Heather Wehner, Author at EduTec Science

Dec12023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New pub: Measuring Efficacy of ALEKS as a Supportive Instructional Tool in K-12 Math Classroom with Underachieving Students

Assessment, Journal, New Pub, Publication, School

In a recent quasi-experimental research study, the effectiveness of Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), took center stage in the realm of 8th-grade mathematics education. The study aimed to determine whether ALEKS could bring a statistically significant improvement in students' mathematics achievement compared to traditional teacher-led instructions. The research involved 158 8th-grade students categorized as 'underachieving students, with 60 in the teacher-led group and 98 in the ALEKS-led group. The study used a non-randomized approach to compare the outcomes of teacher-led instructions to ALEKS-led instructions over two consecutive years. In the first year McGraw's curriculum "Reveal" was used exclusively without ALEKS. In the second year ALEKS was incorporated as a supplemental tool in a math support class. The study incorporated a rigorous methodology, utilizing…

Sep122023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New pub: Why You Should Give Your Students Automatic Process Feedback on Their Collaboration

Computer-supported collaborative learning, Conference, Feedback, Higher Education, Journal, Learning Analytics

In the ever-changing landscape of education, innovation is the key to ensuring that every student has access to quality learning experiences. A transformative approach is Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), in which enables students to harness the power of teamwork to achieve learning outcomes that often exceed those they could reach individually. One of the strengths of CSCL is that it can give participant feedback on the quality of their collaborative work. This feedback not only aids individual growth but also enhances the group's overall dynamic. Traditionally, providing such feedback was a manual and time-intensive task, making it impractical for larger classes or scalable education programs. That's where this newly published paper comes into play. CSCL The paper “Why You Should Give Your Students Automatic Process Feedback on Their Collaboration: Evidence…

Jul122023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

Job advert: two student assistant openings in HyTea project

Job announcements, Project

In the context of the HyTea project we are looking for two student assistants to join the EduTec team for approximately 40 to 80 hours per month for initially 12 months. You can also check the position description on the DIPF website. [pdf-embedder url="https://edutec.science/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Hiwi-IZB-2023-07_EduTec-HyTea_EN.pdf" title="Hiwi-IZB 2023-07_EduTec-HyTea_EN"]

Jul102023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

Dr. Eyal Rabin from the Open University of Israel joins EduTec group and GU as an International Visiting Fellow

Computational Psychometrics, Learning Analytics, Research Methods

We are delighted to announce that Dr. Eyal Rabin, a distinguished researcher in the field of educational technology, has joined us as an International Visiting Fellow at the EduTec group at DIPF and Goethe University in Frankfurt from July till September. This fellowship is generously funded by the Goethe University and aims to foster collaborative research and knowledge exchange in the field of educational technology. Dr. Rabin serves as a research associate at the Center of Innovation in Educational Technology at the Open University of Israel. His research expertise lies in exploring the complexities of learning in online courses and digital environments, employing learning analytics methods (LA) and drawing from multiple interdisciplinary fields, including psychology, education and computer science. The focus of Dr. Rabin's research revolves around understanding the factors…

Jun282023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New pub: Fostering children’s acceptance of educational apps

Journal, Learning Design, School, Self-Regulation

In the field of educational applications (apps), the focus has shifted from mere functionality to creating enjoyable and beneficial learning experiences for children. A recently published article sheds light on the influence of redesigning a mobile learning activity in an app to enhance its appeal and usefulness to young learners. By exploring the relationship between children's enjoyment, intention to use and the incorporation of emojis, this study provides valuable insights into optimizing educational apps. The study involved 103 children aged 9 to 14 years, who participated in a 27-day exploration of a mobile learning app. The objective was to determine how different learning activities influenced children's intention to use the app. The researchers revamped a traditional learning activity, replacing it with an emoji-based representation of learning plans. Two other standard…

Jun232023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

Keynote @ #JTELSS23 – Towards Highly Informative Learning Analytics

Conference, Feedback, Higher Education, Keynote, Learning Analytics, Learning Design, Summer School

Hendrik Drachsler delivered a keynote presentation at the 17th EATEL Summer School on Technology-Enhanced Learning (JTELSS 2023) in La Manga, Spain that unveiled groundbreaking insights from the Highly Informative and Learning Analytics (HILA) research program. This exciting initiative explores the effectiveness of HILA and the transformative power of data-enriched learning activities in providing highly informative feedback to students. Here a few highlights from Hendrik's keynote, showcasing the potential of HILA to revolutionize learning outcomes. The Power of Feedback Extensive research has long recognized the profound impact of feedback on learning success. Hendrik's presentation revealed that HILA surpasses traditional feedback methods by offering even higher efficacy. By going beyond simple right or wrong responses, HILA provides actionable feedback that enables students to exercise effective metacognitive control over their learning process. This…

Jun162023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New pub: Measuring Collaboration Quality Through Audio Data and Learning Analytics

Book chapter, Computer-supported collaborative learning, Learning Analytics, Multimodal Learning Analytics

In the rapidly evolving twenty-first century, collaboration stands as a vital skill. Recognizing its significance, the detection of collaboration quality can play a pivotal role in fostering effective teamwork. This newly published chapter dives into the realm of collaboration quality detection and measurement, aiming to achieve the following objectives: Defining collaboration quality by leveraging audio data and unobtrusive learning analytics measures. Detailing the design of a sensor-based setup specifically tailored for automatic collaboration analytics. Advancing the quantification of collaboration quality through the utilization of this setup and presenting the analysis using insightful visualizations. Moreover, the chapter delves into the challenges and issues at hand while exploring potential solutions that build upon existing research. To elucidate the various objectives, the terminology of "indicators" (i.e., the events) and "indexes" (i.e., the process)…

Jun62023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New pub: Lernpfade in adaptiven und künstlich-intelligenten Lernprogramme

Artificial Intelligence, Book chapter, Learning Analytics, Research Methods

In this newly published book chapter, the authors delve into the comparison between interactive, adaptive and artificially intelligent learning programs. While adaptive and AI-based applications offer promising potential, they face greater complexity in their development and have yet to fully establish themselves. To evaluate the prospects of these technologies, their respective capabilities are explored. Adaptive learning programs prove effective in skill acquisition, while AI-based solutions shine in cases where an explicit expertise model is challenging to articulate. The didactic and pedagogical challenges that lie ahead for AI-based learning applications are also highlight. By examining these factors, valuable insights are gained into the landscape of advanced learning technologies and their future implications. Reference: Kerres, M., Buntins, K., Buchner, J., Drachsler, H., & Zawacki-Richter, O.. (In Press). Lernpfade in adaptiven und künstlich-intelligenten…

Jun62023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New pub: Evaluating the Impact of FoLA on Learning Analytics Knowledge Creation

Journal, Learning Analytics, Learning Design, Publication, Research Methods, Research topic, Special Issue

Learning analytics provides opportunities to improve the design of learning activities by supplying information on the effects of different learning approaches. Despite the existence of design methods that aim to facilitate the incorporation of learning analytics into learning design, there is a lack of research assessing their efficacy. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the FoLA2 method. In higher education settings, sixty participants utilized the FoLA2 method to develop fourteen learning activities. To gauge the impact, participants completed a technology acceptance test before and after each session. Furthermore, researchers analyzed audio recordings of the sessions using epistemic network analysis to gain insights into the discussions regarding learning analytics and the creation of enhanced learning activities. The results from both the technology acceptance test and the epistemic network analysis…

Jun22023 by Heather WehnerNo Comments

New pub: Digitalisierung und Diagnostik in Schulen – Herausforderungen für Bildungspraxis und Bildungsforschung

Assessment, Book chapter, Computational Psychometrics, Digitalisation, Learning Analytics, Research Methods, Research topic, School

In the spring of 2020, schools faced an unprecedented challenge as the pandemic disrupted traditional modes of instruction and school development. With on-site learning replaced by digital formats and distance communication, educators had to quickly adapt to the new normal. Amidst these changes, the field of education encountered specific challenges related to digital school management, digital learning, and assessing learning progress. Particularly, computer-aided diagnostics emerged as a valuable tool for gaining insights not only into learning outcomes but also into the learning process itself. Researchers became intrigued by the potential of digital media in shaping learning experiences and how the resulting data could be effectively utilized in educational practice. This paper explores the current challenges and potentials in computer-based, learning-accompanying diagnostics. The primary hurdles involve implementing suitable instruments within schools…