Learning objects have quickly become a widely accepted approach to instructional technology, particularly in on-line and computer-based learning environments. While there is a substantial body of literature concerning learning objects, very little of it verifies their efficacy. This research investigated the effectiveness of learning objects by comparing learning outcomes using a learning object with outcomes using a traditional textbook-based method of instruction. Participants were 327 undergraduate college students at a traditional public four-year coed institution, a private four-year women’s college, a private four-year engineering institution, and a public two-year community college. Through a series of independent samples t-tests and Analyses of Variance, results revealed mean scores for the learning object group that were nearly three times higher than the mean scores for the textbook-taught group. Gaming experience, age, gender, and learner preference were evaluated for their potential influence on the results; no statistically significant differences were found, implying that the learning object itself was central to the outcomes achieved. The future of learning objects is bright, and more empirical research is called for in the area of learning object effectiveness.

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Source: The Journal of Educators Online

This study shows the importance of interaction to student learning within Web-based online learning programs. The population of this study was students enrolled in multiple academic disciplines at a private university in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. A Web-based research instrument was designed to assess students’ characteristics, their perceptions of learning, satisfaction, student-to-student interactions and student-to-instructor interactions. Regression analyses were employed to analyze the relationship of interaction variables with student learning and satisfaction. Student-instructor interaction and student-student interaction were found to be significant contributors of student learning and satisfaction.

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Source: Journal of Online Interactive Learning

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Source: Journal of Learning Design

Alternate reality games (ARGs) weave together real-world artifacts with clues and puzzles hidden virtually any place, such as websites, libraries, museums, stores, signs, recorded telephone messages, movies, television programs, or printed materials. ARGs are not computer or video games, but electronic devices are frequently used to access clues. Players can meet and talk with characters in the narrative and use resources like postal mail, e-mail, the web, or the public library to find hints, clues, and various pieces of the puzzle.

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Whether you are an educational technology researcher, a learning scientist, a designer of web-based learning materials, or a teacher using technology, the DPD is a place for you to learn from the wisdom gained by dozens of researchers who have designed, enacted with students, and studied the use of technology for learning. This wisdom is translated in the DPD into pedagogical Design Principles at three grain-size levels, exemplified with Design Features.

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Faced with a student population that has learned to take online and digital media for granted not to mention a global financial crisis”educators and educational institutions responded by embracing the tools of digital media production and distribution in a big way in 2008.

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McGraw-Hill Higher Education (MHHE) has joined forces with Quantum Simulations, Inc., a leading developer of artificial intelligence (AI) tutoring and assessment software, to offer the Quantum Tutors for the Accounting Cycle. Topics include Transaction Analysis, Adjusting Entries and Financial Statement Preparation with problems directly correlated with all of the most popular McGraw-Hill textbooks for principles of accounting, financial accounting and college accounting.

The Quantum Tutors for the Accounting Cycle are being offered through McGraw-Hill to colleges and universities throughout the U.S. They are learning tools that engage students with precise guidance enabling them to master challenging accounting concepts. Scientifically proven to increase test scores by at least a full letter grade, Quantum’s artificial intelligence (AI) tutoring software helps accounting students maximize the effectiveness of their study time by providing detailed step-by-step tutoring and feedback on their own work with easy-to-understand explanations on why an answer is right or wrong.>

"This is an excellent product where the available possible questions cover all aspects students might want to ask. I saw improvement in my students' performance and understanding after they used the Quantum Tutors,� commented Dr. Ron Lazer, Assistant Professor of Accounting at the University of Houston. “The Tutors allowed students to ask questions and practice at their own pace at home, but with an interaction that is similar to class work and questions.�

Reviewed and approved by more than 200 accounting instructors nationwide, the Quantum Tutors provide a level of intelligent homework help and individualized tutoring not available with any other educational software. Unlike homework or assessment programs that give each student the same “canned� responses and provide little or no feedback beyond whether a student’s answer is right or wrong, the Quantum Tutors provide instant step-by-step feedback based on the student’s own work along with specific reasoning on why the student’s answer is right or wrong, reinforcing important accounting concepts from the textbook. The software also answers student questions and provides one-on-one tutoring tailored to the student’s level of understanding.

“McGraw-Hill is the first and only higher education solutions provider to offer this level of personalized tutoring with our accounting textbooks,� said Kevin Kane, president of McGraw-Hill’s Higher Education’s Business and Economics Group. “Through the Quantum Tutors, part of McGraw-Hill’s suite of educational products, students will be able to connect directly with the online tutoring they need to learn the subject material and succeed in the course. Students are sure to see immediate improvement in the quality and productivity of their study time, particularly with a difficult subject like accounting where good tutors can be expensive and the instructor or tutoring center has limited hours of availability.�

Scientific research studies prove a students performance greatly improves with Quantum Tutors when compared to students who only use the textbook or homework system for study. For example, at Baldwin-Wallace College, students using the Quantum Tutors increased test scores by 27 percentage points while students using the textbook only improved by 8.1 percentage points. At the University of Saskatchewan, students using the Quantum Tutors experienced 2.5 times the improvement over students that used the homework management software. From the student’s perspective, 99 percent of users surveyed ranked the Quantum Tutors as “Very Helpful� or “Helpful� and 98 percent said they would recommend the software to a friend.

“Quantum’s tutoring software engages students at a higher level of ‘active learning’ rather than ‘passive observing’ as with other tools such as MP3 lectures or online demonstrations,� commented Dr. Benny G. Johnson, president and CEO of Quantum and developer of the company’s AI technologies. “We strive to create that ‘eureka moment’ where students learn by doing and receive specific and immediate feedback to help internalize accounting concepts and improve their problem-solving skills.� Priced at just $15.00 per student per semester, accounting instructors can learn more about the Quantum Tutors for the Accounting Cycle and sign up for an online demonstration at http://www.mhhe.com/accountingtutors.

About McGraw-Hill Higher Education

McGraw-Hill Higher Education is a premier provider of teaching and learning solutions for the post-secondary and higher education markets – preparing students worldwide to meet the increasing challenges of the 21st century knowledge economy. It is a division of McGraw-Hill Education, a leading global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 40 languages. Additional information is available at http://www.mhhe.com.

About Quantum

Quantum Simulations, Inc. develops artificial intelligence (AI) tutoring, assessment and professional development software for accounting, science and mathematics that empowers teachers and inspires students from middle school through college to achieve more. Quantum's intelligent learning software is available stand-alone or integrated with our partners' web-based homework products and learning management systems. A "technology think tank", Quantum is funded and supported by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

As we move further into the 21st century, the digital native/digital immigrant paradigm created by Marc Prensky in 2001 is becoming less relevant. In this article, Prensky suggests that we should focus instead on the development of what he calls "digital wisdom."

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Source: InnovateOnline.info

The goal of this study was to determine whether students’ achievement in Calculus courses could be improved using the online assessment system WeBWorK, with or without interactive classroom support.

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The main purpose of this explorative study was to develop further understanding of factors influencing peer-learner interactions and collaborative learning activities, in an asynchronous computer-mediated learning environment.

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