Browsing by Author "Nishat, Nazia"

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A Proposed eBook Model for Engaging PeerInteraction
(Daffodil International University, 2015-12-01) Nishat, Nazia; Islam, Yousuf Mahbubul
Modern teaching techniques require that students be engaged in class and in the subject content through peer interaction as a method of active learning. Increasingly, ICT tools are being used to implement active learning methods. Handheld devices such as ibook, ipad, tablets used as ebook reading devices have recently gained momentum as they provide reading access to academic subject content including eBooks for students studying business courses. Such devices use text, images, audio, video, animation and interactivity such as playing games and question/answer sessions. As the ebooks and animation games are generally downloaded to the handheld devices, the environment in the local device does not provide facilities whereby students can share ideas on the content, discuss and solve problems, i.e., engage themselves in the content through peer-interaction as a form of active learning. This article studies current ebook reading technologies and the role of stakeholders involved in preparing and delivering content to the users. Having looked at the total environment involved, the article proposes a theoretical model whereby the stakeholders involved can interact to bring the benefits of active learning to ebook preparation, production, hosting and use by teachers and students. In the proposed model the eBook author provides content and questions, the publisher publishes contents as html page content, the instructional designer designs the active learning interactivity, teachers can assign tasks to students to get involved by selecting relevant content for subject learning and students can engage by commenting on images and paragraphs, asking questions and sharing their problems and solutions with peers as needed for learning and filling in gaps in understanding.
A Structured Peer Interactive Method to Overcome the Learning Gaps of the Students
(Center for Pedagogy (CP) Established under the Sub-project Titled “Pedagogical Development at Undergraduate and Master’s Level” (CP3357) Independent Univeristy, Bangladesh (IUB), 2016-09-01) Rahman, Sadekur; Badruzzaman, Khalid Been; Nishat, Nazia; Hossain, Kamrul; Mahbubul Islam, Yousuf
Teaching the basics of programming languages to novice learners is a challenging task for teachers all over the world. Even after engaging the latest teaching methods and techniques, it is often found that students have problems in using data, conditions, sequences and loops which are considered the key concepts of programming. In this study, after taking a specially designed test, a web based peer teaching method was used to help students bridge the learning gaps. The design of the test helped to identify learning gaps while debugging simulated errors in a trivial program. To check the effectiveness of this method, a research frame was designed. In the research method it was ensured with a test that none of these students have any prior knowledge about programming. After completing certain level of the course, a test named pre-test was taken to test the level of the students and find out their difficulties in understanding of applying debugging steps, i.e., finding and fixing errors in a computer program. Pre-test score of the students proved that they needed to improve their skills of debugging, i.e., they have problems at differing steps of the process. To mitigate learning gaps, students were instructed to post their problems in debugging online, and their peers were instructed to help their friends overcome their learning gaps. After one week of intervention, a post-test was taken and this time score by the students were found to have improved significantly. One month after the post-test, a retention test was taken and the scores statistically showed that this technique helped the students to overcome their learning gaps as well as to retain their mastery of the debugging process. This web based peer interactive method was found effective to reduce learning gaps and it can be easily applied to any course provided the process steps are individually tested in a test. Without significant online involvement of a teacher the students can help each other to bridge the learning gaps and become more confident learners.
Design & Development Of An Educational Interactive E-Book
(Daffodil International University, 2013-01-01) Nishat, Nazia
ABSTRACT E-books available on the Internet are generally static, e.g. eBooks in pdf format. Web-based books like encyclopedias or e-magazines now include animation, video and audio clips. Facilities to use an eBook as part of a class exercise for class discussion, engaging or thinking questions, class activities are not generally available. The idea behind this project is to demonstrate initial design ideas on how an eBook can be used as part of class activities and exercises. The project is therefore titled “Design & Development of an Educational Interactive E-Book”. Publishers will be able to publish eBooks created by authors. Subsequently, teachers will be able to assign class work, discussions, thinking questions, comments on pictures, home work along with a method of marking. Teachers and students will be able to interact and complete the tasks assigned. Both teachers and students will be able to track their progress. So the eBook will essentially have four types of users – administrators, publishers, teachers and students. Administrators will allow publishers to register, publishers will allow teachers to use the eBook and students will be allowed by teachers to register to do complete a study plan on the eBook. It is believed that such facilities would help learning.
Empowering tertiary level students to solve their own study related problems to improve performance and prevent drop-outs
(Daffodil International University, 2017-03-22) Nishat, Nazia; Khalid Been, Md. Badruzzaman
Students progressing to tertiary level education often have many problems – problems that may affect their studies. In addition to other problems, they may suffer from low self-esteem, which in turn may result from another set of problems, negative parents, negative peers, past poor results, inability to get into a school of choice, etc. Those who have to live away from home to attend a university could have their own set of problems. To provide support many universities have counseling offices to help the students tackle their problems. The counseling officers often give repeated appointments in an attempt to help solve these problems. At Daffodil International University (DIU), a relatively new private university, more than 75% of the students come from a rural background, i.e., they have had to move to the urban metropolitan city of Dhaka for the purpose of their tertiary level education. These students have additional problems like adjusting to urban life, missing home, managing all household chores by themselves, even a culture shock given the nature of urban life, etc., all of which may affect their studies. Being a new university, DIU has an international division that looks after incoming students but does not employ a student counselor. So at DIU we experimented with a collaborative approach to help students solve their own problems. From three different departments, Software Engineering, English and Law we took students with a low CGPA (<2.5) and held a collaborative problem solving workshop. The students were guided in a collaborative environment where individual problems were first identified anonymously by working in pairs and possible solutions were presented by the students themselves by collaboratively working in groups. The paper proposes a model of how the approach can be beneficial, shares application of the model and how many in the sample have ultimately graduated with a better CGPA or currently have improved their CGPA. The perception of effectiveness of the collaborative guidance model was also measured by taking feedback from students. Finally, the collaborative problem solving approach is compared with the traditional counseling approach. The collaborative approach benefits students by empowering them to solve study related problems by themselves, develop self-esteem and prevent dropping out.
Empowering Tertiary Level Students to Solve Their Own Study-related Problems to Improve Study Performance
(Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, emerald publishing, 2020-02-21) Nishat, Nazia; Islam, Yusuf Mahbubul; Been, Khalid; Biplob, Md. Badruzzaman; Mustain, Umam; Hossain, Md Kamrul
Purpose Students’ progressing to tertiary (undergrad or higher) level education often faces problems due to the change in the educational settings that may directly or indirectly affect their studies and interim results. In addition, they may suffer from low self-esteem, which in turn may result from another set of issues such as negative peers, past poor results, unable to get into a school of choice and so on. Those who have to live away from home to attend a university could have their own set of problems. To provide support many universities have counseling offices to help the students tackle their problems. The counseling officers often give repeated appointments in an attempt to help solve these problems. At the university where the research was conducted, more than 75 percent of the students come from a rural background. These are students who, for the purposes of acquiring their tertiary-level education, have had to move to the city, away from their family. These students are known to have problems such as adjusting to urban life, missing home, managing all household chores by themselves, even a culture shock given the nature of urban life and so on, all of which may affect their studies. Unfortunately, the university under study does not employ a student counselor to look after students coming from rural areas. Therefore, to support such students it was thought that a peer counseling session might help the students help themselves. Design/methodology/approach A workshop using a collaborative approach to help students solve their own problems was designed and conducted. From three different departments, 78 students with a low Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA < 2.50 out of 4.0) participated in the problem-solving workshop. The students were guided in a collaborative environment where individual problems were first identified anonymously by working in pairs and possible solutions were presented by the students themselves by working in collaborative groups. Findings The paper proposes a performance-improving model to reduce the dropout rate and ensure graduation with a better CGPA. After six semesters of the intervention, the performance of the participating students was compared against the students with similar profile who did not attend the workshop. The perception of effectiveness of the collaborative guidance model was also measured by taking feedback from students. Research limitations/implications The collaborative approach seems to benefit students by empowering them to think on their own to solve study-related problems by themselves. To become a standardized procedure, however, more rigorous testing across a greater cross section and number of subjects would be helpful. This paper provides an initial study of the methodology for further study and use. Originality/value As the collaborative approach purely involves peers, it benefits students by empowering them to solve study-related problems by themselves and indirectly help self-esteem development.