Effects of Perceived Teacher Support on Student Behavioral Engagement in the Blended Learning Environment:Learning Experience as a Mediator

Blended learning(BL)has been widely adopted to improve students’academic achievements in higher education.However,its success relies mainly on student engagement,which plays an essential role in active learning and provides a rich understanding of students’experiences.The study utilized three self-designed scales-the Teacher Support Scale,Student Engagement Scale,and Student Learning Experience Scale-to gauge and examine the impact and relationship between perceived teacher support,student behavioral engagement,and the intermediary role of learning experiences.A cohort of 899 college students undertaking the obligatory College English course through BL modes across five Chinese universities actively participated by completing a comprehensive questionnaire.The results showed significant correlations between perceived teacher support,learning experience,and behavioral engagement.Perceived teacher support significantly predicted students’behavioral engagement,with socio-affective support exerting the most substantial predictive effects.All predictive effects were partially mediated by learning experience(learning mode,online resources,overall LMS-based learning,interaction with their instructor and peers,and learning outcome).The influence of perceived teacher support on behavioral engagement differed between students who reported the most positive(vs.negative)learning experiences.Suggestions for further research are offered for consideration.

Practices of caring for nursing students: A clinical learning environment

Objective:The purpose of this study was to explore,describe and illuminate nursing students'best encounters of caring in the clinical learning environment.Caring for nursing students was emphasized and recommendations provided to enhance caring for nursing students within their clinical learning environment.Methods:Qualitative data was collected by the researcher using semi-structured individual interviews and an Appreciative Inquiry(AI)methodology.Ten second year nursing students undertaking the bridging course leading to registration as general nurses in terms of Regulation 683 of the South African Nursing Council(SANC)were purposively sampled from 3 private hospitals within the Western Cape.Data was analysed using Giorgi's method.Results:The main theme included the best and'least best'caring practices embedded in the centrality of the heart.The subthemes comprised of the nursing students'experiences of caring literacy and caring illiteracy.The second theme included the creation of best caring practices within a conducive clinical learning environment.Within this theme,the subthemes comprised of the caring attributes required in reflecting best caring practices,as well the creation of a clinical learning environment to optimise caring.Conclusions:The significance and necessity of caring for the nursing student were clearly illustrated and confirmed by participants.Caring was equated to the heart as the core to the nursing students'being.Recommendations for nursing education,management,practice and research were therefore specifically formulated to enhance caring towards nursing students.

Investigating Affordance in Technology-Enriched Language Learning Environment Through Exploring Students’Perezhivanija

Preceding works tend to explicate affordance through supposing what is happening here and now.They seldom relate it to actual social,diachronic activities,such as foreign language learning.To tackle this issue,this study explores how students actualize affordances in technology-enriched language learning environment(TELLE)by examining their perezhivanija(lived and emotional experience),a term borrowed from sociocultural theory.Because an individual’s social life is a developing process or a perezhivanie2,it is necessary to base the research in a dynamic development of language learning to figure out how the affordances are actualized.Narrative interviews were adopted to collect data from three Chinese college students who learn English as a foreign language in a Northeastern university in China.The results showed that due to the students’different past perezhivanija in English learning,their present interpretations of the perceived affordances in TELLE varied.This influenced hugely in their actions taken during their English learning in college to actualize the affordances.The findings indicated that the actualization of affordances is historical,dynamic and developmental instead of static.It does not lie in the autonomy of the students or the teachers,but in the institutional and cultural legitimacy of technology use in student’s social life.The paper contributes to the application of affordance theory in foreign language learning and provides implications to language teaching practice in TELLE.

Conceptual framework for knowledge-based learning environments

The traditional concept of ”one-size-fits-all” educational and training programmes is no more fully adequate to meet the increasing demand worldwide. E-learning, as an alternative approach to traditional face-to-face education, is creating immense challenges for educational institutions to develop new approaches for the production and delivery of cost effective and efficient e-contents. Although, there have been many developments in web-based programmes, they have not fully attained their potential due to a variety of factors. These include: 1) lack of exchangeability between learning materials, 2) delivery mechanisms incompatible with the pedagogical design, 3) low student interaction and insensitive learning processes, 4) absence of intelligent online programme advice and guidance, 5) inflexibility in meeting diverse needs, and 6) institutionally centred ineffective implementation strategies. This paper addresses the critical elements for successful delivery of e-learning environments and then focuses on proposing a framework for the development of an integrated knowledge-based learning environment which has the potential to producer cost effective and personalised training programmes.

The Experience of Setting up a New Learning Environment Model in Management Education： Challenges and Frustrations

The aim of this paper is to describe and to reflect on the experience of the authors in setting up a new model of learning environment in management education in a University in Brazil, which was initially called Management Practice Laboratory （MPL）. The MPL environment was conceived as a physical and conceptual space where students could learn and practice the principles and techniques of working in organizations in its three levels operational, tactical, and strategic. The foundations of the project come from social constructivist perspective on learning, from experiential learning literature and from researches that call for a new epistemological ground in management learning. In this paper, the authors will stress some challenges and frustrations with the project since these could be helpful to those interested in similar initiatives. Due to limited space, only two challenges will be stressed： （1） the construction of legitimacy for the project; and （2） the persistent dissonance between theory and practice. The authors conclude that there is room for innovation in the way management is taught and learned in universities since one shows courage to overcome the challenges and frustrations one will certainly deal with

The Influence of the Learning Environment on Learner Autonomy： A Comparative Study of Polish and Yemeni EFL Undergraduate Learners

The goal of autonomous language learning is to create an atmosphere where learners take charge of their own learning. Creating this atmosphere encounters various challenges which are partially context-specific. Influenced by the learning environment, learnners of different educational contexts vary in their degree of autonomy. The present study examines the impact of the learning environment on learner autonomy at higher education. The study focuses on the differences between Polish and Yemeni EFL （English as a Foreign Language） learners with respect to their autonomy in language learning. A questionnaire was distributed to a total of 140 （59 Polish and 81 Yemeni） undergraduate learners. The questionnaire was coded into seven categories： beliefs and attitudes, planning, management, self-regulation, sources and materials, in-class responsibility, and out-of-class responsibility. Data were analysed quantitatively via SPSS （Statistical Product and Service Solutions）. Independent Sample t-Test is used to investigate the differences between Polish and Yemein learners and Pearson Correlation is used to perform correlational analysis among the seven categories. The results show significant differences between Polish and Yemeni learners in some of the categories as well as a significant correlation among other categories

Design Path of Ecological Learning Environment Based on Spatial Resilience

Nowadays,the city’s focus on education makes the improvement of learning environment become a new demand for development.From the the perspective of ecology,the theory of"resilience"is introduced to break the stereotype of the existing learning environment and create a space for dialogue with nature from inside to outside.At the same time,the learning environment is divided into observation learning space,exploration learning space and communication learning space by theory and method of multiple intelligence integrating teaching and learning.Through the analysis on resilience characteristics of three types of space,eight basic unit forms of learning environment design are obtained.Arrangement and combination of its form can improve the campus environment,increase children’s learning efficiency and the risk response ability of campus environment,and give children the opportunity to interact with and understand nature in the learning process,so as to provide reference for the diversified development of education and learning space.

Effective Learner-Lecturer Interaction Working With a Virtual Learning Environment

Using the Internet to learn a language creates wide opportunities to enhance learning （Association of teachers of English in Catalonia （APAC）, 2010）. The Internet activities promote learners＇ self-monitoring ability, encourage the use of multimedia and network technology, and develop students＇ cooperation and participation. During the latest years, there have been many changes in education as these new technologies, including VLEs （Virtual Learning Environments）, which have become an important part in the teaching/learning process. According to Tech Terms Computer Dictionary （2012）, VLE is a virtual classroom where teachers and students communicate. VLEs have evolved as at an early stage, they were only ways of transmitting information： Teachers uploaded the multimedia resources and students read this information. At a higher stage, VLEs have become interactive. This means that students become active. We have designed a virtual environment where students, weekly, must contribute their opinions and comments in response to a required activity uploaded by the teacher. In this paper, we describe this weekly task and analyze students＇ opinion about this planned activity. The students become an active subject in this field. In this paper, we show how VLEs are no longer a means of transmitting information but a means of interaction as well as a way of motivating our students to be involved in their learning process

Learning the English Language the Fun Way Through Virtual Learning Environment： A Proposal

Learning is a difficult concept to define, let alone gauge. While the students are learning, their learning is far from ideal or from what the lecturers had intended. Ramsden＇s findings suggest that there are different levels of learning and that the majority of students are not attaining the level that lecturer＇s judge to be of value. Learning the English language can be fun through the use of a Virtual Learning Environment （VLE）. Obviously, the trend nowadays is the application of modern technology. Students can now get learning applications on their mobile phones, IPhones, IPads, and ITouch to widen their vocabulary and to increase their knowledge in the four skills such as, Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. The accessibility of learning materials from the library can now be made available anywhere and anytime for students and teachers. This paper seeks to answer the following questions： （I） What is VLE？ （2） What are the purposes of establishing VLE in a university？ （3） How will the contents make student learning possible？ （4） What will its impact on student learning be？ The author believes that learning ＂how to learn＂ （metacognition） can be improved and enhanced for the students. The VLE serves as a supplementary learning tool in attaining such a goal.

An Empirical Study of Listening Comprehension Strategies in Autonomous Learning Environment

This is a report on an empirical study of listening comprehension strategies in autonomous learning environment which was conducted among the second-year non-English majors in Shandong University （Weihai） on the basis of O＇Malley and Chamot＇s theory of learning strategies, dating from September, 2010 to January, 2011. The study aims to verify the teachability of listening comprehension strategies, the enhancement of students＇ awareness of applying these strategies in their listening comprehension pratice and positive effects of listening comprehension strategies cast on students＇ listening comprehension proficiency. Questionnares on listening comprehension strategies were conducted at the beginning and at the end of the research respectively, in addition to the listening comprehension strategies training from the beginning to the end of the research. Besides, there was a interview arranged in the middle of the research. Meanwhile, there were two listening comprehension proficiency tests arranged at the beginning and at the end of the research. According to the results, it can be indicated that the students＇ strategy awareness can be promoted, while their listening proficiency also can be improved by the listening comprehension strategy training.

Tunisian DREEM: Nursing Students’ Perception of the Learning Environment

Objectives: The evaluation of the learning environment has become critical to professional development and student success. This study aims to evaluate the viewpoints of nursing sciences students on the learning environment using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) at a Higher Institute of Nursing Sciences in Tunisia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 200 students at the Higher Institute of Nursing Sciences. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure was used as a worldwide tool. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance with a post hoc Tukey-Kramer multiple comparisons test were used for data analysis. Results: The total mean score on the 50-item DREEM inventory was 111.9 out of a maximum of 200. Students’ perceptions of learning, their teachers, their academic self, and of the atmosphere were more positive than negative. Student social self-perception was negatively evaluated. Students were not satisfied with the support system in the institute. The DREEM score was significantly higher for the students in the first year of study (P Conclusion: This is the first study in Tunisia assessing the nursing learning environment;it showed a positive assessment. Therefore, improvements are required, especially in the learning and social domains of the educational environment.

Creating Optimal Language Learning Environment

From the viewpoint of psycholinguistics, this paper concerns how to create an optimal language learning environment in language learning, to stimulate students enthusiasm to participate in classroom activities and to make language learning easier and more pleasant.

Nursing Students’Clinical Learning Environment in Norwegian Nursing Homes:Lack of Innovative Teaching and Learning Strategies

Background: Nursing students hesitate to choose aged care as a career, and the aged care sectors are on an edge regarding nursing positions. Clinical learning environments may influence nursing students’ career choices. Few studies have explored learning environments in nursing homes, although students increasingly have placements there. Objectives: The aim was to produce information for developing nursing students’ learning opportunities in nursing homes. Design: A cross-sectional survey design was used. Settings: The study was conducted at a university college in southeast Norway. Participants: Students in two cohorts of a bachelor degree program in nursing participated, N = 499. Methods: Data were collected on nursing students’ perceptions of clinical learning environments during placements in five nursing homes. A 42-item validated questionnaire with the subscales personalization, individualization, involvement, task orientation, innovation, and satisfaction was used. Data analysis used descriptive statistics, t-tests, and linear regression analysis. Results: Total scores showed overall satisfaction with clinical learning environments in nursing homes. However, innovation subscale scores were very low. First year students had significantly higher scores than third year students on the total scale, and most subscales. Age was significantly associated with total scale scores and subscale satisfaction scores. Higher education and work experience before entering nursing education were significantly associated with involvement subscale scores. Conclusions: Students are more positive than negative about their clinical learning environments. Low valuation of innovation seems to be a consistent finding in studies in both nursing homes and hospitals internationally. For innovative learning strategies to function they must be anchored at the organizational level. Future research should develop and test more innovative learning strategies for nursing students.

Intercultural Education in a Technology-Enhanced Foreign Language Learning Environment Implementing the TPACK Approach:Challenges and Possibilities

In the plurilingual and multicultural contemporary international setting,the educational systems opt for successfully meeting as well as adapting to the rapid social,economic,and technological changes.Based on the premise that intercultural communicative competence holds a significant potential for foreign language instruction,focus should throw into combining teachers’intercultural knowledge with pedagogy and technology.The prospect of introducing intercultural material within the context of teaching scenarios in the curricula of a technology-enhanced foreign language learning environment where the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge(TPACK)approach is implemented,can positively contribute to the teaching process.Under this perspective,cultural and digitally competent teachers can create a framework which will enable learners to fully develop their interactive and linguistic skills and to effectively communicate in a foreign language promoting its social and multicultural dimension whatever the intercultural context.

INTEGRATING COLLEGE ENGLISH COURSE AND COMPUTER MULTIMEDIA:CONSTRUCTING THE NEW AND IDEAL INTERACTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

With the social and economic development of our country, education at college level is changing rapidly.The popularity of modern information technology education is a hot subject. In recent years, the infusion ofmultimedia into teaching and learning has altered considerably the instructional strategy in our educationalinstitutions and changed the way teachers teach and students learn. The traditional teacher-centric method ofteaching used for decades in our educational system has been modified and enhanced. Currently, moderneducation theory is moving from the traditional recall of facts, principles, or correct procedures into the areasof creative thinking, problem solving, analysis and evaluation. These are skills which are very much needed intoday's knowledge based economy. This shift in focus on learning has presented our educators with seriouschallenges as well as opportunities in restructuring their curriculum to meet the rising demands of theknowledge based society, which is currently being initiated by the Ministry of Education of China.In this paper, we focus on designing a course which is oriented towards a constructivist based paradigm byusing multimedia as an instructional tool, and where students are active learners, involved in constructing theirown knowledge in the learning process and determining how to reach their own learning outcomes. A surveywas carried out to ascertain the reactions of students enrolled in an interactive multimedia course in WenzhouUniversity, Zhejiang province towards this constructivist based learning mode. The results indicated that thesestudents reacted positively towards this study mode and improved their interpersonal and collaborative learningskills.

A virtual learning environment of the Chinese University of Hong Kong

This paper introduces a scalable virtual learning environment of the ChineseUniversity of Hong Kong;an explicitly geographical, immersive, and sharable 3Dlearning space with comprehensive social elements. It is characterized by multiuser collaborative modeling, group learning approaches of geo-collaboration,social space-oriented hierarchical avatars, and knowledge exchanging and sharingbased on virtual geographic experiments. Applications for the purpose of publiceducation and virtual geographic experiment, and indicated future works provethe possibility to offer a greater opportunity to foster interdisciplinary collaborations, revitalize teaching patterns and learning contents, improve learners’cognitive abilities to solve problems, and enhance their understanding of scientificconcepts and processes.

A STUDY OF METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIES IN COMPUTER-ASSISTED COOPERATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

本研究旨在如何利用网络的资源优势和个性化学习优势以及合作学习的交互、交际优势创造一个以学生为中心、开放合作的学习环境,培养来自经济落后地区英语专业学生的学习自主性,帮助他们形成正确的学习和个人成长观念。本研究采取定性定量相结合的实证性研究方法进行,实验研究收集数据的主要工具是观察、调查问卷和访谈。对于通过调查问卷非开放性问题所得到的数据,研究者利用SPSS软件进行了整理和因子分析。分析结果表明,和传统的课堂教学环境相比,网络辅助合作学习环境确实有利于学生学习自主性的培养。

Research on Collaborative Learning in Network Learning Environment

This paper summarizes the basic content of network curriculum design based on online learning mode and the basic flow, as well as network course should have the factors that suitable of the mode and attention matters in the design collaboration mode of network course. Based on this, other researchers and practitioners can conveniently and effectively design network course based on the cooperation mode. Through the analysis of the network curriculum development and the actual case, verify advantage of collaborative online learning mode.

An Environmental Learning Support System Incorporating the Life Cycle Concept

The need for environmental education, which incorporates the life cycle concept into the learning program, will become increasingly greater all over the world. In the present study, an e-learning system, which is made up of 3 parts including text-based learning materials, quizzes to review the content of the learning materials and CO2 emission simulation, was designed and developed with the purpose of supporting environmental learning. Targeting a wide range of people, the operation period of this system was 1 month. Based on the results of questionnaire survey for users, it was evident that the quiz function and the simulation function of CO2 emission contributed to the efficiency in environmental learning, and the format of the e-learning system was effective and helpful for environmental learning. Additionally, with the users’ awareness related to environmental conservation before and after using the system, significant changes in awareness were seen in areas such as behavioral intention, sense of urgency and sense of connection. Furthermore, as it was revealed that 62% of the total access numbers were from mobile devices, it was effective to prepare an interface optimized for mobile devices enabling users to use the system from their smartphones and tablet PCs.

Present Situation and its Causes of College English Learning and Practice Environment in China

Language learning must be conducted on the basis of acquisition, and the acquisition needs a certain environment as the material guarantee for the implementation of the learning activities. In China, English teaching lacks an advantageous learning environment as a Foreign Language （EFL） Teaching, which is one of main factors that more time is spent on the teaching but efficiency is not improved correspondingly. Therefore, we should attach more importance to the present situation and its causes. In this essay, present Situation is analyzed through the practical research, and the causes are explored to help to improve the efficiency of foreign language learning.