Iterative Design of a Labelling Feature: Supporting Online Learning through Structuring the User Interface

Eva Bures; Philip Abrami

World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2008 (Jun 30, 2008) pp. 980–987

Online dialogue holds promise to support high-level dialogue by allowing for more reflective reading and writing, but can be superficial just as in face-to-face conversations. This paper describes the design of a labelling feature intended to...

ABRACADABRA: Progress in the development, Implementation and effectiveness of a web-based literacy resource

Robert Savage; Philip Abrami

World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2007 (Oct 15, 2007) pp. 6530–6536

ABRACADABRA, A Balanced Reading Approach for Canadians Designed to Achieve Best Results for All (http://grover.concordia.ca/ABRA/php2006/ abracadabra.html), is a reading intervention being developed by the Centre for the Study of Learning and...

Directions for Research and Development on Electronic Portfolios

Philip Abrami; Helen Barrett; Helen Barrett

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie Vol. 31, No. 3 (Oct 15, 2005)

This lead article for the special issue of the Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology explores directions for research and development on electronic portfolios, which are digital containers capable of storing visual and auditory content;...

The Effects of ABRACADABRA on Reading Outcomes: A Meta-analysis of Applied Field Research

Philip Abrami; Eugene Borohkovski; Larysa Lysenko

Journal of Interactive Learning Research Vol. 26, No. 4 (October 2015) pp. 337–367

This meta-analysis summarizes research on the effects of a comprehensive, interactive web-based software (AXXX) on the development of reading competencies among kindergarteners and elementary students. Findings from seven randomized control trials...

Topics: Competencies, Learning Outcomes, Research Methods

Fostering Quality Online Dialogue: Does Labelling Help?

Eva Bures; Philip Abrami; Richard F. Schmid

Journal of Interactive Learning Research Vol. 21, No. 2 (April 2010) pp. 187–213

Despite its potential, online dialogue (online dialogue) can be superficial. Following Vygotskian (1978) and design experiment approaches (Brown, 1992), this study explores a labelling feature that allows students to tag parts of their messages....

Topics: eLearning, Collaboration, Educational Technology, Information Communication Technologies, Students

Promoting reading comprehension with the use of technology

Larysa V. Lysenko; Philip C. Abrami

Computers & Education Vol. 75, No. 1 (June 2014) pp. 162–172

The research presented here explores the impact of two web-based applications (an interactive, multimedia literacy software and a digital process portfolio) on early elementary students' reading comprehension. Two studies were conducted during the...

Language: English

Assessing Electronic Portfolios -- Now that we have them, what can we do with them?

Eva Bures; Philip Abrami; Caitlin Bentley

World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2007 (Oct 15, 2007) pp. 7030–7038

An approach to assessing electronic portfolios is developed working with two teachers and other experts, and the inter-rater reliability is explored. The assessment has two parts. First the teacher assigns holistic marks and comments to up to six...

Small Group and Individual Learning with Technology: A Meta-Analysis

Yiping Lou; Philip C. Abrami; Sylvia d'Apollonia

Review of Educational Research Vol. 71, No. 3 (2001) pp. 449–521

Synthesized the empirical research on the effects of social context (small group versus individual learning) when students learn using computer technology. Analyzed 486 independent findings from 122 studies involving 11,317 learners. On average,...

Implementing Computer Technologies: Teachers' Perceptions and Practices

Lori Wozney; Vivek Venkatesh; Philip Abrami

Journal of Technology and Teacher Education Vol. 14, No. 1 (January 2006) pp. 173–207

This study investigates personal and setting characteristics, teacher attitudes, and current computer technology practices among 764 elementary and secondary teachers from both private and public school sectors in Quebec. Using expectancy- value...

Topics: Computers, Teachers

Inattention and Response to the ABRACADABRA Web-Based Literacy Intervention

Louise Deault; Robert Savage; Philip Abrami

Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness Vol. 2, No. 3 (2009) pp. 250–286

Inattention is often associated with reduced response to reading intervention. This study explored attention as a predictor of individual variation in response to a free-access Web-based literacy intervention, ABRACADABRA (http://abralite.concordia...

Research on Distance Education: In Defense of Field Experiments

Philip C. Abrami; Robert M. Bernard

Distance Education Vol. 27, No. 1 (May 2006) pp. 5–26

This article extends the issues and arguments raised in Bernard, Abrami, Lou, and Borokhovski ("Distance Education", 25(2), 175-198, 2004) regarding the design of quantitative, particularly experimental research in distance education. A single...

Are We Using Technology for Learning?

Gretchen Lowerison; Jennifer Sclater; Richard F. Schmid; Philip C. Abrami

Journal of Educational Technology Systems Vol. 34, No. 4 (2006) pp. 401–425

This study investigated the role that computer technology plays in transforming the learning process in higher education. Specifically, we looked at the relationship between computer-technology use, active learning, and perceived course...

An Electronic Portfolio to Support Learning

Anne Wade; Philip Abrami; Jennifer Sclater; Jennifer Sclater

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie Vol. 31, No. 3 (Oct 15, 2005)

n this paper, we provide a description of a CSLP research project that looked at portfolio use within a middle school, the web-based e-portfolio software we have developed within the context of the Quebec educational system, our plans for further...

Ubiquitous technology integration in Canadian public schools: Year one study

Jennifer Sclater; Fiore Sicoly; Philip Abrami; C Wade; C Wade

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie Vol. 32, No. 1 (Feb 15, 2006)

The current investigation was an exploration of the first year of a multi-year project designed to provide every Grade 3 to Grade 11 student throughout an English school board in Quebec with a laptop computer. Data were collected from 403 elementary ...

A Methodological Morass? How We Can Improve Quantitative Research in Distance Education

Robert M. Bernard; Philip C. Abrami; Yiping Lou; Evgueni Borokhovski

Distance Education Vol. 25, No. 2 (Oct 01, 2004) pp. 175–198

This article is about the quantitative research practices and methodologies that are used in distance education (DE). It begins with an analysis and assessment of a segment of the DE research literature, DE/classroom comparison studies, based on a...

Motivation To Learn via Computer Conferencing: Exploring How Task-Specific Motivation and CC Expectations are Related to Student Acceptance of Learning via CC

Eva Mary Bures; Cheryl C. Amundsen; Philip C. Abrami

Journal of Educational Computing Research Vol. 27, No. 3 (2002) pp. 249–64

Investigated the relationship between university student motivation and student acceptance of learning via computer conferencing (CC). Considered frequency of contributing online messages; satisfaction with CC; grades; effort; goal orientation;...

A Randomized Controlled Trial Study of the ABRACADABRA Reading Intervention Program in Grade 1

Robert S. Savage; Philip Abrami; Geoffrey Hipps; Louise Deault

Journal of Educational Psychology Vol. 101, No. 3 (August 2009) pp. 590–604

This study reports a randomized controlled trial evaluation of a computer-based balanced literacy intervention, ABRACADABRA (http://grover.concordia.ca/abra/version1/abracadabra.html). Children (N = 144) in Grade 1 were exposed either to computer...

The reality of assessing ‘authentic’ electronic portfolios: Can electronic portfolios serve as a form of standardized assessment to measure literacy and self-regulated learning at the elementary level? / L’évaluation d’e-portfolio «authentiques»

Eva Bures; Alexandra Barclay; Philip Abrami; Elizabeth Meyer

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie Vol. 39, No. 4 (Dec 21, 2013)

This study explores electronic portfolios and their potential to assess student literacy and self-regulated learning in elementary-aged children. Assessment tools were developed and include a holistic rubric that assigns a mark from 1 to 5 to self...

Assessing Online Dialogue in Higher Education

Eva Bures; Philip Abrami; Alexandra Barclay; Eva Bures

World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2010 (Oct 18, 2010) pp. 438–448

The aim of this study is to develop valid researcher and instructor approaches to successfully assess online dialogue. Two content analysis approaches measuring critical thinking and interactivity were applied to representative online groups of 3-4...

Using Technology for Learning in Higher Education: What is Important?

Richard Schmid; Gretchen Lowerison; Philip Abrami; Christina Dehler

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2009 (Mar 02, 2009) pp. 1090–1096

This series of studies investigated the role that computer technology plays in transforming the learning process in higher education. We looked at the relationship between technology use, active learning, and perceived course effectiveness. The...

Student perceived effectiveness of computer technology use in post-secondary classrooms

Gretchen Lowerison; Jennifer Sclater; Richard F. Schmid; Philip C. Abrami

Computers & Education Vol. 47, No. 4 (December 2006) pp. 465–489

This study investigated the relationship between the amount of computer technology used in post-secondary education courses, students’ perceived effectiveness of technology use, and global course evaluations. Survey data were collected from 922...

Language: English

Topics: Post Secondary Education

The reality of assessing ‘authentic’ electronic portfolios: Can electronic portfolios serve as a form of standardized assessment to measure literacy and self-regulated learning at the elementary level?

Eva Bures; Alexandra Barclay; Philip Abrami; Elizabeth Meyer

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie Vol. 39, No. 4 (Dec 21, 2013)

This study explores electronic portfolios and their potential to assess student literacy and self-regulated learning in elementary-aged children. Assessment tools were developed and include a holistic rubric that assigns a mark from 1 to 5 to self...

Language: English Translations: English, français, langue française/French

Exploring whether Students' Use of Labelling Depends upon the Type of Activity

Eva Mary Bures; Philip C. Abrami; Richard F. Schmid

International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Vol. 5, No. 1 (March 2010) pp. 103–116

This paper explores a labelling feature designed to support higher-level online dialogue. It investigates whether students use labels less often during a structured online dialogue than during an unstructured one, and looks at students' reactions to ...

A Follow-Up Study of the ABRACADABRA Web-Based Literacy Intervention in Grade 1

Maria Rosaria Di Stasio; Robert Savage; Philip C. Abrami

Journal of Research in Reading Vol. 35, No. 1 (February 2012) pp. 69–86

This paper reports the follow-up of a randomised control trial study of the ABRACADABRA web-based literacy intervention that contrasted synthetic versus analytic phonics (Comaskey, Savage & Abrami, 2009) in kindergarten children from urban low-SES...

Introducing laptops to children: An examination of ubiquitous computing in Grade 3 reading, language, and mathematics

Robert Bernard; Edward Bethel; Philip Abrami; C Wade; C Wade

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie Vol. 33, No. 3 (May 23, 2008)

This study examines the achievement outcomes accompanying the implementation of a Grade 3 laptop or so-called ubiquitous computing program in a Quebec school district. CAT-3 reading, language, and mathematics batteries were administered at the end...

The Effectiveness of the ABRACADABRA (ABRA) Web-Based Literacy Program on Primary School Students in Hong Kong

Alan Cheung; Barley Mak; Philip Abrami; Anne Wade; Larysa Lysenko

Journal of Interactive Learning Research Vol. 27, No. 3 (July 2016) pp. 219–245

This pilot project investigated the effects of ABRACADABRA (ABRA), a web-based literacy program developed by the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) at Concordia University, on primary school children in Hong Kong. A total of 125 ...

Media and Pedagogy in Undergraduate Distance Education: A Theory-Based Meta-Analysis of Empirical Literature

Yiping Lou; Robert M. Bernard; Philip C. Abrami

Educational Technology Research and Development Vol. 54, No. 2 (April 2006) pp. 141–176

This meta-analysis employs a theoretical framework in quantitatively synthesizing empirical studies that investigate the effects of distance education (DE) versus classroom instruction on undergraduate student achievement. Analyses of 218 findings...

The Development of a Questionnaire for Predicting Online Learning Achievement

Robert M. Bernard; Aaron Brauer; Philip C. Abrami; Mike Surkes

Distance Education Vol. 25, No. 1 (May 01, 2004) pp. 31–47

The study reported here concerns the development and predictive validation of an instrument to assess the achievement outcomes of DE/online learning success. A 38-item questionnaire was developed and administered to 167 students who were about to...

Technology and Student Achievement: What do 40 Years of Research and 25 Years of Systematic Reviews Have to Tell

Rana Tamim; Robert Bernard; Eugene Borokhovski; Richard Schmid; Philip Abrami

World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2010 (Jun 29, 2010) pp. 3142–3152

This research involved a systematic quantitative synthesis procedure to answer the question: does technology use affect student achievement in formal face-to-face classroom settings as compared to traditional settings. An extensive literature search ...

Student Motivation To Learn via Computer Conferencing

Eva Mary Bures; Philip C. Abrami; Cheryl Amundsen

Research in Higher Education Vol. 41, No. 5 (2000) pp. 593–621

Examination of student (n=79) motivation to learn via computer conferencing (CC) found that students who believe CC will help them learn the course material (outcome expectations) and believe they are capable of learning how to use CC (self-efficacy)...

Developing a Computer-Assisted Tutoring Program To Help Children at Risk To Learn To Read

Bette Chambers; Philip C. Abrami; Katherine McWhaw; Michel Charles Therrien

Educational Research and Evaluation Vol. 7, No. 2 (2001) pp. 223–39

Developed and performed a formative evaluation of a computer assisted tutoring program to help students experiencing problems learning to read. Initial findings with 12 tutors and 25 first and second graders provide support for developing a program...

A Randomised Efficacy Study of Web-Based Synthetic and Analytic Programmes among Disadvantaged Urban Kindergarten Children

Erin M. Comaskey; Robert S. Savage; Philip Abrami

Journal of Research in Reading Vol. 32, No. 1 (February 2009) pp. 92–108

This study explores whether two computer-based literacy interventions--a "synthetic phonics" and an "analytic phonics" approach produce qualitatively distinct effects on the early phonological abilities and reading skills of disadvantaged urban...

"Developing a Perspective", "Inter-Connecting", and "Bringing It Together": Who Chooses to Use a Labelling Feature in Online Conversations in a Graduate Course?

Eva Mary Bures; Richard F. Schmid; Philip C. Abrami

Educational Media International Vol. 46, No. 4 (December 2009) pp. 317–334

This study explores a labelling feature that allows students to tag parts of their online messages. Data comes from four sequentially offered sessions of a graduate education course. Students engaged in two to three online activities in groups of...

The Development and Formative Evaluation of Electronic Portfolio Software to Support Student Teachers’ Reflective Practice

Eva Mary Bures; Philip C. Abrami; Larysa Lysenko

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2014 (Mar 17, 2014) pp. 1197–1205

This study explores using electronic portfolios to support student teachers’ development of competencies. Software was designed to support teachers and student teachers through the key parts of self-regulation including planning, doing, and...

Topics: New Possibilities with Information Technologies

The effectiveness of the ABRACADABRA (ABRA) web-based literacy program on primary school students in Hong Kong

Alan Cheung; Barley Mak; Philip Abrami; Anne Wade; Larysa Lysenko

Journal of Interactive Learning Research Vol. 27, No. 3 (July 2016) pp. 219–245

This pilot project investigated the effects of ABRACADABRA (ABRA), a web-based literacy program developed by the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) at Concordia University, on primary school children in Hong Kong. A total of 125 ...

Are Contextual and Designed Student-Student Interaction Treatments Equally Effective in Distance Education?

Eugene Borokhovski; Rana Tamim; Robert M. Bernard; Philip C. Abrami; Anna Sokolovskaya

Distance Education Vol. 33, No. 3 (2012) pp. 311–329

This systematic review draws from and builds upon the results of a meta-analysis of the achievement effects of three types of interaction treatments in distance education: student-student, student-teacher, and student-content (Bernard et al., ...

A Multi-Year Investigation of the Relationship between Pedagogy, Computer Use and Course Effectiveness in Postsecondary Education

Rana M. Tamim; Gretchen Lowerison; Richard F. Schmid; Robert M. Bernard; Philip C. Abrami

Journal of Computing in Higher Education Vol. 23, No. 1 (April 2011) pp. 1–14

This study investigated the change in the relationship between pedagogy, computer-use and students' perceptions about course-effectiveness over time. Students from a Canadian university completed a questionnaire in two different years (2003 = 1,834...

Interaction in Distance Education and Online Learning: Using Evidence and Theory to Improve Practice

Philip C. Abrami; Robert M. Bernard; Eva M. Bures; Eugene Borokhovski; Rana M. Tamim

Journal of Computing in Higher Education Vol. 23, No. 2 (December 2011) pp. 82–103

In a recent meta-analysis of distance and online learning, Bernard et al. (2009) quantitatively verified the importance of three types of interaction: among students, between the instructor and students, and between students and course content. In...

The Effects of Ubiquitous Computing on Student Learning: A Systematic Review

Edward C. Bethel; Robert M. Bernard; Philip C. Abrami; C. Anne Wade

World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2007 (Oct 15, 2007) pp. 1987–1992

As technology use in education increases, interest in and implementations of ubiquitous computing initiatives have also increased. One-to-one laptop initiatives have sprung up throughout North America at the school, district, and state or province...

Encouraging Self-Regulated Learning Through Electronic Portfolios

Philip C. Abrami; Anne Wade; Vanitha Pillay; Ofra Aslan; Eva M. Bures; Caitlin Bentley

World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2007 (Oct 15, 2007) pp. 2263–2268

At the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) and with our partners from LEARN-Quebec, we have developed Electronic Portfolio Encouraging Active Reflective Learning Software (ePEARL) to promote student self-regulation and enhance...

An Electronic Portfolio for Teachers:Design and Preliminary Assessment

Larysa Lysenko; Eva Bures; Einat Idan; Anne Wade; Philip Abrami; Elizabeth Meyer

World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2012 (Oct 09, 2012) pp. 1133–1142

An evidence-based, learner-centred digital portfolio based on the cyclical, socio-cognitive model of self-regulation was designed to accommodate teacher professional learning and development. The results of the pilot study indicate that ePEARL Level ...

ABRACADABRA: A Rich Internet Literacy Application

Mimi Zhou; Roberto Muzard; Micha Therrien; Geoffrey Hipps; Philip C. Abrami

World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2005 (Jun 27, 2005) pp. 4155–4162

This article describes an Internet based early literacy project that simulates a media-element rich learning environment to enhance children's literacy skills. Currently in its first year, the software prototype has received positive feedbacks...

Topics: Learning Objects, Children, Literacy

Encouraging self-regulated learning through electronic portfolios

Philip Abrami; Anne Wade; Vanitha Pillay; Ofra Aslan; Eva Bures; Caitlin Bentley; Caitlin Bentley

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie Vol. 34, No. 3 (Apr 06, 2009)

At the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, we have developed the Electronic Portfolio Encouraging Active Reflective Learning Software (ePEARL) to promote student self-regulation and...

Examining the Impact of ABRACADABRA on Early Literacy in Northern Australia: An Implementation Fidelity Analysis

Jennifer R. Wolgemuth; Philip C. Abrami; Janet Helmer; Robert Savage; Helen Harper; Tess Lea

Journal of Educational Research Vol. 107, No. 4 (2014) pp. 299–311

To address students' poor literacy outcomes, an intervention using a computer-based literacy tool, ABRACADABRA, was implemented in 6 Northern Australia primary schools. A pretest, posttest parallel group, single blind multisite randomized...

Improving literacy and metacognition with electronic portfolios: Teaching and learning with ePEARL

Elizabeth Meyer; Philip C. Abrami; C. Anne Wade; Ofra Aslan; Louise Deault

Computers & Education Vol. 55, No. 1 (August 2010) pp. 84–91

Can an electronic portfolio that is both a multimedia container for student work and a tool to support key learning processes have a positive impact on the literacy practices and self-regulated learning skills of students? This article presents the...

Language: English

Using Electronic Portfolios to Foster Literacy and Self-Regulated Learning Skills in Elementary Students

Philip C. Abrami; Vivek Venkatesh; Elizabeth J. Meyer; C Anne Wade

Journal of Educational Psychology Vol. 105, No. 4 (November 2013) pp. 1188–1209

The research presented here is a continuation of a line of inquiry that explores the impacts of an electronic portfolio software called ePEARL, which is a knowledge tool designed to support the key phases of self-regulated learning (SRL)-...

Examining the Impact of the ABRACADABRA (ABRA) Web-Based Literacy Program on Primary School Students in Hong Kong

Barley S. Y. Mak; Alan C. K. Cheung; Xin Guo; Philip C. Abrami; Anne Wade

Education and Information Technologies Vol. 22, No. 6 (2017) pp. 2671–2691

The current paper examined the effects of A Balanced Reading Approach for Children Always Designed to Achieve Best Results for All (ABRA), a web-based literacy programme developed by the the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) at ...

Assessing Computer Use and Perceived Course Effectiveness in Post-Secondary Education in an American/Canadian Context

Rana M. Tamim; Gretchen Lowerison; Richard F. Schmid; Robert M. Bernard; Philip C. Abrami; Christina Dehler

Journal of Educational Computing Research Vol. 39, No. 3 (2008) pp. 221–234

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between computer technology's role and students' perceptions about course effectiveness. Students from two universities (one Canadian, n = 1465; one American, n = 831) completed a 71...

A Review of e-Learning in Canada: Rejoinder to Commentaries

Philip Abrami; Robert Bernard; Anne Wade; Eugene Borokhovski; Rana Tamin; Michael Surkes; Dai Zhang; Dai Zhang

Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie Vol. 32, No. 3 (Oct 15, 2006)

Using Educational Technology to Develop Early Literacy Skills in Sub-Saharan Africa

Philip C. Abrami; C. Anne Wade; Larysa Lysenko; Jonathon Marsh; Anthony Gioko

Education and Information Technologies Vol. 21, No. 4 (2016) pp. 945–964

The research explores the impact of interactive, multimedia literacy software (ABRA) on the reading skills of early elementary students in Kenya. Twelve grade two English teachers and their students from six schools were randomly divided in half: an ...