Problem solving is not simply a process that ends when an answer is found; it is a scientific process that evolves from understanding the problem to evaluating the solution. This process is affected by several factors. Among these, one of the most substantial is belief. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the beliefs of high school students according to their explanations in the problem solving process. A case study was carried out with five students. Each of the students' problem solving processes was examined by means of clinical interviews and three problems were presented to the students. The results illustrate that the students who thought problem solving should be a short process and that they could address it by memorization of rules also believed that problem solving is difficult. This study concludes that not only beliefs affect the problem solving process, but also personal factors such as life experiences.

Turkey. Her research interests are information and communications technology in education and philosophy of educational technology. Vivien Hodgson is professor of networked management learning at Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster, UK. Her research interests are in networked learning, the learner's experience of learning and the design of learning opportunities from a critical pedagogy and constructionist perspective. Her interests include how theoretical debates that exist, together with changes and advances in information and communications technology impact on pedagogical practices and the nature, design, and experience of learning. AbstractIn this paper, we argue that in order to get a fuller understanding of the complexity of conflict in democratic pedagogies in online and blended learning settings, it is important to know not only how to manage or resolve it, but also how it is triggered and can be avoided. The emancipatory nature of democratic pedagogies fosters differences, and differences provide the basis for the emergence of conflict among learning community members. Much has been written on certain aspects of conflict, such as conflict management or effects of conflict; however, these studies are frequently disparate and fragmented. Conflict has a cyclical dynamic and the main purpose of this study has been to experimentally build an analytical model of this cyclical dynamic of conflict, drawing on both literature and research data. We believe that such a model might empower practitioners and designers of democratic pedagogies to embrace and work with the differences that lead to conflict, as a way to support collaborative learning and action. The model of conflict which emerged at the end of the study is supported by illustrative qualitative evidence and constituted in a diagrammatic depiction of analytic themes that illustrate the connections between these themes, and the values ascribed to them. The outcomes of this study have implications for developing learning strategies for distance and blended learners.

Bu araştırmada, öğrencilerin biçimlendirmeye yönelik değerlendirmelerinin yapılabileceği bir "Web Tabanlı Biçimlendirmeye Yönelik Değerlendirme (WTBYD)" sistemi geliştirilmiştir. Bu sistem, öğrencilerin performanslarına yönelik madde bazında ayrıntılandırılmıştır ve test bazında ölçüt-referanslı anlık dönütler sağlamaktadır. Çalışmada, öğrencilerin geliştirilen WTBYD'yi kabul durumlarının incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma ters-yüz öğrenme modeli yaklaşımı ile işlenen Bilgisayar I dersi kapsamında 381 üniversite öğrencisi üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın uygulama süreci 12 hafta sürmüş olup, her haftanın sonunda öğrenciler WTBYD'ye katılmıştır. Araştırma verileri web tabanlı değerlendirme sistemini kabul ölçeği ile toplanmıştır. Araştırma bulguları WTBYD'yi kabul yapısının; yarar algısı, kullanım kolaylığı, bilgisayar öz-yeterliği, sosyal etki, içerik algısı, beğenme durumu, ilgi durumu ve kullanım niyeti bileşenlerinden oluştuğu görülmüştür. Araştırmadan elde edilen bulgular doğrultusunda WTBYD'yi geliştirme ve kullanma noktasında öğretmenlere, öğretim tasarımcılarına, karar vericilere ve araştırmacılara çeşitli önerilerde bulunulmuştur. Anahtar Sözcükler: Anlık dönüt, web tabanlı biçimlendirmeye yönelik değerlendirme, kabul durumları Examining University Students' Acceptance of Web-based Formative Assessment System

Gender inequality is a pressing issue on a global scale, yet studies on this important issue have stayed on the margins of open and distance learning (ODL) literature. In this study, we critically analyse a batch of ODL literature that is focused on gender inequality in post-secondary and higher education contexts. We use Therborn's social justice framework to inform and guide the study. This is a comprehensive social justice lens that sees inequality as "a life and death issue," approaching empowerment as a central area of concern. Qualitative content analysis of 30 years of peer-reviewed literature reveals patriarchy and androcentrism as significant mechanisms that continue to produce gender inequality, in particular in women's access to educational resources and formal learning opportunities. We highlight three themes that emerged in the content analysis: (1) ODL and equal opportunity; (2) Feminism and gender-sensitive curriculum design; and (3) Culturally relevant curriculum design. We critique views of access to technology-enabled education as an instrument for social justice, and provide a pedagogical model for an ODL curriculum centred on empowerment and agency, two concepts closely linked to existential inequality. We argue that such a curriculum is public service and requires a model of education that is based on participation and co-construction, and lies at the intersection of critical, feminist, and culturally relevant pedagogical practices.

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Abstract   Assessment of ICT knowledge and skills is as important as gaining these knowledge and skills. There are two commonly used assessment types as (multiple-choice) Test Based Assessment (TBA) and Practice Based Assessment (PBA) and the question that which one is better still remains controversial. In this research, the focus of the study was examining these factors in relationship with the academic achievement of the students. More specifically, impact of assessing the students with TBA and PBA types on the students' academic achievement scores based on the aforementioned factors was examined. For this purpose, two study groups consisting of 243 students who were assessed with TBA and PBA in a course titled as Computing I were included in the present research. The results showed that there is a significant difference in academic achievement scores of the students and that the students who took TBA are more successful. According to the results, students are more comfortable and more confident with TBA whereas students taking PBA believe that PBA is better to measure ICT knowledge and skills. Therefore, it could be concluded that these two different assessment types are complementary once students’ positive opinions, expectations and feelings are pedagogically secured. Keywords: Assessment, ICT, practice-based assessment, multiple choice tests.

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Media Literacy is a rich and interdisciplinary field which has roots in many different