scholarly journals Obstacles to Using E-Books in Higher Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Hamadah Alsadoon
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Current Paper ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Electronic Books ◽  
Group Sessions ◽  
Mixed Method Research Design

Electronic books provide learners, lecturers and universities with an extra tool of instructions that can encourage or improve the learning process. The purpose of the current paper is to investigate obstacles students face in using e-books at the Saudi Electronic University. A mixed-method research design was used. Thirty students participated in two focus group sessions and 215 students participated in a self-developed survey designed to confirm the existence of obstacles revealed from qualitiave data. Results suggest that cost, eye-strain, and distractions were regarded as obstacles. Practices such as highlighting and taking notes were found to be limited. With the trend toward implementation of e-books in learning, e-book developers should consider factors that help students enjoy using the devices in education. Integrating multimedia, hyperlinks and other features of using technology in reading should be considered. Recommendations have been included in this study.

scholarly journals ASSESSING CHILDREN’S CONNECTEDNESS TO NATURE THROUGH THEIR INTEREST IN NATURAL ELEMENTS

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nor Diyana Mustapa ◽  
Nor Zarifah Maliki ◽  
Aswati Hamzah
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Connectedness To Nature ◽  
Sequential Explanatory Mixed Method ◽  
High Level ◽  
Qualitative Part ◽  
Mixed Method Research Design

This study aims to assess children’s connectedness to nature (CTN) through drawing based on their preferences and interest in natural elements in spaces. A sequential explanatory mixed-method research design was employed to achieve the aim. For the quantitative part, questionnaires were distributed to 760 children in 20 schools located in Kedah and Penang, Malaysia. For the qualitative part, 72 children were grouped into draw and focus groups. The children in the qualitative part were chosen from low-, moderate- and high-level CTN groups. The results confirm that children’s CTN can be assessed through their drawing based on their interest in natural elements in spaces. The findings indicated that children from the high-level CTN group had more interest in natural elements in spaces compared to the children in the moderate- and low-level of CTN groups.

scholarly journals Ambitious and Anxious

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 757-760
Author(s):  
Minghui Hou
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
Associate Professor ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
New Wave ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Self Formation ◽  
Mixed Method Research Design

In this new publication, Syracuse University Associate Professor Yingyi Ma employs a mixed-method research design to examine and analyze the educational motivations, experiences, and trajectories of a new wave of Chinese undergraduate students from diverse family backgrounds with an emphasis on “the duality of ambition and anxiety” (p. 7). This book challenges the stereotyped expectations of Americans in regards to Chinese students (for instance, that all are from well-off families and have poor English skills). Ma argues that it is pivotal to consider the educational, social, and cultural backgrounds of Chinese internationals in their processes of self-formation in order to have a well-rounded and diverse understanding of Chinese undergraduate students

scholarly journals Domesticated voices and false participation: Anatomy of interaction on transmedia podcasting

Comunicar ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (63) ◽  
pp. 97-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
David García-Marín ◽  
Roberto Aparici
Keyword(s):  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Agenda Setting ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Digital Medium ◽  
Mixed Method Research Design

Transmedia podcasting (transpodcast) is an example of a digital medium essentially promoted by a community of independent creators that arises from the technological advancement derived from the arrival of Web 2.0. This medium is considered to offer its users greater possibilities of participation and co-creation by abandoning the traditional communicative models based on unidirectionality. The objective of this work is to determine how audience engagement takes place in this medium, taking into consideration the analysis of its participation spaces. In order to reach this goal, a Mixed Method Research Design was used, integrating two case studies with a total sample of 2,490 units of participation generated by users on the iVoox platform, the blogs of the two selected projects, and messages on Twitter. The research was complemented with an ethnographic investigation through observational methods on the presence of the user’s voice in the podcasts of a total of 19 transpodcast projects. Despite the fact that numerous and relevant voices have defended that the new media ecosystem causes the decentralization and democratization of the agenda-setting and empowers ordinary citizens, this study shows a less optimistic and more critical perspective about the possibilities of meaningful citizen participation in online discourse. El transpodcast (podcasting transmedia) es un ejemplo de un medio digital desarrollado esencialmente por una comunidad de creadores independientes que surge del avance tecnológico derivado de la Web 2.0. Este medio ofrece a sus usuarios mayores posibilidades de participación y cocreación al abandonar los modelos comunicativos unidireccionales basados en la lógica broadcast, propios del siglo XX. El objetivo de este trabajo es determinar cómo se lleva a cabo la interacción de los usuarios en este medio a partir del análisis de los espacios de participación que despliega el transpodcast. Para ello, se empleó una metodología mixta (Mixed Method Research Design), que integra dos estudios de caso con una muestra total de 2.490 unidades de participación generadas por los usuarios en la plataforma iVoox, blogs de los dos proyectos y mensajes en Twitter. La investigación fue complementada con un estudio etnográfico, ejecutado a través de métodos observacionales sobre la presencia del usuario en los programas en formato podcast de un total de 19 proyectos transpodcast. Aunque numerosas y relevantes voces han defendido que el nuevo ecosistema mediático ha causado la descentralización y la democratización de la agenda-setting y ha empoderado a los ciudadanos en términos comunicacionales, este estudio aporta una perspectiva menos optimista y más crítica sobre las posibilidades reales de participación ciudadana significativa en el discurso online.

scholarly journals In-service Teachers’ Familiarisation of the CEFR-aligned School-based Assessment in the Malaysian Secondary ESL Classroom

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (S3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charanjit Kaur Swaran Singh ◽  
Harsharan Kaur Jaswan Singh ◽  
Dodi Mulyadi ◽  
Eng Tek Ong ◽  
Tarsame Singh Masa Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
School Based ◽  
Tools And Methods ◽  
Esl Classroom

The main purpose of this study is to investigate in-service teachers’ familiarization of the CEFR-aligned school-based assessment (SBA) in the Malaysian secondary ESL classroom. It also intends to explore teachers’ knowledge, understanding, and perceptions of the CEFR-aligned SBA. The study also examined the implementation of the SBA and the challenges that TESL teachers faced embracing the CEFR-aligned SBA in their ESL classroom. An exploratory mixed-method research design was employed. Data were collected by administering a survey to 108 in-service teachers, and 12 in-service teachers participated in the interview. The results show that the in-service teachers have rather a good level of familiarization with CEFR-aligned SBA and a moderate level of awareness and comprehension of the CEFR-aligned SBA. However, the in-service teachers are aware of the importance of CEFR-aligned SBA to assist students to improve their proficiency. In-service teachers exhibit a good understanding of selecting the appropriate assessment tools and methods to assess students’ learning. In-service teachers expressed their struggles and concerns regarding implementing CEFR-aligned SBA effectively, including lack of training, sourcing for good materials to teach, students'' negative attitude towards the teaching and learning process, students’ attendance, time constraint and their workload. In conclusion, the implementation of the CEFR-aligned SBA is crucial as it is a national agenda and teachers’ involvement in executing the assessment is obligatory.

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