Progress in The Chemistry of Fats and Other Lipids, 1996
Traditional education as we know it is usually the result of a craftsman-like approach to its des... more Traditional education as we know it is usually the result of a craftsman-like approach to its design, development and delivery. In this approach the teacher fulfils all of the tasks necessary for the student's study from its inception through its delivery. The teacher here is a jack-of-all-trades and carries the full responsibility for the entire process. The effective and efficient
Design Approaches and Tools in Education and Training, 1999
Distance education is going through a paradigm shift from the second to the third generation. In ... more Distance education is going through a paradigm shift from the second to the third generation. In the first generation (correspondence education) teachers were craftsmen who coupled traditional learning materials to self-made personalised lessons that they mailed to their students at a distance. In the second generation new, pedagogically enhanced materials were designed and developed via an industrial model specifically for distance education, but the accent remained on a traditional learning paradigm. In the third generation personal, competence based, interactive materials for learning communities are being designed and developed.
The emergence of new information and communication technologies (ICT) has enabled development and... more The emergence of new information and communication technologies (ICT) has enabled development and implementation of innovative e-learning environments. The new environments support learners according to relatively new pedagogical paradigms of education such as collaborative learning
Complex learning aims at the integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes; the coordination of ... more Complex learning aims at the integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes; the coordination of qualitativelydifferent constituent skills, and the transfer of what is learned to daily life or work settings. Recent instructional theories stress authentic learning tasks as the driving force for learning, but due to the complexity of those tasks learning may be hampered by the limited processing
Proceedings of the 9th international conference on Computer supported collaborative learning - CSCL'09, 2009
Abstract This study investigated the effects of a tool designed for supporting the online collabo... more Abstract This study investigated the effects of a tool designed for supporting the online collaborative performance of learners carrying out complex learning tasks. Appropriate collaborative cognitive activities may be evoked by structuring the whole learning task into phases and providing congruent external representations for each stage (ie, representational scripting). It was hypothesized that this combination would lead to increased individual learning and better results for the collaborative task. In groups, 47 ...
Higher education suffers from its stress on the individual acquisition of knowledge and skills (c... more Higher education suffers from its stress on the individual acquisition of knowledge and skills (competencies). Hence, the validity of the study programmes can be questioned because certain learning goals are difficult to achieve in an individual context. Examples abound such as negotiation skills, chairing a meeting, monitoring a discussion, and interviewing decision-makers. It is therefore no wonder that curriculum evaluation at the university level (the so-called 'visitation'reports or academic audits) is critical about skills development in ...
Quality control policies towards Dutch vocational schools have changed dramatically because the g... more Quality control policies towards Dutch vocational schools have changed dramatically because the government questioned examination quality. Schools must now demonstrate assessment quality to a new Examination Quality Center. Since teachers often design assessments, they must be involved in quality issues. This study therefore explores teachers' opinions on assessment quality evaluation criteria. Pre-vocational and vocational teachers (N ¼ 211) responded to a questionnaire. Contrary to expectations, results show that teachers deem classical and competency-based quality criteria equally important. Vocational teachers gave higher importance scores than pre-vocational teachers, possibly due to the pressure they experience to improve the quality of their assessments.
Proceedings of the 9th international conference on Computer supported collaborative learning - CSCL'09, 2009
Abstract This design study developed and tested a peer assessment tool and reflection tool for en... more Abstract This design study developed and tested a peer assessment tool and reflection tool for enhancing group functioning in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment. The underlying assumption was that group functioning can be positively influenced by making group members aware of how their behavior is perceived by themselves, their peers, and the group as a whole. This awareness, which is conditional for behavioral change, is achieved through a peer assessment tool and a reflection tool. A 2× ...
Collaborative learning, whether supported by computer technology or not, has been a buzzword amon... more Collaborative learning, whether supported by computer technology or not, has been a buzzword among educational policy makers, practitioners and researchers for about a decade now. The conversation/debate has long been dominated by popular views on collaboration, combined with an ambitious belief in the possibilities of technology.
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 2011
Students in competence-based vocational education are expected to actively construct a personal p... more Students in competence-based vocational education are expected to actively construct a personal professional theory, in which they integrate different types of knowledge and beliefs. Students' personal professional theories are seen as an important learning outcome of competence-based vocational education. However, it is unknown how personal professional theories can be measured. This study focused on measuring the content and nature of students' personal professional theories using a multi-method triangulation approach, in which 16 students in the domain of Social Work constructed a concept map, an interview and a self-report. The results show that the relatively structured methods (i.e., interviews and concept maps) reveal more insight into students' personal professional theories than less structured methods (i.e., self-reports). It is concluded that both structure as well as adequate prompts are important in the process of explicating personal professional theories.
This study investigated whether and how scripting learners' use of representational tools in a co... more This study investigated whether and how scripting learners' use of representational tools in a computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL)-environment fostered their collaborative performance on a complex business-economics task. Scripting the problem-solving process sequenced and made its phase-related part-task demands explicit, namely defining the problem and proposing multiple solutions, followed by determining suitability of the solutions and coming to a definitive problem solution. Two tools facilitated construction of causal or mathematical domain representations. Each was suited for carrying out the part-task demands of one specific problem-solving phase; the causal was matched to problem-solution phase and the mathematical (in the form of a simulation) to the solution-evaluation phase. Teams of learners (N = 34, Mean age = 15.7) in four experimental conditions carried out the part-tasks in a predefined order, but differed in the representational tool/tools they received during the collaborative problem-solving process. The tools were matched, partly matched or mismatched to the part-task demands. Teams in the causal-only (n = 9) and simulation-only (n = 9) conditions received either a causal or a simulation tool and were, thus, supported in only one of the two part-tasks. Teams in the simulation-causal condition (n = 9) received both tools, but in an order that was mismatched to the part-task demands. Teams in the causal-simulation condition (n = 7) received both tools in an order that matched the part-task demands of the problem phases. Results revealed that teams receiving part-task congruent tools constructed more task-appropriate representations and had more elaborated discussions about the domain. As a consequence, those teams performed better on the complex learning-task.
A university study in the natural sciences, devoid of a practical component such as laboratory wo... more A university study in the natural sciences, devoid of a practical component such as laboratory work is virtually unthinkable. One could even go so far as saying that it is extremely rare for anyone to question the necessity of laboratory work in either high school or university science curricula. Laboratory work is simply part of the science game. This article discusses the problems concerning the use of the laboratory as didactic tool in the educational process, the premises underlying its use in science education and different approaches to its implementation as described in recent literature. This article is primarily directed at a clarification and explicitation of objectives and of their implementation in laboratory work at the Dutch Open University. The effective and efficient use of time spent in the laboratory is a necessity for all educational institutions, but especially for an institution for distance education.
Educational Technology Research and Development, 2010
This study investigated the effects of representational scripting on non-expert student learning ... more This study investigated the effects of representational scripting on non-expert student learning while collaboratively carrying out complex learning-tasks. The premise underlying this research is that effective cognitive activities would be evoked when complex learning-tasks are structured into phase-related part-tasks and are supported by providing students with part-task-congruent external representations for each phase; representational scripting. It was hypothesized that this approach would lead to increased individual learning and better complex learning-task performance. In groups, 96 secondary education students worked on a complex business-economics problem in four experimental conditions, namely one condition in which the groups received representations that were part-task-congruent for all three phases and three conditions in which the groups received one of these representations for all three phases (i.e., part-task-incongruent for two of the three phases).
Distributed learning in groups is usually supported by computer-supported collaborative learning ... more Distributed learning in groups is usually supported by computer-supported collaborative learning environments. Although these environments have the potential to facilitate working in groups, they often do not fulfill this potential because of their inability to provide a sound social space where social relationships exist and where a sense of cohesiveness and community is achieved. This article reports on the construction and validation of a self-reporting (Dutchlanguage) Social Space Scale. The raw Social Space Scale was launched in three different distance education courses from the Open Universiteit Nederland using two different computer-supported collaborative learning environments. Factor analysis revealed that the Social Space Scale has two interpretable factors which are identified as the Positive Group Behavior dimension and the Negative Group Behavior dimension. The raw Social Space Scale was refined thereby reducing the number of test items from 44 to 20; each dimension encompasses 10 items. The internal consistency was 81 for the total scale, 92 for the Positive Group Behavior dimension and 87 for the Negative Group Behavior dimension. A nomological network was used for further validation. The findings suggest that the Social Space Scale has potential to be useful as a measure for social space. However, it must be realized that this measure is a first step and further validation research is needed.
Instruction and learning are increasingly based on competencies, causing a call for assessment me... more Instruction and learning are increasingly based on competencies, causing a call for assessment methods to adequately determine competency acquisition. Because competency assessment is such a complex endeavor, one single assessment method seems not to be sufficient. This necessitates Competency Assessment Programs (CAPs) that combine different methods, ranging from classical tests to recently developed assessment methods. However, many of the quality criteria used for classical tests cannot be applied ...
Progress in The Chemistry of Fats and Other Lipids, 1996
Traditional education as we know it is usually the result of a craftsman-like approach to its des... more Traditional education as we know it is usually the result of a craftsman-like approach to its design, development and delivery. In this approach the teacher fulfils all of the tasks necessary for the student's study from its inception through its delivery. The teacher here is a jack-of-all-trades and carries the full responsibility for the entire process. The effective and efficient
Design Approaches and Tools in Education and Training, 1999
Distance education is going through a paradigm shift from the second to the third generation. In ... more Distance education is going through a paradigm shift from the second to the third generation. In the first generation (correspondence education) teachers were craftsmen who coupled traditional learning materials to self-made personalised lessons that they mailed to their students at a distance. In the second generation new, pedagogically enhanced materials were designed and developed via an industrial model specifically for distance education, but the accent remained on a traditional learning paradigm. In the third generation personal, competence based, interactive materials for learning communities are being designed and developed.
The emergence of new information and communication technologies (ICT) has enabled development and... more The emergence of new information and communication technologies (ICT) has enabled development and implementation of innovative e-learning environments. The new environments support learners according to relatively new pedagogical paradigms of education such as collaborative learning
Complex learning aims at the integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes; the coordination of ... more Complex learning aims at the integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes; the coordination of qualitativelydifferent constituent skills, and the transfer of what is learned to daily life or work settings. Recent instructional theories stress authentic learning tasks as the driving force for learning, but due to the complexity of those tasks learning may be hampered by the limited processing
Proceedings of the 9th international conference on Computer supported collaborative learning - CSCL'09, 2009
Abstract This study investigated the effects of a tool designed for supporting the online collabo... more Abstract This study investigated the effects of a tool designed for supporting the online collaborative performance of learners carrying out complex learning tasks. Appropriate collaborative cognitive activities may be evoked by structuring the whole learning task into phases and providing congruent external representations for each stage (ie, representational scripting). It was hypothesized that this combination would lead to increased individual learning and better results for the collaborative task. In groups, 47 ...
Higher education suffers from its stress on the individual acquisition of knowledge and skills (c... more Higher education suffers from its stress on the individual acquisition of knowledge and skills (competencies). Hence, the validity of the study programmes can be questioned because certain learning goals are difficult to achieve in an individual context. Examples abound such as negotiation skills, chairing a meeting, monitoring a discussion, and interviewing decision-makers. It is therefore no wonder that curriculum evaluation at the university level (the so-called 'visitation'reports or academic audits) is critical about skills development in ...
Quality control policies towards Dutch vocational schools have changed dramatically because the g... more Quality control policies towards Dutch vocational schools have changed dramatically because the government questioned examination quality. Schools must now demonstrate assessment quality to a new Examination Quality Center. Since teachers often design assessments, they must be involved in quality issues. This study therefore explores teachers' opinions on assessment quality evaluation criteria. Pre-vocational and vocational teachers (N ¼ 211) responded to a questionnaire. Contrary to expectations, results show that teachers deem classical and competency-based quality criteria equally important. Vocational teachers gave higher importance scores than pre-vocational teachers, possibly due to the pressure they experience to improve the quality of their assessments.
Proceedings of the 9th international conference on Computer supported collaborative learning - CSCL'09, 2009
Abstract This design study developed and tested a peer assessment tool and reflection tool for en... more Abstract This design study developed and tested a peer assessment tool and reflection tool for enhancing group functioning in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment. The underlying assumption was that group functioning can be positively influenced by making group members aware of how their behavior is perceived by themselves, their peers, and the group as a whole. This awareness, which is conditional for behavioral change, is achieved through a peer assessment tool and a reflection tool. A 2× ...
Collaborative learning, whether supported by computer technology or not, has been a buzzword amon... more Collaborative learning, whether supported by computer technology or not, has been a buzzword among educational policy makers, practitioners and researchers for about a decade now. The conversation/debate has long been dominated by popular views on collaboration, combined with an ambitious belief in the possibilities of technology.
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 2011
Students in competence-based vocational education are expected to actively construct a personal p... more Students in competence-based vocational education are expected to actively construct a personal professional theory, in which they integrate different types of knowledge and beliefs. Students' personal professional theories are seen as an important learning outcome of competence-based vocational education. However, it is unknown how personal professional theories can be measured. This study focused on measuring the content and nature of students' personal professional theories using a multi-method triangulation approach, in which 16 students in the domain of Social Work constructed a concept map, an interview and a self-report. The results show that the relatively structured methods (i.e., interviews and concept maps) reveal more insight into students' personal professional theories than less structured methods (i.e., self-reports). It is concluded that both structure as well as adequate prompts are important in the process of explicating personal professional theories.
This study investigated whether and how scripting learners' use of representational tools in a co... more This study investigated whether and how scripting learners' use of representational tools in a computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL)-environment fostered their collaborative performance on a complex business-economics task. Scripting the problem-solving process sequenced and made its phase-related part-task demands explicit, namely defining the problem and proposing multiple solutions, followed by determining suitability of the solutions and coming to a definitive problem solution. Two tools facilitated construction of causal or mathematical domain representations. Each was suited for carrying out the part-task demands of one specific problem-solving phase; the causal was matched to problem-solution phase and the mathematical (in the form of a simulation) to the solution-evaluation phase. Teams of learners (N = 34, Mean age = 15.7) in four experimental conditions carried out the part-tasks in a predefined order, but differed in the representational tool/tools they received during the collaborative problem-solving process. The tools were matched, partly matched or mismatched to the part-task demands. Teams in the causal-only (n = 9) and simulation-only (n = 9) conditions received either a causal or a simulation tool and were, thus, supported in only one of the two part-tasks. Teams in the simulation-causal condition (n = 9) received both tools, but in an order that was mismatched to the part-task demands. Teams in the causal-simulation condition (n = 7) received both tools in an order that matched the part-task demands of the problem phases. Results revealed that teams receiving part-task congruent tools constructed more task-appropriate representations and had more elaborated discussions about the domain. As a consequence, those teams performed better on the complex learning-task.
A university study in the natural sciences, devoid of a practical component such as laboratory wo... more A university study in the natural sciences, devoid of a practical component such as laboratory work is virtually unthinkable. One could even go so far as saying that it is extremely rare for anyone to question the necessity of laboratory work in either high school or university science curricula. Laboratory work is simply part of the science game. This article discusses the problems concerning the use of the laboratory as didactic tool in the educational process, the premises underlying its use in science education and different approaches to its implementation as described in recent literature. This article is primarily directed at a clarification and explicitation of objectives and of their implementation in laboratory work at the Dutch Open University. The effective and efficient use of time spent in the laboratory is a necessity for all educational institutions, but especially for an institution for distance education.
Educational Technology Research and Development, 2010
This study investigated the effects of representational scripting on non-expert student learning ... more This study investigated the effects of representational scripting on non-expert student learning while collaboratively carrying out complex learning-tasks. The premise underlying this research is that effective cognitive activities would be evoked when complex learning-tasks are structured into phase-related part-tasks and are supported by providing students with part-task-congruent external representations for each phase; representational scripting. It was hypothesized that this approach would lead to increased individual learning and better complex learning-task performance. In groups, 96 secondary education students worked on a complex business-economics problem in four experimental conditions, namely one condition in which the groups received representations that were part-task-congruent for all three phases and three conditions in which the groups received one of these representations for all three phases (i.e., part-task-incongruent for two of the three phases).
Distributed learning in groups is usually supported by computer-supported collaborative learning ... more Distributed learning in groups is usually supported by computer-supported collaborative learning environments. Although these environments have the potential to facilitate working in groups, they often do not fulfill this potential because of their inability to provide a sound social space where social relationships exist and where a sense of cohesiveness and community is achieved. This article reports on the construction and validation of a self-reporting (Dutchlanguage) Social Space Scale. The raw Social Space Scale was launched in three different distance education courses from the Open Universiteit Nederland using two different computer-supported collaborative learning environments. Factor analysis revealed that the Social Space Scale has two interpretable factors which are identified as the Positive Group Behavior dimension and the Negative Group Behavior dimension. The raw Social Space Scale was refined thereby reducing the number of test items from 44 to 20; each dimension encompasses 10 items. The internal consistency was 81 for the total scale, 92 for the Positive Group Behavior dimension and 87 for the Negative Group Behavior dimension. A nomological network was used for further validation. The findings suggest that the Social Space Scale has potential to be useful as a measure for social space. However, it must be realized that this measure is a first step and further validation research is needed.
Instruction and learning are increasingly based on competencies, causing a call for assessment me... more Instruction and learning are increasingly based on competencies, causing a call for assessment methods to adequately determine competency acquisition. Because competency assessment is such a complex endeavor, one single assessment method seems not to be sufficient. This necessitates Competency Assessment Programs (CAPs) that combine different methods, ranging from classical tests to recently developed assessment methods. However, many of the quality criteria used for classical tests cannot be applied ...
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