StudyFlow: The Unified Learning Environment Framework (ULEF) - A Student Centered Approach to Digital Learning Integration

Metacognitive competencies related to cognitive tasks have been shown to predict learning outcomes. Less however is known about how meta-cognitive competencies can enhance the retention and progression of learners in Further Education. This study provides evidence from Performance Learning (PL) and its intelligent system PLEX, PL’s proprietary technology, to show how learners’ self-reports on meta-cognitive dimensions can be used as predictors of learner retention and progression within the learner’s course/s. The results confirm the predictive potential of PLEX technology in early identification of metacognitive competencies in learning and helps learners with developing effective remedies to enhance their retention and progression levels.

BackgroundsMedical education has shifted from passive forms of teaching to more active learning strategies, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has discussed the challenges and disadvantages associated with online education, but there is limited documentation on physicians’ perceptions of this sudden and unexpected transformation in medical education. This study aimed to determine the effect of online interactive visual learning on physicians’ perceptions of the effectiveness and their satisfaction with this online learning experience.MethodsWe routinely recruited 64 unclassified physicians in the hospital’s postgraduate year (PGY) program between September 2021 and April 2022. PGY physicians received an online interactive visual learning course. Online (Google Form) testing and questionnaires before and after this course evaluated learning performance, learning attitude and satisfaction of these physicians.ResultsThe interactive online learning tools facilitated the physicians’ active learning processes by reducing their learning burden (burden vs. no burden: 4.69% vs. 68.75%) and increasing their learning interest (interest vs. no interest: 84.38% vs. 3.12%) in the online format. Post-test scores were significantly improved compared with pretest scores (post-test vs. pre-test: 5 vs. 4; p < 0.05) and their imaging recognition was markedly improved from baseline (post-test vs. pre-test: 85.19% vs. 61.11%). Levels of satisfaction correlated positively with the physicians’ learning burden (rs = 0.541), learning interest (rs = 0.562), and perceived benefits of imaging recognition (post-course: rs = 0.508; future: rs = 0.563) (all p < 0.05).ConclusionsOur online course with interactive visual learning facilitated PGY physicians’ learning performance, levels of satisfaction, interest, and perceived benefits of online learning. Hospitals and policymakers need to be aware that this learning approach can markedly enhance physicians’ academic outcomes and levels of clinical practice.

In this paper, we highlight three issues that limit performance of machine learning on biomedical images, and tackle them through 3 case studies: 1) Interactive Machine Learning (IML): we show how IML can drastically improve exploration time and quality of direct volume rendering. 2) transfer learning: we show how transfer learning along with intelligent pre-processing can result in better Alzheimer's diagnosis using a much smaller training set 3) data imbalance: we show how our novel focal Tversky loss function can provide better segmentation results taking into account the imbalanced nature of segmentation datasets. The case studies are accompanied by in-depth analytical discussion of results with possible future directions.

With the emerging technologies of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), the learning process in today’s classroom is much more effective and motivational. Overlaying virtual content into the real world makes learning methods attractive and entertaining for students while performing activities. AR techniques make the learning process easy, and fun as compared to traditional methods. These methods lack focused learning and interactivity between the educational content. To make learning effective, we propose to use handheld marker-based AR technology for primary school students. We developed a set of four applications based on students’ academic course of primary school level for learning purposes of the English alphabet, decimal numbers, animals and birds, and an AR Globe for knowing about different countries around the world. These applications can be played wherever and whenever a user wants without Internet connectivity, subject to the availability of a tablet or mobile device and the required target images. These applications have performance evaluation quizzes (PEQs) for testing students’ learning progress. Our study investigates the effectiveness of AR-based learning materials in terms of learning performance, motivation, attitude, and behavior towards different methods of learning. Our activity results favor AR-based learning techniques where students’ learning motivation and performance are enhanced compared to the non-AR learning methods.

The focus of education is increasingly on learners’ ability to regulate their own learning within technology-enhanced learning environments. Prior research has shown that self-regulated learning (SRL) leads to better learning performance. However, many learners struggle to productively self-regulate their learning, as they typically need to navigate the myriad of cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational processes that SRL demands. To address these challenges, the FLoRA engine is developed to help students, workers, and professionals improve their SRL skills and become productive lifelong learners. FLoRA incorporates several learning tools that are grounded in SRL theory and enhanced with learning analytics (LA), aimed at improving learners’ mastery of different SRL skills. The engine tracks learners’ SRL behaviours during a learning task and provides automated scaffolding to help learners effectively regulate their learning. The main contributions of FLoRA include (1) creating instrumentation tools that unobtrusively collect intensively sampled, fine-grained, and temporally ordered trace data about learners’ learning actions; (2) building a trace parser that uses LA and related analytical techniques (e.g., process mining) to model and understand learners’ SRL processes; and (3) providing a scaffolding module that presents analytics-based adaptive, personalized scaffolds based on students’ learning progress. The architecture and implementation of the FLoRA engine are also discussed in this paper.

An active e-course is a self-representable and self-organizable document mechanism with a flexible structure. The kernel of the active e-course is to organize learning materials into a "concept space" rather than a "page space". Besides highly interactive service it supports adaptive learning by dynamically selecting organizing and presenting the learning materials for different students. During the learning progress it also provides assessments on students' learning performances and gives suggestions to guide them in further learning. We have implemented an authoring tool and a course prototype to support the constructivist learning.

Technical culinary skills are fundamental competencies for professional chefs. Consequently, demonstrating and enhancing these skills pose significant challenges within culinary education. This study aims to develop a virtual reality (VR) system for culinary skill development and assess its effectiveness when integrated into a hospitality internship curriculum. The participants comprised 82 undergraduate hospitality management majors. This study collected students’ learning scores and performance data before and after the culinary VR course. Statistical methods were employed to analyse the collected data, aiming to assess the effectiveness of the culinary VR course and differences in students’ technical acceptance. Using t-tests to compare differences in technical acceptance between the two groups, and potentially employing paired-sample t-tests or correlation analyses to evaluate students’ progress in learning. The findings indicate that the two groups did not significantly differ in their acceptance of technology. However, the culinary VR curriculum exhibited a positive impact on students’ learning outcomes.

In this study, an interactive 5E learning cycle-based augmented reality system is proposed for conducting microcosmic Chemistry molecule learning activities. Augmented reality has been widely used for enhancing students' learning motivation. However, numerous studies have indicated that without effective learning strategies for helping students construct solid knowledge, their learning performance might be disappointing. To cope with this problem, an interactive 5E learning cycle approach has been adopted to develop an augmented reality mobile learning system which reinforces students' understanding of the concepts of the microcosmic structure of Chemistry molecule learning unit. In order to evaluate students' learning achievement, self-efficacy and learning behavior patterns when using this approach, an experiment was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The students' learning behaviors when using the interactive AR tools to learn about microcosmic Chemistry molecule structures and the ways in which they perform the interactive 5E learning cycle-based learning tasks will be recorded. Accordingly, the learning behavioral patterns will be analyzed via lag-sequential analysis and quantitative content analysis.

The development of information technology has opened new opportunities in education, particularly in the creation of interactive learning media. This study aims to design web-based interactive learning media for introducing English to early childhood education (PAUD). Using a R&amp;D (Research and Development) approach with the ADDIE development model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation), this study produces a web-based learning platform that integrates learning materials, quizzes, and progress monitoring features for children. This learning media is designed to enhance students' learning interest through interactive content incorporating text, audio, images, and animations. Additionally, the system allows teachers and parents to monitor children's learning progress in real-time. By utilizing web-based technology, the application is accessible to a broad audience, including remote areas with limited educational resources.

&lt;p&gt;Aiming to build and receive a logic-mathematical substantiation and model of the process of constructing the description of any subject area for corporate information systems, the authors divided the subject area for building the system into constituent elements and the relationships between them. Using discrete mathematics methods to the graphs and two-seater predicates of the first order, we built an interconnected model of the subject area. Logical and mathematical models were built upon the main components of the subject area. Based on a technique used to construct its description, the use of the graphical description, combined with the application of transformation in a semantic model of the predicate type, allows us to use further the received model for constructing the normalized databases. The research reveals that constructing the qualitative description of the subject domain of the corporate automated information system requires us to use some consecutive iterations. Logic and mathematical models allow us to construct a general view of the description of the subject area of the corporate automated information system. Further, this generalized model can be transferred to absolutely any concrete subject area. The advantage of constructing the description of the subject area in the form of the predicate type&amp;rsquo;s semantic model is the integral sight at all considered subject areas, as information representation in the integral form is better perceived. When constructing such a graph, there is a possibility of completely restoring missing logical links. The purpose of the research is to describe the subject area of the corporate system using the graph form of representation. The novelty lies in developing information support model designed for managing processes of acquiring and using knowledge (this model allows to consider usefulness of information elements and didactic connections between elements) and in approach to estimation of achieving information support goals with the use of graphs describing the subject area of corporate system.&lt;/p&gt;

Learner interactions, which occurs both synchronously and asynchronously, play an important role in the success of online education. A clear understanding of interaction pattern is crucial for refining instructional support and enhancing learning assessment. This study aims to identify and characterize learner types based on their synchronous and asynchronous interaction behaviors using social network analysis, cluster analysis, and content analysis. Drawing on 2307 collected data output from a 16-week Small Private Online Course at a university in Central China, interaction features were extracted and clustered, leading to identification of four distinct interaction profiles: “double active learners”, “double negative learners”, “synchronous active learners”, and “asynchronous active learners”. This study further examined the relationships between these profiles and teacher team and their emotional and cognitive engagement. Significant differences in engagement were observed among the five groups. Additionally, we compared the differences in learning performance among the four learner profiles. “Double negative learners” were found to consistently demonstrated the lowest learning performance. These results provide valuable insights for the design of targeted instructional interventions and support strategies in online learning environments.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adopting a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) as primary supplementary material in blended learning classroom on Taiwanese university EFL learners’ English proficiency levels. The study utilized pre- and post-tests of English proficiency, specifically the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) by Educational Testing Service (ETS), learners’ learning experience and learners’ satisfaction. In this study, thirty EFL learners at a private university in Northern Taiwan participated in a year-long paired-group study, first under blended learning environment while adopting a MOOC as primary supplementary material and followed by traditional face-to-face learning, with each learning mode lasting one semester. All participants were computer science and information engineering majors with intermediate English proficiency based on university placement exams. During the first semester (Fall 2013), consists of EFL learning via the blended mode of teaching, which partially incorporates student-centered learning utilizing Coursera education platform. While The second semester (Spring 2014), traditional learning mode the course is comprised of EFL instruction in the traditional way, i.e., teacher-fronted instruction and in-class assignments with textbook materials. Several scholars have suggested that instead of replacing courses at higher education institutions, blended learning with the asynchronous distance learning capabilities of MOOCs could enhance the course content and increase learning proficiency. This paper investigated on such exploration, wherein implementing the online learning experience into English for specific purposes (ESP) course at a private university in Northern Taiwan. This research explained to further understand the implications of blended learning at the tertiary education level in Taiwan. The investigator sought a comprehensive approach to the examination of the blended learning model by utilizing three different sections: students’ learning progress, student’s’ learning satisfaction and students’ learning perspectives. Within-group comparison of the students’ mean scores of the pre- and post-test examinations provided the quantitative assessment of learning progress, while open-ended questionnaire responses and interviews provided the qualitative data comprising the students’ perspective. This research provided a blended learning approach whereby there was a mixture of face-to-face and online learning activities where students would integrate the information and data gathered from both platforms to improve on their learning techniques. The result revealed that the improvement of academic performance and learning satisfaction was attributed to the fact that with the MOOCs assistance, students could study their course materials at their own pace and designated time either at home or in their dormitory rooms. Blending MOOC technology integrates synchronous and asynchronous learning tools that transform and improve the education system and provide room for enforcing learners’ active, autonomous, collaborative, interactive and effective learning techniques.

This paper presents the development of an interactive learning environment for dynamic simulation and active vibration control of flexible plate structures. The work is aimed to facilitate the learning process of the subject area through the development of an interactive environment that can help users to simulate and visualise behaviour of flexible structures with given physical characteristics, to test and validate controller designs. Simulation algorithms based on finite difference scheme in characterizing the dynamic behaviour of a two-dimensional such as plate structures are incorporated. Controller design strategies are integrated within this framework. The design and implementation of the interactive learning system incorporating the simulation algorithms, modelling and control strategies, are developed using Matlab. The result of the simulation is further utilized in the modelling and control of the specified flexible plate structure.

Design of Distance Online Learning System Based on Intelligent Information Archives

We used the design-based research approach to test and refine a theoretically grounded goal-access-feedback-challenge-collaboration gamification model. The testbed was a 10-week, university-level e-learning design course offered in two consecutive semesters. In Study 1, we implemented the initial goal-access-feedback-challenge-collaboration model in semester one of the 2020–2021 academic year (N = 26). The aim was to enhance student behavioral engagement in online discussion forums, affective engagement in the class, and learning performance. The results of Study 1 showed that although most participants were engaged in this gamified learning experience during the first two sessions, they gradually lost interest and their participation in online discussions dropped over the next eight weeks. Thus, we introduced a new element, fantasy, into the original model. In Study 2, we tested the effectiveness of the goal-access-feedback-challenge-collaboration-fantasy model on students’ learning outcomes in semester two of 2020–2021 (N = 23). The results of Study 2 suggested that, compared to the original model, the goal-access-feedback-challenge-collaboration-fantasy model can better promote students’ engagement in online discussion, as measured by increased interaction with peers, learning experience, and learning performance.