Post 1. Summary of two evaluation studies in educational technology

The First Study:

A study of e-conferencing tools found relationships between specific tools and certain pedagogical principles

Main objectives:

Does e-conferencing have its own set of effective or proven practices? If so, can these practices be identified, taught, or shared? Is the use of, for example, synchronous polling tools an effective way to interact with students? On the other hand, should some uses of e-conferencing technology not be employed in online classrooms?

Features:

These e-conferencing (or Web conferencing) tools typically include:
o Text messaging (chat), which can be both public (viewed by all) and private (person-to-person).
o An audio interface that enables voice communication among participants and includes controls for muting some or all of the participants.
o A Web tool that allows the instructor to direct students & apos; browsers to specific Web addresses.
o Polling tools that facilitate surveys, assessments, voting, and ";virtual hand-raising.";
o Application sharing, which provides the instructor with the ability to share the computer desktop with participants or to give keyboard/cursor control of a shared desktop to individual students.
o A whiteboard with drawing and annotation tools. See Figure 3.
o The ability to "push" content (PowerPoint slides, documents, images, and so forth) to participants.
o The ability to "move" users (students) into virtual rooms for small-group discussion or interaction.
o The ability to record or archive sessions.

Instruments:

In this study, the instrument was the surveys that distributed to 23 instructors and Table summarizes these results.

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The Second Study:

Study Of Technology And Classroom Practices

OBJECTIVES:

o The study proposes to looks at how classrooms worldwide are using technology to change the practices of teachers and students.
o This study hope to make students working together in teams and using computer tools and resources to search for information, publishes results, and creates products.
o Teachers can be use ICT to help change classroom teaching and learning, and are integrating technology into the curriculum.
o The study identifies specific patterns of classroom practice that are more likely to be linked with reports of certain desirable student outcomes.

INSTRUMENT:

The instrument used is achievement test to measure the practices of teachers and students. Also, the data were collected from a variety of sources that included interviews of administrators, teachers, students, and parents; classroom observations.

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Post 2. Models of evaluation in educational technology

Moe Form

Ministry of Education (MOE)The educational Forum

Project title: MOE forum

Background: This project was design to allow teachers and students discussion .

Goal and ObjectivesGoal: allowing participants to freely express their thoughts on a common topic at their own pace.

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Objectives:

o Facilitate discussion among :(teacher and teacher, teacher with students and students with students).
o Share resources between each other.
o Facilitate exchange information.
o Connect teachers and students with administrator.

Evaluation Model and InstrumentUse ACTION MODEL to evaluate this project.

Accessibility:

o How accessible is MOE for learners?

The MOE form is easy to access because teachers and students can access anywhere, any time andany pace. Also, it can easy access without registration except if they want to participate.

o How flexible is it for a particular target group?

It is fixable for everyone to access only usingInternet Browser to access to MOE forum.

Cost:

o What is the cost structure of each technology in MOE?

It is inexpensive technology when we compared with other technology. It need only to internet cable or modem and Internet Browser.

o What are the opportunity costs vs. other technology choices?

It is also inexpensive to access to it.

Teaching and Learning:

o What kinds of learning are needed in MOE?

It is appropriate for distance learning and E-leaning.

o What instructional approaches will best meet these needs?

Students and teachers have access to discuss with each other about the education issues, and may obtain learning materials. Also, Students use forum to ask questions and get feed back from experts. MOE also provide Web sites, online discussion groups that facilitate and allow share the experiences.

o Can the content be adapted to the technology?

Yes, MOE allows users to have access to the resources in different formats (voice, text, picture and video). Also it allows the reuse of material and allows users to carry out the functions defined as an education component.

o What skills does the technology develop?

MOE develop reading, writing, listening and communication skills.

Interactivity and User friendliness:

o What kind of interaction does this technology enable? (Synchronous or asynchronous)?

Asynchronous using discussing forums.

o How easy is it to use and learn?

provides student to student, student to teacher, student to content and student to machine interaction. It is easy to use because learners can access any where and any time.

Novelty:

o How new is the technology?

It is the first educational forum in Oman produced by the ministry of education . It is like the electronic society for all member in education ( administers, teachers , students and parents).

o What are its technical capabilities?

It allows users to have access to course resources. It also allows them have access to the system. It allows users to have access to the resources in different formats (voice, text, picture and video). It allows the reuse of material. It also allows users to carry out the functions.

Speed:

o How quickly can materials be changed?

Materials easy to be changed, update and modify.

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Post 3. Evaluation of CAI

Use Of Microsoft® Powerpoint™

OVERVIEW:

Use of Microsoft® Powerpoint and direct instruction to support emergent literacy skill development among young at risk children.

The type of the software is application software.

WHY USING POWERPOINT ?

Use of computer-based presentation software having features with which children may already be familiar (e.g., animation, color, large screen presentation format) may enhance emergent literacy in these and other children .

PowerPoint allows the education professional to:

o Manipulate a variety of pictures, colors, sounds, animation, slide designs, or slide transitions within a presentation to promote interest and motivation.
o Deliver information in a clear, structured format, while keeping children engaged in the lesson.

TECHNICAL FEATURES :

o They are easy to modify.
o The presenter can print notes that help him or her remember points about each slide.
o The presenter can print handouts with two, three or six slides on a page.
o They can present complex computer graphics and animation.
o They can have hyperlinks to pertinent web sites.
o Motion media and sound files and interactive elements can be inserted to add functionality to the program.
o Both texts and images can be displayed on the same slide.
o Items can be highlighted with the "pen" function.
o They are professional looking.
o They allow the presenter to face the audience.

PEDAGOGICAL FEATURES:

o Acquire knowledge and insight about content and processes.
o Enhance problem-solving and thinking skills.
o Enhance students’ technical skills.
o Enhance student’s personal productivity.
o Easy to be learned and integrated with existing course material.
o Quizzes and tests can be presented as a PowerPoint presentation, and ask essay, fill-in or multiple-choice questions.
o They allow the presenter to face the audience which benefits to control the class.

TEACHER ROLE:

o Explicit teaching procedures communicated to children regarding how to perform the targeted skill.
o Conspicuous modeling.
o Guided instruction to help children in making initial responses.
o Allowance of independent responses from children.

STUDENTS ROLE:

o Learn how to perform a skill.
o Modeling that is conspicuous.
o Making responses.
o Make independent responses.

The strategy to teach emergent literacy skill by using Power point FOR TEACHING (B) :

o present the PowerPoint slide sequences used to teach phonemic awareness (e.g., /b/ in ball).
o Each slide and its graphics are accompanied by text of what the teacher says .
o allow for student responses and reinforcement.
o Using First six PowerPoint slides used to teach ‘b’ sound. Then, present new graphics elements (e.g., ball, door, pen, cake)
o Final sequence of PowerPoint slides used to teach ‘b’ sound.
o After the instructional phase in using the PowerPoint™ slides, a series of assessment slides would be presented to the students
o evaluate whether skills have been acquired. If not, the teacher can then reteach the content.

Click here to see check list

Click here to see Standards

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Post 4. Evaluation of Online learning

Instractional web site:

LEARN JIBBALIA LANGUAGE

OVERVIEW ABOUT THE COURSE :

The purpose of this course is teaching Jibbalia language for people who want to learn it, but they don't find the suitable resources or good e-resources that provide lessons by multimedia (audio, picture, text) to make learning this language easy.

TECHNOLOGY USED TO DELIVER AND SUPPORT THE COURSE:

This course teach Jibbalia language by providing lessons of Jibbalia Language supporting by multimedia (audio, picture, text) in website. This website also provides Jibbalia proverbs, stories and poems. There is also forum to allow the learner to interact with the lessons and with other learners .

AUDIENCE :

This project applied with students, male and female from different collages at SQU. Moreover, all members of the study are gave a same treatment and there was a questionnaire to collect data of need assessment, it appeared that all participant have little knowledge about Jibbalia.

EVALUATION STANDARDS AND INSTRUMENTS OF DISCUSSION FORUM Students Performance Learning Environment

Click here to see Standard

Click here to see Performance

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Post 5. Comparative and non-comparative evaluation in educational technology

Comparative study:

Study title:

Comparative Analysis of Learner Satisfaction and Learning Outcomes in Online and Face-to-Face Learning Environments


Abstract :

This empirical study compared a graduate online course with an equivalent course taught in a traditional face-to-face format on a variety of outcome measures. Comparisons included student ratings of instructor and course quality; assessment of course interaction, structure, and support; and learning outcome measures such as course grades and student self-assessment of their ability to perform various Instructional Systems Design (ISD) tasks.


Problem Statement :

Although the growth of online programs has been significant in recent years, the capabilities and efficacy of such programs have yet to be fully investigated. Most effort in this area has been devoted to program development while examinations of program quality and effectiveness have been anecdotal in nature. With little empirical knowledge about Internet-based education outcomes, the need for research in this area is not only timely, but also imperative.

Target audience :

Nineteen students, most of whom are pursuing a graduate degree in Human Resource Development (HRD), were enrolled in the on-campus course. These students can be viewed as traditional university students who are actively pursuing an advanced degree through full time study on campus.

Nineteen students were also enrolled in the online version of the course. These students are also pursuing a graduate degree in HRD through a degree program that is taught completely online. The online group can be viewed as nontraditional students because they are able to complete their advanced degree without ever setting foot on campus.

Methods:

This exploratory empirical study compared outcome data obtained from students enrolled in one of two versions of a graduate level instructional design Course . One version of the course was taught on the campus of a large Midwestern university through a traditional face-to-face format while the other version of the same course was offered totally online, with no direct face-to-face contact between the instructor and the students

Instrument :

• The university’s Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES) was used to obtain general student perceptions of the quality of their learning experience.
• The Course Interaction, Structure, and Support (CISS) instrument which is a hybrid instrument of:
  ◦ The Distance and Open Learning Scale (DOLES) instrument was used to assess student perceptions of their learning experience.
  ◦ The Dimensions of Distance Education (DDE) instrument which provides a further assessment of the learning environment.
  
  Results :

The following results are organized around the research questions and include comparisons of the face-to-face and the online students’ perceptions in the areas of satisfaction, course interaction, course structure, and support. Further analysis compares student learning outcomes in terms of course project quality, course grades, and a self-assessment of their ability to perform various ISD tasks.

Students satisfaction :

These items asked students to rate, on a five point. On the student satisfaction indicators, instructor quality and course quality, both groups provided positive ratings. The mean rating for the instructor’s overall teaching effectiveness for the face-to-face group was 4.21 (SD = .79) while the online students’ mean rating was 3.58 (SD =1.07). While this difference was significant.
The CISS instrument assessed student perceptions regarding course interaction, structure, and support throughout the semester. Using a four point Likert scale, the students indicated the degree to which they Agreed (4) or Disagreed (1) with various statements. Overall, both groups of students had positive perceptions, with the face-to-face students having significantly more positive views for interaction and support.

the findings in this study suggest that online instruction may not be suitable for courses that require high degrees of student instructor interaction and feedback, such as performance- based training methods courses that rely on considerable mentoring and coaching.

Limitations :

Until the technologies for online instruction better simulate real time interaction, program developers may need to avoid courses that require frequent verbal and behavioral communication between students and the instructor.

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Non-comparative study:

Study title:

Online Discussions as a Tool for Learning:
Case Study of the Benefits of ICT Use in a First Year Teacher Education Context

http://pppjj.usm.my/mojit/articles/pdf/1204/Online%20Discussions%20as%20a%20Tool%20for%20Learning.pdf

purpose of evaluation:

This paper is a report of a qualitative case study on the benefits of online discussion for a particular cohort of pre service teacher education students in their first year of a university English program in Australia.

Define participants:

The study is based on a cohort of first year university students. There were 192 students in the unit. As part of their assessment requirements they had to post to the discussion board three times. The range of ICT abilities of the students was from complete novice through to students who could design their own web sites. This was one of the background rationales for running the discussion board and book rap observations, that it would increase the students’ familiarity and levels of engagement with ICT.

Evaluation instruments applied:

The paper reports some principled of observations of service teacher program in an Australian university and observation of students’ online communities .

advantages and challenged :

Advantages:
1. One of the anticipated benefits of this unit was that students would develop operational use of ICT as an end in itself.

2. students were coping with the context of their learning experience as much as of how much they were learning.

3. transferring students’ attention from their own learning to what was made possible by ICT use and what negative conditions might preclude its successful use.

4. the e-mails grouped within this theme demonstrate that students’ responses to the discussion board were sometimes couched in terms of their knowledge of ICT use in authentic contexts for a university student.

challenged:

1. The teaching experiences were driven by the challenge to educators to ‘integrate new technologies meaningfully and transparently into learning activities’

2. Preparedness to consider new ways of teaching/ learning. They explicitly challenged each other to take up the book rap as a way of engaging children with literature on online.

3. on a personal level and a critical level. They were challenged to think on different levels. It was not sufficient to respond to prompts with comments that told if a student enjoyed an experience or give a description of what they saw. Rather, the students were challenged to comparatively critique what they saw in terms of the two raps as models or contexts of learning. The non-technical students learned how to use technology effectively.

4. Changes to past experience with ICT.

the results:

Case Study of the Benefits of ICT Use in a First Year Teacher Education Context information and communication technology into classroom practice, suggests that a successful model for pre service teacher education is where professional experience is combined with reflection and enquiry to become the basis for the development of understanding and skills.

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Post.6 usability:

USABILITY EVALUATION “MOODLE AS INTERACTION TOOL”

OVERVIEW
Is a free and open-source e-learning software platform, also known as a Course Management System, Learning Management System, or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Moodle has many features typical of an e-learning platform, plus some original innovations.

Moodle is very similar to a learning management system, but it has many more standard features. Moodle can be used in many types of environments such as in education, training and development, and business settings

Moodle is a lot like other LMSs in that it provides all the basic tools for e-learning

THE PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION:

o To evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction of moodle as interaction tools

The target audience:

o The SQU instructors and students.

Moodle's infrastructure supports many types of plug-ins :

o activities (including word and math games)
o resource types
o question types (multiple choice, true and false, fill in the blank, etc)
o data field types (for the database activity)
o graphical themes
o authentication methods (can require username and password accessibility)
o enrollment methods

MOODLE ADVANTAGES :

o Student participation: topics, Glossaries.

o Teachers:

 has total control over course (when and what)
 Monitorizing students progress
 Feedback to students
 Create courses with other teachers

o Students:

 Motivating (debatable)
 Timetable (24/7)
 Inmediate feedback (predetermined feedback is very difficult to see in advance all possibilities)
 Easy Teamwork: no need of physical or time coincidence

click here to see the chick list

RESULTS:

o Effectiveness :

o Moodle is very useful learning management system that allow sharing information and enhance collaborative learning.
o It motivates and encourage the learner to interaction.
o Moodle is offer interactive activities such as forums , chat rooms , quizzes , wikis , …

o Efficiency :

o It easy to navigate and use because it not need to support with other software.
o Provided in many languages.

o Satisfaction :

o It is comfortable to use.
o Has many options to provide the content.
o Students prefer to learn by Moodle as learning management system