Australasian Journal of Educational Technology
Hypermedia and Discovery Based Learning: What Value?
| Title: | Hypermedia and Discovery Based Learning: What Value? (ID: CSD4378) | | Author(s): | Gabriel Jacobs (University of Wales Swansea) | | Source: | Australasian Journal of Educational Technology | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2005) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | "In 1992, the author published a paper entitled 'Hypermedia and discovery based learning: A historical perspective'. It traced the swings in the history of educational thinking between, on the one hand, support for conventional curriculum based learning and, on the other, the non-linear approach expressed by many educational commentators over the centuries. According to the author, hyperlink technology would finally allow learning truly to mesh with the free association characteristics of the human mind. Once the technology had matured, it would be a teaching resource that would transform passive learners into active thinkers. Thirteen years on, the author takes a critical look at those optimistic conclusions. Are students better equipped to learn than previously? Are they able to think reflectively to a greater degree than their counterparts of a decade or two ago? This present paper addresses such questions, the result being that the guarded optimism of 1992 has turned to a deep pessimism." | | View this resource: | |
An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Electronic Classroom Communication Systems in Large Lecture Classes
| Title: | An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Electronic Classroom Communication Systems in Large Lecture Classes (ID: CSD4169) | | Author(s): | Manjula D. Sharma (University of Sydney), Joe Khachan (University of Sydney), Ben Chan (University of Sydney), and John O'Byrne (University of Sydney) | | Source: | Australasian Journal of Educational Technology | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2005) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | Since 2002 we have been investigating the use of an electronic classroom communication system in large first year lecture classes. Handheld keypads were distributed to teams of students during a lecture class. Students used the keypads to answer two step multiple choice problems after a discussion within their group. The questions were generated using students' answers from previous exams. We have evaluated our use of the classroom communication system using a survey about how comfortable students are with this type of interaction. In addition, we have tried to determine if the use of the classroom communication system can be linked to student performance on exams. Our results show that students are comfortable with this technology and feel that, on the whole, interactive lectures are useful. At a first glance, there is an improvement in students' exam performance, but there are too many competing factors to clearly say that this improvement is solely due to the use of the classroom communication system. Even though this paper is based in physics and a physics example is used to illustrate points, the technique can be applied to other discipline areas. | | View this resource: | |
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