Batting Outside the Field

This study examines the relationship between cognitive awareness and perceived knowledge of sports fans’ social media engagement behaviors. Data were collected through an online survey of 236 adults from India who identified as Indian Premier League (IPL) fans. The findings of the study suggest that perceived knowledge and cognitive awareness of sports are precursors to social media engagement behaviors of sports fans. Further, sports fandom mediates links between perceived knowledge and cognitive awareness with social media engagement. The findings hold special significance for contemporary COVID scenarios because physical engagement is being substituted by digital engagement.

A Gamification Approach to Improving Interpersonal Situational Awareness in Cyber Defense

In cyber threat situations, the establishment of a shared situational awareness as a basis for cyber defense decision-making results from adequate communication of a Recognized Cyber Picture (RCP). RCPs consist of actively selected information and have the goal of accurately presenting the severity and potential consequences of the situation. RCPs must be communicated between individuals, but also between organizations, and often from technical to non-/less technical personnel. The communication of RCPs is subject to many challenges that may affect the transfer of critical information between individuals. There are currently no common best practices for training communication for shared situational awareness among cyber defense personnel. The Orient, Locate, Bridge (OLB) model is a pedagogic tool to improve communication between individuals during a cyber threat situation. According to the model, an individual must apply meta-cognitive awareness (O), perspective taking (L), and communication skills (B) to successfully communicate the RCP. Gamification (applying game elements to non-game contexts) has shown promise as an approach to learning. We propose a novel OLB-based Gamification design to improve dyadic communication for shared situational awareness among (technical and non-technical) individuals during a cyber threat situation. The design includes the Gamification elements of narrative, scoring, feedback, and judgment of self. The proposed concept contributes to the educational development of cyber operators from both military and civilian organizations responsible for defending and securing digital infrastructure. This is achieved by combining the elements of a novel communication model with gamification in a context in urgent need for educational input.

A Study on Classroom Discourse in Enhancing Metacognition to Develop Writing Skill in Saudi EFL Students

Generally, learning outcomes are not always as expected; instead, they show a degree of variation depending on various factors. Likewise, despite the fact of providing writing instruments in Saudi EFL classrooms, the outcomes are not always as expected. The reasons may range from classroom atmosphere to individual cognition and many other related variants around. However, it is a small attempt in teachers’ perspective to see if anything is lacking in the implementation of ‘teaching writing strategies’ for EFL classrooms. To verify this assumption between practicality and literature, this paper intends to explore ‘the implementation of writing strategies of faculty’ during teaching writing skills. In addition, this paper also attempts to identify what sort of discourse tools and metacognitive strategies university faculty are incorporating in their teaching, and what is ignored or not used up to the mark while enhancing Saudi EFL students’ meta-cognitive awareness. To collect responses for this study, a survey questionnaire was administered among 36 English language educators of the Jazan region. The results of this study revealed that there is a component that was given minor importance during teaching, though teachers used other strategies and tools extensively. Furthermore, one of the aims of the study is to demonstrate how discourse can be used to offer a solution in the present scenario. In a nutshell, this research recommends the significance of the neglected subcomponent and its importance in improving writing metacognition.

Effectiveness of Learning Assessment through Feedback with Test Essays

The use of strategic and well-planned feedback in the assessment process is key to promoting learning. This article evaluates the role of the two-stage test process in guiding and assisting the learning of students in the second year of teaching materials at sendratasik Education Program, FBS Padang State University. After being given oral and written feedback without grades from the first test, students were given the opportunity to write different tests, the second test, and each was asked to choose which one was assessed. Students are generally very positive about the assessment process, most participate voluntarily and fully, learn a lot differently for the second test, and there is evidence of meta-cognitive awareness and understanding. Nevertheless, some students have difficulty and frustration in assessing the quality of their work. Discussions focus on learning processes and issues, on the usefulness of feedback and on formative test assessment procedures.

Assessing tap water awareness: The development of an empirically-based framework

Despite the often emphasized importance of water awareness, and notwithstanding the fact that calls for increasing public awareness are becoming commonplace, most studies do not define the concept, let alone operationalise it into measurable units. This is, however, essential to measure and evaluate efforts related to water awareness such as public campaigns, customer communication and behavioural interventions. To address this gap, we conceptualise, operationalise and assess tap water awareness, hereby differentiating between cognitive awareness (head), affectional awareness (heart), and behavioural awareness (hands). In parallel, we also differentiate between tap water quality, quantity and system. By building on a variety of contemporary conceptual insights in literature and a series of expert interviews, an assessment framework is developed. A cohesive set of nine awareness components are identified and operationalised into a set of tangible questions which are put to the test in a large-scale online survey (n = 1003) in the Netherlands, applying both a traditional and modern segmentation approach based on four types of perspectives (‘quality & health concerned’, ‘aware & committed’, ‘egalitarian & solidary’, and ‘down to earth & confident’). Based on the analysis of the results of the first empirical application of our tap water awareness assessment framework, we conclude that—with a score 53.5 points out of 100—tap water awareness in the Netherlands shows ample room for improvement. Interestingly, most significant variations in awareness are generally not related to sociodemographic factors but rather apply to the four customer perspectives on drinking water that are based on people’s subjective views and preferences.

A Study on Classroom Discourse in Enhancing Metacognition to Develop Writing Skill in Saudi EFL Students

Generally, learning outcomes are not always as expected; instead, they show a degree of variation depending on various factors. Likewise, despite the fact of providing writing instruments in Saudi EFL classrooms, the outcomes are not always as expected. The reasons may range from classroom atmosphere to individual cognition and many other related variants around. However, it is a small attempt in teachers’ perspective to see if anything is lacking in the implementation of ‘teaching writing strategies’ for EFL classrooms. To verify this assumption between practicality and literature, this paper intends to explore ‘the implementation of writing strategies of faculty’ during teaching writing skills. In addition, this paper also attempts to identify what sort of discourse tools and metacognitive strategies university faculty are incorporating in their teaching, and what is ignored or not used up to the mark while enhancing Saudi EFL students’ meta-cognitive awareness. To collect responses for this study, a survey questionnaire was administered among 36 English language educators of the Jazan region. The results of this study revealed that there is a component that was given minor importance during teaching, though teachers used other strategies and tools extensively. Furthermore, one of the aims of the study is to demonstrate how discourse can be used to offer a solution in the present scenario. In a nutshell, this research recommends the significance of the neglected subcomponent and its importance in improving writing metacognition.

Latent diversity in human concepts

Many social and legal conflicts come down to differences in semantics. Yet, semantic variation between individuals and people’s awareness of this variation have been relatively neglected by experimental psychology. Here, across two experiments, we quantify the amount of agreement and disagreement between ordinary semantic concepts in thepopulation, as well as people’s meta-cognitive awareness of these differences. We collect similarity ratings and feature judgements, and analyze them using a non-parametricclustering scheme with an ecological statistical estimator to infer the number of different meanings for the same word that is present in the population. We find that typically atleast ten to twenty variants of meanings exist for even common nouns, but that people are unaware of this variation. Instead, people exhibit a strong bias to erroneously believe that other people share their particular semantics, pointing to one factor that likely interfereswith political and social discourse.

DEPENDENT-INDEPENDENT LEARNER: EXPERIENCES OF A NOVICE INDEPENDENT LEARNER DURING AN MA STUDY IN A UK UNIVERSITY

Purpose of the study: This paper reveals the feelings and experiences of the researcher regarding the transition from a familiar to an unfamiliar context and understanding the concept of 'independent learners and 'independent learning' throughout a one-year MA in the University of Southampton, UK. Methodology: Written in the form of a narrative by employing a diary, this article presents a brief account (a snapshot) of the researcher’s journey, which includes the struggles, gains, and losses during survival as a novice independent learner who had come from a completely different culture and educational setting. Main findings: The study concludes that training (guiding and facilitating) novice independent learners and developing their metacognitive awareness about ‘independent learning’ might help in empowering and producing efficient independent learners. Applications of this study: The paper proposes some useful suggestions for the teachers and educators in learner training, based on and limited to the researcher’s observations and experiences. Novelty/Originality of this study: Based on the theory regarding meta-cognitive awareness and discussing it as a vital part of learner training and the significant role that it plays in dealing with the challenges of independent learning,

Cognitive Awareness of the EFL Learner of Contrastive Linguistics Between English and Arabic: A Case Study

Corpus-based contrastive linguistics has rarely been thoroughly explored with regards to cognitive awareness of the English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Arabic first language (L1) speaking learners. The current study, based on an intervention, quasi-experimental quantitative research design, aims at presenting a pedagogical implementation of learners’ awareness driven instructions on contrastive linguistics between English and Arabic languages interchangeably. A purposefully selected sample of 69 beginner level (A1 CEFR) Saudi EFL learners were placed into an experimental group (n = 35) and a control group (n = 34). Learners in the experimental group were exposed to four grammatical contrastive linguistics criteria (between English and Arabic) over a 14-weeks semester duration, and the control group underwent a normal taught course with no intervention over the same teaching duration. Both groups were assessed via purposefully designed, 20-items grammar test before and after the 14-weeks duration. The gathered data was analysed with one sample and independent samples t-tests. The analysis revealed the outperformance of the experimental group compared to the control group in all four grammatical contrastive linguistics criteria. The study concludes with pedagogical implications on the principle of utilising contrastive linguistics as a pedagogical tool in an EFL context.