International Journal of Learning Technologies and Learning Environments

Practice and Analysis of Asynchronous Distance Information Literacy Lectures Based on Blended Lecture Materials

Shin'nosuke Yamaguchi, Hideki Kondo, Yoshimasa Ohnishi, Kazunori Nishino — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 13:05:53 +0000

In this paper, we report on a case study in which we converted blended information literacy lectures into asynchronous distance lectures using the basic features of a learning management system. In the implementation of asynchronous distance lectures, it is necessary to maintain the learning activity of students and to achieve the same learning effect as in blended lectures. Preparing materials for asynchronous distance lectures from scratch is a heavy burden on the teacher. Therefore, we change the style and materials of the lectures based on the learning analysis of blended lectures that we have already practiced. We update the material, add quizzes with deadlines, and report on the results of asynchronous distance information literacy lectures. We then analyze and evaluate student learning to determine if this has been effective.

HighNyammer Social Scanner: Continuous Visual Feed-back of Collaborative Community to Improve Collective Cognitive Responsibilities

Hideki Kondo, Sayaka Tohyama, Ayano Ohsaki, Masayuki Yamada — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 13:11:50 +0000

Collective Cognitive Responsibility (CCR) of individual members is important in knowledge-creation communities. There are some possibilities to improve CCR through feedback functions that implement learning-support systems; however, it is unclear whether such a function is effective in extracurricular activities. Our research target is “HighNyammer,” a bulletin board system (BBS) for student-staff members who are working in “Classroom-M” as extracurricular activities. We developed “HighNyammer Social Scanner,” a tool comprising three types of feedback functions based on social network analysis to improve community members’ CCR. To examine the functions’ effect, we conducted two types of analysis: trends analysis based on HighNyammer logs and a questionnaire survey with student-staff members. A comparison between nine-members in 2020 (with HighNyammer Social Scanner) and nine-members in 2019 (without it) showed that HighNyammer Social Scanner helped the student-staff members perform as the members with high-CCR, especially novice members. The results suggested that each member was helped to recognize their activities more concretely by comparing one’s activities with those of other members using HighNyammer Social Scanner. Furthermore, the comparison encouraged the student-staff members to improve their activities.

Double-sided Design for Reinforcing Private Training of Basketball with an Advanced Imagery Opponent

Kenji Matsuura, Hiroki Tanioka, Stephen Karungaru, Tomohito Wada, Naka Gotoda — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 13:46:53 +0000

This study discusses the design issues of the human-computer-interaction environment for developing recognition skills of a basketball player in one-on-one situations. Further, two types of actual implementations are proposed for supporting a slight movement of offense and defense repeatedly. Trainees lack physical opponents when they want to have a one-onone training session. Thus, this study discusses and designs a software-based opponent for a single trainee who has a limited space in the physical world. Firstly, the system monitors and analyzes the offense player’s body movements, providing a counter-movement with the
silhouette of a visualized defense whose functions are based on the analysis of the monitored physical movement. The life-sized silhouette is displayed on a large screen in front of the trainee. Secondly, another system provides a realistic offense using a head mount display worn by a defense trainee for defense training. Furthermore, the defense receives feedback after the training. We discussed several findings through the first-round evaluation using these two systems. Finally, the extended function to strengthen the recognizing skill
based on the gaze information of defensive players is introduced and evaluated.

Fluctuations of Ability Estimates in Testing in Item Response Theory

Hideo Hirose — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 13:54:06 +0000

By analyzing the fluctuations of ability estimates in testing, we first obtain the purely probabilistic fluctuations of ability estimates in a one-time testing under the condition that the students' abilities can be estimated by using the item response theory, and next, by taking into account such the probabilistic fluctuations, we find students who reveal the discrepancies of observed abilities between two separated testings. When such discrepancies of abilities are observed, test results are considered to be affected by some factors such as the physical conditions of the examinees, the teacher's teaching skills, and students' study skill developments. To describe such a phenomenon, we proposed a basic formula. The accuracies are obtained under the situation that the observed data follows the item response theory. To investigate whether we can assume such a condition or not, we have introduced the matrix decomposition perspective, and confirmed that the item response theory were used properly. Using an example case took in a university mathematics testing, we have shown how we have extracted the purely probabilistic fluctuations and segregated fluctuations due to other factors.

A 5-Month Comparative Study of Japanese Input Speed by Keyboard of Elementary School Children Learning with 1:1 Devices for the First Time

Tue, 30 May 2023 05:48:13 +0000

This study involved a 5-month investigation of Japanese input skills by keyboard of elementary school children learning with 1:1 devices for the first time. Participants were from two classes of elementary schools. The Class X was 4^th grade, and the Class Y was 6^th grade. The input speed improved in 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th months compared to 2^nd month after the start of utilization. The input speed while copying by looking at the text increased as the months went by. However, the results suggest that the speed of input while thinking by reading the text does not necessarily improve in the same way. We divided the survey results into two groups based on input speed by keyboard. In the upper group, 6^th graders were higher than 4^th graders, although there was no significant difference. In the lower group, 6^th graders were significantly lower than 4^th graders in 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th months. Therefore, it is necessary to pay particular attention to supporting the acquisition of Japanese input skills by keyboard, especially for children in the lower group.

Development of Programming Learning Support System with Function for Switching Display Language and for Showing Students' Learning Status to Teachers

Ryo Tokimatsu, Naoya Kamita, Tetsuo Tanaka, Kazunori Matsumoto — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 13:56:47 +0000

For the education of programming beginners, the visual programming environment Scratch and the Japanese programming language Nadeshiko are attracting attention. These are excellent tools for learning programming. However, in order to program in a language used in practice, it is necessary to newly learn language-specific grammar, built-in functions, coding styles, and so on. It is difficult to utilize the knowledge learned in visual programming as it is. We propose a programming learning system that has a language switching function that switches the display of blocks to another programming language and a function that executes the program in a visually form. The learner can learn efficiently while comparing the language he/she knows with the language he/she does not know, and can intuitively grasp the behavior of the program.

Fill-in-the-blank Questions for Object-Oriented Programming Education and Its Preliminary Evaluation

Miyuki Murata, Naoko Kato, Mika Ohtsuki, Tetsuro Kakeshita — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 16:14:22 +0000

Object-oriented technology is important to improve software quality from various perspectives. We have developed pgtracer, a programming education tool that pro-vides fill-in-the-blank questions for the C programming language. By analyzing the data collected by using pgtracer in actual classes, we have obtained useful knowledge for C programming education. In this paper, we develop fill-in-the-blank questions for Java programs to extend pgtracer for object-oriented programming. The fill-in-the-blank question consists of a set of programs and trace tables. A program and a trace table respectively correspond to a Java class and an instance. A trace ta-ble contains message sendings between instances, which are important for under-standing the behavior of object-oriented programs. Furthermore, we introduce blanks that students do not need to fill. This provides more flexibility in setting the difficulty level while reducing the student workload to fill the blanks. We report the results of a trial experiment in which students were asked to solve some of the fill-in-the-blank questions using the Embedded Answers (Cloze) question type of Moodle's Questions function. Analysis of the collected student data will provide useful knowledge for object-oriented programming education, which will be reported in a future report.

An Integrated Learning System for First-Year University Students

Kazunori Iwata, Yoshimitsu Matsui — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 12:41:55 +0000

This paper describes an integrated learning system for first-year students to learn basic computer skills, including automated grading modules for typewriting and MS-Excel files and MS-Word files. The system aims to relieve teachers’ workloads to grade many MSExcel and MS-Word files. It also provides immediate feedback and has a mechanism to prevent students from submitting copied files.

In addition, this paper describes the time to grade typewriting, MS-Excel, and MSWord files. It computes the students’ average normalized gain by using the operational records of the system in our university in 2021. The average normalized gain shows the variation between students’ computer skills decreased. These results, therefore, indicate the effectiveness of the system.