Search

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are considered learning environments that eliminate many learning barriers. Online courses in MOOCs have become an opportunity for everyone during the lockdown of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, usability issues may cause problems such as high dropout rates and lack of learner's motivation. Therefore, in this study, the usability of Coursera, one of the most known MOOCs in the world, was evaluated. The evaluation was performed with ISO 9241-11 standard. The environment's effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction were evaluated with the authentic tasks requested to be done in Coursera. Additionally, the findings were supported by eye-tracking metrics such as fixation duration, fixation counts, heat maps, and gaze plots. Twelve individuals (six females, six males) participated in the authentic tasks, and three individuals (two females, one male) participated in the eye-tracking phase. Results of the study revealed that most participants successfully performed the authentic tasks and are generally satisfied with the usability of the environment. However, considering eye-tracking findings and Coursera Usage Satisfaction Survey, some usability problems such as inadequate language support and the difficulty of using the search feature emerged. In the end, possible reasons were discussed, and the suggestions were presented for usability improvements.

Since the effectiveness of pedagogies relies heavily on the context they are practiced, scholars strive to revalidate them with different participants representing different disciplines, age, cultures and so on. In this regard, this piece of work was undertaken so as to reveal the impact of a digital game-based learning environment on the achievement of secondary school participants in the topic of Internet literacy in Turkey. To this end, a three dimensional multi-user digital game-based learning environment through Active Worlds game engine was created. The static-group pre-test post-test design was adopted. We recruited 266 students attending 10th-grade at a public high school. The participants were block-randomized to the groups. The control group partook in a lecture-based learning environment for two weeks, whereas the experimental group learned with a digital game-based learning environment. The results ascertained that even though there were significant learning gains in control as well as experimental groups, no substantial significant difference was observed in the achievement across the groups. The results illustrated that the interaction of method and gender had no influence on the achievement. Particularities of the context of the study causing the results and study's far-reaching implications were discussed.

Background: Studies on the effectiveness of block-based environments continue to produce inconsistent results. A strong reason for this is that most studies compare environments that are not equivalent to each other or to the level of learners. Moreover, studies that present evidence of the effectiveness of block-based environments by comparing equivalent environments are limited. Objectives: This study aims to scrutinize the effects of programming training to be held in equivalent environments (block-based and text-based) with university students who do not have prior programming knowledge and experience on achievement, logical thinking, and motivation. Methods: The study was conducted by using an experimental pretest-posttest control group design. The study was conducted with 60 students, the total consisting of 30 students in the experimental group and 30 students in the control group. In the experimental group, block-based visual programming training with Scratch was conducted and the control group received text-based programming training with Small Basic. The training was maintained for 10 weeks, for 4 h a week in each group. The programming achievement test, the logical thinking skills test, and the motivation scale were used to collect the data. Results and Conclusions: The results showed that the use of a block-based environment in programming training contributed positively to the development of students' logical thinking skills, and motivation for learning programming. In contrast, there was evidence that this training did not make a difference on programming success. Implications: The findings of the study provided evidence of the effectiveness of block-based training in comparisons made in equivalent environments. Focusing research on this issue may contribute to the improvement of the current understanding.

This study aims to examine the situational flow experiences of students creating 3D designs in 3D multi-user virtual environments. This time series quasi-experimental study included 40 volunteer junior students who studied at the Computer Education and Instructional Technology department and had taken the elective course of "Instructional Design". The participants in the role of a designer created 3D designs in the OpenSimulator application throughout the process. They worked in groups to solve authentic problems. At the end of each session, the students were applied a flow experience scale individually. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the participants' flow experience did not differ by gender and overall grade point average. Autotelic activity and disappearance of self-consciousness were the highest components of flow experience indicating that the designers felt immersed in the 3D design activities throughout the 15-week implementation process. Considering flow experience by weeks, it was found that conveying theoretical information to the students diminished their flow experience owing to lack of the concentration, control and feedback components, whereas giving feedback after letting them present what they worked on fostered their flow experience by increasing the clear goals and immediate feedback components. The results highlighted the importance of flow experience in design education.

Three-dimensional Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) are being increasingly used in many areas, and they are becoming more and more integrated with learning and teaching. MUVEs can be used in learning and teaching to facilitate student learning and collaboration. This study identified the effects of MUVEs on collaborative learning and social presence and investigated whether these effects varied by gender. The participants were sophomore students attending a programming language course. They used a MUVE for their group meetings as part of their collaborative work. They also held voice communication. A four-section questionnaire was administered to the students who attended the meetings, in which the researchers served as facilitators. Interviews were held with randomly selected students. In addition, the group project meetings were tape-recorded, and field notes were taken for each meeting. The results showed that the MUVE enabled the group members to exchange ideas in an authentic environment, and that the file-sharing platform used as a complement to the MUVE reinforced collaborative learning. As long as technical problems are prevented, effective collaborative learning can be achieved in these environments.

The purpose of this study was to identify motivational elements of an online multi-player educational computer game that uses a 3D multi-user environment to immerse children ages 9-12 in educational tasks. The methodological approach design ethnography, a process that involves using ethnographic methods when the researchers are both observers and designers of the context being studied, was employed for researching this game. Interviews were completed with twenty participants playing the educational game and prolonged observations were conducted where participants played the game in a natural setting. The constant comparison method of grounded theory was used for analyzing interview and observation records. The qualitative methods used in this study allowed for additional insights into previous research on motivation. In addition to the 5 constructs identified in previous motivation research on videogames (challenge, curiosity, control, fantasy, and choice), 10 additional motivational elements to play the game emerged from an analysis of interviews with and observations of the 20 children participating in this study. These were identity presentation, social relations, playing, learning, achievement, rewards, immersive context, uniqueness, creativity, and context of support.

In this study, the instructional design process in three-dimensional multi-user virtual environments (3D MUVEs) based on a problem-based learning approach was examined and authentic design experiences were shared. Besides, a design model was proposed to guide people who want to design these 3D MUVEs and to use these environments for educational purposes. The study group consists of students studying in the department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology Education in their junior year at a state university in Turkey. These students took the "Instructional Design" course one year ago before taking this course. 34 students participated in the study on a voluntary basis. The study using a formative research method of qualitative research methods was conducted in a 16-week practice as part of a course. During the implementation, the design process by 6 different groups was examined deeply. "Survey of Demographic Characteristics of Participants", "Creating of the Scenario and Problem Report", "Personal Project Reports", "Participant logs", "Reflection Reports", "Semi-Structured Interviews", "3D Design Evaluation Criteria", "Problem Evaluation Scale", "Expert Notes", "Personal Web Pages" and "email and instant messaging tools" were used in the data collection process. The data were collected from 193 data sources, resulting in 7 themes which are namely: determining the problem situation, determination of scenario, models of instructional systems development, transferring scenarios to the environment, teamwork, media design process, and use in educational environments. According to the themes that emerged from the experience of the participants, the 3D MUVEs design model based on a problem-based learning approach was proposed.

This study aims to investigate the effects of different design tasks on the cognitive load level of instructional designers during the process of designing a learning activity in a 3D multi-user virtual environment (MUVE). The sample consisted of 16 undergraduate students who were experienced in the areas of instructional design, computer programming and graphic design. The designers were assigned to the design teams with 5 or 6 members and conducted a collaborative instructional design project to develop a solution to an ill-structured problem on the OpenSimulator platform for 8 weeks. Following the implementation, the designers were administered the Mental Effort Rating Scale regarding the 11 design tasks in the 3D MUVE. The results showed that the designers were cognitively overloaded while performing the design tasks in this environment. When the cognitive load scores were examined, it was found that the preparation of the learning scenario, uploading user-created 3D models, content creation, modelling of the draft view of the designed environment and 3D model design tasks were found as the most challenging tasks in terms of cognitive effort. On the other hand, it was found that the tasks of making animation, creating non-player characters and designing an interactive menu led to relatively less cognitive load.

This study compares the effects of object-oriented and robot programming activities on programming achievement, abstraction, problem solving, and motivation. In the study, two consecutive experimental cases were conducted to examine the consistency of findings. The research sample comprises 81 tenth-grade students undergoing vocational secondary education. A total of 41 students participated in the first case that spanned 12 weeks, and 40 students participated in the second that spanned 8 weeks. After computational activities, the programming achievement scores significantly increased in all test groups. However, the achievement scores did not differ significantly between the groups. For the comparison groups, there was no statistically significant difference in the pre- and posttest scores of the formal and descriptive abstraction in both cases. However, a statistically significant increase was found in the formal (only Case 2) and descriptive abstraction scores of the students in the experimental groups. The abstraction results revealed a significant difference in the descriptive abstraction scores of Case 2 in favour of the experimental group. No statistically significant difference was found in the problem-solving scores within or between groups. In both cases, the motivation scores of the experimental groups were found to be statistically higher than those of the comparison groups.

This study shared unique design experiences by examining the process of transferring residential courses to the Web, and proposed a design model for individuals who want to transfer their courses into this environment. The formative research method was used in the study, and two project teams' processes of putting courses, which were being taught in classrooms at the time, on the Web were examined in depth to reveal and confirm the components of the design model. The participants were 13 instructional designers. In addition to the logbooks kept by the designers, individual and focus group interview techniques were employed in the data-gathering process. Two researchers analyzed the data concurrently using content analysis. The logbooks and the focus-group interviews were used for model formation, and the individual interviews to confirm the components of the model. Based on the findings from the two design cases, the experience-based e-course design model consisting of seven basic stages including forming design team, preliminary search, analysis, instructional and technical design, integration, tests, and improvements was proposed. It is considered that sustaining Web-based course design efforts within this model will enable both implementing the design process more effectively, and the Web-based course obtained at the end of the process to have higher quality.

In this study, researchers evaluated the usability of game environments for teaching and learning about mathematical functions. A 3-Dimensional multi-user computer game called as "Quest Atlantis" has been used, and an educational game about mathematical functions has been developed in parallel to the Quest Atlantis' technical and pedagogical structure. The pedagogical aspects of the game were based on three theories of learning: experience-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and portfolio-based learning. For evaluating the effectiveness of the environment, four learners participated in the implementation in a lab environment and researchers observed and interviewed them. This paper includes information about the design process of the game world, and evaluation of its implementation, and reflections of the researchers.

Objective: It was aimed to examine the relationship between a getting COVID-19 and socioeconomic variables, employment status, and working arrangements including remote working and alternate working status. Methods: The study was conducted between 1-8 June 2021 on 1090 people. It was conducted face-to-face interviews with patients who applied to tertiary outpatients in Ankara/Türkiye. A convenient sampling method was used for determining people. Except for emergency services, all outpatient clinics were included in the study. The self-reported information was used to determine the history of getting COVID-19. Results: The regression model including all participants shows that getting COVID-19 risk higher in workers (OR: 1.719 95% CI:1.142-2.587) according to non-workers and 30-39 age group according to 18-30 (OR: 1.669 95% CI: 1.032-2.701). Bivariate analysis, including current workers, there was a statistically significant difference between income groups in terms of getting COVID-19 (p<0.05). The prevalence of COVID-19 is higher in people who attend workplace throughout the pandemic (31.3%) than in people who work remotely for a period of time (21.8%)(p<0.05); additionally, it is higher in people who have never worked alternately (33.5%) than in people who work alternately for a period of time (22.2%) during the pandemic (p<0.05). Regression model only including currently workers shows that getting COVID-19 risk higher in those who had never worked alternately during the pandemic period (OR: 1.749 95% CI: 1.091-2.804). Conclusion: Working arrangements are among the nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) effective in combating the pandemic. More lives could be saved in future epidemics by implementing work arrangements to include more workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Inonu University Journal of the Faculty of Education (INUJFE) is the property of Inonu University Journal of the Faculty of Education 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.)

Copyright of Community & Physician / Toplum ve Hekim is the property of Turk Tabipleri Birligi / Turkish Medical Association 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.)

Hyper casual (HC) games are a sub-genre of mobile games. Such games are quick to learn, easy to play, require little attention and are played in short sessions. The development time of such games is agile, short and less costly. The development and revision of educational games takes a long time and is costly. The aim of this study is to examine the design processes of a company that develops HC games, to evaluate them from an educational game perspective and to reveal a game development model. Formative in-vivo naturalistic research method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. Data were collected through interviews. A Hyper Casual Game Design Model (HCGDM) is proposed based on insights from the game development experiences of the company. The HCGDM consists of core components, including the Team, Game Idea, Development Process, Publishing Process, and Optimization, which are carried out in sequential steps. Test, Target Audience, Stakeholders, and Corporate Culture also play a role with the core components in the development process and are related to how each step of development should be approached. It is thought that educational games can be developed faster by considering the model components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Higher Education / Yüksekögretim Dergisi is the property of Deomed Publishing 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.)

Aim: We aim to determine the effect of the pandemic on the characteristics of health utilization of non-COVID 19 people. Method: Quantitative research was conducted on those who applied to two family health centers (n=200) and Gazi Hospital (n=210) in Ankara. Qualitative research was conducted on health workers or managers from primary care (PC) and tertiary care (TC) (Gazi and Gülhane hospital) and consultants of the Ministry of Health. We also used the health records of Gazi hospital. Results: Making an appointment is the most common problem faced by people applying for both PC (19,0%) and TC (32,9%) during the pandemic. The follow-up percentages for PC and TC during the pandemic were 60%-56.3% in DM, 54.2%- 54.9% in hypertension, 28.6%-46.2% in COPD, and 16.7%-48.5% in mental health problems, respectively. For all diseases investigated, these percentages were above 80% before the pandemic. During the pandemic period, a sharp decrease between 5% and 85% was observed in outpatients and inpatients due to DM, HT and COPD in Gazi hospital. Participants of the qualitative study stated that delayed admission to the health institution causes more complicated case diagnoses. According to health workers, the groups most affected by the lack of access to healthcare services are demographic group elderly patients and medical group cancer patients. It was emphasized that PC plays an important role in the continuity of health services. Conclusion: In the short term, it may be suggested to develop informative materials about conditions that require urgent treatment and follow-up processes of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) during the pandemic. Interruptions in NCDs follow-up and treatment may create the potential for increased morbidity and mortality. Countries should make their plans considering the long-term effects of pandemic on the health system. The pandemic has revealed the importance of PC for accessible and sustainable health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies on the effectiveness of block‐based environments continue to produce inconsistent results. A strong reason for this is that most studies compare environments that are not equivalent to each other or to the level of learners. Moreover, studies that present evidence of the effectiveness of block‐based environments by comparing equivalent environments are limited. Objectives: This study aims to scrutinize the effects of programming training to be held in equivalent environments (block‐based and text‐based) with university students who do not have prior programming knowledge and experience on achievement, logical thinking, and motivation. Methods: The study was conducted by using an experimental pretest‐posttest control group design. The study was conducted with 60 students, the total consisting of 30 students in the experimental group and 30 students in the control group. In the experimental group, block‐based visual programming training with Scratch was conducted and the control group received text‐based programming training with Small Basic. The training was maintained for 10 weeks, for 4 h a week in each group. The programming achievement test, the logical thinking skills test, and the motivation scale were used to collect the data. Results and Conclusions: The results showed that the use of a block‐based environment in programming training contributed positively to the development of students' logical thinking skills, and motivation for learning programming. In contrast, there was evidence that this training did not make a difference on programming success. Implications: The findings of the study provided evidence of the effectiveness of block‐based training in comparisons made in equivalent environments. Focusing research on this issue may contribute to the improvement of the current understanding. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Programming is a competency that students have difficulty in the learning process.Studies on the effectiveness of block‐based environments present inconsistent results.Studies examining the effectiveness of learning programming in equivalent environments (such as Scratch versus Small Basic) are limited. What this paper adds?: The effectiveness of programming environments was examined in equivalent environments.Learning programming in a block‐based environment contributed more positively to students' logical thinking and motivation.The impact of block and text‐based environments on programming achievement was similar. Implications for practice and/or policy: The use of a block‐based environment in programming education provides positive contributions to the development of novice undergraduate students' logical thinking skills and motivation.The issue of equivalence of environments is critical in research comparing programming achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]