In order to determine how emotions and cognition are experienced during collaborative group work online students' descriptions of their learning experience were interpreted using a qualitative approach. A common feature of these accounts was reference to difficulties and problems. Four main themes were identified from this data set. Two of the themes, 'Constraints on autonomy' and 'Reflections about collaboration', encapsulate the experience of engaging in group work. The other two themes 'Virtual others' and 'Communicating online. The impact on progress and achievement' provide some insight into what is unique about the socio-emotional experience of collaborating online and how it can influence motivation and learning. The findings were considered from two perspectives of the role of emotion in learning: the socio-cognitive model of self-regulated learning and the community of inquiry framework (COI). An interdisciplinary approach was adopted by taking into account recent research in social cognitive neuroscience. Some practical recommendations about the deployment of technologies for group work online and for empowering students' understanding of the value of collaborative learning are made. The value of verbal immediacy practices as a way of counteracting the disembodied nature of the relational experience of others online is discussed.Keywords: group work; computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL); emotion; social cognitive neuroscience; interdisciplinary; community of inquiry (COI); self regulated learning; verbal immediacy IntroductionWhen a learning context supports the exchange and discussion of ideas there is the opportunity for each individual to assimilate new information and to build on their current understanding by accommodating the ideas of other students (Hodgson, 2002;Laurillard, 2002). By including a requirement that learners collaborate on a shared task there are some additional pedagogical benefits. The process of co-constructing an artifact together with other students provides each learner with an opportunity to reflect on practice and to adapt practice (Laurillard, 2009;Laurillard, 2012). The development of technologies such as forums, wikis and virtual worlds, has meant that group work can take place online. Text based forums and wikis allow for asynchronous communication and therefore offer the practical advantage of flexibility as to when and where engagement with the group and the shared group task takes place; there is no requirement for participants to be co-located. For distance learners, and the tutors who support them, the impact of these technologies has been profound. Institutions can now offer opportunities to connect and learn with others at a distance in a way that was not possible previously (Gaskell, 2009). The availability of these technologies also means that workspaces are increasingly distributed and federated and there are many informal online spaces where collaboration can take place. For example, by using wiki technology 'thousands of dispersed volunte...

Twenty-first century students are expected to utilise emerging technologies such as lecture podcasts as learning tools. This research explored the uptake of podcasts by undergraduate students enrolled in two very different cognitively challenging subjects in the second year of the nursing programme and in the first year of a business programme. Regardless of the semester, the different content being studied and the statistically significant demographic differences between the nursing and business cohorts, striking behavioural similarities emerged. Students from both cohorts in each semester under investigation spent similar amounts of time studying regardless of gender, age, Internet access and time spent on paid work. The patterns of podcast usage by responding nursing and business students were not significantly different. Non-listeners in both cohorts did not differ significantly from podcast users (listeners) either demographically or with regard to personal access to computers, the Internet and MP3/4 players. Nonlisteners utilised lecture notes, text resources and the learning management system in a similar way to listeners. The only significant difference was the longer hours spent in paid work by non-listeners.These findings reinforce the emerging concept that podcasts are not embraced by everyone. Despite the flexibility and mobile learning opportunities afforded by podcasts, significant numbers of students prefer to learn in face-to-face environments and by reading and/or listening in set study environments.

In a previous study, Cizek and O'Day reported the effects of eliminating nonfunctioning options from five-option, multiple-choice test items. That study, however, only investigated the effect of option removal on item performance when items were studied as a set and not the effects of option removal for individual items. The authors also did not examine potential changes in dimensionality resulting from altering the items. The present study provides a closer look at the effect of removing nonfunctioning options by examining changes in difficulty, discrimination, and dimensionality. Results of these analyses supported the conclusions of the earlier research and provide additional support for benefits that may accrue from eliminating nonfunctioning options: enhanced score reliability, reduced testing time, potential for broader domain sampling, and consequent increased validity of score interpretation.

Faculty and chairpersons (N = 102) at 34 programs granting doctoral degrees in health education were asked to rate the quality of professional journals related to health education. The American Journal of Public Health was the highest rated journal. Health Education Quarterly was second, and Health Education Research, the only other health education journal, was rated in the top 10 (rated 7). The journals from the epidemiology area rated higher than journals from other areas. The respondents were least familiar with journals on the environment, safety, and death education.

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