Measurement Method Options to Investigate Digital Screen Technology Use by Children and Adolescents: A Narrative Review.

The role and potential impact of digital screen technology in the lives of children is heavily debated. Current evidence is limited by the weakness of measures typically used to characterise screen use, predominantly proxy- or self-reports with known inaccuracy and bias. However, robust and detailed evidence is needed to provide practical trustworthy guidance to families and professionals working with families. The purpose of this paper is to support researchers to select measurement method(s) that will provide robust and detailed evidence. The paper outlines the challenges in measuring contemporary screen use by children, using a child-technology interaction model to organise considerations. A range of different methods used to measure digital screen technology use in children and adolescents (i.e., questionnaires, diaries, electronically prompted sampling, direct observation, fixed room cameras, wearable/portable cameras, audio recorders, screen-device onboard logging, remote digital trace logging and proximity logging) are described along with examples of their use and constructs typically measured as well as a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each method. A checklist and worked examples are provided to support researchers determining the best methods or combination of methods for a research project.

Structural limitations of learning in a crowd: communication vulnerability and information diffusion in MOOCs.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) bring together a global crowd of thousands of learners for several weeks or months. In theory, the openness and scale of MOOCs can promote iterative dialogue that facilitates group cognition and knowledge construction. Using data from two successive instances of a popular business strategy MOOC, we filter observed communication patterns to arrive at the "significant" interaction networks between learners and use complex network analysis to explore the vulnerability and information diffusion potential of the discussion forums. We find that different discussion topics and pedagogical practices promote varying levels of 1) "significant" peer-to-peer engagement, 2) participant inclusiveness in dialogue, and ultimately, 3) modularity, which impacts information diffusion to prevent a truly "global" exchange of knowledge and learning. These results indicate the structural limitations of large-scale crowd-based learning and highlight the different ways that learners in MOOCs leverage, and learn within, social contexts. We conclude by exploring how these insights may inspire new developments in online education.

Measuring effectiveness for best evidence medical education: a discussion.

This paper considers how educational interventions should be evaluated for their effectiveness. Five levels of effectiveness are clarified and illustrated: outcomes, behaviour, learning, reaction and participation. These levels are then discussed, within the context of research evidence for education within the medical profession. Methodological and practical research conclusions are then drawn. From an analysis of over 300 abstracts the evidence shows that only limited research on healthcare outcomes has been undertaken, and there is considerable ambiguity over what constitutes an effectiveness measure. The benefits of a consistent set of terms are then considered. Finally, five key messages are distilled from the discussion and summarized.