An Immersive Learning Platform for Efficient Biology Learning of Secondary School-Level Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 1671-1694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhawaleswar C. H. Rao ◽  
Sujan Kumar Saha
Keyword(s):  
Learning Experience ◽  
School Level ◽  
Automatic Identification ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Immersive Learning ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Artificial Environment ◽  
Biology Learning ◽  
The Individual

Immersive learning is one of the leading trends in education. Immersive learning uses a simulated or artificial environment for a better learning experience. Design of intelligent learning platform and motivating content development is one key aspect of immersive learning. In this article, we propose an intelligent computer-assisted learning platform that helps school-level students in self-learning. Specifically, the proposed platform focuses on biology learning. The learning platform performs several tasks including automatic identification of important terms and concepts, identification of questionable sentences, visualization of key concepts through relevant images, and conducting a mock test for confidence building. Various techniques have been adopted for the development of the individual functionalities. Working of the individual modules is evaluated by two human experts. In addition, in an individual-level learning setup, the platform is used by 50 Class IX students for studying a module. They provided feedback on the system through a questionnaire. Both the human expert-based and questionnaire-based evaluation results demonstrate that the platform offers satisfactory performance.

LearnOnline

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muzammil M. Baig
Keyword(s):  
Online Teaching ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Virtual Classroom ◽  
Personal Learning ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
New Learning ◽  
Rss Feeds ◽  
The Individual

Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) help the learners to take control of their learning. PLEs enable the learners to set their own leaning targets and manage their learning by communicating with others in the process of learning. As latest technological advancements have brought revolution in every field of life, so as in the PLEs. Modern PLEs are the integration of a number of latest technologies i.e. blogs, Wikis, RSS feeds, where content is shaped as per the individual needs and interests of the students. Focusing on these latest aspects of the PLEs, University of South Australia initiated a three year new learning platform project in 2010, called LearnOnline, which will replace the University's current online teaching environment UniSAnet. LearnOnline was launched with a vision to foster richer learning through promoting students' active involvement in their courses and involving the students in a deeper learning experience. LearnOnline is built on modular approach and consists of different components i.e. ePortfolio, Course Outline, Lecture Recording, Copyright Monitoring, Student Email, Assessment and Feedback, Virtual Classroom, Course and Teacher Evaluation. Each component is developed separately and is fully independent. This methodology is helping the incremental implementation of the LearnOnline. As soon as a component is completed, after testing, it becomes the part of LearnOnline. In this paper, the author explains the features and workings of LearnOnline in detail and also evaluates its design methodologies.

Does School Matter?

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katariina Salmela-Aro ◽  
Noona Kiuru ◽  
Minna Pietikäinen ◽  
Jukka Jokela
Keyword(s):  
School Climate ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
School Level ◽  
School Students ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
School Burnout ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Positive Motivation

School burnout can be defined as consisting of exhaustion due to school demands, cynical, and detached attitude toward one’s school, and feelings of inadequacy as a student ( Kiuru, Aunola, Nurmi, Leskinen, & Salmela-Aro, 2008 ; Salmela-Aro & Näätänen, 2005 ; Schaufeli, Martínez, Pinto, Salanova, & Bakker, 2002 ). The first aim of the present study was to examine the extent to which schools differ in school-related burnout. Moreover, the aim was to examine the extent to which school-related and background factors are associated with school burnout at the school level and at the individual level. The participants were 58,657 students from 431 comprehensive schools and 29,515 students from 228 upper secondary schools who filled in a questionnaire measuring their school burnout, school-related variables (i.e., negative school climate, positive motivation received from teachers, support from the school), and background variables (i.e., gender, grade-point average, socio-economic status, and family structure). The results revealed only small differences between schools in school burnout. Among the comprehensive school students the results at the school-level showed that negative school climate typical of the school was positively related, while support from school shared among school members was negatively related to school-related burnout. Among upper secondary school students, in turn, positive motivation received from teachers typical of the school was negatively related to school-related burnout. At the individual level, negative school climate was positively related, and support from school and positive motivation received from teachers were negatively related to burnout among both the comprehensive and upper secondary school students. In addition, girls and those with lower GPA experienced higher levels of school burnout compared to boys and those with higher GPA.

Evaluating subscore uses across multiple levels: A case of reading and listening subscores for young EFL learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikkyu Choi ◽  
Spiros Papageorgiou
Keyword(s):  
Classical Test Theory ◽  
Test Theory ◽  
Added Value ◽  
School Level ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Tests ◽  
Multiple Levels ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Level Analysis

Stakeholders of language tests are often interested in subscores. However, reporting a subscore is not always justified; a subscore should provide reliable and distinct information to be worth reporting. When a subscore is used for decisions across multiple levels (e.g., individual test takers and schools), it needs to be justified for its reliability and distinctiveness at every relevant level. In this study, we examined whether reporting seven Reading and Listening subscores of the TOEFL Primary® test, a standardized English proficiency test for young English as a foreign language learners, could be justified for reporting at individual and school levels. We analyzed data collected in pilot administrations, in which 4776 students from 51 schools participated. We employed the classical test theory (CTT) based approaches of Haberman (2008) and Haberman, Sinharay, and Puhan (2009) for the individual and school-level investigations, respectively. We also supplemented the CTT-based approaches with a factor analytic approach for the individual level analysis and a multilevel modeling approach for the school-level analysis. The results differed across the two levels: we found little support for reporting the subscores at the individual level, but strong evidence supporting the added-value of the school-level subscores when the sample size for each school exceeds 50.

Individual- and School-Level Factors Contributing to Disproportionate Suspension Rates: A Multilevel Analysis of One State

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine A. Camacho ◽  
Michael P. Krezmien
Keyword(s):  
High Schools ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Multilevel Model ◽  
English Language ◽  
School Enrollment ◽  
School Level ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Individual

Data from middle schools ( n = 219), high schools ( n = 200), and combined middle and high schools ( n = 20) were used to examine individual- and school-level factors within a multilevel model associated with an increased risk of suspension for minority students and students with disabilities. Results indicate that the individual-level variables of race and disability status were associated with an increased risk of suspension. Multiple school-level factors were also found to be associated with an increased risk of suspension including school enrollment, attendance, mobility, the percent of highly qualified teachers, the percent of students receiving free and reduced priced meals, the percent of students receiving special education services, the school’s Title I status, the student-to-teacher ratio, English Language Arts state exam scores, and the percent of White students in the school. In both analyses, the majority of variance was associated with the multilevel model which indicates the importance of examining individual factors within the context of school-level factors when trying to understand and respond to disproportionate suspension practices.

scholarly journals Multilevel effects of alcohol among early adolescents in an urban school district

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-94
Author(s):  
Julie Croff ◽  
Ronald Cox ◽  
Isaac Washburn ◽  
Chao Liu ◽  
Clinton Broadbent
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Urban School ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
School Level ◽  
Urban School District ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Peer Deviance ◽  
The Individual

Aims: To examine how interpersonal interactions within and between the social networks formed by teachers, parents, students, and others shape the unique culture of the school, which in turn, reciprocally exerts a determining influence on each individual in the network. Design: Cross-sectional study exploring whether factors associated with alcohol use at the individual level also exert influence on the culture of a school. Setting: Twelve middle schools within an urban school district in the Midwestern United States. Participants: Seventh grade students (N = 1,620). Measures: Lifetime alcohol use behaviors; mothers’ and fathers’ involvement in their child’s education; and peer deviance.  Findings: The findings of this study suggest that as parents’ involvement in education increases, and as peer deviance decreases, there are direct benefits to the child, and a protective effect for other children within the school when, in the aggregate, parental involvement increases and peer deviance decreases. Conclusions: The effect of interventions to improve parent involvement and reduce peer deviance, with examinations at the individual-level and school-level, warrant future study.

scholarly journals Lunch frequency among adolescents: associations with sociodemographic factors and school characteristics

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 872-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trine Pagh Pedersen ◽  
Bjørn E Holstein ◽  
Rikke Krølner ◽  
Annette Kjær Ersbøll ◽  
Thea Suldrup Jørgensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
School Characteristics ◽  
School Level ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
The Individual

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate: (i) how lunch frequency of adolescents varies between schools and between classes within schools; (ii) the associations between frequency of lunch and individual sociodemographic factors and school characteristics; and (iii) if any observed associations between lunch frequency and school characteristics vary by gender and age groups.DesignCross-sectional study in which students and school headmasters completed self-administered questionnaires. Associations were estimated by multilevel multivariate logistic regression.SettingThe Danish arm of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study 2010.SubjectsStudents (n 4922) aged 11, 13 and 15 years attending a random sample of seventy-three schools.ResultsThe school-level and class-level variations in low lunch frequency were small (intraclass correlation coefficient <2·1 %). At the individual level, low lunch frequency was most common among students who were boys, 13- and 15-year-olds, from medium and low family social class, descendants of immigrants, living in a single-parent family and in a reconstructed family. School-level analyses suggested that having access to a canteen at school was associated with low lunch frequency (OR=1·47; 95% CI 1·14, 1·89). Likewise not having an adult present during lunch breaks was associated with low lunch frequency (OR=1·44; 95% CI 1·18, 1·75). Cross-level interactions suggested that these associations differed by age group.ConclusionsLunch frequency among Danish students appears to be largely influenced by sociodemographic factors. Additionally, the presence of an adult during lunch breaks promotes frequent lunch consumption while availability of a canteen may discourage frequent lunch consumption. These findings vary between older and younger students.

scholarly journals The association of social capital with depression and quality of life in school-aged children

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262103
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Mori ◽  
Michio Takahashi ◽  
Masaki Adachi ◽  
Hiroki Shinkawa ◽  
Tomoya Hirota ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Junior High ◽  
School Level ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Junior High Students ◽  
The Individual ◽  
School Social Capital

Social capital is an important factor that affects mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social capital and depression and between social capital and quality of life (QoL) in children in elementary and junior high school and to examine how this relationship differs in relevant patterns at both the individual- and school-level. The study was conducted in all elementary and junior high schools in a single municipality; the subjects consisted of 3,722 elementary school and 3,987 junior high school students (aged from 9 to 15). A multilevel linear mixed effect model analysis revealed that all three subscales of social capital were associated with depression and QoL at the individual-level: The school social capital at the individual-level showed the strongest association with depression and QoL. We also found that some of social capital at the school-level was associated with depression and QoL. An interactive effect was observed between educational stage (elementary and junior high) and some of social capital subscales. Specifically, the inverse association between school social capital and depression was stronger among the junior high students, while the positive association between school and neighborhood social capital and QoL was stronger among the elementary students. These interactions suggest that social capital impacts depression and QoL differently in elementary and junior high students. These findings suggest that the degree of association of social capital domains differs in mental health among the educational stage.

scholarly journals Social determinants of mortality from COVID-19: A simulation study using NHANES

PLoS Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. e1003490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Seligman ◽  
Maddalena Ferranna ◽  
David E. Bloom
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Nursing Home Residents ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Level ◽  
High School Level ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Veteran Status ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
The Individual

Background The COVID-19 epidemic in the United States is widespread, with more than 200,000 deaths reported as of September 23, 2020. While ecological studies show higher burdens of COVID-19 mortality in areas with higher rates of poverty, little is known about social determinants of COVID-19 mortality at the individual level. Methods and findings We estimated the proportions of COVID-19 deaths by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and comorbid conditions using their reported univariate proportions among COVID-19 deaths and correlations among these variables in the general population from the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We used these proportions to randomly sample individuals from NHANES. We analyzed the distributions of COVID-19 deaths by race/ethnicity, income, education level, and veteran status. We analyzed the association of these characteristics with mortality by logistic regression. Summary demographics of deaths include mean age 71.6 years, 45.9% female, and 45.1% non-Hispanic white. We found that disproportionate deaths occurred among individuals with nonwhite race/ethnicity (54.8% of deaths, 95% CI 49.0%–59.6%, p < 0.001), individuals with income below the median (67.5%, 95% CI 63.4%–71.5%, p < 0.001), individuals with less than a high school level of education (25.6%, 95% CI 23.4% –27.9%, p < 0.001), and veterans (19.5%, 95% CI 15.8%–23.4%, p < 0.001). Except for veteran status, these characteristics are significantly associated with COVID-19 mortality in multiple logistic regression. Limitations include the lack of institutionalized people in the sample (e.g., nursing home residents and incarcerated persons), the need to use comorbidity data collected from outside the US, and the assumption of the same correlations among variables for the noninstitutionalized population and COVID-19 decedents. Conclusions Substantial inequalities in COVID-19 mortality are likely, with disproportionate burdens falling on those who are of racial/ethnic minorities, are poor, have less education, and are veterans. Healthcare systems must ensure adequate access to these groups. Public health measures should specifically reach these groups, and data on social determinants should be systematically collected from people with COVID-19.

Routine Activities and Sexual Assault: An Analysis of Individual- and School-Level Factors

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy I. Cass
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
Routine Activities ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Routine Activities Theory ◽  
School Level ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual

The efficacy of routine activities theory is examined to explain sexual assault on the college campus. Although many research studies have utilized routine activities theory to predict sexual assault using individual-level factors, little is known about the effect of school-level factors on a student’s risk of sexual assault. Based on interviews from 3,036 randomly selected students and surveys from 11 randomly selected colleges in the United States, a hierarchical linear model was created to predict student victimizations by school characteristics. For the individual, results reveal that being female, drug use, and marital status are statistically significant for predicting the probability of a sexual assault. At the institutional level, however, none of the variables are significant in predicting sexual assault among college coeds. Policy implications for prevention measures on college campuses are discussed.

scholarly journals Immersive learning in nursing education: Results of a study

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 120
Author(s):  
Liz Mary Ditzel ◽  
Karole Hogarth ◽  
Raewyn Lesa
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Education ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Immersive Learning ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Learning Platform

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of an immersive teaching and learning approach for undergraduate nurses. Traditional classroom tutorials were combined with self-directed learning using LabTutor™, an online learning platform, and clinical nursing simulation using high fidelity manikins. Learning modules were designed to link the student’s knowledge and understanding of biosceince with clinical assessment and nursing management in order to develop clinical decision-making skills. It was anticipated that students’ learning experience would be enhanced by the higher level of realism that is possible using the sophisticated manikins and authentic patient clinical data and case notes provided in LabTutor™.Methods: The study took place in a New Zealand School of Nursing in 2014. Qualitative data was gathered using focus groups and an external facilitator. Quantitative data was gathered using an online survey.Results: Participants were second year undergraduate nursing students (N = 111): 71 (64%) interviewees, and 82 (73%) survey respondents. Qualitative data showed that the immersive learning process was effective. Quantitative data affirmed that immersive learning was liked, confidence improved, students enjoyed the process, and would recommend it to others. Using simulation and patient case studies were preferred teaching strategies. Performing experiments, and using digital LabTutor™ technology challenged many, but skills improved over the year.Conclusions: The immersive learning approach was effective. However, despite the high level of authenticity made possible by using high fidelity manikins, realism was hard to establish. An unexpected learning outcome occurred when intermittent technology malfunction prompted students to use problem-solving skills.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document