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In equivalence-based instruction (EBI), a large number of stimulus relations can be established through direct instruction of a smaller number of strategically selected relations. We evaluated the efficiency and other potential benefits of EBI in 2 between-subjects experiments with college students that compared EBI with complete instruction (CI). In Experiment 1 (n = 50), mastery criteria in both conditions required an equal number of equally sized trial blocks at equal accuracy. Under those conditions, trials to passing posttests did not differ significantly between groups during the establishment of 3-member classes or during expansion to 4- and 5-member classes. In Experiment 2 (n = 48), mastery criteria were equated across conditions in terms of the number of consecutive correct trials required for each trial type. Under those conditions, EBI required fewer trials to complete than did CI. Neither experiment found an advantage of EBI over CI in terms of facilitating future learning or maintenance of class-consistent responding. Overall, the results suggest that greater efficiency of EBI compared to CI may largely be attributed to learning assessment practices, but additional research is warranted with additional EBI training structures and trial arrangements., (© 2020 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.)

Recent research has demonstrated the effectiveness of programmed instruction that integrates derived relations to teach college-level academic material. This method has been demonstrated to be effective and economical in the teaching of complex mathematics and biology concepts. Although this approach may have potential applications with other domains of college learning, more studies are needed to evaluate important technological variables. Studies that employ programmed instruction are discussed in relation to future directions for research.

Programmed instruction is attracting attention at all educational levels. While this approach is new, the educational principles it incorporates are well established: instructional goals are defined in advance, the content is meticulously organized, active student participation is demanded, immediate feedback is provided to students, and each instructional unit is subjected to testing and revision. With its established effectiveness as a vehicle for introducing new topics, and for providing remedial and supplementary instruction, it can free the medical teacher to devote his time to matters which are more deserving of his attention, such as identifying and responding to individual student needs, exploring complex concepts, and working directly with students to provide a model and critical supervision. A more important potential contribution of programming may be that it has reminded us of sound educational precepts which deserve our attention in all forms of instruction.

Computer-aided instruction (CAI) can be significant in achieving educational goals in marketing management development programs and in university marketing instruction. However, the human and financial costs of attaining these goals may prove prohibitive. Marketing educators should look before they leap into costly CAI programs. This article describes and evaluates current and potential CAI performance in marketing curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present investigation is to find out the effect of various paces and operations on the rating error, after the subjects are trained by the programmed learning method (developed by the author) and conventional method of training performance rating. The experimental data were treated with statistical quality control techniques and it was found that both paces and operations had an effect on the rating error, irrespective of the training method. However, the rating error was less pronounced for the subjects trained by the programmed learning method compared to the subjects trained by the conventional method. Unfamiliar or complex operations caused rating errors of greater magnitude. Slow paces resulted in loose ratings, whereas fast paces resulted in tight ratings. It was observed that as the pace deviates from the middle range in the rating scale to the extreme ends, the rating errors get larger. Comparatively, errors of greater magnitude were noted at slow paces than at fast paces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolution has been recognized as a key concept for biologists. To enhance comprehension and motivate biology undergraduates for the contents of central energetic metabolism, we addressed the Krebs cycle structure and functions in an evolutionary view. To this end, we created a study guide that contextualizes the emergence of the cyclic pathway, in light of the prokaryotic influence since the early anaerobic condition of the Earth to increase oxygen in the atmosphere. The study guide is composed of three interrelated sections: (1) a problem, designed to arouse curiosity, inform and motivate students, (2) a text about life evolution, including early microorganisms and the emergence of the Krebs cycle, and (3) questions for debate. The activity consisted on individual reading and peer discussion based on this written material, under the guidance of the instructors. The questions were designed to foster debate in an ever-increasing level of complexity and to strengthen the main contextual aspects leading to emergence, evolving, and permanency of a complex metabolic pathway. Based on classroom observation, analysis of student's written responses, and individual interviews, we noticed they were engaged and motivated by the task, especially during group discussion. The whole experience suggests that the study guide was a stimulus to broaden the comprehension of the Krebs cycle, reinforcing the evolutionary approach as an important subject for learning purposes. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:288-296, 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Programmed instruction (PI) and lecture based learning have been compared in previous studies in the world, but due to special condition of education in nursing, the effects of these two methods have been less investigated in Iranian universities. This study attempts to compare the effect of these two educational methods on nursing students' learning about the basic principles of infection control. Methods. In this quasi-experimental study, 103 second-year baccalaureate (B.S) nursing students were selected by purposive sampling and then were randomly assigned to two groups (52 in experimental using self-learning method and 51 in control group taught by lecture method). Both groups were tested by similar pre and post tests and the content of teaching was the same for both of them but with different teaching methods. The experimental group was also given an opinionnaire about the programmed instruction at the end. Two weeks after the post-test, an unannounced test (delay test) was administered to both groups. The data were analyzed by SPSS software using frequency distribution, mean and standard deviation, t-test and paired t-test. Results. There was a significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores in both groups. Also, nursing students who completed an infection control programmed instruction, scored higher on post-test than those who attended the lecture method class. The difference between the mean scores of post and delay tests was significant in experimental group but it didn't show a significant difference in the control group. The mean of the necessary time for studying modules was 35.6 minutes less than lecture presentation, and 85.4% of students preferred PI method and found the content meaningful. Conclusion. This study showed that self-managed learning in the form of PI is an acceptable method for teaching the basic principles of infection control to nursing students. It is recommended to use this method more in education.

Today's digitalization allows users to interact, collaborate, communicate and create user-generated content. The technology is intuitive and easy to use even for young children, and new learning opportunities emerge. Particularly, students' production as a learning form benefits from digitalization as the new opportunities enable young students to integrate their playing competencies and skills into the formal school learning. This paper presents and discusses a theory regarding students' digital production from a learning and design-for-learning perspective, which is generated based on the project Netbook 1:1 (2009-2012), where information and communication technology (ICT) was readily accessible for each child at school and at home in grades 1-3 at two Danish public schools. The paper presents a Four Levels Design for Learning Model, which can be used for both design for learning and analyses of learning processes. The discussion is supported by empirical examples from the project, which explored emerging relations amongst ICT, production and subject matter-specific practice (Danish, mathematics and interdisciplinary activities). We understand design for learning as related to both process and agency, and in the study, we have examined and found that students are capable of operating as learning designers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Comportamentalia is the property of Instituto de Psicologia y Educacion de la Universidad Veracruzana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article calls for locally grounded approaches to the teaching of foreign languages in Colombia, in an attempt to recognize difference, diversity and heterogeneity. To that end, I first present a critical review of how traditional language teaching methods fail to offer a comprehensive accountability for the sort of multifarious cultural, ethnic, economic, and ideological factors that influence language learning and teaching. The review also considers the current historical moment in Colombia in which a nation-wide linguistic policy is being implemented. Second, there is a clear reference to the Post method Pedagogy in which principles such as particularity, practicality and possibility offer an alternative view to the language teaching enterprise. Third, I highlight the value of having glocal educational perspectives for foreign language teaching (FLT) in the context of post method pedagogies. Finally, this reflection underlines the importance of research in general and action research in particular, to propose locally sensitive teaching actions as discussed throughout the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of ICT in Muzical Field / Tehnologii Informatice si de Comunicatie in Domeniul Muzical is the property of Tehnologii Informatice si de Comunicatie in Domeniul Muzical / ICT in Musical Field and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study hypothesized that increased intensity of graphic information, presented in computer-generated instruction, could be differentially beneficial for students with hyperactivity and inattention by improving their ability to sustain attention and hold information in-mind. To this purpose, 18 2nd-4th grade students, recruited from general education classes, were presented with sequenced geometry instruction, which involved projections of solid geometric images accompanied by text and color. Children were randomly assigned to two levels of intensity: high visual intensity (HVI) with information from the light source (e.g., contrasts, shadows) and low intensity (LVI) projecting only a single value. In support of theoretical predictions, students with hyperactivity/inattention performed better than typical comparisons during the performance of advanced problems in the HVI condition. Furthermore, the students with inattention demonstrated significantly better performance in the HVI than in the LVI condition. Educational, research, and development implications of these findings were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since pedagogy is a key term in the Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) principles, it is of interest to examine the evolution of the concept of pedagogy in the French-language world of education, as well as the emergence of a new field of research called 'didactics'. Work on situated cognition provides a framework for defining co-regulation of learning in the classroom as resulting from the joint influence of student self-regulation and of regulation from other sources (teachers, peers, curriculum materials, assessment instruments, etc.). Several examples of research on this topic are mentioned. In conclusion, it is argued that the concept of co-regulation of learning can be seen as a way of linking the TLRP principles of scaffolding and of student engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors have previously reported the effectiveness of using self and peer assessment to improve learning outcomes by providing opportunities to practise, assess and provide feedback on students' attribute development. Despite this work and the research of others, a significant number of students and, indeed, many academics focus on the free-rider deterrent capability of self and peer assessment, rather than its capacity to provide opportunities for developing judgement and facilitating reflection and feedback to complete the learning cycle. The advent of web-based tools such as SPARKPLUS allows the frequent and efficient implementation of self and peer assessment activities even in large classes. This article reports the results of an investigation into whether the regular use of self and peer assessment in different contexts promoted effective peer learning, increased engagement and encouraged students to learn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Self-explanation prompts are considered to be an important form of scaffolding in the comprehension of complex multimedia materials. However, there is little theoretical understanding to date of self-explaining prompt formats tailored to different expertise levels of learners to help them fully exploit the advantages of dynamic multi-representational materials. To address this issue, this study designed two types of self-explaining prompts: the reasoning-based prompts asked the learners to reason the action run of the animation; the predicting-based prompts asked the learners to predict the upcoming action of the animation, and then asked for reasoning if they made a wrong prediction. Furthermore, multiple indicators including learning outcome, cognitive load demand, learning time, and learning efficiency were used to interpret the prompts’ effects on different expertise levels of learners. A total of 244 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions: a control and two different self-explaining prompt conditions. The results indicate that the learning effects of self-explaining prompts depend on levels of learner expertise. Based on the results, this study makes recommendations for adaptive self-explaining prompt design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Instructional interventions based on stimulus equivalence provide learners with the opportunity to acquire skills that are not directly taught, thereby improving the efficiency of instructional efforts. The present report describes a study in which equivalence-based instruction was used to teach college students facts regarding brain anatomy and function. The instruction involved creating two classes of stimuli that students understood as being related. Because the two classes shared a common member, they spontaneously merged, thereby increasing the yield of emergent relations. Overall, students mastered more than twice as many facts as were explicitly taught, thus demonstrating the potential of equivalence-based instruction to reduce the amount of student investment that is required to master advanced academic topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an introduction to the symposium on e-learning in politics. It draws out a number of common themes explored in the papers and places these within the context of wider debates relating to both the teaching and learning of politics and e-learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology education, not to be confused with educational technology, has an “official curriculum.” This article explores this “official curriculum” and answers the following questions; what are the goals of technology education, what should technology education look like in classrooms, and why technology education is important. This article provides a primer on technology education that would be helpful to educational professionals interested in helping students become more technological literate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology expands instructional options for faculty, and this study examines the differential learning effects of offering a lecture on physics to students in a traditional classroom versus internet video formats. Based on an experiment conducted in a natural educational context, results indicate enhanced transfer of lecture information in the video formats relative to the live condition, with students also responding more positively to personalized video presentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of on-line or computer-based learning environments has become a major concern for some educators when it comes to whether they are valid and reliable strategies in delivering instruction. The purpose of this essay is to examine how any organization, including indeed governments and training institutions, can incorporate a needs assessment and strategic plan when implementing any instructional innovation that is governed by basic learning principles. The fact is in any educational setting, the needs assessment and strategic planning process can serve to clarify and encourage all stakeholders to look at observable outcomes which can be managed, controlled and even predicted. The study also recommends best practices of conducting needs assessment and strategic planning particularly in elearning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the design principles for technology-enhanced learning environments. The design principles were made through the use of perspectives provided by two sources. The first source was the How People Learn framework while the second sources was a series of interviews conducted with pacesetters in the field of educational technologies. According to the author, these principles can guide the evaluation of how educational technologies are used and help instructional designers to create ways to implement technologies.

Abstract: This study addressed one aspect of a national strategic recommendation in South Africa by examining the effectiveness of computer-based outreach programmes in terms of how the programmes were implemented and learners’ perceptions of the classes. The role that the computer centres played at two schools was examined and the research endeavoured to provide descriptions of the implemented and perceived programmes. The findings provide insight into the implementation of computer-assisted learning (CAL) in disadvantaged schools and serve as baseline data for research into CAL environments in the South African context. Learners considered the application of CAL as a positive step to improve their learning but also placed a high value on the role of the teacher because of the perceived competencies of their teachers in helping them perform well in the matriculation examination. The findings of the study have important practice and policy implications for the implementation of CAL in disadvantaged schools. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, we examined the effectiveness of instructional materials designed to control redundancy and split attention in the teaching of complex orthopedic physical therapy skills. Participants included 41 first-year physical therapy students. The modified instruction group received a modified unit of instruction designed to reduce cognitive load, while the control group received a traditionally designed unit of instruction. Four hypotheses were tested relating to achievement on cognitive and psychomotor tests, ratings of cognitive load, and task completion times. The multivariate analysis yielded significant results for three of the four hypotheses (ES = +0.52). As predicted, the participants receiving the modified instructional materials scored significantly higher on the written post-test and psychomotor tasks, while reporting a lower level of cognitive load on both tasks. These results suggest that designers can increase the germane cognitive load by reducing the extraneous cognitive load through good instructional and message design practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Researchers in the area of educational software have always shown great interest in the automatic synthesis of learning curricula. During the recent years, with the extensive use of metadata and the emergence of the Semantic Web, this vision is gradually turning into a reality. A number of systems for curricula synthesis have been proposed. These systems are based on strong relations defined in the metadata of learning objects, which allow them to be combined with other learning objects, in order to form a complete educational program. This article presents PASER, a system for automatically synthesizing curricula using AI Planning and Semantic Web technologies. The use of classical planning techniques allows the system to dynamically construct learning paths even from disjoint learning objects, meeting the learner’s profile, preferences, needs and abilities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article argues that there is a need for Personal Recommender Systems (PRSs) in Learning Networks (LNs) in order to provide learners with advice on the suitable learning activities to follow. LNs target lifelong learners in any learning situation, at all educational levels and in all national contexts. They are community-driven because every member is able to contribute to the learning material. Existing Recommender Systems (RS) and recommendation techniques used for consumer products and other contexts are assessed on their suitability for providing navigational support in an LN. The similarities and differences are translated into specific requirements for learning and specific requirements for recommendation techniques. The article focuses on the use of memory-based recommendation techniques, which calculate recommendations based on the current data set. We propose a combination of memory-based recommendation techniques that appear suitable to realise personalised recommendation on learning activities in the context of e-learning. An initial model for the design of such systems in LNs and a roadmap for their further development are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the influence of behaviourism on vocational education and training in Britain in the period between the Second World War and the mid-1970s. By the 1970s, behaviourism provided deeply-rooted underlying curricular and pedagogic principles that were widely accepted by VET professionals in the UK. Insofar as behaviourist ideas were debated, critics focused on the rigidity with which they were applied in practice, rather than on the ideas themselves. The paper explores the context within which behaviourist ideas came to dominate the VET profession, outlining their operationalisation as 'programmed instruction' (later as 'programmed learning'), and showing how their advocacy and adoption helped to underpin the emergence of a professional community of VET scholars and practitioners. The paper draws largely on contemporary evidence, including professional journals, textbooks and official records, as well as archival materials. It concludes by challenging simplistic dismissal of programmed instruction as mechanistic, utilitarian and reductionist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]