mobile learning is highly positive. The male students' perceived ease of use towards mobile learning is higher than females. The secondary and high school students' perceived ease of use is higher than primary school students. Moreover, the high school students' desire for learning is higher than the others. Implications were discussed in terms of practices for mobile learning in K12, and directions for further research.

Background: Educational robotics (ER) is a means of teaching technology and engineering to students that offers an active learning environment by encouraging them to create meaningful and unique products. ER also gives students the opportunity to work collaboratively. Objectives: In this study, elementary school students' behavioral patterns were explored while they were working on a collaborative robotics project. Additionally, behavioral patterns of higher-achievement and lower-achievement groups were compared. Methods: The participants of the study were a total of 18 students (aged 10-12), including 17 males and 1 female. A problem-based robotics competition was designed within the scope of the study. The students were asked to design and program a robot based on certain rules in groups within four weeks for this competition. All robot design processes and the competition were video-recorded. Quantitative content analysis and lag-sequential analysis methods were used to analyze students' behaviors. Results and Conclusions: The results showed that ER improves collaborative learning, and behaviors in the contributing and planning categories were the dominant behaviors during the robotics project development. Grouping skills of higher-achievement groups were better. Based on the significant collaborative behavioral patterns that emerged from the study, implications were discussed in terms of theoretical insights and collaborative educational robotics practices.

This study investigated the structural relationships among online learners' teaching, social, and cognitive presence, engagement, and satisfaction. Data were collected from graduate students enrolled in an online graduate program at a large midwestern public university through online surveys. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. According to the results, teaching presence, cognitive presence, emotional engagement, behavioral engagement, and cognitive engagement were significant predictors of satisfaction, and these determinants explained 88% of the variance in satisfaction. The results indicate that the dominant determinant of the satisfaction was teaching presence, which had direct and indirect effects on satisfaction. Moreover, the study revealed significant predictors of emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and agentic engagement. Implications are discussed in terms of theoretical insights, practices for online learning environments, and further research directions.

Educational robotics is a very important instrument because it provides an active learning environment and allows learners to acquire 21st century skills. Teachers need to use this instrument in teaching the science of robotics as well as in helping students master the subject and gain experience. This study aims to reveal pre-service teachers? perceptions and experiences in an educational robotics course. Specifically, the satisfaction, motivation, enjoyment, collaboration, and challenge (SMECC) levels of participants were investigated in this robotics learning process. In addition, pre-service teachers' engagements were revealed. The participants were 30 pre-service teachers. A post activity survey, observation, and interview were used as data collection tools. This study adopted a mixed method approach. The pre-service teachers showed a high level of satisfaction, motivation, enjoyment, and collaboration and also showed no difficulty doing the robotics activities in general. Moreover, strong relationships were found among satisfaction, motivation, and enjoyment. The findings indicated that the ER activities provided an edutainment learning environment and that pre-service teachers were highly engaged in the robotics activities. The most motivating factor for the preservice teachers was teaching what they had learned about the science of robotics to their future students. The pre-service teachers' experiences and engagements are revealed in detail and also discussed. Suggestions are presented here for guiding future educational robotics studies in the context of pre-service teachers' education.

Distance education offers flexible learning opportunities in terms of time, place and learning speed to teachers and students through internet technologies. However, the learning opportunities provided in distance education environments require students to act more autonomously and take more responsibility for regulating their learning processes to achieve their learning goals. For this reason, it is crucial to reveal the relationships between flexibility, self-regulated effort and satisfaction factors to provide efficient and effective learning environments in distance education. Accordingly, within the scope of this study, it is aimed to investigate university students' perceptions of flexibility, self-regulated effort and satisfaction with the distance education process, and their views on distance education. Survey research was used as the research method in the study. The study sample consisted of 1760 university students studying at 28 different universities. Data were analysed using t-test, ANOVA, and regression methods. As a result of the study, male students were more satisfied with distance education than female students, and education faculty students had the highest level of satisfaction. In addition, self-regulated effort and flexibility variables were significant factors affecting students' satisfaction towards distance education. Furthermore, the advantages and problems of distance education and suggestions for future distance learning environments were presented in the light of students views. Finally, the study's implications and various recommendations for practitioners and researchers were discussed in detail.

The aim of this study was to reveal pre-service teachers' experiences in learning robotics design and programming. Data were collected from 15 pre-service teachers through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis method. Three themes were identified in this study: Course process, professional development and teaching children. The pre-service teachers indicated that they found opportunities to learn by doing and experience, enjoyed doing robotics activities and felt in flow in this process. They also expressed that the robotics programming course positively influenced their attitudes towards programming and improved their programming skills. They emphasized the importance of keeping their intrinsic motivation high by maintaining their individual efforts to solve problems. Moreover, they made various suggestions for teaching robotics to children. Implications are discussed in terms of practices for educational robotics in teacher training, and further research directions.

Performance in and perceptions of computational thinking (CT) are considered vital dimensions for comprehensively assessing CT skills of students. In this study, secondary school students' CT performance and their perceptions were examined in terms of certain variables including gender, grade level, achievement and self-efficacy. Casual-comparative and correlational methods were used. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 328 fifth- and sixth-grade (10-12 years old) secondary school students taking visual programming lessons. CT performance and perception tests were employed as data collection tools. The results show that CT performance of boys was higher than that of girls. A significant difference was found in both CT performance and perception depending on grades. The results show that achievement in math positively affected CT performance and perception. However, achievement in IT affected CT performance less than achievement in math. Implications are discussed in terms of theoretical insights, practices for improving CT skills in secondary schools and directions for further research.

The aim of this research is to systematically review the theses on educational robotics applications produced in Turkey between the years 2010-2021. The aim is to provide a broad perspective on current studies by revealing the existing situation in the literature. For this purpose, 124 postgraduate theses in the national thesis database were examined within the scope of the research. The theses were analysed using the content analysis method and the educational robotics publication classification form. According to the results of the research, most theses were carried out in 2019 and educational robotics was mostly studied in the master's theses. Experimental design with the quantitative method and the quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group was widely used as research methods. Research in the theses was mostly conducted in secondary schools. The implementations lasted between 1 and 2 months (6-8 weeks). The size of the study groups were 31-100 and the sample selection was appropriate for its purpose. Lego sets and Arduino sets were used the most in information technologies and software and science courses. The proposals sections of the theses suggest that future research should carry out studies with longer-term implementations and larger sample groups. For practitioners, the theses suggest that robotics-based activities should be added to the curriculum in every age group. They emphasize the need for a STEM-based robotics course for teachers as an in-service training course and that it would be beneficial to have robotics workshops in schools. The results obtained from the study are discussed in detail. The video abstracts for this article are available at https://youtu.be/rv9xiGxF4Uc and https://youtu.be/lXctWfpey5E.

Humanoid robots equipped with social skills have come to be used increasingly in the field of education across various subfields such as science education, special education, and foreign language education. In order to enhance the use of humanoid robots in educational settings, and to comprehensively evaluate its impact on the transformation of the class, understanding students' attitudes towards the use of robots for educational purposes plays a critical role. This paper outlines the implementation and validation procedures of an educational robot attitude scale (ERAS) developed to measure the attitudes of secondary school students towards the use of humanoid robots in educational settings. The sample of the study comprised of 232 secondary school students. The development and validation process consisted of exploratory factor analysis and convergent validity. The developed scale consists of 17 items and represents four factors of students' attitude: engagement, enjoyment, anxiety and intention. These four factors accounted for 66% of the total variance of the scale. Internal consistency coefficient for the whole scale was found .90 according to the reliability analysis. The results of the study suggest that the scale is a valid, reliable, and efficient tool for measuring the dimensions of students' attitudes towards humanoid robots in educational settings.

Objective: Adipose tissue stores lipids necessary for the maintenance of nutritional homeostasis. It is also an endocrine organ that reacts to changes in inflammation and energy status. Capsaicin, the principal bioactive compound in red pepper, has garnered significant attention for its reported anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the influence and most efficacious dose of capsaicin on the expression of lipid metabolism-related inflammatory proteins and the inhibition of adipocyte cell differentiation. Materials and Methods: Cell viability analysis was performed using CCK-8, cell differentiation was assessed using Oil Red O, and gene expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPa), adiponectin, leptin, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor kappa B1 (NF-κB1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), sirtuin-1 (SIRT-1), transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1), and uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) were evaluated using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Statistical analyses were conducted using GraphPad Prism 5. One-way ANOVA was performed to compare quantitative data between the groups. Results: Capsaicin suppressed preadipocyte-to-adipocyte differentiation and mitigated the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly at low concentrations. Capsaicin effectively suppressed adiponectin levels at all concentrations but decreased leptin levels at lower concentrations (0.5 µM and 1 µM). Capsaicin stimulated the expressions of SIRT1 and TRPV-1 in adipocytes. According to our findings, the most effective capsaicin dose for the regulation of SIRT1 and TRPV-1 expressions appears to be 20 µM. Conclusion: Capsaicin's effect on proteins regulating adipogenesis is not dose-related, but its inhibitory effect on adiposity-dependent inflammation was more pronounced at low concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual classroom (VC) is the preferred application in distance education since it provides simultaneous interaction and a communication environment between the student and the instructor. The aim of this study is to determine the key components which make VC sessions effective in terms of environment and method. Determination of these components and their effects through experiences of VC is important to improve the design and management of VC sessions. In this case study, VC experiences at theology bachelor's completion degree distance education program are examined. Semistructured interviews were performed with 20 participants (8 instructors, 10 students, 2 technical staff) of this program, which had regular VC sessions. Data were analyzed by using content analysis. This study reveals that VC sessions should be well planned and includes interactive activities in addition to good technical support. The instructional techniques that are of importance for VCs are considered to be active participation of students, summarization of material, attraction of students' attention and high association with real life. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

The purpose of this study is to examine Turkish educational technology studies in the academic literature within the scope of SSCI, and to reveal methodological trends within these studies. For this purpose, 460 Turkey-addressed articles, published between the years of 2000-2009 in 32 international journals, within the scope of 2010 SSCI were collected as data through ETPCF. The data were examined via content analysis and presented using descriptive statistical methods. According to the results, "educational environments" and "technology" were the topics mostly focused on in the articles. Regarding the research methods, quantitative analysis was generally used in these studies. Questionnaires were used as a data collection tool, and convenience sampling methods were also used widely. Descriptive analyses were mainly preferred as a data analysis method. The results coming out of this study will be helpful for directing the future studies.

This research investigated pre-service teachers' motivation, learning strategies, and engagement in a situated learning based educational technology course. In this study, correlational research design was used. The sample of this study was 65 second year science education pre-service teachers. The data were collected through two questionnaires. Descriptive and multiple linear regression analyses were carried out. According to the results, pre-service teachers' engagement and motivation were at a high level; they mostly used sophisticated learning strategies such as organization, elaboration, critical thinking, and metacognitive self-regulation. The results also indicated that the significant predictors of engagement were organization, task value, and effort regulation. Critical thinking, effort regulation, organization, and peer learning strategies were significant predictors of metacognitive self-regulation. The findings are discussed in detail in this paper, and implications are offered for both future studies and the design of effective courses in situated learning based educational technology.

AbstractEarly learners experience various difficulties when learning foreign languages. Augmented reality technology can support learning environments and foreign language vocabulary teaching by attracting the attention of early learners. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of Augmented Reality (AR) technology supported English language learning activities on preschool children with the effects of traditional activities (presentation, lecture, question-answer). In this study, embedded mixed method was used. The sample of the study consisted of 44 five-year-old preschool children (19 boys, 25 girls). Color knowledge test, mood scale, observation, and interview forms were used as data collection tools. As a result of the study, it was concluded that AR-supported English learning activities were more effective than traditional activities on students’ English color vocabulary levels. The children were very happy and they had fun during the experimental process. According to the results of classroom observations, children made weekly progress in cognitive, affective and social/language categories. Implications are discussed in terms of pedagogical insights, practices for AR supported English language learning in preschool, and further research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine preschool children's attitudes towards augmented reality picture books (ARPB), their story comprehension performance (SCP) and the relationships between these variables. The sample consisted of 92 five- and six-year-olds (49 boys, 43 girls). An attitude form, story comprehension test and interview form were used as data collection tools. Most of the children reported feeling "very happy" with the activity and enjoyed using the ARPB, which they found interesting and fun. The children also delivered strong story SCP. Their happiness was found to affect their SCP, while their enjoyment did not. ARPB are attractive and evocative for children, who perceive them as magic and more enjoyable than conventional books. This study demonstrates how they can be used as effective educational tools to improve preschool children's cognition and listening skills.

High fat diet (HFD) is associated with oxidative stress induced fatty liver. Curcumin, an extract of Curcuma longa, has been shown to possess potent antioxidant and hypolipidemic properties. in this study, we investigated the effect of curcumin treatment on hepatic heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression along with pro- oxidant-antioxidant status and lipid accumulation in rats fed an HFD. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were distributed among 4 groups: Group 1, which was fed the control diet (10% of total calories from fat); Group 2, which was fed the HFD (60% of total calories from fat); and groups 3 and 4, which received the HFD supplemented with curcumin and the control diet supplemented with curcumin (1g/kg diet; w/w), respectively, for 16 weeks. HFD caused increases in hepatic lipid levels, production of reactive oxygen species, and lipid peroxidation. Further, HO-1 expression was significantly decreased. Histopathological examination showed hepatic fat accumulation and slight fibrotic changes. Curcumin treatment reduced hepatic lipids and oxidative stress parameters, and HO-1 expression was significantly increased. These findings suggest that increased HO-1 expression, along with suppressed oxidative stress as well as reduced hepatic fat accumulation and fibrotic changes, contribute to the beneficial effects of curcumin in attenuating the pathogenesis of fatty liver induced metabolic diseases. Key words: obesity, fatty liver, antioxidant enzymes, ROS, MDA, hepatic lipids, turmeric. Une diete riche en gras (DRG) est liee au foie gras induit par le stress oxydant. La curcumine, un extrait de Curcuma longa, possede d'importantes proprietes anti-oxydantes et hypo-lipemiantes. Dans cette etude, les auteurs ont examine l'effet d'un traitement a la curcumine sur l'expression de l'heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) hepatique, l'etat pro-oxydant-antioxydant et l'accumulation de lipides chez les rats soumis a une DRG. Des rats males Sprague-Dawley ont ete repartis en quatre groupes : Groupe 1 nourri a la diete controle (10% des calories totales fournies par les lipides), Groupe 2 nourri a la DRG (60% des calories totales fournies par les lipides), Groupes 3 et 4 nourris respectivement a la diete controle ou la DRG avec de la curcumine (1 g/kg diete, p/p) pendant 16 semaines. La DRG provoquait une hausse significative des niveaux de lipides hepatiques, de la production d'ERO et de la peroxydation lipidique. L'expression d'HO-1 etait significativement diminuee. L'examen histopathologique a montre une accumulation de graisse hepatique et une legere fibrose. Le traitement a la curcumine reduisait les lipides hepatiques et les parametres lies au stress oxydant. L'expression d'HO-1 etait significativement accrue. Ces donnees suggerent que l'expression accrue d'HO-1 parallelement a la suppression du stress oxydant et la reduction de l'accumulation de graisse hepatique et de la fibrose, peut contribuer aux effets benefiques de la curcumine dans l'attenuation de la pathogenese des maladies metaboliques induites par le foie gras. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : obesite, foie gras, enzymes anti-oxydantes, ERO, MDA, lipides hepatiques, curcuma., Introduction in modern city life, consuming food rich in fat has become a common habit that usually leads to the deposition of the dietary fat in the body, mainly in [...]

The increase in online education creates a need to explore how learning outcomes, student satisfaction, and student perceptions about online courses are affected by prior online learning experiences. This study examined the role of prior online learning experience on students' perceived cognitive presence, social presence, teaching presence, engagement, and satisfaction. The archival data of online learners at a large midwestern university (a total n=878), including survey responses related to Community of Inquiry (CoI), engagement, and satisfaction, were utilized to conduct statistical analyses to determine whether student responses differed by the number of online courses taken previously. We found that only social presence scores (CoI subscale) and emotional engagement scores (engagement sub-scale) differed by the number of the online courses taken. However, the effect size was small. We concluded that student satisfaction, engagement, and perceptions of cognitive and teaching presence are not related to prior online course experiences. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of amino acids other than methionine in mitotic and postmitotic tissue of rats by measuring mitochondrial peroxide and superoxide production as well as oxidative protein and DNA damage in the liver and heart of rats fed with either a normal diet (ND) or a protein-restricted diet (PREMD). Methods: The study group comprised 4- and 12-month-old rats fed with either a ND or a PREMD for 4 months. The rate of mitochondrial peroxide and superoxide production, and the protein carbonyl (PC) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels in the liver and heart mitochondria were measured. Results: The mitochondrial peroxide and superoxide production rates of the liver and heart mitochondria of rats did not demonstrate any significant difference based on the diet provided. Similarly, diet did not have a significant effect on the PC level in the liver and heart mitochondria of either age group. In the 16-month-old rats, the mtDNA 8-OHdG level was significantly higher in the heart than the liver, regardless of the diet. Conclusion: Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, and oxidative protein and DNA damage increased in mitotic and postmitotic tissue with age; however, the increment was more prominent in the heart than the liver. Longterm PREMD consumption did not decelerate oxidative damage in the heart or in the liver with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine K12 students' preferences and attitudes on mobile learning. In this study, causal-comparative method was used. The sample of the study were 236 students (127 females, 109 males) at K12 level. The students are enrolled in primary (n=104), secondary (n=77), and high school (n=55) levels. The data in the study were collected through a questionnaire. According to the results, watching videos, playing music, playing games, taking a picture, accessing the Internet are the most common uses of mobile devices for the students. The students' attitudes towards mobile learning is highly positive. The male students' perceived ease of use towards mobile learning is higher than females. The secondary and high school students' perceived ease of use is higher than primary school students. Moreover, the high school students' desire for learning is higher than the others. Implications were discussed in terms of practices for mobile learning in K12, and directions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]