Using a Problem Solving-Cooperative Learning Approach to Improve Students' Skills for Interpreting [Superscript 1]H NMR Spectra of Unknown Compounds in an Organic Spectroscopy Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angawi, Rihab F.

2014-01-01

To address third- and fourth-year chemistry students' difficulties with the challenge of interpreting [superscript 1]H NMR spectra, a problem solving-cooperative learning technique was incorporated in a Spectra of Organic Compounds course. Using this approach helped students deepen their understanding of the basics of [superscript 1]H NMR…

Exploring Identities to Deepen Understanding of Urban High School Students' Sexual Health Decision-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brotman, Jennie S.; Mensah, Felicia Moore; Lesko, Nancy

2010-01-01

Sexual health is a controversial science topic that has received little attention in the field of science education, despite its direct relevance to students' lives and communities. Moreover, research from other fields indicates that a great deal remains to be learned about how to make school learning about sexual health influence the real-life…

Drawing Analogies to Deepen Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fava, Michelle

2017-01-01

This article offers examples of how drawing can facilitate thinking skills that promote analogical reasoning to enable deeper learning. The instructional design applies cognitive principles, briefly described here. The workshops were developed iteratively, through feedback from student and teacher participants. Elements of the UK National…

Leveraging Intermediaries to Expand Work-Based Learning. Connecting the Classroom to Careers: The State's Role in Work-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Advance CTE: State Leaders Connecting Learning to Work, 2016

2016-01-01

Work-based learning is an educational strategy that offers students an opportunity to reinforce and deepen their classroom learning, explore future career fields and demonstrate their skills in an authentic setting. Managing work-based learning requires layers of coordination, which is typically done by an individual or organizational…

Radiography Students' Learning: A Literature Review.

PubMed

Holmström, Anneli; Ahonen, Sanna-Mari

2016-01-01

To describe research methodology and findings concerning radiography students' learning. Health sciences databases were searched to perform a traditional narrative literature review. Thirty-five peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2014 were analyzed using thematic analysis. Specific methods of learning were found to be of the most interest. The studies focused primarily on the use and usability of a method or the students' general experiences of it. The most commonly studied methods were e-learning and interprofessional learning, which students perceived as positive methods for theoretical studies and clinical training. Students' learning regarding research was the focus of only one article reporting a wide variety of students' research interests. Most studies reported quantitative research gathered from questionnaires and surveys. Additional research, especially from a qualitative point of view, is needed to deepen the evidence-based knowledge of radiography student learning.

Deepening Learning and Inspiring Rigor: Bridging Academic and Experiential Learning Using a Host Country Approach to a Study Tour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, Susan Orpett; Akande, Yemi Susan; Purdy, R. W.; Nakano, Keiko

2010-01-01

American students are increasingly incorporating study in a foreign country into their college educations, but many participate in short-term programs that limit their engagement with any more than the superficial aspects of the host culture. This article describes a short-term study abroad course for American students to Japan in which the…

Meeting Students Halfway: Increasing Self-Efficacy and Promoting Knowledge Change in Astronomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Janelle M.; Lombardi, Doug; Cordova, Jacqueline R.; Sinatra, Gale M.

2017-01-01

Two motivational factors--self-efficacy and interest--may be especially relevant to deepening students' understanding of astronomy. We examined the relationship between students' self-efficacy for, interest in learning about, and changes in their knowledge of stars, as measured by the Star Properties Concept Inventory (SPCI). Approximately 700…

Collaborative 3D Learning Games for Future Learning: Teachers' Instructional Practices to Enhance Shared Knowledge Construction among Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hämäläinen, Raija; Oksanen, Kimmo

2014-01-01

Collaborative games will enable new kinds of possibilities for learning. In the future, the goal of game-based learning should be to introduce new ideas and deepen learners' in-depth understanding. However, studies have shown that shared high-level knowledge construction is a challenging process. Moreover, thus far, few empirical studies have…

Layering Language and Novel Study Deepens Adolescent Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Jane M.

2012-01-01

This article discusses the pedagogical practices of a middle level English teacher who teaches reading and writing skills creatively and recursively. By providing varied ways for students to construct knowledge and repeatedly grapple with difficult concepts, this teacher sustains an environment of collaborative inquiry whereby students internalize…

Homework Involvement among Hong Kong Primary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tam, Vicky C. W.

2009-01-01

One component of the curriculum reform in Hong Kong focuses on the use of homework in consolidating learning, deepening understanding and constructing knowledge. This study examines the profile of Hong Kong primary school students' homework involvement, and investigates the relationships between time involvement and academic attributes, namely…

Science--It's for the Birds!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treboniak, Lois; Jaworski, Mark

1995-01-01

Describes a project in which 7th and 8th grade students learned lasting lessons about habitat when they built nesting boxes and erected them in a local park. Students deepened their understanding of environmental issues and gained a sense of pride. Includes instructions for building nesting boxes. (NB)

Influences on Peer Evaluation in a Group Project: An Exploration of Leadership, Demographics and Course Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dingel, Molly; Wei, Wei

2014-01-01

Collaborative learning strategies are widely used in higher education to deepen learning, promote team-building skills and achieve course learning objectives. Using peer evaluation is an important strategy to ensure that engaged and active students are rewarded for their efforts, and to discourage loafing within groups. However, less is known…

What Difference Does "Difference" Make? A Discussion with Ethnic Minority Students about Their Learning Experience in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Housee, Shirin

2011-01-01

This article explores the everyday experiences of minority ethnic students at a university in the West Midlands. Based on interviews with 23 second-level students taking Sociology modules, it seeks to highlight the key social, personal and pedagogic issues for this group of minority ethnic students and to deepen understandings of cultural identity…

A Wider Vision of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washor, Elliot

2018-01-01

The Harbor Freight Fellows Initiative gives students who have demonstrated outsized competence in a trade--but who may be struggling in a traditional high school or career and technical education (CTE) program--opportunities to learn a trade with a mentor in a workplace. The author describes how this program requires educators to deepen their…

Impact of interactive online units on learning science among students with learning disabilities and English learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terrazas-Arellanes, Fatima E.; Gallard M., Alejandro J.; Strycker, Lisa A.; Walden, Emily D.

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to document the design, classroom implementation, and effectiveness of interactive online units to enhance science learning over 3 years among students with learning disabilities, English learners, and general education students. Results of a randomised controlled trial with 2,303 middle school students and 71 teachers across 13 schools in two states indicated that online units effectively deepened science knowledge across all three student groups. Comparing all treatment and control students on pretest-to-posttest improvement on standards-based content-specific assessments, there were statistically significant mean differences (17% improvement treatment vs. 6% control; p < .001); no significant interactions were found between treatment condition and learning disability or English learner status, indicating that these two groups performed similarly to their peers; students with learning disabilities had significantly lower assessment scores overall. Teachers and students were moderately satisfied with the units.

Assessing High Impact Practices Using NVivo: An Automated Approach to Analyzing Student Reflections for Program Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blaney, Jennifer; Filer, Kimberly; Lyon, Julie

2014-01-01

Critical reflection allows students to synthesize their learning and deepen their understanding of an experience (Ash & Clayton, 2009). A recommended reflection method is for students to write essays about their experiences. However, on a large scale, such reflection essays become difficult to analyze in a meaningful way. At Roanoke College,…

Raising Awareness of Campus Diversity and Inclusion: Transformationally Teaching Diversity through Narratives of Campus Experiences and Simulated Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Emilly K.; Hearit, Lauren Berkshire; Banerji, Devika; Gettings, Patricia E.; Buzzanell, Patrice M.

2018-01-01

Courses: Organizational Communication, Intercultural Communication. Objectives: This activity encourages students to learn collaboratively about diversity through the sharing of student experiences; deepen and complicate their understanding of organizational diversity; and enhance their ability to apply course material to increasingly complex…

Using Wikis to Develop Collaborative Communities in an Environmental Chemistry Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pence, Laura E.; Pence, Harry E.

2015-01-01

Group construction of wikis in an environmental chemistry course provided an effective framework for students to develop and to manage collaborative communities, characterized by interactive projects designed to deepen learning. A sequence of assignments facilitated improvement of the students' wiki construction and editing skills and these…

Comparing student learning with multiple research-based conceptual surveys: CSEM and BEMA.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollock, S. J.

2008-10-01

We present results demonstrating similar distributions of student scores, and statistically indistinguishable gains on two popular research-based assessment tools: the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA) and the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism(CSEM). To deepen our understanding of student learning in our course environment and of these assessment tools as measures of student learning, we identify systematic trends and differences in results from these two instruments. We investigate correlations of both pre- and post- conceptual scores with other measures including traditional exam scores and course grades, student background (earlier grades), gender, a pretest of scientific reasoning, and tests of attitudes and beliefs about science and learning science. Overall, for practical purposes, we find the BEMA and CSEM are roughly equivalently useful instruments for measuring student learning in our course.

Reflecting on "Project Katrina" and Developmentally Appropriate Practices: A Graduate Student's Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schellhaas, Andree; Burts, Diane C.; Aghayan, Carol

2007-01-01

This article describes the independent study project of a student who was a graduate assistant in a child development laboratory preschool when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast area. Through her experiences with "Project Katrina" she deepens her understanding of developmentally appropriate practices as she learns firsthand about…

Visual Thinking Strategies: Using Art to Deepen Learning across School Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yenawine, Philip

2013-01-01

"What's going on in this picture?" With this one question and a carefully chosen work of art, teachers can start their students down a path toward deeper learning and other skills now encouraged by the Common Core State Standards. The Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) teaching method has been successfully implemented in schools,…

A Project Management Approach to Applying Best Practices to Online CS/MIS Experiential Learning Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwieger, Dana; Surendran, Ken

2015-01-01

The value of experiential learning projects (which are usually major assessments in courses) in education has been touted since the early 1900s (Dewey, 1938). These projects have the potential to deepen students' understanding of course topics by allowing them to put concepts into practice and watch the results develop. However, experiential…

The Distracted Student Mind--Enhancing Its Focus and Attention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosen, Larry D.

2017-01-01

As young people are buffeted by one new communications technology after another, their ability to focus on the present and to learn has been eroding. But taking away their phones only makes them anxious which also impedes their learning. The author suggests a series of strategies that educators can employ to deepen their focus and improve their…

Japanese Culture: Tradition and Change. For Students in Grades Nine through Twelve. Instructional Materials about Japan (IMAJ).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Ray W.; Reeves, William; Settles, Lois; Sheehan, Valerie Henderson; Spellman, Steve

This manual provides suggestions and materials for teaching about Japan. Designed as a supplement to typical textbook treatments, the lessons provide a range of readings, visuals, and activities to enrich and deepen student learning about Japan. Organized around topics dealing with history, geography, government, economics, and culture, the…

Effectiveness of ST Math in College Remedial Mathematics Students Learning of Fraction Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ito, Taro

2017-01-01

This study examined the extent to which the iPad app, Spatial Temporal Mathematics (ST Math), diminished college remedial mathematics students' natural number bias and deepened their fraction conceptual understanding. In this quasi-experimental study one class played the ST Math fraction games for 8 weeks, and they were compared to a control class…

Understanding the Nernst Equation and Other Electrochemical Concepts: An Easy Experimental Approach for Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vidal-Iglesias, Francisco J.; Solla-Gullon, Jose; Rodes, Antonio; Herrero, Enrique; Aldaz, Antonio

2012-01-01

The goal of the present laboratory experiment is to deepen the understanding of the Nernst equation and some other concepts that are essential in electrochemistry. In this practical laboratory session, students first learn that the equilibrium potential of an electrode is related to the difference between two equilibrium inner electric potentials…

Rifts Deepen over Direction of Education Policy in U.S.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeil, Michele

2013-01-01

In statehouses and cities across the country, battles are raging over the direction of education policy--from the standards that will shape what students learn to how test results will be used to judge a teacher's performance. Students and teachers, in passive resistance, are refusing to take and give standardized tests. Protesters have marched to…

Experimenting with wires, batteries, bulbs and the induction coil: Narratives of teaching and learning physics in the electrical investigations of Laura, David, Jamie, myself and the nineteenth century experimenters. Our developments and instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavicchi, Elizabeth Mary

Physics is conventionally taught as a fixed curriculum which students must master. This thesis changes that: curriculum emerges from what learners try and question in experiments they invent. The thesis narrates: three adult students exploring wires, batteries and bulbs with me as teacher; nineteenth century investigations of electromagnetism; my laboratory work replicating historic instruments. In each case, learning arose through activity with materials. Evidences of this are analyzed within narratives and reflections. I used teaching-research, a method developed by Duckworth from Piaget's clinical interviewing, to research and simultaneously extend students' evolving understandings. What I learned through questioning students informed my next interactions; what they learned extended their experimenting. Similarly, I researched historical accounts interactively: improvising experiments to develop my understandings. Studying my own learning deepened my interpretations of students' learning. My students Laura, David and Jamie experimented by: soldering bulbs to wires, making series and parallel circuits, inserting resistive wire that dimmed bulbs, conducting electricity through salt water They noticed bulb brightness and battery heat, compared electricity's paths, questioned how voltage and current relate. They inferred electricity's effects manifest magnitudes of material properties. They found their experiences while learning were inseparable from what they learned. I researched investigations connected with Cavendish's leather fish, Galvani's frogs, Schweigger's wire spiraled around a compass needle, Henry's electromagnets, Faraday's induction ring, induction devices of Page, Callan, Hearder. Experimentally, I made galvanometers, electromagnets, induction rings, induction coil. I observed effects of electromagnetism, internal resistance, induced sparking. Across these investigations, learning developed with instrumental innovations; confusions were productive for further explorations. This thesis has implications for profoundly changing physics instruction. Physics education research seeks to supplant students' 'misconceptions' with correct explanations; by contrast, this thesis shows that students' original thinking provides their beginnings for moving to new understandings. Students and historic experimenters form and reform new, tentative understandings through many engagements with phenomena. As learners' questioning deepens in detail, its inclusiveness broadens. Evolving understandings are unique and consistent with nature. Wonder empowers continued learning. This thesis is a resource to inspire teachers in exploring the many possibilities within their learning, their students' learning, and physical phenomena.

Working to Learn, Learning to Work: Unlocking the Potential of New York's Adult College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilliard, Tom; Schimke, Karen, Ed.; Bowles, Jonathan, Ed.

2007-01-01

The vitality of New York State's economy depends on deepening the ranks of the skilled workforce, a need that will grow more urgent over the next several years as the Baby Boomer generation moves into retirement. If employers cannot fill high-skilled positions they will lose competitive ground, and some may leave. New York has successfully…

Constructive Use of Authoritative Sources in Science Meaning-making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeo, Jennifer; Chee Tan, Seng

2010-09-01

Researchers are skeptical about the role of authoritative sources of information in a constructivist learning environment for fear of usurping students' critical thinking. Taking a social semiotics perspective in this study, authoritative sources are regarded as inscriptions of cultural artifacts, and science learning involves meaning-making of these cultural artifacts. In studying the meaning-making process of a group of students doing problem-based learning (PBL), our findings show that authoritative sources played an important role in deepening and expanding students' scientific knowledge. We also found that constructive use of authoritative sources involves interpretation of meaning in context. This structural coupling of authoritative sources and context for meaningful sense-making has to be taken into consideration in the design of learning environment.

Making STEM Connections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stump, Sheryl L.; Bryan, Joel A.; McConnell, Tom J.

2016-01-01

Integrated approaches to education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), especially those set in the context of real-world situations, can motivate and deepen students' learning of the STEM subjects (National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council 2014). This article describes two integrated investigations used…

Task Complexity, Student Perceptions of Vocabulary Learning in EFL, and Task Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Xiaoli; Lowyck, Joost; Sercu, Lies; Elen, Jan

2013-01-01

Background: The study deepened our understanding of how students' self-ef?cacy beliefs contribute to the context of teaching English as a foreign language in the framework of cognitive mediational paradigm at a ?ne-tuned task-speci?c level. Aim: The aim was to examine the relationship among task complexity, self-ef?cacy beliefs, domain-related…

Teaching to the Core: Integrating Implementation of Common Core and Teacher Effectiveness Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiener, Ross

2013-01-01

The purpose of the Common Core State Standards is to prepare students to succeed in college and career pursuits. To that end, the Common Core calls on teachers to focus on deepening students' understanding of what they're learning, enhancing their problem-solving skills, and improving their ability to communicate ideas. At the same time, states…

Assessing Vertical Development in Experiential Learning Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spence, Kirsty K.; McDonald, Mark A.

2015-01-01

For 30 years, management educators have supported competency-based management education (CBME). When applying CBME, educators stimulate students' "lateral development", known as the acquisition of subject-specific knowledge and competencies that deepen their current perceptions and task performance. We contend CBME is necessary but not…

What students learn about professionalism from faculty stories: an "appreciative inquiry" approach.

PubMed

Quaintance, Jennifer L; Arnold, Louise; Thompson, George S

2010-01-01

To develop a method for teaching professionalism by enabling students and faculty members to share positive examples of professionalism in a comfortable environment that reflects the authentic experiences of physicians. Medical educators struggle with the teaching of professionalism. Professionalism definitions can guide what they teach, but they must also consider how they teach it, and constructs such as explicit role modeling, situated learning, and appreciative inquiry provide appropriate models. The project consisted of students interviewing faculty members about their experiences with professionalism and then reflecting on and writing about the teachers' stories. In 2004, 62 students interviewed 33 faculty members, and 193 students observed the interviews. Using a project Web site, 36 students wrote 132 narratives based on the faculty's stories, and each student offered his or her reflections on one narrative. The authors analyzed the content of the narratives and reflections via an iterative process of independent coding and discussion to resolve disagreements. Results showed that the narratives were rich and generally positive; they illustrated a broad range of the principles contained in many definitions of professionalism: humanism, accountability, altruism, and excellence. The students' reflections demonstrated awareness of the same major principles of professionalism that the faculty conveyed. The reflections served to spark new ideas about professionalism, reinforce the values of professionalism, deepen students' relationships with the faculty, and heighten students' commitment to behaving professionally. Narrative storytelling, as a variant of appreciative inquiry, seems to be effective in deepening students' understanding and appreciation of professionalism.

'I now have a visual image in my mind and it is something I will never forget': an analysis of an arts-informed approach to health professions ethics education.

PubMed

Kinsella, Elizabeth Anne; Bidinosti, Susan

2016-05-01

This paper reports on a study of an arts informed approach to ethics education in a health professions education context. The purpose of this study was to investigate students' reported learning experiences as a result of engagement with an arts-informed project in a health professions' ethics course. A hermeneutic phenomenological methodological approach was adopted for the study. The data were collected over 5 years, and involved analysis of 234 occupational therapy students' written reflections on learning. Phenomenological methods were used. Five key themes were identified with respect to students' reported learning including: becoming aware of values, (re) discovering creativity, coming to value reflection in professional life, deepening self-awareness, and developing capacities to imagine future practices. There appear to be a number of unique ways in which arts-informed approaches can contribute to health professions education including: activating imaginative engagement, fostering interpretive capacity, inspiring transformative understandings, offering new ways of knowing, deepening reflection, and heightening consciousness, while also enriching the inner life of practitioners. Innovative approaches are being used to introduce arts-informed practices in health professions curricula programs. The findings point to the promise of arts-informed approaches for advancing health sciences education.

An Exploration of Changes in Thinking in the Transition from Student Teacher to Newly Qualified Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haggarty, Linda; Postlethwaite, Keith

2012-01-01

For newly qualified teachers (NQTs), the induction period of support is an important phase which has the potential to deepen learning that has already taken place in initial teacher education (ITE) as well as preparing the NQT for future learning. A particularly crucial time in the induction process is the first term of teaching, when NQTs are…

Deepening Literacy Learning: Art and Literature Engagements in K-8 Classrooms. Teaching--Learning Indigenous, Intercultural Worldviews: International Perspectives on Social Justice and Human Rights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reilly, Mary Ann; Gangi, Jane M.; Cohen, Rob

2010-01-01

This book is a wonderful blending of methodologies. This juxtaposition of art and literature serves as an instrument for teachers to inspire their students to create, critique, compare and predict, all higher-level intellectual behaviors, while composing across symbol systems. The work contains detailed classroom transcripts of strategies that…

Why internet-based education?

PubMed Central

Gernsbacher, Morton Ann

2015-01-01

This essay illustrates five ways that Internet-based higher education can capitalize on fundamental principles of learning. Internet-based education can enable better mastery through distributed (shorter, more frequent) practice rather than massed (longer, less frequent) practice; it can optimize performance because it allows students to learn at their peak time of their day; it can deepen memory because it requires cheat-proof assignments and tests; it can promote critical thinking because it necessitates intellectual winnowing and sifting; and it can enhance writing skills by requiring students to write frequently and for a broad audience. PMID:25653625

Why internet-based education?

PubMed

Gernsbacher, Morton Ann

2014-01-01

This essay illustrates five ways that Internet-based higher education can capitalize on fundamental principles of learning. Internet-based education can enable better mastery through distributed (shorter, more frequent) practice rather than massed (longer, less frequent) practice; it can optimize performance because it allows students to learn at their peak time of their day; it can deepen memory because it requires cheat-proof assignments and tests; it can promote critical thinking because it necessitates intellectual winnowing and sifting; and it can enhance writing skills by requiring students to write frequently and for a broad audience.

Medical Student Perspectives of Active Learning: A Focus Group Study.

PubMed

Walling, Anne; Istas, Kathryn; Bonaminio, Giulia A; Paolo, Anthony M; Fontes, Joseph D; Davis, Nancy; Berardo, Benito A

2017-01-01

Phenomenon: Medical student perspectives were sought about active learning, including concerns, challenges, perceived advantages and disadvantages, and appropriate role in the educational process. Focus groups were conducted with students from all years and campuses of a large U.S. state medical school. Students had considerable experience with active learning prior to medical school and conveyed accurate understanding of the concept and its major strategies. They appreciated the potential of active learning to deepen and broaden learning and its value for long-term professional development but had significant concerns about the efficiency of the process, the clarity of expectations provided, and the importance of receiving preparatory materials. Most significantly, active learning experiences were perceived as disconnected from grading and even as impeding preparation for school and national examinations. Insights: Medical students understand the concepts of active learning and have considerable experience in several formats prior to medical school. They are generally supportive of active learning concepts but frustrated by perceived inefficiencies and lack of contribution to the urgencies of achieving optimal grades and passing United States Medical Licensing Examinations, especially Step 1.

Using Writing in Mathematics to Deepen Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urquhart, Vicki

2009-01-01

Writing is the ability to compose text effectively for different purposes and audiences. When many of us reflect on our own school experiences, we recall writing in English and history classes, but not in mathematics. Math classes previously relied on skill-building and conceptual understanding activities. Today, teachers are realizing that…

Expanding the Caring Lens: Nursing and Medical Students Reflecting on Images of Older People.

PubMed

Brand, Gabrielle; Miller, Karen; Saunders, Rosemary; Dugmore, Helen; Etherton-Beer, Christopher

2016-01-01

In changing higher education environments, health profession's educators have been increasingly challenged to prepare future health professionals to care for aging populations. This article reports on an exploratory, mixed-method research study that used an innovative photo-elicitation technique and interprofessional small-group work in the classroom to enhance the reflective learning experience of medical and nursing students. Data were collected from pre- and postquestionnaires and focus groups to explore shifts in perceptions toward older persons following the reflective learning session. The qualitative data revealed how using visual images of older persons provides a valuable learning space for reflection. Students found meaning in their own learning by creating shared storylines that challenged their perceptions of older people and themselves as future health professionals. These data support the use of visual methodologies to enhance engagement, reflection, and challenge students to explore and deepen their understanding in gerontology.

Using an academic-community partnership model and blended learning to advance community health nursing pedagogy.

PubMed

Ezeonwu, Mabel; Berkowitz, Bobbie; Vlasses, Frances R

2014-01-01

This article describes a model of teaching community health nursing that evolved from a long-term partnership with a community with limited existing health programs. The partnership supported RN-BSN students' integration in the community and resulted in reciprocal gains for faculty, students and community members. Community clients accessed public health services as a result of the partnership. A blended learning approach that combines face-to-face interactions, service learning and online activities was utilized to enhance students' learning. Following classroom sessions, students actively participated in community-based educational process through comprehensive health needs assessments, planning and implementation of disease prevention and health promotion activities for community clients. Such active involvement in an underserved community deepened students' awareness of the fundamentals of community health practice. Students were challenged to view public health from a broader perspective while analyzing the impacts of social determinants of health on underserved populations. Through asynchronous online interactions, students synthesized classroom and community activities through critical thinking. This paper describes a model for teaching community health nursing that informs students' learning through blended learning, and meets the demands for community health nursing services delivery. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Dutch care innovation units in elderly care: A qualitative study into students' perspectives and workplace conditions for learning.

PubMed

Snoeren, Miranda; Volbeda, Patricia; Niessen, Theo J H; Abma, Tineke A

2016-03-01

To promote workplace learning for staff as well as students, a partnership was formed between a residential care organisation for older people and several nursing faculties in the Netherlands. This partnership took the form of two care innovation units; wards where qualified staff, students and nurse teachers collaborate to integrate care, education, innovation and research. In this article, the care innovation units as learning environments are studied from a student perspective to deepen understandings concerning the conditions that facilitate learning. A secondary analysis of focus groups, held with 216 nursing students over a period of five years, revealed that students are satisfied about the units' learning potential, which is formed by various inter-related and self-reinforcing affordances: co-constructive learning and working, challenging situations and activities, being given responsibility and independence, and supportive and recognisable learning structures. Time constraints had a negative impact on the units' learning potential. It is concluded that the learning potential of the care innovation units was enhanced by realising certain conditions, like learning structures and activities. The learning potential was also influenced, however, by the non-controllable and dynamic interaction of various elements within the context. Suggestions for practice and further research are offered. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peer-Teaching in the Secondary Music Ensemble

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Erik

2015-01-01

Peer-teaching is an instructional technique that has been used by teachers world-wide to successfully engage, exercise and deepen student learning. Yet, in some instances, teachers find the application of peer-teaching in large music ensembles at the secondary level to be daunting. This article is meant to be a practical resource for secondary…

Uncovering Teacher Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ackerman, Richard; Mackenzie, Sarah V.

2006-01-01

Teacher leaders are the pack mules of effective school improvement because they carry the weight of responsibility for ensuring that reforms take root in the classroom and deepen the learning of all students. They continually think about the gap in schools between the real and the ideal, and the discrepancies that they witness compel them to push…

Navigating Leadership Complexity Through Critical, Creative, and Practical Thinking.

PubMed

Pigza, Jennifer M

2015-01-01

Leadership education that intentionally addresses critical, creative, and practical thinking enhances significant learning for students and deepens the leadership practices of educators. This chapter explores specific applications in the areas of graduate leadership education, action research, service immersion program, and advising conversations. Additionally, it presents a framework of pathways to social change and suggests how such a framework can be useful to students and leadership educators. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Beginning literacy: links among teacher knowledge, teacher practice, and student learning.

PubMed

McCutchen, Deborah; Abbott, Robert D; Green, Laura B; Beretvas, S Natasha; Cox, Susanne; Potter, Nina S; Quiroga, Teresa; Gray, Audra L

2002-01-01

Although the importance of phonological awareness has been discussed widely in the research literature, the concept is not well understood by many classroom teachers. In the study described here, we worked with groups of kindergarten and first-grade teachers (the experimental group) during a 2-week summer institute and throughout the school year. We shared with them research about learning disabilities and effective instruction, stressing the importance of explicit instruction in phonological and orthographic awareness. We followed the experimental group and a control group into their classrooms for a year, assessing teachers' classroom practices and their students' (n = 779) learning. The study yielded three major findings: We can deepen teachers' own knowledge of the role of phonological and orthographic information in literacy instruction; teachers can use that knowledge to change classroom practice; and changes in teacher knowledge and classroom practice can improve student learning.

Entering Into Suffering: Becoming a Transformed and Transforming Healer.

PubMed

Gaudino, Rebecca; Braband, Barbara; Rogers, Anissa

Learning how to respond to suffering is a significant challenge for healthcare providers. This interdisciplinary paper relays a Pedagogy of Suffering Model, based on research following a suffering interview project with undergraduate nursing students. The model is compared to the Gospel account of an encounter between Jesus and a Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30), supporting biblical and theological soundness of the model's transformative tasks for learning how to respond to suffering. The model can guide development of learning experiences that deepen understanding of compassionate interventions for those who suffer.

Knowledge Management Implementation in the School Context: Case Studies on Knowledge Leadership, Storytelling, and Taxonomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Eric C. K.; Wu, S. W.; Hu, Jim

2017-01-01

Teachers and school administrators in Hong Kong have had to cope with more work and performance pressure as they strive to implement educational reforms aimed at deepening students' life-long learning skills. Management systems, which save time and transfer ideas, experiences, and knowledge more efficiently could help schools meet reform goals and…

[Science of Meridians, Collaterals and Acupoints--Exploration on teaching method of meridian syndromes].

PubMed

Wang, Yinping; Zhang, Zongquan; Wang, Wenlin; Yuan, Limin

2015-04-01

Meridian syndromes are the required basic knowledge for mastering Science of Meridians, Collaterals and Acupoints but have not brought the adequate attention on the teaching program. The writers discovered' that the content of this section occupied a decisive role for developing the students' clinical thinking ability and, stimulating their interests to learn classical TCM theories. It's necessary to enhance the importance on meridian syndromes during teaching program. The teaching program was discussed in three aspects, named workshop pattern, competitive pattern and multimedia pattern. This teaching method may improve students' interests in the study on classical TCM theories, deepen the understanding on knowledge and motivate students' learning autonomy so that the teaching quality can be improved.

Implementing an interdisciplinary intergenerational program using the Cyber Seniors® reverse mentoring model within higher education.

PubMed

Leedahl, Skye N; Brasher, Melanie Sereny; Estus, Erica; Breck, Bethany M; Dennis, Cory B; Clark, Samantha C

2018-01-24

Intergenerational service-learning in higher education positively affects older adults and students, but little is known about the effectiveness of interdisciplinary, reverse mentoring programs that use technology as the medium of bringing generations together. This study describes an intergenerational service-learning program that utilizes reverse mentoring within higher education, the "Engaging Generations Program," at a midsized public university in New England where students help older adults learn about technology, and students gain communication and teaching skills. In this article, we outline how the program was implemented, present quantitative data on participation outcomes for students and older adults and qualitative data from older adults, and discuss best practices. Analysis of pre/post surveys found that students' attitudes toward aging improved (p < 0.01) and older adults interest in technology improved (p < 0.05) after program participation. Best practices identified included: multiple meetings with the same pair to deepen friendships, in-person training for student leaders, student responsibility for scheduling, tailoring sessions to each participant, student documentation of meetings, and active involvement by community partners.

Research by Design: Design-Based Research and the Higher Degree Research student

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy-Clark, Shannon

2013-01-01

Design-based research lends itself to educational research as the aim of this approach is to develop and refine the design of artefacts, tools and curriculum and to advance existing theory or develop new theories that can support and lead to a deepened understanding of learning. This paper provides an overview of the potential benefits of using a…

English as a "Global Language" in China: An Investigation into Learners' and Teachers' Language Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pan, Lin; Block, David

2011-01-01

This paper discusses issues related to language beliefs held by teachers and students of English in China; namely, the status of English, the learners' expectations of English and the focus of English teaching and learning in China. These beliefs are examined in the context of globalization and China's ever-deepening integration into the global…

Learning and Teaching in WANDA Wiki Wonderland: Literature Circles in the Digital Commons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreillon, Judi

2009-01-01

In the 2007-2008 school year, Jennifer Hunt, language arts teacher for the 8th grade pre-Advanced Placement class wondered how she could harness the power of Web 2.0 tools to develop her students' literacy skills and deepen their engagement with literature and ideas. To that end, she wrote a successful Qwest Arizona Technology in Education…

Effective Ways to Promote Word Power with Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Harry B.

2012-01-01

Most of us recall with pain the unpleasant experiences associated with the teacher's announcement that we would once again initiate a unit of learning designed to both widen and deepen our knowledge of the words of our language. This was said to establish the foundation for all of our future academic pursuits. A strong vocabulary was said to be a…

``Orion, I Don't Love You'': The Astronomical Legacy of Carl Sandburg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricca, B.

2013-04-01

Can poetry provide an accurate means of representing the scientific universe? This paper looks at the astronomical poetry of Carl Sandburg and how the poet employs a scientific framework to deepen his work. Sandburg's method is then compared to a class project of middle school students who use his poetry (and their own) to learn and understand astronomical facts.

FísicActiva: applying active learning strategies to a large engineering lecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auyuanet, Adriana; Modzelewski, Helena; Loureiro, Silvia; Alessandrini, Daniel; Míguez, Marina

2018-01-01

This paper presents and analyses the results obtained by applying Active Learning techniques in overcrowded Physics lectures at the University of the Republic, Uruguay. The course referred to is Physics 1, the first Physics course that all students of the Faculty of Engineering take in their first semester for all the Engineering-related careers. Qualitative and quantitative data corresponding to three semesters are shown and discussed, indicating that the students that attended these lectures outperformed the students that followed the course in the traditional way: the pass rates increased, whereas the failure rates decreased. The students highly valued this methodology, in particular, the interactive and relaxed dynamics, highlighting the concern of professors to answer questions by means of new questions so as to promote reasoning. The results obtained point to a work path that deserves to be deepened and extended to other Engineering courses.

Active learning in a large-enrollment introductory biology class: Problem solving, formative feedback, and teaching as learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robison, Diane F.

The purpose of this study was to take a case study approach to exploring student learning experiences in a large enrollment introductory biology class. Traditionally such classes are taught through the lecture method with limited instructor-student interaction and minimal student-centered learning (Lewis & Woodward, 1984; Wulff, Nyqst, & Abbott, 1987). Biology 120 taught at Brigham Young University winter semester 2006 by John Bell was chosen as the case for the study due to its large enrollment (263) and its innovative pedagogy. In the classroom, students applied their learning through a variety of student-centered activities including solving problems, discussing concepts with peers, drawing diagrams, and voting. Outside of the classroom students were assigned, in addition to reading from the textbook and homework problems, to teach each week's concepts to another student. Formative feedback was emphasized in classroom activities and through a unique assessment system. Students took self-graded weekly assessments designed to provide regular and timely feedback on their performance. The only traditionally-graded assessment was the final exam. Students were expected to understand, apply, and think analytically with their knowledge and this was reflected in the assessment items. Student learning, as measured by a pretest and a posttest, increased from an average of 44% correct to 77% correct on a set of 22 items common to both tests. Responses to pre and post-surveys indicated that students increased in their orientation towards understanding as apposed to grades during the course. Qualitative data suggested that during the course many students deepened their learning approach and increased in feelings of personal control over their learning.

Little people, big lessons: an innovative strategy to develop interpersonal skills in undergraduate nursing students.

PubMed

Reid Searl, Kerry; McAllister, Margaret; Dwyer, Trudy; Krebs, Katrina Lane; Anderson, Carina; Quinney, Loretto; McLellan, Sandy

2014-09-01

Learning the skills of child health nursing requires more than technical skill development. Humanistic attributes such as being genuine, accepting and empathic are imperative in gaining the trust of a child and in helping them feel comforted and safe in a health care setting. Interpersonal theory has a long history in nursing and numerous contemporary theories have drawn on the seminal work of Peplau to advance nursing practice. However, rarely has this theory been applied to simulation learning. This paper reports on an innovative simulation technique that blends interpersonal theory with puppets. Qualitative evaluation using focus group method with fifteen undergraduate nursing students revealed that the pedagogy had a positive impact on characteristics of the learner, the learning process and on interpersonal communication skills development. The study deepened insights about the educative process and led to learning impacts that suggest that puppet-based learning is a powerful medium to bridge theory and practice, bringing the importance of interpersonal theory to life for students. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changing teaching techniques and adapting new technologies to improve student learning in an introductory meteorology and climate course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutrim, E. M.; Rudge, D.; Kits, K.; Mitchell, J.; Nogueira, R.

2006-06-01

Responding to the call for reform in science education, changes were made in an introductory meteorology and climate course offered at a large public university. These changes were a part of a larger project aimed at deepening and extending a program of science content courses that model effective teaching strategies for prospective middle school science teachers. Therefore, revisions were made to address misconceptions about meteorological phenomena, foster deeper understanding of key concepts, encourage engagement with the text, and promote inquiry-based learning. Techniques introduced include: use of a flash cards, student reflection questionnaires, writing assignments, and interactive discussions on weather and forecast data using computer technology such as Integrated Data Viewer (IDV). The revision process is described in a case study format. Preliminary results (self-reflection by the instructor, surveys of student opinion, and measurements of student achievement), suggest student learning has been positively influenced. This study is supported by three grants: NSF grant No. 0202923, the Unidata Equipment Award, and the Lucia Harrison Endowment Fund.

Professional Identity Development Through Service Learning: A Qualitative Study of First-Year Medical Students Volunteering at a Medical Specialty Camp.

PubMed

Beck, Jimmy; Chretien, Katherine; Kind, Terry

2015-11-01

To describe the experience of medical students volunteering at a camp for children with a variety of medical conditions. Rising second-year medical students who had served as counselors for 1 week at a medical specialty camp were invited to participate. We conducted a 2-part qualitative study using on-site focus groups and follow-up individual interviews. Nine medical students participated. Students described their experience as motivating and career reinforcing. It helped them "move beyond the textbook" and deepened their commitment to serving future patients with compassion. One theme that emerged was the idea that their camp experience fostered the development of their professional identities. A 1-week, immersive community service experience at a medical specialty camp played a role in influencing the early formative professional identities of rising second-year medical students. Medical schools could use camps as a promising community service-learning experiences to foster professional identity. © The Author(s) 2015.

Preceptors' conceptions of a peer learning model: A phenomenographic study.

PubMed

Nygren, Frida; Carlson, Elisabeth

2017-02-01

During the past few years nurses precepting undergraduate nursing students have been put under greater pressure because of increased number of students admitted to the universities combined with a shortage of clinical placements. One solution is the preceptor model peer learning where two students are tutored by the same preceptor simultaneously. The aim of this study was to describe the variation of registered nurses' conceptions of preceptorship in a peer learning model for undergraduate nursing students. The study used a qualitative descriptive design and a phenomenographic approach. The interviews took place at somatic and psychiatric units at two different hospitals in southern Sweden. Twelve informants participated who had worked as registered nurses between 1-17years and acted as peer learning preceptors between 2month and 6years. Each nurse was interviewed individually using a semi structured interview guide. Follow up questions were used to make the informants develop and deepen their answers. Four different descriptive categories emerged in the study: 1) Preceptorship in peer learning generates development and new perspectives 2) Preceptorship in peer learning enables student reflection and independence 3) Preceptorship in peer learning engenders insufficiency and stress 4) Preceptorship in peer learning requires education and support. The result of this study showed that preceptors conceived that peer learning enabled them to take a step back which gave them a new role and perspectives. The consequence was that the students could be more independent which saved time for some of the preceptors. However, some preceptors perceived insufficiency and stress while working with two students. It is also important to educate both students and preceptors to optimise the use of peer learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Students as teachers in an anatomy dissection course.

PubMed

Salomäki, Tiina; Laakkonen, Juha; Ruohoniemi, Mirja

2014-01-01

One way to improve students' learning outcomes and well-being is to change teaching practices to allow students to become more active participants. We used an anatomy dissection course to test a cooperative group work method in which first-year veterinary students took turns leading their peer group and were each responsible for teaching the anatomy of a particular topographic region. The important blood vessels, lymphatic system, and nerves of each region of the body were covered. Students felt that exploration of the entire topographic region helped them to acquire a comprehensive understanding of the respiratory apparatus and the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Assigning individual tasks to each group member resulted in sharing the workload equally. Open-ended comments revealed that support from other group members was important for the students' learning experience, but the results also offered insight into a lack of constructive criticism. While teaching was considered challenging, and even a stress factor that hindered learning for some students, group work was generally held to be supportive of learning. The results suggest that more thorough instruction of students in their group work and in their individual tasks is required. Some students experienced difficulty in expressing their concerns openly and in seeking guidance from teachers, demonstrating the need for further investigation regarding students' self-regulation skills. Comments from the open-ended responses suggest that use of a cooperative learning method in anatomy dissection courses not only deepens student understanding of a subject but also offers first-year students an opportunity to practice the generic skills that will be needed in their future profession.

Widening and Deepening Questions in Web-Based Investigative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kashihara, Akihiro; Akiyama, Naoto

2016-01-01

Web allows learners to investigate any question with a great variety of Web resources, in which they could construct a wider, and deeper knowledge. In such investigative learning process, it is important for them to deepen and widen the question, which involves decomposing the question into the sub-questions to be further investigated. This…

Focusing on the Processes of Science Using Inquiry-oriented Astronomy Labs for Learning Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speck, Angela; Ruzhitskaya, L.; Whittington, A.; Witzig, S.

2010-01-01

The U.S. National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science through inquiry, where students actively develop their understanding of science by combining scientific knowledge with reasoning and thinking skills. Inquiry activities include reading scientific literature, generating hypotheses, designing and carrying out investigations, interpreting data, and formulating conclusions. Inquiry-based instruction emphasizes questions, evidence, and explanation, the essential features of inquiry. We present two projects designed to develop learning materials for laboratory experiences in an undergraduate astronomy course. First, we engage students in inquiry-based learning by using "mini-journal” articles that follow the format of a scientific journal article, including a title, authors, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion and citations to peer-reviewed literature. The mini-journal provides a scaffold and serves as a springboard for students to develop and carry out their own follow-up investigation. They then present their findings in the form of their own mini-journal. This mini-journal format more directly reflects and encourages scientific practice. We use this technique in both introductory and upper level courses. The second project develops 3D virtual reality environments to help students interact with scientific constructs, and the use of collaborative learning tools to motivate student activity, deepen understanding and support knowledge building.

Student Decision-Making about a Globally Familiar Socioscientific Issue: The value of sharing and comparing views with international counterparts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grace, Marcus; Chung Lee, Yeung; Asshoff, Roman; Wallin, Anita

2015-07-01

This paper focuses on the views of 16-17-year-old science students from England, Germany, Hong Kong and Sweden on whale hunting, and their perceptions of the views of their international counterparts. The students were all provided with the same decision-making task, discussed the issue in small groups and then presented their views on video, which were shared with their counterparts. The findings show that the decision-making task served to deepen and modify students' views across all nationalities, and the students generally valued and learned from the sharing of views with students of the same age from around the world. However, an important discovery was that the German students' opinions often ran counter to those from the other 3 locations, and the paper cautions against making broad-sweeping generalisations about students' views on socioscientific issues.

Undergraduate student nurses' perspectives of an integrated clinical learning model in the mental health environment.

PubMed

Boardman, Gayelene; Lawrence, Karen; Polacsek, Meg

2018-06-13

Providing nursing students with appropriate clinical practice during their undergraduate programme is critical to ensuring that graduates meet the competency requirements to gain registration as a nurse. In response to the predicted nursing workforce shortage, universities have been significantly increasing the enrolment of undergraduate nurses into Bachelor of Nursing courses. This has placed a demand on the availability of clinical placements and often universities struggle to find appropriate places. In this study, a Bachelor of Nursing course incorporated an Integrated Clinical Learning Model (ICLM) for the first time during a mental health placement. The model offered students the flexibility of attending their clinical placement over a 16-week period instead of a traditional block of 4 weeks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the student perspective of this model and whether it prepared them for the nursing workforce. Focus groups were conducted with undergraduate nursing students following their mental health clinical placement at an acute and extended care inpatient unit. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Main themes included preparedness for practice, maintaining a work-life balance, and perceiving they were part of a team. The ICLM deepened students' knowledge and had a positive impact on their overall clinical learning. © 2018 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Student perceptions of a spiral curriculum.

PubMed

Coelho, C S; Moles, D R

2016-08-01

The aim of this study was evaluation of constructive alignment of student perceptions to a spiral curriculum, as a pre-requisite to successful learning. A survey was undertaken to evaluate student thoughts and experiences of a spiral curriculum, by participation in an anonymous voluntary questionnaire. Students were asked to rate their thoughts on their understanding, perceived benefit of and confusion with their spiral curriculum at the current time and retrospectively during previous years, and to answer free-text questions on the impact, effects on learning and future suggestions for their spiral curriculum. Sixty (86%) students completed the questionnaire. Understanding the spiral curriculum worked enhanced with time, with the benefit of the spiral curriculum being felt more conclusively in the latter years, and the majority of students not being confused by the spiral curriculum. Those students who were most confused by the spiral curriculum were the ones who were least likely to appreciate its benefits. The opportunity for consolidation of previously visited knowledge was a perceived predominant advantage, with re-visitation of topics helping to deepen understanding and learning. Clarity on the depth of knowledge at each stage prevents information overload. A spiral curriculum must spiral and not be a repetition of previously delivered topics. This study provided insights into students' perceptions of an integrated spiral curriculum, and whilst predominantly positive, there are challenges to enhance the student experience. The spiral curriculum provides an opportunity to revisit and consolidate learning to the apparent benefit of the student. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Crossing the Border from Science Student to Science Teacher: Preservice Teachers' Views and Experiences Learning to Teach Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Emily J. S.; Bianchini, Julie A.; Kelly, Gregory J.

2013-04-01

Preservice science teachers face numerous challenges in understanding and teaching science as inquiry. Over the course of their teacher education program, they are expected to move from veteran science students with little experience learning their discipline through inquiry instruction to beginning science teachers adept at implementing inquiry in their own classrooms. In this study, we used Aikenhead's (Sci Educ 81: 217-238, 1997, Science Educ 85:180-188, 2001) notion of border crossing to describe this transition preservice teachers must make from science student to science teacher. We examined what one cohort of eight preservice secondary science teachers said, did, and wrote as they both conducted a two-part inquiry investigation and designed an inquiry lesson plan. We conducted two types of qualitative analyses. One, we drew from Costa (Sci Educ 79: 313-333, 1995) to group our preservice teacher participants into one of four types of potential science teachers. Two, we identified successes and struggles in preservice teachers' attempts to negotiate the cultural border between veteran student and beginning teacher. In our implications, we argue that preservice teachers could benefit from explicit opportunities to navigate the border between learning and teaching science; such opportunities could deepen their conceptions of inquiry beyond those exclusively fashioned as either student or teacher.

Integrating Scientific Argumentation to Improve Undergraduate Writing and Learning in a Global Environmental Change Course

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koffman, Bess G.; Kreutz, Karl J.; Trenbath, Kim

We present a strategy for using scientific argumentation in an early undergraduate laboratory course to teach disciplinary writing practices and to promote critical thinking, knowledge transformation, and understanding of the scientific method. The approach combines targeted writing instruction; data analysis and interpretation; formulation of a hypothesis; and construction of an argument. Students submit and receive feedback on two drafts of two different argumentation essays, providing the opportunity for guided practice. Each written argument is intended to draw on several weeks' course material, including short lectures, discussions, readings, and problem sets. Thus our aim with these writing assignments is to helpmore » students synthesize content and concepts, deepening their learning. We have found that this inquiry-based approach to writing engages students in course material, and significantly improves both writing and learning. We observed the greatest improvement among students with the lowest initial scores, suggesting that lower-achieving students benefitted disproportionately from this approach. Students have responded positively to the use of writing in the course, many stating on course evaluations that this is the first time they have received instruction in scientific writing. They have also pointed to a greater 'big-picture' understanding of the course gained through writing. We describe the course and our curriculum, and provide suggestions for implementation as well as rubrics used to evaluate problem sets and student argumentation essays.« less

Placing Elementary Music Education: A Case Study of a Canadian Rural Music Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brook, Julia

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to explore how one rural elementary music programme deepens students' sense of place. Place-based educational research has explored the implementation of such programme in the areas of social studies and visual arts, however, more research is needed to examine how music education can deepen students' sense of…

Task complexity, student perceptions of vocabulary learning in EFL, and task performance.

PubMed

Wu, Xiaoli; Lowyck, Joost; Sercu, Lies; Elen, Jan

2013-03-01

The study deepened our understanding of how students' self-efficacy beliefs contribute to the context of teaching English as a foreign language in the framework of cognitive mediational paradigm at a fine-tuned task-specific level. The aim was to examine the relationship among task complexity, self-efficacy beliefs, domain-related prior knowledge, learning strategy use, and task performance as they were applied to English vocabulary learning from reading tasks. Participants were 120 second-year university students (mean age 21) from a Chinese university. This experiment had two conditions (simple/complex). A vocabulary level test was first conducted to measure participants' prior knowledge of English vocabulary. Participants were then randomly assigned to one of the learning tasks. Participants were administered task booklets together with the self-efficacy scales, measures of learning strategy use, and post-tests. Data obtained were submitted to multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and path analysis. Results from the MANOVA model showed a significant effect of vocabulary level on self-efficacy beliefs, learning strategy use, and task performance. Task complexity showed no significant effect; however, an interaction effect between vocabulary level and task complexity emerged. Results from the path analysis showed self-efficacy beliefs had an indirect effect on performance. Our results highlighted the mediating role of self-efficacy beliefs and learning strategy use. Our findings indicate that students' prior knowledge plays a crucial role on both self-efficacy beliefs and task performance, and the predictive power of self-efficacy on task performance may lie in its association with learning strategy use. © 2011 The British Psychological Society.

A blended learning concept for an engineering course in the field of color representation and display technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vauderwange, Oliver; Wozniak, Peter; Javahiraly, Nicolas; Curticapean, Dan

2016-09-01

The Paper presents the design and development of a blended learning concept for an engineering course in the field of color representation and display technologies. A suitable learning environment is crucial for the success of the teaching scenario. A mixture of theoretical lectures and hands-on activities with practical applications and experiments, combined with the advantages of modern digital media is the main topic of the paper. Blended learning describes the didactical change of attendance periods and online periods. The e-learning environment for the online period is designed toward an easy access and interaction. Present digital media extends the established teaching scenarios and enables the presentation of videos, animations and augmented reality (AR). Visualizations are effective tools to impart learning contents with lasting effect. The preparation and evaluation of the theoretical lectures and the hands-on activities are stimulated and affects positively the attendance periods. The tasks and experiments require the students to work independently and to develop individual solution strategies. This engages and motivates the students, deepens the knowledge. The authors will present their experience with the implemented blended learning scenario in this field of optics and photonics. All aspects of the learning environment will be introduced.

Medical students' professionalism narratives: a window on the informal and hidden curriculum.

PubMed

Karnieli-Miller, Orit; Vu, T Robert; Holtman, Matthew C; Clyman, Stephen G; Inui, Thomas S

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to use medical students' critical incident narratives to deepen understanding of the informal and hidden curricula. The authors conducted a thematic analysis of 272 stories of events recorded by 135 third-year medical students that "taught them something about professionalism and professional values." Students wrote these narratives in a "professionalism journal" during their internal medicine clerkships at Indiana University School of Medicine, June through November 2007. The majority of students' recorded experiences involved witnessing positive embodiment of professional values, rather than breaches. Attending physicians and residents were the central figures in the incidents. Analyses revealed two main thematic categories. The first focused on medical-clinical interactions, especially on persons who were role models interacting with patients, families, coworkers, and colleagues. The second focused on events in the teaching-and-learning environment, particularly on students' experiences as learners in the clinical setting. The findings strongly suggest that students' reflective narratives are a rich source of information about the elements of both the informal and hidden curricula, in which medical students learn to become physicians. Experiences with both positive and negative behaviors shaped the students' perceptions of the profession and its values. In particular, interactions that manifest respect and other qualities of good communication with patients, families, and colleagues taught powerfully.

A photovoice study of school belongingness among high school students in Norway.

PubMed

Lieblein, Vaiva Sunniva Deraas; Warne, Maria; Huot, Suzanne; Laliberte Rudman, Debbie; Raanaas, Ruth Kjærsti

2018-12-01

Although high school graduation is important for living conditions and health throughout life, many students do not complete. In Norway's northern most county, Finnmark, up to 45% of students do not complete high school. Contrary to prior research that has primarily focused on causes for dropout, this study's aim was to deepen understanding of factors that support high school attendance. A strengths-based participatory approach using photovoice addressed attendance factors as perceived by seven participating students from one high school in Finnmark. Qualitative content analysis of data generated through group dialogue about participant-generated photos and individual interviews identified six factors important for students' school attendance: a supportive school environment, a good learning environment, recuperation and recreation, family and friends, goals and ambitions, and place attachment. Related aspects of a supportive environment and belongingness, where school staff made important contributions to promoting a positive environment, were essential.

Developing Preservice Teachers' Knowledge of Science Teaching Through Video Clubs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Heather J.; Cotterman, Michelle E.

2015-06-01

Though an adequate understanding of content is a natural prerequisite of teaching (Carlsen in Journal of Research in Science Teaching 30:471-481, 1993), teachers also need to be able to interpret content in ways that facilitate student learning. How to best support novice teachers in developing and refining their content knowledge for teaching is a crucial and ongoing question for preservice teacher educators. Recently, video clubs are being explored as potential contexts for teacher learning (Barnhart & van Es in Teaching and Teacher Education 45:83-93, 2015; Sherin & Han in Teaching and Teacher Education 20:163-183, 2004). We hypothesized that pairing video clubs with student teaching experiences would provide a forum for preservice teachers to discuss issues relevant to their professional trajectory through exposure to models of peer teaching and opportunities to reflect on practice. In this study, we explored how secondary science preservice teachers used video club to restructure their overall science knowledge into science knowledge for teaching. Our findings suggest that video clubs allowed preservice teachers to access and leverage student thinking and instructional resources to deepen their understanding of science content and trajectories for science learning.

Students’ Factors Affecting Undergraduates’ Perceptions of their Teaching and Learning Process within ECTS Experience

PubMed Central

la Fuente, Jesús De; Cardelle-Elawar, María; Peralta, F. Javier; Sánchez, M. Dolores; Martínez-Vicente, José Manuel; Zapata, Lucía

2010-01-01

Introduction: In the present study, we investigated the potential factors that influenced the level of students satisfaction with the teaching–learning process (TLP), from the perspective of students participating in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) experience. Method: A total of 1490 students from the Universities of Almería and Granada (Spain) participated in an evaluation of their class discipline area. They completed the new revised protocol for evaluating the ECTS experience. Analyses of variance were carried out, taking the following factors as independent variables: student's grade average, year in school, study discipline, credit load in terms of ECTS credits assigned to a subject, the e-learning approach. Perception of the TLP was used as the dependent variable. Results: The data analyses showed variability of the degree of statistically significance among the factors that influenced students’ perceptions of the TLP. These factors included: Student's grade average (in favor of high performers), year in school (in favor of earlier years), ECTS load (in favor of subjects with a medium load of credits), and e-learning (in favor of its use). These research findings provided evidence to explore the delineation of a potential profile of factors that trigger a favorable perception of the TLP. Discussion and Conclusion: The present findings certainly have implications to deepen our understanding of the core beliefs, commitment, and the experience in shaping the implementation of the European Higher Education Area through the ECTS. PMID:21713171

Do we need dissection in an integrated problem-based learning medical course? Perceptions of first- and second-year students.

PubMed

Azer, Samy A; Eizenberg, Norm

2007-03-01

The introduction of a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum at the School of Medicine of the University of Melbourne has necessitated a reduction in the number of lectures and limited the use of dissection in teaching anatomy. In the new curriculum, students learn the anatomy of different body systems using PBL tutorials, practical classes, pre-dissected specimens, computer-aided learning multimedia and a few dissection classes. The aims of this study are: (1) to assess the views of first- and second-year medical students on the importance of dissection in learning about the anatomy, (2) to assess if students' views have been affected by demographic variables such as gender, academic background and being a local or an international student, and (3) to assess which educational tools helped them most in learning the anatomy and whether dissection sessions have helped them in better understanding anatomy. First- and second-year students enrolled in the medical course participated in this study. Students were asked to fill out a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Data was analysed using Mann-Whitney's U test, Wilcoxon's signed-ranks or the calculation of the Chi-square value. The response rates were 89% for both first- and second-year students. Compared to second-year students, first-year students perceived dissection to be important for deep understanding of anatomy (P < 0.001), making learning interesting (P < 0.001) and introducing them to emergency procedures (P < 0.001). Further, they preferred dissection over any other approach (P < 0.001). First-year students ranked dissection (44%), textbooks (23%), computer-aided learning (CAL), multimedia (10%), self-directed learning (6%) and lectures (5%) as the most valuable resources for learning anatomy, whereas second-year students found textbooks (38%), dissection (18%), pre-dissected specimens (11%), self-directed learning (9%), lectures (7%) and CAL programs (7%) as most useful. Neither of the groups showed a significant preference for pre-dissected specimens, CAL multimedia or lectures over dissection. Both first- and second-year students, regardless of their gender, academic background, or citizenship felt that the time devoted to dissection classes were not adequate. Students agreed that dissection deepened their understanding of anatomical structures, provided them with a three-dimensional perspective of structures and helped them recall what they learnt. Although their perception about the importance of dissection changed as they progressed in the course, good anatomy textbooks were perceived as an excellent resource for learning anatomy. Interestingly, innovations used in teaching anatomy, such as interactive multimedia resources, have not replaced students' perceptions about the importance of dissection.

Understanding and becoming - the heart of the matter in nurse education.

PubMed

Sandvik, Ann-Helén; Eriksson, Katie; Hilli, Yvonne

2015-03-01

The aim of this study was to deepen the understanding of student nurses' processes of understanding and becoming nurses. The study is phenomenological-hermeneutic in design, comprising data from three focus group interviews in two Scandinavian countries. The process of student nurses' understanding and becoming a nurse emerged as a hermeneutical movement. A caring student-preceptor relationship and a growth-promoting preception in a supportive and inclusive environment provide the frame within which the movement happens. The movement towards understanding and becoming is initiated as students, based on their level of knowledge, are given responsibility. In order to fulfil the responsibility imposed on them, students take their entire repertoire of knowledge into consideration. By tying these threads together, they found the basis for conscious action, and care is provided according to what the current situation requires. The experiences obtained are reflected on and integrated with earlier knowledge, which leads to enhanced understanding. Students form a new base to stand on. They show increased readiness for still more responsibility and action. This movement towards deeper understanding and becoming affects the students also ethically and deepens their ethical awareness. When one loop of understanding and becoming is closed the process continues by passing into a new loop. This movement could be described as a hermeneutical spiral consisting of interconnected loops taking the students further and deeper in their process of understanding and becoming a nurse. The student-preceptor relationship and the ethos permeating it are decisive for students' learning both epistemologically and ontologically. Responsibility is the catalyst in students' understanding and becoming both intellectually and ethically. Understanding and becoming are ongoing processes of appropriation, thus altering students both professionally and personally. Understanding and becoming can be perceived as the hearth of the matter in nurse education. © 2014 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Assessing the Impact of Lesson Study on the Teaching Practice of Middle School Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grove, Michael C.

Despite wave after wave of educational reform in the United States our students continue to lag behind their peers in other industrialized countries on virtually all measures of academic achievement. Effective professional development (PD) is seen as a key to improving instructional practice and therefore student learning, but traditional forms of PD have been wholly unsuccessful in changing teaching practice. Over the last two decades an emerging body of research has identified some key features of effective PD that seem to create meaningful change and improvement in instructional practice. Some of this research highlights the promise of adapting Japanese lesson study (LS) to the American context as a means of incrementally improving instruction. Much of the existing research around LS is descriptive in nature and offers little insight into if and how participation in LS impacts subsequent instructional practice. This study utilized case study methodology to examine the instructional practice of one group of four middle school science teachers before, during, and after participation in LS. The study attempted to identify specific learning outcomes of a LS process, to identify influences on teacher learning during LS, and to identify subsequent changes in the instructional practice of participants resulting from participation in LS. Key findings from the study include significant teacher learning derived from the LS process, the identification of influences that enhanced or inhibited teacher learning, and clear evidence that participants successfully integrated learning from the LS into subsequent instructional practice. Learning outcomes included deepening of subject matter knowledge, increased understanding of student thinking and abilities, clarity of expectations for student performance, recognition of the ineffectiveness of past instructional practice, specific instructional strategies, shared student learning goals, and an increased commitment to future development of student learning. Influences supporting teacher learning were trust and honest dialogue among participants, focused collaboration, examination of student work, and the opportunity to watch other teachers deliver instruction. Influences inhibiting teacher learning related to failure to adhere to key features of the LS protocol. The study offers initial evidence confirming the promise of LS as a model of effective PD.

"Homework Feedback Is…": Elementary and Middle School Teachers' Conceptions of Homework Feedback.

PubMed

Cunha, Jennifer; Rosário, Pedro; Núñez, José Carlos; Nunes, Ana Rita; Moreira, Tânia; Nunes, Tânia

2018-01-01

This study explored mathematics teachers' conceptions of the homework feedback focusing on four key aspects: definition, purpose, types, and perceived impact. Forty-seven teachers from elementary and middle schools participated in six focus groups. Data were analyzed using content analysis. To enhance the trustworthiness of findings, classroom observations were used for triangulation of data. Participants conceptualized homework feedback in three directions (i.e., teachers' feedback provided to students, students' feedback provided to teachers, and homework self-feedback), being teachers' monitoring of students' learning the purpose reported by most teachers. Participants also reported the types of homework feedback more frequently used in class (e.g., checking homework completion, checking homework on the board), and their perceived impact on students. Findings provide valuable information to deepen the understanding of the homework feedback process, which may help develop new avenues for future research.

Masculinity and nursing care: A narrative analysis of male students' stories about care.

PubMed

Jordal, Kristin; Heggen, Kristin

2015-11-01

Nursing education programmes and the nursing curriculum have been criticised for presenting an outdated and feminised description of care, which has had the effect of marginalising men, as well as hindering a more modern outlook for the profession. This article uses interview-based data from a qualitative study on Norwegian students' experiences in the first year of training. Using a narrative analysis method, the paper explores how male nursing students use stories to describe care and shows how their storytelling illustrates a way for men to negotiate their role in a feminised profession. The paper aims to deepen our understanding of the ways in which male students can challenge this historically female profession to broaden itself by including male-based caregiving as part of nursing care. In addition, the paper highlights the potential of stories and storytelling as a teaching and learning strategy in nursing education. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Space-Based Learning Service for Schools Worldwide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Norman A.; Gibson, Alan

2002-01-01

This paper outlines a scheme for international collaboration to enrich the use of space in school education, to improve students' learning about science and related subjects and to enhance the continuity of science-related studies after the age of 16. Guidelines are presented for the design of an on-line learning service to provide schools worldwide with:- interactive curriculum-related learning resources for teaching about space and through - access to a purpose-designed education satellite or satellites; - opportunities for hands-on work by students in out-of-school hours; - news about space developments to attract, widen and deepen initial interest among teachers - support services to enable teachers to make effective use of the learning service. The Learning Service is the product of almost twenty years of experience by a significant number of UK schools in experimenting with, and in using, satellites and space to aid learning; and over four years of study and development by the SpaceLink Learning Foundation - a private-sector, not- for-profit UK registered charity, which is dedicated to help in increasing both the supply of scientists and engineers and the public understanding of science. This initiative provides scope for, and could benefit from, the involvement of relevant/interested organisations drawn from different countries. The Foundation would be ready, from its UK base, to be among such a group of initiating organisations.

Active learning in camera calibration through vision measurement application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaoqin; Guo, Jierong; Wang, Xianchun; Liu, Changqing; Cao, Binfang

2017-08-01

Since cameras are increasingly more used in scientific application as well as in the applications requiring precise visual information, effective calibration of such cameras is getting more important. There are many reasons why the measurements of objects are not accurate. The largest reason is that the lens has a distortion. Another detrimental influence on the evaluation accuracy is caused by the perspective distortions in the image. They happen whenever we cannot mount the camera perpendicularly to the objects we want to measure. In overall, it is very important for students to understand how to correct lens distortions, that is camera calibration. If the camera is calibrated, the images are rectificated, and then it is possible to obtain undistorted measurements in world coordinates. This paper presents how the students should develop a sense of active learning for mathematical camera model besides the theoretical scientific basics. The authors will present the theoretical and practical lectures which have the goal of deepening the students understanding of the mathematical models of area scan cameras and building some practical vision measurement process by themselves.

Online Scholarly Conversations in General Education Astronomy Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Qijie; Wong, Ka-Wah

2018-01-01

In general education astronomy courses, many students are struggling with understanding the foundational concepts and theories in astronomy. One of the possible reasons is that, due the large class size, many of the courses are taught using a lecture mode, where human interactions and active learning are limited (Freeman et al., 2014). To address this challenge, we have applied the knowledge building framework (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006) to design an online collaborative learning component, called Scholarly Conversations, to be integrated into a general education astronomy course at a public, comprehensive university.During Scholarly Conversations, students are treated as scholars to advance knowledge frontiers (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2006). The whole process involves the creation of new ideas and requires discourse and collective work for the advancement and creation of artifacts, such as theories and models (van Aalst, 2009). Based on the knowledge building principles (Scardamalia, 2002; Zhang, Scardamalia, Reeve, & Messina, 2009), several features have been built into Scholarly Conversations so that students are guided to deepen understanding of the astronomy concepts through three phases: knowledge sharing, knowledge construction and knowledge building, and reflections on learning growth (van Aalst, 2009; Cai, 2017). The online Scholarly Conversation is an extension of the lecture component of the general education astronomy course. It promotes student interactions and collaborative learning, and provides scaffolds for students to construct meanings of the essential concepts in astronomy through social learning and online technology. In this presentation, we will explain the specific design principles of the online Scholarly Conversation, and share the artifacts created to facilitate the online conversations in an general education astronomy course.Note: This project has been supported by the College of Education Research Grant Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Mindfulness: An Underused Tool for Deepening Music Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falter, H. Ellie

2016-01-01

Music teachers aim to deepen their students' music understanding. An underused tool for doing so is incorporating mindful practice into music teaching. Through discussing research, examples from the classroom, and steps for incorporating mindful practices in lesson planning, the author hopes to illustrate its potential benefits and set music…

A Proposal for a Research-based Constructivist Physics-and-Pedagogy Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zirbel, Esther

2006-12-01

This poster proposes a research-based science-and-pedagogy course that will combine the learning of fundamental physics concepts with methods of how to teach these concepts. Entitled “Understanding the Cosmos: From Antiquity to the Modern Day,” the course will explore how people learn science concepts through the ages, and from childhood through adulthood. This course will use the historical-constructivist approach to illustrate how our understanding of scientific phenomena advanced as we progressed from simple 2-dimensional thinking (starting with the flat Earth concept) to 3-D thinking (learning about the structure of the solar system) to 4-D thinking (understanding space-time and theories about the Big Bang). While transitioning from Impetus to Aristotelian to Newtonian to Einsteinian thinking, students will learn the essence of scientific thinking and inquiry. The overall goal of this course is to excite students in the process of scientific discovery, help them develop scientific reasoning skills, and provide them with fulfilling experiences of truly understanding science concepts. This will be done by employing active engagement techniques (e.g., peer tutoring, Socratic dialogue, and think/pair/share methods) and by challenging students to articulate their thoughts clearly and persuasively. This course could be of value for anybody wanting to enter the teaching profession or simply for anybody who would like to deepen their science understanding.

Strategic Learning Capability: Through the Lens of Environmental Jolts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moon, Hanna; Lee, Chan

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to deepen the understanding of strategic learning through the lens of environmental jolts. Design/methodology/approach: Strategic learning is explained from the three paradigms of organizational learning. Findings: Organizational learning provides a firm foundation to develop and elaborate the concept of strategic learning…

Deepening Learning through Learning-by-Inventing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apiola, Mikko; Tedre, Matti

2013-01-01

It has been shown that deep approaches to learning, intrinsic motivation, and self-regulated learning have strong positive effects on learning. How those pedagogical theories can be integrated in computing curricula is, however, still lacking empirically grounded analyses. In a more general level, it has been widely acknowledged that in…

Propellers: Why Do They Work?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitts, Charles R.

2013-01-01

In order for technology and engineering education (T&EE) students to meet the design challenges of this century, T&EE teachers will need to deepen their content pedagogy in the areas of science and math. This raises the question: Will the need to deepen content pedagogy initiate a process of change that transforms technology and engineering…

A novel integration of online and flipped classroom instructional models in public health higher education.

PubMed

Galway, Lindsay P; Corbett, Kitty K; Takaro, Timothy K; Tairyan, Kate; Frank, Erica

2014-08-29

In 2013, a cohort of public health students participated in a 'flipped' Environmental and Occupational Health course. Content for the course was delivered through NextGenU.org and active learning activities were carried out during in-class time. This paper reports on the design, implementation, and evaluation of this novel approach. Using mixed-methods, we examined learning experiences and perceptions of the flipped classroom model and assessed changes in students' self-perceived knowledge after participation in the course. We used pre- and post-course surveys to measure changes in self-perceived knowledge. The post-course survey also included items regarding learning experiences and perceptions of the flipped classroom model. We also compared standard course review and examination scores for the 2013 NextGenU/Flipped Classroom students to previous years when the course was taught with a lecture-based model. We conducted a focus group session to gain more in-depth understanding of student learning experiences and perceptions. Students reported an increase in knowledge and survey and focus group data revealed positive learning experiences and perceptions of the flipped classroom model. Mean examination scores for the 2013 NextGenU/Flipped classroom students were 88.8% compared to 86.4% for traditional students (2011). On a scale of 1-5 (1 = lowest rank, 5 = highest rank), the mean overall rating for the 2013 NextGenU/Flipped classroom students was 4.7/5 compared to prior years' overall ratings of 3.7 (2012), 4.3 (2011), 4.1 (2010), and 3.9 (2009). Two key themes emerged from the focus group data: 1) factors influencing positive learning experience (e.g., interactions with students and instructor); and 2) changes in attitudes towards environmental and occupation health (e.g., deepened interest in the field). Our results show that integration of the flipped classroom model with online NextGenU courses can be an effective innovation in public health higher education: students achieved similar examination scores, but NextGenU/Flipped classroom students rated their course experience more highly and reported positive learning experiences and an increase in self-perceived knowledge. These results are promising and suggest that this approach warrants further consideration and research.

Service-Learning: Promise and Possibility in Post-Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalles, Susan; Ryan, Thomas G.

2015-01-01

Herein we identify and address promising practices, essential theories, and related cautions within service-learning. The argument that service-learning is an organized community service which is connected to curriculum in an effort to deepen learning around content was scrutinized and endorsed. We envisioned service-learning as more than a joint…

Learning about Learning--Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller-Young, Janice; Felten, Peter; Clayton, Patti H.

2017-01-01

It is believed that the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)--i.e., inquiry into learning--has the potential to further deepen the ability to question, learn, and act together--especially when it is understood and enacted through the values and practices of democratic civic engagement (DCE). The authors provide a brief example of what they…

The urban and community health pathway: preparing socially responsive physicians through community-engaged learning.

PubMed

Meurer, Linda N; Young, Staci A; Meurer, John R; Johnson, Sheri L; Gilbert, Ileen A; Diehr, Sabina

2011-10-01

One of five options for the new required Medical College of Wisconsin Pathways program, the Urban and Community Health Pathway (UCHP), links training with community needs and assets to prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide effective care in urban, underserved settings; promote community health; and reduce health disparities. Students spend at least 10 hours per month on pathway activities: 4 hours of core material delivered through readings, didactics, case discussions, and site visits; and at least 6 hours of experiential noncore activities applying core competencies, guided by an Individualized Learning Plan and faculty advisor. Noncore activities include community-engaged research, service-learning activities or other relevant experiences, and submission of a synthesis paper addressing pathway competencies. The first cohort of students began their pathways in January 2010. Of 560 participating students, 95 (of which 48 were first-year, 21 second-year, and 26 third-year students) selected UCHP. Core sessions focused on public health, social determinants, cultural humility, poverty, the local healthcare system, and safety net. During noncore time, students engaged in projects addressing homelessness, obesity, advocacy, Hmong and Latino health, HIV, asthma, and violence prevention. Students enjoyed working with peers across classes and favored interactive, community-based sessions over didactics in the classroom. Students' papers reflected a range of service and scholarly activities and a deepened appreciation of social and economic influences on health. The UCHP enriches the traditional curriculum with individualized, community-based experiences to build knowledge about health determinants and skills in partnering with communities to improve health. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Professional Learning Communities: Divergence, Depth and Dilemmas. Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoll, Louise; Louis, Karen Seashore

2007-01-01

There is great interest internationally in the potential of professional learning communities for enhancing educational reform efforts and sustaining improvement. This international collection, with contributions from researchers and those leading initiatives in five countries, aims to broaden and deepen conceptions and understanding of…

Student-Produced Movies as a Medium for Literacy Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Chase; Rasinski, Timothy V.

2013-01-01

In this article the authors integrate literacy with classroom-based technologies to create a student produced movie. The authors explain the steps to classroom movie production that deepens students' comprehension, engages students' in purposeful writing, and utilizes new technologies. (Contains 6 figures.)

Exploring students' perceptions and performance on predict-observe-explain tasks in high school chemistry laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vadapally, Praveen

This study sought to understand the impact of gender and reasoning level on students' perceptions and performances of Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) laboratory tasks in a high school chemistry laboratory. Several literature reviews have reported that students at all levels have not developed the specific knowledge and skills that were expected from their laboratory work. Studies conducted over the last several decades have found that boys tend to be more successful than girls in science and mathematics courses. However, some recent studies have suggested that girls may be reducing this gender gap. This gender difference is the focal point of this research study, which was conducted at a mid-western, rural high school. The participants were 24 boys and 25 girls enrolled in two physical science classes taught by the same teacher. In this mixed methods study, qualitative and quantitative methods were implemented simultaneously over the entire period of the study. MANOVA statistics revealed significant effects due to gender and level of reasoning on the outcome variables, which were POE performances and perceptions of the chemistry laboratory environment. There were no significant interactions between these effects. For the qualitative method, IRB-approved information was collected, coded, grouped, and analyzed. This method was used to derive themes from students' responses on questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Students with different levels of reasoning and gender were interviewed, and many of them expressed positive themes, which was a clear indication that they had enjoyed participating in the POE learning tasks and they had developed positive perceptions towards POE inquiry laboratory learning environment. When students are capable of formal reasoning, they can use an abstract scientific concept effectively and then relate it to the ideas they generate in their minds. Thus, instructors should factor the nature of students' thinking abilities into their instructional strategies and strive to create a learning environment where students are engaged in thinking, learning, and acting in meaningful and beneficial ways. POE learning tasks enhance students' laboratory experiences and can help deepen their understanding of the empirical nature of science. Key words: predict observe explain, gender, science laboratory inquiry, reasoning ability, social constructivism, mixed methods.

Case Studies to Deepen Understanding and Enhance Classroom Management Skills in Preschool Teacher Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tal, Clodie

2010-01-01

This article adds to the existing body of data that demonstrates how the use of in-depth case studies that include social episode analysis can deepen the teaching students' and researchers' understanding of the perceptions and skills needed for Classroom Management (CM). In this article, CM is defined as a meta-skill that integrates cognitive…

"In biology class we would just sit indoors…": Experiences of insideness and outsideness in the places student teachers' associate with science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danielsson, Anna T.; Andersson, Kristina; Gullberg, Annica; Hussénius, Anita; Scantlebury, Kathryn

2016-12-01

In this article we explore the places pre- and primary school (K-6) student teachers associate with their science learning experiences and how they view the relationship between these places and science. In doing so, we use `place' as an analytical entry point to deepen the understanding of pre- and primary school student teachers' relationship to science. Inspired by theories from human geography we firstly explore how the university science classroom can be conceptualised as a meeting place, where trajectories of people as well as artefacts come together, using this conceptualisation as the stepping stone for arguing the importance of the place-related narrations of science the students bring to this classroom. We thereafter analyse how a sense of place, including affective dimensions, is reflected in Swedish student teachers' science learning narratives (collected in the form of an essay assignment where the student teachers' reflected upon their in and out of school science learning experiences). The empirical material consists of 120 student essays. The most prominent feature of the empirical material as a whole is the abundance of affective stories about the student teachers' experiences in natural environments, often expressing a strong sense of belonging to, and identification with, a particular place. However, the student narratives also give voice to an ambivalent valuing of the affective experiences of natural environments. Sometimes such affective experiences are strongly delineated from what the students consider actual science knowledge, on other occasions, students, in a somewhat contradictious way, stress natural environments as the authentic place for doing science, in contrast to the perceived in-authenticity of teaching science in the classroom. When student teachers explicitly discuss the classroom as a place, this was almost without exception with strong negative emotions, experiences of outsideness and alienation.

Natural Learning Case Study Archives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawler, Robert W.

2015-01-01

Natural Learning Case Study Archives (NLCSA) is a research facility for those interested in using case study analysis to deepen their understanding of common sense knowledge and natural learning (how the mind interacts with everyday experiences to develop common sense knowledge). The database comprises three case study corpora based on experiences…

Doing the Math: Supporting Student Justifications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Carolyn; Philiben, Lyn; Knievel, Molly

2016-01-01

Teachers have found that engaging students in justification can help students deepen and retain mathematical knowledge, gain a greater sense of ownership over the material, and improve communication and representation skills (Staples, Bartlo, and Thanheiser 2012). Student engagement in a justification activity can also lead to more equitable…

The 3D model of debriefing: defusing, discovering, and deepening.

PubMed

Zigmont, Jason J; Kappus, Liana J; Sudikoff, Stephanie N

2011-04-01

The experiential learning process involves participation in key experiences and analysis of those experiences. In health care, these experiences can occur through high-fidelity simulation or in the actual clinical setting. The most important component of this process is the postexperience analysis or debriefing. During the debriefing, individuals must reflect upon the experience, identify the mental models that led to behaviors or cognitive processes, and then build or enhance new mental models to be used in future experiences. On the basis of adult learning theory, the Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle, and the Learning Outcomes Model, we structured a framework for facilitators of debriefings entitled "the 3D Model of Debriefing: Defusing, Discovering, and Deepening." It incorporates common phases prevalent in the debriefing literature, including description of and reactions to the experience, analysis of behaviors, and application or synthesis of new knowledge into clinical practice. It can be used to enhance learning after real or simulated events. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Creating and Sustaining Inquiry Spaces for Teacher Learning and System Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaser, Linda; Halbert, Judy

2014-01-01

Over a 15-year period, one Western Canadian province, British Columbia, has been exploring the potential of inquiry learning networks to deepen teacher professional learning and to influence the system as a whole. During this time, we have learned a great deal about shifting practice through inquiry networks. In this article, we provide a…

Concept Mapping to Assess Learning and Understanding of Complexity in Courses on Global Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebich-Hespanha, S.; Gautier, C.

2010-12-01

The complex nature of climate change science poses special challenges for educators wishing to broaden and deepen student understanding of the climate system and its sensitivity to and impacts upon human activity. Learners have prior knowledge that may limit their perception and processing of the multiple relationships between processes (e.g., feedbacks) that arise in global change science, and these existing mental models serve as the scaffold for all future learning. Because adoption of complex scientific concepts is not likely if instruction includes presentation of information or concepts that are not compatible with the learners’ prior knowledge, providing effective instruction on this complex topic requires learning opportunities that are anchored upon an evaluation of the limitations and inaccuracies of the learners’ existing understandings of the climate system. The formative evaluation that serves as the basis for planning such instruction can also be useful as a baseline against which to evaluate subsequent learning. We will present concept-mapping activities that we have used to assess students’ knowledge and understanding about global climate change in courses that utilized multiple assessment methods including presentations, writings, discussions, and concept maps. The courses in which these activities were completed use a variety of instructional approaches (including standard lectures and lab assignments and a mock summit) to help students understand the inherently interdisciplinary topic of global climate change, its interwoven human and natural causes, and the connections it has with society through a complex range of political, social, technological and economic factors. Two instances of concept map assessment will be presented: one focused on evaluating student understanding of the major components of the climate system and their interconnections, and the other focused on student understanding of the connections between climate change and the global food system. We will discuss how concept mapping can be used to demonstrate evidence of learning and conceptual change, and also how it can be used to provide information about gaps in knowledge and misconceptions students have about the topic.

Student-directed investigation of natural phenomena: Using digital simulations to achieve NGSS-aligned 3D learning in middle school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvans, M. M.; Spafford, C. D.

2016-12-01

Many Earth Science phenomena cannot be observed directly because they happen slowly (e.g., Plate Motion) or at large spatial scales (e.g., Weather Patterns). Such topics are investigated by scientists through analysis of large data sets, numerical modeling, and laboratory studies that isolate aspects of the overall phenomena. Middle school students have limited time and lab equipment in comparison, but can employ authentic science practices through investigations using interactive digital simulations (sims). Designing a sim aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) allows students to explore and connect to science ideas in a seamless and supportive way that also deepens their understanding of the phenomena. We helped develop seven units, including the two above, that cover the middle school Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas and give students exposure to the other two dimensions of the NGSS (science practices and cross-cutting concepts). These units are developed by the Learning Design Group and Amplify Science. Sims are key to how students engage in 3D learning in these units. For example, in the Rock Transformations Sim students can investigate the ideas that energy from the sun and from Earth's interior can transform rock, and that the transformation processes change the Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales (ESS2.A). Students can choose and selectively apply transformation processes (melting, weathering, etc.) or energy sources to rock in a cross-section landscape to explore their effects. Students are able to plan steps for making a particular rock transformation happen and carry out their own investigations. A benefit of using a digital platform for student learning is the ability to embed formative assessment. When students plan and carry out missions to achieve specific objectives, the digital platform can capture a record of their actions to measure how they apply science ideas from instruction. Data of these actions, combined with data from other embedded assessments and the teacher's own observations, can be used to provide feedback to teachers about support that can benefit specific students. We will highlight the features of sims in our units that allow middle school students to investigate natural phenomena and support teachers in facilitating 3D learning.

Helping medical students to acquire a deeper understanding of truth-telling.

PubMed

Hurst, Samia A; Baroffio, Anne; Ummel, Marinette; Layat Burn, Carine

2015-01-01

Problem Truth-telling is an important component of respect for patients' self-determination, but in the context of breaking bad news, it is also a distressing and difficult task. Intervention We investigated the long-term influence of a simulated patient-based teaching intervention, integrating learning objectives in communication skills and ethics into students' attitudes and concerns regarding truth-telling. We followed two cohorts of medical students from the preclinical third year to their clinical rotations (fifth year). Open-ended responses were analysed to explore medical students' reported difficulties in breaking bad news. Context This intervention was implemented during the last preclinical year of a problem-based medical curriculum, in collaboration between the doctor-patient communication and ethics programs. Outcome Over time, concerns such as empathy and truthfulness shifted from a personal to a relational focus. Whereas 'truthfulness' was a concern for the content of the message, 'truth-telling' included concerns on how information was communicated and how realistically it was received. Truth-telling required empathy, adaptation to the patient, and appropriate management of emotions, both for the patient's welfare and for a realistic understanding of the situation. Lessons learned Our study confirms that an intervention confronting students with a realistic situation succeeds in making them more aware of the real issues of truth-telling. Medical students deepened their reflection over time, acquiring a deeper understanding of the relational dimension of values such as truth-telling, and honing their view of empathy.

Understanding the Carbon Cycle : A Jigsaw Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hastings, D. W.

2006-12-01

A thorough understanding of the carbon cycle is fundamental to understanding the eventual fate of CO2. To achieve this, students must understand individual processes, such as photosynthesis and respiration, as well as an integrated knowledge of how these processes relate to each other. In this "jigsaw" exercise, each student is assigned one five fundamental geochemical processes in the short- term carbon cycle to research and fully understand. In class, students first meet with others who have studied the same process to strengthen and deepen their understanding of this process. They then form teams of five students and explain to other students their particular process. In exchange, other students explain the other aspects of the carbon cycle. At the end of class all students will know about each of the five processes, and thus develop an integrated understanding of the entire carbon cycle. This approach is an efficient method for students to learn the material. As in a jigsaw puzzle, each student's part is essential for the full understanding of the carbon cycle. Since each student's part is essential, then each student is essential, which is what makes this strategy effective The jigsaw approach encourages listening, engagement, and collaboration by giving each member of the group an essential part to play in the academic activity.

Boundary Crossings in Research: Towards a Cultural Understanding of the Research Project "Transforming Learning Cultures in Further Education"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Postlethwaite, Keith

2007-01-01

To achieve its aim of deepening understanding of the complexities of learning in Further Education (FE), the Transforming Learning Cultures in FE (TLC) project developed a model of learning as a cultural activity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications of taking a cultural view, not of learning, but of the research itself. The…

Learning Space for Food: Exploring Three Home Economics Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Höijer, Karin; Fjellström, Christina; Hjälmeskog, Karin

2013-01-01

Studies on children's learning about food commonly focus on socialisation within a temporal perspective taking an interest in linear and developmental issues, where the home is assumed as the primary place for learning food skills that should be deepened through education in Home Economics. Home Economics concern topics that are related to our…

Adult Learners Understanding in Learning Islam Using the Andragogy Approach in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kadir, Mohd Amin Bin

2016-01-01

This study describes adult learners understanding in learning Islam using the andragogy approach in Singapore comprising multicultural and multi-religious society. Singapore is a secular state where freedom of religion is encrypted in the constitution and Malay/Muslim comprises 13.3% of the population. Adults learn Islam to deepen their…

Deepening the Institutionalization of Service-Learning: The Added Value of Assessing the Social Return of Investment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanton-Nichols, Kathleen; Hatcher, Julie; Cecil, Amanda

2015-01-01

Strategies to institutionalize service-learning are well documented (Furco 1996; Holland, 2000). Using Kecskes (2009) Community-Engaged Department Rubric we evaluated service-learning institutionalization within a school at a metropolitan campus. As a result, we propose adding an additional dimension, social return on investment. This added…

Learning Difficulties: A Portuguese Perspective of a Universal Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martins, Ana Paula Loucao; Correia, Luis de Miranda; Hallahan, Daniel P.

2012-01-01

In this article we present findings of a study that was conducted with the purpose of deepening the knowledge about the field of learning difficulties in Portugal. Therefore, within these findings we will discuss across several cultural boundaries, themes related with the existence of learning difficulties as a construct, the terminology, the…

A Critical Ethnography of Democratic Music Listening

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverman, Marissa

2013-01-01

The purpose of this critical ethnography was to investigate how music educators can approach the development of students' music listening abilities democratically in order to deepen students' musical understandings and, by teaching through music, create pathways for student-teacher transactions that are inclusive, educative, ethical and…

Towards Reflective Writing Analytics: Rationale, Methodology and Preliminary Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shum, Simon Buckingham; Sándor, Ágnes; Goldsmith, Rosalie; Bass, Randall; McWilliams, Mindy

2017-01-01

When used effectively, reflective writing tasks can deepen learners' understanding of key concepts, help them critically appraise their developing professional identity, and build qualities for lifelong learning. As such, reflective writing is attracting substantial interest from universities concerned with experiential learning, reflective…

“Homework Feedback Is…”: Elementary and Middle School Teachers’ Conceptions of Homework Feedback

PubMed Central

Cunha, Jennifer; Rosário, Pedro; Núñez, José Carlos; Nunes, Ana Rita; Moreira, Tânia; Nunes, Tânia

2018-01-01

This study explored mathematics teachers’ conceptions of the homework feedback focusing on four key aspects: definition, purpose, types, and perceived impact. Forty-seven teachers from elementary and middle schools participated in six focus groups. Data were analyzed using content analysis. To enhance the trustworthiness of findings, classroom observations were used for triangulation of data. Participants conceptualized homework feedback in three directions (i.e., teachers’ feedback provided to students, students’ feedback provided to teachers, and homework self-feedback), being teachers’ monitoring of students’ learning the purpose reported by most teachers. Participants also reported the types of homework feedback more frequently used in class (e.g., checking homework completion, checking homework on the board), and their perceived impact on students. Findings provide valuable information to deepen the understanding of the homework feedback process, which may help develop new avenues for future research. PMID:29467687

Transforming Reading Comprehension Instruction through Student Conferencing and Teacher Journaling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costello, David

2014-01-01

When I was asked to teach the entire literacy curriculum to my grade six students in only five months, I implemented reading conferences as an instructional practice to deepen students' reading comprehension. Classroom events related to reading conferences, student decision-making, and instructional planning were recorded in a journal. This…

From Local to EXtreme Environments (FLEXE) Student-Scientist Online Forums: hypothesis-based research examining ways to involve scientists in effective science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehring, L.; Carlsen, W.; Fisher, C. R.; Kerlin, S.; Trautmann, N.; Petersen, W.

2011-12-01

Science education reform since the mid-1990's has called for a "new way of teaching and learning about science that reflects how science itself is done, emphasizing inquiry as a way of achieving knowledge and understanding about the world" (NRC, 1996). Scientists and engineers, experts in inquiry thinking, have been called to help model these practices for students and demonstrate scientific habits of mind. The question, however, is "how best to involve these experts?" given the very real challenges of limited availability of scientists, varying experience with effective pedagogy, widespread geographic distribution of schools, and the sheer number of students involved. Technology offers partial solutions to enable Student-Scientist Interactions (SSI). The FLEXE Project has developed online FLEXE Forums to support efficient, effective SSIs, making use of web-based and database technology to facilitate communication between students and scientists. More importantly, the FLEXE project has approached this question of "how best to do this?" scientifically, combining program evaluation with hypothesis-based research explicitly testing the effects of such SSIs on student learning and attitudes towards science. FLEXE Forums are designed to showcase scientific practices and habits of mind through facilitated interaction between students and scientists. Through these Forums, students "meet" working scientists and learn about their research and the environments in which they work. Scientists provide students with intriguing "real-life" datasets and challenge students to analyze and interpret the data through guiding questions. Students submit their analyses to the Forum, and scientists provide feedback and connect the instructional activity with real-life practice, showcasing their activities in the field. In the FLEXE project, Forums are embedded within inquiry-based instructional units focused on essential learning concepts, and feature the deep-sea environment in contrast to students' local environments to deepen students' understanding of earth systems processes. This presentation will provide an overview of the FLEXE project, a partnership between the Ridge2000 research scientists, science learning researchers, and educators, and will report findings from pilot studies implemented in collaboration with the GLOBE program, a worldwide network of scientists, science educators, and their students. FLEXE Forums have been tested with approximately 1400 students in the US, Germany, Australia and Thailand in 2009, and 1100 students in the US, Thailand, England and Costa Rica in 2010. Description of research methods (e.g., educational hypotheses, assessment of student learning and attitudes through analysis of student writing, and "quick question" surveys) and results will be shared, along with current tests examining the transferability of the approach to other scientists/science educator teams.

Teaching technological innovation and entrepreneurship in polymeric biomaterials.

PubMed

Washburn, Newell R

2011-01-01

A model for incorporating an entrepreneurship module has been developed in an upper-division and graduate-level engineering elective on Polymeric Biomaterials (27-311/42-311/27-711/42-711) at Carnegie Mellon University. A combination of lectures, assignments, and a team-based project were used to provide students with a framework for applying their technical skills in the development of new technologies and a basic understanding of the issues related to translational research and technology commercialization. The specific approach to the project established in the course, which represented 20% of the students' grades, and the grading rubric for each of the milestones are described along with suggestions for generalizing this approach to different applications of biomaterials or other engineering electives. Incorporating this model of entrepreneurship into electives teaches students course content within the framework of technological innovation and many of the concepts and tools need to practice it. For students with situational or individual interest in the project, it would also serve to deepen their understanding of the traditional course components as well as provide a foundation for integrating technological innovation and lifelong learning. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Online technology use in physiotherapy teaching and learning: a systematic review of effectiveness and users' perceptions.

PubMed

Mącznik, Aleksandra K; Ribeiro, Daniel Cury; Baxter, G David

2015-09-28

The use of online technologies in health professionals' education, including physiotherapy, has been advocated as effective and well-accepted tools for enhancing student learning. The aim of this study was to critically review the effectiveness, and user perceptions of online technology for physiotherapy teaching and learning. Following databases were systematically searched on the 31(st) of August 2013 for articles describing implementation of online technologies into physiotherapy teaching and learning: ERIC, CINAHL, Web of Science, Academic search complete, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source, Medline, Embase, and Scopus. No language, design or publishing date restrictions were imposed. Risk of bias was assessed using the 2011 Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool checklist (MMAT). A total of 4133 articles were retrieved; 22 articles met the inclusion criteria and were accepted for final analysis: 15 on the effectiveness of technology, and 14 on users' perceptions. Included studies used three designs: case study (14 articles), controlled trial (3), and randomized controlled trial (5). Studies investigated both pre-registration physiotherapy students (1523) and physiotherapy professionals (171). The quality of studies ranged from 67 to 100 % on the MMAT checklist which can be considered moderate to excellent. More than half of the studies (68 %) received scores greater than 80 %. Studies typically investigated websites and discussion boards. The websites are effective in enhancing practical skills performance, and discussion boards in knowledge acquisition, as well as in development of critical and reflective thinking. Students' perceptions of the use of websites were mostly positive, providing students with entertaining, easy accessible resources. Perceived barriers to the use of websites included difficulties with internet connection, insufficiently interactive material, or personal preference for paper-based materials. Discussion boards were perceived as deepening students' thinking and facilitating reflection, allowing for learning from multiple perspectives, and providing easy communication and support. The results of this review suggest that online technologies (i.e., websites and discussion boards) have many benefits to offer for physiotherapy teaching and learning; There was minimal evidence of barriers for the use of online technologies, however, addressing the identified ones could enhance adherence to use of online technologies in health professionals' education.

Educational Interventions for Students with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mundy, Peter, Ed.; Mastergeorge, Ann, Ed.

2012-01-01

Educational Interventions for Students with Autism offers educators a vital resource for understanding and working with autistic students. Written by nationally acclaimed experts in the field and published in collaboration with the world-renowned UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, the book aims to deepen educators' appreciation of the challenges…

The Development of Leader Character through Crucible Moments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrne, Alyson; Crossan, Mary; Seijts, Gerard

2018-01-01

Business schools strive to develop leadership excellence in their students. In this essay, we suggest that educators should find ways to help students develop and deepen leader character, a fundamental component of exemplary leadership. Frequently, business school students have preconceived ideas of leadership, often neglecting leader character.…

The Effects of Earth Science Programs on Student Knowledge and Interest in Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, A.

2016-12-01

Ariana Wilson, Chris Skinner, Chris Poulsen Abstract For many years, academic programs have been in place for the instruction of young students in the earth sciences before they undergo formal training in high school or college. However, there has been little formal assessment of the impacts of these programs on student knowledge of the earth sciences and their interest in continuing with earth science. On August 6th-12th 2016 I will attend the University of Michigan's annual Earth Camp, where I will 1) ascertain high school students' knowledge of earth science-specifically atmospheric structure and wind patterns- before and after Earth Camp, 2) record their opinions about earth science before and after Earth Camp, and 3) record how the students feel about how the camp was run and what could be improved. I will accomplish these things through the use of surveys asking the students questions about these subjects. I expect my results will show that earth science programs like Earth Camp deepen students' knowledge of and interest in earth science and encourage them to continue their study of earth science in the future. I hope these results will give guidance on how to conduct future learning programs and how to recruit more students to become earth scientists in the future.

Learning Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Sherry

2014-01-01

In spring 2012, Sherry Kaufman, a consultant at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, was asked to support kindergarten teachers in deepening their practice of constructivism and exploring the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. Central to such an approach is the belief that all learning is socially constructed through interaction…

Feel, imagine and learn! - Haptic augmented simulation and embodied instruction in physics learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, In Sook

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potentials and effects of an embodied instructional model in abstract concept learning. This embodied instructional process included haptic augmented educational simulation as an instructional tool to provide perceptual experiences as well as further instruction to activate those previous experiences with perceptual simulation. In order to verify the effectiveness of this instructional model, haptic augmented simulation with three different haptic levels (force and kinesthetic, kinesthetic, and non-haptic) and instructional materials (narrative and expository) were developed and their effectiveness tested. 220 fifth grade students were recruited to participate in the study from three elementary schools located in lower SES neighborhoods in Bronx, New York. The study was conducted for three consecutive weeks in regular class periods. The data was analyzed using ANCOVA, ANOVA, and MANOVA. The result indicates that haptic augmented simulations, both the force and kinesthetic and the kinesthetic simulations, was more effective than the non-haptic simulation in providing perceptual experiences and helping elementary students to create multimodal representations about machines' movements. However, in most cases, force feedback was needed to construct a fully loaded multimodal representation that could be activated when the instruction with less sensory modalities was being given. In addition, the force and kinesthetic simulation was effective in providing cognitive grounding to comprehend a new learning content based on the multimodal representation created with enhanced force feedback. Regarding the instruction type, it was found that the narrative and the expository instructions did not make any difference in activating previous perceptual experiences. These findings suggest that it is important to help students to make a solid cognitive ground with perceptual anchor. Also, sequential abstraction process would deepen students' understanding by providing an opportunity to practice their mental simulation by removing sensory modalities used one by one and to gradually reach abstract level of understanding where students can imagine the machine's movements and working mechanisms with only abstract language without any perceptual supports.

Meeting students halfway: Increasing self-efficacy and promoting knowledge change in astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, Janelle M.; Lombardi, Doug; Cordova, Jacqueline R.; Sinatra, Gale M.

2017-12-01

Two motivational factors—self-efficacy and interest—may be especially relevant to deepening students' understanding of astronomy. We examined the relationship between students' self-efficacy for, interest in learning about, and changes in their knowledge of stars, as measured by the Star Properties Concept Inventory (SPCI). Approximately 700 undergraduate students taking introductory astronomy responded to surveys at the start and end of their semester-long course. A sequential multiple regression analysis showed that self-efficacy post explains an appreciable percentage of variance in SPCI posttest scores, more than twice the percentage explained by all the pretest variables (SPCI, self-efficacy, and interest) combined. Knowledge and self-efficacy improved significantly over instruction; interest did not. Follow-up analyses revealed that instructors whose classes increased in self-efficacy also had the greatest increases in knowledge scores. Interviews with these instructors suggest they provide their students with more opportunities for mastery experiences with elaborated, performance-related feedback, as well as strong positive verbal persuasion and vicarious experiences through peer instruction. Through increased understanding of the relationship between motivational constructs (e.g., self-efficacy, interest) and knowledge, we can both improve our models and better inform instruction.

Democracy Re-Examined: Ghanaian Social Movement Learning and the Re-Articulation of Learning in Struggle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langdon, Jonathan

2011-01-01

Ghana has been identified as an important example of democracy in Africa, yet the story of this democratic success overlooks the crucial role social movement activism and learning have played in locally reconfiguring and deepening what democracy means. A key dimension of this overlooked-story is ongoing efforts to contest both local and global…

Organizational Learning Goes Virtual?: A Study of Employees' Learning Achievement in Stereoscopic 3D Virtual Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Kung Wong

2015-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to deepen understanding of the use of stereoscopic 3D technology (stereo3D) in facilitating organizational learning. The emergence of advanced virtual technologies, in particular to the stereo3D virtual reality, has fundamentally changed the ways in which organizations train their employees. However, in academic or…

Deepened Extinction following Compound Stimulus Presentation: Noradrenergic Modulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janak, Patricia H.; Corbit, Laura H.

2011-01-01

Behavioral extinction is an active form of new learning involving the prediction of nonreward where reward has previously been present. The expression of extinction learning can be disrupted by the presentation of reward itself or reward-predictive stimuli (reinstatement) as well as the passage of time (spontaneous recovery) or contextual changes…

Intergenerational Sharing of Knowledge as Means of Deepening the Organisational Learning Culture in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Joseph; Shapira-Lishchinsky, Orly

2016-01-01

Learning organisations promote the transfer of insights to new personnel (vertical dimension) and the development of shared team knowledge (horizontal dimension). Educational research focuses mainly on the horizontal dimension. This study examined a theoretical framework combining both dimensions and its contribution to teachers' work. Three…

Investigating Musical Performance: Commonality and Diversity among Classical and Non-Classical Musicians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creech, Andrea; Papageorgi, Ioulia; Duffy, Celia; Morton, Frances; Hadden, Elizabeth; Potter, John; De Bezenac, Christophe; Whyton, Tony; Himonides, Evangelos; Welch, Graham

2008-01-01

The research project "Investigating Musical Performance: Comparative Studies in Advanced Musical Learning" was devised to investigate how classical, popular, jazz and Scottish traditional musicians deepen and develop their learning about performance in undergraduate, postgraduate and wider music community contexts. The aim of this paper is to…

"E Pluribus"... Separation: Deepening Double Segregation for More Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orfield, Gary; Kucsera, John; Siegel-Hawley, Genevieve

2012-01-01

This report shows segregation has increased dramatically across the country for Latino students, who are attending more intensely segregated and impoverished schools than they have for generations. The segregation increases have been the most dramatic in the West. The typical Latino student in the region attends a school where less than a quarter…

Museum Studies: Connecting the Elementary and Secondary Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Kachina; Yoder, Maureen

2009-01-01

Museum studies will certainly reinforce students' appreciation of art history and art production. A student's understanding of a museum's function will deepen with each museum visit. Students will recognize that a museum can be organized around materials and kinds of art, periods of art history and cultures, and the works of an individual artist.…

Voyages of Discovery: Experiencing the Emotion of History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelin, Daniel A., II

2005-01-01

Guiding students through a dramatic exploration of an historical event can elicit strong emotional reactions that can deepen student understanding and interest in the subject matter. This article describes an integrated third grade lesson plan that focuses on Henry Hudson's voyages in the early 1600s. The students take on the roles of Hudson's…

The Big Disconnect: Your Student in Class vs. Your Student Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steiner-Adair, Catherine

2015-01-01

Catherine Steiner-Adair, clinical psychologist, has consulted for more than 350 independent and public schools, parents, and students, on a wide range of topics related to strengthening children's social and emotional development, shaping school culture, and deepening parents' connections to their children. Four years ago, she was able to collect…

Differentiating Heritage and Foreign Language Learners of Spanish: Needs, Perceptions, and Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hedgcock, John S.; Lefkowitz, Natalie

2016-01-01

Research on heritage language (HL) development and education has characterized the unique linguistic, sociocultural, and affective profiles of heritage-language (HL) students, yet foreign-language (FL) education has only begun to understand HL students in relation to non-heritage students (Carreira & Kagan, 2011; Felix, 2008). To deepen our…

Exploring Predictors of Social Actions by General Education Students towards Peers with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okpareke, Alicia Wyche; Salisbury, Christine L.

2018-01-01

This study deepens the field's understanding about factors that contribute to positive social engagement between students without disabilities and their peers with mild disabilities in general education classrooms. A sample of 68 seventh grade students with and without disabilities was drawn from general education classrooms in a suburban, Midwest…

Making Algebra Work: Instructional Strategies that Deepen Student Understanding, within and between Algebraic Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Star, Jon R.; Rittle-Johnson, Bethany

2009-01-01

Competence in algebra is increasingly recognized as a critical milestone in students' middle and high school years. The transition from arithmetic to algebra is a notoriously difficult one, and improvements in algebra instruction are greatly needed (National Research Council, 2001). Algebra historically has represented students' first sustained…

MO-DE-BRA-02: From Teaching to Learning: Systems-Based-Practice and Practice-Based-Learning Innovations in Medical Physics Education Programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kapur, A

Purpose: The increasing complexity in the field of radiation medicine and concomitant rise in patient safety concerns call for enhanced systems-level training for future medical physicists and thus commensurate innovations in existing educational program curricula. In this work we report on the introduction of three learning opportunities to augment medical physics educational programs towards building systems-based practice and practice-based learning competencies. Methods: All initiatives were introduced for senior -level graduate students and physics residents in an institution with a newly established medical-physics graduate program and therapeutic-physics residency program. The first, centered on incident learning, was based on a spreadsheet toolmore » that incorporated the reporting structure of the Radiation Oncology-incident Learning System (ROILS), included 120 narratives of published incidents and enabled inter-rater variability calculations. The second, centered on best-practices, was a zero-credit seminar course, where students summarized select presentations from the AAPM virtual library on a weekly basis and moderated class discussions using a point/counterpoint approach. Presentation styles were critiqued. The third; centered on learning-by-teaching, required physics residents to regularly explain fundamental concepts in radiological physics from standard textbooks to board certified physics faculty members. Results: Use of the incident-learning system spreadsheet provided a platform to recast known accidents into the framework of ROILS, thereby increasing awareness of factors contributing to unsafe practice and appreciation for inter-rater variability. The seminar course enhanced awareness of best practices, the effectiveness of presentation styles and encouraged critical thinking. The learn-by-teaching rotation allowed residents to stay abreast of and deepen their knowledge of relevant subjects. Conclusion: The incorporation of systems-driven initiatives broadens comprehension of the wider systems context of medical physics, enhances awareness of resources for innovation, communication and sustained learning while maintaining a metric-driven focus on patient safety within the formative phase of student careers. The initiatives were well-received, feasible, and utilized available or shared-resources translatable across educational programs.« less

Student use of Web 2.0 tools to support argumentation in a high school science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weible, Jennifer L.

This ethnographic study is an investigation into how two classes of chemistry students (n=35) from a low-income high school with a one-to-one laptop initiative used Web 2.0 tools to support participation in the science practice of argumentation (i.e., sensemaking, articulating understandings, and persuading an audience) during a unit on alternative energy. The science curriculum utilized the Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Tools for Science Education as a pedagogical framework (Kim, Hannafin, & Bryan, 2007). Video recordings of the classroom work, small group discussions, and focus group interviews, documents, screen shots, wiki evidence, and student produced multi-media artifacts were the data analyzed for this study. Open and focused coding techniques, counts of social tags and wiki moves, and interpretive analyses were used to find patterns in the data. The study found that the tools of social bookmarking, wiki, and persuasive multimedia artifacts supported participation in argumentation. In addition, students utilized the affordances of the technologies in multiple ways to communicate, collaborate, manage the work of others, and efficiently complete their science project. This study also found that technologically enhanced science curriculum can bridge students' everyday and scientific understandings of making meaning, articulating understandings, and persuading others of their point of view. As a result, implications from this work include a set of design principles for science inquiry learning that utilize technology. This study suggests new consideration of analytical methodology that blends wiki data analytics and video data. It also suggests that utilizing technology as a bridging strategy serves two roles within classrooms: (a) deepening students' understanding of alternative energy science content and (b) supporting students as they learn to participate in the practices of argumentation.

Helping medical students to acquire a deeper understanding of truth-telling

PubMed Central

Hurst, Samia A.; Baroffio, Anne; Ummel, Marinette; Burn, Carine Layat

2015-01-01

Problem Truth-telling is an important component of respect for patients’ self-determination, but in the context of breaking bad news, it is also a distressing and difficult task. Intervention We investigated the long-term influence of a simulated patient-based teaching intervention, integrating learning objectives in communication skills and ethics into students’ attitudes and concerns regarding truth-telling. We followed two cohorts of medical students from the preclinical third year to their clinical rotations (fifth year). Open-ended responses were analysed to explore medical students’ reported difficulties in breaking bad news. Context This intervention was implemented during the last preclinical year of a problem-based medical curriculum, in collaboration between the doctor–patient communication and ethics programs. Outcome Over time, concerns such as empathy and truthfulness shifted from a personal to a relational focus. Whereas ‘truthfulness’ was a concern for the content of the message, ‘truth-telling’ included concerns on how information was communicated and how realistically it was received. Truth-telling required empathy, adaptation to the patient, and appropriate management of emotions, both for the patient's welfare and for a realistic understanding of the situation. Lessons learned Our study confirms that an intervention confronting students with a realistic situation succeeds in making them more aware of the real issues of truth-telling. Medical students deepened their reflection over time, acquiring a deeper understanding of the relational dimension of values such as truth-telling, and honing their view of empathy. PMID:26563958

The Conic Sections in Taxicab Geometry: Some Investigations for High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prevost, Fernand J.

1998-01-01

Introduces the taxicab metric which is practical for many applications and helps students pursue interesting investigations while deepening their understanding of familiar topics. Uses the taxicab metric to explore the circle, ellipse, and hyperbola in the plane called TaxiLand. (ASK)

Teaching Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Polymeric Biomaterials

PubMed Central

Washburn, Newell R.

2010-01-01

A model for incorporating an entrepreneurship module has been developed in an upper-division and graduate-level engineering elective on Polymeric Biomaterials (27-311/42-311/27-711/42-711) at Carnegie Mellon University. A combination of lectures, assignments, and a team-based project were used to provide students with a framework for applying their technical skills in the development of new technologies and a basic understanding of the issues related to translational research and technology commercialization. The specific approach to the project established in the course, which represented 20% of the students’ grades, and the grading rubric for each of the milestones are described along with suggestions for generalizing this approach to different applications of biomaterials or other engineering electives. Incorporating this model of entrepreneurship into electives teaches students course content within the framework of technological innovation and many of the concepts and tools need to practice it. For students with situational or individual interest in the project, it would also serve to deepen their understanding of the traditional course components as well as provide a foundation for integrating technological innovation and lifelong learning. PMID:20949575

Teacher, I Had a Dream: A Glimpse of the Spiritual Domain of Children Using Project-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Kathleen

2013-01-01

Children's dreams have the potential to awaken feelings, question attitudes and inspire new learning experiences to deepen awareness of spiritual development. Both guidance and spiritual environments created by nurturing educators and parents foster dreams that captivate and motivate children to increase their spiritual self-awareness, leading…

Boundary Crossings: Using Participatory Theatre as a Site for Deepening Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumrai, Rajni Rani; Chauhan, Vipin; Hoy, Jane

2011-01-01

Amongst the academic community there has been an increasing acceptance that knowledge and learning is no longer situated solely within academic settings and that workplace settings are also legitimate spaces for reflecting on practice in order to enhance professional capabilities. Learners are uniquely placed to draw on their workplace experiences…

Scaffolding 6th Graders' Problem Solving in Technology-Enhanced Science Classrooms: A Qualitative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Minchi C.; Hannafin, Michael J.

2011-01-01

In response to the calls to improve and deepen scientific understanding and literacy, considerable effort has been invested in developing sustainable technology-enhanced learning environments to improve science inquiry. Research has provided important guidance for scaffolding learning in mathematics and science. However, these reports have…

Learning to Write, Writing to Learn: Theory and Research in Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Indrisano, Roselmina, Ed.; Paratore, Jeanne R., Ed.

2005-01-01

Improving the way to teach writing requires deepening one's understanding of the process of writing. Each chapter in this collection brings together the perspectives of a university researcher and a classroom teacher to show explicitly the connection between writing theory, and practice. The book covers writing development in grades K?12 and…

Deepening Ecological Relationality through Critical Onto-Epistemological Inquiry: Where Transformative Learning Meets Sustainable Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Lewis

2013-01-01

Indigenous worldviews remain at the margins of education, science, and sustainability efforts. The emergence of sustainable science holds promise as a means of advancing deep sustainability and recentering Indigenous knowledge. Transformative learning's engagement with sustainable science has the potential to play an integral role in this…

Deepened Mirrors of Cultural Learning: Expressing Identity through E-Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrew, Martin

2009-01-01

This paper qualitatively analyzes reflective data gathered from learners' electronic and paper writings about their cultural learning in and about New Zealand. The data comes from three intakes of learners in "Culture and New Zealand Society," a second-year course for migrant and international learners within a Bachelor of Arts in…

Views of Students with Disabilities about Their Experience in Secondary Education in the Basque Country, Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

López, Ana Luisa; Etxabe, Eguzkiñe; Montero, Delfín

2016-01-01

Although most of the students with intellectual and developmental disabilities have access to and some even have completed secondary education in Spain, there are few studies that deepen on the students' views about their educational experience. The research team consisted of university researchers and professionals from a non-governmental…

Exploring Gender through Education Abroad Programs: A Graduate Student Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Squire, Dian D.; Williams, Terry E.; Cartwright, Matthew; Jourian, T. J.; Monter, Marie; Weatherford, Amy

2015-01-01

This case study explores how graduate students who attended a short-term education abroad program understood gender as a result of participation in the trip. Findings reveal that students' understandings of gender are influenced by in and out of class contexts. Implications for faculty and education abroad practitioners are shared to deepen and…

STEREOVIDEO YouTube channel: Short educational videos for the on-line learning of the stereographic projection technique in Structural Geology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Insua-Arevalo, Juan M.; Alvarez-Gomez, Jose A.; Castiñeiras, Pedro; Tejero-Lopez, Rosa; Martinez-Diaz, Jose J.; Rodriguez-Peces, Martin J.

2017-04-01

STEREOVIDEO channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/geostereovideo) is a YouTube channel of short educational videos (<5 min) focused on learning the handling of the stereographic projection technique applied to Structural Geology (also to Engineering Geology). This type of videos aims to reinforce the traditional classroom lessons with the use of communication technologies resources. Such a reinforcing facilitates the possibility to deepen more on conceptual aspects once the students dominate the representation tool helping them to develop their own critical thinking skills. After three years of being launched on-line (on 2014), we analyze the broadcast and acceptance of the channel by the academic community. For this purpose we have taken into account two different sources: (1) the analytics tool from YouTube (subscriptions, views, countries, comments from the users, type of device for viewing), and (2) our own survey among users (students and teachers) to get their opinion about the videos. By January, 2017 (date of sending of this abstract), the channel has a total of 650 subscriptions, with more than 85,000 views all around the world, mainly in Spanish speaking countries (as the videos are in Spanish). The main devices for viewing the videos are PCs, but is noteworthy the use of smart phones and tablets. The video users, both students and teachers, value this type of content positively.

Teaching professionalism in science courses: anatomy to zoology.

PubMed

Macpherson, Cheryl C

2012-02-01

Medical professionalism is reflected in attitudes, behaviors, character, and standards of practice. It is embodied by physicians who fulfill their duties to patients and uphold societies' trust in medicine. Professionalism requires familiarity with the ethical codes and standards established by international, governmental, institutional, or professional organizations. It also requires becoming aware of and responsive to societal controversies. Scientific uncertainty may be used to teach aspects of professionalism in science courses. Uncertainty about the science behind, and the health impacts of, climate change is one example explored herein that may be used to teach both professionalism and science. Many medical curricula provide students with information about professionalism and create opportunities for students to reflect upon and strengthen their individually evolving levels of professionalism. Faculties in basic sciences are rarely called upon to teach professionalism or deepen medical students understanding of professional standards, competencies, and ethical codes. However they have the knowledge and experience to develop goals, learning objectives, and topics relevant to professionalism within their own disciplines and medical curricula. Their dedication to, and passion for, science will support basic science faculties in designing innovative and effective approaches to teaching professionalism. This paper explores topics and formats that scientists may find useful in teaching professional attitudes, skills, and competencies in their medical curriculum. It highlights goals and learning objectives associated with teaching medical professionalism in the basic sciences. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Negotiation of the Relationship between Home and School in the Mind of Grade 6 Students in an International School in Qatar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frangie, Maha

2017-01-01

This paper aims at deepening the understanding of how the relation between home and school is negotiated in the mind of Grade 6 students attending an International Baccalaureate (IB) school in Qatar. Students reported mainly frustration and confusion. The Thematic Coding Analysis used in the study revealed two strategies students use to negotiate…

ZTF Undergraduate Astronomy Institute at Caltech and Pomona College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penprase, Bryan Edward; Bellm, Eric Christopher

2017-01-01

From the new Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), an NSF funded project based at Caltech, comes a new initiative for undergraduate research known as the Summer Undergraduate Astronomy Institute. The Institute brings together 15-20 students from across the world for an immersive experience in astronomy techniques before they begin their summer research projects. The students are primarly based at Caltech in their SURF program but also includes a large cohort of students enrolled in research internships at Pomona College in nearby Claremont CA. The program is intended to introduce students to research techniques in astronomy, laboratory and computational technologies, and to observational astronomy. Since many of the students are previously computer science or physics majors with little astronomy experience, this immersive experience has been extremely helpful for enabling students to learn about the terminologies, techniques and technologies of astronomy. The field trips to the Mount Wilson and Palomar telescopes deepen their knowledge and excitement about astronomy. Lectures about astronomical research from Caltech staff scientists and graduate students also provide context for the student research. Perhaps more importantly, the creation of a cohort of like-minded students, and the chance to reflect about careers in astronomy and research, give these students opportunities to consider themselves as future research scientists and help them immensely as they move forward in their careers. We discuss some of the social and intercultural aspects of the experience as well, as our cohorts typically include international students from many countries and several students from under-represented groups in science.

Preparing Teachers for Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disabilities in Professional Development Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belknap, Nancy; Mosca, Frank J.

This paper describes George Washington University's Teacher Preparation Programs for Children with Emotional Disturbance, which uses a Professional Development School (PDS) model to deepen understanding about the specific needs of students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) and prepare outstanding classroom teachers. Goals are to improve…

Competency-Based Education: Understanding the CBE Student's Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loveless, Jill L.

2017-01-01

Research on competency-based education (CBE) has primarily focused on elements of development, design, and implementation. The researcher interviewed students about their experiences in a CBE course as an avenue to deepen existing knowledge, build upon previous research, and improve development, design, and implementation. The researcher…

Academic Youth and Social Revolution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Jouvenel, Bertrand

A general wave of student eruptions is taking place in many countries not only because of dissatisfaction with specific institutional practices, but because of a profound and deepening estrangement between academic youth and modern society. Among elements contributing to the growth of a new political movement are much larger student bodies and…

Should Institutions Expand the Academic Record?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Book, Connie; Parks, Rodney

2016-01-01

Higher education is more competitive than ever before. New terms for curricular gains--for example badges and competencies are becoming the norm. Not all student experiences are created equal. In the "curriculum of experience," Elon University has advanced and deepened a 20-year-old general education requirement that students complete…

Using Dance to Deepen Student Understanding of Geometry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Candice; Linder, Sandra M.

2012-01-01

This article provides an example of a collaborative effort between a dance specialist and four third-grade classroom teachers at an arts magnet school. They developed a dance and geometry integration project including implementation strategies, assessment tools, and reflections completed by both the classroom teacher and the third-grade students.…

Characters as Guides to Meaning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roser, Nancy; Martinez, Miriam; Fuhrken, Charles; McDonnold, Kathleen

2007-01-01

Characters in children's books can help to guide readers through stories, contributing to deepened understandings of plot and themes. The authors discuss why characters become vivid and lasting in readers' minds, the ways in which students are often asked to think about characters in classroom literature study, and how students' understanding of…

Educating the Leaders of the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornelissen, Albert

2015-01-01

Some students want to broaden their perspectives while others want to deepen their knowledge, and it is vital to challenge students to the level of their ability and interest. However, in regular degree programmes the possibilities for individualization and differentiation in content and didactics are often limited. The main focus of a regular…

Connecting Students with the Human Dimensions in Literature: Using Bruner's Modes of Thought to Deepen Literary Appreciation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConn, Matthew

2014-01-01

Many times students are directed to make a personal connection to literature without being guided toward how their connection works interdependently with the structure of the narrative to create a greater meaning, much less directed toward how this connection can hold meaning for their own lives. Through student samples, this article attempts to…

Using an Advanced Computational Laboratory Experiment to Extend and Deepen Physical Chemistry Students' Understanding of Atomic Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Gary G.

2015-01-01

A computational laboratory experiment is described, which involves the advanced study of an atomic system. The students use concepts and techniques typically covered in a physical chemistry course but extend those concepts and techniques to more complex situations. The students get a chance to explore the study of atomic states and perform…

An Inquiry into the Influence of Professional Learning Communities on English Language Arts Teachers' Pedagogical-Content Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pittman, Pamela Kay

2015-01-01

Teaching is an ever-evolving profession, one in which teachers must stay abreast of recent research and trends to continually deepen their knowledge and refine their skills. Therefore, teachers need high quality professional learning opportunities to help them master the content they teach and strengthen their teaching skills. Professional…

Learning and Teaching with Social Network Sites: A Decade of Research in K-12 Related Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenhow, Christine; Askari, Emilia

2017-01-01

The increasingly widespread use of social network sites to expand and deepen one's social connections is a relatively new but potentially important phenomenon that has implications for teaching and learning and teacher education in the 21st century. This paper surveys the educational research literature to examine: How such technologies are…

Interdisciplinary Research at the Intersection of CALL, NLP, and SLA: Methodological Implications from an Input Enhancement Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziegler, Nicole; Meurers, Detmar; Rebuschat, Patrick; Ruiz, Simón; Moreno-Vega, José L.; Chinkina, Maria; Li, Wenjing; Grey, Sarah

2017-01-01

Despite the promise of research conducted at the intersection of computer-assisted language learning (CALL), natural language processing, and second language acquisition, few studies have explored the potential benefits of using intelligent CALL systems to deepen our understanding of the process and products of second language (L2) learning. The…

Values, Predicaments, and Countermeasures for a Model Combining Learning with Working in Higher Vocational Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Jun

2014-01-01

Combining learning with working is a fundamental way to deepen teaching reform in higher vocational education. Based on an analysis of the social value, individual value, educational value, and current predicaments of higher vocational education, this article explores effective ways to realize the value of this talent development model and…

Our Compulsory Goals: Effective Teaching and Meaningful Learning through Powerful Cultural Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., Ed.

2012-01-01

Wilhelm asks, "But are new literacies just fun?" Then he immediately answers, "Absolutely not--if we as teachers provide the right context and conditions of their use." Offering research-based advice on incorporating technology to increase motivation and deepen learning, Wilhelm boils it down to this bottom line: it's engaged, substantive,…

Teachers' Contribution to the Social Life in Finnish Preschool Classrooms during Structured Learning Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salminen, Jenni; Hännikäinen, Maritta; Poikonen, Pirjo-Liisa; Rasku-Puttonen, Helena

2014-01-01

This study aimed to clarify and deepen the knowledge on and understanding of the role that teachers' practices during teacher-led learning sessions play in creating and enhancing social life in Finnish preschool classrooms. Observational data pertaining to 20 preschool teachers were analysed according to the principles of thematic analysis. Four…

A Report on the Technological Enhancements Project Evaluation: Deepening Early Learning Experiences through Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hupert, Naomi; Cervantes, Francisco; DeGroof, Emily

2010-01-01

As part of the "Ready to Learn" Initiative, Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), was charged with addressing the evaluation of Technological Enhancements for the outreach efforts of three producers: Out of the Blue's Super WHY! Technology Add-On; Sesame Workshop's The Electric Company School's Initiative Curriculum; and WordWorld's eBook…

Conceptual frameworks in astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pundak, David

2016-06-01

How to evaluate students' astronomy understanding is still an open question. Even though some methods and tools to help students have already been developed, the sources of students' difficulties and misunderstanding in astronomy is still unclear. This paper presents an investigation of the development of conceptual systems in astronomy by 50 engineering students, as a result of learning a general course on astronomy. A special tool called Conceptual Frameworks in Astronomy (CFA) that was initially used in 1989, was adapted to gather data for the present research. In its new version, the tool included 23 questions, and five to six optional answers were given for each question. Each of the answers was characterized by one of the four conceptual astronomical frameworks: pre-scientific, geocentric, heliocentric and sidereal or scientific. The paper describes the development of the tool and discusses its validity and reliability. Using the CFA we were able to identify the conceptual frameworks of the students at the beginning of the course and at its end. CFA enabled us to evaluate the paradigmatic change of students following the course and also the extent of the general improvement in astronomical knowledge. It was found that the measure of the students’ improvement (gain index) was g = 0.37. Approximately 45% of the students in the course improved their understanding of conceptual frameworks in astronomy and 26% deepened their understanding of the heliocentric or sidereal conceptual frameworks.

Active learning in optics and photonics: Liquid Crystal Display in the do-it-yourself

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vauderwange, Oliver; Haiss, Ulrich; Wozniak, Peter; Israel, Kai; Curticapean, Dan

2015-10-01

Monitors are in the center of media productions and hold an important function as the main visual interface. Tablets and smartphones are becoming more and more important work tools in the media industry. As an extension to our lecture contents an intensive discussion of different display technologies and its applications is taking place now. The established LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) technology and the promising OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology are in the focus. The classic LCD is currently the most important display technology. The paper will present how the students should develop sense for display technologies besides the theoretical scientific basics. The workshop focuses increasingly on the technical aspects of the display technology and has the goal of deepening the students understanding of the functionality by building simple Liquid Crystal Displays by themselves. The authors will present their experience in the field of display technologies. A mixture of theoretical and practical lectures has the goal of a deeper understanding in the field of digital color representation and display technologies. The design and development of a suitable learning environment with the required infrastructure is crucial. The main focus of this paper is on the hands-on optics workshop "Liquid Crystal Display in the do-it-yourself".

"Place Based Tourism Curriculum: Making Connections to Community"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Robin Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Drawing from a research project with the Thompson Rivers University (TRU) and from place based curriculum and literature, this paper explores the effectiveness of a student-created half hour walking tour and postcard assignment as a way of deepening student engagement with course content and the local community. The project was designed to engage…

Students' Experience of Sustainability: Health as a Lever for Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweizer, Angélick; Miserez, Sébastien; del Rio Carral, Maria; Santiago-Delefosse, Marie

2018-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to deepen the authors' understanding of higher education students' perceptions about sustainability issues by focusing on their motivations to adopt (or not to adopt) sustainable practices in their lives. It mobilized the notion of "health" and the potential impacts of climate change on health.…

A General Chemistry Laboratory Course Designed for Student Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obenland, Carrie A.; Kincaid, Kristi; Hutchinson, John S.

2014-01-01

We report a study of the general chemistry laboratory course at one university over four years. We found that when taught as a traditional laboratory course, lab experiences do not encourage students to deepen their understanding of chemical concepts. Although the lab instructor emphasized that the lab experiences were designed to enhance…

Epistemic Insight: Teaching about Science and RE in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mujtaba, Tamjid; Reiss, Michael J.; Stones, Alexis

2017-01-01

This article reports on a teaching intervention for year 9 or 10 students (age 13-15) in secondary school biology and religious education (RE) lessons that was partly intended to deepen students' reflections, empathy and literacy when considering the similarities, differences and relationships between religion and science. The intervention proved…

The Use of Componential Analysis to "Deepen" L2 Students' Lexical Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez, Beatriz Cortina

2007-01-01

Conscious of the importance of enhancing semantics at higher levels, this paper proposes the use of componential analysis to increase students' awareness of different shades of meaning (Gairns & Redman 1986). First, it briefly reviews componential analysis theory, as well as its criticisms and possible applications. Then, with the help of the…

The Shakespeare in All of Us: A Monumental, Multitudinous, Premeditated Approach to Vocabulary Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savino, Jennifer Ann

2011-01-01

Shakespeare, who worked actively with words through punning, playing, and inventing, serves as the model for students to experience a deepening knowledge of vocabulary and love of words. Through instructional activities aimed at increasing word play, word exposure, and word consciousness, students gain the verbal capacity needed to understand…

Deep Understanding of Electromagnetism Using Crosscutting Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Poorter, John; De Lange, Jan; Devoldere, Lies; Van Landeghem, Jouri; Strubbe, Katrien

2017-01-01

Crosscutting concepts like patterns and models are fundamental parts in both the American framework of science education (from the AAAS) and our proposals for a new science education framework in Flanders. These concepts deepen the insight of both students and teachers. They help students to ask relevant questions during an inquiry and they give…

Mat-Rix-Toe: Improving Writing through a Game-Based Project in Linear Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham-Squire, Adam; Farnell, Elin; Stockton, Julianna Connelly

2014-01-01

The Mat-Rix-Toe project utilizes a matrix-based game to deepen students' understanding of linear algebra concepts and strengthen students' ability to express themselves mathematically. The project was administered in three classes using slightly different approaches, each of which included some editing component to encourage the…

Appalachian Literature and Culture: A Teaching Unit for High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brennan, Joan M.

A 10-week unit of study of Appalachian literature and culture, focusing on Harriette Arnow's novel, "The Dollmaker," is designed to deepen Appalachian students' awareness of their rich cultural heritage as well as to encourage non-Appalachians' appreciation of backgrounds different from their own. One week is allotted for…

Using a Smartphone App and Coaching Group Sessions to Promote Residents' Reflection in the Workplace.

PubMed

Könings, Karen D; van Berlo, Jean; Koopmans, Richard; Hoogland, Henk; Spanjers, Ingrid A E; ten Haaf, Jeroen A; van der Vleuten, Cees P M; van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G

2016-03-01

Reflecting on workplace-based experiences is necessary for professional development. However, residents need support to raise their awareness of valuable moments for learning and to thoughtfully analyze those learning moments afterwards. From October to December 2012, the authors held a multidisciplinary six-week postgraduate training module focused on general competencies. Residents were randomly assigned to one of four conditions with varying degrees of reflection support; they were offered (1) a smartphone app, (2) coaching group sessions, (3) a combination of both, or (4) neither type of support. The app allowed participants to capture in real time learning moments as a text note, audio recording, picture, or video. Coaching sessions held every two weeks aimed to deepen participants' reflection on captured learning moments. Questionnaire responses and reflection data were compared between conditions to assess the effects of the app and coaching sessions on intensity and frequency of reflection. Sixty-four residents participated. App users reflected more often, captured more learning moments, and reported greater learning progress than nonapp users. Participants who attended coaching sessions were more alert to learning moments and pursued more follow-up learning activities to improve on the general competencies. Those who received both types of support were most alert to these learning moments. A simple mobile app for capturing learning moments shows promise as a tool to support workplace-based learning, especially when combined with coaching sessions. Future research should evaluate these tools on a broader scale and in conjunction with residents' and students' personal digital portfolios.

Putting Making into High School Computer Science Classrooms: Promoting Equity in Teaching and Learning with Electronic Textiles in "Exploring Computer Science"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fields, Deborah Ann; Kafai, Yasmin; Nakajima, Tomoko; Goode, Joanna; Margolis, Jane

2018-01-01

Recent discussions of making have focused on developing out-of-school makerspaces and activities to provide more equitable and enriching learning opportunities for youth. Yet school classrooms present a unique opportunity to help broaden access, diversify representation, and deepen participation in making. In turning to classrooms, we want to…

Endangered Play, Endangered Development: A Constructivist View of the Role of Play in Development and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levin, Diane E.

Piagetian and Vygotskian theories may be used as starting points to examine the role of play in development and learning from a constructivist perspective, including how children use play to deepen their understanding and skills, encounter new problems, and incorporate newly mastered skills into their play. Contemporary factors such as an emphasis…

Understanding Young People's Citizenship Learning in Everyday Life: The Role of Contexts, Relationships and Dispositions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biesta, Gert; Lawy, Robert; Kelly, Narcie

2009-01-01

In this article we present insights from research which has sought to deepen understanding of the ways in which young people (aged 13-21) learn democratic citizenship through their participation in a range of different formal and informal practices and communities. Based on the research, we suggest that such understanding should focus on the…

Horse Riding 101: The Role of Experience in Reframing Teacher Education Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garbett, Dawn

2011-01-01

For this self-study of my teacher education practice, I positioned myself as a novice in the unfamiliar context of learning to ride a horse. This gave me an opportunity to re-experience being an authentic learner and thereby to deepen my understanding of how an individual learns to teach. I recorded my experiences in an electronic journal and…

‘From the cat’s point of view’: upper secondary physics students’ reflections on Schrödinger’s thought experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinjusveen Myhrehagen, Henning; Bungum, Berit

2016-09-01

The thought experiment ‘Schrödinger’s cat’ exposes fundamental dilemmas in how we interpret quantum physics, and has a potential for deepening students’ understanding of this part of modern physics, including its philosophical consequences. In this paper we report results from the project ReleQuant on how Norwegian physics students in upper secondary schools interpret the thought experiment. The analysis resulted in nine categories, and we discuss how these relate to interpretations made by physicists, in particular the concept of superposition. Even if students’ responses in many cases can be related to interpretations that make sense in physics, we conclude that lack of knowledge about the purpose and the historical context of the thought experiment limits students understanding of the physics content. Exploring the thought experiment from a historical perspective might deepen student understanding of key concepts in quantum physics as well as of how physics develops.

Science As A Second Language: Acquiring Fluency through Science Enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shope, R.; EcoVoices Expedition Team

2013-05-01

Science Enterprises are problems that students genuinely want to solve, questions that students genuinely want to answer, that naturally entail reading, writing, investigation, and discussion. Engaging students in personally-relevant science enterprises provides both a diagnostic opportunity and a context for providing students the comprehensible input they need. We can differentiate instruction by creating science enterprise zones that are set up for the incremental increase in challenge for the students. Comprehensible input makes reachable, those just-out-of-reach concepts in the mix of the familiar and the new. EcoVoices takes students on field research expeditions within an urban natural area, the San Gabriel River Discovery Center. This project engages students in science enterprises focused on understanding ecosystems, ecosystem services, and the dynamics of climate change. A sister program, EcoVoces, has been launched in Mexico, in collaboration with the Universidad Loyola del Pacífico. 1) The ED3U Science Inquiry Model, a learning cycle model that accounts for conceptual change: Explore { Diagnose, Design, Discuss } Use. 2) The ¿NQUIRY Wheel, a compass of scientific inquiry strategies; 3) Inquiry Science Expeditions, a way of laying out a science learning environment, emulating a field and lab research collaboratory; 4) The Science Educative Experience Scale, a diagnostic measure of the quality of the science learning experience; and 5) Mimedia de la Ciencia, participatory enactment of science concepts using techniques of mime and improvisational theater. BACKGROUND: Science has become a vehicle for teaching reading, writing, and other communication skills, across the curriculum. This new emphasis creates renewed motivation for Scientists and Science Educators to work collaboratively to explore the common ground between acquiring science understanding and language acquisition theory. Language Acquisition is an informal process that occurs in the midst of exploring, solving problems, seeking answers to questions, playing, reading for pleasure, conversing, discussing, where the focus is not specifically on language development, but on the activity, which is of interest to the participant. Language Learning is a formal education process, the language arts aspect of the school day: the direct teaching of reading, writing, grammar, spelling, and speaking. Fluency results primarily from language acquisition and secondarily from language learning. We can view the problem of science education and communication as similar to language acquisition. Science Learning is a formal education process, the school science aspect of the school day: the direct teaching of standards-aligned science content. Science Acquisition is an informal process that occurs in the midst of exploring, solving problems, seeking answers to questions, playing, experimenting for pleasure, conversing, discussing, where the focus is not specifically on science content development, but on the inquiry activity, driven by the curiosity of the participant. Treating Science as a Second Language shifts the evaluation of science learning to include gauging the extent to which students choose to deepen their pursuit of science learning.

Helping medical students to acquire a deeper understanding of truth-telling.

PubMed

Hurst, Samia A; Baroffio, Anne; Ummel, Marinette; Burn, Carine Layat

2015-01-01

Truth-telling is an important component of respect for patients' self-determination, but in the context of breaking bad news, it is also a distressing and difficult task. We investigated the long-term influence of a simulated patient-based teaching intervention, integrating learning objectives in communication skills and ethics into students' attitudes and concerns regarding truth-telling. We followed two cohorts of medical students from the preclinical third year to their clinical rotations (fifth year). Open-ended responses were analysed to explore medical students' reported difficulties in breaking bad news. This intervention was implemented during the last preclinical year of a problem-based medical curriculum, in collaboration between the doctor-patient communication and ethics programs. Over time, concerns such as empathy and truthfulness shifted from a personal to a relational focus. Whereas 'truthfulness' was a concern for the content of the message, 'truth-telling' included concerns on how information was communicated and how realistically it was received. Truth-telling required empathy, adaptation to the patient, and appropriate management of emotions, both for the patient's welfare and for a realistic understanding of the situation. Our study confirms that an intervention confronting students with a realistic situation succeeds in making them more aware of the real issues of truth-telling. Medical students deepened their reflection over time, acquiring a deeper understanding of the relational dimension of values such as truth-telling, and honing their view of empathy.

Patterns of Instructional Discourse that Promote the Perception of Mastery Goals in a Social Constructivist Mathematics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrone, Anastasia Steffen; Harkness, Shelly S.; D'Ambrosio, Beatriz; Caulfield, Richard

2004-01-01

Elementary education students enrolled in an experimental mathematics course participated in this study. The course is taught using a social constructivist approach and is designed to improve students' mathematical problem-solving ability and deepen their understanding of mathematics. The research question for the present study is as follows: In…

A Spiral Task as a Model for In-Service Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fried, Michael N.; Amit, Miriam

2005-01-01

The spiral approach has long been used by curriculum designers to deepen students' knowledge of scientific and mathematical concepts and to bring students to higher levels of abstraction. The benefits of a spiral approach, however, can also be extended to teacher education. This paper describes a spiral activity employed by the "Kidumatica"…

A Sense of Belonging through the Eyes of First-Year LGBPQ Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaccaro, Annemarie; Newman, Barbara M.

2017-01-01

Using grounded theory methods, the authors examined how LGBPQ students developed a sense of belonging during the first year of college. Sense of belonging transformed and deepened over the year and was fostered in three different contexts: university, group, and friendship. It was influenced by sexual identity and outness, university messaging,…

Some Practical Approaches to a Course on Paraconsistent Logic for Engineers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert-Torres, Germano; de Moraes, Carlos Henrique Valerio; Coutinho, Maurilio Pereira; Martins, Helga Gonzaga; Borges da Silva, Luiz Eduardo

2017-01-01

This paper describes a non-classical logic course primarily indicated for graduate students in electrical engineering and energy engineering. The content of this course is based on the vision that it is not enough for a student to indefinitely accumulate knowledge; it is necessary to explore all the occasions to update, deepen, and enrich that…

Walking the Labyrinth: Examining the Intersection of Spirituality and Leadership among Senior Student Affairs Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riera, Jose-Luis

2013-01-01

As senior student affairs administrators (SSAAs) seek to lead effectively in higher education, some SSAAs consider spiritual resources to enhance leadership practice. Yet, empirical literature on the intersection of spirituality and leadership in higher education is relatively absent and needs to be deepened and broadened. The purpose of this…

First-Generation Undergraduate Library Users: Experiences and Perceptions of the Library as Place

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neurohr, Karen A.

2017-01-01

Research focused on first-generation college students has developed considerably in recent years, yet an area that remains relatively unexplored is students' perceptions of the academic library as place. Exploring such perceptions is important for deepening understanding of how the library, as a central academic resource on campus, can best serve…

Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program for Middle School-Aged Female Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hanna

2016-01-01

This study investigates the effects of an intensive 1-week Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program (InSTEP) designed for middle school-aged female students. InSTEP uses a guided/open inquiry approach that is deepened and redefined as eight sciences and engineering practices in the Next Generation Science Standards, which aimed at…

Deepen the Teaching Reform of Operating System, Cultivate the Comprehensive Quality of Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Jianjun

2010-01-01

Operating system is the core course of the specialty of computer science and technology. To understand and master the operating system will directly affect students' further study on other courses. The course of operating system focuses more on theories. Its contents are more abstract and the knowledge system is more complicated. Therefore,…

A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed: A Case Study on Human Respiratory Physiology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cliff, William H.; Wright, Ann W.

2005-01-01

The dynamics of oxygen transport by the blood can be a particularly difficult topic for students to grasp. A directed case study about carbon monoxide poisoning was designed to help deepen student understanding of the solution chemistry of the oxygen-hemoglobin reaction and the role that hemoglobin plays in external respiration.

"Yes, and …" Exploring the Future of Learning Analytics in Medical Education.

PubMed

Cirigliano, Matt M; Guthrie, Charlie; Pusic, Martin V; Cianciolo, Anna T; Lim-Dunham, Jennifer E; Spickard, Anderson; Terry, Valerie

2017-01-01

This Conversations Starter article presents a selected research abstract from the 2017 Association of American Medical Colleges Northeastern Region Group on Educational Affairs annual spring meeting. The abstract is paired with the integrative commentary of three experts who shared their thoughts stimulated by the study. Commentators brainstormed "what's next" with learning analytics in medical education, including advancements in interaction metrics and the use of interactivity analysis to deepen understanding of perceptual, cognitive, and social learning and transfer processes.

Knowledge and skills needed to improve as preceptor: development of a continuous professional development course - a qualitative study part I.

PubMed

Bengtsson, Mariette; Carlson, Elisabeth

2015-01-01

Preceptors are expected to have the skills to be able to form an effective learning environment and facilitate a constructive clinical learning experience for students and new employees. Internationally, access to education for preceptors varies, with preceptors worldwide requesting more education in preceptorship. This article is based on a two-part study focusing on both the development and evaluation of a continuous, credit-bearing professional development course. The aim of this part of the study was to investigate and include preceptors' requests and educational needs when developing a continuous professional development course on an advanced level. This study used a qualitative research approach. In total, 64 preceptors (62 women and two men) answered one single written, self-administered global question online. The participants were all interested in teaching and had completed an undergraduate training in preceptorship. The collected data was analysed by content analysis inspired by Burnard's description of the method. The participating preceptors illuminated two main themes: 'Tools for effective precepting of students and healthcare professionals' and 'in-depth knowledge and understanding of preceptorship in an academic setting'. The results suggest that vital components for preceptor preparation could be a) teaching and learning strategies, b) reflective and critical reasoning, c) communication models, d) the role of the preceptor, and e) preceptorship. Using the results from this study as a guide, a continuous professional development course was designed to assist preceptors in deepening their knowledge of preceptorship in regard to planning, leading and implementing educational activities directed at students, healthcare professionals, patients and their families. The course content focuses on skills needed for preceptorship and is based on adult learning principles. A continuous, credit-bearing professional development course must include an exam by which participants are formally assessed and graded; therefore, a written assignment was included as part of the course.

[The Positionality of Caring Action: Small Group Dialogue in a Course on Nursing Ethics].

PubMed

Chiang, Hsien-Hsien

2016-12-01

The content of nursing-ethics education has typically focused on the external standards of caring behavior and neglected the relationship between the ethical attitudes and internal experiences of caregivers. To explore the embodied experience in order to define the positionality of caring action, which is necessary to enrich the content of nursing ethics through small-group-learning-based dialogue. The researcher, as a participant observer, teaches a course on nursing ethics. Reflective analysis was used to analyze the data from the process of small group learning, a reflective group of faculty members, and 30 reflective journals submitted by 10 students. The results identified three items that were related to the positionality of caring action: the attitudes of belief, including the choice to belief and deep understanding; articulating the value system, including exploring affectivity and positionality; and cultivating the self through self-dialogues and dialogues with others. The attitudes of belief promote trust in interpersonal relationships. Articulating the value system deepens the meaning of caring. Cultivating the self may facilitate the ethical self.

Supporting students in building interdisciplinary connections across physics and biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turpen, Chandra

2014-03-01

Our research team has been engaged in the iterative redesign of an Introductory Physics course for Life Science (IPLS) majors to explicitly bridge biology and physics in ways that are authentic to the disciplines. Our interdisciplinary course provides students opportunities to examine how modeling decisions (e.g. knowing when and how to use different concepts, identifying implicit assumptions, making and justifying assumptions) may differ depending on canonical disciplinary aims and interests. Our focus on developing students' interdisciplinary reasoning skills requires 1) shifting course topics to focus on core ideas that span the disciplines, 2) shifting epistemological expectations, and 3) foregrounding typically tacit disciplinary assumptions. In working to build an authentic interdisciplinary course that bridges physics and biology, we pay careful attention to supporting students in constructing these bridges. This course has been shown to have important impacts: a) students seek meaningful connections between the disciplines, b) students perceive relevance and utility of ideas from different disciplines, and c) students reconcile challenging disciplinary ideas. Although our focus has been on building interdisciplinary coherence, we have succeeded in maintaining strong student learning gains on fundamental physics concepts and allowed students to deepen their understanding of challenging concepts in thermodynamics. This presentation will describe the shifts in course content and the modern pedagogical approaches that have been integrated into the course, and provide an overview of key research results from this project. These results may aid physicists in reconsidering how they can meaningfully reach life-science students. This work is supported by NSF-TUES DUE 11-22818, the HHMI NEXUS grant, and a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (DGE 0750616).

Example-based learning: comparing the effects of additionally providing three different integrative learning activities on physiotherapy intervention knowledge.

PubMed

Dyer, Joseph-Omer; Hudon, Anne; Montpetit-Tourangeau, Katherine; Charlin, Bernard; Mamede, Sílvia; van Gog, Tamara

2015-03-07

Example-based learning using worked examples can foster clinical reasoning. Worked examples are instructional tools that learners can use to study the steps needed to solve a problem. Studying worked examples paired with completion examples promotes acquisition of problem-solving skills more than studying worked examples alone. Completion examples are worked examples in which some of the solution steps remain unsolved for learners to complete. Providing learners engaged in example-based learning with self-explanation prompts has been shown to foster increased meaningful learning compared to providing no self-explanation prompts. Concept mapping and concept map study are other instructional activities known to promote meaningful learning. This study compares the effects of self-explaining, completing a concept map and studying a concept map on conceptual knowledge and problem-solving skills among novice learners engaged in example-based learning. Ninety-one physiotherapy students were randomized into three conditions. They performed a pre-test and a post-test to evaluate their gains in conceptual knowledge and problem-solving skills (transfer performance) in intervention selection. They studied three pairs of worked/completion examples in a digital learning environment. Worked examples consisted of a written reasoning process for selecting an optimal physiotherapy intervention for a patient. The completion examples were partially worked out, with the last few problem-solving steps left blank for students to complete. The students then had to engage in additional self-explanation, concept map completion or model concept map study in order to synthesize and deepen their knowledge of the key concepts and problem-solving steps. Pre-test performance did not differ among conditions. Post-test conceptual knowledge was higher (P < .001) in the concept map study condition (68.8 ± 21.8%) compared to the concept map completion (52.8 ± 17.0%) and self-explanation (52.2 ± 21.7%) conditions. Post-test problem-solving performance was higher (P < .05) in the self-explanation (63.2 ± 16.0%) condition compared to the concept map study (53.3 ± 16.4%) and concept map completion (51.0 ± 13.6%) conditions. Students in the self-explanation condition also invested less mental effort in the post-test. Studying model concept maps led to greater conceptual knowledge, whereas self-explanation led to higher transfer performance. Self-explanation and concept map study can be combined with worked example and completion example strategies to foster intervention selection.

A Model of Transformative Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swartz, Ann L.; Triscari, Jacqlyn S.

2011-01-01

Two collaborative writing partners sought to deepen their understanding of transformative learning by conducting several spirals of grounded theory research on their own collaborative relationship. Drawing from adult education, business, and social science literature and including descriptive analysis of their records of activity and interaction…

Performing the Future: On the Use of Drama in Philosophy Courses for Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toonders, Winnie; Verhoeff, Roald P.; Zwart, Hub

2016-01-01

Drama is a relatively unexplored tool in academic science education. This paper addresses in what way the use of drama may allow science students to deepen their understanding of recent developments in the emerging and controversial field of neuro-enhancement, by means of a case study approach. First, we emphasise the congruency between drama and…

Exploring Second Graders' Understanding of the Text-Illustration Relationship in Picture Storybooks and Informational Picture Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Lisa Carol

2010-01-01

Our society is increasingly bombarded with visual imagery; therefore, it is important for educators to be knowledgeable about the elements of art and to use our knowledge to help students deepen their reading understanding. Arizpe & Styles (2003) noted that students must be prepared to work with imagery in the future at high levels of…

Students' reflections in a portfolio pilot: highlighting professional issues.

PubMed

Haffling, Ann-Christin; Beckman, Anders; Pahlmblad, Annika; Edgren, Gudrun

2010-01-01

Portfolios are highlighted as potential assessment tools for professional competence. Although students' self-reflections are considered to be central in the portfolio, the content of reflections in practice-based portfolios is seldom analysed. To investigate whether students' reflections include sufficient dimensions of professional competence, notwithstanding a standardized portfolio format, and to evaluate students' satisfaction with the portfolio. Thirty-five voluntary final-year medical students piloted a standardized portfolio in a general practice (GP) attachment at Lund University, Sweden. Students' portfolio reflections were based upon documentary evidence from practice, and aimed to demonstrate students' learning. The reflections were qualitatively analysed, using a framework approach. Students' evaluations of the portfolio were subjected to quantitative and qualitative analysis. Among professional issues, an integration of cognitive, affective and practical dimensions in clinical practice was provided by students' reflections. The findings suggested an emphasis on affective issues, particularly on self-awareness of feelings, attitudes and concerns. In addition, ethical problems, clinical reasoning strategies and future communication skills training were subjects of several reflective commentaries. Students' reflections on their consultation skills demonstrated their endeavour to achieve structure in the medical interview by negotiation of an agenda for the consultation, keeping the interview on track, and using internal summarizing. The importance of active listening and exploration of patient's perspective was also emphasized. In students' case summaries, illustrating characteristic attributes of GP, the dominating theme was 'patient-centred care', including the patient-doctor relationship, holistic modelling and longitudinal continuity. Students were satisfied with the portfolio, but improved instructions were needed. A standardized portfolio in a defined course with a limited timeframe provided ample opportunities for reflections on professional issues. Support by mentors and a final examiner interview contributed to the success of the portfolio with students. The interview also allowed students to deepen their reflections and to receive feedback.

Alpbach Summer School - a unique learning experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kern, K.; Aulinas, J.; Clifford, D.; Krejci, D.; Topham, R.

2011-12-01

The Alpbach Summer School is a ten-day program that provides a unique opportunity for young european science and engineering students, both undergraduate and graduate, to learn how to approach the entire design process of a space mission. The theme of the 2010 Summer School was "New Space Missions to Understand Climate Change", a current, challenging, very broad and complex topic. The program was established more than 35 years ago and is organised in two interrelated parts: a series of lectures held by renowned experts in the field (in the case of this specific year, climate change and space engineering experts) that provides a technical and scientific background for the workshops that follow, the core of the Summer School. For the workshops the students are split into four international, interdisciplinary teams of about 15 students. In 2010 every team had to complete a number of tasks, four in total: (1) identify climate change research gaps and design a space mission that has not yet been flown or proposed, (2) define the science objectives and requirements of the mission, (3) design a spacecraft that meets the mission requirements, which includes spacecraft design and construction, payload definition, orbit calculations, but also the satellite launch, operation and mission costs and (4) write up a short mission proposal and present the results to an expert review panel. Achieving these tasks in only a few days in a multicultural, interdisciplinary team represents a major challenge for all participants and provides an excellent practical learning experience. Over the course of the program, students do not just learn facts about climate change and space engineering, but scientists also learn from engineers and engineers from scientists. The participants have to deepen their knowledge in an often unfamiliar field, develop organisational and team-work skills and work under pressure. Moreover, teams are supported by team and roving tutors and get the opportunity to meet and learn from international experts. This presentation will provide an overview of the Alpbach Summer School program from a student's perspective. The different stages of this unique and enriching experience will be covered. Special attention will be paid to the workshops, which, as mentioned above, are the core of the Alpbach Summer School. During these intense workshops, participants work towards the proposed goals resulting in the design proposal of a space mission. The Alpbach Summer School is organised by FFG and co-sponsored by ESA, ISSI and the national space authorities of ESA member and cooperating states.

Climate Games in the Classroom - Engaging Problem-Solving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfirman, S. L.; Schlosser, P.; Lee, J.; Steiner, R. V.; Sparrow, E. B.; Carr, M.

2012-12-01

The Polar Learning And Responding (PoLAR) Climate Change Education Partnership, funded under the National Science Foundation's Climate Change Education Partnership Phase II (CCEP) program is using fascination with the changing polar regions and novel educational approaches to engage adult learners and inform public understanding and response to climate change. In Phase I we developed a suite of resources that range from low-tech games to social networking, to be used in venues from classrooms to the internet, and targeting audiences from the general public to Alaskan community leaders. This presentation synthesizes experience integrating game-like approaches in formal educational environments with the goal of inspiring change in educational practices and policies. Adults, be they community leaders, the general public, pre- and in-service teachers, or college students, are today's decision-makers. Informed decisions are more likely if individuals are aware of the scientific evidence of climate change and potential economic and social consequences. Learning research and our PoLAR Phase I demonstration projects show that games and game-like approaches motivate exploration and learning of complex material. Evaluation indicates that such approaches are effective in deepening adult learner awareness and understanding of climate change and informing responses to climate change impacts through engaged problem-solving. For example, an undergraduate student playing a climate change card game commented "I certainly felt an adrenaline rush as I kept the possibility of a major disaster impacting my web at the forefront of my mind to strategize the best possible food web combination." Two others playing a board game noted "I think that interactive activities like the one done in class really help students to learn because it tests our ability to analyze and interpret previous readings and discussions in a different context. Anyone can read a paper and summarize, but it takes genuine understanding to engage in an activity like this." "I am hopeful … that with our generation having more discussions like the ones we had in class, we will be better-equipped in the coming years to effectively work out solutions that can benefit all stakeholders." Our experience and analysis of the literature indicates that games can transform the classroom experience - both by engaging a more diverse student population and by building capacity in novel ways. Incorporating students in customizing games/activities, allocating time for post game debriefing/reflection, then re-running the game, and using concept maps to assess learning gains are a few of the best practices that will be discussed that help make the experience successful for both the teacher and the student.

Collaborative Learning through Formative Peer Review with Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaton, Carrie Diaz; Wade, Stephanie

2014-01-01

This paper describes a collaboration between a mathematician and a compositionist who developed a sequence of collaborative writing assignments for calculus. This sequence of developmentally appropriate assignments presents peer review as a collaborative process that promotes reflection, deepens understanding, and improves exposition. First, we…

Drilling Deep Into STEM Education with JOIDES Resolution Education and Outreach Officers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christiansen, E. A.

2015-12-01

During International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions, IODP scientists and Education/Outreach (E/O) Officers enter classrooms and informal science venues via live Internet video links between the JOIDES Resolution (JR) and land-based learning centers. Post-expedition, E/O Officers, serving as JR Ambassadors, deepen and broaden the learning experience by bringing STEM from the JR to the general public through targeted outreach events at those land-based sites. Youth and adult learners participate in scientific inquiry through interactive activities linked directly to the video broadcast experience. Outreach venues include museums, summer camps, and after-school programs; classroom visits from E/O Officers encompass kindergarten to undergraduate school groups and often include professional development for educators. Events are hands-on with simulations, expedition samples, core models, and equipment available for interaction. This program can serve as a model for linking virtual and real experiences; deepening the educational value of virtual field trip events; and bringing cutting edge science into both classrooms and informal science venues.

Between a rock and a hard place: Learning to teach science-for-all in an urban district

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galosy, Jodie A.

2005-07-01

Science-for-all, a contemporary science education reform initiative, envisions science classrooms where all students have opportunities to deepen their understanding of scientific concepts and practices. However, national science achievement tests indicate the reality of science-for-all is still very much a work-in-progress. Science-for-all demands much of teachers, especially those working with student populations typically underserved by science education---students of color, students with limited English proficiency, and those from families with limited economic means. A large proportion of those students attend urban districts where they are likely to encounter novice science teachers. This qualitative study investigated learning to teach science-for-all in an urban school district. Seven early career middle and high school science teachers participated in the study. Data collection took place over a period of fourteen months, through interviews and observations with teacher participants, their schools, and in their professional development activities (including new teacher support induction programs). The study examines how new teachers' use of their personal, social, and conventional resources influenced their beliefs and practices relative to science-for-all. Three reform ideals serve as the study's focal points: content goals that emphasize understanding scientific concepts and practices, hands-on activities that support students' intellectual engagement, and literacy strategies that provide access for all students to scientific content. Few novices developed beliefs and practices that supported science-for-all. Those who did brought several key personal resources to their teaching. While these personal resources were important for teacher development, they were not sufficient; novices needed additional resources. Some teachers had access to reform-based conventional resources others did not have. However, personal and social resources shaped how novices used those resources and, in turn, their beliefs about students and teaching practices. Context-specific assistance was a particularly important social resource that was in short supply for most novices. The study provides evidence that progress towards science-for-all will require substantial attention to, and investment in, teacher learning across all dimensions of the professional continuum---pre-service, induction, and in-service. The study also provides insights in two critical areas: strengthening the resources available to early career urban science teachers and shaping resource use towards the goals envisioned in science-for all.

Bringing Art, Music, Theater and Dance Students into Earth and Space Science Research Labs: A New Art Prize Science and Engineering Artists-in-Residence Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moldwin, M.; Mexicotte, D.

2017-12-01

A new Arts/Lab Student Residence program was developed at the University of Michigan that brings artists into a research lab. Science and Engineering undergraduate and graduate students working in the lab describe their research and allow the artists to shadow them to learn more about the work. The Arts/Lab Student Residencies are designed to be unique and fun, while encouraging interdisciplinary learning and creative production by exposing students to life and work in an alternate discipline's maker space - i.e. the artist in the engineering lab, the engineer in the artist's studio or performance space. Each residency comes with a cash prize and the expectation that a work of some kind will be produced as a response to experience. The Moldwin Prize is designed for an undergraduate student currently enrolled in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, the Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning or the School of Music, Theatre and Dance who is interested in exchange and collaboration with students engaged in research practice in an engineering lab. No previous science or engineering experience is required, although curiosity and a willingness to explore are essential! Students receiving the residency spend 20 hours over 8 weeks (February-April) participating with the undergraduate research team in the lab of Professor Mark Moldwin, which is currently doing work in the areas of space weather (how the Sun influences the space environment of Earth and society) and magnetic sensor development. The resident student artist will gain a greater understanding of research methodologies in the space and climate fields, data visualization and communication techniques, and how the collision of disciplinary knowledge in the arts, engineering and sciences deepens the creative practice and production of each discipline. The student is expected to produce a final work of some kind within their discipline that reflects, builds on, explores, integrates or traces their experience in the residency. This talk will describe the program, the inaugural year's outcomes, and plans to expand the program to other research labs.

Social responsibility: conceptualization and embodiment in a school of nursing.

PubMed

Kelley, Maureen A; Connor, Ann; Kun, Karen E; Salmon, Marla E

2008-01-01

This paper describes how a school of nursing has conceptualized and embodied social responsibility in its core values, curricular design, admission standards, clinical practice, and service learning opportunities. The school's engagement in the process of practicing social responsibility and clarifying its meaning and application has made apparent the natural linkage between social responsibility and professionalism and the deep and complex relationship between social responsibility and nursing itself. It has also revealed how a commitment to social responsibility impacts and determines for whom nurses care. Claiming social responsibility as a core value and working to refine its meaning and place has increased the school's commitment to it, concomitantly impacting education, practice, and recruitment and evaluation of faculty and students. The school views the conceptualization of social responsibility as a deepening and unfolding evolution, rather than as a formulaic understanding, and expects that its ongoing work of claiming social responsibility as a core value will continue to be enriching.

Using a Classic Paper by I. E. Lawton and N. B. Schwartz to Consider the Array of Factors that Control Luteinizing Hormone Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauer-Dantoin, Angela C.; Hanke, Craig J.

2007-01-01

Two significant benefits derived from reading and discussing classic scientific papers in undergraduate biology courses are 1) providing students with the realistic perspective that science is an ongoing process (rather than a set of inarguable facts) and 2) deepening the students' understanding of physiological processes. A classic paper that is…

Higher Education in the Sustainable Development Goals Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Taya Louise

2017-01-01

Agenda 2030 for sustainable development focuses attention on lifelong learning opportunities for all. The new targets expand on their predecessors, the Millennial Development Goals, by both widening and deepening the scope of system-wide quality education systems. Whilst the Millennial Development Goals focused attention on universal primary…

Calculating Puddle Size

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Megan; Mims, Patricia

2012-01-01

Learning through meaningful problem solving is integral in any successful mathematics program (Carpenter et al. 1999). The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) promotes the use of problem solving as a means to deepen understanding of all content areas within mathematics (NCTM 2000). This article describes a first-grade lesson that…

Civic/Citizenship Learning and the Challenges for Democracy in Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boontinand, Vachararutai; Petcharamesree, Sriprapha

2018-01-01

After nearly a decade of political polarization and deepening conflicts, Thailand is embarking on yet another cycle of reform and democratization project. While one of the proposed reform and democratizing strategies is to strengthen civic education curriculum and value inculcation, there has been a limited critical understanding on how…

Facilitating Family Group Inquiry at Science Museum Exhibits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutwill, Joshua P.; Allen, Sue

2010-01-01

We describe a study of programs to deepen families' scientific inquiry practices in a science museum setting. The programs incorporated research-based learning principles from formal and informal educational environments. In a randomized experimental design, two versions of the programs, called "inquiry games," were compared to two control…

Industry's Expectations in Relationship to College and Institute Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Justesen, Henry E.

Industry and education must share responsibility for broadening and deepening the talent pool within Canada's population in order to ensure a productive economy. First, the educational enterprise should: (1) review its present program to focus more attention on the career and employment probabilities ahead; (2) revise learning materials with…

Building a Collaborative Online Literary Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Essid, Joe; Wilde, Fran

2011-01-01

Effective virtual simulations can embed participants in imaginary worlds. Researchers working in virtual worlds and gaming often refer to "immersion," a state in which a participant or player loses track of time and becomes one with the simulation. Immersive settings have been shown to deepen learning. Ken Hudson's work with students…

Connecting Alaskan Youth, Elders, and Scientists in Climate Change Research and Community Resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spellman, K.; Sparrow, E.

2017-12-01

Integrated science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) solutions and effective, relevant learning processes are required to address the challenges that a changing climate presents to many Arctic communities. Learning that can both enhance a community's understanding and generate new knowledge about climate change impacts at both local and continental scales are needed to efficiently build the capacity to navigate these changes. The Arctic and Earth STEM Integrating GLOBE and NASA (SIGNs) program is developing a learning model to engage Alaskan rural and indigenous communities in climate change learning, research and action. Youth, elders, educators, community leaders and scientists collaborate to address a pressing local climate change concern. The program trains teams of educators and long-time community members on climate change concepts and environmental observing protocols in face-to-face or online workshops together with Arctic and NASA subject matter experts. Community teams return to their community to identify local data or information needs that align with their student's interests and the observations of local elders. They deepen their understanding of the subject through culturally responsive curriculum materials, and collaborate with a scientist to develop an investigation with their students to address the identified need. Youth make observations using GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) protocols that best fit the issue, analyze the data they have collected, and utilize indigenous or knowledge, and NASA data to address the issue. The use of GLOBE protocols allow for communities to engage in climate change research at both local and global scales, as over 110 nations worldwide are using these standardized protocols. Teams work to communicate their investigation results back to their community and other scientists, and apply their results to local stewardship action or climate adaptation projects. In this presentation, we report the progress of community teams currently engaged in this program from throughout Alaska.

Higher Education: Access, Experiences, and Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehmann, Wolfgang

2017-01-01

This article reviews three books: (1) "Access to Higher Education: Theoretical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges" (edited by A. Mountford-Zimdars and N. Harrison); (2) "Student Lives in Crisis: Deepening Inequality in Times of Austerity" (L. Antonucci); and (3) "Higher Education, Social Class and Social Mobility:…

Lamont-Doherty's Secondary School Field Research Program: Using Goal-Oriented Applied Research as a Means of Building Comprehensive and Integrated Scientific Understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bostick, B. C.; Newton, R.; Vincent, S.; Peteet, D. M.; Sambrotto, R.; Schlosser, P.; Corbett, E.

2015-12-01

Conventional instruction in science often proceeds from the general to the specific and from text to action. Fundamental terminologies, concepts, and ideas that are often abstract are taught first and only after such introductory processes can a student engage in research. Many students struggle to find relevance when presented information without context specific to their own experiences. This challenge is exacerbated for students whose social circles do not include adults who can validate scientific learning from their own experiences. Lamont-Doherty's Secondary School Field Research Program inverts the standard paradigm and places small groups of students in research projects where they begin by performing manageable tasks on complex applied research projects. These tasks are supplemented with informal mentoring and relevant articles (~1 per week). Quantitative metrics suggest the approach is highly successful—most participants report a dramatic increase in their enthusiasm for science, 100% attend college, and approximately 50% declare majors in science or technology. We use one project, the construction of a microbial battery, to illustrate this novel model of science learning and argue that it should be considered a best practice for project-based science education. The goal of this project was to build a rechargeable battery for a mobile phone based on a geochemical cycle, to generate and store electricity. The students, mostly from ethnic groups under-represented in the STEM fields, combined concepts and laboratory methods from biology, chemistry and physics to isolate photosynthetic bacteria from a natural salt marsh, and made an in situ device capable of powering a light bulb. The younger participants had been exposed to neither high school chemistry nor physics at the start of the project, yet they were able to use the project as a platform to deepen their science knowledge and their desire for increased participation in formal science education.

Near-peer role modeling: Can fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, enhance reflection among second-year students in a physical diagnosis course?

PubMed

McEvoy, Mimi; Pollack, Staci; Dyche, Lawrence; Burton, William

2016-01-01

Humanism is cultivated through reflection and self-awareness. We aimed to employ fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, to facilitate reflective sessions for second-year medical students with the intention of positively influencing reflective process toward humanistic development. A total of 186 students were randomly assigned to one of three comparison arms: eight groups of eight students (64 students) were facilitated by a fourth-year student who was a Gold Humanism Honor Society member (GHHS); eight groups (64 students) by a volunteer non-GHHS student; and seven groups (58 students) were non-facilitated. Before sessions, second-year students set learning goals concerning interactions with patients; fourth-year students received training materials on facilitation. Groups met twice during their 10 clinical site visits. At the last session, students completed a reflective assignment on their goal progress. Comparative mixed method analyses were conducted among the three comparison arms on reflection (reflective score on in-session assignment) and session satisfaction (survey) in addition to a thematic analysis of responses on the in-session assignment. We found significant differences among all three comparison arms on students' reflective scores (p=0.0003) and satisfaction (p=0.0001). T-tests comparing GHHS- and non-GHHS-facilitated groups showed significantly higher mean reflective scores for GHHS-facilitated groups (p=0.033); there were no differences on session satisfaction. Thematic analysis of students' reflections showed attempts at self-examination, but lacked depth in addressing emotions. There was a common focus on achieving comfort and confidence in clinical skills performance. Near peers, recognized for their humanism, demonstrated significant influence in deepening medical students' reflections surrounding patient interactions or humanistic development. Overall, students preferred facilitated to non-facilitated peer feedback forums. This model holds promise for enhancing self-reflection in medical education, but needs further exploration to determine behavioral effects.

Near-peer role modeling: Can fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, enhance reflection among second-year students in a physical diagnosis course?

PubMed

McEvoy, Mimi; Pollack, Staci; Dyche, Lawrence; Burton, William

2016-01-01

Introduction Humanism is cultivated through reflection and self-awareness. We aimed to employ fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, to facilitate reflective sessions for second-year medical students with the intention of positively influencing reflective process toward humanistic development. Methods/Analysis A total of 186 students were randomly assigned to one of three comparison arms: eight groups of eight students (64 students) were facilitated by a fourth-year student who was a Gold Humanism Honor Society member (GHHS); eight groups (64 students) by a volunteer non-GHHS student; and seven groups (58 students) were non-facilitated. Before sessions, second-year students set learning goals concerning interactions with patients; fourth-year students received training materials on facilitation. Groups met twice during their 10 clinical site visits. At the last session, students completed a reflective assignment on their goal progress. Comparative mixed method analyses were conducted among the three comparison arms on reflection (reflective score on in-session assignment) and session satisfaction (survey) in addition to a thematic analysis of responses on the in-session assignment. Results We found significant differences among all three comparison arms on students' reflective scores (p=0.0003) and satisfaction (p=0.0001). T-tests comparing GHHS- and non-GHHS-facilitated groups showed significantly higher mean reflective scores for GHHS-facilitated groups (p=0.033); there were no differences on session satisfaction. Thematic analysis of students' reflections showed attempts at self-examination, but lacked depth in addressing emotions. There was a common focus on achieving comfort and confidence in clinical skills performance. Discussion/Conclusions Near peers, recognized for their humanism, demonstrated significant influence in deepening medical students' reflections surrounding patient interactions or humanistic development. Overall, students preferred facilitated to non-facilitated peer feedback forums. This model holds promise for enhancing self-reflection in medical education, but needs further exploration to determine behavioral effects.

Enhancing University Courses and Field Schools through Cross-cultural Exchange: Joint US-Bangladeshi Trips to the Ganges-Brahmaputra and Mississippi Deltas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steckler, M. S.; Goodbred, S. L., Jr.; Lowes, S.; Gilligan, J. M.; Ackerly, B.; Ahmed, K. M.; Akhter, S. H.; Sousa, D.; Wilson, C.; Datta, D. K.; Roy, K.; Mondal, D. R.

2014-12-01

As part of an NSF PIRE grant, we have led four field trips for undergraduate, MS and PhD students to large deltaic systems. Three trips took US students to the Ganges-Brahmaputra (GB) delta in Bangladesh and one brought Bangladeshi faculty and students to the Mississippi (Miss.) delta in the US. An essential component in the learning process and overall experience of each trip was that ~2/5 of the participants were students and professors from Bangladesh. In all cases, the involvement of a substantial international cohort greatly broadened perspectives on the topics being covered. For example, in GBD the local geologic and cultural knowledge of the Bangladeshis deepened the learning and engagement of the US students, an outcome that was almost universally noted in student reviews. The trips received similar feedback from Bangladeshi participants, as they had an enthusiastic and engaged audience of peers from the US. Even for the Miss. delta trip, the Bangladeshis added a unique perspective from a nation that faces similar environmental issues. These overwhelmingly positive contributions have been experienced in several different contexts. Three trips were associated with US courses and run over Spring Break. One matched sustainable development undergrads at Columbia U. with geology undergrads from Dhaka U., and two others matched a mixed group of graduate and undergrad students from Vanderbilt U. with cohorts from Bangladesh. The fourth trip was a stand-alone Field School for PhD students from 14 US universities and mostly MS students from 4 Bangladeshi universities. The focus of each trip ranged from broader surveys of tectonic, fluvial and coastal processes to investigations of geology and people affected by tropical storms. Of particular interest was the success of mixing undergrad and graduate students in the Vanderbilt course, which centered on the intersection of social sciences, physical sciences, and engineering. In this case, undergrads engaged in a liberal arts education brought a generally broader perspective than the more specialized graduate students. Overcoming this condition for the grad students is one of the principal reasons that the course was designed, and incorporating undergrads involved in the humanities and social disciplines invigorated these transdisciplinary aspects of the course.

Deepening Cosmic Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, Gerard

2013-01-01

This article is a special blend of research, theory, and practice, with clear insight into the origins of Cosmic Education and cosmic task, while recalling memories of student explorations in botany, in particular, episodes from Mr. Leonard's teaching. Mr. Leonard speaks of a storytelling curriculum that eloquently puts perspective into dimensions…

Model Experiment of Two-Dimentional Brownian Motion by Microcomputer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mishima, Nobuhiko; And Others

1980-01-01

Describes the use of a microcomputer in studying a model experiment (Brownian particles colliding with thermal particles). A flow chart and program for the experiment are provided. Suggests that this experiment may foster a deepened understanding through mutual dialog between the student and computer. (SK)

Research and Teaching: Development of Undergraduate Teaching Assistants as Effective Instructors in STEM Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philipp, Stephanie B.; Tretter, Thomas; Rich, Christine V.

2016-01-01

This study examined the development of peer mentoring skills and deepening of content knowledge by trained and supported undergraduate teaching assistants working with students in entry-level STEM courses across nine departments at a large research-intensive U.S. university.

SURF's Up: An Outline of an Innovative Framework for Teaching Mental Computation to Students in the Early Years of Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russo, James

2015-01-01

In this article James Russo presents the Strategies, Understanding, Reading and Fast Facts Framework (SURF) for mental computation. He explains how this framework can be used to deepen mathematical understanding and build mental flexibility.

Using personal narrative to deepen emotional awareness of practice.

PubMed

Edwards, Sharon L

2014-08-19

Storytelling is intrinsic to human beings, and stories can explain events, stances taken and actions engaged in. When experience is represented as story it can become more organised and be used for analysis, critique and learning. Experience is important in nursing, as it is in many other practice-based professions, and it can contribute much to nurses' learning. Through a process of sharing and engaging with the author's personal stories, this article encourages nurses to begin to organise their own experiences in story form for use in learning and as part of their personal and professional development.

Towards an Inclusive School Culture--But What Happened to Elton's 'Affective Curriculum'?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanko, Gerda

2003-01-01

This article offers an overview of the development of practical approaches to professional development that, by deepening teachers' insight into emotional and social factors in children's learning, have been shown to supersede the need to exclude the disaffected. It discusses moving towards a more nurturing connective school culture. (Contains…

Perspectives on Learnerships: A Critique of South Africa's Transformation of Apprenticeships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Matthew J.; Jennings, Ross; Solanki, Geetesh

2005-01-01

This article provides a critique of South Africa's attempt to transform apprenticeships using data from the 2004 Baseline Survey of the Learnership Programme in South Africa. The data suggests that Learnerships provide important opportunities for those in work to learn new theoretical and practical capabilities and thus deepen the skills base of…

Mapping the Field: A Report on Expanded-Time Schools in America. Fall 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Jessica

2012-01-01

Expanding learning time has become a leading strategy for closing the achievement and opportunity gaps that plague high-poverty schools in particular. With more time, educators are able to deepen the curriculum, embed enrichment classes and activities, and engage in frequent opportunities for teacher collaboration and professional development.…

Infant/Toddler Caregiving: A Guide to Routines. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez-Mena, Janet

Intended for use in conjunction with videos illustrating key concepts and caregiving techniques, this guide focuses on how the daily routines of caring for infants and toddlers can become opportunities for promoting the child's learning and development and for deepening the relationship between child and caregiver. Special attention is given to…

Understanding and Transcending Team Member Differences: A Felt-Experience Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dugal, Sanjiv S.; Eriksen, Matthew

2004-01-01

The felt-experience exercise is a form of cooperative learning. Participants are placed into dyads in which they interact with one another to realize and deepen their understanding of themselves, their partner, and the course content. Meaning is created through written reflection on personal experience and dialogue with one's partner. The…

Seeing Epistemic Order: Construction and Transmission of Evaluative Criteria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shalem, Yael; Slonimsky, Lynne

2010-01-01

This paper focuses on formative assessment in the field of higher education. It examines Bernstein's work on vertical discourses and knowledge structures with the view to deepening understanding of the concept of assessment "for" learning. The first part of the paper draws on Vygotsky's work on concept development and Bernstein's work on…

CLIMANDES climate science e-learning course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunziker, Stefan; Giesche, Alena; Jacques-Coper, Martín; Brönnimann, Stefan

2016-04-01

Over the past three years, members of the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (OCCR) and the Climatology group at the Institute of Geography at the University of Bern, have developed a new climate science e-learning course as part of the CLIMANDES project. This project is a collaboration between Peruvian and Swiss government, research, and education institutions. The aim of this e-learning material is to strengthen education in climate sciences at the higher education and professional level. The course was recently published in 2015 by Geographica Bernensia, and is hosted online by the Peruvian Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (SENAMHI): http://surmx.com/chamilo/climandes/e-learning/. The course is furthermore available for offline use through USB sticks, and a number of these are currently being distributed to regional training centers around the world by the WMO (World Meteorological Organization). There are eight individual modules of the course that each offer approximately 2 hours of individual learning material, featuring several additional learning activities, such as the online game "The Great Climate Poker" (http://www.climatepoker.unibe.ch/). Overall, over 50 hours of learning material are provided by this course. The modules can be integrated into university lectures, used as single units in workshops, or be combined to serve as a full course. This e-learning course presents a broad spectrum of topics in climate science, including an introduction to climatology, atmospheric and ocean circulation, climate forcings, climate observations and data, working with data products, and climate models. This e-learning course offers a novel approach to teaching climate science to students around the world, particularly through three important features. Firstly, the course is unique in its diverse range of learning strategies, which include individual reading material, video lectures, interactive graphics, responsive quizzes, as well as group activities and discussions that are led by a tutor. This combination of self-learning and group-based learning presents a new and more interactive style of online education. Secondly, the course provides links to many existing e-learning and other online learning resources for specific climate science topics. This makes the course a starting point for students looking to deepen their knowledge in specific areas. Lastly, the existing course template is available upon request, for teachers to add modules that they would like to offer in addition to the CLIMANDES course. This gives instructors an easy way to adapt the course to their needs and learn about the software needed to make more e-learning material.

Mentoring Through Research as a Catalyst for the Success of Under-represented Minority Students in the Geosciences at California State University Northridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsaglia, K. M.; Pedone, V.; Simila, G. W.; Yule, J. D.

2002-12-01

The Catalyst Program of the Department of Geological Sciences at California State University Northridge has been developed by four faculty members who were the recipients of a three-year award (2002-2005) from the National Science Foundation. The goal of the program is to increase minority participation and success in the geosciences. The program seeks to enrich the educational experience by introducing students at all levels to research in the geosciences and to decrease obstacles that affect academic success. Both these goals are largely achieved by the formation of integrated high school, undergraduate, and graduate research groups, which also provide fulfilling and successful peer mentorship. The Catalyst Program provides significant financial support to participants to allow them to focus their time on their education. New participants first complete a specially designed course that introduces them to peer-mentoring, collaborative learning, and geological research. Students of all experience levels then become members of research teams, which deepens academic and research skills as well as peer-mentor relationships. The program was highly successful in its inaugural year. To date, undergraduates and graduate students in the program coauthored six abstracts at professional meetings and one conference paper. High-school students gained first hand experience of a college course and geologic research. Perhaps the most important impacts of the program are the close camaraderie that has developed and the increased ability of the Catalyst students to plan and execute research with greater confidence and self-esteem.

Creation of virtual patients for midwifery education.

PubMed

Urbanová, Eva; Bašková, Martina; Maskálová, Erika; Kvaltínyová, Eva

2018-07-01

The objective of the study was to create several new, original virtual patients (VPs) in the Slovak language, especially for educational purposes in midwifery. Virtual patients have been created for the needs of university midwifery education in Slovakia. The creation of the six virtual patients basically consisted of three fixed stages: preparation, design and development, implementation into the virtual environment. We used the Open Labyrinth (OL) virtual environment, an open-source system for creating VPs. The VPs include six various scenarios of the most common problems seen in midwifery practice: preterm birth, perinatal loss, gestational diabetes, ineffective breastfeeding, postpartum bleeding and sudden home birth. Currently, six original virtual patients are used in university midwifery education in Slovakia. We use them for contact teaching as well as self-study of students. They present the first VPs in Slovakia and the Czech Republic created in academic settings in these countries. The future perspective of a virtual patient as an interactive process between the student and the medium is that it can deepen and improve learning outcomes, solve specific midwifery issues, and reduce mistakes in the clinical environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Graduate Student's Experience and Perspective on a Student-Teacher-Researcher Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bostic, J.; Stylinski, C.; Doty, C.

2017-12-01

Teachers and their K-12 students lack firsthand experience in science research and often harbor misconceptions about science practices and the nature of science. To address this challenge, the NOAA-funded Student-Teacher-Researcher (STAR) partnership that provides rural high school students with authentic research experiences investigating the amount and sources of nitrate in schoolyard runoff. Teachers received training, guiding curricular materials aligned with NGSS and in-classroom support. With a focus on evidence-based reasoning skills, students actively participate in the research process through sample collection, data analysis, and an in-person discussion of conclusions and implications with our scientist team. As a member of this team, I assisted with refining the study design, analyzing nitrate isotope runoff samples, and sharing insights and feedback with students during the in-person discussion session. Assessment results indicate student gained an understanding of nitrate pollution and of science practices. As a graduate student, young scientist, and possessor of a B.S. in Science Education, I already recognized the value of involving K-12 students and teachers in authentic research experiences, as these experiences expose students to the nature of science while also improving content knowledge. During the STAR partnership, I learned firsthand some of the obstacles presented during outreach involving partnerships between a research institution and schools, such as inflexibility of school scheduling and the need for flexibility with research questions requiring complex lab analysis. Additionally, I discovered the challenge of working systemically across a school district, which can have broad impact but limit student experiences. Highlights of my experience included interactions with students and teachers, especially when students have unexpected answers to my questions, providing novel explanations for patterns observed in the data. Despite the challenges of these partnerships and balancing of outreach with traditional graduate school requirements, I believe student-teacher-researcher partnerships are beneficial endeavors that deepen K-12 students and teachers understanding of the nature of science, while expanding young public engagement skills.

Examining motivational shifts in middle school: What deepens science motivation and what attenuates its decline?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bathgate, Meghan Elizabeth

While motivational decline towards science is common during adolescence, this dissertation asks if there are beneficial science experiences that buffer against the loss of motivation and even promote its growth. The dissertation consists of two papers (Chapter 2 & 3) with additional analyses in Chapter 4 and a summary of findings in Chapter 5. The first paper examines whether classroom science experiences are differentially associated with motivational change and science content knowledge. Using self-reports from a sample of approximately 3,000 middle school students, this study investigates the influence of perceived science classroom experiences (student engagement & perceived success), on motivational change (fascination, values, competency belief) and content learning. Controlling for demographic information, school effects, and initial levels of motivation and content knowledge, we find that dimensions of engagement (affect, behavioral-cognitive) and perceived success are differentially associated with changes in particular motivational constructs and learning. The second paper examines one of these motivational outcomes (value) in more detail. Valuing science is associated with positive learning outcomes and is often used to motivate engagement in the sciences, but less is known about what influences its development and maintenance, particularly during the critical middle school years. Using multinomial regression applied to longitudinal data from approximately 2,600 middle-school students, I test the relationship of the perceived science experiences examined in Paper 1 (affective engagement, behavioral-cognitive engagement, & perceived success) and optional formal and optional informal experiences to changes in science utility value. Furthermore, we address whether the same factors that predict growth in science value also predict absence of decline. Overall, we find that all five factors are associated with changes in value, but some have different relationships with growth vs. decline outcomes. Chapter 4 extends these findings to examine drivers of growth and decline for fascination and competency beliefs. Together, these findings provide a more nuanced view of the factors associated with science motivation and learning (both in and out of the science classroom), as well as the practical implications for educational practice.

Medical students, clinical preventive services, and shared decision-making.

PubMed

Keefe, Carole W; Thompson, Margaret E; Noel, Mary Margaret

2002-11-01

Improving access to preventive care requires addressing patient, provider, and systems barriers. Patients often lack knowledge or are skeptical about the importance of prevention. Physicians feel that they have too little time, are not trained to deliver preventive services, and are concerned about the effectiveness of prevention. We have implemented an educational module in the required family practice clerkship (1) to enhance medical student learning about common clinical preventive services and (2) to teach students how to inform and involve patients in shared decision making about those services. Students are asked to examine available evidence-based information for preventive screening services. They are encouraged to look at the recommendations of various organizations and use such resources as reports from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to determine recommendations they want to be knowledgeable about in talking with their patients. For learning shared decision making, students are trained to use a model adapted from Braddock and colleagues(1) to discuss specific screening services and to engage patients in the process of making informed decisions about what is best for their own health. The shared decision making is presented and modeled by faculty, discussed in small groups, and students practice using Web-based cases and simulations. The students are evaluated using formative and summative performance-based assessments as they interact with simulated patients about (1) screening for high blood cholesterol and other lipid abnormalities, (2) screening for colorectal cancer, (3) screening for prostate cancer, and (4) screening for breast cancer. The final student evaluation is a ten-minute, videotaped discussion with a simulated patient about screening for colorectal cancer that is graded against a checklist that focuses primarily on the elements of shared decision making. Our medical students appear quite willing to accept shared decision making as a skill that they should have in working with patients, and this was the primary focus of the newly implemented module. However, we have learned that students need to deepen their understanding of screening services in order to help patients understand the associated benefits and risks. The final videotaped interaction with a simulated patient about colorectal cancer screening has been very helpful in making it more obvious to faculty what students believe and know about screening for colorectal cancer. As the students are asked to discuss clinical issues with patients and discuss the pros and cons of screening tests as part of the shared decision-making process, their thinking becomes transparent and it is evident where curricular changes and enhancements are required. We have found that an explicit model that allows students to demonstrate a process for shared decision making is a good introductory tool. We think it would be helpful to provide students with more formative feedback. We would like to develop faculty development programs around shared decision making so that more of our clinical faculty would model such a process with patients. Performance-based assessments are resource-intensive, but they appear to be worth the added effort in terms of enhanced skills development and a more comprehensive appraisal of student learning.

Geography and the Changing Landscape of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erickson, Rodney A.

2012-01-01

Colleges and universities in the USA and many other countries find themselves in a deepening financial challenge that is significantly influencing operating decisions as well as student access to higher education. These trends are attributed to the weakened finances of governments, competition from non-discretionary public spending, the nature of…

Product and Quotient Rules from Logarithmic Differentiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Zhibo

2012-01-01

A new application of logarithmic differentiation is presented, which provides an alternative elegant proof of two basic rules of differentiation: the product rule and the quotient rule. The proof can intrigue students, help promote their critical thinking and rigorous reasoning and deepen their understanding of previously encountered concepts. The…

Deepening Prospective Mathematics Teachers' Diagnostic Judgments: Interplay of Videos, Focus Questions and Didactic Categories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prediger, Susanne; Zindel, Carina

2017-01-01

This article combines different conceptualizations of teachers' diagnostic competence in listening to students' mathematical thinking processes on the levels of general perspectives, noticed aspects and activated didactic categories. An empirical study of 159 prospective mathematics teachers' diagnostic judgments investigated how these levels are…

A Characterization of Dynamic Reasoning: Reasoning with Time as Parameter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keene, Karen Allen

2007-01-01

Students incorporate and use the implicit and explicit parameter time to support their mathematical reasoning and deepen their understandings as they participate in a differential equations class during instruction on solutions to systems of differential equations. Therefore, dynamic reasoning is defined as developing and using conceptualizations…

WebQuests: Tools for Differentiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweizer, Heidi; Kossow, Ben

2007-01-01

This article features the WebQuest, an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet. WebQuests, when properly constructed, are activities, usually authentic in nature, that require the student to use Internet-based resources to deepen their understanding and…

Performance Analysis of Saturated Induction Motors by Virtual Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojaghi, M.; Faiz, J.; Kazemi, M.; Rezaei, M.

2012-01-01

Many undergraduate-level electrical machines textbooks give detailed treatments of the performance of induction motors. Students can deepen this understanding of motor performance by performing the appropriate practical work in laboratories or in simulation using proper software packages. This paper considers various common and less-common tests…

Where Does the Energy Go?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoeckel, Marta R.

2018-01-01

Along-standing energy lab involves dropping bouncy balls and measuring their rebound heights on successive bounces. The lab demonstrates a situation in which the mechanical energy of a system is not conserved. Although students enjoyed the lab, the author wanted to deepen their thinking about energy, including the connections to motion, with a new…

Deepening Discipline: Digital Reflection and Choreography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bannon, Fiona; Kirk, Carole

2014-01-01

In this paper, we discuss findings from a recent academic development project in which we engaged with students in an exploration of "how" they think and "what" they think about in the process of creating solo-authored choreography. The project emerged from a revisiting of the reflective frameworks identified in the validation…

Near-peer role modeling: Can fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, enhance reflection among second-year students in a physical diagnosis course?

PubMed Central

McEvoy, Mimi; Pollack, Staci; Dyche, Lawrence; Burton, William

2016-01-01

Introduction Humanism is cultivated through reflection and self-awareness. We aimed to employ fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, to facilitate reflective sessions for second-year medical students with the intention of positively influencing reflective process toward humanistic development. Methods/Analysis A total of 186 students were randomly assigned to one of three comparison arms: eight groups of eight students (64 students) were facilitated by a fourth-year student who was a Gold Humanism Honor Society member (GHHS); eight groups (64 students) by a volunteer non-GHHS student; and seven groups (58 students) were non-facilitated. Before sessions, second-year students set learning goals concerning interactions with patients; fourth-year students received training materials on facilitation. Groups met twice during their 10 clinical site visits. At the last session, students completed a reflective assignment on their goal progress. Comparative mixed method analyses were conducted among the three comparison arms on reflection (reflective score on in-session assignment) and session satisfaction (survey) in addition to a thematic analysis of responses on the in-session assignment. Results We found significant differences among all three comparison arms on students’ reflective scores (p=0.0003) and satisfaction (p=0.0001). T-tests comparing GHHS- and non-GHHS-facilitated groups showed significantly higher mean reflective scores for GHHS-facilitated groups (p=0.033); there were no differences on session satisfaction. Thematic analysis of students’ reflections showed attempts at self-examination, but lacked depth in addressing emotions. There was a common focus on achieving comfort and confidence in clinical skills performance. Discussion/Conclusions Near peers, recognized for their humanism, demonstrated significant influence in deepening medical students’ reflections surrounding patient interactions or humanistic development. Overall, students preferred facilitated to non-facilitated peer feedback forums. This model holds promise for enhancing self-reflection in medical education, but needs further exploration to determine behavioral effects. PMID:27600828

Deep understanding of electromagnetism using crosscutting concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Poorter, John; De Lange, Jan; Devoldere, Lies; Van Landeghem, Jouri; Strubbe, Katrien

2017-01-01

Crosscutting concepts like patterns and models are fundamental parts in both the American framework of science education (from the AAAS) and our proposals for a new science education framework in Flanders. These concepts deepen the insight of both students and teachers. They help students to ask relevant questions during an inquiry and they give an understanding in how scientists built up their scientific theories. We illustrate the didactical possibilities of crosscutting concepts within the field of electromagnetism.

Deepening Pre-Service Secondary Teachers' Mathematical Content Knowledge through Engaging with Peers' Mathematical Contributions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pournara, C.

2016-01-01

Depth and rigour in mathematical knowledge for pre-service secondary school mathematics teachers may be found in particular experiences of learning and doing school-level mathematics. Drawing on two cases from a course on financial mathematics for secondary school teachers, I illustrate opportunities for exploring compound and exponential growth.…

Fractions: The New Frontier for Theories of Numerical Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegler, Robert S.; Fazio, Lisa K.; Bailey, Drew H.; Zhou, Xinlin

2013-01-01

Recent research on fractions has broadened and deepened theories of numerical development. Learning about fractions requires children to recognize that many properties of whole numbers are not true of numbers in general and also to recognize that the one property that unites all real numbers is that they possess magnitudes that can be ordered on…

Deepening the Connections: Liberal Education and Global Learning in College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hovland, Kevin; Schneider, Carol Geary

2011-01-01

The world is changing in dramatic and complex ways. There can be little doubt that if the twentieth century was "The American Century," the twenty-first century has already become a Global Century, framed by new power dynamics, new economic realities, and new quests for self-determination and freedom across all parts of the globe. In…

ETIPS: Using Cases with Virtual Schools to Prepare for, Extend, and Deepen Preservice Teachers' Field Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dexter, Sara L.; Riedel, Eric; Scharber, Cassandra

2008-01-01

Field experiences are identified as an important component in the preparation of new teachers. As such, methods to supplement field experiences with pre- and post-activities that ready preservice teachers to effectively learn from them warrant further examination. This paper presents one tool that has been used successfully to improve preservice…

Game-Changer: Operationalizing the Common Core Using WebQuests and "Gamification" in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levitt, Roberta; Piro, Joseph

2014-01-01

Technology integration and Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-based education have enhanced the teaching and learning process by introducing a range of web-based instructional resources for classroom practitioners to deepen and extend instruction. One of the most durable of these resources has been the WebQuest. Introduced around the…

The Use of Probeware to Improve Learning Outcomes in Middle School Science: A Mixed Methods Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, Elizabeth Lamond

2017-01-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call upon K-12 science teachers to provide authentic science and engineering practices which deepen understanding of core ideas and crosscutting concepts (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Probeware technology provides exposure to these scientific practices; however, there is a disconnect between the frequency…

Anarchist, Neoliberal, & Democratic Decision-Making: Deepening the Joy in Learning and Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briscoe, Felecia M.

2012-01-01

Using a critical postmodern framework, this article analyzes the relationship of the decision-making processes of anarchism and neoliberalism to that of deep democracy. Anarchist processes are found to share common core principals with deep democracy; but neoliberal processes are found to be antithetical to deep democracy. To increase the joy in…

An explicit and reflective approach to the use of history to promote understanding of the nature of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudge, David W.; Howe, Eric M.

2009-05-01

Monk and Osborne (Sci Educ 81:405-424, 1997) provide a rigorous justification for why history and philosophy of science should be incorporated as an integral component of instruction and a model for how history of science should be used to promote learning of and about science. In the following essay we critique how history of science is used on this model, and in particular, their advocacy of a direct comparison of students’ conceptions of scientific phenomena with those of past scientists. We propose instead an alternative approach that promotes a more active engagement by inviting students to engage in the sort of reasoning that led past scientists to reach insights about scientific phenomena. As an example we describe in detail two lesson plans taken from an eight-class unit developed with reference to the history of research on sickle-cell anemia. These lessons demonstrate how an open-ended, problem-solving approach can be used to help students deepen their understanding of science. Throughout the unit students are invited to explicitly and reflectively consider the implications of their reasoning about the disease for their understanding of nature of science issues. The essay draws attention to how this alternative approach actually more closely aligns with the constructivist rationale Monk and Osborne have articulated. It concludes with a brief summary of empirical research demonstrating the efficacy of this approach.

Connecting Pre-Service Teachers with Contemporary Mathematics Practices: Selecting and Sequencing Students' Work Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Livy, Sharyn; Muir, Tracey; Downton, Ann

2017-01-01

One of the challenges facing teacher educators is providing our pre-service teachers (PSTs) with authentic experiences that cross the boundaries between Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and the classroom. An additional challenge facing the mathematics teacher educator, is addressing and deepening PSTs' mathematical content knowledge (MCK), which…

Design and Assessment of a Skills-Based Geoscience Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renshaw, Carl E.

2014-01-01

There is increasing interest in science curricula that engage students in scientific practices to deepen their understanding of the core ideas of the field. There are, however, few examples of their designs or assessments available for use as guides for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of particular designs. We offer a summary of our…

Arts Integration for Understanding: Deepening Teacher Practice in and through the Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krakaur, Linda E.

2017-01-01

Arts integration is promoted as a powerful instructional method to address the needs of 21st century students. Teaching in and through the arts can support learners in envisioning, constructing, and communicating deep understandings of themselves, their communities, and the world. A co-equal, cognitive style of integration requires teachers to…

Missing Links: The Fragmented Relationship between Tertiary Education and Jobs. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheelahan, Leesa; Leahy, Mary; Fredman, Nick; Moodie, Gavin; Arkoudis, Sophie; Bexley, Emmaline

2012-01-01

Increasing the pathways between vocational and higher education is a central concern of Australian governments. Governments want more pathways to support occupational progression, skills deepening and social inclusion. They consider that the number of pathways and number of students traversing them to be inadequate, and have commissioned many…

Understanding the Reading Process: One Path to Strengthening Classroom Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tracey, Diane H.

2017-01-01

Knowing how to provide effective literacy instruction is important for all educators, but it is critically important for urban educators. This article is built on the assumption that deepening urban educators' understanding of the reading process will better equip them to facilitate students' reading development, and to diagnose and intervene if…

Beyond Subjection: Notes on the Later Foucault and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leask, Ian

2012-01-01

This article argues against the doxa that Foucault's analysis of education inevitably undermines self-originating ethical intention on the part of teachers or students. By attending to Foucault's lesser known, later work--in particular, the notion of "biopower" and the deepened level of materiality it entails--the article shows how the earlier…

Access and Participation of Latinos in the University of California: A Current Macro and Micro Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Eugene E.; Figueroa, Julie

2002-01-01

Examines the roots and consequences of a deepening social divide at elite public institutions, focusing on the dramatic underrepresentation of Latinos at the University of California and documenting the unique social challenges that underrepresented university students face after being admitted. Demonstrates the need for institutional support that…

Shifting Lenses to Deepen Reflection and Connection in Human Sexuality Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichty, Lauren F.; Parks, Emily A.; Nelson, Amy

2018-01-01

Photovoice, a participatory action research method, supports deep, personal reflection through the use of photography, personal narrative development, and group discussion. This lesson plan describes the use of Photovoice as a pedagogical tool in an undergraduate human sexuality course. The goal of this activity is to encourage students to 1)…

Incorporating Campus-Based Cultural Resources into Humanities Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Traver, Amy E.; Nedd, Rolecia

2018-01-01

In this article, the authors reviewed one effort to deepen students' connections to the humanities through the use of campus-based cultural resources at Queensborough Community College (QCC) of the City University of New York (CUNY), a minority-serving institution in one of the most diverse counties in the United States. Focusing specifically on…

Aspiring Educators, Urban Teens, and Conflicting Perspectives on the Social Contract

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seider, Scott; Huguley, James P.

2009-01-01

Watts, Williams, and Jagers (2003) define critical consciousness as an awareness of existing social inequities and their history, including the processes and outcomes of oppression. Many scholars and reformers are asking secondary-level educators to deepen the critical consciousness of their teenage students by teaching them about ways in which…

The Shape of an Ellipse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foley, Gregory D.

2011-01-01

Ellipses vary in shape from circular to nearly parabolic. An ellipse's eccentricity indicates the location of its foci, but its aspect ratio is a direct measure of its shape. This article takes a careful look at the shape of an ellipse and offers practical suggestions and specific activities to deepen students' understanding of the geometry of an…

Finding a Voice: Freedom through Digital Literacies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gumble, Andrea

2012-01-01

This article examines how the use of multimedia sources can deepen student engagement, comprehension, and questioning of a variety of texts. Through an American literature project, "The Art of War", high school juniors work in collaboration to read, analyze, and create original digital texts using Animoto.com. As a result, educators are able to…

Beyond Motivation: Exploring Mathematical Modeling as a Context for Deepening Students' Understandings of Curricular Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zbiek, Rose Mary; Conner, Annamarie

2006-01-01

Views of mathematical modeling in empirical, expository, and curricular references typically capture a relationship between real-world phenomena and mathematical ideas from the perspective that competence in mathematical modeling is a clear goal of the mathematics curriculum. However, we work within a curricular context in which mathematical…

Cultural Language Study: Grade 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tappenden, Jaqueline W.

Instructional materials provided in this second of a two-year sequence are designed to broaden and deepen the overview of Greek and Roman civilization and language developed in the initial year of study. Literary selections in the six units allow the student a comparison of themes and ideas in classical and contemporary literature. Major sections…

Using Picture Story Books to Discover and Explore the Concept of Equivalence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russo, James

2016-01-01

This article describes activities in which students deepen their relational understanding of the equals sign through exploring inequalities in a competitive dice game, built around the familiar fairy-tale "The Three Little Pigs" and "The Big Bad Wolf." The activity can be adapted to different abilities by choosing more or less…

Poverty, Residential Mobility, and Student Transiency within a Rural New York School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schafft, Kai A.

2006-01-01

Human capital models assume residential mobility is both voluntary and opportunity-driven. Residential mobility of low income households, however, often does not fit these assumptions. Often characterized by short-distance, high frequency movement, poverty-related mobility may only deepen the social and economic instability that precipitated the…

Affective and Cognitive Responses to Poetry in the University Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rumbold, Kate; Simecek, Karen

2016-01-01

In universities, as in mainstream education more widely, cognitive approaches to poetry are often dominant. Far from being irrelevant to the serious study of literature, we argue that eliciting students' affective responses to poetry can deepen their cognitive understanding and analytical skills. Drawing on recent research in psychology on the…

Racial Bias in the Classroom: Can Teachers Reach All Children?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leiding, Darlene

2006-01-01

The accelerating demographic and economic changes within our society, the deepening racial divide, and the elusive quest for equality and justice make multicultural education and understanding the culturally diverse student imperative. The gap between the rich and poor has widened, visible signs of the racial crisis have become stark, and the rate…

Mentoring. Perceptions of the process and its significance.

PubMed

Murray, Ruth Beckmann

2002-04-01

My recommendations are to learn about the mentoring process, prepare for the role, and take advantage of the opportunity to mentor someone, or many people, throughout your professional lifetime. In the process, you will learn about your cognitive, affective, and behavioral competencies and gifts. Share them. Join me and other mentors in knowing that you have opened doors and contributed in more than the usual ways to both well and ill people, to both present and future leaders in nursing or other disciplines, in whatever role, and to society in general. Deepen your generativity.

The Importance of Developing Communication Skills: Perceptions of Dental Hygiene Students.

PubMed

Walker, Kimberly K; Jackson, Richard D; Maxwell, Lisa

2016-10-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gather data from first- and second-year dental hygiene students concerning their perceptions of the benefits and possible impediments to effective patient communication. Additionally, the students were asked to theorize as to the impact emerging communication technologies could have on oral health promotion, practice administration and patient/provider communication. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire of 6 open-ended queries was employed. Thematic analysis was conducted to reveal themes related to their perceived ability to effectively communicate, perceived barriers to communication, possible solutions to lessen or eliminate these barriers, and the impact of emerging technologies on interpersonal communication. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 63 of 68 students (93%). Patient apathy and patient unwillingness to change detrimental health-related habits were the most frequently cited barriers to effective communication. Of the students having patient contact, many stated that they were less sure of their ability to communicate effectively if the patient differed from themselves, such as being elderly or being from another culture. While most of the students believed their fundamental communication skills were good, many noted that improving their higher-order skills, such as conveying empathy or displaying a nonjudgmental attitude, were essential to being more effective communicators. Many students felt emerging technologies such as universal translators could potentially assist them in overcoming some of their perceived deficiencies. Conclusion: While perceived inadequacies will likely diminish as the students gain more experience in school and later in private practice, dental hygiene programs may wish to consider implementing additional structured educational experiences to better prepare students to address patient apathy and to effectively convey a sense of personal compassion. Promoting student involvement in community outreach activities and providing a variety of service learning opportunities, including foreign travel, may broaden student experiences and deepen their awareness and appreciation of verbal and nonverbal communications displayed by differing cultures. Copyright © 2016 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

My Kind of Town (Chicago Is): Content Collections Optimize Learning Related to the 2018 AANA Annual Meeting.

PubMed

Hunt, Timothy J; Brand, Jefferson C; Rossi, Michael J; Lubowitz, James H

2018-04-01

The 2018 Arthroscopy Association of North America Annual Meeting represents an opportunity to deepen one's understanding of a wide variety of topics. Arthroscopy journal readers have diverse practices and interests, and the meeting is designed to accommodate individual needs. The constructivist learning theory provides that scholars learn in many different ways. Thus, to enrich your learning experience, selected recently published Arthroscopy articles are suggested to supplement material presented at the meeting. The articles are collated on our web site in Content Collections, to allow meeting participants to prepare and to allow those unable to attend to remain engaged. We offer suggestions and encourage readers to customize their own learning experience. Copyright © 2018 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Life in unexpected places: Employing visual thinking strategies in global health training.

PubMed

Allison, Jill; Mulay, Shree; Kidd, Monica

2017-01-01

The desire to make meaning out of images, metaphor, and other representations indicates higher-order cognitive skills that can be difficult to teach, especially in the complex and unfamiliar environments like those encountered in many global health experiences. Because reflecting on art can help develop medical students' imaginative and interpretive skills, we used visual thinking strategies (VTS) during an immersive 4-week global health elective for medical students to help them construct new understanding of the social determinants of health in a low-resource setting. We were aware of no previous formal efforts to use art in global health training. We assembled a group of eight medical students in front of a street mural in Kathmandu and used VTS methods to interpret the scene with respect to the social determinants of health. We recorded and transcribed the conversation and conducted a thematic analysis of student responses. Students shared observations about the mural in a supportive, nonjudgmental fashion. Two main themes emerged from their observations: those of human-environment interactions (specifically community dynamics, subsistence land use, resources, and health) and entrapment/control, particularly relating to expectations of, and demands on, women in traditional farming communities. They used the images as well as their experience in Nepali communities to consolidate complex community health concepts. VTS helped students articulate their deepening understanding of the social determinants of health in Nepal, suggesting that reflection on visual art can help learners apply, analyze, and evaluate complex concepts in global health. We demonstrate the relevance of drawing upon many aspects of cultural learning, regarding art as a kind of text that holds valuable information. These findings may help provide innovative opportunities for teaching and evaluating global health training in the future.

The Selection of Content in Geographical Curriculum Development. A Contribution to the Shaping of a Culture-Critical Philosophy of Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van den Bosch, H. M. J.

Following an overview of various theories of learning and of philosophies of education, this paper explores how to develop a culture-critical geography curriculum at any grade level. A culture-critical philosophy of education attaches particular importance to the dialogue between teacher and pupil and aims toward broadening and deepening the…

Mindfulness in the Academy--Transforming Our Work and Ourselves "One Moment at a Time"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Paula; Grose, Jill

2015-01-01

In this paper, we (a faculty member and an educational developer) discuss our attempts to be more mindful in the academy with attention to mindfulness practices in the classroom and the development of a community of practice at our institution as ways to foster community and deepen learning. Included within the paper is an introduction to…

Regional Educational Equity Policies: Learning from Inter-District Integration Programs. Research Brief No. 9

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finnigan, Kara S.; Holme, Jennifer Jellison

2015-01-01

Across the U.S., urban school districts are in a deepening state of crisis. Problems of academic failure, financial debt, and enrollment loss have been reported in many of the nation's largest cities. In local and national policy debates, there are two distinct explanations about the reasons for these crises. One explanation for school failure…

Deepening Understanding of "Pedagogical Outcomes" through Video Data Collection: A Catalyst for Guided Reflective Learning Conversations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dann, Chris; Richardson, Tony

2015-01-01

This article examines the case of Catch Me Excel (CeMeE), an electronic feedback system developed to facilitate video, image and written feedback in the workplace to educators about pedagogical-related outcomes. It comprises a sophisticated, technological feedback system of which the resultant data can be used to enhance classroom, schools and…

An Inquiry-Based Approach to Teaching the Spherical Earth Model to Preservice Teachers Using the Global Positioning System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Youngjin; Schwenz, Richard

2013-01-01

This article describes an inquiry-based lesson to deepen preservice teachers' understanding of the spherical Earth model using the Global Positioning System. The lesson was designed with four learning goals: (1) to increase preservice teachers' conceptual knowledge of the spherical Earth model; (2) to develop preservice teachers'…

Negative Experiences as Learning Trigger: A Play Experience Empirical Research on a Game for Social Change Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mariani, Ilaria; Gandolfi, Enrico

2016-01-01

This study shows the results gathered from 141 subjects playing the persuasive urban game "A Hostile World" via a post-game-experience quantitative questionnaire. The aim is to problematize and deepen the role of negative emotions (e.g., frustration, rage)--explicitly fostered by "A Hostile World" to increase empathy toward…

Learning to Teach High School Mathematics: Patterns of Growth in Understanding Right Triangle Trigonometry during Lesson Plan Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavey, Laurie O.; Berenson, Sarah B.

2005-01-01

"Lesson plan study" (LPS), adapted from the Japanese Lesson Study method of professional development, is a sequence of activities designed to engage prospective teachers in broadening and deepening their understanding of school mathematics and teaching strategies. LPS occurs over 5 weeks on the same lesson topic and includes four opportunities to…

When the Social Justice Learning Curve Isn't as Steep: How a Social Foundations Course Changed the Conversation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Beth Douthirt; Tokunaga, Tomoko; Colvin, Demetrius J.; Mac, Jacqueline; Martinez, Judith Suyen; Leets, Craig; Lee, Douglas H.

2013-01-01

This article explores the limits of introductory social justice education and the ways in which a social foundations course could expand and deepen the social justice lens of current and future educators. The authors, members of an introductory graduate-level Social Foundations course, discuss the limitations they realized in their previous social…

New Exploration in the Development Strategy of "Going out" for Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jinhui, Lin; Zhiping, Liu

2009-01-01

It is essential to implement a development strategy of "looking abroad" for Chinese-foreign cooperation in higher education and for us to realize a scientific concept for development, deepen and diversify market access, and improve the quality and benefits of higher education in China. We can learn from developed nations' experience in…

Compound Stimulus Presentation Does Not Deepen Extinction in Human Causal Learning

PubMed Central

Griffiths, Oren; Holmes, Nathan; Westbrook, R. Fred

2017-01-01

Models of associative learning have proposed that cue-outcome learning critically depends on the degree of prediction error encountered during training. Two experiments examined the role of error-driven extinction learning in a human causal learning task. Target cues underwent extinction in the presence of additional cues, which differed in the degree to which they predicted the outcome, thereby manipulating outcome expectancy and, in the absence of any change in reinforcement, prediction error. These prediction error manipulations have each been shown to modulate extinction learning in aversive conditioning studies. While both manipulations resulted in increased prediction error during training, neither enhanced extinction in the present human learning task (one manipulation resulted in less extinction at test). The results are discussed with reference to the types of associations that are regulated by prediction error, the types of error terms involved in their regulation, and how these interact with parameters involved in training. PMID:28232809

Performing the Future. On the Use of Drama in Philosophy Courses for Science Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toonders, Winnie; Verhoeff, Roald P.; Zwart, Hub

2016-10-01

Drama is a relatively unexplored tool in academic science education. This paper addresses in what way the use of drama may allow science students to deepen their understanding of recent developments in the emerging and controversial field of neuro-enhancement, by means of a case study approach. First, we emphasise the congruency between drama and science, notably the dramatic dimension of experimental research. Subsequently, we draw on educational literature to elaborate the potential of using drama as a teaching modality, specifically focusing on the ethical and moral dimensions of future techno-scientific innovations. Our case study consisted of a drama experiment as a module in a philosophy course on human enhancement. Twenty-two students from various science disciplines performed multiple roles, as authors, actors, audience and reviewers. Qualitative data were collected on the educational process and student performance during the course, i.e. observations and video recordings of class discussions, group work and plays, interviews and questionnaires. Our drama experiment proved to be effective in enabling students to explore and relate to a future life world affected by enhancement technologies. It allowed them to deepen their awareness of social and ethical implications of neuro-technologies and of the different viewpoints people may have on this issue in academic, professional or everyday settings. Moreover, drama allowed them to develop a reflexive position of their own in the neuro-enhancement debate by enacting a moral dilemma in front of an audience. Our results confirm the potential of drama as a tool for exploring techno-scientific futures in science education.

Seafloor Eruptions Offer a Teachable Moment to Help SEAS Students Understand Important Geological and Ecological Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehring, L.; Williams, C. S.

2006-12-01

In education parlance, a teachable moment is an opportunity that arises when students are engaged and primed to learn, typically in response to some memorable event. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, even natural disasters, if meaningful to the student, often serve to catalyze intense learning. Recent eruptions at the East Pacific Rise offer a potential teachable moment for students and teachers involved with SEAS, a Ridge 2000 education outreach program. SEAS uses a combination of web-facilitated and teacher-directed activities to make the remote deep-sea environment and the process of science relevant and meaningful. SEAS is a web-based, inquiry-oriented education program for middle and high school students. It features the science associated with Ridge 2000 research. Since 2003, SEAS has focused on the integrated study site at the East Pacific Rise (EPR) to help students understand geological and ecological processes at mid-ocean ridges and hydrothermal vents. SEAS students study EPR bathymetry maps, images of lava formations, photomosaics of diffuse flow communities, succession in the Bio-Geo Transect, as well as current research conducted during spring cruises. In the Classroom to Sea Lab, students make direct comparisons between shallow-water mussels and vent mussels (from the EPR) to understand differences in feeding strategies. The recent eruptions and loss of seafloor fauna at this site offer the Ridge 2000 program the opportunity to help students better understand the ephemeral and episodic nature of ridge environments, as well as the realities and processes of science (particularly field science). In January 2007, the SEAS program will again sail with a Ridge 2000 research team, and will work with scientists to report findings through the SEAS website. The eruptions at the EPR covered much of the study site, and scientists' instruments and experiments, in fresh lava. We intend to highlight the recency and effect of the eruptions, using the students' anticipated response as a motivator to deepen their understanding of the environment. SEAS depends on the contributions of many scientists within the Ridge 2000 community, and serves as an outreach channel for the whole community. Scientists can help field student questions during the Ask-a- Scientist email forum, serve as Report Reviewers, be featured in Scientist Spotlights, and help develop new Classroom to Sea labs and curricular materials. In the next four years, SEAS will integrate with the international GLOBE education program (www.globe.gov), and help our community reach even more students and teachers, worldwide.

Parental Involvement in Education during Middle School: Perspectives of Ethnically Diverse Parents, Teachers, and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Nancy E.; Witherspoon, Dawn P.; Bartz, Deborah

2018-01-01

Maintaining productive partnerships between families and schools is more complex when youth enter middle school. A systematic and inclusive understanding of the strategies parents use, youth want and need, and teachers' desire is needed to broaden our conceptualization and deepen our understanding of parental involvement in education. The authors…

Some Applications of Mathematics for the Biology Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horton, Robert M.; Leonard, William H.

2013-01-01

Biology and mathematics are inextricably linked. In this article, we show a few of the many areas in which this linkage might be made explicit. By doing so, teachers can deepen students' understanding and appreciation of both subjects. In this article, we explore some of these areas, providing brief explanations of the mathematics and some of the…

Early Childhoods in a Changing World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Margaret M., Ed.; Tucker, Stanley, Ed.

2010-01-01

This book challenges taken for granted views of early childhood across the globe. It deepens and broadens our understanding of what it means to be a child today and of the challenges children face in different parts of the world. It will be essential reading for all who work with young children or are students of early years education and…

A School-University Research Partnership to Identify Disengaged Students: A Descriptive Case Analysis of School Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biag, Manuelito D.; Sanchez, Monika A.

2016-01-01

Background/Context: Much of the literature on school-university research partnerships has focused on collaborations that address curriculum, instruction, and leadership. Less scholarly attention has been paid to how practitioners and academics work together to improve school climate. Purpose: We seek to deepen understanding of how educators and…

Teaching Tip: Utilizing Classroom Simulation to Convey Key Concepts in IT Portfolio Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Eric C.

2013-01-01

Managing a portfolio of IT projects is an important capability for firms and their managers. The classroom simulation described here provides students in an MBA information systems management/strategy course with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the key concepts that should be considered in managing an IT portfolio and helps…

Number Sense Routines: Building Numerical Literacy Every Day in Grades K-3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shumway, Jessica

2011-01-01

Just as athletes stretch their muscles before every game and musicians play scales to keep their technique in tune, mathematical thinkers and problem solvers can benefit from daily warm-up exercises. Jessica Shumway has developed a series of routines designed to help young students internalize and deepen their facility with numbers. The daily use…

Insights from a cross-disciplinary seminar: 10 pivotal papers for ecological restoration

Treesearch

Melissa V. Eitzel; Sibyl Diver; Hillary Sardiñas; Lauren M. Hallett; Jessica J. Olson; Adam Romero; Gustavo de L. T. Oliveira; Alex T. Schuknecht; Rob Tidmore; Katharine N. Suding

2011-01-01

Restoration ecology is a deepening and diversifying field with current research incorporating multiple disciplines and infusing long-standing ideas with fresh perspectives. We present a list of 10 recent pivotal papers exemplifying new directions in ecological restoration that were selected by students in a cross-disciplinary graduate seminar at the University of...

Developing Investigative Entry Points: Exploring the Use of Quantitative Methods in English Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGraner, Kristin L.; Robbins, Daniel

2010-01-01

Although many research questions in English education demand the use of qualitative methods, this paper will briefly explore how English education researchers and doctoral students may use statistics and quantitative methods to inform, complement, and/or deepen their inquiries. First, the authors will provide a general overview of the survey areas…

Electrodynamics; Problems and solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilie, Carolina C.; Schrecengost, Zachariah S.

2018-05-01

This book of problems and solutions is a natural continuation of Ilie and Schrecengost's first book Electromagnetism: Problems and Solutions. Aimed towards students who would like to work independently on more electrodynamics problems in order to deepen their understanding and problem-solving skills, this book discusses main concepts and techniques related to Maxwell's equations, conservation laws, electromagnetic waves, potentials and fields, and radiation.

What Is the Value of @*#? Deepening Teachers' Understanding of Place Value

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopkins, Theresa M.; Cady, Jo Ann

2007-01-01

This article reports on the use of a unique number system to facilitate teachers' understanding of the concepts of place value. Teachers' mastery of base-ten may hinder their recognition of the difficulties students have with place value, so the authors created a number system that used five symbols to represent values. Using this system, teachers…

Rainbow: A Framework for Analysing Computer-Mediated Pedagogical Debates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Michael; Andriessen, Jerry; Lund, Kristine; van Amelsvoort, Marie; Quignard, Matthieu

2007-01-01

In this paper we present a framework for analysing when and how students engage in a specific form of interactive knowledge elaboration in CSCL environments: broadening and deepening understanding of a space of debate. The framework is termed "Rainbow," as it comprises seven principal analytical categories, to each of which a colour is assigned,…

Deepening Teacher Knowledge of Multicultural Literature through a University-Schools Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athanases, Steven Z.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study is to strengthen teachers' knowledge of multicultural literature for use with high school students in a highly diverse, high needs urban school district through a university-schools partnership. A core English group of 15-20 members of a university-schools partnership met in monthly department-based and periodic…

An Industrial Chemistry Course that Optimizes the Value of Plant Tours

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartman, J. Stephen

2005-01-01

Plant tours, when emphasized appropriately and fully integrated into an industrial chemistry course, are very useful in motivating students and deepening their understanding of the chemical industry. Emphasis is placed on plant tours as it adds immediacy and a practical flavor to the course and is a good preparation for the graduates who move from…

Teaching about Civil Disobedience: Clarifying a Recurring Theme in the Secondary Social Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, J. Spencer; Vontz, Thomas S.; Barikmo, Kristoffer

2008-01-01

In this article, the authors offer social studies educators a way to deepen students' understanding of civil disobedience as a democratic and nonviolent means of instigating social change. The authors explore the concept of civil disobedience from a historical perspective and examine the justifications and ramifications of each historical example.…

As the Economic Crisis Hits Home, Colleges Seek Help from Congress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, Kelly

2008-01-01

Congress is crafting a second economic-stimulus bill, and the nation's colleges, hit by the deepening fiscal crisis, want a share of the money. Over the last few weeks, colleges and their lobbyists have bombarded members of Congress with letters and phone calls seeking money for research, student aid, and infrastructure. However, Congress is…

Identification of the Learning Styles and "On-the-Job" Learning Methods Implemented by Nurses for Promoting Their Professional Knowledge and Skills.

PubMed

Rassin, Michal; Kurzweil, Yaffa; Maoz, Yael

2015-05-09

The aim of this study was to identify the learning styles and methods used by nurses to promote their professional knowledge and skills. 928 nurses from 11 hospitals across Israel completed 2 questionnaires, (1) Kolb's Learning Style Inventory, Version 3.1. and (2) the On-The-Job Learning Styles Questionnaire for the Nursing Profession. The most common learning style was the convergent style. The other learning styles were rated in the following descending order: accommodation, assimilation, and divergence. The on-the-job learning style consistently ranked highest was experience of relevant situations. On the other hand, seeking knowledge from books, journals, television, or the Internet was ranked lowest on all the indicators examined. With respect to general and on-the-job learning styles, statistically significant differences were found between groups of nurses by: country of birth, gender, department, age, education, and role. Nurses required to take more personal responsibility for their own professional development by deepening their self-learning skills.

Feminist teacher research and students' visions of science: Listening as research and pedagogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howes, Elaine Virginia

In this dissertation, I bring together methodologies deriving from teacher research and feminist research to study students' visions of the content and processes of science. Through listening intently to students' talk and studying their writing, I address the following questions: (1) What can intensive listening to students tell us about students' thinking and beliefs concerning their images of science as a social enterprise? (2) What kinds of classroom situations encourage and support students' expressions of their lives and beliefs in connection to science? (3) How can feminist theories of education and critiques of science inform our efforts for "science for all"? This study is organized by focusing on the connection between national standards for science education and feminist theories of pedagogy and feminist critiques of science. From this starting point, students' ideas are presented and interpreted thematically. The resonances and dissonances between students' ideas, standards' goals, and feminist theory are explicated. Current best practice in science education demands that science teachers attend to what their students are thinking. For this dissertation, I have taken a perspective that is slightly askew from that of listening to students in order to support or challenge their thinking about natural phenomena. During my teaching, I set up situations in which students could speak about their images of science; these situations are integral to this study. My research goal was to listen in order to learn what students were thinking and believing--but not necessarily in order to change that thinking or those beliefs. My work is meant to cultivate common ground between feminist scholarship and science education, while deepening our understanding of students' thinking about the activities and knowledge of science. I hope that this dissertation will open up conversations between science educators and their students around issues concerning students' relationship to science, and their clear-eyed view of its current and potential role in our egalitarian democracy. The exploration of our students', as well as our own, images of science as a social enterprise are central to any effort that claims to make science education welcome to all American students.

Entering medical practice for the very first time: emotional talk, meaning and identity development.

PubMed

Helmich, Esther; Bolhuis, Sanneke; Dornan, Tim; Laan, Roland; Koopmans, Raymond

2012-11-01

During early clinical exposure, medical students have many emotive experiences. Through participation in social practice, they learn to give personal meaning to their emotional states. This meaningful social act of participation may lead to a sense of belonging and identity construction. The aim of this study was to broaden and deepen our understanding of the interplay between those experiences and students' identity development. Our research questions asked how medical students give meaning to early clinical experiences and how that affects their professional identity development. Our method was phenomenology. Within that framework we used a narrative interviewing technique. Interviews with 17 medical students on Year 1 attachments to nurses in hospitals and nursing homes were analysed by listening to audio-recordings and reading transcripts. Nine transcripts, which best exemplified the students' range of experiences, were purposively sampled for deeper analysis. Two researchers carried out a systematic analysis using qualitative research software. Finally, cases representing four paradigms were chosen to exemplify the study findings. Students experienced their relationships with the people they met during early clinical experiences in very different ways, particularly in terms of feeling and displaying emotions, adjusting, role finding and participation. The interplay among emotions, meaning and identity was complex and four different 'paradigms' of lived experience were apparent: feeling insecure; complying; developing, and participating. We found large differences in the way students related to other people and gave meaning to their first experiences as doctors-to-be. They differed in their ability to engage in ward practices, the way they experienced their roles as medical students and future doctors, and how they experienced and expressed their emotions. Medical educators should help students to be sensitive to their emotions, offer space to explore different meanings, and be ready to suggest alternative interpretations that foster the development of desired professional identities. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

Mentoring Through Research as a Catalyst for the Success of Under-represented Minority Students in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsaglia, K.; Simila, G.; Pedone, V.; Yule, D.

2003-12-01

The Catalyst Program of the Department of Geological Sciences at California State University Northridge has been developed by four faculty members who were the recipients of a three-year award (2002-2005) from the National Science Foundation. The goal of the program is to increase minority participation and success in the geosciences. The program seeks to enrich the educational experience by introducing students at all levels (individual and team) to research in the geosciences (such as data analysis for earthquake hazards for 1994 Northridge event, paleoseismology of San Andreas fault, Waipaoa, New Zealand sedimentary system and provenance studies, and the Barstow formation geochronology and geochemistry), and to decrease obstacles that affect academic success. Both these goals are largely achieved by the formation of integrated high school, undergraduate, and graduate research groups, which also provide fulfilling and successful peer mentorship. New participants first complete a specially designed course that introduces them to peer-mentoring, collaborative learning (think-pair share), and research on geological data sets. Students of all experience levels then become members of research teams and conduct four mini-projects and associated poster presentations, which deepens academic and research skills as well as peer-mentor relationships. This initial research experience has been very beneficial for the student's degree requirements of a senior research project and oral presentation. Evaluation strategies include the student research course presentations, summer field projects, and external review of student experiences. The Catalyst Program provides significant financial support to participants to allow them to focus their time on their education. A component of peer-tutoring has been implemented for promoting additional student success. The program has been highly successful in its two year development. To date, undergraduates and graduate students have coauthored six abstracts at professional meetings. Also, high-school students have gained first hand experience of a college course and geologic research.

Climate and the Carbon Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manley, Jim

2017-04-01

Climate and the Carbon Cycle EOS3a Science in tomorrow's classroom Students, like too much of the American public, are largely unaware or apathetic to the changes in world climate and the impact that these changes have for life on Earth. A study conducted by Michigan State University and published in 2011 by Science Daily titled 'What carbon cycle? College students lack scientific literacy, study finds'. This study relates how 'most college students in the United States do not grasp the scientific basis of the carbon cycle - an essential skill in understanding the causes and consequences of climate change.' The study authors call for a new approach to teaching about climate. What if teachers better understood vital components of Earth's climate system and were able to impart his understanding to their students? What if students based their responses to the information taught not on emotion, but on a deeper understanding of the forces driving climate change, their analysis of the scientific evidence and in the context of earth system science? As a Middle School science teacher, I have been given the opportunity to use a new curriculum within TERC's EarthLabs collection, Climate and the Carbon Cycle, to awaken those brains and assist my students in making personal lifestyle choices based on what they had learned. In addition, with support from TERC and The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics I joined others to begin training other teachers on how to implement this curriculum in their classrooms to expose their students to our changing climate. Through my poster, I will give you (1) a glimpse into the challenges faced by today's science teachers in communicating the complicated, but ever-deepening understanding of the linkages between natural and human-driven factors on climate; (2) introduce you to a new module in the EarthLabs curriculum designed to expose teachers and students to global scientific climate data and instrumentation; and (3) illustrate how student worldviews are changed though exposure to the latest in scientific discovery and understanding.

Deepening What It Means to Read (and Write) Like a Historian: Progressions of Instruction across a School Year in an 11th Grade U.S. History Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shanahan, Cynthia; Bolz, Michael J.; Cribb, Gayle; Goldman, Susan R.; Heppeler, Johanna; Manderino, Michael

2016-01-01

This article presents six goals for history literacy instruction created by Project Reading, Evidence, and Argumentation in Disciplinary Instruction (READI), an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) reading comprehension project. It describes how one Project READI high school teacher used the six learning goals to create instruction designed to…

A MOSAIC for the Science Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fish, Vincent L.; Needles, M. M.; Rogers, A. E. E.; Costa, D.; Cadigan, J.; Clements, C.; May, S. K.

2011-01-01

MOSAIC (Mesospheric Ozone System for Atmospheric Investigations in the Classroom) is a project to engage secondary and undergraduate students in authentic inquiry-based science learning using a network of inexpensive spectrometers monitoring the mesospheric ozone concentration. The MOSAIC system observes the 11 GHz emission line of ozone using electronics built around satellite television equipment. The possibilities for student investigation are broad and scientifically significant. MOSAIC observations have confirmed diurnal variations in mesospheric ozone concentration and detected semiannual variations that may be due to inter-hemispheric meridional circulation of water vapor. Possible future projects include monitoring the temperature of the mesosphere and correlations with the solar cycle. Students are also encouraged to design their own investigations with MOSAIC data. Early results have been reported in a major scientific journal, and further scientific progress is likely as future MOSAIC systems are deployed -- increasing the sensitivity and geographic coverage of the network. Complete teaching units, including slides, laboratory activities, background information, student worksheets, and conformance with national and Massachusetts educational standards, have been developed to integrate MOSAIC into a classroom environment. One unit introduces the layers of the atmosphere, Earth's energy balance, the greenhouse effect, processes of ozone creation and destruction, noctilucent clouds, heat transfer, the laws of thermodynamics, radio waves (including radio astronomy), and fluid behavior. A second unit, currently being tested in classrooms, uses the MOSAIC system to motivate and deepen understanding of a large portion of electromagnetism in a conceptual physics class. MOSAIC has also been used in a local high school chemistry class. MOSAIC is still in development and is funded by the National Science Foundation.

Perspectives on the Explorations of Deepening Understanding of Teaching through Oral History: A Returning Teacher's Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eldred, Rosemary

This paper describes how one teacher educator returned to the middle school classroom. In order to update her skills and knowledge, the author worked on a master's degree. One course that she took was in oral history interviewing. She had often used historical letters and journals with students to explore individual descriptions of history, but…

Teaching Skills for Complex Text: Deepening Close Reading in the Classroom. Common Core State Standards in Literacy Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mesmer, Heidi Anne E.

2016-01-01

Tired of hearing about "complex text"? Bothered by the pushy messages about "challenge"? This book is for you! Unlike the many other materials on text complexity, this one focuses on specific comprehension skills that students need in order to really engage with text. This book will help elementary school teachers equip their…

Alternate Reality Gaming: Teaching Visual Art Skills to Multiple Subject Credential Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engdahl, Eric

2014-01-01

Through Alternate Reality Games, students engage in narrative, play, cooperation, creativity, and joy by creating storylines focusing on one element of art. In 2008, the Luce Center at the Smithsonian American Art Museum presented Ghosts of a Chance. The first Alternative Reality Game (ARG) to be hosted by a museum, it was designed to deepen and…

Designing Professional Development around Key Principles and Formative Assessments to Improve Teachers' Knowledge to Teach Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vendlinski, Terry P.; Hemberg, Bryan; Mundy, Chris; Phelan, Julia

2009-01-01

The authors' hypothesis is that if teachers (as experts) understand and teach concepts from the position of expertise teacher quality will improve. They believe that focusing on the key ideas will deepen both teacher and student understanding and allow learners to build the concepts necessary to form solid foundations for the application of…

A Didactic Activity for Introducing Design and Optimization of Experiments Assisted by Revised Bloom's Taxonomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amorim, Gabriela; Balestrassi, Pedro; Paiva, Anderson; Gottzandt, Isabella

2014-01-01

The methodology used in this study was action-research and the considered activity is been applied successfully for at least five years to undergraduate and to master classes for Industrial Engineering students in Brazil. It showed a significant result in both cases, providing the basis for the deepening in the subject in further lessons.…

The Voices of English Women Technical Writers, 1641-1700: Imprints in the Evolution of Modern English Prose Style.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tebeaux, Elizabeth

1998-01-01

Examines the style of early women technical writers to show that plain English existed before Sir Francis Bacon and received its impetus from the utilitarian attitude that pervaded the 1475-1700 period. Finds that technical communication studied from this historical perspective deepens students' awareness of technical communication's roots in the…

What I Wish My College Students Already Knew about PRC History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stapleton, Kristin

2010-01-01

Different generations of Americans understand China quite differently. This, of course, is true of many topics. However, the turbulence of Chinese history and U.S.-China relations in the 60 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 has deepened the gaps in generational thinking about China. Those who came of age in…

Evaluating the Suitability of Mathematical Thinking Problems for Senior High-School Students by Including Mathematical Sense Making and Global Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Velzen, Joke H.

2016-01-01

The mathematics curriculum often provides for relatively few mathematical thinking problems or non-routine problems that focus on a deepening of understanding mathematical concepts and the problem-solving process. To develop such problems, methods are required to evaluate their suitability. The purpose of this preliminary study was to find such an…

Clinical education and clinical evaluation of respiratory therapy students.

PubMed

Cullen, Deborah L

2005-09-01

Different blends of knowledge, decision making, problem solving,professional behaviors, values, and technical skills are necessary in the changing health care environments in which respiratory therapists practice. Frequently, novice students are expected to perform quickly and efficiently,and it may be forgotten that students are still learning and mastering the foundation pieces of practice. Clinical educators take on the responsibility of student development in addition to overseeing patient care. Normally,these volunteer instructors are role models for respiratory therapy students. The characteristic of initiative when demonstrated by a beginning student is attractive to the clinical instructor, promotes sharing of experiences, and may evolve into a mentor-protege relationship. Some clinical instructors may be underprepared to teach and are uncomfortable with student evaluation. Respiratory therapy facilities in conjunction with academic institutions may consider sponsoring ongoing programs for clinical teachers. Teaching and learning in the clinical environment is more than demonstration of skills and knowledge. Furthermore, it can be debated whether the memorization of facts or of the steps of a skill is more valuable than competency in problem solving, clinical reasoning, or information retrieval. New knowledge is built within a context and is further integrated when grounded by experience. Development of "prediction in practice" or the anticipation of the next necessary actions may be worth integrating into the instructional toolbox. Intuition has been defined as an "understanding without a rationale". This definition separates intuition from rational decision making and presents intuition as a type of innate ability. Reflection when guided by clinical instructors can help deepen critical thinking, as will Socratic questioning on a regular basis. Most clinical staff can agree on the performance of an incompetent student, but discrimination of the levels of competence is more challenging. Observations allow the assessor to obtain the data necessary to evaluate performance, followed by assessment, which denotes a judgment made on the basis of an observation of events. Performance assessment should have stability and consistency, measure what is intended to be measured, and truly determine competence. In contrast, reflective analysis has been shown to be successful for clinical evaluation, thus departing from strict competency and product-based assessment. Students yearn to become clinically knowledgeable, and their enthusiasm should be fostered. An interest in clinical practice is the primary reason individuals enroll in respiratory therapy education programs. Educators,managers, and staff should assure that students experience an appropriate, rich, and diverse clinical curriculum that with practice develops clinical judgment, reasoning, and reflection on practice.

Student perceptions of writing projects in a university differential-equations course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latulippe, Christine; Latulippe, Joe

2014-01-01

This qualitative study surveyed 102 differential-equations students in order to investigate how students participating in writing projects in university-level mathematics courses perceive the benefits of writing in the mathematics classroom. Based on previous literature on writing in mathematics, students were asked specifically about the benefits of writing projects as a means to explore practical uses of mathematics, deepen content knowledge, and strengthen communication. Student responses indicated an awareness of these benefits, supporting justifications commonly cited by instructors assigning writing projects. Open-ended survey responses highlighted additional themes which students associated with writing in mathematics, including using software programs and technology, working in groups, and stimulating interest in mathematics. This study provides student feedback to support the use of writing projects in mathematics, as well as student input, which can be utilized to strengthen the impact of writing projects in mathematics.

SU-A-BRA-02: Making the Most of a One Hour Lecture with Alternative Teaching Methodologies: Implementing Project-Based and Flipped Learning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Howell, R.

Vic Montemayor - No one has been more passionate about improving the quality and effectiveness of the teaching of Medical Physics than Bill Hendee. It was in August of 2008 that the first AAPM Workshop on Becoming a Better Teacher of Medical Physics was held, organized and run by Bill Hendee. This was followed up in July of 2010 with a summer school on the same topic, again organized by Bill. There has been continued interest in alternate approaches to teaching medical physics since those initial gatherings. The momentum established by these workshops is made clear each year in themore » annual Innovation in Medical Physics Education session, which highlights work being done in all forms of medical physics education, from one-on-one residencies or classroom presentations to large-scale program revisions and on-line resources for international audiences. This symposium, presented on behalf of the Education Council, highlights the work of three finalists from past Innovation in Education sessions. Each will be presenting their approaches to and innovations in teaching medical physics. It is hoped that audience members interested in trying something new in their teaching of medical physics will find some of these ideas and approaches readily applicable to their own classrooms. Rebecca Howell - The presentation will discuss ways to maximize classroom learning, i.e., increasing the amount of material covered while also enhancing students’ understanding of the broader implications of the course topics. Specifically, the presentation will focus on two teaching methodologies, project based learning and flip learning. These teaching methods will be illustrated using an example of graduate medical physics course where both are used in conjunction with traditional lectures. Additionally, the presentation will focus on our experience implementing these methods including challenges that were overcome. Jay Burmeister - My presentation will discuss the incorporation of active learning techniques into a traditional medical physics classroom course. I will describe these techniques and how they were implemented as well as student performance before and after implementation. Student feedback indicated that these course changes improved their ability to actively assimilate the course content, thus improving their understanding of the material. Shahid Naqvi - My talk will focus on ways to help students visualize crucial concepts that lie at the core of radiation physics. Although particle tracks generated by Monte Carlo simulations have served as an indispensable visualization tool, students often struggle to resolve the underlying physics from a simultaneous jumble of tracks. We can clarify the physics by “coding” the tracks, e.g., by coloring the tracks according to their “starting” or “crossing” regions. The regionally-coded tracks when overlaid with dose distributions help the students see the elusive connection between dose, kerma and electronic disequilibrium. Tracks coded according to local energy or energy-loss rate can illustrate the need for stopping power corrections in electron beams and explain the Bragg peak in a proton beam. Coding tracks according to parent interaction type and order can clarify the often misunderstood distinction between primary and scatter dose. The students can thus see the “whole” simultaneously with the “sum of the parts,” which enhances their physical insight and creates a sustainable foundation for further learning. After the presentations the speakers and moderator will be open to questions and discussion with the audience members. Learning Objectives: Be able to explain Project-Based Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain Flipped Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain active-learning strategies for the teaching of Medical Physics. Be able to explain how Monte Carlo simulations can be used to deepen a student’s understanding of radiation physics and dosimetry.« less

SU-A-BRA-04: Incorporating Active Learning Into Medical Physics Education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burmeister, J.

Vic Montemayor - No one has been more passionate about improving the quality and effectiveness of the teaching of Medical Physics than Bill Hendee. It was in August of 2008 that the first AAPM Workshop on Becoming a Better Teacher of Medical Physics was held, organized and run by Bill Hendee. This was followed up in July of 2010 with a summer school on the same topic, again organized by Bill. There has been continued interest in alternate approaches to teaching medical physics since those initial gatherings. The momentum established by these workshops is made clear each year in themore » annual Innovation in Medical Physics Education session, which highlights work being done in all forms of medical physics education, from one-on-one residencies or classroom presentations to large-scale program revisions and on-line resources for international audiences. This symposium, presented on behalf of the Education Council, highlights the work of three finalists from past Innovation in Education sessions. Each will be presenting their approaches to and innovations in teaching medical physics. It is hoped that audience members interested in trying something new in their teaching of medical physics will find some of these ideas and approaches readily applicable to their own classrooms. Rebecca Howell - The presentation will discuss ways to maximize classroom learning, i.e., increasing the amount of material covered while also enhancing students’ understanding of the broader implications of the course topics. Specifically, the presentation will focus on two teaching methodologies, project based learning and flip learning. These teaching methods will be illustrated using an example of graduate medical physics course where both are used in conjunction with traditional lectures. Additionally, the presentation will focus on our experience implementing these methods including challenges that were overcome. Jay Burmeister - My presentation will discuss the incorporation of active learning techniques into a traditional medical physics classroom course. I will describe these techniques and how they were implemented as well as student performance before and after implementation. Student feedback indicated that these course changes improved their ability to actively assimilate the course content, thus improving their understanding of the material. Shahid Naqvi - My talk will focus on ways to help students visualize crucial concepts that lie at the core of radiation physics. Although particle tracks generated by Monte Carlo simulations have served as an indispensable visualization tool, students often struggle to resolve the underlying physics from a simultaneous jumble of tracks. We can clarify the physics by “coding” the tracks, e.g., by coloring the tracks according to their “starting” or “crossing” regions. The regionally-coded tracks when overlaid with dose distributions help the students see the elusive connection between dose, kerma and electronic disequilibrium. Tracks coded according to local energy or energy-loss rate can illustrate the need for stopping power corrections in electron beams and explain the Bragg peak in a proton beam. Coding tracks according to parent interaction type and order can clarify the often misunderstood distinction between primary and scatter dose. The students can thus see the “whole” simultaneously with the “sum of the parts,” which enhances their physical insight and creates a sustainable foundation for further learning. After the presentations the speakers and moderator will be open to questions and discussion with the audience members. Learning Objectives: Be able to explain Project-Based Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain Flipped Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain active-learning strategies for the teaching of Medical Physics. Be able to explain how Monte Carlo simulations can be used to deepen a student’s understanding of radiation physics and dosimetry.« less

Perception Evolution Network Based on Cognition Deepening Model--Adapting to the Emergence of New Sensory Receptor.

PubMed

Xing, Youlu; Shen, Furao; Zhao, Jinxi

2016-03-01

The proposed perception evolution network (PEN) is a biologically inspired neural network model for unsupervised learning and online incremental learning. It is able to automatically learn suitable prototypes from learning data in an incremental way, and it does not require the predefined prototype number or the predefined similarity threshold. Meanwhile, being more advanced than the existing unsupervised neural network model, PEN permits the emergence of a new dimension of perception in the perception field of the network. When a new dimension of perception is introduced, PEN is able to integrate the new dimensional sensory inputs with the learned prototypes, i.e., the prototypes are mapped to a high-dimensional space, which consists of both the original dimension and the new dimension of the sensory inputs. In the experiment, artificial data and real-world data are used to test the proposed PEN, and the results show that PEN can work effectively.

Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) - Interactive Webinars for Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grogan, M.; Ledley, T. S.; Buhr, S. M.

2012-12-01

Climate change will have far reaching impacts that the citizens of tomorrow will need to be prepared to address. In order for the citizens of tomorrow to be prepared, there is a clear need to support teachers in improving their understanding of the climate system and give them the resources to help their students develop that understanding. CLEAN (http://cleanet.org) is a National Science Digital Library (http://www.nsdl.org) project that is stewarding a collection of resources for teaching climate and energy science in grades 6-16. The collection contains classroom activities, lab demonstrations, visualizations, simulations, videos, and more. We have implemented a series of nine interactive webinars (iWebinars), each of which focuses on an aspect of the Essential Principles of Climate Science, pairs a scientist and a teacher to convey the science and how to teach that science using the vetted resources in the CLEAN collection, and gives the participants the opportunity to ask questions and discuss with the presenters and each other how they would use the resources in their classrooms and what else they would need to effectively teach the topic under discussion. The iWebinars were recorded and posted to the CLEAN portal (http://cleanet.org/clean/community/webinars/index.html) so that the participants and others can view them in the future. In this presentation, we will describe the scope and structure of the iWebinars; how the scientist's and teacher's presentations were coordinated to most effectively help the participants learn both the science and how to best convey it to their students; and how we involved the teachers in discussions to deepen their engagement and learning.

Fill the Classroom with Life: Deepening the Reform of Chinese Primary and Secondary Classroom Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ye, Lan; Cheng, Liang

2018-01-01

Classroom teaching is a life-practice in which both teacher and pupils engage and bring in their authentic and living experiences. Classroom teaching should be seen as a period of life-experience that is a meaningful component of the lives of both teachers and students. However, this is not how teaching is seen in most pedagogical and educational…

Redesigning the First-Year Orientation Course: How a Discipline-Specific Approach Can Deepen Student Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Ivan

2014-01-01

In November 2011, the author--Ivan Fuller, a professor of theatre and associate dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at Rider University--attended a joint symposium of the American Conference of Academic Deans and Phi Beta Kappa that was designed to wrestle with the question of why the humanities matter. At one session, participants…

Does Participation in Ethnic Cocurricular Activities Facilitate a Sense of Ethnic Awareness and Understanding? A Study of Asian Pacific American Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inkelas, Karen Kurotsuchi

2004-01-01

For this study, I examined the relationship between participation in ethnic clubs and organizations and increases in racial/ethnic awareness and understanding for 184 male and female Asian Pacific American undergraduates using a longitudinal survey from 1990 to 1994. The results show that participation in such activities deepens APA students'…

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Selected Funding Streams for Struggling Students and Disconnected Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Elizabeth, Comp.; Johnson, Cassius, Comp.

2009-01-01

On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the economic stimulus plan. Congress and the Obama Administration acted in the wake of an economic crisis spurred by a deepening recession. Among its aims in passing the ARRA, Congress moved to help states and local jurisdictions reduce…

Deepening Inquiry: What Processes of Making Music Can Teach Us about Creativity and Ontology for Inquiry Based Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gershon, Walter S.; Oded, Ben-Horin

2014-01-01

Drawing from their respective work at the intersection of music and science, the coauthors argue that engaging in processes of making music can help students more deeply engage in the kinds of creativity associated with inquiry based science education (IBSE) and scientists better convey their ideas to others. Of equal importance, the processes of…

Description of the Role of Shot Noise in Spectroscopic Absorption and Emission Measurements with Photodiode and Photomultiplier Tube Detectors: Information for an Instrumental Analysis Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClain, Robert L.; Wright, John C.

2014-01-01

A description of shot noise and the role it plays in absorption and emission measurements using photodiode and photomultiplier tube detection systems is presented. This description includes derivations of useful forms of the shot noise equation based on Poisson counting statistics. This approach can deepen student understanding of a fundamental…

Marr: Magpie or Marsh Harrier? The Quest for the Common Characteristics of the Genus "Historian" with 16- to 19-Year-Olds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laffin, Diana

2012-01-01

Diana Laffin writes about historical language and explores how understanding different historians' use of language can help sixth form students refine and deepen both their understanding of the discipline of history and their abilities to practise the discipline in their own writing. What does close study of the textual habits and practices of…

From Barriers to Bridges: An Investigation on Saudi Student Mobility (2006-2009)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denman, Brian D.; Hilal, Kholoud T.

2011-01-01

Globalisation is often thought to advocate for a single set of beliefs and customs and for a rejection of the need to protect regional cultures and traditions. In the aftermath of 9/11, the rift between Western and Arab cultures has deepened, and there is a patent need for cultural bridges to be built. The government of Saudi Arabia has, by…

The Development of a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, T.

2010-12-01

The National Academy of Sciences has created a committee of 18 National Academy of Science and Engineering members, academic scientists, cognitive and learning scientists, and educators, educational policymakers and researchers to develop a framework to guide new K-12 science education standards. The committee began its work in January, 2010, released a draft of the framework in July, 2010, and intends to have the final framework in the first quarter of 2011. The committee was helped in early phases of the work by consultant design teams. The framework is designed to help realize a vision for science and engineering education in which all students actively engage in science and engineering practices in order to deepen their understanding of core ideas in science over multiple years of school. These three dimensions - core disciplinary ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting elements - must blend together to build an exciting, relevant, and forward looking science education. The framework will be used as a base for development of next generation K-12 science education standards.

Blue Sky Funders Forum - Advancing Environmental Literacy through Funder Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, A.

2015-12-01

The Blue Sky Funders Forum inspires, deepens, and expands private funding and philanthropic leadership to promote learning opportunities that connect people and nature and promote environmental literacy. Being prepared for the future requires all of us to understand the consequences of how we live on where we live - the connection between people and nature. Learning about the true meaning of that connection is a process that starts in early childhood and lasts a lifetime. Blue Sky brings supporters of this work together to learn from one another and to strategize how to scale up the impact of the effective programs that transform how people interact with their surroundings. By making these essential learning opportunities more accessible in all communities, we broaden and strengthen the constituency that makes well-informed choices, balancing the needs of today with the needs of future generations.

Teaching Strategies for Personality Assessment at the Undergraduate Level.

PubMed

Roche, Michael J; Jacobson, Nicholas C; Roche, Carley A

2017-01-01

Personality assessment is a crucial component of clinical practice, and the training and proficiency criteria to develop competence are complex and multifaceted. Like many advanced topics, the field of personality assessment would benefit from early exposure in undergraduate classroom settings. This research evaluates how an undergraduate personality course can be enhanced through 2 enrichment activities (self-assessments and a personality project). Students completed several self-assessments of their personality and wrote a comprehensive and integrative personality assessment about themselves. Results demonstrated that these activities increased interest in personality assessment, deepened understanding of course material, and promoted student growth and self-exploration. We discuss the benefits of these enrichment activities for the student, instructor, and field of personality science.

Dual processing and discourse space: Exploring fifth grade students' language, reasoning, and understanding through writing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Sae Yeol

The purpose of this study was to explore the development of students' understanding through writing while immersed in an environment where there was a strong emphasis on a language-based argument inquiry approach. Additionally, this study explored students' spoken discourse to gain a better understanding of what role(s) talking plays in the development of understanding through writing. Finally, the study proposed a new concept of Discourse Space, which enabled researchers to improve their understanding of the characteristics of the development of student cognition through writing, and of the roles talking plays in cognitive development through writing. This study was guided by the research question: What patterns of the development of fifth grade students' cognition over time emerge in their private and public negotiations under a teacher who is ranked as a low-level implementer of the SWH approach? This question was divided into two sub-questions: (a) Throughout a unit, Ecosystems, what patterns emerge regarding the development of six fifth grade students' understanding through writing, and b) What patterns of the development of Discourse Space emerge through talking in three different contexts. In order to answer these questions, this qualitative research employed a generic qualitative study. Twenty-one fifth grade students participated in this study, and six students were purposefully selected through which to further investigate the development of an understanding of science through private negotiation while immersed in a language-based argument inquiry approach. Major data sources included students' writing samples, informal conversations with the teacher, researcher's field notes, and classroom videos. Additionally, the teacher's modified RTOP scores and semi-structured interviews were used to deepen the contextual understanding of the learning environment and the teacher's instructional performance. The data analysis was conducted by utilizing discourse analysis of writing and talking. The results showed (1) students' low level of engagement in evaluation impacted their reasoning and use of sources for making meanings, as well as their understanding of the topic. Compared to the results of a previous study, students' complexity of reasoning was relatively less developed, and similarly students' use of reflective sources was generally observed relatively less often. (2) The teacher and students in this study engaged in limited public negotiation, which focused more on articulating than on evaluating ideas. The limited public negotiation that was represented by the dialogical patterns in this study cannot support the development of understanding through writing or the practice of the roles of constructor and critiquer, which play a core function in the comprehension of scientific practice. This study has several implications for teacher education and research. Teacher education needs to be centered more on how to encourage students' engagement in the process of evaluation, since this plays an important function not only in the development of understanding, but also in providing opportunities to perform the roles of both constructor and critiquer. Teachers can use writing as an argumentative activity to encourage or foster students' engagement in the process of evaluation or critique. Additionally, this study provides insight into the importance of the learning environment in which the teacher and students create and develop; this learning environment needs to provide not only opportunities but also demands for students to engage in both constructing and critiquing ideas.

SU-A-BRA-05: Panel Discussion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montemayor, V.

Vic Montemayor - No one has been more passionate about improving the quality and effectiveness of the teaching of Medical Physics than Bill Hendee. It was in August of 2008 that the first AAPM Workshop on Becoming a Better Teacher of Medical Physics was held, organized and run by Bill Hendee. This was followed up in July of 2010 with a summer school on the same topic, again organized by Bill. There has been continued interest in alternate approaches to teaching medical physics since those initial gatherings. The momentum established by these workshops is made clear each year in themore » annual Innovation in Medical Physics Education session, which highlights work being done in all forms of medical physics education, from one-on-one residencies or classroom presentations to large-scale program revisions and on-line resources for international audiences. This symposium, presented on behalf of the Education Council, highlights the work of three finalists from past Innovation in Education sessions. Each will be presenting their approaches to and innovations in teaching medical physics. It is hoped that audience members interested in trying something new in their teaching of medical physics will find some of these ideas and approaches readily applicable to their own classrooms. Rebecca Howell - The presentation will discuss ways to maximize classroom learning, i.e., increasing the amount of material covered while also enhancing students’ understanding of the broader implications of the course topics. Specifically, the presentation will focus on two teaching methodologies, project based learning and flip learning. These teaching methods will be illustrated using an example of graduate medical physics course where both are used in conjunction with traditional lectures. Additionally, the presentation will focus on our experience implementing these methods including challenges that were overcome. Jay Burmeister - My presentation will discuss the incorporation of active learning techniques into a traditional medical physics classroom course. I will describe these techniques and how they were implemented as well as student performance before and after implementation. Student feedback indicated that these course changes improved their ability to actively assimilate the course content, thus improving their understanding of the material. Shahid Naqvi - My talk will focus on ways to help students visualize crucial concepts that lie at the core of radiation physics. Although particle tracks generated by Monte Carlo simulations have served as an indispensable visualization tool, students often struggle to resolve the underlying physics from a simultaneous jumble of tracks. We can clarify the physics by “coding” the tracks, e.g., by coloring the tracks according to their “starting” or “crossing” regions. The regionally-coded tracks when overlaid with dose distributions help the students see the elusive connection between dose, kerma and electronic disequilibrium. Tracks coded according to local energy or energy-loss rate can illustrate the need for stopping power corrections in electron beams and explain the Bragg peak in a proton beam. Coding tracks according to parent interaction type and order can clarify the often misunderstood distinction between primary and scatter dose. The students can thus see the “whole” simultaneously with the “sum of the parts,” which enhances their physical insight and creates a sustainable foundation for further learning. After the presentations the speakers and moderator will be open to questions and discussion with the audience members. Learning Objectives: Be able to explain Project-Based Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain Flipped Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain active-learning strategies for the teaching of Medical Physics. Be able to explain how Monte Carlo simulations can be used to deepen a student’s understanding of radiation physics and dosimetry.« less

SU-A-BRA-01: Introduction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montemayor, V.

Vic Montemayor - No one has been more passionate about improving the quality and effectiveness of the teaching of Medical Physics than Bill Hendee. It was in August of 2008 that the first AAPM Workshop on Becoming a Better Teacher of Medical Physics was held, organized and run by Bill Hendee. This was followed up in July of 2010 with a summer school on the same topic, again organized by Bill. There has been continued interest in alternate approaches to teaching medical physics since those initial gatherings. The momentum established by these workshops is made clear each year in themore » annual Innovation in Medical Physics Education session, which highlights work being done in all forms of medical physics education, from one-on-one residencies or classroom presentations to large-scale program revisions and on-line resources for international audiences. This symposium, presented on behalf of the Education Council, highlights the work of three finalists from past Innovation in Education sessions. Each will be presenting their approaches to and innovations in teaching medical physics. It is hoped that audience members interested in trying something new in their teaching of medical physics will find some of these ideas and approaches readily applicable to their own classrooms. Rebecca Howell - The presentation will discuss ways to maximize classroom learning, i.e., increasing the amount of material covered while also enhancing students’ understanding of the broader implications of the course topics. Specifically, the presentation will focus on two teaching methodologies, project based learning and flip learning. These teaching methods will be illustrated using an example of graduate medical physics course where both are used in conjunction with traditional lectures. Additionally, the presentation will focus on our experience implementing these methods including challenges that were overcome. Jay Burmeister - My presentation will discuss the incorporation of active learning techniques into a traditional medical physics classroom course. I will describe these techniques and how they were implemented as well as student performance before and after implementation. Student feedback indicated that these course changes improved their ability to actively assimilate the course content, thus improving their understanding of the material. Shahid Naqvi - My talk will focus on ways to help students visualize crucial concepts that lie at the core of radiation physics. Although particle tracks generated by Monte Carlo simulations have served as an indispensable visualization tool, students often struggle to resolve the underlying physics from a simultaneous jumble of tracks. We can clarify the physics by “coding” the tracks, e.g., by coloring the tracks according to their “starting” or “crossing” regions. The regionally-coded tracks when overlaid with dose distributions help the students see the elusive connection between dose, kerma and electronic disequilibrium. Tracks coded according to local energy or energy-loss rate can illustrate the need for stopping power corrections in electron beams and explain the Bragg peak in a proton beam. Coding tracks according to parent interaction type and order can clarify the often misunderstood distinction between primary and scatter dose. The students can thus see the “whole” simultaneously with the “sum of the parts,” which enhances their physical insight and creates a sustainable foundation for further learning. After the presentations the speakers and moderator will be open to questions and discussion with the audience members. Learning Objectives: Be able to explain Project-Based Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain Flipped Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain active-learning strategies for the teaching of Medical Physics. Be able to explain how Monte Carlo simulations can be used to deepen a student’s understanding of radiation physics and dosimetry.« less

SU-A-BRA-03: Creative Stimulation: A Flexible Hands-On Approach to Building a Deeper Understanding of Critical Concepts in Radiation Physics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Naqvi, S.

Vic Montemayor - No one has been more passionate about improving the quality and effectiveness of the teaching of Medical Physics than Bill Hendee. It was in August of 2008 that the first AAPM Workshop on Becoming a Better Teacher of Medical Physics was held, organized and run by Bill Hendee. This was followed up in July of 2010 with a summer school on the same topic, again organized by Bill. There has been continued interest in alternate approaches to teaching medical physics since those initial gatherings. The momentum established by these workshops is made clear each year in themore » annual Innovation in Medical Physics Education session, which highlights work being done in all forms of medical physics education, from one-on-one residencies or classroom presentations to large-scale program revisions and on-line resources for international audiences. This symposium, presented on behalf of the Education Council, highlights the work of three finalists from past Innovation in Education sessions. Each will be presenting their approaches to and innovations in teaching medical physics. It is hoped that audience members interested in trying something new in their teaching of medical physics will find some of these ideas and approaches readily applicable to their own classrooms. Rebecca Howell - The presentation will discuss ways to maximize classroom learning, i.e., increasing the amount of material covered while also enhancing students’ understanding of the broader implications of the course topics. Specifically, the presentation will focus on two teaching methodologies, project based learning and flip learning. These teaching methods will be illustrated using an example of graduate medical physics course where both are used in conjunction with traditional lectures. Additionally, the presentation will focus on our experience implementing these methods including challenges that were overcome. Jay Burmeister - My presentation will discuss the incorporation of active learning techniques into a traditional medical physics classroom course. I will describe these techniques and how they were implemented as well as student performance before and after implementation. Student feedback indicated that these course changes improved their ability to actively assimilate the course content, thus improving their understanding of the material. Shahid Naqvi - My talk will focus on ways to help students visualize crucial concepts that lie at the core of radiation physics. Although particle tracks generated by Monte Carlo simulations have served as an indispensable visualization tool, students often struggle to resolve the underlying physics from a simultaneous jumble of tracks. We can clarify the physics by “coding” the tracks, e.g., by coloring the tracks according to their “starting” or “crossing” regions. The regionally-coded tracks when overlaid with dose distributions help the students see the elusive connection between dose, kerma and electronic disequilibrium. Tracks coded according to local energy or energy-loss rate can illustrate the need for stopping power corrections in electron beams and explain the Bragg peak in a proton beam. Coding tracks according to parent interaction type and order can clarify the often misunderstood distinction between primary and scatter dose. The students can thus see the “whole” simultaneously with the “sum of the parts,” which enhances their physical insight and creates a sustainable foundation for further learning. After the presentations the speakers and moderator will be open to questions and discussion with the audience members. Learning Objectives: Be able to explain Project-Based Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain Flipped Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain active-learning strategies for the teaching of Medical Physics. Be able to explain how Monte Carlo simulations can be used to deepen a student’s understanding of radiation physics and dosimetry.« less

SU-A-BRA-00: Education Council Symposium: Revitalizing Your Medical Physics Classroom: Some Examples and Thoughts from the Trenches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Vic Montemayor - No one has been more passionate about improving the quality and effectiveness of the teaching of Medical Physics than Bill Hendee. It was in August of 2008 that the first AAPM Workshop on Becoming a Better Teacher of Medical Physics was held, organized and run by Bill Hendee. This was followed up in July of 2010 with a summer school on the same topic, again organized by Bill. There has been continued interest in alternate approaches to teaching medical physics since those initial gatherings. The momentum established by these workshops is made clear each year in themore » annual Innovation in Medical Physics Education session, which highlights work being done in all forms of medical physics education, from one-on-one residencies or classroom presentations to large-scale program revisions and on-line resources for international audiences. This symposium, presented on behalf of the Education Council, highlights the work of three finalists from past Innovation in Education sessions. Each will be presenting their approaches to and innovations in teaching medical physics. It is hoped that audience members interested in trying something new in their teaching of medical physics will find some of these ideas and approaches readily applicable to their own classrooms. Rebecca Howell - The presentation will discuss ways to maximize classroom learning, i.e., increasing the amount of material covered while also enhancing students’ understanding of the broader implications of the course topics. Specifically, the presentation will focus on two teaching methodologies, project based learning and flip learning. These teaching methods will be illustrated using an example of graduate medical physics course where both are used in conjunction with traditional lectures. Additionally, the presentation will focus on our experience implementing these methods including challenges that were overcome. Jay Burmeister - My presentation will discuss the incorporation of active learning techniques into a traditional medical physics classroom course. I will describe these techniques and how they were implemented as well as student performance before and after implementation. Student feedback indicated that these course changes improved their ability to actively assimilate the course content, thus improving their understanding of the material. Shahid Naqvi - My talk will focus on ways to help students visualize crucial concepts that lie at the core of radiation physics. Although particle tracks generated by Monte Carlo simulations have served as an indispensable visualization tool, students often struggle to resolve the underlying physics from a simultaneous jumble of tracks. We can clarify the physics by “coding” the tracks, e.g., by coloring the tracks according to their “starting” or “crossing” regions. The regionally-coded tracks when overlaid with dose distributions help the students see the elusive connection between dose, kerma and electronic disequilibrium. Tracks coded according to local energy or energy-loss rate can illustrate the need for stopping power corrections in electron beams and explain the Bragg peak in a proton beam. Coding tracks according to parent interaction type and order can clarify the often misunderstood distinction between primary and scatter dose. The students can thus see the “whole” simultaneously with the “sum of the parts,” which enhances their physical insight and creates a sustainable foundation for further learning. After the presentations the speakers and moderator will be open to questions and discussion with the audience members. Learning Objectives: Be able to explain Project-Based Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain Flipped Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain active-learning strategies for the teaching of Medical Physics. Be able to explain how Monte Carlo simulations can be used to deepen a student’s understanding of radiation physics and dosimetry.« less

The development of language and literacy: evaluating the stereotypes.

PubMed

Goodman, Judith C; Wagovich, Stacy A

2009-01-01

People hold many stereotypes about the development of language and reading. We review current data concerning three stereotypes: (1) Girls learn language faster than boys; (2) Biological factors determine the time course of language acquisition; and (3) Dyslexia is a visual problem involving the reversal of letters. In each case, recent data leads to a different picture of the acquisition of language and literacy and deepens our understanding of the processes involved.

Experience Catalysts: How They Fill the Acquisition Experience Gap for the DoD

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

Russ- Eft , 1997). Other studies have shown that “the more managers are trained in how to support and coach the skills their employees learn, the more...efficacy, age, etc. (Bassi and Russ- Eft , 1997). Making a deterministic forecast is difficult. Experience Catalysts: How They Fill the Acquisition... tap freely. Provide easy access to sources of expertise. It deepens their knowledge base, expands per- spectives, and fuels their experience engine

You Are Not Stuck in a Traffic Jam, You Are the Traffic Jam: Teaching Students How to Take Responsibility for Their Planet.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollach, Claudia

2014-05-01

Teaching Geography and Economics to our school's fifth graders (14 year-olds), we focus on topics like the ecosystem, climate, natural resources and natural disasters. In addition to the usual curriculum we would like to deepen their knowledge and we want to establish a link between facts, figures and students' lives. The main aim is to raise their awareness of "Our Changing Planet". They should learn how human activity influences climate and enviroment. Moreover, the students should understand how every single action a human being sets has a positive or negative impact on our earth. Even little steps made by each one of us can help the earth and everyone of us has the choice. The idea is to set up a project in which all 14-year-olds take part. They work outside their usual schedule and examine the topic's various aspects for up to three days. Plus, they can explore their individual options to help fix our planet. Possible topics are the sustainable usage of ressources such as water, air, wood, fuel and energy. What is my ecological footprint? How can I support the planet by acting responsible as a consumer? How can we make our school "greener"? Our mission is not only to gain information on the topic but also to change certain habits so that we live and act in a more responsible and sustainable way. Teachers of related subjects give their expertise and help exploring the issues. The "Our Changing Planet" project days peak in an assembly where the student teams present their findings plus an international climatologist is going to give a short lecture.

Introduction to herpetology: A workshop for use in special needs education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feldman, Frederick

1999-09-01

This research investigates the question: What are the attitudinal and behavioral responses to herpetofauna among adolescent males and females, who are placed in a program for students in need of extra emotional and motivational support, in a public high school? A workshop was presented to adolescents, with material from the field of herpetology, in order to observe and document their behavioral and attitudinal responses. Then, in follow-up interviews, questions were asked which deepened the researcher's understanding of their attitudinal response, their level of curiosity and learning, and their participation level in other classes as compared with this workshop. It is well documented that young people are fascinated by herpetofauna and other animals. Generally, the use of "animals in the classroom" type curricula is conducted for the purpose of teaching conservation, animal studies, or responsibility to other living things (all very important). The goal of this study was to use herpetofauna as the basic content for a workshop to observe special education students' interest level, curiosity, and academic involvement in general. Findings showed that the population had an interest in reptiles and amphibians, responded positively to the researcher's teaching style, and liked the special education program at the high school. The workshop was a one-time, 2-hour event. The results of this study denote a need for further investigation regarding the use of herpetology in special education settings.

Learning Climate and Job Performance among Health Workers. A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Cortini, Michela; Pivetti, Monica; Cervai, Sara

2016-01-01

This paper will explore if and how psychological strain plays a mediator role between the learning climate and job performance in a group of health workers. Although the relationship between learning climate and job performance has already been explored in the international literature, the role of psychological strain, which may hamper or deepen this relationship, has yet to be investigated. The research hypothesis is that psychological strain mediates the relationship between the climate toward learning (including also the error avoidance climate) and job performance. Data were gathered in a Public hospital in Italy. Participants (N = 61) were health professionals (nurses and obstetricians). Considering the relatively small sample size, a mediation analysis with the aid of the SPSS macro PROCESS was performed. The results show that the relationship between the learning climate (specifically its dimension of organizational appreciation toward learning) and job performance is mediated by psychological strain. The future research agenda and practical implications are discussed in the paper. PMID:27826274

Learning Climate and Job Performance among Health Workers. A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Cortini, Michela; Pivetti, Monica; Cervai, Sara

2016-01-01

This paper will explore if and how psychological strain plays a mediator role between the learning climate and job performance in a group of health workers. Although the relationship between learning climate and job performance has already been explored in the international literature, the role of psychological strain, which may hamper or deepen this relationship, has yet to be investigated. The research hypothesis is that psychological strain mediates the relationship between the climate toward learning (including also the error avoidance climate) and job performance. Data were gathered in a Public hospital in Italy. Participants ( N = 61) were health professionals (nurses and obstetricians). Considering the relatively small sample size, a mediation analysis with the aid of the SPSS macro PROCESS was performed. The results show that the relationship between the learning climate (specifically its dimension of organizational appreciation toward learning) and job performance is mediated by psychological strain. The future research agenda and practical implications are discussed in the paper.

Uncovering students' misconceptions by assessment of their written questions.

PubMed

Olde Bekkink, Marleen; Donders, A R T Rogier; Kooloos, Jan G; de Waal, Rob M W; Ruiter, Dirk J

2016-08-24

Misconceptions are ideas that are inconsistent with current scientific views. They are difficult to detect and refractory to change. Misconceptions can negatively influence how new concepts in science are learned, but are rarely measured in biomedical courses. Early identification of misconceptions is of critical relevance for effective teaching, but presents a difficult task for teachers as they tend to either over- or underestimate students' prior knowledge. A systematic appreciation of the existing misconceptions is desirable. This explorative study was performed to determine whether written questions generated by students can be used to uncover their misconceptions. During a small-group work (SGW) session on Tumour Pathology in a (bio)medical bachelor course on General Pathology, students were asked to write down a question about the topic. This concerned a deepening question on disease mechanisms and not mere factual knowledge. Three independent expert pathologists determined whether the content of the questions was compatible with a misconception. Consensus was reached in all cases. Study outcomes were to determine whether misconceptions can be identified in students' written questions, and if so, to measure the frequency of misconceptions that can be encountered, and finally, to determine if the presence of such misconceptions is negatively associated with the students' course formal examination score. A subgroup analysis was performed according to gender and discipline. A total of 242 students participated in the SGW sessions, of whom 221 (91 %) formulated a question. Thirty-six questions did not meet the inclusion criteria. Of the 185 questions rated, 11 % (n = 20) was compatible with a misconception. Misconceptions were only found in medical students' questions, not in biomedical science students' questions. Formal examination score on Tumour Pathology was 5.0 (SD 2.0) in the group with misconceptions and 6.7 (SD 2.4) in the group without misconceptions (p = 0.003). This study demonstrates that misconceptions can be uncovered in students' written questions. The occurrence of these misconceptions was negatively associated with the formal examination score. Identification of misconceptions creates an opportunity to repair them during the remaining course sessions, in advance of the formal examination.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL PROGRAM FOR MORE ABLE LEARNERS AS PRESCRIBED IN THE CALIFORNIA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, ARTICLE 23, SPECIALLY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR MENTALLY GIFTED MINORS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SHORE, ROBERT E.

THE SAN RAFAEL MORE ABLE LEARNER CURRICULUM WAS GEARED TO A SELECT GROUP OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. IT ATTEMPTED "TO DEEPEN APPRECIATIONS, ATTITUDES, AND UNDERSTANDINGS THROUGH INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCES, AND TO DEVELOP PROFICIENCIES AND SKILLS IN SELECTED AREAS IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES." THE CURRICULUM OFFERED A…

Examining Argumentative Coherence in Essays by Undergraduate Students of English as a Foreign Language in Mainland China and Their English Speaking Peers in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Lianhong

2012-01-01

I conducted this study to provide insights toward deepening understanding of association between culture and writing by building, assessing, and refining a conceptual model of second language writing. To do this, I examined culture and coherence as well as the relationship between them through a mixed methods research design. Coherence has been an…

They Should Have Sent a Poet: Deepening Students' Understanding of History through the Use of Poetry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Christopher

2014-01-01

Though poetry can be used to examine a number of topics, this author feels that it is especially illuminating when exploring war. On its surface, war is a ludicrous spectacle of human failings. The fact that countries allow disputes to be settled by a demonstration of each nation's ability to kill citizens of the other nation defies logic. In…

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING, TEAMWORK, HOLISTIC VIEW AND ORAL HEALTH.

PubMed

Leisnert, Leif

2014-01-01

The dental program at the Malmö Dental School, the so called Malmö-model, is guided by four linked principles: self-directed learning, teamwork, a holistic view of patient care, and oral health (Fig.1). Self-assessment ability is a critical competence for healthcare professionals, necessary for the successful adaptation to the modern life-long learning environment. Educational research seems to point out two critical factors for the development of such skills, continuous practice of self-assessment and constructive feedback. The first study presented in this thesis assessed students' self-assessment ability by means of the Interactive Examination in a cohort of senior dental students, who had gone through an identical assessment procedure during their second year of studies. The results indicated that self-assessment ability was not directly relevant to subject knowledge. Upon graduation, there were a number of students (10%) with significant self-assessment difficulties. Early detection of students with weak self-assessment abilities appears possible to achieve. The aim of the second study, concerning teamwork and holistic view, was to investigate if highlighting teamwork between dental and dental hygienist students could improve the students' holistic view on patients, as well as their knowledge of, and insight into, each other's future professions. This project showed that by initiating teamwork between dental and dental hygienist students, it was possible to increase students' knowledge on dental hygienists competence, develop students' perceived holistic view on patients, and prepare students for teamwork. The third study explored findings clinicians used when diagnosing chronic periodontitis. A questionnaire was distributed to students, dental teachers and clinical supervisors in the Public Dental Services. Within all categories of clinicians, the majority of the clinicians used deepened pocket, bone loss on x-rays, and bleeding as findings. There were differences in the use of findings between the categories of clinicians. None of the supervisors used attachment loss as a finding, while 13% to 27% of the other categories of clinicians used this finding. A higher frequency of dental hygienist students used plaque, calculus and pus, compared to the other categories. Dental hygienist students used more findings for diagnosing as compared to the other categories of clinicians. Fifty-eight of the 76 clinicians used each finding solitarily, i.e. one at a time, and not in combination to diagnose chronic periodontitis. However, about a third of the dental students and the supervisors only used findings either from the soft tissue inflammation subgroup or the loss of supporting tissue subgroup. With the exception of the dental teachers, the majority of clinicians within each category used irrelevant findings. The third study gave valuable information when designing the fourth study. In the fourth study, a questionnaire was distributed to 2,455 professional clinicians, i.e. dentists and dental hygienists in public and private activity, and dental students at the Dental School in Malmö. The results showed that two groups, representing dentists and dental hygienists delivering basic periodontal care in Sweden, were to a significant degree not sharing the knowledge basis for diagnosis and treatment planning. This may result in a less optimal utilization of resources in Swedish dentistry. The delivery of basic periodontal care was not in line with the severity of disease and too much attention was paid to the needs of relatively healthy persons. To change this pattern, the incentives in, and structure of, the national assurance system need to be adapted in order to stimulate a better inter-collegial cooperation between dentists and dental hygienists in basic periodontal care.

Data-Driven Learning of Total and Local Energies in Elemental Boron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deringer, Volker L.; Pickard, Chris J.; Csányi, Gábor

2018-04-01

The allotropes of boron continue to challenge structural elucidation and solid-state theory. Here we use machine learning combined with random structure searching (RSS) algorithms to systematically construct an interatomic potential for boron. Starting from ensembles of randomized atomic configurations, we use alternating single-point quantum-mechanical energy and force computations, Gaussian approximation potential (GAP) fitting, and GAP-driven RSS to iteratively generate a representation of the element's potential-energy surface. Beyond the total energies of the very different boron allotropes, our model readily provides atom-resolved, local energies and thus deepened insight into the frustrated β -rhombohedral boron structure. Our results open the door for the efficient and automated generation of GAPs, and other machine-learning-based interatomic potentials, and suggest their usefulness as a tool for materials discovery.

Data-Driven Learning of Total and Local Energies in Elemental Boron.

PubMed

Deringer, Volker L; Pickard, Chris J; Csányi, Gábor

2018-04-13

The allotropes of boron continue to challenge structural elucidation and solid-state theory. Here we use machine learning combined with random structure searching (RSS) algorithms to systematically construct an interatomic potential for boron. Starting from ensembles of randomized atomic configurations, we use alternating single-point quantum-mechanical energy and force computations, Gaussian approximation potential (GAP) fitting, and GAP-driven RSS to iteratively generate a representation of the element's potential-energy surface. Beyond the total energies of the very different boron allotropes, our model readily provides atom-resolved, local energies and thus deepened insight into the frustrated β-rhombohedral boron structure. Our results open the door for the efficient and automated generation of GAPs, and other machine-learning-based interatomic potentials, and suggest their usefulness as a tool for materials discovery.

Meeting at the Museum: Sustained Research Education Partnerships Start in Your Own Back Yard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morin, P. J.; Hamilton, P.; Campbell, K. M.

2007-12-01

The Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) and the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics (NCED) have been formal partners since 2002, when we jointly secured NSF center-level funding. We began in our local community by together creating our own "Big Back Yard", a 1.75 acre outdoor park in which museum visitors, teachers and students explore natural and engineered river systems through miniature golf and interactive exhibits. We went on to jointly design "Earthscapes" programming for students, teachers and graduate students, related directly or indirectly to the park. From there, our partnership led to a major new exhibition that begins touring nationally and around the world in late 2007. A current effort seeks to bring NCED and SMM together with five other geo-science-oriented, NSF-supported Science and Technology Centers (STCs) from around the United States to develop collaborative means by which the research and science of all six STCs can reach larger informal science education audiences. We have learned a lot along the way about how museums can help individual and teams of researchers most effectively reach formal and informal audiences. Successful partnerships require significant joint commitment and funding, dedicated staff, and meaningful formative and summative evaluation. For a research center or an individual researcher, partnering with a museum provides experience, expertise, infrastructure, collegial relationships and community visibility that significantly enhance that of the academy. For a museum, one successful and highly visible research collaboration opens many new doors in the research community, providing new opportunities to broaden and deepen the scientific content of exhibits and programming.

Wikis, blogs and podcasts: a new generation of Web-based tools for virtual collaborative clinical practice and education.

PubMed

Boulos, Maged N Kamel; Maramba, Inocencio; Wheeler, Steve

2006-08-15

We have witnessed a rapid increase in the use of Web-based 'collaborationware' in recent years. These Web 2.0 applications, particularly wikis, blogs and podcasts, have been increasingly adopted by many online health-related professional and educational services. Because of their ease of use and rapidity of deployment, they offer the opportunity for powerful information sharing and ease of collaboration. Wikis are Web sites that can be edited by anyone who has access to them. The word 'blog' is a contraction of 'Web Log' - an online Web journal that can offer a resource rich multimedia environment. Podcasts are repositories of audio and video materials that can be "pushed" to subscribers, even without user intervention. These audio and video files can be downloaded to portable media players that can be taken anywhere, providing the potential for "anytime, anywhere" learning experiences (mobile learning). Wikis, blogs and podcasts are all relatively easy to use, which partly accounts for their proliferation. The fact that there are many free and Open Source versions of these tools may also be responsible for their explosive growth. Thus it would be relatively easy to implement any or all within a Health Professions' Educational Environment. Paradoxically, some of their disadvantages also relate to their openness and ease of use. With virtually anybody able to alter, edit or otherwise contribute to the collaborative Web pages, it can be problematic to gauge the reliability and accuracy of such resources. While arguably, the very process of collaboration leads to a Darwinian type 'survival of the fittest' content within a Web page, the veracity of these resources can be assured through careful monitoring, moderation, and operation of the collaborationware in a closed and secure digital environment. Empirical research is still needed to build our pedagogic evidence base about the different aspects of these tools in the context of medical/health education. If effectively deployed, wikis, blogs and podcasts could offer a way to enhance students', clinicians' and patients' learning experiences, and deepen levels of learners' engagement and collaboration within digital learning environments. Therefore, research should be conducted to determine the best ways to integrate these tools into existing e-Learning programmes for students, health professionals and patients, taking into account the different, but also overlapping, needs of these three audience classes and the opportunities of virtual collaboration between them. Of particular importance is research into novel integrative applications, to serve as the "glue" to bind the different forms of Web-based collaborationware synergistically in order to provide a coherent wholesome learning experience.

“Where Does the Circle End?”: Representation as a Critical Aspect of Reflection in Teaching Social and Behavioral Sciences in Medicine

PubMed Central

Devlin, Michael J.; Richards, Boyd F.; Cunningham, Hetty; Desai, Urmi; Lewis, Owen; Mutnick, Andrew; Nidiry, Mary Anne J.; Saha, Prantik; Charon, Rita

2014-01-01

Objective This paper describes a reflective learning program within a larger curriculum on behavioral and social science that makes use of close reading, written representation of experience, discussion, and textual response. This response may in turn lead to further reflection, representation, and response in a circular pattern. A unique feature of this program is that it pays attention to the representation itself as the pivotal activity within reflective learning. Using the narrative methods that are the hallmark of this program, faculty writings were analyzed to characterize the essential benefits that derive from these practices. Methods In the context of a faculty development seminar on the teaching of behavioral and social sciences in medical curricula, a group of fifteen faculty members wrote brief narratives of reflective learning experiences in which they had made use of the methods described above. Their responses were submitted to iterative close reading and discussion, and potential themes were identified. Results Four themes emerged: writing as attention to self, writing as attention to other, writing as reader/writer contract, and writing as discovery. In each instance, writing provides a new or deepened perspective, and in each case the dividends for the writer are amplified by the narrative skills of those who read, listen, and respond. Conclusions The narrative pedagogy described and modeled herein provides a potentially promising approach to teaching the social, cultural, behavioral, and interpersonal aspects of medical education and practice. Future research will deepen our understanding of the benefits and limitations of this pedagogy and expand our appreciation of its applications. PMID:25272952

Jungle in the heart of the city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolodziejska, Magdalena; Czerniak-Czyzniak, Marta

2015-04-01

Lessons of nature can be an interesting adventure for students if we allow them to actively participate in such activities. Students must engage in educational activities but thanks to them they also better absorb more knowledge and abilities. These types of activities also require proper preparation of the teacher, who should first get to know the area and next prepare a plan for the trip and also define objectives, tasks and issues that confront students. By providing such training for teachers, you can show various methods and forms of work, which allow to use the resources of the local environment. The area of the Vistula River is such an amazing place in Warsaw (capital of Poland). The phenomenon of this place is its wildness in the heart of the city. Fortunately, urbanization has not destroyed its wildness. Teachers are encouraged to use these unique resources in working with students. During the training they receive information and tools that help them to carry out such activities. Outdoor activities give possibility for cross subjects integration that is essential in modern teaching because in this place the content of different subjects complement each other. During these classes students gain not only the theoretical knowledge but also a comprehensive knowledge and intelligently learn the world around us and experience the processes occurring in the natural environment and cultural heritage. Interesting outdoor activities affect the growth of motivation of young people and affect their interest in natural subjects. During outdoor activities they observe the processes and phenomena in the natural place of their occurrence. Such activities can be treated both as providing the general overview for certain topics as well as its deepening. Students during an outdoor activity acquire abilities and improve practical skills. Also important is the ability to pursue educational goals. Observing the environment, students learn the culture of communing with nature. Outdoor activities shape students attitudes and beliefs about the need for rational management of natural resources and to join the efforts for nature and the environment. You cannot here omit the fact that the students often during communication with nature can establish strong emotional ties, he/she becomes sensitive to its beauty, also convinced of the need to protect the environment and most importantly can feel partly responsible for her condition. Outdoor activities engage all students to work and not just the most talented. It also allows for direct contact with the environment, offers the possibility of physical activity in the open air, allows for involvement of all sense receptors and thus are recognized by students, regardless of their age, for the most attractive. According to Piaget's theory "Thanks to activity in the external world a child (person) achieves the knowledge of the methods and regularities of its functioning". The author points out how important is to teach by an action especially when the student alone can experience the world around him/her.

Extinction with multiple excitors

PubMed Central

McConnell, Bridget L.; Miguez, Gonzalo; Miller, Ralph R.

2012-01-01

Four conditioned suppression experiments with rats, using an ABC renewal design, investigated the effects of compounding the target conditioned excitor with additional, nontarget conditioned excitors during extinction. Experiment 1 showed stronger extinction, as evidenced by less renewal, when the target excitor was extinguished in compound with a second excitor, relative to when it was extinguished with associatively neutral stimuli. Critically, this deepened extinction effect was attenuated (i.e., more renewal occurred) when a third excitor was added during extinction training. This novel demonstration contradicts the predictions of associative learning models based on total error reduction, but it is explicable in terms of a counteraction effect within the framework of the extended comparator hypothesis. The attenuated deepened extinction effect was replicated in Experiments 2a and 3, which also showed that pretraining consisting of weakening the association between the two additional excitors (Experiments 2a and 2b) or weakening the association between one of the additional excitors and the unconditioned stimulus (Experiment 3) attenuated the counteraction effect, thereby resulting in a decrease in responding to the target excitor. These results suggest that more than simple total error reduction determines responding after extinction. PMID:23055103

From barriers to bridges: An investigation on Saudi student mobility (2006-2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denman, Brian D.; Hilal, Kholoud T.

2011-08-01

Globalisation is often thought to advocate for a single set of beliefs and customs and for a rejection of the need to protect regional cultures and traditions. In the aftermath of 9/11, the rift between Western and Arab cultures has deepened, and there is a patent need for cultural bridges to be built. The government of Saudi Arabia has, by increasing funding for higher education through grants and scholarships, enabled Saudi students to study at overseas universities. A number of non-Saudi students are also enrolled at Saudi Arabian universities. After a brief introduction to the cultural and educational history of the Arab region and Saudi identity, this article turns to contemporary higher education in Saudi Arabia. It introduces the King Abdullah Scholarship Programme and then goes on to present detailed enrolment data for 2006-2009, demonstrating trends and policy changes and identifying patterns in student mobility.

Close Reading and Creative Writing in Clinical Education: Teaching Attention, Representation, and Affiliation

PubMed Central

Charon, Rita; Hermann, Nellie; Devlin, Michael J.

2015-01-01

Medical educators increasingly have embraced literary and narrative means of pedagogy, such as the use of learning portfolios, reading works of literature, reflective writing, and creative writing, to teach interpersonal and reflective aspects of medicine. Outcomes studies of such pedagogies support the hypotheses that narrative training can deepen the clinician's attention to a patient and can help to establish the clinician's affiliation with patients, colleagues, teachers, and the self. In this article, the authors propose that creative writing in particular is useful in the making of the physician. Of the conceptual frameworks that explain why narrative training is helpful for clinicians, the authors focus on aesthetic theories to articulate the mechanisms through which creative and reflective writing may have dividends in medical training. These theories propose that accurate perception requires representation and that representation requires reception, providing a rationale for teaching clinicians and trainees how to represent what they perceive in their clinical work and how to read one another's writings. The authors then describe the narrative pedagogy used at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. Since faculty must read what their students write, they receive robust training in close reading. From this training emerged the Reading Guide for Reflective Writing, which has been useful to clinicians as they develop their skills as close readers. This institution-wide effort to teach close reading and creative writing aims to equip students and faculty with the pre-requisites to provide attentive, empathic clinical care. PMID:26200577

Close Reading and Creative Writing in Clinical Education: Teaching Attention, Representation, and Affiliation.

PubMed

Charon, Rita; Hermann, Nellie; Devlin, Michael J

2016-03-01

Medical educators increasingly have embraced literary and narrative means of pedagogy, such as the use of learning portfolios, reading works of literature, reflective writing, and creative writing, to teach interpersonal and reflective aspects of medicine. Outcomes studies of such pedagogies support the hypotheses that narrative training can deepen the clinician's attention to a patient and can help to establish the clinician's affiliation with patients, colleagues, teachers, and the self. In this article, the authors propose that creative writing in particular is useful in the making of the physician. Of the conceptual frameworks that explain why narrative training is helpful for clinicians, the authors focus on aesthetic theories to articulate the mechanisms through which creative and reflective writing may have dividends in medical training. These theories propose that accurate perception requires representation and that representation requires reception, providing a rationale for teaching clinicians and trainees how to represent what they perceive in their clinical work and how to read one another's writings. The authors then describe the narrative pedagogy used at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. Because faculty must read what their students write, they receive robust training in close reading. From this training emerged the Reading Guide for Reflective Writing, which has been useful to clinicians as they develop their skills as close readers. This institution-wide effort to teach close reading and creative writing aims to equip students and faculty with the prerequisites to provide attentive, empathic clinical care.

Demonstrating the unit hydrograph and flow routing processes involving active student participation - a university lecture experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, Karsten; Burgholzer, Reinhard; Klotz, Daniel; Wesemann, Johannes; Herrnegger, Mathew

2018-05-01

The unit hydrograph (UH) has been one of the most widely employed hydrological modelling techniques to predict rainfall-runoff behaviour of hydrological catchments, and is still used to this day. Its concept is based on the idea that a unit of effective precipitation per time unit (e.g. mm h-1) will always lead to a specific catchment response in runoff. Given its relevance, the UH is an important topic that is addressed in most (engineering) hydrology courses at all academic levels. While the principles of the UH seem to be simple and easy to understand, teaching experiences in the past suggest strong difficulties in students' perception of the UH theory and application. In order to facilitate a deeper understanding of the theory and application of the UH for students, we developed a simple and cheap lecture theatre experiment which involved active student participation. The seating of the students in the lecture theatre represented the hydrological catchment in its size and form. A set of plastic balls, prepared with a piece of magnetic strip to be tacked to any white/black board, each represented a unit amount of effective precipitation. The balls are evenly distributed over the lecture theatre and routed by some given rules down the catchment to the catchment outlet, where the resulting hydrograph is monitored and illustrated at the black/white board. The experiment allowed an illustration of the underlying principles of the UH, including stationarity, linearity, and superposition of the generated runoff and subsequent routing. In addition, some variations of the experimental setup extended the UH concept to demonstrate the impact of elevation, different runoff regimes, and non-uniform precipitation events on the resulting hydrograph. In summary, our own experience in the classroom, a first set of student exams, as well as student feedback and formal evaluation suggest that the integration of such an experiment deepened the learning experience by active participation. The experiment also initialized a more experienced based discussion of the theory and assumptions behind the UH. Finally, the experiment was a welcome break within a 3 h lecture setting, and great fun to prepare and run.

STAR Library Education Network: a hands-on learning program for libraries and their communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dusenbery, P.

2010-12-01

Science and technology are widely recognized as major drivers of innovation and industry (e.g. Rising above the Gathering Storm, 2006). While the focus for education reform is on school improvement, there is considerable research that supports the role that out-of-school experiences can play in student achievement and public understanding of STEM disciplines. Libraries provide an untapped resource for engaging underserved youth and their families in fostering an appreciation and deeper understanding of science and technology topics. Designed spaces, like libraries, allow lifelong, life-wide, and life-deep learning to take place though the research basis for learning in libraries is not as developed as other informal settings like science centers. The Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL) in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA), the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), and the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) have received funding from NSF to develop a national education project called the STAR Library Education Network: a hands-on learning program for libraries and their communities (or STAR-Net for short). STAR stands for Science-Technology, Activities and Resources. The overarching goal of the project is to reach underserved youth and their families with informal STEM learning experiences. This project will deepen our knowledge of informal/lifelong learning that takes place in libraries and establish a learning model that can be compared to the more established free-choice learning model for science centers and museums. The project includes the development of two STEM hands-on exhibits on topics that are of interest to library staff and their patrons: Discover Earth and Discover Tech. In addition, the project will produce resources and inquiry-based activities that libraries can use to enrich the exhibit experience. Additional resources will be provided through partnerships with relevant professional science and technology organizations (e.g. American Geophysical Union; National Academy of Engineering) that will provide speakers for host library events and webinars. Online and in-person workshops will be conducted for library staff with a focus on increasing content knowledge and improving facilitation expertise. This presentation will report on strategic planning activities for STAR-Net, a Community of Practice model, and the evaluation/research components of this national education program.

Tools to Assess the Impact of Teacher Enhancement Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heatherly, S. A.; Maddalena, R. J.; Govett, A.; Hemler, D.

1997-05-01

Beginning in 1994, the NRAO has hosted an NSF-funded program, ``Research Experience in Teacher Preparation (RETP),'' in which inservice and preservice science teachers participate in residential institutes lasting one or two weeks. While on site, they conduct open-ended investigations using a 40-foot diameter working radio telescope. The aim of RETP has been to deepen and personalize participants' understanding of the nature of science, and to assist them in applying their newfound knowledge to their classroom teaching. So far RETP, and the teacher enhancement programs from which it evolved, have trained 434 inservice and 69 preservice teachers. The impact of the research experience on teachers' perceptions of themselves as professionals and their views of science was initially assessed through open-ended questionnaires and participant journals. From teachers' responses we learned that the research experience has a profound, positive influence on participants' views of science and increased their confidence in using research-based teaching methods. However, determining what actually happens in the classroom is harder to evaluate and requires a more structured approach. Therefore, to determine what changes occurred in teachers and their students, five survey instruments were developed. The instruments: 1) assess changes in teachers' perceptions of their ability to conduct research; 2) gauge teachers' perceptions of three aspects of the institute; 3) measure changes in teachers' concerns about implementing classroom research projects; 4) evaluate the development of teachers' understanding into the nature of science; and 5) determine changes in their students' perceptions of science and science class. To increase the reliability of the instruments, the survey questions were tested for internal consistency. Early results show that the RETP program has significantly affected participants and their students. These instruments are useful not only for evaluating this program but also for evaluating other teacher enhancement and preparation programs.

Astronomy education and the Astrophysics Source Code Library

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Alice; Nemiroff, Robert J.

2016-01-01

The Astrophysics Source Code Library (ASCL) is an online registry of source codes used in refereed astrophysics research. It currently lists nearly 1,200 codes and covers all aspects of computational astrophysics. How can this resource be of use to educators and to the graduate students they mentor? The ASCL serves as a discovery tool for codes that can be used for one's own research. Graduate students can also investigate existing codes to see how common astronomical problems are approached numerically in practice, and use these codes as benchmarks for their own solutions to these problems. Further, they can deepen their knowledge of software practices and techniques through examination of others' codes.

Using Systems Thinking to train future leaders in global health.

PubMed

Paxton, Anne; Frost, Laura J

2017-07-09

Systems Thinking provides a useful set of concepts and tools that can be used to train students to be effective and innovative global health leaders in an ever-changing and often chaotic world. This paper describes an experiential, multi-disciplinary curriculum that uses Systems Thinking to frame and analyse global health policies and practices. The curriculum uses case studies and hands-on activities to deepen students' understanding of the following concepts: complex adaptive systems, dynamic complexity, inter-relationships, feedback loops, policy resistance, mental models, boundary critique, leverage points, and multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral, and multi-stakeholder thinking and action. A sample of Systems Thinking tools for analysing global health policies and practices are also introduced.

Conduction Delay Learning Model for Unsupervised and Supervised Classification of Spatio-Temporal Spike Patterns

PubMed Central

Matsubara, Takashi

2017-01-01

Precise spike timing is considered to play a fundamental role in communications and signal processing in biological neural networks. Understanding the mechanism of spike timing adjustment would deepen our understanding of biological systems and enable advanced engineering applications such as efficient computational architectures. However, the biological mechanisms that adjust and maintain spike timing remain unclear. Existing algorithms adopt a supervised approach, which adjusts the axonal conduction delay and synaptic efficacy until the spike timings approximate the desired timings. This study proposes a spike timing-dependent learning model that adjusts the axonal conduction delay and synaptic efficacy in both unsupervised and supervised manners. The proposed learning algorithm approximates the Expectation-Maximization algorithm, and classifies the input data encoded into spatio-temporal spike patterns. Even in the supervised classification, the algorithm requires no external spikes indicating the desired spike timings unlike existing algorithms. Furthermore, because the algorithm is consistent with biological models and hypotheses found in existing biological studies, it could capture the mechanism underlying biological delay learning. PMID:29209191

Conduction Delay Learning Model for Unsupervised and Supervised Classification of Spatio-Temporal Spike Patterns.

PubMed

Matsubara, Takashi

2017-01-01

Precise spike timing is considered to play a fundamental role in communications and signal processing in biological neural networks. Understanding the mechanism of spike timing adjustment would deepen our understanding of biological systems and enable advanced engineering applications such as efficient computational architectures. However, the biological mechanisms that adjust and maintain spike timing remain unclear. Existing algorithms adopt a supervised approach, which adjusts the axonal conduction delay and synaptic efficacy until the spike timings approximate the desired timings. This study proposes a spike timing-dependent learning model that adjusts the axonal conduction delay and synaptic efficacy in both unsupervised and supervised manners. The proposed learning algorithm approximates the Expectation-Maximization algorithm, and classifies the input data encoded into spatio-temporal spike patterns. Even in the supervised classification, the algorithm requires no external spikes indicating the desired spike timings unlike existing algorithms. Furthermore, because the algorithm is consistent with biological models and hypotheses found in existing biological studies, it could capture the mechanism underlying biological delay learning.

Perspectives of pupils, parents, and teachers on mental health problems among Vietnamese secondary school pupils.

PubMed

Nguyen, Dat Tan; Dedding, Christine; Pham, Tam Thi; Bunders, Joske

2013-11-06

Secondary school can be a stressful period for adolescents, having to cope with many life changes. Very little research has been conducted on the mental health status of secondary school pupils in South East Asian countries, such as Vietnam.The study aimed to explore perceptions of mental health status, risk factors for mental health problems and strategies to improve mental health among Vietnamese secondary school students. A qualitative design was used to address the main study question including: six in-depth interviews conducted with professionals (with two researchers, two psychiatrists, and two secondary school teachers) to learn about their experience of mental health problems among secondary school pupils; 13 focus group discussions (four with teachers, four with parents, and five with pupils); and 10 individual in-depth interviews with pupils who did not take part in the FGDs, to reflect on the collected data and to deepen the authors' understanding. All interviews and FGDs were audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed for the identification of emerging issues using qualitative techniques of progressive coding, analytic memoing and ongoing comparison. Our study confirms the need to pay attention to mental health of pupils in Vietnam. Depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts were seen as major problems by all stakeholders. Mental health problems were mainly associated with academic pressure, resulting from an overloaded curriculum and pressure from teachers and parents to succeed. The study found that pupils' mental health demands interventions at many levels, including at the level of government (Ministry of Education and Training), schools, communities, families and pupils themselves. Vietnamese secondary school pupils feel that their mental health status is poor, because of many risk factors in their learning and living environment. The need now is to investigate further to identify and apply strategies to improve students' mental health.

Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program for Middle School-Aged Female Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hanna

2016-04-01

This study investigates the effects of an intensive 1-week Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program (InSTEP) designed for middle school-aged female students. InSTEP uses a guided/open inquiry approach that is deepened and redefined as eight sciences and engineering practices in the Next Generation Science Standards, which aimed at increasing female students' interest in science and science-related careers. This study examined the effectiveness of InSTEP on 123 female students' pre-assessment and post-assessment changes in attitudes toward science and content knowledge of selected science concepts. An attitude survey, a science content test with multiple-choice questions, written assignments, and interviews to collect data were all used to measure students' attitudes and content knowledge. A within-group, repeated measure design was conducted, and the results indicated that at the post-intervention level, InSTEP increased the participants' positive attitudes toward science, science-related careers, and content knowledge of selected science concepts.

Dawn Mission Education and Public Outreach: Science as Human Endeavor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobb, W. H.; Wise, J.; Schmidt, B. E.; Ristvey, J.

2012-12-01

Dawn Education and Public Outreach strives to reach diverse learners using multi-disciplinary approaches. In-depth professional development workshops in collaboration with NASA's Discovery Program, MESSENGER and Stardust-NExT missions focusing on STEM initiatives that integrate the arts have met the needs of diverse audiences and received excellent evaluations. Another collaboration on NASA ROSES grant, Small Bodies, Big Concepts, has helped bridge the learning sequence between the upper elementary and middle school, and the middle and high school Dawn curriculum modules. Leveraging the Small Bodies, Big Concepts model, educators experience diverse and developmentally appropriate NASA activities that tell the Dawn story, with teachers' pedagogical skills enriched by strategies drawn from NSTA's Designing Effective Science Instruction. Dawn mission members enrich workshops by offering science presentations to highlight events and emerging data. Teachers' awareness of the process of learning new content is heightened, and they use that experience to deepen their science teaching practice. Activities are sequenced to enhance conceptual understanding of big ideas in space science and Vesta and Ceres and the Dawn Mission 's place within that body of knowledge Other media add depth to Dawn's resources for reaching students. Instrument and ion engine interactives developed with the respective science team leads help audiences engage with the mission payload and the data each instrument collects. The Dawn Dictionary, an offering in both audio as well as written formats, makes key vocabulary accessible to a broader range of students and the interested public. Further, as Dawn E/PO has invited the public to learn about mission objectives as the mission explored asteroid Vesta, new inroads into public presentations such as the Dawn MissionCast tell the story of this extraordinary mission. Asteroid Mapper is the latest, exciting citizen science endeavor designed to invite the general public into the thrill of NASA science. Helping teachers develop a picture of the history and evolution of our understanding of the solar system, and honing in on the place of asteroids in helping us answer old questions and discover new ones, students and the general public sees the power and excitement underlying planetary science as human endeavor. Research indicates that science inquiry is powerful in the classroom and mission scientists are real-life models of science inquiry in action. Cross-curricular elements include examining research-based strategies for enhancing English language learners' ability to engage in higher order questions and a professional astronomy artist's insight into how visual analysis requires not just our eyes engaged, but our brains: comparing, synthesizing, questioning, evaluating, and wondering. Dawn Education and Public Outreach will share out perspectives and lessons learned, backed by extensive evaluation examining the efficacy of the mission's efforts.

The impact of effort-reward imbalance and learning motivation on teachers' sickness absence.

PubMed

Derycke, Hanne; Vlerick, Peter; Van de Ven, Bart; Rots, Isabel; Clays, Els

2013-02-01

The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of the effort-reward imbalance and learning motivation on sickness absence duration and sickness absence frequency among beginning teachers in Flanders (Belgium). A total of 603 teachers, who recently graduated, participated in this study. Effort-reward imbalance and learning motivation were assessed by means of self-administered questionnaires. Prospective data of registered sickness absence during 12 months follow-up were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. An imbalance between high efforts and low rewards (extrinsic hypothesis) was associated with longer sickness absence duration and more frequent absences. A low level of learning motivation (intrinsic hypothesis) was not associated with longer sickness absence duration but was significantly positively associated with sickness absence frequency. No significant results were obtained for the interaction hypothesis between imbalance and learning motivation. Further research is needed to deepen our understanding of the impact of psychosocial work conditions and personal resources on both sickness absence duration and frequency. Specifically, attention could be given to optimizing or reducing efforts spent at work, increasing rewards and stimulating learning motivation to influence sickness absence. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A phenomenological research study: Perspectives of student learning through small group work between undergraduate nursing students and educators.

PubMed

Wong, Florence Mei Fung

2018-06-18

Small group work is an effective teaching-learning approach in nursing education to enhance students' learning in theoretical knowledge and skill development. Despite its potential advantageous effects on learning, little is known about its actual effects on students' learning from students' and educators' perspectives. To understand students' learning through small group work from the perspectives of students and educators. A qualitative study with focus group interviews was carried out. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions were performed with 13 undergraduate nursing students and 10 educators. Four main themes, "initiative learning", "empowerment of interactive group dynamics", "factors for creating effective learning environment", and "barriers influencing students' learning", were derived regarding students' learning in small group work based on the perspectives of the participants. The results showed the importance of learning attitudes of students in individual and group learning. Factors for creating an effective learning environment, including preference for forming groups, effective group size, and adequacy of discussion, facilitate students' learning with the enhancement of learning engagement in small group work. The identified barriers, such as "excessive group work", "conflicts", and "passive team members" can reduce students' motivation and enjoyment of learning. Small group work is recognized as an effective teaching method for knowledge enhancement and skill development in nursing education. All identified themes are important to understand the initiatives of students and group learning, factors influencing an effective learning environment, and barriers hindering students' learning. Nurse educators should pay more attention to the factors that influence an effective learning environment and reduce students' commitment and group dynamics. Moreover, students may need further support to reduce barriers that impede students' learning motivation and enjoyment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wikis, blogs and podcasts: a new generation of Web-based tools for virtual collaborative clinical practice and education

PubMed Central

Boulos, Maged N Kamel; Maramba, Inocencio; Wheeler, Steve

2006-01-01

Background We have witnessed a rapid increase in the use of Web-based 'collaborationware' in recent years. These Web 2.0 applications, particularly wikis, blogs and podcasts, have been increasingly adopted by many online health-related professional and educational services. Because of their ease of use and rapidity of deployment, they offer the opportunity for powerful information sharing and ease of collaboration. Wikis are Web sites that can be edited by anyone who has access to them. The word 'blog' is a contraction of 'Web Log' – an online Web journal that can offer a resource rich multimedia environment. Podcasts are repositories of audio and video materials that can be "pushed" to subscribers, even without user intervention. These audio and video files can be downloaded to portable media players that can be taken anywhere, providing the potential for "anytime, anywhere" learning experiences (mobile learning). Discussion Wikis, blogs and podcasts are all relatively easy to use, which partly accounts for their proliferation. The fact that there are many free and Open Source versions of these tools may also be responsible for their explosive growth. Thus it would be relatively easy to implement any or all within a Health Professions' Educational Environment. Paradoxically, some of their disadvantages also relate to their openness and ease of use. With virtually anybody able to alter, edit or otherwise contribute to the collaborative Web pages, it can be problematic to gauge the reliability and accuracy of such resources. While arguably, the very process of collaboration leads to a Darwinian type 'survival of the fittest' content within a Web page, the veracity of these resources can be assured through careful monitoring, moderation, and operation of the collaborationware in a closed and secure digital environment. Empirical research is still needed to build our pedagogic evidence base about the different aspects of these tools in the context of medical/health education. Summary and conclusion If effectively deployed, wikis, blogs and podcasts could offer a way to enhance students', clinicians' and patients' learning experiences, and deepen levels of learners' engagement and collaboration within digital learning environments. Therefore, research should be conducted to determine the best ways to integrate these tools into existing e-Learning programmes for students, health professionals and patients, taking into account the different, but also overlapping, needs of these three audience classes and the opportunities of virtual collaboration between them. Of particular importance is research into novel integrative applications, to serve as the "glue" to bind the different forms of Web-based collaborationware synergistically in order to provide a coherent wholesome learning experience. PMID:16911779

Statistics Graduate Students' Professional Development for Teaching: A Communities of Practice Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Justice, Nicola

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are responsible for instructing approximately 25% of introductory statistics courses in the United States (Blair, Kirkman, & Maxwell, 2013). Most research on GTA professional development focuses on structured activities (e.g., courses, workshops) that have been developed to improve GTAs' pedagogy and content knowledge. Few studies take into account the social contexts of GTAs' professional development. However, GTAs perceive their social interactions with other GTAs to be a vital part of their preparation and support for teaching (e.g., Staton & Darling, 1989). Communities of practice (CoPs) are one way to bring together the study of the social contexts and structured activities of GTA professional development. CoPs are defined as groups of practitioners who deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting with each other on an ongoing basis (e.g., Lave & Wenger, 1991). Graduate students may participate in CoPs related to teaching in many ways, including attending courses or workshops, participating in weekly meetings, engaging in informal discussions about teaching, or participating in e-mail conversations related to teaching tasks. This study explored the relationship between statistics graduate students' experiences in CoPs and the extent to which they hold student-centered teaching beliefs. A framework for characterizing GTAs' experiences in CoPs was described and a theoretical model relating these characteristics to GTAs' beliefs was developed. To gather data to test the model, the Graduate Students' Experiences Teaching Statistics (GETS) Inventory was created. Items were written to collect information about GTAs' current teaching beliefs, teaching beliefs before entering their degree programs, characteristics of GTAs' experiences in CoPs, and demographic information. Using an online program, the GETS Inventory was administered to N =218 statistics graduate students representing 37 institutions in 24 different U.S. states. The data gathered from the national survey suggest that statistics graduate students often experience CoPs through required meetings and voluntary discussions about teaching. Participants feel comfortable disagreeing with the people they perceive to be most influential on their teaching beliefs. Most participants perceive a faculty member to have the most influential role in shaping their teaching beliefs. The survey data did not provide evidence to support the proposed theoretical model relating characteristics of experiences in CoPs and beliefs about teaching statistics. Based on cross-validation results, prior beliefs about teaching statistics was the best predictor of current beliefs. Additional models were retained that included student characteristics suggested by previous literature to be associated with student-centered or traditional teaching beliefs (e.g., prior teaching experience, international student status). The results of this study can be used to inform future efforts to help promote student-centered teaching beliefs and teaching practices among statistics GTAs. Modifications to the GETS Inventory are suggested for use in future research designed to gather information about GTAs, their teaching beliefs, and their experiences in CoPs. Suggestions are also made for aspects of CoPs that might be studied further in order to learn how CoPs can promote teaching beliefs and practices that support student learning.

Teaching About Climate Change in Medical Education: An Opportunity

PubMed Central

Maxwell, Janie; Blashki, Grant

2016-01-01

Climate change threatens many of the gains in development and health over the last century. However, it could also be a catalyst for a necessary societal transformation to a sustainable and healthy future. Doctors have a crucial role in climate change mitigation and health system adaptation to prepare for emergent health threats and a carbon-constrained future. This paper argues that climate change should be integrated into medical education for three reasons: first, to prepare students for clinical practice in a climate-changing world; secondly, to promote public health and eco-health literacy; and finally, to deepen existing learning and strengthen graduate attributes. This paper builds on existing literature and the authors’ experience to outline potential learning objectives, teaching methods and assessment tasks. In the wake of recent progress at the United Nations climate change conference, COP-21, it is hoped that this paper will assist universities to integrate teaching about climate change into medical education. Significance for public health There is a strong case for teaching about climate change in medical education. Anthropogenic climate change is accepted by scientists, governments and health authorities internationally. Given the dire implications for human health, climate change is of fundamental relevance to future doctors. Integrating climate change into medical education offers an opportunity for future doctors to develop skills and insights essential for clinical practice and a public health role in a climate-changing world. This echoes a broader call for improved public health literacy among medical graduates. This paper provides medical schools with a rationale and an outline for teaching on climate change. PMID:27190980

Teaching About Climate Change in Medical Education: An Opportunity.

PubMed

Maxwell, Janie; Blashki, Grant

2016-04-26

Climate change threatens many of the gains in development and health over the last century. However, it could also be a catalyst for a necessary societal transformation to a sustainable and healthy future. Doctors have a crucial role in climate change mitigation and health system adaptation to prepare for emergent health threats and a carbon-constrained future. This paper argues that climate change should be integrated into medical education for three reasons: first, to prepare students for clinical practice in a climate-changing world; secondly, to promote public health and eco-health literacy; and finally, to deepen existing learning and strengthen graduate attributes. This paper builds on existing literature and the authors' experience to outline potential learning objectives, teaching methods and assessment tasks. In the wake of recent progress at the United Nations climate change conference, COP-21, it is hoped that this paper will assist universities to integrate teaching about climate change into medical education. Significance for public healthThere is a strong case for teaching about climate change in medical education. Anthropogenic climate change is accepted by scientists, governments and health authorities internationally. Given the dire implications for human health, climate change is of fundamental relevance to future doctors. Integrating climate change into medical education offers an opportunity for future doctors to develop skills and insights essential for clinical practice and a public health role in a climate-changing world. This echoes a broader call for improved public health literacy among medical graduates. This paper provides medical schools with a rationale and an outline for teaching on climate change.

Sleep Deprivation Promotes Habitual Control over Goal-Directed Control: Behavioral and Neuroimaging Evidence.

PubMed

Chen, Jie; Liang, Jie; Lin, Xiao; Zhang, Yang; Zhang, Yan; Lu, Lin; Shi, Jie

2017-12-06

Sleep is one of the most fundamental processes of life, playing an important role in the regulation of brain function. The long-term lack of sleep can cause memory impairments, declines in learning ability, and executive dysfunction. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of sleep deprivation on instrumental learning behavior, particularly goal-directed and habitual actions in humans, and investigated the underlying neural mechanisms. Healthy college students of either gender were enrolled and randomly divided into sleep deprivation group and sleep control group. fMRI data were collected. We found that one night of sleep deprivation led to greater responsiveness to stimuli that were associated with devalued outcomes in the slips-of-action test, indicating a deficit in the formation of goal-directed control and an overreliance on habits. Furthermore, sleep deprivation had no effect on the expression of acquired goal-directed action. The level of goal-directed action after sleep deprivation was positively correlated with baseline working memory capacity. The neuroimaging data indicated that goal-directed learning mainly recruited the ventromedial PFC (vmPFC), the activation of which was less pronounced during goal-directed learning after sleep deprivation. Activation of the vmPFC during goal-directed learning during training was positively correlated with the level of goal-directed action performance. The present study suggests that people rely predominantly on habits at the expense of goal-directed control after sleep deprivation, and this process involves the vmPFC. These results contribute to a better understanding of the effects of sleep loss on decision-making. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Understanding the cognitive consequences of sleep deprivation has become extremely important over the past half century, given the continued decline in sleep duration in industrialized societies. Our results provide novel evidence that goal-directed action may be particularly vulnerable to sleep loss, and the brain mechanism underlying this effect was explored. Elucidation of the effects of sleep deprivation on decision-making will deepen our understanding of the function of sleep, emphasizing the role of sleep in cognitive impairments and mental health. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/3711979-14$15.00/0.

Comparative Study of Learning Using E-Learning and Printed Materials on Independent Learning and Creativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahyu Utami, Niken; Aziz Saefudin, Abdul

2018-01-01

This study aims to determine: 1) differences in students taking independent learning by using e-learning and the students who attend the learning by using the print instructional materials ; 2) differences in the creativity of students who follow learning with e-learning and the students who attend the learning by using the print instructional materials ; 3) differences in learning independence and creativity of students attend learning with e-learning and the students who attend lessons using printed teaching materials in the subject of Mathematics Instructional Media Development. This study was a quasi-experimental research design using only posttest control design. The study population was all students who take courses in Learning Mathematics Media Development, Academic Year 2014/2015 100 students and used a random sample (random sampling) is 60 students. To test the hypothesis used multivariate analysis of variance or multivariable analysis of variance (MANOVA) of the track. The results of this study indicate that 1) There is a difference in student learning independence following study using the e-learning and the students who attend lessons using printed teaching materials in the lecture PMPM ( F = 4.177, p = 0.046 < 0.05 ) ; 2 ) There is no difference in the creativity of the students who complete the learning by using e -learning and students to follow the learning using printed teaching materials in the lecture PMPM ( F = 0.470, p = 0.496 > 0.05) ; No difference learning independence and creativity of students attend learning by using e-learning and the students who attend the learning using printed teaching materials in the lecture PMPM (F = 2.452, p = 0.095 > 0.05). Based on these studies suggested that the learning using e -learning can be used to develop student creativity, while learning to use e -learning and teaching materials can be printed to use to develop students’ independence.

Being a Scientist While Teaching Science: Implementing Undergraduate Research Opportunities for Elementary Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hock, Emily; Sharp, Zoe

2016-03-01

Aspiring teachers and current teachers can gain insight about the scientific community through hands-on experience. As America's standards for elementary school and middle school become more advanced, future and current teachers must gain hands-on experience in the scientific community. For a teacher to be fully capable of teaching all subjects, they must be comfortable in the content areas, equipped to answer questions, and able to pass on their knowledge. Hands-on research experiences, like the Summer Astronomy Research Experience at California Polytechnic University, pair liberal studies students with a cooperative group of science students and instructors with the goal of doing research that benefits the scientific community and deepens the team members' perception of the scientific community. Teachers are then able to apply the basic research process in their classrooms, inspire students to do real life science, and understand the processes scientists' undergo in their workplace.

Learning Science and the Science of Learning. Science Educators' Essay Collection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bybee, Rodger W., Ed.

This yearbook addresses critical issues in science learning and teaching. Contents are divided into four sections: (1) "How Do Students Learn Science?"; (2) "Designing Curriculum for Student Learning"; (3) "Teaching That Enhances Student Learning"; and (4) "Assessing Student Learning." Papers include: (1) "How Students Learn and How Teachers…

The effect of discovery learning and problem-based learning on middle school students’ self-regulated learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miatun, A.; Muntazhimah

2018-01-01

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of learning models on mathematics achievement viewed from student’s self-regulated learning. The learning model compared were discovery learning and problem-based learning. The population was all students at the grade VIII of Junior High School in Boyolali regency. The samples were students of SMPN 4 Boyolali, SMPN 6 Boyolali, and SMPN 4 Mojosongo. The instruments used were mathematics achievement tests and self-regulated learning questionnaire. The data were analyzed using unbalanced two-ways Anova. The conclusion was as follows: (1) discovery learning gives better achievement than problem-based learning. (2) Achievement of students who have high self-regulated learning was better than students who have medium and low self-regulated learning. (3) For discovery learning, achievement of students who have high self-regulated learning was better than students who have medium and low self-regulated learning. For problem-based learning, students who have high and medium self-regulated learning have the same achievement. (4) For students who have high self-regulated learning, discovery learning gives better achievement than problem-based learning. Students who have medium and low self-regulated learning, both learning models give the same achievement.

Medical student use of digital learning resources.

PubMed

Scott, Karen; Morris, Anne; Marais, Ben

2018-02-01

University students expect to use technology as part of their studies, yet health professional teachers can struggle with the change in student learning habits fuelled by technology. Our research aimed to document the learning habits of contemporary medical students during a clinical rotation by exploring the use of locally and externally developed digital and print self-directed learning resources, and study groups. We investigated the learning habits of final-stage medical students during their clinical paediatric rotation using mixed methods, involving learning analytics and a student questionnaire. Learning analytics tracked aggregate student usage statistics of locally produced e-learning resources on two learning management systems and mobile learning resources. The questionnaire recorded student-reported use of digital and print learning resources and study groups. The students made extensive use of digital self-directed learning resources, especially in the 2 weeks before the examination, which peaked the day before the written examination. All students used locally produced digital formative assessment, and most (74/98; 76%) also used digital resources developed by other institutions. Most reported finding locally produced e-learning resources beneficial for learning. In terms of traditional forms of self-directed learning, one-third (28/94; 30%) indicated that they never read the course textbook, and few students used face-to-face 39/98 (40%) or online 6/98 (6%) study groups. Learning analytics and student questionnaire data confirmed the extensive use of digital resources for self-directed learning. Through clarification of learning habits and experiences, we think teachers can help students to optimise effective learning strategies; however, the impact of contemporary learning habits on learning efficacy requires further evaluation. Health professional teachers can struggle with the change in student learning habits fuelled by technology. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Creating Catalytic Collaborations between Theater Artists, Scientists, and Research Institutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wise, Debra

2012-02-01

Catalyst Collaborative@MIT (CC@MIT) is a collaboration between MIT and Underground Railway Theater (URT), a company with 30 years experience creating theater through interdisciplinary inquiry and engaging community. CC@MIT is dedicated to creating and presenting plays that deepen public understanding about science, while simultaneously providing artistic and emotional experiences not available in other forms of dialogue about science. CC@MIT engages audiences in thinking about themes in science of social and ethical concern; provides insight into the culture of science and the impact of that culture on society; and examines the human condition through the lens of science that intersects our lives and the lives of scientists. Original productions range from Einstein's Dreams to From Orchids to Octopi -- an evolutionary love story; classics re-framed include The Life of Galileo and Breaking the Code (about Alan Turing). CC@MIT commissions playwrights and scientists to create plays; engages audiences with scientists; performs at MIT and a professional venue near the campus; collaborates with the Cambridge Science Festival and MIT Museum; engages MIT students, as well as youth and children. Artistic Director Debra Wise will address how the collaboration developed, what opportunities are provided by collaborations between theaters and scientific research institutions, and lessons learned of value to the field.

University-NGO connections for earthquake and tsunami risk reduction: lessons learned in West Sumatra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCaughey, J.; Dewi, P. R.

2013-12-01

Scientists have information that is critical to policy and public education, yet lack field staff of their own to put this into practice. NGOs have field staff as well as connections with policymakers and the community, yet lack a direct connection to the latest scientific research. Scientists face pressure to obtain grants and publish; NGOs face pressure to deliver programs to as many people as possible. Lacking institutional incentives that recognize efforts to bridge the science-practice gap, it is often out of personal convictions that scientists seek to share their results with NGOs, and NGO practitioners seek to deepen their own scientific knowledge. Such individual efforts are impactful; however, more can be achieved with institutional commitments to closer collaboration. Science communication is dialogue, not a one-way transfer of knowledge from science to practice. On the university side, listening to our NGO partners has inspired faculty, staff, and students, identified new areas of fundamental scientific research inspired by practical use, and helped prioritize and clarify the scientific information that is most useful for disaster-risk-reduction practice. On the NGO side, connections to scientists have informed the content of public education and policy advocacy programs and clarified technical information; this new understanding has been incorporated in advocacy and community engagement programs.

The anatomy and physiology of conflict in medical education: a doorway to diagnosing the health of medical education systems.

PubMed

Sawa, Russell J; Phelan, Anne; Myrick, Florence; Barlow, Connie; Hurlock, Deb; Rogers, Gayla

2006-12-01

This qualitative study uses data from students, teachers and administrators to deepen our understanding of conflict in medical education, its nature and its consequences. It especially looks at systemic issues which may foster or hinder the health of an educational system or of any organization. Its intention is to provide better understanding of the medical education system so that this knowledge can be used to enhance the health of future medical education systems. It is preliminary to a study that would focus on ways of improving the healthiness of future systems. The findings underline the importance of moral education in the training of our future physicians (McWhinney, 1986). The importance of example by faculty and staff and moral development of the physician flows from the authors' data and their interpretation of its meaning. Also, it further underlines the importance of faculty and medical educators modeling both caring and exemplary moral behavior within our educational institutions. Bandura (1986) developed the notion of modeling and showed that, 'even at a preconscious level, we learn moral behaviors through observing and imitating authority figures and/or significant others' (Crysdale, 2006). This is especially important because caring, or compassionate presence, is so essential to healing.

An experiment on radioactive equilibrium and its modelling using the ‘radioactive dice’ approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santostasi, Davide; Malgieri, Massimiliano; Montagna, Paolo; Vitulo, Paolo

2017-07-01

In this article we describe an educational activity on radioactive equilibrium we performed with secondary school students (17-18 years old) in the context of a vocational guidance stage for talented students at the Department of Physics of the University of Pavia. Radioactive equilibrium is investigated experimentally by having students measure the activity of 214Bi from two different samples, obtained using different preparation procedures from an uraniferous rock. Students are guided in understanding the mathematical structure of radioactive equilibrium through a modelling activity in two parts. Before the lab measurements, a dice game, which extends the traditional ‘radioactive dice’ activity to the case of a chain of two decaying nuclides, is performed by students divided into small groups. At the end of the laboratory work, students design and run a simple spreadsheet simulation modelling the same basic radioactive chain with user defined decay constants. By setting the constants to realistic values corresponding to nuclides of the uranium decay chain, students can deepen their understanding of the meaning of the experimental data, and also explore the difference between cases of non-equilibrium, transient and secular equilibrium.

Construction of Virtual-Experiment Systems for Information Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

She, Jin-Hua; Amano, Naoki

Practice is very important in education because it not only can stimulate the motivation of learning, but also can deepen the understanding of theory. However, due to the limitations on the time and experiment resources, experiments cannot be simply introduced in every lesson. To make the best use of multimedia technology, this paper designs five virtual experiment systems, which are based on the knowledge of physics at the high-school lever, to improve the effectiveness of teaching data processing. The systems are designed by employing the cognitive theory of multimedia learning and the inner game principle to ensure the easy use and to reduce the cognitive load. The learning process is divided into two stages: the first stage teaches the basic concepts of data processing; and the second stage practices the techniques taught in the first stage and uses them to build a linear model and to carry out estimation. The virtual experiment systems have been tested in an university's data processing course, and have demonstrated their validity.

Visualising the invisible: a network approach to reveal the informal social side of student learning.

PubMed

Hommes, J; Rienties, B; de Grave, W; Bos, G; Schuwirth, L; Scherpbier, A

2012-12-01

World-wide, universities in health sciences have transformed their curriculum to include collaborative learning and facilitate the students' learning process. Interaction has been acknowledged to be the synergistic element in this learning context. However, students spend the majority of their time outside their classroom and interaction does not stop outside the classroom. Therefore we studied how informal social interaction influences student learning. Moreover, to explore what really matters in the students learning process, a model was tested how the generally known important constructs-prior performance, motivation and social integration-relate to informal social interaction and student learning. 301 undergraduate medical students participated in this cross-sectional quantitative study. Informal social interaction was assessed using self-reported surveys following the network approach. Students' individual motivation, social integration and prior performance were assessed by the Academic Motivation Scale, the College Adaption Questionnaire and students' GPA respectively. A factual knowledge test represented student' learning. All social networks were positively associated with student learning significantly: friendships (β = 0.11), providing information to other students (β = 0.16), receiving information from other students (β = 0.25). Structural equation modelling revealed a model in which social networks increased student learning (r = 0.43), followed by prior performance (r = 0.31). In contrast to prior literature, students' academic motivation and social integration were not associated with students' learning. Students' informal social interaction is strongly associated with students' learning. These findings underline the need to change our focus from the formal context (classroom) to the informal context to optimize student learning and deliver modern medics.

Supporting Teachers in Identifying Students' Learning Styles in Learning Management Systems: An Automatic Student Modelling Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graf, Sabine; Kinshuk; Liu, Tzu-Chien

2009-01-01

In learning management systems (LMSs), teachers have more difficulties to notice and know how individual students behave and learn in a course, compared to face-to-face education. Enabling teachers to know their students' learning styles and making students aware of their own learning styles increases teachers' and students' understanding about…

Using Expectancy Value Theory as a Framework to Reduce Student Resistance to Active Learning: A Proof of Concept.

PubMed

Cooper, Katelyn M; Ashley, Michael; Brownell, Sara E

2017-01-01

There has been a national movement to transition college science courses from passive lectures to active learning environments. Active learning has been shown to be a more effective way for students to learn, yet there is concern that some students are resistant to active learning approaches. Although there is much discussion about student resistance to active learning, few studies have explored this topic. Furthermore, a limited number of studies have applied theoretical frameworks to student engagement in active learning. We propose using a theoretical lens of expectancy value theory to understand student resistance to active learning. In this study, we examined student perceptions of active learning after participating in 40 hours of active learning. We used the principal components of expectancy value theory to probe student experience in active learning: student perceived self-efficacy in active learning, value of active learning, and potential cost of participating in active learning. We found that students showed positive changes in the components of expectancy value theory and reported high levels of engagement in active learning, which provide proof of concept that expectancy value theory can be used to boost student perceptions of active learning and their engagement in active learning classrooms. From these findings, we have built a theoretical framework of expectancy value theory applied to active learning.

Using Expectancy Value Theory as a Framework to Reduce Student Resistance to Active Learning: A Proof of Concept

PubMed Central

Cooper, Katelyn M.; Ashley, Michael; Brownell, Sara E.

2017-01-01

There has been a national movement to transition college science courses from passive lectures to active learning environments. Active learning has been shown to be a more effective way for students to learn, yet there is concern that some students are resistant to active learning approaches. Although there is much discussion about student resistance to active learning, few studies have explored this topic. Furthermore, a limited number of studies have applied theoretical frameworks to student engagement in active learning. We propose using a theoretical lens of expectancy value theory to understand student resistance to active learning. In this study, we examined student perceptions of active learning after participating in 40 hours of active learning. We used the principal components of expectancy value theory to probe student experience in active learning: student perceived self-efficacy in active learning, value of active learning, and potential cost of participating in active learning. We found that students showed positive changes in the components of expectancy value theory and reported high levels of engagement in active learning, which provide proof of concept that expectancy value theory can be used to boost student perceptions of active learning and their engagement in active learning classrooms. From these findings, we have built a theoretical framework of expectancy value theory applied to active learning. PMID:28861130

Student views on the role of self-regulated learning in a surgery clerkship.

PubMed

Lyons-Warren, Ariel M; Kirby, John P; Larsen, Douglas P

2016-12-01

Self-regulated learning, including student-generated learning goals and flexibility in the learning structure are increasingly being used to enhance medical education. The role of these practices in surgical education of medical students has not been studied. We administered an 18-question electronic survey to all third-year medical students at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. Of the 126 students invited, 64 responded and 56 were included in the analysis. We found that third-year medical students develop learning goals at the beginning of the surgery clerkship. Although these learning goals theoretically can be a mechanism for enhanced student-faculty engagement, students are not aware of formal mechanisms for sharing these goals with faculty members. Furthermore, students report a lack of flexibility within the surgery clerkship and discomfort with requesting specific learning opportunities. Finally, students report that they believe increased flexibility could improve student engagement, learning, and the overall clerkship experience. We therefore propose that a mechanism for students to share their learning goals with faculty and an infrastructure in which student learning experiences can be tailored to fit with these individualized goals would enhance student surgical learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proposed learning strategies of medical students in a clinical rotation in obstetrics and gynecology: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Deane, Richard P; Murphy, Deirdre J

2016-01-01

Medical students face many challenges when learning within clinical environments. How students plan to use their time and engage with learning opportunities is therefore critical, as it may be possible to highlight strategies that optimize the learning experience at an early stage in the rotation. The aim of the study was to describe the learning drivers and proposed learning strategies of medical students for a clinical rotation in obstetrics and gynecology. A descriptive study of personal learning plans completed by students at the start of their clinical rotation in obstetrics and gynecology was undertaken. Data relating to students' learning strategies were obtained from the personal learning plans completed by students. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were used. The desire to obtain a good examination result was the most significant reason why the rotation was important to students (n=67/71, 94%). Students struggled to create a specific and practical learning outcome relevant to their career interest. Target scores of students were significantly higher than their reported typical scores (P<0.01). Textbooks were rated as likely to be the most helpful learning resource during the rotation. Bedside tutorials were rated as likely to be the most useful learning activity and small group learning activities were rated as likely to be more useful than lectures. Most students intended to study the course material linked to their clinical program rather than the classroom-based tutorial program. The main learning driver for medical students was academic achievement, and the proposed learning strategy favored by medical students was linking their study plans to clinical activities. Medical educators should consider strategies that foster more intrinsic drivers of student learning and more student-oriented learning resources and activities.

The Future of Personalized Learning for Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worthen, Maria

2016-01-01

Personalized learning models can give each student differentiated learning experiences based on their needs, interests, and strengths, including students with disabilities. Personalized learning can pinpoint specific gaps in student learning, identify where a student is on his or her learning pathway, and provide the appropriate interventions to…

The Professor-Student Learning Relationship in Higher Education: Wisdom from Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Laurie; McNally, Jennifer Ceven

2018-01-01

This mixed-methods study addressed the professor-student learning relationship in higher education and perception of its helpfulness in learning among college students with diagnosed learning disabilities. The Relationship and Learning Questionnaire drew items from four previously researched instruments. Results identify students' preference for…

Drug consumption among medical students in São Paulo, Brazil: influences of gender and academic year.

PubMed

Oliveira, Lucio Garcia de; Barroso, Lucia Pereira; Wagner, Gabriela Arantes; Ponce, Julio de Carvalho; Malbergier, André; Stempliuk, Vladimir de Andrade; Andrade, Arthur Guerra de

2009-09-01

To analyze alcohol, tobacco and other drug use among medical students. Over a five-year period (1996-2001), we evaluated 457 students at the Universidade de São Paulo School of Medicine, located in São Paulo, Brazil. The students participated by filling out an anonymous questionnaire on drug use (lifetime, previous 12 months and previous 30 days). The influence that gender and academic year have on drug use was also analyzed. During the study period, there was an increase in the use of illicit drugs, especially inhalants and amphetamines, among the medical students evaluated. Drug use (except that of marijuana and inhalants) was comparable between the genders, and academic year was an important influencing factor. Increased inhalant use was observed among the medical students, especially among males and students in the early undergraduate years. This is suggestive of a specific behavioral pattern among medical students. Our findings corroborate those of previous studies. Inhalant use is on the rise among medical students at the Universidade de São Paulo School of Medicine. Because of the negative health effects of illicit drug use, further studies are needed in order to deepen the understanding of this phenomenon and to facilitate the development of preventive measures.

Do dental hygiene students fit the learning profile of the millennial student?

PubMed

Blue, Christine M

2009-12-01

Differences in learning and the cultural context of our students' life experiences are important variables that faculty members need to understand in order to be effective in the classroom. Faculty members are finding that millennial students' approaches to learning are often vastly different from their own and as a result feel frustrated in their ability to help these students with their learning needs. Cultivating awareness of how today's dental hygiene student learns as well as the millennial learner profile can help faculty members address this educational challenge. The purpose of this study was to identify the learning styles of three groups of dental hygiene students and determine if they fit the learning profile of the millennial student as measured by the Learning Type Measure. Given this new generation of learners, it was hypothesized that dental hygiene students' learning style preferences would fit the learning profile of the millennial student. The Learning Type Measure was administered to 101 dental hygiene students at the University of Minnesota, University of Arizona, and Virginia Commonwealth University. The results from the study revealed that dental hygiene students do exhibit learning style preferences consistent with the millennial learner profile.

Approach to Learning of Sub-Degree Students in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Yiu Man; Chan, Christine Mei Sheung

2010-01-01

The learning approaches and learning experiences of 404 sub-degree students were assessed by using a Study Process Questionnaire and a Learning Experience Questionnaire. While the learning approaches in this study meant whether students used a deep learning or surface learning approach, the learning experiences referred to students' perceptions…

Are students' impressions of improved learning through active learning methods reflected by improved test scores?

PubMed

Everly, Marcee C

2013-02-01

To report the transformation from lecture to more active learning methods in a maternity nursing course and to evaluate whether student perception of improved learning through active-learning methods is supported by improved test scores. The process of transforming a course into an active-learning model of teaching is described. A voluntary mid-semester survey for student acceptance of the new teaching method was conducted. Course examination results, from both a standardized exam and a cumulative final exam, among students who received lecture in the classroom and students who had active learning activities in the classroom were compared. Active learning activities were very acceptable to students. The majority of students reported learning more from having active-learning activities in the classroom rather than lecture-only and this belief was supported by improved test scores. Students who had active learning activities in the classroom scored significantly higher on a standardized assessment test than students who received lecture only. The findings support the use of student reflection to evaluate the effectiveness of active-learning methods and help validate the use of student reflection of improved learning in other research projects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of tutor training for peer tutors in the dissection course on the learning behavior of students.

PubMed

Shiozawa, T; Hirt, B; Lammerding-Koeppel, M

2016-11-01

Student tutors in the dissection course are expected to meet high demands in their job, to fulfill these expectations they receive training. Combined tutor training is well accepted by tutors and tutees, however, it is not known how tutor training influences student learning. Deduced from the learning goals of the tutor training, a randomized, controlled, single-blinded study was set up with a quantitative cross-sectional analysis to compare student learning behavior. A total of 197 medical students, coached either by ten trained or ten untrained tutors, were enlisted in the study. To assess the students' learning behavior we employed the LIST questionnaire. A common factor analysis was calculated to extract dimensions. Factor scores of the extracted dimensions were calculated for both groups to estimate differences in learning behavior. Factor analysis of the LIST questionnaire revealed eight factors explaining 47.57% of the overall variance. The eight factors comprise: deep learning, attention, learning organization, cooperative learning, time management, learning effort, superficial learning and learning environment. Comparing the factor scores of the extracted dimensions, students coached by trained tutors learned significantly more with their fellow students (factor score in cooperative learning 0.194 vs. -0.205, p<0.05), than students trained by untrained tutors. Students coached by trained tutors also tend to be better organized in their learning (factor score in learning organization 0.115 vs. -0.122, p=0.16). The learning behavior of students coached by trained tutors differs from the learning behavior of students coached by untrained tutors. Students coached by trained tutors learn significantly more often in teams than their colleagues and are better organized. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The diversity of Iranian nursing students' clinical learning styles: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Baraz, Shahram; Memarian, Robabeh; Vanaki, Zohreh

2014-09-01

Numerous factors, including learning styles, affect the learning process of nursing students. Having insights about students' learning styles helps promoting the quality of education. The aim of this study was to explore the Iranian baccalaureate nursing students' learning styles in clinical settings. A qualitative design using a content analysis approach was used to collect and analyze data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen Iranian baccalaureate nursing students selected using a purposive sample method. During data analysis, it was found that nursing students employed different clinical learning styles such as 'thoughtful observation,' 'learning by thinking,' and 'learning by doing'. Students adopt different learning strategies in clinical practice. Designing teaching strategies based on students' learning styles can promote students' learning and maximize their academic and clinical practice success. Nursing educators, curriculum designers, and students can use the findings of this study to improve the quality of nursing education in both the classroom and clinical settings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Satellite derived integrated water vapor and rain intensity patterns: Indicators of rapid cyclogenesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmurdie, Lynn; Katsaros, Kristina

1992-01-01

We examine integrated water vapor fields and rain intensity patterns derived from the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) and Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) for several rapidly deepening and non-rapidly deepening midlatitude cyclones in the North Atlantic. Our goal is to identify features in the satellite data unique to the rapidly deepening cases, and to explore how these data can potentially be used in the analysis and forecasting of these events.

Anomalous deepening of a belt of intraslab earthquakes in the Pacific slab crust under Kanto, central Japan: Possible anomalous thermal shielding, dehydration reactions, and seismicity caused by shallower cold slab material

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hasegawa, A.; Nakajima, J.; Kita, S.; Okada, T.; Matsuzawa, T.; Kirby, S.H.

2007-01-01

A belt of intraslab seismicity in the Pacific slab crust parallel to iso-depth contours of the plate interface has been found beneath Hokkaido and Tohoku. Hypocenter relocations have shown that this seismic belt does not run parallel to but obliquely to the iso-depth contours beneath Kanto, deepening toward the north from ???100 km to ???140 km depth. The depth limit of the contact zone with the overlying Philippine Sea slab is located close to and parallel to this obliquely oriented seismic belt, suggesting that the deepening of the seismic belt there is caused by the contact with the overlying slab. The contact with this cold slab hinders the heating of the Pacific slab crust by hot mantle wedge, which would cause delay of eclogite-forming phase transformations and hence deepening of the seismic belt there. The depth limit of the subducting low-velocity crust also deepens toward the north, supporting this idea. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

How Do B-Learning and Learning Patterns Influence Learning Outcomes?

PubMed Central

Sáiz Manzanares, María Consuelo; Marticorena Sánchez, Raúl; García Osorio, César Ignacio; Díez-Pastor, José F.

2017-01-01

Learning Management System (LMS) platforms provide a wealth of information on the learning patterns of students. Learning Analytics (LA) techniques permit the analysis of the logs or records of the activities of both students and teachers on the on-line platform. The learning patterns differ depending on the type of Blended Learning (B-Learning). In this study, we analyse: (1) whether significant differences exist between the learning outcomes of students and their learning patterns on the platform, depending on the type of B-Learning [Replacement blend (RB) vs. Supplemental blend (SB)]; (2) whether a relation exists between the metacognitive and the motivational strategies (MS) of students, their learning outcomes and their learning patterns on the platform. The 87,065 log records of 129 students (69 in RB and 60 in SB) in the Moodle 3.1 platform were analyzed. The results revealed different learning patterns between students depending on the type of B-Learning (RB vs. SB). We have found that the degree of blend, RB vs. SB, seems to condition student behavior on the platform. Learning patterns in RB environments can predict student learning outcomes. Additionally, in RB environments there is a relationship between the learning patterns and the metacognitive and (MS) of the students. PMID:28559866

How Do B-Learning and Learning Patterns Influence Learning Outcomes?

PubMed

Sáiz Manzanares, María Consuelo; Marticorena Sánchez, Raúl; García Osorio, César Ignacio; Díez-Pastor, José F

2017-01-01

Learning Management System (LMS) platforms provide a wealth of information on the learning patterns of students. Learning Analytics (LA) techniques permit the analysis of the logs or records of the activities of both students and teachers on the on-line platform. The learning patterns differ depending on the type of Blended Learning (B-Learning). In this study, we analyse: (1) whether significant differences exist between the learning outcomes of students and their learning patterns on the platform, depending on the type of B-Learning [Replacement blend (RB) vs. Supplemental blend (SB)]; (2) whether a relation exists between the metacognitive and the motivational strategies (MS) of students, their learning outcomes and their learning patterns on the platform. The 87,065 log records of 129 students (69 in RB and 60 in SB) in the Moodle 3.1 platform were analyzed. The results revealed different learning patterns between students depending on the type of B-Learning (RB vs. SB). We have found that the degree of blend, RB vs. SB, seems to condition student behavior on the platform. Learning patterns in RB environments can predict student learning outcomes. Additionally, in RB environments there is a relationship between the learning patterns and the metacognitive and (MS) of the students.

Mobile Learning in Nursing Undergraduates in China: Current Status, Attitudes and Barriers.

PubMed

Xiao, Qian; Zhang, Qiannan; Wang, Lanlan; Wang, Yanling; Sun, Liu; Wu, Ying

2017-01-01

To explore the current status, attitudes and barriers of nursing undergraduates toward mobile learning, 157 nursing students were investigated. more than half of them used mobile learning frequently in past half year. The mean score of students' intention towards mobile learning was 10.5 (ranged from 6 to 15), and it related to students' gender, expected effect, ease of operation, influence of other students, self-learning management and perceived interest. Some barriers affected students' mobile learning. Therefore, students had positive attitude and perception toward mobile learning, then we should create enough conditions to promote students' mobile learning.

Effectiveness of students worksheet based on mastery learning in genetics subject

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Megahati, R. R. P.; Yanti, F.; Susanti, D.

2018-05-01

Genetics is one of the subjects that must be followed by students in Biology education department. Generally, students do not like the genetics subject because of genetics concepts difficult to understand and the unavailability of a practical students worksheet. Consequently, the complete learning process (mastery learning) is not fulfilled and low students learning outcomes. The aim of this study develops student worksheet based on mastery learning that practical in genetics subject. This research is a research and development using 4-D models. The data analysis technique used is the descriptive analysis that describes the results of the practicalities of students worksheets based on mastery learning by students and lecturer of the genetic subject. The result is the student worksheet based on mastery learning on genetics subject are to the criteria of 80,33% and 80,14%, which means that the students worksheet practical used by lecturer and students. Student’s worksheet based on mastery learning effective because it can increase the activity and student learning outcomes.

Increasing Student Metacognition and Learning through Classroom-Based Learning Communities and Self-Assessment †

PubMed Central

Siegesmund, Amy

2016-01-01

Student overconfidence challenges success in introductory biology. This study examined the impact of classroom learning communities and self-assessment on student metacognition and subsequent impact on student epistemological beliefs, behaviors, and learning. Students wrote weekly self-assessments reflecting on the process of learning and received individual feedback. Students completed a learning strategies inventory focused on metacognition and study behaviors at the beginning and end of the semester and a Student Assessment of their Learning Gains (SALG) at the end of the semester. Results indicated significant changes in both metacognition and study behaviors over the course of the semester, with a positive impact on learning as determined by broad and singular measures. Self-assessments and SALG data demonstrated a change in student beliefs and behaviors. Taken together, these findings argue that classroom learning communities and self-assessment can increase student metacognition and change student epistemological beliefs and behaviors. PMID:27158301

An e-learning course in medical immunology: does it improve learning outcome?

PubMed

Boye, Sondre; Moen, Torolf; Vik, Torstein

2012-01-01

E-learning is used by most medical students almost daily and several studies have shown e-learning to improve learning outcome in small-scale interventions. However, few studies have explored the effects of e-learning in immunology. To study the effect of an e-learning package in immunology on learning outcomes in a written integrated examination and to examine student satisfaction with the e-learning package. All second-year students at a Norwegian medical school were offered an animated e-learning package in basic immunology as a supplement to the regular teaching. Each student's log-on-time was recorded and linked with the student's score on multiple choice questions included in an integrated end-of-the-year written examination. Student satisfaction was assessed through a questionnaire. The intermediate-range students (interquartile range) on average scored 3.6% better on the immunology part of the examination per hour they had used the e-learning package (p = 0.0046) and log-on-time explained 17% of the variance in immunology score. The best and the less skilled students' examination outcomes were not affected by the e-learning. The e-learning was well appreciated among the students. Use of an e-learning package in immunology in addition to regular teaching improved learning outcomes for intermediate-range students.

Self-directed learning readiness of Asian students: students perspective on a hybrid problem based learning curriculum.

PubMed

Leatemia, Lukas D; Susilo, Astrid P; van Berkel, Henk

2016-12-03

To identify the student's readiness to perform self-directed learning and the underlying factors influencing it on the hybrid problem based learning curriculum. A combination of quantitative and qualitative studies was conducted in five medical schools in Indonesia. In the quantitative study, the Self Directed Learning Readiness Scale was distributed to all students in all batches, who had experience with the hybrid problem based curriculum. They were categorized into low- and high -level based on the score of the questionnaire. Three focus group discussions (low-, high-, and mixed level) were conducted in the qualitative study with six to twelve students chosen randomly from each group to find the factors influencing their self-directed learning readiness. Two researchers analysed the qualitative data as a measure of triangulation. The quantitative study showed only half of the students had a high-level of self-directed learning readiness, and a similar trend also occurred in each batch. The proportion of students with a high level of self-directed learning readiness was lower in the senior students compared to more junior students. The qualitative study showed that problem based learning processes, assessments, learning environment, students' life styles, students' perceptions of the topics, and mood, were factors influencing their self-directed learning. A hybrid problem based curriculum may not fully affect the students' self-directed learning. The curriculum system, teacher's experiences, student's background and cultural factors might contribute to the difficulties for the student's in conducting self-directed learning.

Ideal versus School Learning: Analyzing Israeli Secondary School Students' Conceptions of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadar, Linor

2009-01-01

This study explored 130 secondary school students' conceptions of learning using an open-ended task, analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Students' reality of learning comprised two separate spheres, ideal learning and school learning, which rarely interacted. Generally, students commented more about school than ideal learning. Factor…

Perceptions about Authentic Leadership Development: South African Occupational Therapy Students' Camp Experience

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background Twenty-three years into democracy, concern is deepening regarding the slow progress of Occupational Therapy (OT) in South Africa, especially with regard to diversity and inclusion within OT. Methods This study explores authentic leadership development primarily among Black OT students attending a pilot Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA) National Student Leadership Camp. It seeks to ascertain their perceptions on leadership and leadership development. This descriptive pilot study employs in-depth interviews and subsequent content analysis, with 12 OT students from six university OT programs in South Africa. Findings Four categories of participant perceptions on authentic leadership development emerged from the analysis: (1) perceptions about oneself as a leader based on personal narrative, self-awareness, self-control, and psychological capital; (2) perceptions about others, specifically current leaders, with regard to their moral crisis, including continuing inequality, insincerity, greed, and selfishness; (3) goals and aspirations for leadership development via student camps; and (4) effects of leadership on the system. Conclusions Recommendations for future practice include promotion of storytelling as a means of personal reflection for authentic leadership development and focused investment in camps for developing student leadership skills and building authentic leadership knowledge. PMID:29770106

Perceptions about Authentic Leadership Development: South African Occupational Therapy Students' Camp Experience.

PubMed

Hendricks, Fatima; Toth-Cohen, Susan

2018-01-01

Twenty-three years into democracy, concern is deepening regarding the slow progress of Occupational Therapy (OT) in South Africa, especially with regard to diversity and inclusion within OT. This study explores authentic leadership development primarily among Black OT students attending a pilot Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA) National Student Leadership Camp. It seeks to ascertain their perceptions on leadership and leadership development. This descriptive pilot study employs in-depth interviews and subsequent content analysis, with 12 OT students from six university OT programs in South Africa. Four categories of participant perceptions on authentic leadership development emerged from the analysis: (1) perceptions about oneself as a leader based on personal narrative, self-awareness, self-control, and psychological capital; (2) perceptions about others, specifically current leaders, with regard to their moral crisis, including continuing inequality, insincerity, greed, and selfishness; (3) goals and aspirations for leadership development via student camps; and (4) effects of leadership on the system. Recommendations for future practice include promotion of storytelling as a means of personal reflection for authentic leadership development and focused investment in camps for developing student leadership skills and building authentic leadership knowledge.

The Mathematics Attitudes and Perceptions Survey: an instrument to assess expert-like views and dispositions among undergraduate mathematics students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Code, Warren; Merchant, Sandra; Maciejewski, Wes; Thomas, Matthew; Lo, Joseph

2016-08-01

One goal of an undergraduate education in mathematics is to help students develop a productive disposition towards mathematics. A way of conceiving of this is as helping mathematical novices transition to more expert-like perceptions of mathematics. This conceptualization creates a need for a way to characterize students' perceptions of mathematics in authentic educational settings. This article presents a survey, the Mathematics Attitudes and Perceptions Survey (MAPS), designed to address this need. We present the development of the MAPS instrument and its validation on a large (N = 3411) set of student data. Results from various MAPS implementations corroborate results from analogous instruments in other STEM disciplines. We present these results and highlight some in particular: MAPS scores correlate with course grades; students tend to move away from expert-like orientations over a semester or year of taking a mathematics course; and interactive-engagement type lectures have less of a negative impact, but no positive impact, on students' overall orientations than traditional lecturing. We include the MAPS instrument in this article and suggest ways in which it may deepen our understanding of undergraduate mathematics education.

Channel Shoaling with Deepening of Houma Navigation Channel at Cat Island Pass, Louisiana

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

is, Ac (m2)=6.992x10-4P0.86 (m3) (2) The minimum cross-sectional area for Cat Island Pass has increased through time, approximately 32,100...Journal of Coastal Research SI 59 256-265 West Palm Beach, Florida 2011 Channel Shoaling with Deepening of Houma Navigation Channel at Cat ...Deepening of Houma Navigation Channel at Cat Island Pass, Louisiana. In: Roberts, T.M., Rosati, J.D., and Wang, P. (eds.), Proceedings, Symposium to Honor

SSM/I Rainfall Volume Correlated with Deepening Rate in Extratropical Cyclones

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petty, Grant W.; Miller, Douglas K.

1994-01-01

With the emergence of reasonably robust, physically based rain rate algorithms designed for the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), a unique opportunity exists to directly observe a physical component which can contribute to or be a signature of cyclone deepening (latent heat release). The emphasis of the research in this paper is to seek systematic differences in rain rate observed by the SSM/I, using the algorithm of Petty in cases of explosive and nonexplosive cyclone deepening.

Distance Learning Students' Evaluation of E-Learning System in University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Juda, Mefleh Qublan B.

2017-01-01

This study evaluates the experiences and perceptions of students regarding e-learning systems and their preparedness for e-learning. It also investigates the overall perceptions of students regarding e-learning and the factors influencing students' attitudes towards e-learning. The study uses convenience sampling in which students of the Education…

Student Achievement in Basic College Mathematics: Its Relationship to Learning Style and Learning Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunthorpe, Sydney

2006-01-01

From the assumption that matching a student's learning style with the learning method best suited for the student, it follows that developing courses that correlate learning method with learning style would be more successful for students. Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute (TVI) in New Mexico has attempted to provide students with more…

Higher Learning: Developing Students' Powers of Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourner, Tom

2009-01-01

This article is about student learning, specifically the problem of what a university can do to develop its students' powers of learning. The broad approach is to discover what we can learn from the university's long experience with developing students' critical faculties and then apply the lessons to developing students' powers of learning. The…

Combining Active Learning with Service Learning: A Student-Driven Demonstration Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatcher-Skeers, Mary; Aragon, Ellen

2002-01-01

Describes a project that integrates active learning into service learning targeting both college students and middle schools students wherein college students perform chemical demonstrations for middle school students. (YDS)

Towards Automatically Detecting Whether Student Learning Is Shallow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gowda, Sujith M.; Baker, Ryan S.; Corbett, Albert T.; Rossi, Lisa M.

2013-01-01

Recent research has extended student modeling to infer not just whether a student knows a skill or set of skills, but also whether the student has achieved robust learning--learning that enables the student to transfer their knowledge and prepares them for future learning (PFL). However, a student may fail to have robust learning in two fashions:…

An Examination through Conjoint Analysis of the Preferences of Students Concerning Online Learning Environments According to Their Learning Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daghan, Gökhan; Akkoyunlu, Buket

2012-01-01

This study examines learning styles of students receiving education via online learning environments, and their preferences concerning the online learning environment. Maggie McVay Lynch Learning Style Inventory was used to determine learning styles of the students. The preferences of students concerning online learning environments were detected…

Using appreciative inquiry to help students identify strategies to overcome handicaps of their learning styles.

PubMed

Kumar, Latha Rajendra; Chacko, Thomas Vengail

2012-01-01

In India, as in some other neighboring Asian countries, students and teachers are generally unaware of the differences in the learning styles among learners, which can handicap students with learning styles alien to the common teaching/learning modality within the institution. This study aims to find out whether making students aware of their learning styles and then using the Appreciative Inquiry approach to help them discover learning strategies that worked for them and others with similar learning styles within the institution made them perceive that this experience improved their learning and performance in exams. The visual, auditory, read-write, and kinesthetic (VARK) inventory of learning styles questionnaire was administered to all 100 first-year medical students of the Father Muller's Medical College in Mangalore India to make them aware of their individual learning styles. An Appreciate Inquiry intervention was administered to 62 student volunteers who were counseled about the different learning styles and their adaptive strategies. Pre and post intervention change in student's perception about usefulness of knowing learning styles on their learning, learning behavior, and performance in examinations was collected from the students using a prevalidated questionnaire. Post intervention mean scores showed a significant change (P < 0.0001) in student's self-perceptions about usefulness of knowing one's learning style and discovering strategies that worked within the institutional environment. There was agreement among students that the intervention helped them become more confident in learning (84%), facilitating learning in general (100%), and in understanding concepts (100%). However, only 29% of the students agreed that the intervention has brought about their capability improvement in application of learning and 31% felt it improved their performance in exams. Appreciate Inquiry was perceived as useful in helping students discover learning strategies that work for different individual learning styles and sharing them within the group helped students choose strategies to help overcome the handicap presented by the school's teaching methods.

Peer learning a pedagogical approach to enhance online learning: A qualitative exploration.

PubMed

Raymond, Anita; Jacob, Elisabeth; Jacob, Darren; Lyons, Judith

2016-09-01

Flexible online programs are becoming increasingly popular method of education for students, allowing them to complete programs in their own time and cater for lifestyle differences. A mixture of delivery modes is one way which allows for enhanced learning. Peer learning is another method of learning which is shown to foster collaboration and prepare healthcare students for their future careers. This paper reports on a project to combine peer and online learning to teach pharmacology to nursing students. To explore undergraduate nursing student opinions of working in peer groups for online learning sessions in a pharmacology course. A qualitative study utilising a self-reported questionnaire. A rural campus of an Australian university. Second year nursing students enrolled in a Bachelor of Nursing Program. A hard copy questionnaire was distributed to all students who attended the final semester lecture for the course. Content analysis of open-ended survey questions was used to identify themes in the written data. Of the 61 students enrolled in the nursing subject, 35 students chose to complete the survey (57%). Students reported a mixed view of the benefits and disadvantages of peer online learning. Sixty 6% (66%) of students liked peer online learning, whilst 29% disliked it and 6% were undecided. Convenience and ease of completion were reported as the most common reason to like peer online learning, whilst Information Technology issues, communication and non-preferred learning method were reasons for not liking peer online learning. Peer online learning groups' acted as one further method to facilitate student learning experiences. Blending peer online learning with traditional face-to-face learning increases the variety of learning methods available to students to enhance their overall learning experience. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A National Study Assessing the Teaching and Learning of Introductory Astronomy; Part II: Analysis of Student Demographics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prather, E. E.; Consiglio, D.; Rudolph, A. L.; Brissenden, G.

2011-09-01

This is the second in a series of reports on a national study of the teaching and learning of astronomy in general education, non-science major, introductory astronomy courses (Astro 101). We report here on the analysis of how individual student characteristics affect student learning in these classes, and whether the demonstrated positive effect of interactive learning strategies on student learning differs based on these characteristics. This analysis was conducted using data from nearly 2000 students enrolled in 69 Astro 101 classes taught across the country. These students completed a 15-question demographic survey, in addition to completing the 26-question Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI) pre- and post-instruction. The LSCI was used to determine student learning via a normalized gain calculated for each student. A multivariate regression analysis was conducted to determine how ascribed characteristics (personal demographic and family characteristics), obtained characteristics (academic achievement and student major), and the use of interactive learning strategies predict student learning in these classes. The results show dramatic improvement in student learning with increased use of interactive learning strategies even after controlling for individual characteristics. In addition, we find that the positive effects of interactive learning strategies are the same for strong and weak students, men and women, across ethnicities, and regardless of primary language. The research strongly suggests all students benefit from interactive learning strategies.

Collaborative, case-based learning: how do students actually learn from each other?

PubMed

Thurman, Joanne; Volet, Simone E; Bolton, John R

2009-01-01

The value of collaborative, case-based, and problem-based learning has received increased attention in recent years. Several studies have documented veterinary staff and students' generally positive feedback on group learning activities, but one largely unaddressed question is how students actually learn from each other. This study examined how second-year veterinary students learned from each other during a collaborative, case-based learning project. Data were students' written reflections on their learning in the veterinary course and the specific learning experience, and a matched pre- and post-task questionnaire. Consistent with prior research describing veterinary students as individualistic learners, only a third of students spontaneously mentioned learning from each other as one of their most effective strategies. However, when prompted to describe a time when they felt that group members were really learning from each other, students reported highly valuable collaborative learning processes, which they explicitly linked to learning and understanding benefits. Questionnaire data were consistent, showing that students became more positive toward several aspects of the activity as well as toward group work in general. One unexpected finding was the lack of a relationship between students' self-evaluation of their learning and how well group members knew each other. These findings provide strong support for the educational value of collaborative, case-based learning. In light of other research evidence (using observation data) that the amount of time students actually engage in high-level collaborative processes may be rather limited, this article points to the need for veterinary teachers to better prepare students for group learning activities.

Exam Success at Undergraduate and Graduate-Entry Medical Schools: Is Learning Style or Learning Approach More Important? A Critical Review Exploring Links Between Academic Success, Learning Styles, and Learning Approaches Among School-Leaver Entry ("Traditional") and Graduate-Entry ("Nontraditional") Medical Students.

PubMed

Feeley, Anne-Marie; Biggerstaff, Deborah L

2015-01-01

PHENOMENON: The literature on learning styles over many years has been replete with debate and disagreement. Researchers have yet to elucidate exactly which underlying constructs are measured by the many learning styles questionnaires available. Some academics question whether learning styles exist at all. When it comes to establishing the value of learning styles for medical students, a further issue emerges. The demographics of medical students in the United Kingdom have changed in recent years, so past studies may not be applicable to students today. We wanted to answer a very simple, practical question: what can the literature on learning styles tell us that we can use to help today's medical students succeed academically at medical school? We conducted a literature review to synthesise the available evidence on how two different aspects of learning-the way in which students like to receive information in a learning environment (termed learning "styles") and the motivations that drive their learning (termed learning "approaches")-can impact on medical students' academic achievement. Our review confirms that although learning "styles" do not correlate with exam performance, learning "approaches" do: those with "strategic" and "deep" approaches to learning (i.e., motivated to do well and motivated to learn deeply respectively) perform consistently better in medical school examinations. Changes in medical school entrant demographics in the past decade have not altered these correlations. Optimistically, our review reveals that students' learning approaches can change and more adaptive approaches may be learned. Insights: For educators wishing to help medical students succeed academically, current evidence demonstrates that helping students develop their own positive learning approach using "growth mind-set" is a more effective (and more feasible) than attempting to alter students' learning styles. This conclusion holds true for both "traditional" and graduate-entry medical students.

A Turkish study of medical student learning styles.

PubMed

Kalaca, S; Gulpinar, M

2011-12-01

A good understanding of the learning styles of students is necessary for optimizing the quality of the learning process. There are few studies in Turkey on the subject of the learning characteristics of medical students. The aim of this study was to define the learning patterns of Turkish medical students based on the Turkish version of Vermunts Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS). The Turkish version of the ILS was developed and administered to 532 medical students. Learning patterns were investigated using factor analysis. Internal consistencies of scales ranged from 0.43 to 0.80. The Turkish version of the ILS identified four learning styles among medical students. In comparing the pre-clinical and clinical phases of medical students related to mental models of learning, statistically significant differences (p < .01) were found between the two groups for the learning characteristics: lack of regulation; certificate; self-test and ambivalent orientation; intake of knowledge; and use of knowledge. The Turkish version of the ILS can be used to identify learning styles of medical students. Our findings indicate an intermediate position for our students on a teacher-regulated to student-regulated learning continuum. A variety of teaching methods and learning activities should be provided in medical schools in order to address the range of learning styles.

Shaping a valued learning journey: Student satisfaction with learning in undergraduate nursing programs, a grounded theory study.

PubMed

Smith, Morgan R; Grealish, Laurie; Henderson, Saras

2018-05-01

Student satisfaction is a quality measure of increasing importance in undergraduate programs, including nursing programs. To date theories of student satisfaction have focused primarily on students' perceptions of the educational environment rather than their perceptions of learning. Understanding how students determine satisfaction with learning is necessary to facilitate student learning across a range of educational contexts and meet the expectations of diverse stakeholders. To understand undergraduate nursing students' satisfaction with learning. Constructivist grounded theory methodology was used to identify how nursing students determined satisfaction with learning. Two large, multi-campus, nursing schools in Australia. Seventeen demographically diverse undergraduate nursing students studying different stages of a three year program participated in the study. Twenty nine semi-structured interviews were conducted. Students were invited to describe situations where they had been satisfied or dissatisfied with their learning. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyse the data. Students are satisfied with learning when they shape a valued learning journey that accommodates social contexts of self, university and nursing workplace. The theory has three phases. Phase 1 - orienting self to valued learning in the pedagogical landscape; phase 2 - engaging with valued learning experiences across diverse pedagogical terrain; and phase 3 - recognising valued achievement along the way. When students experience a valued learning journey they are satisfied with their learning. Student satisfaction with learning is unique to the individual, changes over time and maybe transient or sustained, mild or intense. Finding from the research indicate areas where nurse academics may facilitate satisfaction with learning in undergraduate nursing programs while mindful of the expectations of other stakeholders such as the university, nurse registering authorities, employers and the receivers of nursing care. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring the use of student-led simulated practice learning in pre-registration nursing programmes.

PubMed

Brown, Jo; Collins, Guy; Gratton, Olivia

2017-09-20

Simulated practice learning is used in pre-registration nursing programmes to replicate situations that nursing students are likely to encounter in clinical practice, but in a safe and protected academic environment. However, lecturer-led simulated practice learning has been perceived as detached from contemporary nursing practice by some nursing students. Therefore, a pilot project was implemented in the authors' university to explore the use of student-led simulated practice learning and its potential benefits for nursing students. To evaluate the effectiveness of student-led simulated practice learning in pre-registration nursing programmes. The authors specifically wanted to: enhance the students' skills; improve their critical thinking and reflective strategies; and develop their leadership and management techniques. A literature review was undertaken to examine the evidence supporting student-led simulated practice learning. A skills gap analysis was then conducted with 35 third-year nursing students to identify their learning needs, from which suitable simulated practice learning scenarios and sessions were developed and undertaken. These sessions were evaluated using debriefs following each of the sessions, as well as informal discussions with the nursing students. The pilot project identified that student-led simulated learning: developed nursing students' ability to plan and facilitate colleagues' practice learning; enabled nursing students to develop their mentoring skills; reinforced the nursing students' self-awareness, which contributed to their personal development; and demonstrated the importance of peer feedback and support through the debriefs. Challenges included overcoming some students' resistance to the project and that some lecturers were initially concerned that nursing students may not have the clinical expertise to lead the simulated practice learning sessions effectively. This pilot project has demonstrated how student-led simulated practice learning sessions could be used to engage nursing students as partners in their learning, enhance their knowledge and skills, and promote self-directed learning. ©2012 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Assessing Learning Styles among Students with and without Learning Disabilities at a Distance-Learning University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heiman, Tali

2006-01-01

Differences in the learning styles of students with and without learning disabilities (LD) at a distance-learning university were examined. Two hundred and twelve students answered self-report questionnaires on their learning styles. Results revealed that students with LD preferred to use more stepwise processing, including memorizing and…

Student-Centred Learning Environments: An Investigation into Student Teachers' Instructional Preferences and Approaches to Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baeten, Marlies; Dochy, Filip; Struyven, Katrien; Parmentier, Emmeline; Vanderbruggen, Anne

2016-01-01

The use of student-centred learning environments in education has increased. This study investigated student teachers' instructional preferences for these learning environments and how these preferences are related to their approaches to learning. Participants were professional Bachelor students in teacher education. Instructional preferences and…

Steroids (For Parents)

MedlinePlus

... male characteristics, such as increased muscle mass, facial hair growth, and deepening of the voice, and is an ... additional side effects: male-type facial and body hair growth and male-pattern baldness deepening of the voice ...

Mathematical disposition of junior high school students viewed from learning styles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putra, Arief Karunia; Budiyono, Slamet, Isnandar

2017-08-01

The relevance of this study is the growth of character values for students in Indonesia. Mathematics is a subject that builds the character values for students. It can be seen from the students' confidence in answering mathematics problems, their persistent and resilience in mathematics task. In addition, students have a curiosity in mathematics and appreciate the usefulness of mathematics. In mathematics, it is called a mathematical disposition. One of the factors that can affect students' mathematical disposition is learning style. Each student has a dominant learning style. Three of the most popular ones are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. The most important uses of learning styles is that it makes it easy for teachers to incorporate them into their teaching. The purpose of this study was to determine which one that gives better mathematical dispositions among students with learning styles of visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. The subjects were 150 students in Sleman regency. Data obtained through questionnaires. Based on data analysis that has been done with benchmark assessment method, it can be concluded that students with visual learning style has a mathematical disposition better than students with auditory and kinesthetic learning styles, while students with kinesthetic learning style has a mathematical disposition better than students with auditory learning style. These results can be used as a reference for students with individual learning styles to improve the mathematical positive disposition in the learning process of mathematics.

In real time: exploring nursing students' learning during an international experience.

PubMed

Afriyie Asenso, Barbara; Reimer-Kirkham, Sheryl; Astle, Barbara

2013-10-11

Abstract Nursing education has increasingly turned to international learning experiences to educate students who are globally minded and aware of social injustices in local and global communities. To date, research with international learning experiences has focused on the benefits for the students participating, after they have completed the international experience. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how nursing students learn during the international experience. The sample consisted of eight nursing students who enrolled in an international learning experience, and data were collected in "real time" in Zambia. The students were observed during learning activities and were interviewed three times. Three major themes emerged from the thematic analysis: expectations shaped students' learning, engagement facilitated learning, and critical reflection enhanced learning. Implications are discussed, related to disrupting media representations of Africa that shape students' expectations, and educational strategies for transformative learning and global citizenship.

Constructs of Student-Centered Online Learning on Learning Satisfaction of a Diverse Online Student Body: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ke, Fengfeng; Kwak, Dean

2013-01-01

The present study investigated the relationships between constructs of web-based student-centered learning and the learning satisfaction of a diverse online student body. Hypotheses on the constructs of student-centered learning were tested using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that five key constructs of student-centered…

Research report: learning styles of biomedical engineering students.

PubMed

Dee, Kay C; Nauman, Eric A; Livesay, Glen A; Rice, Janet

2002-09-01

Examining students' learning styles can yield information useful to the design of learning activities, courses, and curricula. A variety of measures have been used to characterize learning styles, but the literature contains little information specific to biomedical engineering (BMEN) students. We, therefore, utilized Felder's Index of Learning Styles to investigate the learning style preferences of BMEN students at Tulane University. Tulane BMEN students preferred to receive information visually (preferred by 88% of the student sample) rather than verbally, focus on sensory information (55%) instead of intuitive information, process information actively (66%) instead of reflectively, and understand information globally (59%) rather than sequentially. These preferences varied between cohorts (freshman, sophomore, etc.) and a significantly higher percentage of female students preferred active and sensing learning styles. Compared to other engineering student populations, our sample of Tulane BMEN students contained the highest percentage of students preferring the global learning style. Whether this is a general trend for all BMEN students or a trait specific to Tulane engineers requires further investigation. Regardless, this study confirms the existence of a range of learning styles within biomedical engineering students, and provides motivation for instructors to consider how well their teaching style engages multiple learning styles.

Student-generated e-learning for clinical education.

PubMed

Isaacs, Alex N; Nisly, Sarah; Walton, Alison

2017-04-01

Within clinical education, e-learning facilitates a standardised learning experience to augment the clinical experience while enabling learner and teacher flexibility. With the shift of students from consumers to creators, student-generated content is expanding within higher education; however, there is sparse literature evaluating the impact of student-developed e-learning within clinical education. The aim of this study was to implement and evaluate a student-developed e-learning clinical module series within ambulatory care clinical pharmacy experiences. Three clinical e-learning modules were developed by students for use prior to clinical experiences. E-learning modules were created by fourth-year professional pharmacy students and reviewed by pharmacy faculty members. A pre-/post-assessment was performed to evaluate knowledge comprehension before and after participating in the e-learning modules. Additionally, a survey on student perceptions of this educational tool was performed at the end of the clinical experience. There is sparse literature evaluating the impact of student-developed e-learning within clinical education RESULTS: Of the 31 students eligible for study inclusion, 94 per cent participated in both the pre- and post-assessments. The combined post-assessment score was significantly improved after participating in the student-developed e-learning modules (p = 0.008). The student perception survey demonstrated positive perceptions of e-learning within clinical education. Student-generated e-learning was able to enhance knowledge and was positively perceived by learners. As e-learning continues to expand within health sciences education, students can be incorporated into the development and execution of this educational tool. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Role of Subjective Task Value in Service-Learning Engagement among Chinese College Students.

PubMed

Li, Yulan; Guo, Fangfang; Yao, Meilin; Wang, Cong; Yan, Wenfan

2016-01-01

Most service-learning studies in higher education focused on its effects on students' development. The dynamic processes and mechanisms of students' development during service-learning, however, have not been explored thoroughly. Student engagement in service-learning may affect service-learning outcomes and be affected by subjective task value at the same time. The present study aimed to explore the effect of subjective task value on Chinese college student engagement during service-learning. Fifty-four Chinese college students participated in a 9-weeks service-learning program of interacting with children with special needs. Students' engagement and subjective task value were assessed via self-report questionnaires and 433 weekly reflective journals. The results indicated that the cognitive, emotional and behavioral engagement of Chinese college students demonstrated different developmental trends during service-learning process. Subjective task value played an essential role in student engagement in service-learning activities. However, the role of subjective task value varied with different stages. Finally, the implications for implementing service-learning in Chinese education were discussed.

Building Interactivity in Higher Education to Support Student Engagement in Spatial Problem Solving and Programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulland, E.-K.; Veenendaal, B.; Schut, A. G. T.

2012-07-01

Problem-solving knowledge and skills are an important attribute of spatial sciences graduates. The challenge of higher education is to build a teaching and learning environment that enables students to acquire these skills in relevant and authentic applications. This study investigates the effectiveness of traditional face-to-face teaching and online learning technologies in supporting the student learning of problem-solving and computer programming skills, techniques and solutions. The student cohort considered for this study involves students in the surveying as well as geographic information science (GISc) disciplines. Also, students studying across a range of learning modes including on-campus, distance and blended, are considered in this study. Student feedback and past studies reveal a lack of student interest and engagement in problem solving and computer programming. Many students do not see such skills as directly relevant and applicable to their perceptions of what future spatial careers hold. A range of teaching and learning methods for both face-to-face teaching and distance learning were introduced to address some of the perceived weaknesses of the learning environment. These included initiating greater student interaction in lectures, modifying assessments to provide greater feedback and student accountability, and the provision of more interactive and engaging online learning resources. The paper presents and evaluates the teaching methods used to support the student learning environment. Responses of students in relation to their learning experiences were collected via two anonymous, online surveys and these results were analysed with respect to student pass and retention rates. The study found a clear distinction between expectations and engagement of surveying students in comparison to GISc students. A further outcome revealed that students who were already engaged in their learning benefited the most from the interactive learning resources and opportunities provided.

Student Buy-In to Active Learning in a College Science Course

PubMed Central

Cavanagh, Andrew J.; Aragón, Oriana R.; Chen, Xinnian; Couch, Brian; Durham, Mary; Bobrownicki, Aiyana; Hanauer, David I.; Graham, Mark J.

2016-01-01

The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure–persuasion–identification–commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n = 245) engagement in an undergraduate science course featuring active learning. Student buy-in to active learning was positively associated with engagement in self-regulated learning and students’ course performance. The positive associations among buy-in, self-regulated learning, and course performance suggest buy-in as a potentially important factor leading to student engagement and other student outcomes. These findings are particularly salient in course contexts featuring active learning, which encourage active student participation in the learning process. PMID:27909026

Same Mission, Different Look: Modernizing the AMS DataStreme Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abshire, W. E.; Kauffman, C.; Nugnes, K. A.; Geer, I. W.; Mills, E. W.; Stimach, A. E.

2017-12-01

For more than 20 years, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) has been enhancing K-12 teacher preparation and practice, and ultimately student learning through the DataStreme Project. DataStreme Atmosphere, Ocean, and Earth's Climate System (ECS), which are in close alignment with NGSS, empower teachers to implement STEM concepts in their classrooms using real-world data to deepen understanding of core science concepts and raise scientific literacy. For example, DataStreme ECS participants use the AMS Conceptual Climate Energy Model (CCEM) to explore radiative equilibrium. Then, participants use real-world NOAA data within the AMS Climate at a Glance (CAG) app to determine whether or not there is objective evidence consistent with climate change. Both the CCEM and CAG app enable participants to investigate concepts as scientists do, thereby aligning with Dimension 1 of NGSS. This presentation will highlight other ways in which DataStreme ECS aligns with the four disciplinary areas of NGSS. DataStreme courses are offered each fall and spring semester by Local Implementation Teams (LITs) across the country in coordination with AMS Education Program scientists and educators. In 2017, the AMS Education Program entered into a new agreement with California University of Pennsylvania to serve as their institutional partner for DataStreme to offer tuition-free graduate credits to participants. Some changes have already occurred and there are many opportunities for further enhancement. Most noticeably to begin, DataStreme course resources are now available to participants in all 50 states and U.S. territories through a learning management system (LMS). The use of a LMS enables LITs the opportunity to better engage their participants through online discussion boards, video assignments, shared dropbox uploads, digital assessment tools and rubrics, and much more. The Fall 2017 semester was the first term to exploit the Desire to Learn (D2L) platform for course implementation. This presentation will include feedback and lessons learned from early use of new pedagogical tools. The future of teacher professional development opportunities via AMS DataStreme courses is bright as it evolves under new leadership and leverages new tools while staying rooted in its mission to increase public scientific literacy.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) as a Means for School-Based Science Curriculum Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browne, Christi L.

The challenge of school-based science curriculum change and educational reform is often presented to science teachers and departments who are not necessarily prepared for the complexity of considerations that change movements require. The development of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) focused on a science department's curriculum change efforts, may provide the necessary tools to foster sustainable school-based curriculum science changes. This research presents a case study of an evolving science department PLC consisting of 10 middle school science teachers from the same middle school and their efforts of school-based science curriculum change. A transformative mixed model case study with qualitative data and deepened by quantitative analysis, was chosen to guide the investigation. Collected data worked to document the essential developmental steps, the occurrence and frequency of the five essential dimensions of successful PLCs, and the influences the science department PLC had on the middle school science department's progression through school-based science curriculum change, and the barriers, struggles and inhibiting actions of the science department PLC. Findings indicated that a science department PLC was unique in that it allowed for a focal science departmental lens of science curriculum change to be applied to the structure and function of the PLC and therefore the process, proceedings, and results were directly aligned to and driven by the science department. The science PLC, while logically difficult to set-up and maintain, became a professional science forum where the middle school science teachers were exposed to new science teaching and learning knowledge, explored new science standards, discussed effects on student science learning, designed and critically analyzed science curriculum change application. Conclusions resulted in the science department PLC as an identified tool providing the ability for science departmental actions to lead to outcomes of science curriculum change improvements with the consideration but not the dictation of the larger school community and state agendas. Thus, the study's results work to fuse previously separated research on general PLCs and curriculum change efforts into a cohesive understanding of the unexplored potential of a science PLC and school-based science curriculum change.

Signal information available for plume source tracking with and without surface waves and learning by undergraduates assisting with the research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiley, Megan Beth

Autonomous vehicles have had limited success in locating point sources of pollutants, chemicals, and other passive scalars. However, animals such as stomatopods, a mantis shrimp, track odor plumes easily for food, mates, and habitat. Laboratory experiments using Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence measured odor concentration downstream of a diffusive source with and without live stomatopods to investigate their source-tracking strategies in unidirectional and "wave-affected" (surface waves with a mean current) flows. Despite the dearth of signal, extreme temporal variation, and meandering plume centerline, the stomatopods were able to locate the source, especially in the wave-affected flow. Differences in the two plumes far from the source (>160 cm) appeared to help the animals in the wave-affected flow position themselves closer to the source (<70 cm) at times with relatively large amounts of odor and plume filaments of high concentration. At the height of the animals' antennules, the site of their primary chemosensors, the time-averaged Reynolds stresses in the two flows were approximately the same. The temporal variation in stresses over the wave cycle may be responsible for differences in the two plumes. The antennule height falls between a region of large peaks in Reynolds stress in phase with peaks in streamwise acceleration, and a lower region with a smaller Reynolds stress peak in phase with maximum shear during flow reversal. Six undergraduate students assisted with the research. We documented their daily activities and ideas on plume dispersion using open-ended interviews. Most of their time was spent on tasks that required no understanding of fluid mechanics, and there was little evidence of learning by participation in the RAship. One RA's conceptions of turbulence did change, but a group workshop seemed to support this learning more than the RAship. The documented conceptions could aid in curriculum design, since situating new information within current knowledge seems to deepen learning outcomes. The RAs' conceptions varied widely with some overlap of ideas. The interviews also showed that most RAs did not discuss molecular diffusion as part of the mixing process and some remembered information from course demonstrations, but applied them inappropriately to the interview questions.

Experiencing authenticity - the core of student learning in clinical practice.

PubMed

Manninen, Katri

2016-10-01

Learning in clinical practice is challenging regarding organizational and pedagogical issues. Clinical education wards are one way to meet these challenges by focusing on both patient care and student learning. However, more knowledge is needed about how students' learning can be enhanced and about patients' and supervisors' roles in these settings. The aim was to explore nursing students' learning on a clinical education ward with an explicit pedagogical framework. Semi-structured interviews of students were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and an ethnographic study including observations and follow-up interviews of students, patients and supervisors was conducted. The core of student meaningful learning experiences both external and internal authenticity. Students in early stages immediately created mutual relationships, experienced both external and internal authenticity, and patients became active participants in student learning. Without a mutual relationship, patients passively let students practice on their bodies. Students nearing graduation experienced only external authenticity, creating uncertainty as a threshold for learning. Caring for patients with complex needs helped students overcome the threshold and experience internal authenticity. Supervisors' challenges were to balance patient care and student learning by working as a team. They supported students coping with the complex challenges on the ward. Students need to experience external and internal authenticity to make learning meaningful. Experiencing authenticity, involving meaning-making processes and knowledge construction, is linked to transformative learning and overcoming thresholds. Therefore, an explicit pedagogical framework, based on patient-centredness, peer learning and the supervisory team, creates the prerequisites for experiencing external and internal authenticity.

Effects of congruence between preferred and perceived learning environments in nursing education in Taiwan: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Yeh, Ting-Kuang; Huang, Hsiu-Mei; Chan, Wing P; Chang, Chun-Yen

2016-01-01

Objective To investigate the effects of congruence between preferred and perceived learning environments on learning outcomes of nursing students. Setting A nursing course at a university in central Taiwan. Participants 124 Taiwanese nursing students enrolled in a 13-week problem-based Fundamental Nursing curriculum. Design and methods Students' preferred learning environment, perceptions about the learning environment and learning outcomes (knowledge, self-efficacy and attitudes) were assessed. On the basis of test scores measuring their preferred and perceived learning environments, students were assigned to one of two groups: a ‘preferred environment aligned with perceived learning environment’ group and a ‘preferred environment discordant with perceived learning environment’ group. Learning outcomes were analysed by group. Outcome measures Most participants preferred learning in a classroom environment that combined problem-based and lecture-based instruction. However, a mismatch of problem-based instruction with students' perceptions occurred. Learning outcomes were significantly better when students' perceptions of their instructional activities were congruent with their preferred learning environment. Conclusions As problem-based learning becomes a focus of educational reform in nursing, teachers need to be aware of students' preferences and perceptions of the learning environment. Teachers may also need to improve the match between an individual student's perception and a teacher's intention in the learning environment, and between the student's preferred and actual perceptions of the learning environment. PMID:27207620

Student and Faculty Beliefs about Learning in Higher Education: Implications for Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dandy, Kristina L.; Bendersky, Karen

2014-01-01

Beliefs about learning can influence whether or not a student learns course material. However, few studies in higher education have compared student and faculty beliefs about learning. In the current study, students and faculty agreed on many aspects of learning--including the definition of learning, which most hinders learning and where learning…

Absent and Accounted For: Absenteeism and Cooperative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koppenhaver, G. D.

2006-01-01

In a small section collaborative learning environment where student work teams promote mutual learning about investments, students limit the opportunity to learn from other students if they are absent from class. Absenteeism not only denies the student the opportunity to learn from others but also denies other members of the student's work team…

Becoming a Teacher--Student Teachers' Learning Patterns in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahonen, Elsi; Pyhältö, Kirsi; Pietarinen, Janne; Soini, Tiina

2015-01-01

Student teacher learning is a key issue for further professional development. Literature on student teacher learning suggests that students learn about teaching and undergo professional transformation during their education. However, studies often focus on a certain time period and on how students should learn instead of how they actually do…

Improving Students' Intrinsic Motivation in Piano Learning: Expert Teacher Voices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Zijia; Southcott, Jane

2016-01-01

Many students learn to play the piano but some lack the motivation to continue learning. Many students learn for extrinsic reasons. This research will explore understandings about student motivation held by expert piano teachers who have developed strategies to improve their students' intrinsic motivation to begin and continue learning. This small…

How Students Learn: Improving Teaching Techniques for Business Discipline Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cluskey, Bob; Elbeck, Matt; Hill, Kathy L.; Strupeck, Dave

2011-01-01

The focus of this paper is to familiarize business discipline faculty with cognitive psychology theories of how students learn together with teaching techniques to assist and improve student learning. Student learning can be defined as the outcome from the retrieval (free recall) of desired information. Student learning occurs in two processes.…

Improving self-regulated learning junior high school students through computer-based learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurjanah; Dahlan, J. A.

2018-05-01

This study is back grounded by the importance of self-regulated learning as an affective aspect that determines the success of students in learning mathematics. The purpose of this research is to see how the improvement of junior high school students' self-regulated learning through computer based learning is reviewed in whole and school level. This research used a quasi-experimental research method. This is because individual sample subjects are not randomly selected. The research design used is Pretest-and-Posttest Control Group Design. Subjects in this study were students of grade VIII junior high school in Bandung taken from high school (A) and middle school (B). The results of this study showed that the increase of the students' self-regulated learning who obtain learning with computer-based learning is higher than students who obtain conventional learning. School-level factors have a significant effect on increasing of the students' self-regulated learning.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Self-Created Student Screencasts as a Tool to Increase Student Learning Outcomes in a Hands-On Computer Programming Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Loreen M.; Wimmer, Hayden

2015-01-01

Computer programming is challenging to teach and difficult for students to learn. Instructors have searched for ways to improve student learning in programming courses. In an attempt to foster hands-on learning and to increase student learning outcomes in a programming course, the authors conducted an exploratory study to examine student created…

Student midwives and paramedic students' experiences of shared learning in pre-hospital childbirth.

PubMed

Feltham, Christina; Foster, Julie; Davidson, Tom; Ralph, Stewart

2016-06-01

To explore the experiences of midwifery and paramedic students undertaking interprofessional learning. A one day interprofessional learning workshop incorporating peer assisted learning for undergraduate pre-registration midwifery and paramedic students was developed based on collaborative practice theory and simulation based learning. Twenty-five student midwives and thirty-one paramedic students participated in one of two identical workshops conducted over separate days. Videoed focus group sessions were held following the workshop sessions in order to obtain qualitative data around student experience. Qualitative data analysis software (ATLAS.ti) was used to collate the transcriptions from the focus group sessions and the video recordings were scrutinised. Thematic analysis was adopted. Four main themes were identified around the understanding of each other's roles and responsibilities, the value of interprofessional learning, organisation and future learning. Students appeared to benefit from a variety of learning opportunities including interprofessional learning and peer assisted learning through the adoption of both formal and informal teaching methods, including simulation based learning. A positive regard for each other's profession including professional practice, professional governing bodies, professional codes and scope of practice was apparent. Students expressed a desire to undertake similar workshops with other professional students. Interprofessional learning workshops were found to be a positive experience for the students involved. Consideration needs to be given to developing interprofessional learning with other student groups aligned with midwifery at appropriate times in relation to stage of education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Students Talking about Assessment: Insights on Program Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donohue, William J.

2017-01-01

This study examines the student writer perspective of a first-year composition program's student learning outcomes. Student descriptions of learning are a valuable, yet often overlooked data source. The student voice broadens a first-year composition program's outcomes-based, student learning assessment process as program assessment data is often…

Inquiry identity and science teacher professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryce, Nadine; Wilmes, Sara E. D.; Bellino, Marissa

2016-06-01

An effective inquiry-oriented science teacher possesses more than the skills of teaching through investigation. They must address philosophies, and ways of interacting as a member of a group of educators who value and practice science through inquiry. Professional development opportunities can support inquiry identity development, but most often they address teaching practices from limited cognitive perspectives, leaving unexplored the shifts in identity that may accompany teachers along their journey in becoming skilled in inquiry-oriented instruction. In this forum article, we envision Victoria Deneroff's argument that "professional development could be designed to facilitate reflexive transformation of identity within professional learning environments" (2013, p. 33). Instructional coaching, cogenerative dialogues, and online professional communities are discussed as ways to promote inquiry identity formation and collaboration in ways that empower and deepen science teachers' conversations related to personal and professional efficacy in the service of improved science teaching and learning.

Student and faculty perceptions of problem-based learning on a family medicine clerkship.

PubMed

McGrew, M C; Skipper, B; Palley, T; Kaufman, A

1999-03-01

The value of problem-based learning (PBL) in the preclinical years of medical school has been described widely in the literature. This study evaluates student and faculty perceptions of PBL during the clinical years of medical school, on a family medicine clerkship. Students used a 4-point scale to rate clerkship educational components on how well learning was facilitated. Faculty narratives of their perceptions of PBL were reviewed. Educational components that involved active learning by students--clinical activity, independent learning, and PBL tutorials--were ranked highest by students. Faculty perceived that PBL on the clerkship simulated "real-life" learning, included more behavioral and population issues, and provided substantial blocks of student contact time for improved student evaluation. Students and faculty in a family medicine clerkship ranked PBL sessions higher than any other nonclinical component of the clerkship. In addition to providing students with opportunities for self-directed learning, the PBL sessions provide faculty with more contact time with students, thereby enhancing the assessment of students' learning and progress.

Dental students' perceptions of an online learning.

PubMed

Asiry, Moshabab A

2017-10-01

To identify the readiness of students for online learning, to investigate their preference and perception, and to measure the quality of online tutorials. A 14-statement questionnaire was administered to fourth year undergraduate dental students in male campus at King Saud University who completed preclinical orthodontic course. The students responded to each statement by using Likert scale. The results reveal a high agreement of students (27.8-31.5% agree and 38.9-50% strongly agree) on a possession of necessary computer skills and access to internet. 59.2% and 64.8% of the students replied that online flash lectures and procedural videos were helpful to their learning, respectively. With respect to students' learning preferences, few students preferred online flash lectures (31.5%) and procedural videos (17.1%). Most students (38.9% agree and 31.5% strongly agree) preferred a combination of traditional teaching methods and online learning. Overall, student attitudes were positive regarding online learning. The students viewed online learning helpful as a supplement to their learning rather than a replacement for traditional teaching methods.

Insights from Students' Private Work in Their Notebooks: How Do Students Learn from the Teacher's Examples?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yau, King Woon; Mok, Ida Ah Chee

2016-01-01

Students' seatwork plays an important part in their learning in their lessons, and very often, students record their private work in the notebooks during seatwork. The students' private work in their notebooks reflects students' learning and thinking, representing explicit learning outcomes. The students' private work in their notebooks of 14…

Culture and its influences on dental education.

PubMed

Chuenjitwongsa, S; Bullock, A; Oliver, R G

2018-02-01

Culture is an important factor influencing how students develop learning and how educators provide support to students. The aim of this paper is to explore a concept of national European cultures, and relationships between culture and educational practice with the intention of helping the dental profession gain a better understanding of effective teaching and learning in dentistry. Culture represents the collective behaviours, values and beliefs of people in a society. How people react to education is partly explained by culture. Students utilise different culturally based strategies to develop learning. We apply Hofstede's model to explore European cultures and implications for dental education and educational practice. Most Western students possess assimilating learning styles enabling them to learn effectively in student-centred contexts while most Eastern students have accommodating learning styles and are more familiar with teacher-centred learning. Eastern students may need to adapt their approach to learning to better benefit from student-centred learning. Culture influences students' learning and educational practice. Dental educators should be aware of such influences and provide support that acknowledges students' different cultural backgrounds. Cultural competence is fundamental for effective teaching and learning in dentistry. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Learning styles and academic achievement among undergraduate medical students in Thailand.

PubMed

Jiraporncharoen, Wichuda; Angkurawaranon, Chaisiri; Chockjamsai, Manoch; Deesomchok, Athavudh; Euathrongchit, Juntima

2015-01-01

This study aimed to explore the associations between learning styles and high academic achievement and to ascertain whether the factors associated with high academic achievement differed between preclinical and clinical students. A survey was conducted among undergraduate medical students in Chiang Mai University, Thailand. The Index of Learning Styles questionnaire was used to assess each student's learning style across four domains. High academic achievement was defined as a grade point average of at least 3.0. Of the 1,248 eligible medical students, 1,014 (81.3%) participated. Learning styles differed between the preclinical and clinical students in the active/reflective domain. A sequential learning style was associated with high academic achievement in both preclinical and clinical students. A reflective learning style was only associated with high academic achievement among preclinical students. The association between learning styles and academic achievement may have differed between preclinical and clinical students due to different learning content and teaching methods. Students should be encouraged to be flexible in their own learning styles in order to engage successfully with various and changing teaching methods across the curriculum. Instructors should be also encouraged to provide a variety of teaching materials and resources to suit different learning styles.

Great Earthquakes and Tsunami Day for Teachers on the Leading Edge: Geologic Hazards and Links to EarthScope in a Field-Based Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, R.; Bishop, E. M.; Ault, C.; Magura, B.; Hedeen, C.; Connor, D.; Southworth-Neumeyer, T.; Conrey, R.

2005-12-01

Inviting K-12 science teachers into the field to observe the work of professional geologists and engage in learning that is scientifically important and socially relevant deepens their geologic understanding while instilling enthusiasm for inquiry-based instruction. "Teachers on the Leading Edge" (TOTLE) is a field-based and place-based teacher development program that features active continental margin geology of the Pacific Northwest. Program themes include: (1) Geophysics as fundamental to understanding plate tectonics and essential to deciphering Pacific Northwest geology that underlies a tree-covered landscape; and (2) Geologic Hazards as understandable and inevitable consequences of living on the leading edge of our continent. The two-week TOTLE 2005 field workshop traversed the active continental margin of Oregon from the Pacific Coast through the Cascade Range to accreted terranes along the Snake River. "Great Earthquakes and Tsunami Day" featured introductions to earthquake seismology and paleoseismology. Presentations on earthquake seismology with examples from the December 2004 Sumatra - Andaman earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami provided context and background. During a morning low tide near Fort Clatsop south of Astoria, paleoseismologist Brian Atwater (USGS, Seattle) helped teachers observe and interpret drowned forests and tsunami deposits that mark four great Cascadia earthquakes of the past 2000 years. That afternoon, Darci Connor, former Tsunami Outreach Coordinator for the City of Seaside, helped teachers understand their critical role in educating K-12 students about natural hazard preparedness. In the evening, TOTLE teachers crafted their new understanding of great earthquakes and tsunami into interactive learning activities for Science Campers at Camp Kiwanilong operated by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. These experiences make frontier geophysical research, like GPS observations of slow earthquakes and seismic tomography of the subducting Juan de Fuca Plate, accessible to K-12 teachers and useful in their teaching of plate tectonics and earthquake seismology. Teachers on the Leading Edge is preparing K-12 teachers to convey the importance and discoveries of EarthScope's USArray and Plate Boundary Observatory experiments to their students.

Using Innovative Resources and Programs to Prepare Pre- and In-Service Teachers for New Science Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinzler, R. J.; Short, J.; Contino, J.; Cooke-Nieves, N.; Howes, E.; Kravitz, D.; Randle, D.; Trowbridge, C.

2014-12-01

Leveraging the Rose Center for Earth and Space and active research departments in Earth and Planetary Science, Astrophysics, and Paleontology, the Education Department at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) offers an MAT program to prepare new Earth Science teachers (~100 new teachers by 2018) as well as a range of professional development (PD) opportunities for over 3,000 K-12 teachers annually, providing opportunities to learn with scientists; inquiry-based experiences; and standards-aligned resources. The AMNH produces innovative geoscience and other STEM resources supporting teacher and student science investigations with data visualizations and analysis tools, teaching case materials and other resources that provide rich nonfiction reading and writing opportunities for use in Earth and space science curricula that are integrated in the MAT and PD programs. Museum resources and the MAT and PD programs are aligned to support the recently released Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Common Core State Standards. The NGSS is a set of science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas to help cultivate teachers' and K-12 students' scientific habits of mind, develop their knowledge and abilities to engage in scientific investigations, and teach them how to reason in context; goals that closely align with those of the AMNH's teacher preparation and professional development programs. A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (NRC, 2012) is a required text for the MAT program, and this text as well as the NGSS Performance Expectations guide the PD programs as well. Researchers working with Museum scientists and educators find it is not enough for programs for pre- and in-service teachers to provide access to resources. Research suggests that these programs need to engage pre- and in-service teachers in using and reflecting on these types of resources, as well as take into account school environments and support for pre- and in-service teachers with different levels of knowledge and teaching expertise. Evaluation findings from AMNH programs indicate pre- and in-service teachers deepen their science content knowledge and develop new ways of supporting inquiry-based learning and teaching.

A Bridge to Active Learning: A Summer Bridge Program Helps Students Maximize Their Active-Learning Experiences and the Active-Learning Experiences of Others

PubMed Central

Cooper, Katelyn M.; Ashley, Michael; Brownell, Sara E.

2017-01-01

National calls to improve student academic success in college have sparked the development of bridge programs designed to help students transition from high school to college. We designed a 2-week Summer Bridge program that taught introductory biology content in an active-learning way. Through a set of exploratory interviews, we unexpectedly identified that Bridge students had developed sophisticated views of active learning, even though this was not an explicit goal of the program. We conducted an additional set of semistructured interviews that focused on active learning and compared the interviews of Bridge students with those from non-Bridge students who had been eligible for but did not participate in the program. We used the constant comparative method to identify themes from the interviews. We found that Bridge students perceived that, because they knew how to approach active learning and viewed it as important, they benefited more from active learning in introductory biology than non-Bridge students. Specifically, Bridge students seemed to be more aware of their own learning gains from participating in active learning. Compared with the majority of non-Bridge students, the majority of Bridge students described using a greater variety of strategies to maximize their experiences in active learning. Finally, in contrast to non-Bridge students, Bridge students indicated that they take an equitable approach to group work. These findings suggest that we may be able to prime students to maximize their own and other’s experiences in active learning. PMID:28232588

Learning styles of physiology students interested in the health professions.

PubMed

Breckler, Jennifer; Joun, David; Ngo, Huy

2009-03-01

Student learning may be classified according to the sensory modalities by which one prefers to take in information. One such classification scheme uses the VARK instrument, which categorizes learning preferences as visual (V), auditory (A), reading-writing (R), or kinesthetic (K). Many students have a single, strong preferences ("unimodal"), whereas others have multiple ("multimodal") learning preferences. Although limited in scope and reliability, knowledge of student learning preferences is important for reasons of pedagogy. Teaching and student learning styles may also affect student academic success in science coursework and fulfillment of student career goals. In our study, we determined the learning preferences of upper-division students in a human physiology course during a 2-yr period at a public undergraduate institution in California. We also sought to determine the association between individual learning styles and stated career intentions. We found that the majority of students interested in the health professions have multimodal learning preferences. Furthermore, a greater percentage of premedical students had multimodal preferences compared with predental and prescientist students. When data were compared by gender, we found that more female than male students had multimodal learning preferences. We also observed some gender differences when separating student groups by career choice. For example, more premedical men had multimodal preferences compared with nonpremedical men. In contrast to men, women showed little differences in their learning style profiles whether premedical or not and also self-predicted their learning preferences more accurately. Thus, career choice may be an important consideration in determining whether or not there are gender differences among students.

Enriching Student Learning of Astronomy in Online Courses via Hybrid Texts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montgomery, M.

2016-01-01

Hybrid texts such as Horizons: Exploring the Universe, Hybrid (with CengageNOW) and Universe, Hybrid (with CengageNOW) are designed for higher education learning of astronomy in undergraduate online courses. In these hybrid texts, quiz and test bank questions have been revised to minimize easy look-up of answers by students via the Internet and discussion threads have been re-designed to allow for student selection of learning and for personalized learning, for example. By establishing connections between the student and the course content, student learning is enriched, students spend more time learning the material, student copying of answers is minimized, and student social engagement on the subject matter is increased. In this presentation, we discuss how Hybrid texts in Astronomy can increase student learning in online courses.

The Effect of Learning Based on Technology Model and Assessment Technique toward Thermodynamic Learning Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makahinda, T.

2018-02-01

The purpose of this research is to find out the effect of learning model based on technology and assessment technique toward thermodynamic achievement by controlling students intelligence. This research is an experimental research. The sample is taken through cluster random sampling with the total respondent of 80 students. The result of the research shows that the result of learning of thermodynamics of students who taught the learning model of environmental utilization is higher than the learning result of student thermodynamics taught by simulation animation, after controlling student intelligence. There is influence of student interaction, and the subject between models of technology-based learning with assessment technique to student learning result of Thermodynamics, after controlling student intelligence. Based on the finding in the lecture then should be used a thermodynamic model of the learning environment with the use of project assessment technique.

An implementation of 7E Learning Cycle Model to Improve Student Self-esteem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firdaus, F.; Priatna, N.; Suhendra, S.

2017-09-01

One of the affective factors that affect student learning outcomes is student self-esteem in mathematics, learning achievement and self-esteem influence each other. The purpose of this research is to know whether self-esteem students who get 7E learning cycle model is better than students who get conventional learning. This research method is a non-control group design. Based on the results obtained that the normal and homogeneous data so that the t test and from the test results showed there are significant differences in self-esteem students learning with 7E learning cycle model compared with students who get conventional learning. The implications of the results of this study are that students should be required to conduct many discussions, presentations and evaluations on classroom activities as these learning stages can improve students’ self-esteem especially pride in the results achieved.

Practical Examples of an Integrated Field Study Program at Mt. Fuji: Geosciences and the Arts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, T.; Kamikuri, S. I.; Otsuji, H.; Kataguchi, N.; Maruyama, H.; Hashiura, H.

2017-12-01

Mt. Fuji is a symbol of existence for the Japanese and it also has been a religiously revered subject. In addition, as represented by the ukiyo-e of Hokusai and Hiroshige, it is a subject of paintings, as well as of various types of literary expression such as waka, haiku and novels. Historically, there was a time when Mt. Fuji was used as a symbol of the integration of the country; and it has long reflected the culture, life and thoughts of the Japanese. On another level, from the Earth scientific point of view, Mt. Fuji is one of the most active volcanoes in Japan. Teacher training colleges in Japan have created educational programs for all subjects taught at school. However, as there is no effective linkage among these subjects, students may have different opinions on them according to their curriculum. In this study, we adopted a multifaceted learning approach toward that most symbolic icon of our country. In FY2014 and FY2016, a course created by the College of Education at Ibaraki University, called "Fieldwork on Geology," was conducted at and around Mt. Fuji. In addition to conducting fieldwork from the viewpoint of earth science, it also had abundant artistic content. Academics in the fields of earth science, art and pedagogy worked closely together from the planning stage and participated in a field study with 25 university students. Specifically, we focused on how the experience of sketching a landscape affects field observations by broadening the viewpoint and deepening the understanding of students. To ascertain the bidirectional educational effects between earth sciences and art, students were asked: 1) to express an image of Mt. Fuji, and 2) to appreciate paintings of Mt. Fuji and express the information they garnered from the paintings, before and after the fieldwork. These two exercises are considered as providing insights into how the students' understanding had changed. In addition, reports and impressions submitted by the students were used as materials for putting the classes together. Results show that a large number of positive effects are obtained corresponding to the time and energy spent making sketches. It has also been suggested that the experience of onsite observations provides various novel and concrete viewpoints for the appreciation of paintings.