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Descriptors:
Academic Achievement; Educational Technology; Self Efficacy; Foreign Countries; Electronic Learning; Online Courses; Learning Readiness; Personality Traits; Educational Quality; Participant Satisfaction; Performance Factors; Individual Characteristics; Achievement Need; Questionnaires; Gender Differences; Ethnicity; Cognitive Style; Economic Status; Educational Attainment

Abstract:
Nowadays many educational institutions have embraced online education to cater for flexible and student-centered learning. Through online education, students have an opportunity to gain education at their own convenience, in terms of time and place. However, it is argued that students are less satisfied with online learning than with traditional classroom learning. As online education continues to expand, the need for determining and maintaining quality online education is becoming an important issue. Therefore, it is important to discern which qualities are necessary for students' achievement and satisfaction in an online learning environment (OLE). While numerous studies on the qualities of online learners have been conducted, the factors that contribute to success in OLEs have not been adequately described. Therefore, it is important to examine learner characteristics to see their effects on student success in an online environment, which in turn facilitates high quality of online learning. This paper reports on what and how personal characteristics significantly affect students' online learning readiness at Curtin University of Technology, Sarawak Malaysia. Natural sampling was used to identify the sample and the study sample consisted of 350 voluntary participants. Quantitative method was used to collect relevant data in this study. A questionnaire was developed to gather data on learner personal characteristics, and a diagnostic tool, Tertiary Students' Readiness for Online Learning (TSROL), developed by Hitendra Pillay, Kym Irving and Megan Tones was adopted to assess learner online learning readiness. The TSROL has 20 items grouped into four factors: Technical skills (TS), Computer self-efficacy (CS-E), Learning preferences (LP) and Attitudes towards computers (AC). Moreover, confirmatory data analysis was adopted in this study. A one- way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine if there were significant differences in online learning readiness across the personal characteristics. The statistical results validate that some personal characteristics significantly affect learners' online learning readiness. (Contains 14 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Electronic Learning; Higher Education; College Students; Campuses; Learning Readiness; Student Attitudes; Structural Equation Models; Intention; Telecommunications; Behavior Theories; Academic Achievement; Measurement Techniques; Educational Technology

Abstract:
This study investigated the current state of college students' perceptions toward mobile learning in higher education. Mobile learning is a new form of learning utilizing the unique capabilities of mobile devices. Although mobile devices are ubiquitous on college campuses, student readiness for mobile learning has yet to be fully explored in the United States. The paper describes a conceptual model, based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), which explains how college students' beliefs influence their intention to adopt mobile devices in their coursework. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze self-report data from 177 college students. The findings showed that the TPB explained college students' acceptance of m-learning reasonably well. More specifically, attitude, subjective norm, and behavioral control positively influenced their intention to adopt mobile learning. The results provide valuable implications for ways to increase college students' acceptance of mobile learning. (Contains 3 tables and 3 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Academic Achievement; Educational Change; School Health Services; Learning Readiness; Dropout Rate; Disadvantaged; Achievement Gap; African American Students; Males; Time Factors (Learning); Health Promotion; Child Health; Integrated Services; Primary Health Care; Mental Health; Public Health; Educational Policy; Program Effectiveness; Attendance Patterns; High School Students; Elementary School Students

Abstract:
Poor academic outcomes and high dropout rates are major concerns of educators, policy makers, and parents alike--and poor health severely limits a child's motivation and ability to learn. Recent research confirms that "health disparities affect educational achievement". Improving students' health is integral to education reform. "School-Based Health Centers" ("SBHCs")--the convergence of public health, primary care, and mental health--provide an optimal setting to "foster learning readiness and academic achievement" while giving children the resources they need to improve their health. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Comprehension; School Readiness; Disadvantaged Youth; Kindergarten; Motor Development; Learning Readiness; Well Being; Child Development; Psychomotor Skills; Social Development; Emotional Development; Language Skills; At Risk Students; Mathematics Skills; Thinking Skills; Science Process Skills; Social Studies; Focus Groups; Child Health; Portfolio Assessment; Comparative Analysis; Teacher Attitudes; Preschool Teachers; Administrators; Child Care; Caregivers; Attitude Measures; Daily Living Skills; Teaching Methods; Curriculum; Transitional Programs; Parent Participation; Professional Development

Abstract:
Increased emphasis has been placed on children's ability to enter kindergarten ready to learn, a concept referred to as "school readiness." School readiness has been defined by the Maryland State Department of Education as "the stage of human development that enables a child to engage in, and benefit from, primary learning experiences." Components of school readiness include physical well-being and motor development, social and emotional capabilities, and language and comprehension skills, coupled with general knowledge that allows a child to enter a classroom ready to work. Children who are prepared for school upon kindergarten entry typically have a positive trajectory in their educational career. However, research has shown that children from disadvantaged backgrounds lag behind their more affluent peers on a range of cognitive and social skills, and that these disparities begin well before children enter kindergarten. Maryland has implemented the Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR), a state-wide system to support school readiness, including instruction, assessment, professional development opportunities, and transition practices which include communication with families, collaboration and coordination between preschool, prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers. The MMSR includes early learning standards covering seven domains of learning: social and personal development, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, scientific thinking, social studies, the arts, and physical development and health. The assessment component of the MMSR uses specific indicators of the Work Sampling System[TM], a portfolio-based assessment system that aligns to the Maryland State Curriculum Standards for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten in the seven domains of learning. This research brief aims to provide information that can help shape professional development and quality supports aimed at improving children's school readiness through early care and education. Drawing from qualitative data, this brief begins by comparing and contrasting center directors, family child care providers, and kindergarten teachers' definitions of school readiness. Next, early care and education providers' roles in preparing children for school are explored from the perspectives of each of these respondent groups. Finally, supports and challenges in preparing children for school are presented and implications for policies, programs, and future research are shared. (Contains 3 tables and 17 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Algebra; Online Courses; Rural Schools; Grade 8; Mathematics Instruction; Educational Technology; Computer Uses in Education; Access to Education; Secondary School Mathematics; Middle School Students; Program Effectiveness; High Achievement; Learning Readiness; Student Characteristics

Abstract:
Online courses are increasingly seen as a viable way to expand the number and types of courses offered and broadening access to key courses, particularly in small and rural schools. Algebra I in middle school exemplifies an important course that educators and policymakers want to be more available to students. To study the effectiveness of using an online course to broaden eighth graders' access to Algebra I, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and the Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) performed the first rigorous evaluation of the impact of an online course on student outcomes. This three-year study examined the effects of offering a fully online Algebra I course to eighth-grade students in mostly rural schools in Maine and Vermont. The study found that offering Algebra I as an online course is an effective way to broaden access for students in schools where access to the course is typically limited. This brief describes the study's purpose, methods, findings, and implications. (Contains 6 figures, 1 table, 1 footnote and 7 endnotes.) [This is a brief summarizing "Access to Algebra I: Online Mathematics for Grade 8 Students," a study conducted by the American Institutes for Research and Education Development Center. To access the full report, see ED527394.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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 ERIC Full Text (728K)

Descriptors:
Teaching Methods; Brain; Cognitive Development; Learning Readiness; Graduate Students; Neurosciences; Memory; Educational Technology; Technology Uses in Education; Handwriting; Educational Environment; Blended Learning; Cooperative Learning

Abstract:
For generations, teachers in the early elementary years have urged their young pupils to use their brains. They're still offering the same encouragement, but nowadays they can know even more about what they're talking about. Recent advances in neuroscience--from detailed scans of the brain to ongoing research on teaching methods that increase cognitive development--have ushered in a new era of "brain-based" education. Training teachers in brain-based education is just what Leslie Owen Wilson--an education professor at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater--has been doing for the past decade. The principles that Wilson teaches graduate students include understanding the brain is social and develops better in concert with other brains; that the search for meaning comes through patterning; and that learning engages the whole body. While approaches like these may already be familiar to some classrooms, brain-based education advocates, including Wilson, insist they should be more widely practiced. At Jacob Shapiro Brain-Based Instruction Laboratory School, a 6-year-old elementary charter in the Oshkosh (Wis.) Area Public Schools, the teachers are trained in the biology and psychology of the brain. Such knowledge is invaluable in closely observing and questioning individual students to make sure they are ready to learn, emphasizes Principal Lynn Brown, who adds that angry or unhappy students do not make good learners. For all the breakthroughs in neuroscience, it's fallen to the early adopters to make the most of them, says Betsy Hill, president and chief operating officer of Learning Enhancement Corporation, which produces an online program that reinforces children's cognitive skills. "Most teachers do not have the basic understanding of the brain and how it works," she admits. "When they realize that the brain changes every day and that they can make a difference, they get excited." Still, she says, ongoing brain research and its lessons for the classroom are well worth embracing. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Indigenous Populations; Learning Disabilities; Foreign Countries; Learning Readiness; Canada Natives; American Indians; Cultural Differences; Learning Experience; Academic Failure; Dropouts; American Indian Education; Self Concept; American Indian Culture; Family Programs; Learning Activities

Abstract:
In Canada, as around the world, large numbers of Indigenous children encounter culturally dissonant learning environments in preschools and schools. Many of these children experience serious challenges, in part because of a striking mismatch between their early learning experiences in the family and community, and the expectations, perceptions, and task demands of non-Indigenous educators. These mismatches undoubtedly contribute to frequent identification of First Nations children as having learning disabilities, and to consequently high rates of early school failure and drop-out (Assembly of First Nations, 2005; Richards, 2008). Thus, it is crucial to understand the ways in which Indigenous children are ready to learn, and to acknowledge the skills, interests, and knowledge they have developed in their families and communities during their early years. This article highlights First Nations children's participation in family and community activities in order to learn such time-honored concepts and skills as the heritage Indigenous language, a literacy of the land, and the right time and place for different kinds of activities and expressions. The discussion emphasizes how these early learning opportunities stimulate First Nations children's cultural identity and spirituality and concludes with how teachers can create a culturally safe environment for building children's self-concepts as capable learners. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Municipalities; Preschool Education; Young Children; School Readiness; Learning Readiness; Equal Education; Access to Education; Barriers; Economic Climate; Politics of Education

Abstract:
Many municipalities, armed with research showing the immense benefits of early education, are struggling to ensure children have the opportunity to attend quality preschools (Barnett, 2012; Magnuson, Ruhm, & Waldfogel, 2007). Birmingham, the largest city in Alabama, is no exception. In developing a profile of Birmingham's efforts to provide early education, the author sets out to provide answers to the following important questions: (1) What resources are currently available for families of preschoolers, and, most especially, for children residing in low socioeconomic areas of the city?; (2) Are quality preschools available for all children?; and (3) Are parents in Alabama's most populous city successful in finding access to affordable preschool education for their children? The author suggests that Birmingham must continue to look at the gaps in both the quality and quantity of preschool programs available and figure out a way to make sure that all children are served and that all have the chance to begin school truly ready to learn. A problem in Birmingham, as in so many cities across the United States, is a sluggish economy that results in a lack of funding and a lack of resolve among state and local legislators to make preschool education a top priority. With shrinking federal dollars and a nation just beginning to come out of a deep recession, commitment to any funding initiative is hard to come by, even one where the evidence of effectiveness is great. It does take a village to raise a child, but it begins with a good working knowledge of needs and a concerted effort by all stakeholders to work together. That means a real commitment by local and state civic groups, and education and political leaders, to the well-being of all children. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Program Effectiveness; Self Efficacy; Goal Orientation; Mentors; Training Methods; Training Objectives; Academic Advising; Behavior Change; Behavior Theories; Supervisor Supervisee Relationship; Computer Mediated Communication; Program Implementation; Predictor Variables; Measures (Individuals); Social Cognition; Learning Readiness

Abstract:
We used an online academic-advising program to examine the effects of preparatory training designed to elicit high states of learning-goal orientation and low states of avoid goal orientation. Results indicate that training was effective in some cases for manipulating states of goal orientation. The training did not directly affect behaviors as anticipated; however, perceptions of partner behaviors showed effects. Moreover, learning-goal orientation was related to advisee postprogram academic self-efficacy. Thus, individuals working with such mentoring programs should consider implementing goal-oriented preparatory training programs to increase mentoring relationship effectiveness. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Higher Education; School Holding Power; Learning Readiness; College Readiness; Public Colleges; Student Personnel Services; Community Colleges; Administrative Organization; Distance Education; Web Sites; College Administration; Usability; National Surveys

Abstract:
This study investigated how higher education institutions support their distance learning initiatives through their institutional websites--their "virtual face." The population was 40 institutions, of which 10 each were doctoral/research, master, baccalaureate, and community college, located in 40 different states. Using a researcher-developed instrument that included input from distance learning professionals, websites were analyzed based on the location of administrative student support services for distance students from the institution's distance learning office home page. The descriptive study answered three research questions: (1) How are higher education institutions establishing a "virtual face" for their distance learning initiatives? (2) How well do distance learning offices support distance students?, and (3) What does the "virtual face" of distance learning offices say about the commitment to distance learning students by higher education institutions? Findings indicate that many institutions have centralized distance learning offices and have made a concerted effort to serve their distance students. These efforts can be improved further by providing access to all necessary administrative student support services online from the distance learning office home page. Missing services and information for most of the analyzed sites included distance student retention, success, and satisfaction, as well as assessments for potential students to gauge their distance learning readiness. (Contains 5 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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