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1 – 10 of 619Ju‐Ling Shih, Gwo‐Jen Hwang, Yu‐Chung Chu and Chien‐Wen Chuang
This study proposes a mobile learning model that employs digital libraries to support investigative learning activities. A student‐centered mobile learning activity with…
Abstract
Purpose
This study proposes a mobile learning model that employs digital libraries to support investigative learning activities. A student‐centered mobile learning activity with self‐guided exploration for physical ecology observation has been conducted to demonstrate the benefits of using digital libraries to support investigation‐based ecology learning activities.
Design/methodology/approach
An investigation‐based mobile learning model is proposed and an experiment is designed to show the effectiveness of the learning model, in which the students are asked to answer a series of questions by observing the real‐world learning objects and searching for supplemental materials from a digital library.
Findings
The instructional experiment conducted in an elementary school with 64 sixth grade students shows that the innovative approach is able to improve the learning achievement, learning effectiveness, as well as the learning attitudes of the students.
Practical implications
The findings of this paper imply that the use of the investigative learning model will significantly promote the utilization rate of digital libraries.
Originality/value
An investigative model for using digital libraries to support mobile learning is proposed in this paper. It provides good guidance to teachers for designing learning activities with digital libraries, and a good way for students to learn, utilizing the materials in digital libraries.
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Rakesh Belwal, Shweta Belwal, Azlinor Binti Sufian and Amal Al Badi
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an innovative approach to learning that employs a multitude of strategies critical for success in the twenty-first century. It exposes students to…
Abstract
Purpose
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an innovative approach to learning that employs a multitude of strategies critical for success in the twenty-first century. It exposes students to the real world, opens an extended inquiry process, and boosts their communication skills and interdisciplinary learning. However, the extant literature on PBL places more emphasis on learning through internal rather than external projects. Industrial collaboration projects build partnerships and provide opportunities to work on real problems, often seeking multidisciplinary approaches. This study explores and suggests the benefits that students derived from their participation in an external research and consultancy project at a University in Oman.
Design/methodology/approach
The study follows a qualitative analysis approach founded on an exploratory research design. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten research assistants, two research coordinators, and two project leaders involved in the project. The data from the interview were subjected to the thematic inductive qualitative analysis using Atlas.ti 8 software.
Findings
The results of the study revealed that students derived some direct academic benefits, mainly in the area of conducting research. The major learning happened mostly in non-academic areas, for they learned many things necessary for success in real-life work situations. The students benefited largely on behavioural skills and abilities such as communication, self-confidence, English language skills, planning, thinking, and time management skills. Altogether, project-based learning offered them a different skillset beyond what they usually acquire in the conventional teaching and learning environment.
Practical implications
The outcomes of this research support the development of curriculum design and instructional pedagogy in higher education in a specific context, concluding that PBL has much to do with the practical aspects of learning and employability. The finding suggests that by engaging in PBL, students can develop certain skills that cannot be acquired in a conventional teaching environment. PBL enables self-learning and prepares students to deal with different situations and challenges on the ground while inculcating professionalism to act in real-life situations. This study advocates the introduction of some PBL based courses in the curriculum to nurture a balanced set of skills and abilities among business students.
Social implications
The research outcomes support Oman’s Vision 2040 and one of its strategies for capacity building that aims to adopt innovative methods for individual/collective development of students, as well as for their life-long learning.
Originality/value
Project-based learning described in this study provides a pedagogical way to connect university education to a real-life situation. These results offer promising prospects for infusing outdoor multidisciplinary projects in the course curriculum. This work bears significant value for educators in designing curriculum and facilitating projects, particularly in environments where students exhibit weaknesses or inhibitions to receive the knowledge, appropriately, from the conventional mode of teaching.
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Naga Vamsi Krishna Jasti, Srinivas Kota and Venkataraman P.B.
This paper aims to investigate the impact of simulation laboratory on continuing education engineering students’ academic performance.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the impact of simulation laboratory on continuing education engineering students’ academic performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The investigation consists of establishing the student learning levels then mapping the student learning levels (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation) through program outcomes with appropriate evaluation components. 270 continuing education students enrolled during six years were selected to be observed as part of this study. These students were divided into two subgroups, one with 135 students who were offered simulation lab (G2) and the other 135 students were not offered simulation lab (G1) in this investigation. Subsequently, a comparative analysis was carried out on these two groups to assess the student performance in multiple evaluation components with respect to student learning level and program outcome achievement.
Findings
It was identified that student performance in the application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation learning levels has improved for the group with simulation lab, and no change or minimal change was observed for the group without simulation lab. It was revealed that the simulation lab practice problems needs to be aligned with the theoretical concepts in the course to get a better performance from the students.
Originality/value
The study was conducted in one of the leading institutes with 270 students’ performance observed over a period of six years. It is the comprehensive work done on a complete program with data collated over a period of six years in multiple courses and multiple assessments.
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Sangeetha Yempally, Sanjay Kumar Singh and S. Velliangiri
Selecting and using the same health monitoring devices for a particular problem is a tedious task. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of 40 research papers giving…
Abstract
Purpose
Selecting and using the same health monitoring devices for a particular problem is a tedious task. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of 40 research papers giving the Smart health monitoring system using Internet of things (IoT) and Deep learning.
Design/methodology/approach
Health Monitoring Systems play a significant role in the healthcare sector. The development and testing of health monitoring devices using IoT and deep learning dominate the healthcare sector.
Findings
In addition, the detailed conversation and investigation are finished by techniques and development framework. Authors have identified the research gap and presented future research directions in IoT, edge computing and deep learning.
Originality/value
The gathered research articles are examined, and the gaps and issues that the current research papers confront are discussed. In addition, based on various research gaps, this assessment proposes the primary future scope for deep learning and IoT health monitoring model.
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Yalan Yan, Xi Zhang, Xianjin Zha, Tingting Jiang, Ling Qin and Zhiyuan Li
Digital libraries and social media are two sources of online information with different characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to integrate self-efficacy into the analysis…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital libraries and social media are two sources of online information with different characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to integrate self-efficacy into the analysis of the relationship between information sources and decision making, and to explore the effect of self-efficacy on decision making, as well as the interacting effect of self-efficacy and information sources on decision making.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data were collected and the partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed to verify the research model.
Findings
The effect of digital library usage for acquiring information on perceived decision quality (PDQ) is larger than that of social media usage for acquiring information on PDQ. Self-efficacy in acquiring information (SEAI) stands out as the key determinant for PDQ. The effect of social media usage for acquiring information on PDQ is positively moderated by SEAI.
Practical implications
Decision making is a fundamental activity for individuals, but human decision making is often subject to biases. The findings of this study provide useful insights into decision quality improvement, highlighting the importance of SEAI in the face of information overload.
Originality/value
This study integrates self-efficacy into the analysis of the relationship between information sources and decision making, presenting a new perspective for decision-making research and practice alike.
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Hien Thi Thanh Nguyen, Wu-Yuin Hwang, Thao Pham, Tuyen Thi Thanh Truong and Hsin-Wei Chang
This study aims to examine the effects of the proposed mobile Web library application (MWLA) on the search experience and its impact on learners’ engagement, interaction and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effects of the proposed mobile Web library application (MWLA) on the search experience and its impact on learners’ engagement, interaction and overall learning outcomes within an institutional repository. Furthermore, the study investigates learners’ acceptance of the MWLA system.
Design/methodology/approach
The study suggests implementing an MWLA with Algolia’s search service to improve the institutional repository and enhance learners’ access to reliable information. It involved an experiment with 85 undergraduate students divided into experimental and control groups (CGs), where the experimental group (EG) used MWLA for search tasks, and the CG used the traditional library website. The study evaluated the acceptance and learning behaviours of the EG towards MWLA, considering factors such as usefulness, ease of use, mobility, accessibility, satisfaction and intention to use.
Findings
The findings of this study provide empirical evidence that the EG, which used the MWLA, demonstrated superior performance compared to the CG across all institutional repository collections, resulting in improved learning outcomes. Participants were highly satisfied with MWLA and found it user-friendly and beneficial for improving search skills. MWLA’s portability and accessibility motivated active learner engagement.
Originality/value
The powerful search bar of MWLA significantly enhanced learners’ search efficiency, resulting in more effective retrieval of relevant materials. Moreover, learners who actively engaged with previews and full-text content, using appropriate keywords and syntax, achieved higher scores and were more likely to access previews, abstracts and full texts of documents using the sorting-by-year or by-advisor feature.
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Yi-Fan Liu, Wu-Yuin Hwang and Sherry Chen
This paper aims to examine how gender differences influence students’ reactions to the use of the annotatable multimedia e-reader (AME). To reach this aim, we develop an AME where…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine how gender differences influence students’ reactions to the use of the annotatable multimedia e-reader (AME). To reach this aim, we develop an AME where various annotation tools are provided to help students learn English in-class and after-class.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical study was conducted with 63 fifth-grade students from an elementary school. A pre-test and post-test were used to identify their prior knowledge and learning achievement, respectively. A questionnaire was applied to identify participants’ perceptions towards the AME.
Findings
The results show that students’ post-test scores are significantly related to after-class behaviour, instead of in-class behaviour. Females prefer to use the text annotation and teachers’ voice, but it is voice annotation that is beneficial to improve their learning achievement. Conversely, males prefer to use the text-to-speech only, but it is text annotation that is helpful to improve their learning achievement. Additionally, the ease of use affects males’ intention to use the AME to learn English after-class while it has no effects on females.
Originality/value
This study not only shows the importance of gender differences but also demonstrates the essence of after-class learning behaviour. More importantly, a framework is proposed to support designers to develop e-readers that can accommodate the preferences of females and males.
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Tien-Yu Hsu, Fan-Ray Kuo, Hsin-Yi Liang and Min-Feng Lee
This paper aims to develop a curriculum-based virtual and physical mobile (CVPM) learning model, which integrates related physical and e-learning resources associated with…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a curriculum-based virtual and physical mobile (CVPM) learning model, which integrates related physical and e-learning resources associated with elementary school curricula and supports elementary education.
Design/methodology/approach
This model provides a highly participative and well-monitored environment with fruitful interactions among students, teachers and museum staff. A practical system was implemented in the National Museum of Natural Science in Taiwan.
Findings
The results show that the proposed model can effectively extend related learning resources to satisfy the requirements of elementary education. In addition, this model can engage students’ self-directed explorations through problem-solving learning content during the learning process.
Research limitations/implications
This learning model was implemented in a one-day theme-based learning activity. Generic learning outcomes and qualitative analysis were used to examine the students’ perceptions and the teachers’ feedback of this learning model, respectively.
Practical implications
The results show that both students and teachers highly appreciated this learning model. The model not only strengthens the connection between museum and elementary curricula but also enhances students’ perceptions and positive attitudes toward natural science courses. Finally, this study offers suggestions for future research.
Originality/value
This study develops a CVPM learning model which integrates elementary school courses to satisfy the requirements of elementary education and meet museums’ educational strategies for schools. The practical learning system and services have been successfully implemented and are widely available to elementary schools in Taiwan.
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This study aims to explore the transformation of the roles of libraries, application trends and potential research issues of library-supported mobile learning.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the transformation of the roles of libraries, application trends and potential research issues of library-supported mobile learning.
Design/methodology/approach
The publications in the Scopus database from 2009 to 2018 are reviewed and analyzed from various aspects, such as the roles of libraries in mobile learning, types of libraries, research foci and sensing or location-based technologies.
Findings
The role of libraries as learning material providers is examined the most in library-supported mobile learning studies, followed by the role as inquiry context providers and as knowledge-sharing platforms. In terms of the role as learning material providers, academic libraries were investigated the most and radio frequency identification (RFID) was mainly adopted. In terms of the role as inquiry context providers, special libraries were explored the most; adopted sensing technologies were more diverse (e.g. QR code, augmented reality, RFID and Global Positioning System). Only special libraries played a role as knowledge-sharing platforms, adopting augmented reality. Most research on library-supported mobile learning mainly focused on investigating the affective domain during mobile learning.
Practical implications
Five potential applications of educational roles in library-supported mobile learning are suggested based on the findings of the present study.
Originality/value
The current study provides insights relevant to the educational roles of library-supported mobile learning. The findings and suggestions can serve as references for researchers and school teachers conducting library-supported mobile learning.
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This paper aims to propose an online and on-site cyclical learning model (OOCLM). It considers how combining digital applications can promote a museum’s virtuous learning cycle…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose an online and on-site cyclical learning model (OOCLM). It considers how combining digital applications can promote a museum’s virtuous learning cycle between online and on-site spaces for children.
Design/methodology/approach
A practical cyclical learning service has been successfully implemented in a science museum in Taiwan. This provides a thematic game-based learning environment, allowing all the children to create their unique museum experiences before, during and after their visit. A questionnaire was developed to examine the children’s perceptions of the OOCLM to ascertain whether they were satisfied with the pre-visit, on-site visit and post-visit services offered.
Findings
The learning model considered the contextual factors that influence digital applications in museums. The digital and physical resources are well integrated, and the museum’s online and on-site services are linked to effectively promote children’s cyclical learning.
Practical implications
The results show that most of the children highly appreciated the learning model. The model presents an interactive learning environment for children’s cyclical learning and repeat visits.
Originality/value
The OOCLM considers the related contextual influences of digital applications in museum learning; it effectively bridges the museum’s online and on-site services to promote the museum’s virtuous learning cycle and long-term museum learning resource management. This study provides a benchmark example to develop sustainable cyclical learning services for target visitor groups and to motivate their long-term interaction with the museum.
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