Magnetic Force and Work: An Accessible Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gates, Joshua

2014-01-01

Despite their physics instructors' arguments to the contrary, introductory students can observe situations in which there seems to be compelling evidence for magnetic force doing work. The counterarguments are often highly technical and require physics knowledge beyond the experience of novice students, however. A simple example is presented…

Using Example Problems to Improve Student Learning in Algebra: Differentiating between Correct and Incorrect Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Julie L.; Lange, Karin E.; Koedinger, Kenneth R.; Newton, Kristie J.

2013-01-01

In a series of two "in vivo" experiments, we examine whether correct and incorrect examples with prompts for self-explanation can be effective for improving students' conceptual understanding and procedural skill in Algebra when combined with guided practice. In Experiment 1, students working with the Algebra I Cognitive Tutor were randomly…

Using Example Problems to Improve Student Learning in Algebra: Differentiating between Correct and Incorrect Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Julie L.; Lange, Karin E.; Koedinger, Kenneth R.; Newton, Kristie J.

2013-01-01

In a series of two in vivo experiments, we examine whether correct and incorrect examples with prompts for self-explanation can be effective for improving students' conceptual understanding and procedural skill in Algebra when combined with guided practice. In Experiment 1, students working with the Algebra I Cognitive Tutor were randomly assigned…

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.

Studying and Working Abroad. Leonardo da Vinci Series: Good Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (Belgium). Directorate-General for Education and Culture.

This document profiles recent successful examples of students studying and working abroad as part of the European Commission's Leonardo da Vinci program, which is designed to give students across the European Union the opportunity to experience vocational training in a foreign country. The following examples are presented: (1) 3 Finnish students…

Project Soar.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Marion

1982-01-01

Project Soar, a Saturday enrichment program for gifted students (6-14 years old), allows students to work intensively in a single area of interest. Examples are cited of students' work in crewel embroidery, creative writing, and biochemistry. (CL)

The Effect of Worked Examples on Student Learning and Error Anticipation in Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Julie L.; Begolli, Kreshnik N.; McCann, Nicholas

2016-01-01

The present study examines the effectiveness of incorporating worked examples with prompts for self-explanation into a middle school math textbook. Algebra 1 students (N = 75) completed an equation-solving unit with reform textbooks either containing the original practice problems or in which a portion of those problems were converted into…

Learning about Functions through Learner-Generated Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinkelman, Martha O.; Cavey, Laurie O.

2015-01-01

In many mathematics classrooms, the teacher provides "worked examples" to demonstrate how students should perform certain algorithms or processes. Some students find it difficult to generalize from the examples that teachers provide and cannot apply what they have learned in new situations (Watson and Mason 2002). Instead, teachers might…

The Definition of Giftedness: How Can We Help Promote the Work Ethic in Gifted Students?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flack, Jerry

2000-01-01

This article discusses the role that "willingness to work" must play in any definition of giftedness. Strategies are provided for promoting the work ethic in gifted students: provide students with models of excellence, provide examples of people who have worked hard and enjoyed their labors, and support meaningful hard work. (CR)

The learning effects of different presentations of worked examples on medical students' breaking-bad-news skills: A randomized and blinded field trial.

PubMed

Schmitz, Felix Michael; Schnabel, Kai Philipp; Bauer, Daniel; Bachmann, Cadja; Woermann, Ulrich; Guttormsen, Sissel

2018-02-24

Effective instructional approaches are needed to enable undergraduates to optimally prepare for the limited training time they receive with simulated patients (SPs). This study examines the learning effects of different presentation formats of a worked example on student SP communication. Sixty-seven fourth-year medical students attending a mandatory communication course participated in this randomized field trial. Prior to the course, they worked through an e-learning module that introduced the SPIKES protocol for delivering bad news to patients. In this module, a single worked example was presented to one group of students in a text version, to a second group in a video version, and to a third group in a video version enriched with text hints denoting the SPIKES steps. The video-with-hints group broke bad news to SPs significantly more appropriately than either of the other groups. Although no further condition-related effects were revealed, students who learned from the text version most frequently (although non-significantly) ignored unpleasant emotions (standardised emotional cues and concerns) expressed by the SPs. The learning effect was strongest when the video-based worked example was accompanied by hints. Video-related learning approaches that embed attention-guiding hints can effectively prepare undergraduates for SP encounters. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mobile Learning Based Worked Example in Electric Circuit (WEIEC) Application to Improve the High School Students' Electric Circuits Interpretation Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yadiannur, Mitra; Supahar

2017-01-01

This research aims to determine the feasibility and effectivity of mobile learning based Worked Example in Electric Circuits (WEIEC) application in improving the high school students' electric circuits interpretation ability on Direct Current Circuits materials. The research method used was a combination of Four-D Models and ADDIE model. The…

Writing Abstracts for MLIS Research Proposals Using Worked Examples: An Innovative Approach to Teaching the Elements of Research Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ondrusek, Anita L.; Thiele, Harold E.; Yang, Changwoo

2014-01-01

The authors examined abstracts written by graduate students for their research proposals as a requirement for a course in research methods in a distance learning MLIS program. The students learned under three instructional conditions that involved varying levels of access to worked examples created from abstracts representing research in the LIS…

Case-Based Learning with Worked Examples in Complex Domains: Two Experimental Studies in Undergraduate Medical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stark, Robin; Kopp, Veronika; Fischer, Martin R.

2011-01-01

To investigate the effects of example format (erroneous examples vs. correct examples) and feedback format (elaborated feedback vs. knowledge of results feedback) on medical students' diagnostic competence in the context of a web-based learning environment containing case-based worked examples, two studies with a 2 x 2 design were conducted in the…

Examining Student Work in the Preparation of Preservice Elementary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Busi, Rich; Jacobbe, Tim

2014-01-01

This study investigated preservice teachers' perceptions of their knowledge and development resulting from analyzing student work in an undergraduate mathematics education course. Participants were given opportunities to view and analyze student work examples that portrayed errors in thinking as well as alternative solution methods. Thirty-eight…

Computer-Based Learning of Geometry from Integrated and Split-Attention Worked Examples: The Power of Self-Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tindall-Ford, Sharon; Agostinho, Shirley; Bokosmaty, Sahar; Paas, Fred; Chandler, Paul

2015-01-01

This research investigated the viability of learning by self-managing split-attention worked examples as an alternative to learning by studying instructor-managed integrated worked examples. Secondary school students learning properties of angles on parallel lines were taught to integrate spatially separated text and diagrammatic information by…

Teaching the First Law of Thermodynamics via Real-Life Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Wheijen

2011-01-01

The literature has revealed that many students encounter substantial difficulties in applying the first law of thermodynamics. For example, university students sometimes fail to recognize that heat and work are independent means of energy transfer. When discussing adiabatic processes for an ideal gas, few students can correctly refer to the…

Examining the Use of Worked Example Video Podcasts in Middle School Mathematics Classrooms: A Formative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kay, Robin; Edwards, Jaime

2012-01-01

Video podcasts allow students to control when, where, and what they learn, as well as the pace of learning. Considerable research has been conducted in higher education on video podcast use, but not in middle schools (grades six to eight). This study investigated the use of worked example video podcasts in mathematics classrooms with students 11…

Self-Explanations: How Students Study and Use Examples in Learning To Solve Problems. Technical Report No. 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chi, Michelene T. H.; And Others

A study examined in detail the initial encoding of worked-out examples of mechanics problems by "good" and "poor" students, and their subsequent reliance on examples during problem solving. The subjects, three males and five females, were selected from responses to a university campus advertisement. Six of them were working…

Faded-example as a Tool to Acquire and Automate Mathematics Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retnowati, E.

2017-04-01

Students themselves accomplish Knowledge acquisition and automation. The teacher plays a role as the facilitator by creating mathematics tasks that assist students in building knowledge efficiently and effectively. Cognitive load caused by learning material presented by teachers should be considered as a critical factor. While the intrinsic cognitive load is related to the degree of complexity of the material learning ones can handle, the extraneous cognitive load is directly caused by how the material is presented. Strategies to present a learning material in computational learning domains like mathematics are a namely worked example (fully-guided task) or problem-solving (discovery task with no guidance). According to the empirical evidence, learning based on problem-solving may cause high-extraneous cognitive load for students who have limited prior knowledge, conversely learn based on worked example may cause high-extraneous cognitive load for students who have mastered the knowledge base. An alternative is a faded example consisting of the partly-completed task. Learning from faded-example can facilitate students who already acquire some knowledge about the to-be-learned material but still need more practice to automate the knowledge further. This instructional strategy provides a smooth transition from a fully-guided into an independent problem solver. Designs of faded examples for learning trigonometry are discussed.

Working with the Exceptional Student.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Madeline

1989-01-01

To work productively with all students, teachers need to examine four major determinants of human learning: neural equipment; learning history; learning strategies, such as imaging, paraphrasing, summarizing, and generating examples; and quality of teaching. (JDD)

Using contrasting cases to improve self-assessment in physics learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jax, Jared Michael

Accurate self-assessment (SA) is widely regarded as a valuable tool for conducting scientific work, although there is growing concern that students present difficulties in accurately assessing their own learning. For students, the challenge of accurately self-assessing their work prevents them from effectively critiquing their own knowledge and skills, and making corrections when necessary to improve their performance. An overwhelming majority of researchers have acknowledged the importance of developing and practicing the necessary reflective skills SA in science, yet it is rarely a focus of daily instruction leading to students typically overestimate their abilities. In an effort to provide a pragmatic approach to overcoming these deficiencies, this study will demonstrate the effect of using positive and negative examples of solutions (contrasting cases) on performance and accuracy of SA when compared to student who are only shown positive examples of solutions. The work described here sought, first, to establish the areas of flawed SA that introductory high school physics students experience when studying circuitry, and, second, to examine how giving students Content Knowledge in addition to Positive and Negative Examples focused on helping them self-assess might help overcome these deficiencies. In doing so, this work highlights the positive impact that these types of support have in significantly increasing student performance, SA accuracy, and the ability to evaluate solutions in physics education.

Example-Based Learning: Effects of Model Expertise in Relation to Student Expertise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boekhout, Paul; van Gog, Tamara; van de Wiel, Margje W. J.; Gerards-Last, Dorien; Geraets, Jacques

2010-01-01

Background: Worked examples are very effective for novice learners. They typically present a written-out ideal (didactical) solution for learners to study. Aims: This study used worked examples of patient history taking in physiotherapy that presented a "non"-didactical solution (i.e., based on actual performance). The effects of model expertise…

Serpentine Solutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubbard, Guy

2003-01-01

Focuses on works of art that are serpentine, which means the artist either depicts snakes or use snake-like designs. Explains that the four examples given are to motivate students to search for more examples. Discusses different ways to help students learn about serpentine designs by observing real snakes. (CMK)

26 CFR 1.25A-5 - Special rules relating to characterization and timing of payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... also provides Student A with an education loan and pays Student A for working in a work/study job in...,000. Example 2. (i) In December 1998, Student B, a senior at College Y, pays $2,000 for qualified...

Personal Power and the Common Good

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Jon; Jones, Jerryelyn L.

2010-01-01

Authentic service learning in city schools helps students work toward important change in their own communities. Students are able to face and address issues that have an immediate impact on their neighbors and themselves. Two examples from Chicago neighborhoods illustrate how powerful the concept is: Students worked with a community organization…

Framework for Instructional Technology: Methods of Implementing Adaptive Training and Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

with when they were correct and certain, performed better on a posttest than students who got the same (positive) feedback for every correct...analogous step in previous examples. Students in this condition performed better on a posttest than students who had received fading of worked examples...well on a module posttest would get the next module at a higher level. Students learning with this system outperformed those learning with the

Effects of Worked Examples Using Manipulatives on Fifth Graders' Learning Performance and Attitude toward Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Chun-Yi; Chen, Ming-Jang

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of worked examples using virtual manipulatives on the learning performance and attitudes of fifth grade students toward mathematics. The results showed that: (1) the utilization of non-routine examples could promote learning performance of equivalent fractions. (2) Learning with virtual…

Fostering clinical reasoning in physiotherapy: comparing the effects of concept map study and concept map completion after example study in novice and advanced learners.

PubMed

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

2017-12-01

Health profession learners can foster clinical reasoning by studying worked examples presenting fully worked out solutions to a clinical problem. It is possible to improve the learning effect of these worked examples by combining them with other learning activities based on concept maps. This study investigated which combinaison of activities, worked examples study with concept map completion or worked examples study with concept map study, fosters more meaningful learning of intervention knowledge in physiotherapy students. Moreover, this study compared the learning effects of these learning activity combinations between novice and advanced learners. Sixty-one second-year physiotherapy students participated in the study which included a pre-test phase, a 130-min guided-learning phase and a four-week self-study phase. During the guided and self-study learning sessions, participants had to study three written worked examples presenting the clinical reasoning for selecting electrotherapeutic currents to treat patients with motor deficits. After each example, participants engaged in either concept map completion or concept map study depending on which learning condition they were randomly allocated to. Students participated in an immediate post-test at the end of the guided-learning phase and a delayed post-test at the end of the self-study phase. Post-tests assessed the understanding of principles governing the domain of knowledge to be learned (conceptual knowledge) and the ability to solve new problems that have similar (i.e., near transfer) or different (i.e., far transfer) solution rationales as problems previously studied in the examples. Learners engaged in concept map completion outperformed those engaged in concept map study on near transfer (p = .010) and far transfer (p < .001) performance. There was a significant interaction effect of learners' prior ability and learning condition on conceptual knowledge but not on near and far transfer performance. Worked examples study combined with concept map completion led to greater transfer performance than worked examples study combined with concept map study for both novice and advanced learners. Concept map completion might give learners better insight into what they have and have not yet learned, allowing them to focus on those aspects during subsequent example study.

Delayed Learning Effects with Erroneous Examples: A Study of Learning Decimals with a Web-Based Tutor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaren, Bruce M.; Adams, Deanne M.; Mayer, Richard E.

2015-01-01

Erroneous examples--step-by-step problem solutions with one or more errors for students to find and fix--hold great potential to help students learn. In this study, which is a replication of a prior study (Adams et al. 2014), but with a much larger population (390 vs. 208), middle school students learned about decimals either by working with…

Magnetic force and work: an accessible example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gates, Joshua

2014-05-01

Despite their physics instructors’ arguments to the contrary, introductory students can observe situations in which there seems to be compelling evidence for magnetic force doing work. The counterarguments are often highly technical and require physics knowledge beyond the experience of novice students, however. A simple example is presented which can illustrate that all may not be what it seems when energy transfer and the magnetic force are involved. Excel and Python simulations of the process are also provided.

What Works with Worked Examples: Extending Self-Explanation and Analogical Comparison to Synthesis Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badeau, Ryan; White, Daniel R.; Ibrahim, Bashirah; Ding, Lin; Heckler, Andrew F.

2017-01-01

The ability to solve physics problems that require multiple concepts from across the physics curriculum--"synthesis" problems--is often a goal of physics instruction. Three experiments were designed to evaluate the effectiveness of two instructional methods employing worked examples on student performance with synthesis problems; these…

Learning Algebra by Example in Real-World Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Julie L.; Oyer, Melissa H.; Paré-Blagoev, E. Juliana; Elliot, Andrew J.; Barbieri, Christina; Augustine, Adam; Koedinger, Kenneth R.

2015-01-01

Math and science textbook chapters invariably supply students with sets of problems to solve, but this widely used approach is not optimal for learning; instead, more effective learning can be achieved when many problems to solve are replaced with correct and incorrect worked examples for students to study and explain. In the present study, the…

Power Play: Rethinking Roles in the Art Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buffington, Melanie L.

2014-01-01

This article describes how art teachers can work toward changing the power dynamics in their classrooms by using a student centered approach, as demonstrated by an example lesson about contemporary painter Kehinde Wiley. As the class unpacked the idea of power prevalent in Wiley's portraits, the students gave relevant examples of how power…

Algebra Word Problem Solving Approaches in a Chemistry Context: Equation Worked Examples versus Text Editing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngu, Bing Hiong; Yeung, Alexander Seeshing

2013-01-01

Text editing directs students' attention to the problem structure as they classify whether the texts of word problems contain sufficient, missing or irrelevant information for working out a solution. Equation worked examples emphasize the formation of a coherent problem structure to generate a solution. Its focus is on the construction of three…

Statistics and Data Interpretation for Social Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenthal, James A.

2011-01-01

Written by a social worker for social work students, this is a nuts and bolts guide to statistics that presents complex calculations and concepts in clear, easy-to-understand language. It includes numerous examples, data sets, and issues that students will encounter in social work practice. The first section introduces basic concepts and terms to…

Identifying and Addressing Student Difficulties and Misconceptions: Examples from Physics and from Materials Science and Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenblatt, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Here I present my work identifying and addressing student difficulties with several materials science and physics topics. In the first part of this thesis, I present my work identifying student difficulties and misconceptions about the directional relationships between net force, velocity, and acceleration in one dimension. This is accomplished…

Comparing Examples: WebAssign versus Textbook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, Evan; Polak, Jeff; Hardin, Ashley; Risley, John, , Dr.

2005-11-01

Research shows students can learn from worked examples.^1 This pilot study compared two groups of students' performance (10 each) in solving physics problems. One group had access to interactive examples^2 released in WebAssign^3, while the other group had access to the counterpart textbook examples. Verbal data from students in problem solving sessions was collected using a think aloud protocol^4 and the data was analyzed using Chi's procedures.^5 An explanation of the methodology and results will be presented. Future phases of this pilot study based upon these results will also be discussed. ^1Atkinson, R.K., Derry, S.J., Renkl A., Wortham, D. (2000). ``Learning from Examples: Instructional Principles from the Worked Examples Research'', Review of Educational Research, vol. 70, n. 2, pp. 181-214. ^2Serway, R.A. & Faughn, J.S. (2006). College Physics (7^th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. ^3 see www.webassign.net ^4 Ericsson, K.A. & Simon, H.A. (1984). Protocol Analysis: Verbal Reports as Data. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. ^5 Chi, Michelene T.H. (1997). ``Quantifying Qualitative Analyses of Verbal Data: A Practical Guide,'' The Journal of the Learning Sciences, vol. 6, n. 3, pp. 271-315.

The Power of Audience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Steven

2008-01-01

Teachers in Expeditionary Learning schools have discovered that finding an authentic audience for a genuine product is the key to getting students to take responsibility for their own work. The author, a school designer for Expeditionary Learning Schools Outward Bound, describes three examples of projects in which students worked on curriculum…

Learning from fellow engineering students who have current professional experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, John W.; Rutherford, Ursula

2012-08-01

This paper presents an investigation of how experience-led content in an engineering degree can be strengthened by creating opportunities for engineering students to benefit from the knowledge, skills and resources of students with current professional experience. Students who study civil engineering part-time at Coventry University (while also working in the industry) are being used as mentors for full-time students, and careful attention is being paid to the input they can make to group project work. This paper reviews the results of evaluations of these two initiatives. The clearest enhancement to learning provided by the part-time students in these settings is the access they provide for the full-time students to real examples and the provision of actual physical artefacts such as drawings, photos, example documents and templates. Full-time students also gain an awareness of the value of the professional skills. The study confirms the value of these initiatives and points to future improvements.

Scaffolding Meta-Cognitive Skills for Effective Analogical Problem Solving via Tailored Example Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muldner, Kasia; Conati, Cristina

2010-01-01

Although worked-out examples play a key role in cognitive skill acquisition, research demonstrates that students have various levels of meta-cognitive abilities for using examples effectively. The Example Analogy (EA)-Coach is an Intelligent Tutoring System that provides adaptive support to foster meta-cognitive behaviors relevant to a specific…

Training and Transfer of Complex Cognitive Skills: Effects of Worked Examples and Conventional Problem-Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darabi, Abbas; Nelson, David W.

2004-01-01

Thirty six senior students in chemical engineering were randomly assigned to three treatment groups in an experimental study that examined the impact of different instructional strategies for troubleshooting malfunctions in a computer-based simulation of a chemical processing plant. In two groups, different types of worked examples,…

Promoting College Students' Problem Understanding Using Schema-Emphasizing Worked Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Jie; Lavigne, Nancy C.

2014-01-01

Statistics learners often bypass the critical step of understanding a problem before executing solutions. Worked-out examples that identify problem information (e.g., data type, number of groups, purpose of analysis) key to determining a solution (e.g., "t" test, chi-square, correlation) can address this concern. The authors examined the…

Effects of Problem Solving after Worked Example Study on Secondary School Children's Monitoring Accuracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baars, Martine; van Gog, Tamara; de Bruin, Anique; Paas, Fred

2017-01-01

Monitoring accuracy, measured by judgements of learning (JOLs), has generally been found to be low to moderate, with students often displaying overconfidence, and JOLs of problem solving are no exception. Recently, primary school children's overconfidence was shown to diminish when they practised problem solving after studying worked examples. The…

Effect of Worked Examples on Mental Model Progression in a Computer-Based Simulation Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darabi, Aubteen; Nelson, David W.; Meeker, Richard; Liang, Xinya; Boulware, Wilma

2010-01-01

In a diagnostic problem solving operation of a computer-simulated chemical plant, chemical engineering students were randomly assigned to two groups: one studying product-oriented worked examples, the other practicing conventional problem solving. Effects of these instructional strategies on the progression of learners' mental models were examined…

Psychological Factors Affecting Medical Students' Learning with Erroneous Worked Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klopp, Eric; Stark, Robin; Kopp, Veronika; Fischer, Martin R.

2013-01-01

The acquisition of diagnostic competence is seen as a major goal during the course of study in medicine. One innovative method to foster this goal is problem-based learning with erroneous worked examples provided in a computer learning environment. The present study explores the relationship of attitudinal, emotional and cognitive factors for…

Constructing a High-Stakes Community in the Classroom: A Case Study of One Urban Middle-School Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothrock, Racheal M.

2017-01-01

A teacher at an urban middle school worked to become part of her students' communities and utilized the notion of community within her pedagogy. Her example offers hope that engaging with students' communities and building community within the classroom are attainable and valuable goals. Her example also demonstrates that the concept of community…

Student Success: Identifying High-Impact Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waiwaiole, Evelyn N.; Bohlig, E. Michael; Massey, Kristine J.

2016-01-01

This chapter discusses the work of the Center for Community College Student Engagement, highlighting institutes the Center hosts and work that comes from these meetings. Examples of interventions that evolved from the High-Impact Practices Institutes conducted by the Center are provided. The chapter concludes with a discussion about implementation…

Promotion of Students' Mastery Goal Orientations: Does TARGET Work?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lüftenegger, Marko; van de Schoot, Rens; Schober, Barbara; Finsterwald, Monika; Spiel, Christiane

2014-01-01

Achievement goal orientations are important for students' ongoing motivation. Students with a mastery goal orientation show the most advantageous achievement and motivational patterns. Much research has been conducted to identify classroom structures which promote students' mastery goal orientation. The TARGET framework is one example of these…

Implementing Game Design in School: A Worked Example (Mise en oeuvre de la conception de jeu à l'école: un exemple pratique)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herro, Danielle C.

2015-01-01

This case uses a worked or "working example" model (Gee, 2010), documenting the implementation of a novel game design curriculum in the United States. Created by an Instructional Technology Administrator (ITA) and two classroom teachers, it was subsequently offered to high school students. With an aim of providing in-depth understanding…

Giving Students the Business.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Dan

1995-01-01

Examples of school-based enterprises in Kentucky illustrate how schools can provide vital work-based learning experiences for high school students. The necessity of exposing students to career opportunities as early as possible and of developing empathy between teachers and employers is stressed. (SK)

"Knoxville, Tennessee": Using Nikki Giovanni's Poem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felice, Renee-Noelle

1998-01-01

Finds that Nikki Giovanni's poem "Knoxville, Tennessee" works with students of all ages (including adults) and, because of its simplicity, needs no preparation and can be read aloud by students. Suggests students write a group poem before they write their own individual poems. Contains many examples of student poetry. (PA)

Geometric Reasoning about a Circle Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Gloriana; DeJarnette, Anna F.

2013-01-01

What does problem-based instruction do for students and teachers? The open-ended geometry problem presented in this article, along with examples of students' work on the problem, illustrates how problem-based instruction can help students develop their mathematical proficiency. Recent studies have shown that students who experience problem-based…

On the Quality of Examples in Introductory Java Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borstler, Jurgen; Nordstrom, Marie; Paterson, James H.

2011-01-01

Example programs play an important role in the teaching and learning of programming. Students as well as teachers rank examples as the most important resources for learning to program. Example programs work as role models and must therefore always be consistent with the principles and rules we are teaching. However, it is difficult to find or…

Example-Based Learning: Effects of Different Types of Examples on Student Performance, Cognitive Load and Self-Efficacy in a Statistical Learning Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Xiaoxia

2017-01-01

Previous research has indicated the disconnect between example-based research focusing on worked examples (WEs) and that focusing on modeling examples. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the effect of four different types of examples from the two separate lines of research, including standard WEs, erroneous WEs, expert (masterly)…

A Dose of Writing Reality: Helping Students become Better Writers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Christine Love

2011-01-01

When teachers are overly focused on the teaching of grammar instead of the teaching of writing, students' quality of work suffers. Teachers should provide examples of writer's craft and author's voice to help students learn how to write their own stories.

Simple Practice Doesn't Always Make Perfect: Evidence from the Worked Example Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Julie L.; McGinn, Kelly M.; Young, Laura K.; Barbieri, Christina

2015-01-01

Findings from the fields of cognitive science and cognitive development propose a variety of evidence-based principles for improving learning. One such recommendation is that instead of having students practice solving long strings of problems on their own after a lesson, worked-out examples of problem solutions should be incorporated into…

The Effect of Employing Self-Explanation Strategy with Worked Examples on Acquiring Computer Programing Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alhassan, Riyadh

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of employing self-explanation learning strategy supported with Worked Examples on acquiring computer programing skills among freshmen high school students. The study adopted a quasi-experimental method, where an experimental group (n = 33) used the self-explanation strategy supported with worked…

Using Homer To Teach the "Ramayana."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodson, Charles B.

An effective way to expand students' knowledge and enjoyment of noncanonical, or at least unfamiliar, works is by using more familiar works as benchmarks. For example, in a sophomore-level world literature survey course, students have already read a large part of the "Iliad" and all of the "Odyssey" when they are asked to study…

Problem Posing at All Levels in the Calculus Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perrin, John Robert

2007-01-01

This article explores the use of problem posing in the calculus classroom using investigative projects. Specially, four examples of student work are examined, each one differing in originality of problem posed. By allowing students to explore actual questions that they have about calculus, coming from their own work or class discussion, or…

Teaching for Social Justice in Multicultural Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sleeter, Christine

2013-01-01

Drawing on my work in the U.S., I briefly discuss four related hallmarks of teaching for social justice in diverse classrooms, supported by research on their impact on students. They include explicitly recognizing and working with students' culture as a basis for learning, teaching key concepts in the curriculum through content and examples drawn…

The Hero(ine) on a Journey: A Postmodern Conceptual Framework for Social Work Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dybicz, Phillip

2012-01-01

Narrative therapy, the strengths perspective, and solution-focused therapy are 3 prominent examples of social work practices heavily informed by social constructionism. Yet getting students from understanding theory to applying theory can often be challenging. This article offers a conceptual framework to aid students in the application of social…

Differential-associative processing or example elaboration: Which strategy is best for learning the definitions of related and unrelated concepts?

PubMed

Hannon, Brenda

2012-10-01

Definitions of related concepts (e.g., genotype - phenotype ) are prevalent in introductory classes. Consequently, it is important that educators and students know which strategy(s) work best for learning them. This study showed that a new comparative elaboration strategy, called differential-associative processing, was better for learning definitions of related concepts than was an integrative elaborative strategy, called example elaboration. This outcome occurred even though example elaboration was administered in a naturalistic way (Experiment 1) and students spent more time in the example elaboration condition learning (Experiments 1, 2, 3), and generating pieces of information about the concepts (Experiments 2 and 3). Further, with unrelated concepts ( morpheme-fluid intelligence ), performance was similar regardless if students used differential-associative processing or example elaboration (Experiment 3). Taken as a whole, these results suggest that differential-associative processing is better than example elaboration for learning definitions of related concepts and is as good as example elaboration for learning definitions of unrelated concepts.

Differential-associative processing or example elaboration: Which strategy is best for learning the definitions of related and unrelated concepts?

PubMed Central

Hannon, Brenda

2013-01-01

Definitions of related concepts (e.g., genotype–phenotype) are prevalent in introductory classes. Consequently, it is important that educators and students know which strategy(s) work best for learning them. This study showed that a new comparative elaboration strategy, called differential-associative processing, was better for learning definitions of related concepts than was an integrative elaborative strategy, called example elaboration. This outcome occurred even though example elaboration was administered in a naturalistic way (Experiment 1) and students spent more time in the example elaboration condition learning (Experiments 1, 2, 3), and generating pieces of information about the concepts (Experiments 2 and 3). Further, with unrelated concepts (morpheme-fluid intelligence), performance was similar regardless if students used differential-associative processing or example elaboration (Experiment 3). Taken as a whole, these results suggest that differential-associative processing is better than example elaboration for learning definitions of related concepts and is as good as example elaboration for learning definitions of unrelated concepts. PMID:24347814

Are We Holding Back Our Students that Possess the Potential to Excel?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Simone

2008-01-01

This is a study of high achieving students using information about gifted students that can apply to and benefit all students. This article places focus on the highly motivated student that is intrinsically motivated, persistently works hard, and achieves top grades, but may not qualify as "gifted". For example, Jonathan has an average…

We, the People of the World...Student Perspectives. Special Programs in Citizenship Education: Comparative Legal Systems. Student Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery, Marjorie, Ed.; Moulden, Richard G., Ed.

A compilation of student impressions of legal systems and constitutions in different countries, this booklet contains examples of student work completed at a 5-day law related education institute in Washington, D.C. in 1990. The institute brought together students representing seven different countries (China, France, United Kingdom, the…

Irrational Numbers Can "In-Spiral" You

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Leslie D.

2007-01-01

This article describes the instructional process of helping students visualize irrational numbers. Students learn to create a spiral, called "the wheel of Theodorus," which demonstrates irrational and rational lengths. Examples of student work help the reader appreciate the delightful possibilities of this project. (Contains 4 figures.)

Culture and Ownership: Schooling of Minority Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Au, Kathryn H.; Kawakami, Alice J.

1991-01-01

Discusses possible solutions to the problem of schools' widespread failure to meet minority students' needs. Considers theoretical perspectives that underlie these possible solutions, and illustrates the application of the solutions through examples of teachers' work with students of native Hawaiian ancestry at the Kamehameha Elementary Education…

Using Contests to Provide Business Students Project-Based Learning in Humanitarian Logistics: PSAid Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özpolat, Koray; Chen, Yuwen; Hales, Doug; Yu, Degan; Yalcin, Mehmet G.

2014-01-01

Business students appreciate working on classroom projects that are both enjoyable and useful in preparing them for future careers. Promoting competition among project teams is also used as a method to motivate students. The Humanitarian Logistics Project (HLP) teaches undergraduate students the logistical implications of unsolicited material…

Connecting polar research to NGSS STEM classroom lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinker, R.; Kast, D.

2016-12-01

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are designed to bring consistent, rigorous science teaching across the United States. Topics are categorized as Performance Expectations (PE), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI), Cross-Cutting Concepts (CCC), and Science and Engineering Practices (SEP). NGSS includes a focus on environmental science and climate change across grade levels. Earth and planetary sciences are required at the high school level. Integrating polar science lessons into NGSS classrooms brings relevant, rigorous climate change curriculum across grade levels. Polar science provides opportunities for students to use current data during lessons, conduct their own field work, and collaborate with scientists. Polar science provides a framework of learning that is novel to most students. Inquiry and engagement are high with polar science lessons. Phenomenon related to polar science provide an excellent tool for science teachers to use to engage students in a lesson, stimulate inquiry, and promote critical thinking. When taught effectively, students see the connections between their community, polar regions and climate change, regardless of where on the planet students live. This presentation describes examples of how to effectively implement NGSS lessons by incorporating polar science lessons and field research. Examples of introductory phenomenon and aligned PEs, CCCs, DCIs, and SEPs are given. Suggested student activities, assessments, examples of student work, student research, labs, and PolarTREC fieldwork, use of current science data, and connections to scientists in the field are provided. The goals of the presentation are to give teachers a blueprint to follow when implementing NGSS lessons, and give scientists an understanding of the basics of NGSS so they may be better able to relate their work to U.S. science education and be more effective communicators of their science findings.

Do Example Sentences Work in Direct Vocabulary Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baicheng, Zhang

2009-01-01

In the present study of language learning, three presentation modes (varying from providing or not providing example sentences by the teacher and by the students themselves) have been utilised to examine the effectiveness of using example sentences in vocabulary presentation and learning activities. The study is of 58 English majors as the…

Inquiring Scaffolds in Laboratory Tasks: An Instance of a "Worked Laboratory Guide Effect"?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt-Borcherding, Florian; Hänze, Martin; Wodzinski, Rita; Rincke, Karsten

2013-01-01

The study explores if established support devices for paper-pencil problem solving, namely worked examples and incremental scaffolds, are applicable to laboratory tasks. N?=?173 grade eight students solved in dyads a physics laboratory task in one of three conditions. In condition A (unguided problem solving), students were asked to determine the…

Identifying content knowledge for teaching energy: Examples from high school physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Amy D.; Scherr, Rachel E.; Goodhew, Lisa M.; Daane, Abigail R.; Gray, Kara E.; Aker, Leanna B.

2017-06-01

"Content knowledge for teaching" is the specialized content knowledge that teachers use in practice—the content knowledge that serves them for tasks of teaching such as revoicing students' ideas, choosing an instructional activity to address a student misunderstanding, and evaluating student statements. We describe a methodology for selecting and analyzing classroom episodes showing content knowledge for teaching about energy (CKT-E), and illustrate this methodology with examples from high school physics instruction. Our work has implications for research on teacher knowledge and for professional development that enhances teacher CKT-E.

A Persuasive Example of Collaborative Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlsmith, Kevin M.; Cooper, Joel

2002-01-01

Describes the 12-week long collaborative learning project used in a persuasion and propaganda course. Explains that the students worked in groups on a persuasive campaign to change a target population. States that the student projects were persuasive. (CMK)

Development of teaching modules for geology and engineering coursework using terrestrial LiDAR scanning systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarbrough, L. D.; Katzenstein, K.

2012-12-01

Exposing students to active and local examples of physical geologic processes is beneficial to the learning process. Students typically respond with interest to examples that use state-of-the-art technologies to investigate local or regional phenomena. For lower cognitive level of learning (e.g. knowledge, comprehension, and application), the use of "close-to-home" examples ensures that students better understand concepts. By providing these examples, the students may already have a familiarity or can easily visit the location. Furthermore, these local and regional examples help students to offer quickly other examples of similar phenomena. Investigation of these examples using normal photographic techniques, as well as a more sophisticated 3-D Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) (AKA Terrestrial Laser Scanning or TLS) system, allows students to gain a better understanding of the scale and the mechanics of the geologic processes and hazards. The systems are used for research, teaching and outreach efforts and depending on departmental policies can be accessible to students are various learning levels. TLS systems can yield scans at sub-centimeter resolution and contain surface reflectance of targets. These systems can serve a number of learning goals that are essential for training geoscientists and engineers. While querying the data to answer geotechnical or geomorphologic related questions, students will develop skills using large, spatial databases. The upper cognitive level of learning (e.g. analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) is also promoted by using a subset of the data and correlating the physical geologic process of stream bank erosion and rock slope failures with mathematical and computer models using the scanned data. Students use the examples and laboratory exercises to help build their engineering judgment skills with Earth materials. The students learn not only applications of math and engineering science but also the economic and social implication of designed engineering solutions. These course learning modules were developed for traditional geological engineering courses delivered on campus, for more intensive field work courses and online-based asynchronous course delivery.

Teaching Technical Competencies for Fluid Mechanics Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tagg, Randall

2014-11-01

We are developing an ``on demand'' framework for students to learn techniques used in fluid mechanics research. The site for this work is a university-grade laboratory situated next to Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado. Undergraduate university students work with K-12 students on research and technical innovation projects. Both groups need customized training as their projects proceed. A modular approach allows particular competencies such as pump selection, construction of flow piping and channels, flow visualization, and specific flow measurement methods to be acquired through focused lessons. These lessons can be learned in either a stand-alone fashion or assembled into units for formal courses. A research example was a student project on diffusion of infectious material in micro-gravity in the event of an intestinal puncture wound. A curriculum example is a 9-week quarter of high-school instruction on instrumentation that uses small-scale water treatment systems as a case study.

Culturally Responsive Practices for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utley, Cheryl A.; Obiakor, Festus E.; Bakken, Jeffrey P.

2011-01-01

This article discusses culturally responsive frameworks, principles, pedagogy, and curriculum for general and special educators who work with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students with learning disabilities (LD). Culturally responsive teaching has critical features that could benefit CLD students with LD. For example, culturally…

Assertiveness Training: A Program for High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jean-Grant, Deborah S.

1980-01-01

Proposes an assertiveness training program suitable for adolescents in a high school group setting. After role-playing examples, students should begin formulating their own responses. Early work in this area indicates that students eagerly participate in assertiveness training groups, and are quick to pick up the skills required for assertive…

Exploring the Use of Faded Worked Examples as a Problem Solving Approach for Underprepared Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hesser, Tiffany L.; Gregory, Jess L.

2015-01-01

It is not uncommon for students to find themselves underprepared when entering a post secondary institution. In additional to lower levels of academic achievement, underprepared students may not be aware that they lack the skills needed to be successful and effectively acquire and process information. Because of this, students that enter…

Student Voice as a Contested Practice: Power and Participation in Two Student Voice Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Carol; Taylor, Carol

2013-01-01

This article applies theoretical understandings of power relations within student voice work to two empirical examples of school-based student voice projects. The article builds on and refines theoretical understandings of power and participation developed in previous articles written by the authors. The first article argued that at the heart of…

Adaptive Prompts for Learning Evolution with Worked Examples--Highlighting the Students between the "Novices" and the "Experts" in a Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neubrand, Charlotte; Borzikowsky, Christoph; Harms, Ute

2016-01-01

Evolutionary theory constitutes the overarching concept in biology. There is hardly any other concept that is more complex, and causes more difficulties in learning and teaching. One instructional approach in optimizing the learning of complex topics is to use worked examples combined with self-explanation prompts that fit to the prior knowledge…

Hungry for Art.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buck, Susan

2002-01-01

Describes what occurred during an "Art Exchange Day" between two high schools that offered students access to varying viewpoints about art. Explains how the students created their own artworks of cakes and other desserts, inspired by the work of Wayne Thiebaud. Includes examples. (CMK)

More than Just a Game: The Role of Simulation in The Teaching of Product Design and Entrepreneurship to Mechanical Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costello, Gabriel J.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this work is to contribute to the debate on the best pedagogical approach to developing undergraduate mechanical engineering skills to meet the requirements of contemporary complex working environments. The paper provides an example of using student-entrepreneur collaboration in the teaching of modules to Mechanical Engineering…

Revisiting the Pink Triangle Exercise: An Exploration of Experiential Learning in Graduate Social Work Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pugh, Greg L.

2014-01-01

The pink triangle exercise is an example of an experiential learning exercise that creates cognitive dissonance and deep learning of unrealized internalized biases among social work students. Students wear a button with a pink triangle on it for 1 day and write a reflection paper. The exercise increases self-awareness, cultural competence, and the…

A Garden of Poets: Poetry Writing in the Elementary Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glover, Mary Kenner

Written for elementary school teachers who want to help their students delve into poetry, this book grows out of a comparison between gardening and writing poetry. Students at the alternative school founded by the book's author work and play on a plot of land near the school; inside, they work and play with words and imagery. Many examples of…

Project-Based Instruction: A Great Match for Informational Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duke, Nell K.

2016-01-01

In a project-based learning approach, students work over an extended time period for a purpose beyond satisfying a school requirement--to build something, to create something, to respond to a question they have, to solve a real problem, or to address a real need. For example, students might work to plan, plant, and cultivate a garden to help feed…

Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students. Educator's Practice Guide. What Works Clearinghouse.™ NCEE 2015-4010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Star, Jon R.; Foegen, Anne; Larson, Matthew R.; McCallum, William G.; Porath, Jane; Zbiek, Rose Mary; Caronongan, Pia; Furgeson, Joshua,; Keating, Betsy; Lyskawa, Julia

2015-01-01

Mastering algebra is important for future math and postsecondary success. Educators will find practical recommendations for how to improve algebra instruction in the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) practice guide, "Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students". The methods and examples included in…

Images that Twist and Turn.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubbard, Guy

2002-01-01

Discusses various art movements that include examples of artworks with movement, such as Romantic, Classic, Rococo, and Art Nouveau. Addresses ways in which students can learn to incorporate movement into their own works of art. Includes examples of artists who included movement into their artworks. (CMK)

Online Higher Education in the Natural Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, Karen; Liddicoat, Joseph

2013-04-01

Online courses in higher education allow traditional and non-traditional students to complete course work in all disciplines with great flexibility. Courses in the Natural Sciences are no exception because the online environment allows students to collapse time and space; to access a course anywhere; to get immediate feedback, tutoring and coaching; and to receive real-time interaction between themselves and the instructor. This presentation will highlight successful examples of course content from the areas of astronomy, environmental, and earth and physical sciences. Content examples will focus on helping students use their 'environment' as part of the laboratory experience in courses traditionally thought of as lecture and laboratory courses. These examples will include real and virtual field trips, use of multimedia content, collaboration between students and faculty to design and conduct experiments and field work, and modifications to traditional lecture methods for the online environment. Dr. Karen Pearson former director of Online-Learning and Academic Technologies and Professor Science and Mathematics at the Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY) and Dr. Joseph Liddicoat will focus on how courses in the Natural Sciences can be delivered in the online environment while maintaining high academic standards and not losing the "hands" on experience students need while completing a laboratory science course as part of a liberal arts curriculum.

Private Dreams, Shared Visions: Student Affairs Work in Small Colleges. National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Monograph Series, Volume 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuh, George D., Ed.; McAleenan, Andrea C., Ed.

The role of student affairs staff in small colleges is considered in eight chapters. Topics of discussion include: conditions facing small colleges, the small college ecology, the role of the student affairs division in providing leadership for institutional planning and research, examples of innovative programming that maximize scarce resources…

Creating a Safe Climate for Active Learning and Student Engagement: An Example from an Introductory Social Work Module

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ni Raghallaigh, M.; Cunniffe, R.

2013-01-01

This article explores the experiences of students who participated in a series of seminars that employed active learning methodologies. The study on which the article is based involved two parts. First, students completed a questionnaire after each seminar, resulting in 468 questionnaires. Second, nine students participated in a focus group where…

States Seek High School Pathways Weaving Academic, Career Options

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawchuk, Stephen

2013-01-01

Every student at Wheeling High School takes a full academic courseload. Many of the graduates of this 2,000-student school in Wheeling, Illinois, however, also emerge with significant experience in a career field. Those interested in health careers, for example, can work with student-athletes in the school's athletic training facility, earn a…

Examining the Impact of Adaptively Faded Worked Examples on Student Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Raymond; Inan, Fethi

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore effective ways to design guided practices within a web-based mathematics problem solving tutorial. Specifically, this study examined student learning outcome differences between two support designs (e.g. adaptively faded and fixed). In the adaptively faded design, students were presented with problems in…

Project-Based Learning as a Vehicle for Teaching Science at the University Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courtney, A. R.; Wade, P.

2012-12-01

In a typical science course learning is teacher directed. Students are presented with knowledge and concepts via textbooks and lecture and then given the opportunity to apply them. Project-based learning (PBL) creates a context and reason to learn information and concepts. In PBL, learning is student directed and teacher facilitated. Students take ownership of their learning by finding, evaluating and synthesizing information from a variety of resources and via interaction between each other. In PBL, the project is central rather than peripheral to the curriculum. It is not just an activity that provides examples, additional practice or applications of the course content, but rather, the vehicle through which major concepts are discovered. The PBL process requires students to do revision and reflection encouraging them to think about what and how they are learning. PBL projects also allow students to develop important life-work skills such as collaboration, communication and critical thinking within the discipline. We have employed PBL in both Liberal Arts courses for non-science majors and upper division courses for science students. Three examples will be discussed. The first will be the production of video documentaries in a non-science major course; the second, a student generated electronic textbook in a 300-level energy course for science students; and lastly, a student designed analysis project in a chemistry major capstone laboratory course. The product in each of these examples was used to deliver knowledge to others in the class as well as members of the public providing motivation for students to do high-quality work. In our examples, student documentaries are publicly screened as part of a university-wide Academic Excellence Showcase; the student generated electronic textbook is available for public use on the internet; and the results of the student designed analysis were communicated to the real-world clients via letters and reports. We will discuss various technology tools employed in these projects such as the internet, wikis for collaborative writing, bookmarking management tools for sharing literature resources, photo sharing sites, and electronic literature searching tools. Also described will be assessment methods to gauge how the projects affected student learning.

Opportunities in Government for Students of Green Chemistry

EPA Science Inventory

The presentation focuses on opportunities for students in green chemistry to apply their skills and knowledge in a government setting. Several examples of on-going work as well as opportunities for employment in local, state and federal positions will be discussed.

Gender, Stress, and Coping in the U.S. Military. Volume 3. Performance.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-10-01

work force was actually out of work and the production was not getting done. These college students (NTID is basically an undergraduate school for deaf...that can be learned and do not require any kind of mystical involvement in the idea of maleness. For example, 0 one of our Navy ROTC summer students who...an ongoing study at Duke of coronary vascular disease in a group of people who were students at UNC (University of North Carolina) in the early to mid

Preparing MSW Students for Social Work Licensure: A Curricular Case Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, J. Jay; Grise-Owens, Erlene; Escobar-Ratliff, Laura

2015-01-01

Licensing has been a dynamic tension for the social work profession for many years, specifically in social work education. Increasingly, social work programs are using factors related to social work licensing (pass rates, number of test takers, etc.) as an indicator of programmatic success. Yet few, if any, published papers examine curricular…

Students' explanations in complex learning of disciplinary programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, Camilo

Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) has been denominated as the third pillar of science and as a set of important skills to solve the problems of a global society. Along with the theoretical and the experimental approaches, computation offers a third alternative to solve complex problems that require processing large amounts of data, or representing complex phenomena that are not easy to experiment with. Despite the relevance of CSE, current professionals and scientists are not well prepared to take advantage of this set of tools and methods. Computation is usually taught in an isolated way from engineering disciplines, and therefore, engineers do not know how to exploit CSE affordances. This dissertation intends to introduce computational tools and methods contextualized within the Materials Science and Engineering curriculum. Considering that learning how to program is a complex task, the dissertation explores effective pedagogical practices that can support student disciplinary and computational learning. Two case studies will be evaluated to identify the characteristics of effective worked examples in the context of CSE. Specifically, this dissertation explores students explanations of these worked examples in two engineering courses with different levels of transparency: a programming course in materials science and engineering glass box and a thermodynamics course involving computational representations black box. Results from this study suggest that students benefit in different ways from writing in-code comments. These benefits include but are not limited to: connecting xv individual lines of code to the overall problem, getting familiar with the syntax, learning effective algorithm design strategies, and connecting computation with their discipline. Students in the glass box context generate higher quality explanations than students in the black box context. These explanations are related to students prior experiences. Specifically, students with low ability to do programming engage in a more thorough explanation process than students with high ability. This dissertation concludes proposing an adaptation to the instructional principles of worked-examples for the context of CSE education.

NAEP 1997 Arts Report Card: Eighth-Grade Findings from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. [CD-ROM].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Assessment of Educational Progress, Princeton, NJ.

This "NAEP Arts Report Card" for music, theater, visual arts, and dance is in the form of a CD-ROM. This version includes recordings, videos, and other materials used as stimuli for students, extensive examples of student works of art and performances, and explanations of how these works of art and performances were scored. The report's…

In Respect to the Cognitive Load Theory: Adjusting Instructional Guidance with Student Expertise.

PubMed

Schilling, Jim

2017-01-01

The amount of guidance supplied by educators to students in allied health programs is a factor in student learning. According to the cognitive load theory of learning, without adequate instructional support, novice learners will be overwhelmed and unable to store information, while unnecessary guidance supplied to advanced students will cause extraneous cognitive load on the working memory system. Adjusting instructional guidance for students according to their level of expertise to minimize extraneous cognitive load and optimize working memory storage capacity will enhance learning effectiveness. Novice students presented with complex subject matter require significant guidance during the initial stages, using strategies such as worked examples. As students comprehend information, instructional guidance needs to gradually fade to avoid elevated extraneous cognitive load from the expertise reversal effect. An instructional strategy that utilizes a systemic (fixed) or adjustable (adaptive) tapering of guidance to students in allied health programs depending on their expertise will optimize learning capability.

Interpretations of virtual reality.

PubMed

Voiskounsky, Alexander

2011-01-01

University students were surveyed to learn what they know about virtual realities. The two studies were administered with a half-year interval in which the students (N=90, specializing either in mathematics and science, or in social science and humanities) were asked to name particular examples of virtual realities. The second, but not the first study, was administered after the participants had the chance to see the movie "Avatar" (no investigation was held into whether they really saw it). While the students in both studies widely believed that activities such as social networking and online gaming represent virtual realities, some other examples provided by the students in the two studies differ: in the second study the participants expressed a better understanding of the items related to virtual realities. At the same time, not a single participant reported particular psychological states (either regular or altered) as examples of virtual realities. Profound popularization efforts need to be done to acquaint the public, including college students, with virtual realities and let the public adequately understand how such systems work.

Educating Students about the World of Work: An Example of Active Engagement Pedagogy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Tronn Doennestad; Camposarcone, Kirsten; Nicodemus, Teresa; Gorton, Laura; Hamilton, Lynn; Guth, Christine; Hinckley, Adele; Cane, Susan; Chambliss, Catherine

This paper describes an undergraduate level course developed with the dual agenda of teaching students basic empirical research skills and permitting them to explore concerns related to the workplace. Familiarizing students with workplace issues can assist them in making appropriate career choices and can help them to formulate plans for making a…

Cultural Learning Context as It Relates to Efficacy and the Mathematics Performance of African-American Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burrell, Jennifer O.

2012-01-01

Nearly 20 years of empirical work has demonstrated that cultural-asset focused learning environments can improve the academic performance of African-American students. One example is communal learning context, which shifts students' motivational primacy from the individual to the social group. Considering the critical role of efficacy beliefs in…

Teaching Students to Make Better Decisions about the Environment: Lessons from the Decision Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arvai, Joseph L.; Campbell, Victoria E. A.; Baird, Anne; Rivers, Louie

2004-01-01

One of the fundamental goals of environmental education (EE) is to equip students with the skills to make more thoughtful decisions about environmental issues. Many examples of environmental and science education curricula work to address this goal by providing students with up-to-date information about a myriad of environmental issues from a…

The Good Writing Guide for Education Students. Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyse, Dominic

2007-01-01

Whether you are returning to studying after a break, or need help adjusting your writing skills to meet the needs of your education course, this practical, down-to-earth guide will help you improve your literacy skills. Aimed specifically at students in education courses, this book uses examples of students' work to highlight common problems, and…

Someone Else Can Use This Time More than Me: Working with College Students with Impaired Siblings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caplan, Roberta

2011-01-01

This article discusses and illustrates with case examples the impact on the college experience for students who have impaired--medically or mentally ill, substance abusing, developmentally disabled--siblings. Although these students often show resilience and a well-developed sense of compassion, they may also struggle with developmental tasks of…

How to Use Cooperative Learning for Assessing Students' Emotional Competences: A Practical Example at the Tertiary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martínez Lirola, María

2016-01-01

Cooperative learning allows students acquisition of competences that are essential for the labour market such as leadership, critical thinking, communication, and so on. For this reason, different cooperative activities were designed in a language subject in English Studies so that students could work in groups and acquire those competences. This…

The Experiences of Blacks Who Obtained Doctorates from Predominantly White Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nickelberry, Tressie A.

2012-01-01

Being in a doctoral program requires a substantial amount of one's time, energy, and commitment. Doctoral students face many challenges while pursuing their degrees. For example, some may be on financial aid, work full-time, and/or have a family. While doctoral students face many hurdles, Black doctoral students face additional barriers. The…

Why Students Should Use Multimedia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bucher, Katherine

1995-01-01

Examines benefits of multimedia presentation software for teachers, librarians, and elementary and secondary school students. Discusses an example of two school library media specialists working with an English class using the library's reference collection (print and CD-ROM) and HyperCard. Suggests presentation assignments for various subjects.…

Coordinating Principles and Examples through Analogy and Self-Explanation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nokes-Malach, Timothy J.; VanLehn, Kurt; Belenky, Daniel M.; Lichtenstein, Max; Cox, Gregory

2013-01-01

Research on expertise suggests that a critical aspect of expert understanding is knowledge of the relations between domain principles and problem features. We investigated two instructional pathways hypothesized to facilitate students' learning of these relations when studying worked examples. The first path is through self-explaining how…

Perspective: the potential of student organizations for developing leadership: one school's experience.

PubMed

Veronesi, Michael C; Gunderman, Richard B

2012-02-01

Leadership development is vital to the future of medicine. Some leadership development may take place through the formal curriculum of the medical school, yet extracurricular activities, such as student government and affiliated student organizations, can provide additional, highly valuable leadership development opportunities. These organizations and their missions can serve as catalysts for students to work with one another, with the faculty and administration of the medical school, with the community, and with local, regional, and national organizations. The authors have organized this discussion of the leadership development potential of student organizations around six important principles of leadership: ownership, experience, efficacy, sense of community, service learning, and peer-to-peer mentoring. They provide practical examples of these leadership principles from one institution. They do not presume that the school is unique, but they do believe their practical examples help to illuminate the potential of extracurricular programs for enhancing the leadership capabilities of future physicians. In addition, the authors use their examples to demonstrate how the medical school, its surrounding community, and the profession of medicine can benefit from promoting leadership through student organizations.

Assessment of Student Learning: How Two Paths Forge into One.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sonandre, Debbie M. A.

2002-01-01

Discusses the history, struggles, and successes of assessment work done at Tacoma Community College (TCC) (Washington). Demonstrates the state and national work TCC has accomplished and the partnerships that have been formed with other institutions as a result of the work. Offers assessment grid example. (NB)

An intelligent computer tutor to guide self-explanation while learning from examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conati, Cristina

1999-11-01

Many studies in cognitive science show that self-explanation---the process of clarifying and making more complete to oneself the solution of an example---improves learning, and that guiding self-explanation extends these benefits. This thesis presents an intelligent computer tutor that aims to improve learning from examples by supporting self-explanation. The tutor, known as the SE (self-explanation) Coach, is innovative in two ways. First, it represents the first attempt to develop a computer tutor that supports example studying instead of problem solving. Second, it explicitly guides a domain-general, meta-cognitive skill: self-explanation. The SE-Coach is part of the Andes tutoring system for college physics and is meant to be used in conjunction with the problem solving tasks that Andes supports. In order to maximize the system capability to trigger the same beneficial cognitive processes, every element of the SE-Coach embeds existing hypotheses about the features that make self-explanation effective for learning. Designing the SE-Coach involved finding solutions for three main challenges: (1) To design an interface that effectively monitors and supports self-explanation. (2) To devise a student model that allows the assessment of example understanding from reading and self-examination actions. (3) To effectively elicit further self-explanation that improves student's example understanding. In this work we present our solutions to these challenges: (1) An interface including principled, interactive tools to explore examples and build self-explanations under the SECoach's supervision. (2) A probabilistic student model based on a Bayesian network, which integrates a model of correct self-explanation and information on the student's knowledge and studying actions to generate a probabilistic assessment of the student's example understanding. (3) Tutorial interventions that rely on the student model to detect deficits in the student's example understanding and elicit self-explanations that overcome them. In this thesis we also present the results of a formal study with 56 college students to evaluate the effectiveness of the SE-Coach. We discuss some hypotheses to explain the obtained results, based on the analysis of the data collected during the experiment.

Misconceptions as necessary stepping stones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanton, Patricia

2010-04-01

I've been reading an online book called Ready, Set, Science! Putting Research to Work in K-8 Science Classrooms (www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11882) and have found the discussion very enlightening. I think that any beginning science teacher might want to look at this book for guidance in designing lessons and managing student discussions to help students become more thoughtful, productive, and independent learners. While the book gives examples of K-8 classrooms, the examples of classroom discourse could serve as a road map for teachers at any level who want to make their classrooms more student centered and a place where all learners are actively engaged.

Red Cross Youth Program: Volunteering for Fun and Esteem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, Ranae; Grove, Barbara

1982-01-01

Describes a program in which high school students from St. Paul, Minnesota volunteer at the local Red Cross. Cites examples of students who entered the volunteer program with personal problems and were able to overcome them through meaningful work experience at the Red Cross. (Author/GC)

The Critical Incident Interview and Ethnoracial Identity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montalvo, Frank F.

1999-01-01

Describes the critical-incident interview, a cross-cultural training technique that helps social work students assess clients' ethnic- and racial-identity development. Uses examples from student interviews to present the steps involved in teaching the technique. Includes guidelines for selecting and interviewing informants, and gives three scales…

Melding Classroom Instruction With Real-World Problem-Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gannon, John E.; Fairchild, G. Winfield

1983-01-01

Describes a course used to teach freshwater ecology to graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Michigan Biological Station. Explains how students receive an introduction to lake ecology and work on applied resource management questions concerning local lakes and streams. Gives case study examples. (SB)

On Laboratory Work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olney, Dave

1997-11-01

This paper offers some suggestions on making lab work for high school chemistry students more productive, with students taking an active role. They include (1) rewriting labs from manuals to better suit one's purpose, (2) the questionable use of canned data tables, (3) designing microscale labs that utilize its unique features, such as safety and ease of repetition, (4) having students actually carry out experimental design on occasion, using a model from PRACTICE IN THINKING, and (5) using comuters/calculators in the lab in meaningful ways. Many examples feature discovery-type labs the author has developed over the years.

Toward a New Predictive Model of Student Retention in Higher Education: An Application of Classical Sociological Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerby, Molly B.

2015-01-01

Theoretical models designed to predict whether students will persist or not have been valuable tools for retention efforts relative to the creation of services in academic and student affairs. Some of the early models attempted to explain and measure factors in the "college dropout process." For example, in his seminal work, Tinto…

"Module 9": A New Course to Help Students Develop Interdisciplinary Projects Using the Framework of Experiential Learning Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canboy, Basak; Montalvo, Adolfo; Buganza, M. Carmen; Emmerling, Robert J.

2016-01-01

This paper offers an example of how to introduce student-centred knowledge creation and competency development in a systematic way into a master's programme. The curriculum of a new course called Module 9 was framed according to experiential learning theory. While student teams work on self-selected projects, their learning processes are…

Content Coverage and Students' Achievements in Secondary School Physics: The Delta State Example of Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abamba, Emmanuel Ikechuku

2012-01-01

The consistent poor achievement of students in physics tests and in science generally is one problem attracting researchers because of the danger it poses to the nation's technological advancement. This work focused on the effect of content thought on students' achievement. Two research questions were put forward which led to the formulation of…

First Stages of Adult Students' Relationship to Scientific Knowing and Research in the Open University's Web-Based Methodology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isosomppi, Leena; Maunula, Minna

2016-01-01

The adult students who participate in the web-based studies of the open university have in many ways heterogeneous starting points for studying and learning, for example, the educational backgrounds, the acquired work experience, the general academic skills and the objectives of the future can vary considerably. The adult students striving from…

Bringing Student Research into the Classroom: An Example from a Course on Radar Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, D. A.

2011-12-01

Student learning is enhanced through the hands-on experience of working with real data. I present an example where a course is designed around student research projects where the students process and interpret a data set. In this particular case, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data is the chosen data product. The students learn several skills that are critical to being a good scientist, including how to formulate a project and motivate the objectives. The skills that are taught in the course represent transferable skills. For example, many of the students are exposed to the Unix environment for the first time. Students also learn how best to convey their findings in both written and oral formats. For many undergraduates, this course represents their first research experience where they are working with real data (and all the uncertainties and complexities therein), and the first time they are attempting to answer an open-ended research question. The course format is divided into two parts: (1) a series of lectures and homework assignments that teach the theoretical and technical aspects of radar interferometry, and (2) a series of lab periods where students develop the practical skills of working with the data in a Unix computing environment. Over the term, each student develops an independent research project where they identify a geologic process of interest (such as fault creep, land subsidence, volcanic inflation) and process SAR data over their chosen research target. Since the outcome of each student project is unknown prior to doing the work, the student experiences the thrill of discovery that comes with scientific research. The computational resources and course development was funded by the NSF Career Program, and SAR data was provided through the WInSAR Consortium. Student course reports are published online so that their findings can be shared with the broader community. This was done using a wiki, a server-side software that allows for the collaborative development of content via a web browser. This software allows for students to share information and publish their term projects online. The online posting of course reports serves as additional motivation for the students because they know that their work will be made public. Plus, they learn some basic skills in web publishing and have the opportunity to be creative. Future students also benefit by being able to read the reports from previous years. After three offerings of the course, students have produced 19 research reports. Some highlights from the student projects include the detection of subsidence in Portland (Oregon), the analysis of the 2008 Wells Earthquake (Nevada), and the imaging of active landslides in southern and northern California. Currently, three masters theses have emerged from work first begun in this course, 2 of which are now published papers and 1 paper in preparation. In the latest installment of the course, 5 of the graduate students who took the course initiated SAR projects that will be incorporated into their thesis projects and will likely be written up in future papers.

Reaching Reluctant Students: Insights from Torey Hayden.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marlowe, Mike

1999-01-01

Illustrates principles of reaching students who fight or avoid adults by using examples drawn from the writings of Torey Hayden. Presents ten concepts that can serve as guidelines for building relationships with resistant children, and gives excerpts from Hayden's works to illustrate each concept. Demonstrates how books provide teachers with…

A Phenomenographic Study: First Year Chemical Engineering Students' Conceptions of Energy in Dissolution Processes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyle, Kenneth S.; Robinson, William R.

2002-01-01

Describes the work of Ebenezer and Fraser as an example of the use of phenomenographic research in categorizing concepts of the factors involved in the dissolution of ionic compounds by students entering a first-year chemical engineering course at a university in South Africa. (MM)

Sawtooth Functions. Classroom Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirst, Keith

2004-01-01

Using MAPLE enables students to consider many examples which would be very tedious to work out by hand. This applies to graph plotting as well as to algebraic manipulation. The challenge is to use these observations to develop the students' understanding of mathematical concepts. In this note an interesting relationship arising from inverse…

Facilitating Proportional Reasoning through Worked Examples: Two Classroom-Based Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentley, Brendan; Yates, Gregory C. R.

2017-01-01

Within mathematics teaching, ways to help students resolve proportional reasoning problems remains a topical issue. This study sought to investigate how a simple innovative procedure could be introduced to enhance skill acquisition. In two classroom-based experiments, 12-year-old students were asked to solve proportional reasoning mathematics…

MyTeachingPartner-Secondary. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report [Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2015

2015-01-01

MyTeachingPartner-Secondary (MTP-S) is a professional development program that aims to increase student learning and development through improved teacher-student interactions. Through the program, middle and high school teachers access a video library featuring examples of high-quality interactions and receive individualized, web-based coaching…

Who We Are: Today's Students Speak Out

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blandford, Ayoka

2012-01-01

Today's students have been nicknamed the "Digital Generation," "Millennials," "Net Generation" and "Generation Next." They are frequently identified by their technological prowess and seem to work well with multiple stimuli (for example, designing a web site while listening to iTunes and responding to texts). While many research studies have been…

Experiential Learning through Integrated Project Work: An Example from Soil Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mellor, Antony

1991-01-01

Describes the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an integrated student soil science project. Reports that the course was designed to develop student-centered approaches to learning and to develop transferable skills and personal qualities at the same time. Explains that the project included fieldwork, laboratory analysis, data…

Meeting the Needs of Urban Students: Creative Arts Therapy in Jersey City Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Cindy Lou

2010-01-01

This paper describes the history and development of the Jersey City Public Schools creative arts therapy program. Creative arts therapists contributed examples of their work throughout the district that provide a window into their respective school settings. Examples include technology-based art therapy, an extended school year program,…

Electronic Conferencing in Education: An Example from Social Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lancaster, Kenneth; Stokes, Jack

The use of electronic conferencing in undergraduate social work courses at Southeast Missouri State University and Middle Tennessee State University is discussed. Conferencing increases student participation, encourages more effective relationships among participants, and provides additional feedback experiences. Faculty determined that selection…

Working as a Team

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Hannah

2017-01-01

In most STEM industries, teamwork is essential. Engineers, scientists, statisticians, and medical professionals, for example, must communicate with one another and work together. Someday, students may enter the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) workforce, where they also will need to collaborate effectively. This article describes…

Group Work in Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGregor, Debbie; Tolmie, Andrew

2009-01-01

This article considers how students might work together in small groups, from two to eight, in either a primary or secondary science classroom. The nature of group work can vary widely and could include, for example, a pair carrying out an illustrative experiment, a trio or quad debating climate change, or six or seven rehearsing how they will…

20 CFR 327.10 - Consideration of availability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... or training course. (1) A claimant who has voluntarily left work to enroll as a student in an..., leaving work is considered voluntary when the claimant on his or her own initiative left work that he or... obtaining new employment. (2) Examples. The application of paragraph (e) may be illustrated by the following...

Implications of Fail-Forward in an Online Environment under Alternative Grading Schemes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patron, Hilde; Smith, William J.

2011-01-01

The concept of fail-forward can be used as a teaching technique to motivate students to learn from their mistakes. For example, when students are allowed to re-work incorrect responses on a test for a partial grade they are failing-forward. In this paper we look at the effects of failing-forward on student effort in online learning environments.…

Visual Narrative: A Technique to Enhance Secondary Students' Contribution to the Development of Inclusive, Socially Just School Environments--Lessons from a Box of Crayons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrington, Suzanne; Allen, Kate; Osmolowski, Daniel

2007-01-01

This paper reports on a project that involved Australian secondary school students working as participatory researchers in collaboration with a researcher and two teachers. Research methodology using visual narrative techniques provided the students with a conceptual lens to view their school community. The examples of visual narrative shared in…

The Work Values of Teacher Training Students in a Spanish University. Symbiosis between Schwartz and Meaning of Work (MOW) Study Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cortes Pascual, M. P. Alejandra

2009-01-01

Work values are linked with other relevant variables in career development, such as professional interests or vocational personality, are formed in a specific work context and influence the orientation intervention designed, for example, as an element of the professional portfolio or the development of transversal participatory and personal…

Putting Fun Back into Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rao, Srikumar S.

1995-01-01

People will learn better if they like what they are learning. Computers offer an extensive library of cases, examples, and stories that are easy to access, fun to work through, and tell students what they want to know. One example is the ASK system, a 15-module, self-study, multimedia program that is fun for trainees to use, which should enhance…

Generating and Using Examples in the Proving Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandefur, J.; Mason, J.; Stylianides, G. J.; Watson, A.

2013-01-01

We report on our analysis of data from a dataset of 26 videotapes of university students working in groups of 2 and 3 on different proving problems. Our aim is to understand the role of example generation in the proving process, focusing on deliberate changes in representation and symbol manipulation. We suggest and illustrate four aspects of…

Teachers' Temporary Support and Worked-Out Examples as Elements of Scaffolding in Mathematical Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tropper, Natalie; Leiss, Dominik; Hänze, Martin

2015-01-01

Empirical findings show that students have manifold difficulties when dealing with mathematical modeling problems. Accordingly, approaches for supporting students in modeling-based learning environments have to be investigated. In the research presented here, we adopted a scaffolding perspective on teaching modeling with the aim of both providing…

Recommendation in Higher Education Using Data Mining Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vialardi, Cesar; Bravo, Javier; Shafti, Leila; Ortigosa, Alvaro

2009-01-01

One of the main problems faced by university students is to take the right decision in relation to their academic itinerary based on available information (for example courses, schedules, sections, classrooms and professors). In this context, this work proposes the use of a recommendation system based on data mining techniques to help students to…

Critical Leadership Pedagogy: Engaging Power, Identity, and Culture in Leadership Education for College Students of Color

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pendakur, Vijay; Furr, Sara C.

2016-01-01

This chapter focuses on how the application of critical pedagogy to leadership education allows for issues of identity, power, and culture to shape the process of leadership learning. Examples from the authors' work with various populations of students of color are used to illustrate critical leadership pedagogy.

Probability & Perception: The Representativeness Heuristic in Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Yun; Vasko, Francis J.; Drummond, Trevor J.; Vasko, Lisa E.

2014-01-01

If the prospective students of probability lack a background in mathematical proofs, hands-on classroom activities may work well to help them to learn to analyze problems correctly. For example, students may physically roll a die twice to count and compare the frequency of the sequences. Tools such as graphing calculators or Microsoft Excel®…

PSYOP and Persuasion: Applying Social Psychology and Becoming an Informed Citizen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Sara B.

2004-01-01

This project teaches students about persuasion techniques, especially as governments use them. Most project examples came from the work of the U.S. military's modern Psychological Operations division. Social psychology students (a) reviewed influence techniques; (b) examined posters, leaflets, and other persuasion tools used in World War II, the…

How Valuable Is "Short Project" Placement Experience to Higher Education Students?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, David W.

2017-01-01

Much of the research into higher education and its role in work-based learning, and especially in supporting undergraduate students on placements, has focused on longer-term internships and sandwich courses. Research has also concentrated on subject areas that have traditionally been associated with the above, for example business, health and…

A Comparison of Techniques for Handling and Assessing the Influence of Mobility on Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Lindsey J. Wolff; Beretvas, S. Natasha

2017-01-01

Conventional multilevel modeling works well with purely hierarchical data; however, pure hierarchies rarely exist in real datasets. Applied researchers employ ad hoc procedures to create purely hierarchical data. For example, applied educational researchers either delete mobile participants' data from the analysis or identify the student only with…

Instructional Strategies to Promote Student Strategic Thinking When Using SolidWorks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toto, Roxanne; Colledge, Thomas; Frederick, David; Pung, Wik Hung

2014-01-01

Reflective of current trends in industry, engineering design professionals are expected to have knowledge of 3D modeling software. Responding to this need, engineering curricula seek to effectively prepare students for the workforce by requiring instruction in the use of 3D parametric solid modeling. Recent literature contains many examples that…

Experiencing Philosophy: Engaging Students in Advanced Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blenkinsop, Sean; Beeman, Chris

2012-01-01

In this paper, we will argue, predominantly using examples tested in the crucible of our own teaching, that there is a place for experiential education in the teaching of advanced theoretical ideas. As experiential educators trained as philosophers of education and working in faculties of education, we regularly encounter students with little or…

Inquiry-Based Teaching: An Example of Descriptive Science in Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rehorek, Susan J.

2004-01-01

Inquiry-based learning is more work than passive learning, and there is a body of students who prefer to take the easier route. But there is also a body of students who wish to explore science. Two descriptive evolutionary experiments conducted by university freshman/sophomore biology majors, enrolled in General Zoology are described.

Key Works on Teacher Response: An Anthology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Straub, Richard, Ed.; Lunsford, Ronald, Ed.

2006-01-01

There is a special three-way balance in responding to student writing: one must be compassionate, have a vision for improvement, and be capable of confronting and cajoling students to help them maximize the possibilities of revision. This book presents some of the best examples of how writing teachers approach the delicate equilibrium of student…

Using Chem-Wiki to Increase Student Collaboration through Online Lab Reporting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliott, Edward W., III; Fraiman, Ana

2010-01-01

The nature of laboratory work has changed in the past decade. One example is a shift from working individually or in pairs on single traditional verification experiments to working collaboratively in larger groups in inquiry and research-based laboratories, over extended periods in and outside of the lab. In this increased era of collaboration, we…

A Study on Contingency Learning in Introductory Physics Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scaife, Thomas M.

Instructors of physics often use examples to illustrate new or complex physical concepts to students. For any particular concept, there are an infinite number of examples, thus presenting instructors with a difficult question whenever they wish to use one in their teaching: which example will most effectively illustrate the concept so that student learning is maximized? The choice is typically made by an intuitive assumption about which exact example will result in the most lucid illustration and the greatest student improvement. By questioning 583 students in four experiments, I examined a more principled approach to example selection. By controlling the manner in which physical dimensions vary, the parameter space of each concept can be divided into a discrete number of example categories. The effects of training with members of each of category was explored in two different physical contexts: projectile motion and torque. In the first context, students were shown two trajectories and asked to determine which represented the longer time of flight. Height, range, and time of flight were the physical dimensions that were used to categorize the examples. In the second context, students were shown a balance-scale with loads of differing masses placed at differing positions along either side of the balance-arm. Mass, lever-arm length, and torque were the physical dimensions used to categorize these examples. For both contexts, examples were chosen so that one or two independent dimensions were varied. After receiving training with examples from specific categories, students were tested with questions from all question categories. Successful training or instruction can be measured either as producing correct, expert-like behavior (as observed through answers to the questions) or as explicitly instilling an understanding of the underlying rule that governs a physical phenomenon. A student's behavior might not be consistent with their explicit rule, so following the investigation of their behavior, students were asked what rule they used when answering questions. Although the self-reported rules might not be congruent with their behavior, training with specific examples might affect how students explicitly think about physics problems. In addition to exploring the effectiveness of various training examples, the results were also compared to a cognitive theory of causality: the contingency model. Physical concepts can often be expressed in terms of causal relations (e.g., a net force causes an object to accelerate), and a large body of work has found that people make many decisions that are consistent with causal reasoning. The contingency model, in particular, explains how certain statistical regularities in the co-occurrence of two events can be interpreted by individuals as causal relations, and was chosen primarily because it of its robust results and simple, parsimonious form. The empirical results demonstrate that different categories of training examples did affect student answers differently. Furthermore, these effects were mostly consistent with the predictions made by the contingency model. When rule use was explored, the self-reported rules were consistent with contingency model predictions, but indicated that examples alone were insufficient to teach complex functional relationships between physical dimensions, such as torque.

Development of the Modes of Collaboration framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawlak, Alanna; Irving, Paul W.; Caballero, Marcos D.

2018-01-01

Group work is becoming increasingly common in introductory physics classrooms. Understanding how students engage in these group learning environments is important for designing and facilitating productive learning opportunities for students. We conducted a study in which we collected video of groups of students working on conceptual electricity and magnetism problems in an introductory physics course. In this setting, students needed to negotiate a common understanding and coordinate group decisions in order to complete the activity successfully. We observed students interacting in several distinct ways while solving these problems. Analysis of these observations focused on identifying the different ways students interacted and articulating what defines and distinguishes them, resulting in the development of the modes of collaboration framework. The modes of collaboration framework defines student interactions along three dimensions: social, discursive, and disciplinary content. This multidimensional approach offers a unique lens through which to consider group work and provides a flexibility that could allow the framework to be adapted for a variety of contexts. We present the framework and several examples of its application here.

Using a general problem-solving strategy to promote transfer.

PubMed

Youssef-Shalala, Amina; Ayres, Paul; Schubert, Carina; Sweller, John

2014-09-01

Cognitive load theory was used to hypothesize that a general problem-solving strategy based on a make-as-many-moves-as-possible heuristic could facilitate problem solutions for transfer problems. In four experiments, school students were required to learn about a topic through practice with a general problem-solving strategy, through a conventional problem solving strategy or by studying worked examples. In Experiments 1 and 2 using junior high school students learning geometry, low knowledge students in the general problem-solving group scored significantly higher on near or far transfer tests than the conventional problem-solving group. In Experiment 3, an advantage for a general problem-solving group over a group presented worked examples was obtained on far transfer tests using the same curriculum materials, again presented to junior high school students. No differences between conditions were found in Experiments 1, 2, or 3 using test problems similar to the acquisition problems. Experiment 4 used senior high school students studying economics and found the general problem-solving group scored significantly higher than the conventional problem-solving group on both similar and transfer tests. It was concluded that the general problem-solving strategy was helpful for novices, but not for students that had access to domain-specific knowledge. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Reading Professionals: The Vital Link.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabler, Carol L.

The Family Literacy Program in Eau Claire, Wisconsin is an example of a strong linkage between professional educators, volunteers, and parents. The program uses the strengths of reading professionals working with preschool students and adult learners in order to break the intergenerational cycle of illiteracy. Cooperation and hard work are the…

And the Survey Says…

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Susan C.

2016-01-01

Since 2000, we have published a series of flyers highlighting various data of interest to physics faculty members and students. For example, our Fall 2015 Physics Trends flyers display the employment sectors where physics bachelor's degree recipients work, the knowledge used frequently by mid-career PhD physicists working primarily in private…

Assessing Mathematics Automatically Using Computer Algebra and the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sangwin, Chris

2004-01-01

This paper reports some recent developments in mathematical computer-aided assessment which employs computer algebra to evaluate students' work using the Internet. Technical and educational issues raised by this use of computer algebra are addressed. Working examples from core calculus and algebra which have been used with first year university…

A Simple Illustrative Model of a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santillo, Michael F.

2009-01-01

Many students (as well as the general public) use modern technology without an understanding of how these devices actually work. They are what scientists refer to in the laboratory as "black boxes." Students often wonder how physics relates to the technology used in the real world and are interested in such applications. An example of one such…

Reading Incentives that Work: No-Cost Strategies to Motivate Kids to Read and Love It!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Small, Ruth V.

2009-01-01

In education, it is possible to find dozens of examples of "forced" reading incentive programs that categorize student reading levels, provide limited reading lists coordinated with those reading levels, assess student reading through computer-based tests, and award tangible prizes when they pass the test. Those who perform best get the most…

Engaging a "Pedagogy of Discomfort": Emotion as Critical Inquiry in Community-Based Writing Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prebel, Julie

2016-01-01

This article revisits the scholarship on emotion in composition studies and extends this work through a consideration of emotion in community-based writing courses. With examples from student reflection essays from one such course, Writing With the Community, I explore emotion as a generative aspect of the students' semester writing projects for…

Do Residential-Only Learning Communities Affect Measures of First-Year Student Success and Faculty Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Andrew Robert

2013-01-01

The history of higher education presents us with many examples of small groups of students living, working, and even eating together in mutually beneficial ways. In recent years, institutions have employed a variety of learning community (LC) models, including residential, academic, and mixed models, to recreate these small groups and encourage…

Students as Partners: Reflections on a Conceptual Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Healey, Mick; Flint, Abbi; Harrington, Kathy

2016-01-01

This article reflects on a conceptual model for mapping the work that fits under the broad heading of students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education (Healey, Flint, & Harrington, 2014). We examine the nature and purpose of the model with reference to specific examples, and reflect on the potential and actual uses of the…

Teacher Performance Pay Signals and Student Achievement: Are Signals Accurate, and How well Do They Work?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manzeske, David; Garland, Marshall; Williams, Ryan; West, Benjamin; Kistner, Alexandra Manzella; Rapaport, Amie

2016-01-01

High-performing teachers tend to seek out positions at more affluent or academically challenging schools, which tend to hire more experienced, effective educators. Consequently, low-income and minority students are more likely to attend schools with less experienced and less effective educators (see, for example, DeMonte & Hanna, 2014; Office…

California Freshwater Shrimp Project: An Eco-Action Project with Real Life Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Laurette H.

The California Freshwater Shrimp Project is an example of a student-initiated, eco-action project. Students, from a fourth grade class in the Ross Valley School District in San Rafael, California, were linked to their community and environment through their work in rehabilitating habitat and educating the public. The paper gives an overview of a…

The Preparation of School Psychologists and Specialists in Educational Psychology in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schad, Elinor

2014-01-01

School psychologists have a new and stronger position in Sweden's educational system than earlier. For example, as of July 2011, all Swedish students ages 6 through 18 have guaranteed access to school psychology services. The school psychologists' roles are to be active participants and coworkers in the student health service team, working to…

At Risk Policy and Early Intervention Programmes for Underperforming Students: Ensuring Success?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobele, Angela R.; Gangemi, Michael; Kopanidis, Foula; Thomas, Stuart

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine a University's at risk program and ask is the intervention strategy working? The program seeks to assist at risk students who may be experiencing difficulties transitioning, for example from school into university. The program also seeks to identify problems and suggest remediation strategies before…

Helping Students Understand Their Learning Styles: Effects on Study Self-Efficacy, Preference for Group Work, and Group Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendry, Graham D.; Heinrich, Paul; Lyon, Patricia M.; Barratt, Alexandra L.; Simpson, Judy M.; Hyde, Sarah J.; Gonsalkorale, Shalinie; Hyde, Michelle; Mgaieth, Sara

2005-01-01

Small tutorial groups in higher education are often composed without regard to students' gender or broad knowledge background, for example, yet research indicates that composing groups on the basis of gender and prior qualifications may have significant effects on assessment outcomes. Previous studies have also investigated the effects of…

Mediating Diversity and Affection in Blended Learning: A Story with a Happy Ending

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soeiro, Dina; de Figueiredo, Antonio Dias; Ferreira, Joaquim Armando Gomes

2012-01-01

We had an Interpersonal Relationships course, a large class, around fifty students, working collaboratively in groups where students from different degrees, academic years, and ages, most of them deaf, tried, and to some extent were able, to communicate. We analyze this example of how diversity can be an asset and how learning management systems…

Electronic Repositories of Marked Student Work and Their Contributions to Formative Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heinrich, Eva

2004-01-01

The educational literature shows that formative assessment is highly conducive to learning. The tasks given to students in formative assessment generally require open-ended responses that can be given, for example, in essay-type format and that are assessed by a human marker. An essential component is the formative feedback provided by the marker…

In Search of the Dream: Designing Schools and Classrooms That Work for High Potential Students from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomlinson, Carol Ann; Ford, Donna Y.; Reis, Sally M.; Briggs, Christine J.; Strickland, Cindy A.

2004-01-01

This book offers guiding principles for culturally diverse environments and curricular choices to support multicultural inclusiveness. Case studies provide examples of exemplary gifted education programs, emphasizing the aspects of the program that best respond to diverse student populations. Subsequent chapters on gifted and general education…

Physics and Art--A Cultural Symbiosis in Physics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galili, Igal; Zinn, Barbara

2007-01-01

This paper presents and discusses examples of works of art which, if included in science curricula, could prompt an understanding by students of some concepts in optics through a discussion of the context in which they were created. Such discussion would elucidate the meaning of the artworks and, at the same time, challenge students'…

Designing Efficient Self-Diagnosis Activities in the Physics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Safadi, Rafi'

2017-01-01

Self-diagnosis (SD) activities require students to self-diagnose their solutions to problems that they solved on their own. This involves identifying where they went wrong and then explaining the nature of their errors--why they went wrong--aided by some form of support. Worked examples (WEs) are often used to support students in SD activities. A…

Concerthalls.org: A webpage for architectural acoustics education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lily M.; Hall, Jessica M.

2002-11-01

A website focusing on concert hall acoustics (www.concerthalls.org) has been developed under the Schultz Grant from the Newman Student Award Fund. The website includes historical information, discussions on a variety of architectural acoustical measures, links to other websites of interest including a collection of concert hall webpages, and a comprehensive reference list. Of particular interest are the many listening examples provided on the website, which help students and other visitors to understand each subjective quality audibly and give insight on how to measure and control the associated objective measure. Examples are provided for reverberation, clarity, intimacy, warmth, loudness, and spaciousness. Various samples will be played during this presentation. Instructors of architectural acoustics are encouraged to introduce the site to their students and incorporate it into their instructional materials. [Work supported by Schultz Grant from the Newman Student Award Fund.

Examples to Keep the Passion for the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández Raga, María; Palencia Coto, Covadonga; Cerdà, Artemi

2014-05-01

It is said that the beasts can smell fear. The translation to education is that students know when our vocation is really teaching or when you are teaching as a result of the sequence of events like a side effect of an investigating vocation path. But to become a good teacher, you need to love teaching!!! Education work requires a dynamic appeal by the students. It should be entertaining, motivating, interactive and dynamic. In this session I will present several tips and examples to get attention on your geology sessions: 1. The teacher should maintain a high interest in the subject of your work. Motivation is contagious!!!!If you show passion the other will feel it. 2. Change the attitude of students. Some activities can help you to do that like asking for the preparation of an experiment, and analyzing the results. Some examples will be shown. 3. Arouse the curiosity of the students. Some strategies could be asking questions in novel, controversial or inconsistent ways, asking conceptual conflicts and paradox that looks not expected from what is studied or 4. Use some tools to get the attention of the students. Examples of these tools can be Google Maps and Google Earth (teaching them to design routes and marking studies), Google drive (to create documents online in a team and file sharing), Google plus (to hang interesting news). 5. Examine students each week. Although it will be laborious, their work and learning will be more gradual. 6. Increase levels of competition among peers. 7. Relate what you know with what you learn. It is very important to be aware of the basis on which pupils, through prior knowledge test match. 8. Feel competent. Teacher's confidence is vital when teaching a class. You must be aware of our weaknesses and humble, but our nerves should help us to improve the quality of our classes. 9. Individualized teaching and learning. Numerous psychological and sociological studies suggest that the existence of social networks contribute to the welfare and health of the person. Applying this idea to the field of training, promote development within the classroom social networking encourages participation and aid in student learning.The criterion to consider dissolving or enhance these natural groups is given by the adequacy or not the educational proposed approaches (objectives, content, interests , etc.). And last but not least… 10. Never stop learning!!!!!!!!! Teaching geosciences needs passion for the Earth, the processes, the forms…And to show this in the field to the students.

Students' motivation toward laboratory work in physiology teaching.

PubMed

Dohn, Niels Bonderup; Fago, Angela; Overgaard, Johannes; Madsen, Peter Teglberg; Malte, Hans

2016-09-01

The laboratory has been given a central role in physiology education, and teachers report that it is motivating for students to undertake experimental work on live animals or measuring physiological responses on the students themselves. Since motivation is a critical variable for academic learning and achievement, then we must concern ourselves with questions that examine how students engage in laboratory work and persist at such activities. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how laboratory work influences student motivation in physiology. We administered the Lab Motivation Scale to assess our students' levels of interest, willingness to engage (effort), and confidence in understanding (self-efficacy). We also asked students about the role of laboratory work for their own learning and their experience in the physiology laboratory. Our results documented high levels of interest, effort, and self-efficacy among the students. Correlation analyses were performed on the three motivation scales and exam results, yet a significant correlation was only found between self-efficacy in laboratory work and academic performance at the final exam. However, almost all students reported that laboratory work was very important for learning difficult concepts and physiological processes (e.g., action potential), as the hands-on experiences gave a more concrete idea of the learning content and made the content easier to remember. These results have implications for classroom practice as biology students find laboratory exercises highly motivating, despite their different personal interests and subject preferences. This highlights the importance of not replacing laboratory work by other nonpractical approaches, for example, video demonstrations or computer simulations. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Teaching Fair Use with Astronomy Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Teresa

2016-01-01

Plagiarism among students is most common because of a misunderstanding of copyright and fair use. Images and text are frequently used without proper credit to the original author, and works are frequently acknowledged improperly. For example, space imagery is often used in posters, presentations, on the web, on Facebook, and even in the classrooms, but often are not properly cited. A lesson plan on fair use is presented, outlining what constitutes fair use and how to properly acknowledge the work done by artists and authors everywhere, with examples drawn from the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).

Designing Worked Examples in Statics to Promote an Expert Stance: Working THRU vs. Working OUT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calfee, Robert; Stahovich, Thomas

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the performance patterns of freshman engineering students as they completed a tutorial on freebody problems that employed a computer-based pen (CBP) to provide feedback and direct learning. A secondary analysis was conducted on detailed performance data for 16 participants from a freshman Engineering course…

Pursuing Pleasures of Productivity: University Students' Use of Prescription Stimulants for Enhancement and the Moral Uncertainty of Making Work Fun.

PubMed

Petersen, Margit Anne; Nørgaard, Lotte Stig; Traulsen, Janine M

2015-12-01

This article presents ethnographic data on the use of prescription stimulants for enhancement purposes by university students in New York City. The study shows that students find stimulants a helpful tool in preventing procrastination, particularly in relation to feeling disinterested, overloaded, or insecure. Using stimulants, students seek pleasure in the study situation, for example, to get rid of unpleasant states of mind or intensify an already existing excitement. The article illustrates the notion that enhancement strategies do not only concern productivity in the quantitative sense of bettering results, performances, and opportunities. Students also measure their own success in terms of the qualitative experience of working hard. The article further argues that taking an ethnographic approach facilitates the study of norms in the making, as students experience moral uncertainty-not because they improve study skills and results-but because they enhance the study experience, making work fun. The article thereby seeks to nuance simplistic neoliberal ideas of personhood.

Doing Gender in Management Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Judi

1999-01-01

Explores teaching gender to management students, mainly those working toward Masters in Business Administration degrees. Introduces a gender awareness approach and illustrates it with two examples of "doing" gender using multiple associations of that term. (SLD)

Amazing Physics: Learning about Work, Energy and Projectile Motion in a Historical Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tural, Guner

2013-01-01

Teaching physics through a historical context provides effective learning and increases students' motivation for and interest in physics. For example, trebuchets and mangonels may be interesting historical contexts for learning about energy, work, and projectile motion. In this study, the implementation of physics lessons related to these subjects…

High-Maintenance Parent or Parent Partner? Working with a Parent's Concern.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez-Mena, Janet; Stonehouse, Anne

2003-01-01

Discusses issues for child care professionals working in partnership with parents on a difficult issue. Considers establishing mutual trust and respect for each other's views, keeping in mind the needs of other students, and maintaining confidence in the program's goals. Includes example involving a parent's complaint about the admission of a…

Metonymy and reference-point errors in novice programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Craig S.

2014-07-01

When learning to program, students often mistakenly refer to an element that is structurally related to the element that they intend to reference. For example, they may indicate the attribute of an object when their intention is to reference the whole object. This paper examines these reference-point errors through the context of metonymy. Metonymy is a rhetorical device where the speaker states a referent that is structurally related to the intended referent. For example, the following sentence states an office bureau but actually refers to a person working at the bureau: The tourist asked the travel bureau for directions to the museum. Drawing upon previous studies, I discuss how student reference errors may be consistent with the use of metonymy. In particular, I hypothesize that students are more likely to reference an identifying element even when a structurally related element is intended. I then present two experiments, which produce results consistent with this analysis. In both experiments, students are more likely to produce reference-point errors that involve identifying attributes than descriptive attributes. Given these results, I explore the possibility that students are relying on habits of communication rather than the mechanistic principles needed for successful programming. Finally I discuss teaching interventions using live examples and how metonymy may be presented to non-computing students as pedagogy for computational thinking.

Effectiveness of Dry Cell Microscopic Simulation (DCMS) to Promote Conceptual Understanding about Battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catur Wibowo, Firmanul; Suhandi, Andi; Rusdiana, Dadi; Samsudin, Achmad; Rahmi Darman, Dina; Faizin, M. Noor; Wiyanto; Supriyatman; Permanasari, Anna; Kaniawati, Ida; Setiawan, Wawan; Karyanto, Yudi; Linuwih, Suharto; Fatah, Abdul; Subali, Bambang; Hasani, Aceng; Hidayat, Sholeh

2017-07-01

Electricity is a concept that is abstract and difficult to see by eye directly, one example electric shock, but cannot see the movement of electric current so that students have difficulty by students. A computer simulation designed to improve the understanding of the concept of the workings of the dry cell (battery). This study was conducted to 82 students (aged 18-20 years) in the experimental group by learning to use the Dry Cell Microscopic Simulation (DCMS). The result shows the improving of students’ conceptual understanding scores from post test were statistically significantly of the workings of batteries. The implication using computer simulations designed to overcome the difficulties of conceptual understanding, can effectively help students in facilitating conceptual change.

Youths Teaching Youths: Learning to Code as an Example of Interest-Driven Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vickery, Jacqueline

2014-01-01

This column examines a case study focusing on web design as an example of interest-driven learning and the acquisition of (digital media) literacies. A summer workshop was offered at a working-class public library, led by a self-taught seventeen year old girl. Nine students (ages 8-16) learned basic HTML and CSS and designed their own websites in…

Investigating the Integration of Everyday Phenomena and Practical Work in Physics Teaching in Vietnamese High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ng, Wan; Nguyen, Van Thanh

2006-01-01

Making science relevant in students' learning is an important aspect of science education. This involves the ability to draw in examples from daily contexts to begin with the learning or to apply concepts learnt into familiar everyday phenomena that students observe and experience around them. Another important aspect of science education is the…

The Daybook Defense: How Reflection Fosters the Identity Work of Readers and Writers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vetter, Amy; Myers, Joy; Reynolds, Jeanie; Stumb, Adrienne; Barrier, Coley

2017-01-01

Classrooms play a large part in shaping youths' identities as readers and writers. Due to the pressures of high-stakes exams, for example, reading and writing identities are often defined by a set of academic skills that students can or cannot perform. Such rigid concepts of readers and writers often cause secondary students to believe that their…

Using a Three-Step Method in a Calculus Class: Extending the Worked Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, David

2010-01-01

This article discusses a three-step method that was used in a college calculus course. The three-step method was developed to help students understand the course material and transition to be more independent learners. In addition, the method helped students to transfer concepts from short-term to long-term memory while lowering cognitive load.…

Working with WebQuests: Making the Web Accessible to Students with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Rebecca

2000-01-01

This article describes how students with disabilities in regular classes are using the WebQuest lesson format to access the Internet. It explains essential WebQuest principles, creating a draft Web page, and WebQuest components. It offers an example of a WebQuest about salvaging the sunken ships, Titanic and Lusitania. A WebQuest planning form is…

Improving Transition from the Middle Grades to High School and from High Schools and Technology Centers to Further Study and Careers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2012

2012-01-01

Every step in a student's life is important for future success. Schools are building stronger frameworks of curricula, instruction and assessments to prepare students to move from one learning environment to another with maximum results as they journey toward adulthood. This issue of "High Schools That Work" contains examples of…

Mixed messages in learning communication skills? Students comparing role model behaviour in clerkships with formal training.

PubMed

Essers, Geurt; Van Weel-Baumgarten, Evelyn; Bolhuis, Sanneke

2012-01-01

Medical students learn professional communication through formal training and in clinical practice. Physicians working in clinical practice have a powerful influence on student learning. However, they may demonstrate communication behaviours not aligning with recommendations in training programs. This study aims to identify more precisely what differences students perceive between role model communication behaviour during clerkships and formal training. In a cross-sectional study, data were collected about physicians' communication performance as perceived by students. Students filled out a questionnaire in four different clerkships in their fourth and fifth year. Just over half of the students reported communication similar to formal training. This was especially true for students in the later clerkships (paediatrics and primary care). Good examples were seen in providing information corresponding to patients' needs and in shared decision making, although students often noted that in fact the doctor made the decision. Bad examples were observed in exploring cognitions and emotions, and in providing information meeting patient's pace. Further study is needed on actual physician behaviour in clinical practice. From our results, we conclude that students need help in reflecting on and learning from the gap in communication patterns they observe in training versus clinical practice.

Online interprofessional learning: the student experience.

PubMed

Miers, Margaret E; Clarke, Brenda A; Pollard, Katherine C; Rickaby, Caroline E; Thomas, Judith; Turtle, Ann

2007-10-01

Health and social care students in a faculty in the United Kingdom learn together in an interprofessional module through online discussion boards. The module assessment encourages engagement with technology and with group members through peer review. An evaluation of student experience of the module gathered data from 48 students participating in 10 online groups. Analysis of contributions to discussion boards, and transcripts of interviews with 20 students revealed differing levels of participation between individuals and groups. Many students were apprehensive about the technology and there were different views about the advantages and disadvantages of online learning. Students interacted in a supportive manner. Group leadership was seen as associated with maintaining motivation to complete work on time. Students reported benefiting from the peer review process but were uncomfortable with critiquing each other's work. Sensitivity about group process may have inhibited the level of critical debate. Nevertheless the module brought together students from different professions and different sites. Examples of sharing professional knowledge demonstrated successful interprofessional collaboration online.

Life science students' attitudes, interest, and performance in introductory physics for life sciences: An exploratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crouch, Catherine H.; Wisittanawat, Panchompoo; Cai, Ming; Renninger, K. Ann

2018-06-01

In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS) courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students' attitudes, interest, and performance. The IPLS course studied was the second semester of introductory physics, following a standard first semester course, allowing the outcomes of the same students in a standard course and in an IPLS course to be compared. In the IPLS course, each physics topic was introduced and elaborated in the context of a life science example, and developing students' skills in applying physics to life science situations was an explicitly stated course goal. Items from the Colorado Learning about Science Survey were used to assess change in students' attitudes toward and their interest in physics. Whereas the same students' attitudes declined during the standard first semester course, we found that students' attitudes toward physics hold steady or improve in the IPLS course. In particular, students with low initial interest in physics displayed greater increases in both attitudes and interest during the IPLS course than in the preceding standard course. We also find that in the IPLS course, students' interest in the life science examples is a better predictor of their performance than their pre-IPLS interest in physics. Our work suggests that the life science examples in the IPLS course can support the development of student interest in physics and positively influence their performance.

Factors across home, work, and school domains influence nutrition and physical activity behaviors of nontraditional college students.

PubMed

Quintiliani, Lisa M; Bishop, Hillary L; Greaney, Mary L; Whiteley, Jessica A

2012-10-01

Nontraditional college students (older, part-time, and/or working) have less healthful nutrition and physical activity behaviors compared to traditional students, yet few health promotion efforts focus on nontraditional students. The purpose of this study was to use qualitative methods to explore factors affecting nutrition and physical activity behaviors of nontraditional students. Fourteen semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with nontraditional undergraduate students attending a large university. The sample had a median age of 25 (range, 21-64), 57% were men, 43% were racial/ethnic minorities, and 57% were employed (mean 22 hours/week). Data were coded using a systematic team-based approach. Consistent themes (mentioned by 4+ students) were identified and categorized into three domains: home, work, and school. Home (themes: neighborhood characteristics, family, partners), work (theme: work environment), and school (themes: cafeteria, vending machines) factors consistently influenced positive nutrition behaviors. Similarly, home (themes: neighborhood including safety, friends from home, partner,), work (theme: work environment), and school (themes: not having a car, campus structure, campus gym, friends at school) factors consistently influenced positive physical activity. Financial resources and perceptions of autonomy had influence across domains. Results indicate consistent influences on nutrition and physical activity behaviors across home, work, and school domains for nontraditional college students. Study findings suggest possible, and sometimes unconventional, intervention strategies to promote healthful eating and physical activity. For example, when cafeteria meal plans are not offered and financial constraints limit eating at the cafeteria, encouraging healthful choices from vending machines could be preferable to not eating at all. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

More than just a game: the role of simulation in the teaching of product design and entrepreneurship to mechanical engineering students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costello, Gabriel J.

2017-11-01

The purpose of this work is to contribute to the debate on the best pedagogical approach to developing undergraduate mechanical engineering skills to meet the requirements of contemporary complex working environments. The paper provides an example of using student-entrepreneur collaboration in the teaching of modules to Mechanical Engineering final-year students. Problem-based learning (PBL) is one of the most significant recent innovations in the area of education for the professions. This work proposes to make an original contribution by simulating a real-life entrepreneur interaction for the students. The current literature largely confines simulation-based learning to computer applications such as games. However, this paper argues that role playing by students interfacing with technology start-ups can also be regarded as 'simulation' in a wider sense. Consequently, the paper proposes the concept of simulation-action learning as an enhancement of PBL and to distinguish it from computer simulation.

American Film Genre Program: The Movies in Our Lives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mallery, David

1976-01-01

The American Film Genre Program helps students get into exploring the genre film as experience in examples of work that reflects the art of the film at a powerful and imagination-kindling level. (Author/RK)

Do-It-Yourself Whiteboard-Style Physics Video Lectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglas, Scott Samuel; Aiken, John Mark; Greco, Edwin; Schatz, Michael; Lin, Shih-Yin

2017-01-01

Video lectures are increasingly being used in physics instruction. For example, video lectures can be used to "flip" the classroom, i.e., to deliver, via the Internet, content that is traditionally transmitted by in-class lectures (e.g., presenting concepts, working examples, etc.), thereby freeing up classroom time for more interactive instruction. To date, most video lectures are live lecture recordings or screencasts. The hand-animated "whiteboard" video is an alternative to these more common styles and affords unique creative opportunities such as stop-motion animation or visual "demonstrations" of phenomena that would be difficult to demo in a classroom. In the spring of 2013, a series of whiteboard-style videos were produced to provide video lecture content for Georgia Tech introductory physics instruction, including flipped courses and a MOOC. This set of videos (which also includes screencasts and live recordings) can be found on the "Your World is Your Lab" YouTube channel. In this article, we describe this method of video production, which is suitable for an instructor working solo or in collaboration with students; we explore students' engagement with these videos in a separate work. A prominent example of whiteboard animation is the "Minute Physics" video series by Henry Reich, whose considerable popularity and accessible, cartoony style were the original inspiration for our own video lectures.

Mothering: an unacknowledged aspect of undergraduate clinical teachers' work in nursing.

PubMed

McKenna, Lisa; Wellard, Sally

2009-05-01

Clinical education is an important component of undergraduate nurse education, in which clinical teachers facilitate students' application of theoretical classroom knowledge into the clinical practice setting. Mothering as part of clinical teachers' work was a major finding from a larger study exploring clinical teaching work to identify what shaped their work and barriers to their work in clinical settings. The study used semi-structured interviews, informed by the work of Foucault. Maternal discourses emerged as a predominant one as participants presented their relationships with students describing examples of nurturing, protecting, supporting, guiding and providing discipline. The unexpected finding contradicted the dominant view of students as adult learners, and potentially positions them as dependent in their learning in clinical environments. Exploration of this discourse in the context of the study forms the basis of this paper. It is argued that the overall impact of maternal discourses on clinical teaching and learning is unclear but warrants more detailed investigation.

Evaluation of the Work-Place Cooperative Project in Geography Degrees at the University of Leeds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogg, James

1998-01-01

Describes the context and objective of a Work-Place Cooperative Project (WPCP) established in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds in 1995. The project presents students with business, commerce, industry, and environmental research issues that have geographical dimensions. Includes a number of examples from the WPCP. (MJP)

Disturbing the Pedagogical Status Quo: LLN and Vocational Teachers Working Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Stephen; Yasukawa, Keiko

2013-01-01

When language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) teachers work together with vocational teachers as a team, not only do students improve their course outcomes in terms of completions and employment, but the pedagogical practices of both teachers can change and improve. In this article, we begin to explore some of the issues and provide examples of…

Seven day Lanzarote adventure: seven innovations in university learning and teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reavey, Duncan

2010-05-01

An annual residential field course in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, gives university students of Environmental Science, Adventure Education, and Primary Science Education diverse opportunities for deep learning that challenges and motivates. Comments from students range from 'the best chemistry lesson ever' to 'life-changing'. Here I reflect on seven strengths from the student experience: (1) Our goal is for students to learn to ask scientific questions. Anyone can answer questions, but only the best scientists can ask questions that matter. (2) Field work fits the diverse learning styles of our diverse students. For example, students model bathymetry using sand and pebbles on a beach; students start to explore social issues around waste disposal on Lanzarote by taking part in a commando raid on a municipal rubbish tip! (3) Students learn from local experts but then learn from each other. For example, half the group explores agricultural practices while the other half explores traditional uses of plants; a student from one group is then paired with a student from the other group for them to teach each other what they have learned. (4) An overview of current research on the island (volcanic origins, indigenous species, trace elements in the wines!) comes from students reflecting on abstracts of 25 recent papers from mainstream journals and sharing their understanding with each other. (5) We replicate a real world experience. One part of the student assessment requires them to write a grant application for a scientific research project using the real-world pro forma and meeting the criteria set out by the real-world funding agency. (6) Students work as teams to write these grant applications (as they would do in the real world). They receive a single mark for their work, but the students then divide the mark among themselves according to the quality of the contributions they have made. In this way the university teachers assess the product, and the students assess the processes within their group. (7) Students are encouraged to explore the environmental impacts of their own activities. Affective learning (in which emotions are as important as factual knowledge) is a significant outcome of the course. Students themselves decide to offset carbon emissions from their visit and after returning to UK have created a large apple orchard, a 100 metre hedgerow and a public woodland through their own initiatives. University teachers work subtly (and without the students' knowledge) to promote this learning and environmental action.

An Investigation of First-Year Students' and Lecturers' Expectations of University Education

PubMed Central

Hassel, Stefanie; Ridout, Nathan

2018-01-01

Transition from school to university can cause concern for many students. One issue is the gap between students' prior expectations and the realities of university life, which can cause significant distress, poor academic performance and increased drop-out rates if not managed effectively. Research has shown several similarities in the expectations of staff and students in regards to which factors determine academic success, but there is also evidence of dissonance. For example, staff consider independent study and critical evaluation as key factors, whereas students view feedback on drafts of work and support from staff as being most important. The aim of the current study was to determine what expectations students hold when starting university education, and what expectations university lecturers have of students entering university. Lecturers (n = 20) and first year students (n = 77) completed a series of questionnaires concerning their expectations of learning in HE (staff and students) and their approach to teaching (staff). Results revealed that students have largely realistic expectations of university. For example, the majority expected to be in charge of their own study. Some unrealistic expectations were also evident, e.g., most expected that teaching would be the same at university as it had been at school. The expectation that lecturers would provide detailed notes varied as a function of student age. Lecturers reported modifying their expectations of students and adapting their teaching approach according to year of study. Information-transmission/teacher-focused style was more common when teaching 1st year students; a more concept-changing/student-focused approach tended to be used when teaching 2nd year students (and above). Lecturer's expectations of student engagement did not differ according to year. Less experienced lecturers reported more negative expectations of student engagement than did experienced lecturers. In line with previous work, we observed overlap in expectations of staff and students, but some clear differences too. PMID:29434555

Regiomontanus or learning how to play with science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marian, Anca-Catalina

2016-04-01

Although at the international school competitions, Romanian students are in the top, but few students decide to learn science in school. The major problem is "how to motivate students to study science?" In cooperation with Meridian Zero Astroclub, Oradea, we provide students non-formal space where non-formal activities can approach them to the work of a researcher. Five days in September, ten to fifteen students are invited in a journey through the science world. • Formation of the Moon's craters • Solar radiation • Solar cycles • Constellations • Solar System • Eratosthenes experiment These topics are examples from our activities. Working with students from 4 years old to 18 years old, all activities are developed in the form of games, combining mathematical skills with physics or astronomy. Older students are put in the position of teachers for younger students. Results: A better understanding of physical processes, a higher interest in science, a better application of mathematical concepts in class.

The "Heisenberg's Microscope" as an Example of Using Thought Experiments in Teaching Physics Theories to Students of the Upper Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velentzas, Athanasios; Halkia, Krystallia

2011-01-01

In this work an attempt is made to explore the possible value of using Thought Experiments (TEs) in teaching physics to upper secondary education students. Specifically, a qualitative research project is designed to investigate the extent to which the Thought Experiment (TE) called "Heisenberg's Microscope", as it has been transformed by…

National Standards for United States History: Exploring the American Experience. Grades 5-12. Expanded Edition. Including Examples of Student Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crabtree, Charlotte; Nash, Gary B.

Developed through a broad-based national consensus building process, the National History Standards project has involved working toward agreement both on the larger purposes of history in the school curriculum and on the more specific history understandings and thinking processes that all students should have equal opportunity to acquire over 12…

National Standards for World History: Exploring Paths to the Present. Grades 5-12, Expanded Edition. Including Examples of Student Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crabtree, Charlotte; Nash, Gary B.

Developed through a broad based national consensus building process, the National History Standards project has involved working toward agreement both on the larger purposes of history in the school curriculum and on the more specific history understandings and thinking processes that all students should have equal opportunity to acquire over 12…

A Salute to Advanced Placement Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Kathryn McDonald

1978-01-01

Ten years have passed since the original proposal was written to establish Advanced Placement Studio Art and History of Art as one of the 13 College Board AP disciplines. This review includes examples of AP high school students' work. (Author/LBH)

CyPhyTown

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

A series of software programs that enables students to progress from completely unsecured control of devices to control that protects network commands with authentication, integrity and confidentiality. The working example provided is for turning LED lights on and off on a Raspberry Pi computer.

Evaluation of Student Outcomes in Materials Science and Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Piippo, Steven

1996-01-01

This paper specifies 14 benchmarks and exit standards for the introduction of Materials Science and Technology in a secondary school education. Included is the standard that students should be able to name an example of each category of technological materials including metals, glass/ceramics, polymers (plastics) and composites. Students should know that each type of solid material has specific properties that can be measured. Students will learn that all solid materials have either a long range crystalline structure or a short range amorphous structure (i.e., glassy). They should learn the choice of materials for a particular application depends on the properties of the material, and the properties of the material depends on its crystal structure and microstructure. The microstructure may be modified by the methods by which the material is processed; students should explain this by the example of sintering a ceramic body to reduce its porosity and increase its densification and strength. Students will receive exposure to the world of work, post secondary educational opportunities, and in general a learning that will lead to a technologically literate intelligent citizen.

Leading the Way: Students of Teacher Research Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warburton, J.; Larson, A.; Fahnestock, J.

2017-12-01

Over the past decade, the PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) program, administered by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS), has provided over 150 U.S. K-12 teachers the opportunity to work directly with scientists in the polar regions. As a Teacher Research Experiences (TRE), it has provided teachers with a unique professional development opportunity to increase their teacher content knowledge. From recent program evaluation data, there has been a statistically significant improvement in the teacher's self-assessed ability and confidence to increase a variety of scientific processes in their lessons. This is important, as a growing emphasis is in Next Generation Science Standards is not only increasing student achievement in science but the practice of science. In PolarTREC, we have witnessed numerous examples where the increased STEM content knowledge of the teachers has transferred to their students of teachers with more student initiated and student driven research projects. In this presentation, we will share examples of this success and showcase several student-led research projects that have not only demonstrated the practice of science but have also contributed to polar research.

Community as classroom: teaching and learning public health in rural Appalachia.

PubMed

Florence, James; Behringer, Bruce

2011-01-01

Traditional models for public health professional education tend to be didactic, with brief, discrete practica appended. National reports of both practitioners and academicians have called for more competency-driven, interdisciplinary-focused, community-based, service-oriented, and experientially-guided learning for students across the curriculum. East Tennessee State University began its own curricular revisioning in health professions education nearly 2 decades ago with a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, emphasizing competencies development through community-based learning in community-academic partnerships. This article describes 3 examples that grew from that initiative. In the first example, students in multiple classes delivered a longitudinal community-based employee wellness intervention for a rural county school district. BS public health students conducted needs assessments and prepared health education materials; MPH students conducted health assessments and worked with school wellness councils to deliver client-centered interventions; DrPH students supervised the project and provided feedback to the schools using participatory methods. In the second example, MPH students in a social-behavioral foundations course used experiential learning to investigate the region's elevated cancer mortality ranking. Following meetings with multiple community groups, students employed theoretical constructs to frame regional beliefs about cancer and presented findings to community leaders. One outcome was a 5-year community-based participatory research study of cancer in rural Appalachia. In the third example, MPH students in a health-consulting course assessed local African Americans' awareness of the university's health and education programs and perceptions of their community health issues. Students learned consultation methods by assisting at multiple regional African American community meetings to discover issues and interest that resulted in the organization of a regional African American health coalition, multiple community health interventions, and the region's first health disparities summit. Lessons learned are presented which identify key elements of success and factors that influence adoption of community-based teaching and learning in public health.

IDEA: Ensenanza de romances espanoles mediante la musica y el arte (IDEA: Teaching Spanish "Romances" Through Music and Art).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia Glick, Beatriz

1999-01-01

Terrell's natural approach suggests that such interactive activities as music and art induce and improve student communication in language learning. Explanation of the method's steps uses the poem "Abenamar" as an example. The teacher first presents the work in historical context, then reads the work accompanied by visual aids, then…

A Framework for Lab Work Management in Mass Courses. Application to Low Level Input/Output without Hardware

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Santiago; Zamorano, Juan; Rosales, Francisco; Dopico, Antonio Garcia; Pedraza, Jose Luis

2007-01-01

This paper describes a complete lab work management framework designed and developed in the authors' department to help teachers to manage the small projects that students are expected to complete as lab assignments during their graduate-level computer engineering studies. The paper focuses on an application example of the framework to a specific…

Work-Based Learning as a Pathway to Postsecondary and Career Success. Insights on Equity and Outcomes. Issue 18

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Jacqueline; Fox, Heather; McCambly, Heather

2016-01-01

Work-based learning (WBL) is a key example of the integration of academic and occupational training that is central to career and technical education (CTE) and through which students have the ability to gain high-wage, high-skilled occupational experience while pursuing postsecondary credentials (Bragg, Dresser, & Smith, 2012; Chernus &…

Using Classroom Recordings in Educational History Research. An East German Civics Lesson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jehle, May; Blessing, Benita

2014-01-01

Students learned in civics lessons in the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany) that their socialist society uniquely guaranteed all individuals the right to work, and that, as good socialists, they had the duty to take on socially meaningful work. Using the example of a video recording of an East German civics lesson and its…

Global teaching of global seismology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, S.; Wysession, M.

2005-12-01

Our recent textbook, Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes, & Earth Structure (Blackwell, 2003) is used in many countries. Part of the reason for this may be our deliberate attempt to write the book for an international audience. This effort appears in several ways. We stress seismology's long tradition of global data interchange. Our brief discussions of the science's history illustrate the contributions of scientists around the world. Perhaps most importantly, our discussions of earthquakes, tectonics, and seismic hazards take a global view. Many examples are from North America, whereas others are from other areas. Our view is that non-North American students should be exposed to North American examples that are type examples, and that North American students should be similarly exposed to examples elsewhere. For example, we illustrate how the Euler vector geometry changes a plate boundary from spreading, to strike-slip, to convergence using both the Pacific-North America boundary from the Gulf of California to Alaska and the Eurasia-Africa boundary from the Azores to the Mediterranean. We illustrate diffuse plate boundary zones using western North America, the Andes, the Himalayas, the Mediterranean, and the East Africa Rift. The subduction zone discussions examine Japan, Tonga, and Chile. We discuss significant earthquakes both in the U.S. and elsewhere, and explore hazard mitigation issues in different contexts. Both comments from foreign colleagues and our experience lecturing overseas indicate that this approach works well. Beyond the specifics of our text, we believe that such a global approach is facilitated by the international traditions of the earth sciences and the world youth culture that gives students worldwide common culture. For example, a video of the scene in New Madrid, Missouri that arose from a nonsensical earthquake prediction in 1990 elicits similar responses from American and European students.

Understanding for Teaching for Understanding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kieren, Thomas E.

1990-01-01

Outlines a model of mathematical understanding as a whole, dynamic, nonlinear, recursive growing process, entailing "folding back" for the reconstruction of inner level knowing. Presents examples from seventh graders' work. Discusses teacher awareness of student level of understanding, and implications for development of mathematics…

Concept Maps in Introductory Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witmer, Jeffrey A.

2016-01-01

Concept maps are tools for organizing thoughts on the main ideas in a course. I present an example of a concept map that was created through the work of students in an introductory class and discuss major topics in statistics and relationships among them.

Effects of Type of Exploratory Strategy and Prior Knowledge on Middle School Students' Learning of Chemical Formulas from a 3D Role-Playing Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ming-Puu; Wong, Yu-Ting; Wang, Li-Chun

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the type of exploratory strategy and level of prior knowledge on middle school students' performance and motivation in learning chemical formulas via a 3D role-playing game (RPG). Two types of exploratory strategies-RPG exploratory with worked-example and RPG exploratory without…

The Scientific Legacy of Charles Wheatstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenslade, Thomas B.

2017-02-01

Charles Wheatstone's name was once familiar to students because they used his eponymous bridge to measure resistances. That usage seems to be disappearing—we all have access to digital ohmmeters—but the techniques that he developed for making electrical measurements can still be used with profit. Also, his work with measuring very short time intervals and his work with musical acoustics are still with us, if in modified forms. Here are a few examples of his work.

How we implemented an integrated professionalism curriculum to 2nd year medical students at the National University of Ireland Galway Medical School, with examples from students' final output.

PubMed

McNair, Antonia; Moran, Conor; McGrath, Erinn; Naqvi, Syed; Connolly, Claire; McKenna, Verna; Kropmans, Thomas

2011-01-01

Since the introduction of professionalism in medical curricula worldwide, little evidence has been published to exemplify good educational practice. The Medical school at the National University of Ireland Galway teaches professionalism in an interdisciplinary manner, integrating the learning objectives of health informatics, understanding health & illness in society, medical law and ethics. Students work in small groups on clinical cases. Enquiry-based learning is used as the teaching method following a few introductory lectures on specific objectives. Students present their work in the format of a scientific essay. The latter is assessed by a board of reviewers. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate evidence of excellent professional output and illustrate the benefits to a fully integrated professionalism curriculum.

Color and Light in Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rittner-Heir, Robbin M.

2002-01-01

Discusses studies showing that color and light have a significant influence on how students learn and retain information (for example, daylight is much more beneficial than fluorescent light). Describes how many architects and designers are now incorporating these findings into their work in schools. (EV)

Desktop Publishing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanley, Milt

1986-01-01

Defines desktop publishing, describes microcomputer developments and software tools that make it possible, and discusses its use as an instructional tool to improve writing skills. Reasons why students' work should be published, examples of what to publish, and types of software and hardware to facilitate publishing are reviewed. (MBR)

Distraction during learning with hypermedia: difficult tasks help to keep task goals on track

PubMed Central

Scheiter, Katharina; Gerjets, Peter; Heise, Elke

2014-01-01

In educational hypermedia environments, students are often confronted with potential sources of distraction arising from additional information that, albeit interesting, is unrelated to their current task goal. The paper investigates the conditions under which distraction occurs and hampers performance. Based on theories of volitional action control it was hypothesized that interesting information, especially if related to a pending goal, would interfere with task performance only when working on easy, but not on difficult tasks. In Experiment 1, 66 students learned about probability theory using worked examples and solved corresponding test problems, whose task difficulty was manipulated. As a second factor, the presence of interesting information unrelated to the primary task was varied. Results showed that students solved more easy than difficult probability problems correctly. However, the presence of interesting, but task-irrelevant information did not interfere with performance. In Experiment 2, 68 students again engaged in example-based learning and problem solving in the presence of task-irrelevant information. Problem-solving difficulty was varied as a first factor. Additionally, the presence of a pending goal related to the task-irrelevant information was manipulated. As expected, problem-solving performance declined when a pending goal was present during working on easy problems, whereas no interference was observed for difficult problems. Moreover, the presence of a pending goal reduced the time on task-relevant information and increased the time on task-irrelevant information while working on easy tasks. However, as revealed by mediation analyses these changes in overt information processing behavior did not explain the decline in problem-solving performance. As an alternative explanation it is suggested that goal conflicts resulting from pending goals claim cognitive resources, which are then no longer available for learning and problem solving. PMID:24723907

An inquiry-based biochemistry laboratory structure emphasizing competency in the scientific process: a guided approach with an electronic notebook format.

PubMed

L Hall, Mona; Vardar-Ulu, Didem

2014-01-01

The laboratory setting is an exciting and gratifying place to teach because you can actively engage the students in the learning process through hands-on activities; it is a dynamic environment amenable to collaborative work, critical thinking, problem-solving and discovery. The guided inquiry-based approach described here guides the students through their laboratory work at a steady pace that encourages them to focus on quality observations, careful data collection and thought processes surrounding the chemistry involved. It motivates students to work in a collaborative manner with frequent opportunities for feedback, reflection, and modification of their ideas. Each laboratory activity has four stages to keep the students' efforts on track: pre-lab work, an in-lab discussion, in-lab work, and a post-lab assignment. Students are guided at each stage by an instructor created template that directs their learning while giving them the opportunity and flexibility to explore new information, ideas, and questions. These templates are easily transferred into an electronic journal (termed the E-notebook) and form the basic structural framework of the final lab reports the students submit electronically, via a learning management system. The guided-inquiry based approach presented here uses a single laboratory activity for undergraduate Introductory Biochemistry as an example. After implementation of this guided learning approach student surveys reported a higher level of course satisfaction and there was a statistically significant improvement in the quality of the student work. Therefore we firmly believe the described format to be highly effective in promoting student learning and engagement. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The Implementation of Project and Research Activities in Working with Gifted Children in Terms of School-University Network Cooperation (Regional Aspect)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdrafikova, Albina R.; Akhmadullina, Rimma M.; Singatullova, Aliya A.

2014-01-01

The article deals with regional experience in using modern strategies in teaching gifted children. The value of project and research activity is actualized as one of the most effective educational technologies in work with gifted children. The article shows examples of organization of combined project and research activities of student-teachers…

The Importance of Science Policy and its Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preis, Benjamin

2015-03-01

I worked for physicist and Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) as the Mather Public Policy Intern through the American Institute of Physics and the Society of Physics Students during the summer of 2014. This internship is meant to connect undergraduate physics students with the policy process in Washington DC. As a Mather Public Policy Intern, I worked for Congressman Foster researching policy initiatives such as science funding, STEM education, and environmental regulations. This talk will discuss my experience and many of the things that I learned as an undergraduate physicist working on Capitol Hill. For example, through my experience with the internship, I attended lectures and hearings that illuminated for me how members of Congress conceive of scientific research. I also met with many physicists on Capitol Hill working to improve government interest in physics research -- AAAS Fellows, Members of Congress, and Government Relations Specialists -- and I will talk about how I saw physicists impacting governmental policies relating to scientific research and development. This internship is part of the Society of Physics Students internship program and was funded by the John and Jane Mather Foundation for Science and the Arts. This work was part of the Society of Physics Students internship Program.

National Standards for History for Grades K-4: Expanding Children's World in Time and Space. Expanded Edition. Including Examples of Student Achievement for Grades K-2 and 3-4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crabtree, Charlotte; Nash, Gary B.

Developed through a broad-based national consensus building process, the national history standards project has involved working toward agreement both on the larger purposes of history in the school curriculum and on the more specific history understandings and thinking processes all students should have equal opportunity to acquire over 12 years…

Educational "Goodwill": Measuring the Intangible Assets at Highly Selective Private Colleges and Universities. NBER Working Paper No. 17412

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nurnberg, Peter; Schapiro, Morton; Zimmerman, David

2011-01-01

In this paper we utilize data on the head-to-head loss rate for students accepted at Williams College, but who opt to enroll elsewhere. For example, we employ data that measure the fraction of students admitted to Williams and to Amherst (or Harvard or Yale, etc.) but who opt to attend Amherst (or Harvard or Yale, etc.) instead of Williams. We…

Identity, culture and shared experiences: The power of cogenerative dialogues in urban science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayne, Gillian Ursula

2007-05-01

The research presented in this dissertation details four major examples of work that took place during a three-year longitudinal study in a small urban New York City public high school for high achieving youth. It aims to play a role in contributing to the understanding of the breakdown between and amongst those parties involved in urban science education. The work outlined herein responds to the calls for improvement within urban education, utilizing the experiences, knowledge and practices of its students, in order to help inform and improve science teaching and learning. Theoretical lenses upon which this critical ethnographic research is grounded primarily involve those that are socio-cultural in nature and examine the sociology of emotions. In this research, I address how urban students, who have been historically alienated by science, develop forms of culture, enact them in science classes and then make transitions from participating marginally toward participating more centrally, demonstrating increasing science and science-like practices with higher levels of expertise. This work involves investigating human agency and its expansion as it becomes increasingly incorporated and internalized into individual and collective habitus. The protocol utilized in this critical ethnography (videotapes of cogenerative dialogues, classroom practices and interviews; journal entries, field notes, student and teacher generated artifacts) facilitates the exploration and understanding of the ways by which aligning culture and expanding student roles, both inside and outside of the classroom can occur. The results of this study include concrete examples and interpretations of these expansions and, provide suggestions by which more adaptable forms of teaching and learning can be enacted. These practices ultimately benefit a wider variety of students who as result will become better at creating their own structures to succeed.

Seeing Is the Hardest Thing to See: Using Illusions to Teach Visual Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riener, Cedar

2015-01-01

This chapter describes three examples of using illusions to teach visual perception. The illusions present ways for students to change their perspective regarding how their eyes work and also offer opportunities to question assumptions regarding their approach to knowledge.

Removing the Shackles of Euclid: 3 Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fielker, David S.

1981-01-01

The process of investigating some of the properties of diagonals and other geometric concepts with a group of 11-year-old girls is presented. Possible changes that could have been made in the lesson are discussed, and examples of individual student work are provided. (MP)

The Educator's "Action" Office.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Dikran J.

Design criteria, standards, and human factors related to designing and planning flexible and efficient work environments for college faculty members are overviewed with six model (example) office plans included. The physical and psychological design needs in such an office facility are given, with task performance data on student faculty…

Clinical study of student learning using mastery style versus immediate feedback online activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gladding, Gary; Gutmann, Brianne; Schroeder, Noah; Stelzer, Timothy

2015-06-01

This paper is part of a series of studies to improve the efficacy of online physics homework activities by integrating narrated animated solutions with mastery inspired exercises. In a clinical study using first- and second-year university students, the mastery group attempted question sets in four levels, with animated solutions between each attempt, until mastery was achieved on each level. This combined elements of formative assessment, the worked example effect, and mastery learning. The homework group attempted questions with immediate feedback and unlimited tries. The two groups took a similar amount of time to complete the activity. The mastery group significantly outperformed the homework group on a free response post-test that required students to show their work in solving near and far transfer problems.

A 'bootstrapped' Teaching/Learning Procedure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odusina Odusote, Olusogo

1998-04-01

Erasing preconceived antiphysics ideas by nonscience/nonmajor physics students have elicited diverse teaching methods. Introductory general physics courses at college level have been taught by a 'bootstrap' approach. A concise treatment of the syllabus by the teacher in about 1/2 of the course duration, with brief exercises and examples. Students are then introduced to real life situations - toys, home appliances, sports, disasters, etc, and the embedded physics concepts discussed. Usually this generates a feeling of deja vu, which elicits desire for more. Each application usually encompasses topics in a broad range of the syllabus. The other half of the course is used by students to work individually/groups on assigned and graded home-works and essays, with guidance from the lecture notes and the teacher/supervisor. An end of course examination shows increase in the success rate.

How Can Students Generalize Examples? Focusing on the Generalizing Geometric Properties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, JinHyeong; Kim, Dong-Won

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the progression of exemplifying and example generalization by students. We investigated whether example generalization occurs by analyzing collected data by identifying whether students recognize, describe, and define general features of geometric examples. We also investigate how example generalization…

Teaching Creativity--Creatively with Psychosynthesis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

du Pont de Bie, Alexis I.

1985-01-01

The author suggests that students can achieve an expansion of successful creative problem-solving through the use of psychosynthesis and allied techniques in transpersonal psychology. This paper discusses the philosophical rational of teaching creativity and examples of a practicum for use in the classroom or work place. (Author/CL)

34 CFR 200.40 - Technical assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TITLE I-IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED Improving Basic... full compliance with all of the reporting provisions of Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965... system, and other examples of student work, to identify and develop solutions to problems in— (i...

34 CFR 200.40 - Technical assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TITLE I-IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED Improving Basic... full compliance with all of the reporting provisions of Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965... system, and other examples of student work, to identify and develop solutions to problems in— (i...

34 CFR 200.40 - Technical assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TITLE I-IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED Improving Basic... full compliance with all of the reporting provisions of Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965... system, and other examples of student work, to identify and develop solutions to problems in— (i...

34 CFR 200.40 - Technical assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TITLE I-IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED Improving Basic... full compliance with all of the reporting provisions of Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965... system, and other examples of student work, to identify and develop solutions to problems in— (i...

34 CFR 200.40 - Technical assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TITLE I-IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED Improving Basic... full compliance with all of the reporting provisions of Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965... system, and other examples of student work, to identify and develop solutions to problems in— (i...

Collaboration: Use of Consortia to Promote International Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raby, Rosalind Latiner; Culton, Donald R.; Valeau, Edward J.

2014-01-01

The nonprofit consortium "California Colleges for International Education" (CCIE) is a working example of how a formal association involving community colleges uses collaboration to achieve a fundamental goal of increasing student awareness of international issues through study abroad programs. For over 30 years, CCIE members have worked…

Cultivating Deductive Thinking with Angle Chasing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Michael todd; Quinlan, James; Harper, Suzanne R.; Cox, Dana C.; Phelps, Steve

2014-01-01

Despite Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) recommendations, too often students' introduction to proof consists of the study of formal axiomatic systems--for example, triangle congruence proofs--typically in an introductory geometry course with no connection back to previous work in earlier algebra courses. Van Hiele…

Giving Reason to Prospective Mathematics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Ambrosio, Beatriz; Kastberg, Signe

2012-01-01

This article describes the development of the authors' understanding of the contradictions in their mathematics teacher education practice. This understanding emerged from contrasting analyses of the impact of the authors' practices in mathematics content courses versus mathematics methods courses. Examples of the authors' work with two students,…

A Novel Way To Practice Slope.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Jane B.

1997-01-01

Presents examples of using a tic-tac-toe format to practice finding the slope and identifying parallel and perpendicular lines from various equation formats. Reports the successful use of this format as a review in both precalculus and calculus classes before students work with applications of analytic geometry. (JRH)

Using Elaborative Interrogation Enhanced Worked Examples to Improve Chemistry Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pease, Rebecca Simpson

2012-01-01

Elaborative interrogation, which prompts students to answer why-questions placed strategically within informational text, has been shown to increase learning comprehension through reading. In this study, elaborative interrogation why-questions requested readers to explain why paraphrased statements taken from a reading were "true."…

Teaching with Spreadsheets: An Example from Heat Transfer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drago, Peter

1993-01-01

Provides an activity which measures the heat transfer through an insulated cylindrical tank, allowing the student to gain a better knowledge of both the physics involved and the working of spreadsheets. Provides both a spreadsheet solution and a maximum-minimum method of solution for the problem. (MVL)

Apparatus for Demonstrating Confined and Unconfined Aquifer Characteristics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillham, Robert W.; O'Hannesin, Stephanie F.

1984-01-01

Students in hydrogeology classes commonly have difficulty appreciating differences between the mechanisms of water release from confined and unconfined aquifers. Describes a simple and inexpensive laboratory model for demonstrating the hydraulic responses of confined and unconfined aquifers to pumping. Includes a worked example to demonstrate the…

Lobbying: What Does It Consist of? Where Does It Fit into Our Process of Government? Grass Roots Guides on Democracy and Practical Politics. Booklet No. 67.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taft, Charles P.; Bennett, Linda L. M.

Background information on lobbying will help secondary and college students and adults develop a clearer understanding of how U.S. democracy works. Discussed are what lobbying is, who the lobbyists are, lobby regulation, and the different kinds of lobbying groups. As an example of the environment within which lobbyists work, lobbying efforts…

Successfully using optical components and systems in novel ways during educational outreach programs for K-12 grades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silberman, Donn

2006-08-01

Much work has been done in efforts to reach students in the K-12 grades to encourage them to learn about optics and related sciences and technologies. One goal of these efforts is to develop the future optical scientists and engineers to carry on the work of this and related societies. One main obstacle is to create low costs novel and effective hands-on optical components and systems for these students to use and from which to get excited. Students at different grade levels and abilities are receptive to different kinds of components and systems and this must be taken into account when preparing for outreach programs. There are, however, some guiding principles which can be used throughout the various levels, including making sure the components and systems are good examples and not marginal. Small telescopes or microscopes that use poor quality optics which provide poor quality images do more to discourage young students from going into the sciences than if they never had the experience at all. Some examples of both poor and good quality optical components and systems that will be described and demonstrated include: lenses, telescopes, microscopes, diffraction gratings, Kaleidoscopes, Fresnel Lenses, polarization filters and liquid crystals. The figures in this paper are in color and best viewed on-line or printed with a good color printer.

Foundation degree students as work-based learners: the mentor's role.

PubMed

Wareing, Mark

Healthcare assistants and support workers are beginning to access higher education programmes to expand their roles and practice. One example has been the development of the foundation degree (FD) - a 2-year diploma level course delivered via work-based learning. These undergraduate workplace learners require the support of mentors and assessors. It is proposed that traditional notions of mentorship are insufficiently attuned to the needs of work-based learners who need to prepare more for performance, rather than for practice. This argument rests on the observation that FD students are already immersed in practice and possess a wealth of experience to link to the underpinning knowledge gained from higher education. Evidence from a small piece of interpretive research is used to inform this discussion and highlight the unique needs of work-based learners within the clinical setting.

The initial treatment of the concept of function in the selected secondary school mathematics textbooks in the US and China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Ji-Won; Hu, Qintong

2016-05-01

In order to provide insight into cross-national differences in students' achievement, this study compares the initial treatment of the concept of function sections of Chinese and US textbooks. The number of lessons, contents, and mathematical problems were analyzed. The results show that the US curricula introduce the concept of function one year earlier than the Chinese curriculum and provide strikingly more problems for students to work on. However, the Chinese curriculum emphasizes developing both concepts and procedures and includes more problems that require explanations, visual representations, and problem solving in worked-out examples that may help students formulate multiple solution methods. This result could indicate that instead of the number of problems and early introduction of the concept, the cognitive demands of textbook problems required for student thinking could be one reason for differences in American and Chinese students' performances in international comparative studies. Implications of these findings for curriculum developers, teachers, and researchers are discussed.

Supporting the learning of Newton's laws with graphical data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piggott, David

Teaching physics provides the opportunity for a very unique interaction between students and instructor that is not found in chemistry or biology. Physics has a heavy emphasis on trying to alter students' misconceptions about how things work in the real word. In chemistry and microbiology this is not an issue because the topics of discussion in those classes are a new experience for the students. In the case of physics the students have everyday experience with the different concepts discussed. This causes the students to build incorrect mental models explaining how different things work. In order to correct these mental models physics teachers must first get the students to vocalize these misconceptions. Then the teacher must confront the students with an example that exposes the false nature of their model. Finally, the teacher must help the student resolve these discrepancies and form the correct model. This study attempts to resolve these discrepancies by giving the students concrete evidence via graphs of Newton's laws. The results reported here indicate that this method of eliciting the misconception, confronting the misconception, and resolving the misconception is successful with Newton's third law, but only marginally successful for first and second laws.

Doing Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Opie, Clive

2004-01-01

Developed as a hands-on guide for students engaged in educational research, this book provides an introduction to key qualitative and quantitative methods necessary for those commencing research for the first time. The reader is shown how these methods work and how their outcomes may be interpreted. The book includes: (1) A variety of examples and…

Integrating Single-System Design Research into the Clinical Practice Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Marlene G.

2006-01-01

Clinical practice and research are generally taught separately in Master of Social Work programs by faculty with distinct areas of expertise. This paper discusses the teaching of single-subject design research methodology by clinical faculty, in the clinical practice class. Examples from student papers demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating…

Climate Change Made Simple

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shallcross, Dudley E.; Harrison, Tim G.

2007-01-01

The newly revised specifications for GCSE science involve greater consideration of climate change. This topic appears in either the chemistry or biology section, depending on the examination board, and is a good example of "How Science Works." It is therefore timely that students are given an opportunity to conduct some simple climate modelling.…

Campus-Based Practices for Promoting Student Success: Financial Aid. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horn, Aaron S.; Reinert, Leah

2014-01-01

Financial aid may be particularly critical for promoting full-time enrollment, continuous enrollment, and a manageable balance of school and work responsibilities, which influence the likelihood of timely degree completion (Adelman, 2006; Attewell, Heil, & Reisel, 2012; Hossler et al., 2009). For example, Attewell, Heil, and Reisel (2012)…

What Works May Hurt--Side Effects in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Yong

2018-01-01

Medical products are required to disclose both their intended outcomes and known side effects. Educational policy and practice, however, carries no such labels. Thus, teachers, school leaders, and the public are not told, for example, that "this program helps improve your students' reading scores, but it may make them hate reading…

Two-way ANOVA Problems with Simple Numbers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Read, K. L. Q.; Shihab, L. H.

1998-01-01

Describes how to construct simple numerical examples in two-way ANOVAs, specifically randomized blocks, balanced two-way layouts, and Latin squares. Indicates that working through simple numerical problems is helpful to students meeting a technique for the first time and should be followed by computer-based analysis of larger, real datasets when…

A Test of Strategies for Enhanced Learning of AP Descriptive Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotcherlakota, Suhasini; Brooks, David W.

2008-01-01

The Advanced Placement (AP) Descriptive Chemistry Website allows users to practice chemistry problems. This study involved the redesign of the Website using worked examples to enhance learner performance. The population sample for the study includes users (students and teachers) interested in learning descriptive chemistry materials. The users…

Thought Experiments in Physics Education: A Simple and Practical Example.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lattery, Mark J.

2001-01-01

Uses a Galilean thought experiment to enhance learning in a college-level physical science course. Presents both modern and historical perspectives of Galileo's work. As a final project, students explored Galileo's thought experiment in the laboratory using modern detectors with satisfying results. (Contains 25 references.) (Author/ASK)

High School Mathematics at Work: Essays and Examples for the Education of All Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Mathematical Sciences Education Board.

Traditionally, vocational mathematics and precollege mathematics have been separate in schools. This book illuminates the interplay between technical and academic mathematics. This collection of essays by mathematicians, educators, and other experts is enhanced with illustrative tasks from workplace and everyday contexts that suggest ways to…

Teaching Controversy by Seminar: An Example in Quaternary Geomorphology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harwood, Doug

1987-01-01

Describes how seminar work can be structured to help students develop skills of critical thinking and expression when discussing controversial issues in their chosen subject. Particular emphasis is given to methods of organizing instructional materials and appropriate roles for seminar leaders. The debate surrounding the existence of a prehistoric…

The Early Years: Integrating Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashbrook, Peggy; Nellor, Sue

2015-01-01

Engineering is such a common part of children's work in early childhood programs that teachers can simply look around the room to identify examples where students have engaged in engineering practices. This article presents a classroom activity that integrates engineering design by building on the everyday problems that young children encounter in…

Rigor and Responsiveness in Classroom Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomspon, Jessica; Hagenah, Sara; Kang, Hosun; Stroupe, David; Braaten, Melissa; Colley, Carolyn; Windschitl, Mark

2016-01-01

Background/Context: There are few examples from classrooms or the literature that provide a clear vision of teaching that simultaneously promotes rigorous disciplinary activity and is responsive to all students. Maintaining rigorous and equitable classroom discourse is a worthy goal, yet there is no clear consensus of how this actually works in a…

How Dispositional Learning Analytics Helps Understanding the Worked-Example Principle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tempelaar, Dirk

2017-01-01

This empirical study aims to demonstrate how Dispositional Learning Analytics can contribute in the investigation of the effectiveness of didactical scenarios in authentic settings, where previous research has mostly been laboratory based. Using a showcase based on learning processes of 1080 students in a blended introductory quantitative course,…

CAI--Socratic Dialogue and Laboratory Simulation in Pathology. Technical Report Number Three.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hellerstein, Earl E.; And Others

The report describes work accomplished in the development of instructional materials for second-year medical students taking a histopathology laboratory course. The objectives and methods are described and several examples of techniques are illustrated with short segments of dialogue. These segments also illustrate the branching characteristics of…

Audience, Elegance, and Learning via the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lafer, Stephen

1997-01-01

Discusses the need for educational environments that allow for authentic learning. Shows how the Internet enables practice in which students are able to manipulate concepts for the sake of getting things done and receiving feedback regarding how well the application of an understanding worked. Provides examples of three learning activities on the…

Graphic Novels in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Adam

2009-01-01

Today many authors and artists adapt works of classic literature into a medium more "user friendly" to the increasingly visual student population. Stefan Petrucha and Kody Chamberlain's version of "Beowulf" is one example. The graphic novel captures the entire epic in arresting images and contrasts the darkness of the setting and characters with…

Creating Warm and Exciting Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolan, Thomas G.

2003-01-01

Using three examples, illustrates how interior design for schools is moving away from an institutional appearance, using ideas, such as a main street/neighborhood look and student art work. Schools described are Ft. Recovery Elementary/Middle School in Ft. Recovery, Ohio; Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, Michigan; and Ocotillo…

Toward High-Performance Communications Interfaces for Science Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oviatt, Sharon L.; Cohen, Adrienne O.

2010-01-01

From a theoretical viewpoint, educational interfaces that facilitate communicative actions involving representations central to a domain can maximize students' effort associated with constructing new schemas. In addition, interfaces that minimize working memory demands due to the interface per se, for example by mimicking existing non-digital work…

Studying Hammerheads in Hawaii

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Handler, Alex; Duncan, Kanesa

2006-01-01

In this article, the author discusses the High School Scalloped Hammerhead Shark Tagging Program in Hawaii which is an example of a successful partnership research collaboration. High school students and teachers worked with biologists from the University of Hawaii-Manoa (UHM) to conduct research on the life history of scalloped hammerhead sharks…

Operant Conditioning and Learning: Examples, Sources, Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedrini, Bonnie C.; Pedrini, D. T.

The purpose of this paper is to relate psychology to teaching generally, and to relate behavior shaping to curriculum, specifically. Focusing on operant conditioning and learning, many studies are cited which illustrate some of the work being done toward effectively shaping or modifying student behavior whether in terms of subject matter or…

Art is for All; Arts and Crafts for Less Able Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsay, Zaidee

Art activities for educationally subnormal children are presented in the areas of painting, carving, printing, paper construction, mosaics, collages, paper and wire sculpture, embroidery, and a puppet theatre. Seventy-two illustrations provide examples of students' work for each area; suggestions for teachers are included. (RD)

Shared Governance and Academic Freedom: Yes, This Is Union Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messier, John

2017-01-01

Collective bargaining and faculty governance are sometimes perceived to be in conflict. Faculty members will debate about whether a specific issue--for example, program consolidations or early college/dual enrollment (where high school students earn college credits taking high school classes taught by high school teachers)--falls under governance…

Bridging Cultures in Our Schools: New Approaches That Work. Knowledge Brief.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trumbull, Elise; Rothstein-Fisch, Carrie; Greenfield, Patricia M.

This publication describes how teachers can begin to gain understanding of diverse students and families and their cultural values, behavioral standards, and social ideals. It presents specific examples of cross-cultural conflicts and illustrates strategies for resolving them. Data come from the Bridging Cultures action research project in…

Marketing and Distribution: New Minimum Wage Legislation: Impact on Co-Op DE Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Husted, Stewart W.

1978-01-01

Impact on distributive education cooperative programs due to the legislation increasing the minimum wage effective January 1, 1978, indicates that the change could greatly restrict future cooperative placements, thereby reducing distributive education enrollments. Employer strategies (for example, reducing student work hours) to overcome wage…

Developing a Billion Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gergen, Christopher; Rego, Lyndon; Wright, Joel

2014-01-01

Intentionally developing the leadership capacity of all students is a necessary requirement for schools around the world. The Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, N.C., has been at the center of this work and presents three schools as examples: Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, N.C., the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South…

Making Art with Microscopes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benedis-Grab, Gregory

2011-01-01

Interdisciplinary teaching is a great way to focus on overarching concepts and help students make connections across disciplines. Historically, art and science have been connected disciplines. The botanical prints of the 18th and 19th centuries and early work with microscopes are two examples of a need for strong artistic skills in the science…

Focusing on Concepts by Covering Them Simultaneously

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Pete

2017-05-01

"Parallel" pedagogy covers the four mechanics concepts of momentum, energy, forces, and kinematics simultaneously instead of building each concept on an understanding of the previous one. Course content is delivered through interactive videos, allowing class time for group work and student-centered activities. We start with simple examples, building complexity throughout the course with the introduction of springs, two dimensions, vectors, energy diagrams, universal gravitation, and rotation. Success means that students ponder underlying physics concepts rather than hunt for formulas. Surveys indicate that students accept this learning model well and have considerable improvement in applied conceptual understanding.

Design and outcomes of an acoustic data visualization seminar.

PubMed

Robinson, Philip W; Pätynen, Jukka; Haapaniemi, Aki; Kuusinen, Antti; Leskinen, Petri; Zan-Bi, Morley; Lokki, Tapio

2014-01-01

Recently, the Department of Media Technology at Aalto University offered a seminar entitled Applied Data Analysis and Visualization. The course used spatial impulse response measurements from concert halls as the context to explore high-dimensional data visualization methods. Students were encouraged to represent source and receiver positions, spatial aspects, and temporal development of sound fields, frequency characteristics, and comparisons between halls, using animations and interactive graphics. The primary learning objectives were for the students to translate their skills across disciplines and gain a working understanding of high-dimensional data visualization techniques. Accompanying files present examples of student-generated, animated and interactive visualizations.

Physicians take to the field.

PubMed

Penfield, W

1992-10-01

A joint project on the Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa University, the Jimma Institute of Health Services, the Gondar College of Health Sciences, and McGill University in Montreal, Canada is involved with working to improve the health care system in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government has established postgraduate degrees in public health for district health managers, and overseas fellowships for students in order to train health professionals to work in 359 districts (awrajas). The emphasis is on district managers because of their link to the people, to stimulating community participation, and to coordinating activities. Training programs are available for physicians who have worked in rural areas for 2 years; completion of the program usually means placement as district health managers. One student was able to reduce respiratory illness among textile mill workers because of the success of his research thesis on byssinosis. 40% of Ethiopia has district health centers which provide primary health care and coordinate health resources. A 1st priority is convincing local leaders to construct latrines and provide safe sources of drinking water. The example of the functioning of the Suluta health district is provided. Of the 129,000 inhabitants, the health personnel and facilities provide for only 25% of the villages in the district. The district director is completing his thesis on field trials of oral rehydration therapy. Student research is supervised by physicians based at Addis Ababa University. An example is given of one such visit to a student studying adolescent sexual behavior and illegal abortion increases. Student work involved research, an action plan which identifies priorities for the area, and a health profile. Students learn how to compile data and plot graphs in a country where rural birth and death records are not kept. Record keeping, reference books and materials were also needed for the organization; technical resources were provided to this end. Computers and CD-ROMS have expended the resource base. Standards have improved since the initiation of the program, and the importance of the training was evident in the ability to handle the meningitis epidemic in 1989 and the coup in 1991. Economic conditions need to improve and be directed to health personnel, drugs, books and supplies.

Developing Student Science and Information Literacy through Contributions to the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) Wiki

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guertin, L. A.; Farley, I.; Geary, A.

2016-12-01

Introductory-level Earth science courses provide the opportunity for science and non-science majors to expand discipline-specific content knowledge while enhancing skill sets applicable to all disciplines. The outcomes of the student work can then benefit the education and outreach efforts of an international organization - in this case, a wiki devoted exclusively to the geosciences, managed by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG). The course Environment Earth at Penn State Brandywine is a general education science course with the overarching course goal for students to understand, communicate examples, and make informed decisions relating to big ideas and fundamental concepts of Earth science. To help accomplish this goal, students carry out a semester-long digital engaged scholarship project that benefits the users of the SEG Wiki (http://wiki.seg.org/). To begin with developing the literacy of students and their ability to read, interpret, and evaluate sources of scientific news, the first assignment requires students to write an annotated bibliography on a specific topic that serves as the foundation for a new SEG Wiki article. Once students have collected and summarized information from reliable sources, students learn how writing for a wiki is different than writing a term paper and begin drafting their wiki page. Students peer review each other's work for content and clarity before publishing their work on the SEG wiki. Students respond positively to this project, reporting a better understanding of and respect towards the authors of online wiki pages, as well as an overall satisfaction of knowing their work will benefit others. Links to student-generated pages and instructional materials can be found at: http://sites.psu.edu/segwiki/.

Health and social care professionals' attitudes to interprofessional working and interprofessional education: A literature review.

PubMed

O'Carroll, Veronica; McSwiggan, Linda; Campbell, Martin

2016-01-01

The healthcare setting is a rich learning environment for students to experience interprofessional working (IPW) and interprofessional education (IPE). However, opportunities for IPE are limited, and student experiences of effective IPW are varied. This raises the question of how IPW and IPE are valued by health or social care professionals. A search of the literature was carried out to identify studies of health and social care staff attitudes to IPW and IPE. This review provides a summary of the main factors found to influence attitudes and the strengths and limitations of these studies. Professional background and prior IPE experience were identified as the influencing factors for which there is most evidence. The main limitations of the studies accessed included a focus on the value of IPE for staff, as opposed to students, and a limited number of studies considering the relationship between attitudes to IPW and the value placed on IPE. It is important that health and social care professionals lead by example by working collaboratively and providing students with opportunities for IPE. Identifying the variables influencing attitudes to IPW and IPE may assist in improving IPW and experiences of IPE for students learning in the healthcare setting.

Making User-Generated Content Communities Work in Higher Education - The Importance of Setting Incentives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vom Brocke, Jan; White, Cynthia; Walker, Ute; Vom Brocke, Christina

The concept of User-Generated Content (UGC) offers impressive potential for innovative learning and teaching scenarios in higher education. Examples like Wikipedia and Facebook illustrate the enormous effects of multiple users world-wide contributing to a pool of shared resources, such as videos and pictures and also lexicographical descriptions. Apart from single examples, however, the systematic use of these virtual technologies in higher education still needs further exploration. Only few examples display the successful application of UGC Communities at university scenarios. We argue that a major reason for this can be seen in the fact that the organizational dimension of setting up UGC Communities has widely been neglected so far. In particular, we indicate the need for incentive setting to actively involve students and achieve specific pedagogical objectives. We base our study on organizational theories and derive strategies for incentive setting that have been applied in a practical e-Learning scenario involving students from Germany and New Zealand.

Development of concept-based physiology lessons for biomedical engineering undergraduate students.

PubMed

Nelson, Regina K; Chesler, Naomi C; Strang, Kevin T

2013-06-01

Physiology is a core requirement in the undergraduate biomedical engineering curriculum. In one or two introductory physiology courses, engineering students must learn physiology sufficiently to support learning in their subsequent engineering courses and careers. As preparation for future learning, physiology instruction centered on concepts may help engineering students to further develop their physiology and biomedical engineering knowledge. Following the Backward Design instructional model, a series of seven concept-based lessons was developed for undergraduate engineering students. These online lessons were created as prerequisite physiology training to prepare students to engage in a collaborative engineering challenge activity. This work is presented as an example of how to convert standard, organ system-based physiology content into concept-based content lessons.

Towards a Human Rights Culture in Social Work Education

PubMed Central

Werkmeister Rozas, Lisa; Garran, Ann Marie

2016-01-01

A human rights perspective must be embedded in the institutions, organisations or agencies where social work students find themselves. This paper will focus on one particular strategy that could be helpful to the process of solidifying a commitment to human rights for our students. Using a pedagogical tool from a school of social work in the USA originally developed to combat the social injustice of racism, the example transcends the academic institution and offers a solid link in connecting human rights, social justice and social work. Using the construct of critical realism, we argue that, for social work programmes to take steps towards an explicit commitment to human rights, not only must human rights be infused throughout the curriculum, but educators must provide opportunities for making more overt the links between human rights principles, social justice and social work. By addressing behaviours, tendencies and attitudes, students then acquire not only the skills and deeper understanding, but they internalise the motivation and commitment to broaden their human rights frame. In the process of developing a more firm commitment to human rights, we must not be limited to the walls of the academy, but rather extend beyond to our field agencies, organisations and communities. PMID:27559204

Towards a Human Rights Culture in Social Work Education.

PubMed

Werkmeister Rozas, Lisa; Garran, Ann Marie

2016-06-01

A human rights perspective must be embedded in the institutions, organisations or agencies where social work students find themselves. This paper will focus on one particular strategy that could be helpful to the process of solidifying a commitment to human rights for our students. Using a pedagogical tool from a school of social work in the USA originally developed to combat the social injustice of racism, the example transcends the academic institution and offers a solid link in connecting human rights, social justice and social work. Using the construct of critical realism, we argue that, for social work programmes to take steps towards an explicit commitment to human rights, not only must human rights be infused throughout the curriculum, but educators must provide opportunities for making more overt the links between human rights principles, social justice and social work. By addressing behaviours, tendencies and attitudes, students then acquire not only the skills and deeper understanding, but they internalise the motivation and commitment to broaden their human rights frame. In the process of developing a more firm commitment to human rights, we must not be limited to the walls of the academy, but rather extend beyond to our field agencies, organisations and communities.

How to use coaching and action learning to support mentors in the workplace.

PubMed

Nash, Sue; Scammell, Janet

Using the example of mentoring preregistration student nurses, this article explores facilitation of learning in the workplace and examines the use of coaching and action learning to support mentors and the wider clinical team. A case study, where a mentor has difficulties with an underperforming student, is considered. Action learning and coaching are then explored, with the aim of maximising personal and team learning. These strategies can be easily transferred to other work based learning situations.

Inclusion of Multiple Functional Types in an Automaton Model of Bioturbation and Their Effects on Sediments Properties

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-30

if the traditional models adequately parameterize and characterize the actual mixing. As an example of the application of this method , we have...2) Deterministic Modelling Results. As noted above, we are working on a stochastic method of modelling transient and short-lived tracers...heterogeneity. RELATED PROJECTS We have worked in collaboration with Peter Jumars (Univ. Maine), and his PhD student Kelley Dorgan, who are measuring

The use of multiple representations and visualizations in student learning of introductory physics: An example from work and energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Xueli

In the past three decades, physics education research has primarily focused on student conceptual understanding; little work has been conducted to investigate student difficulties in problem solving. In cognitive science and psychology, however, extensive studies have explored the differences in problem solving between experts and naive students. A major finding indicates that experts often apply qualitative representations in problem solving, but that novices use an equation-centered method. This dissertation describes investigations into the use of multiple representations and visualizations in student understanding and problem solving with the concepts of work and energy. A multiple-representation strategy was developed to help students acquire expertise in solving work-energy problems. In this approach, a typical work-energy problem is considered as a physical process. The process is first described in words-the verbal representation of the process. Next, a sketch or a picture, called a pictorial representation, is used to represent the process. This is followed by work-energy bar charts-a physical representation of the same processes. Finally, this process is represented mathematically by using a generalized work-energy equation. In terms of the multiple representations, the goal of solving a work- energy problem is to represent the physical process the more intuitive pictorial and diagrammatic physical representations. Ongoing assessment of student learning indicates that this multiple-representation technique is more effective than standard instruction methods in student problem solving. visualize this difficult-to-understand concept, a guided- inquiry learning activity using a pair of model carts and an experiment problem using a sandbag were developed. Assessment results have shown that these research-based materials are effective in helping students visualize this concept and give a pictorial idea of ``where the kinetic energy goes'' during inelastic collisions. The research and curriculum development was conducted in the context of the introductory calculus-based physics course. Investigations were carried out using common physics education research tools, including open-ended surveys, written test questions, and individual student interviews.

Teaching dental public health to undergraduates using community profiles and patient case studies.

PubMed

Nandakumar, C; Robinson, P G

2011-03-01

Provide an example of how dental public health can be taught to undergraduates. Educational case study. General dental practice. Dental outreach placement and supporting project work. One project required students to study patients in the context of their environment via the social history. The student learned about the social determinants of health and differentiated between the causes of disease in the patient and the determinants of health affecting the practice population. Outreach training can help students learn about the social determinants of health. Dental schools may have missed an opportunity to use outreach to help their students learn from and about their environment and its impact on the health of their patients.

Engaging Citizens In Discussions of Coastal Climate ChangeTwo examples of place-based research that engaged community members will be presented. Lessons learned in how to engage community members and working with high school students and hands-on learning across generations can provide insights into social and ecosystem change will be shared.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruger, L. E.; Johnson, A. C.

2017-12-01

By engaging community members as research partners, people become not just the subject of the story, they become storytellers as well. Participatory community-based research that engages community residents in gathering and sharing their lived experiences is instrumental in connecting people to each other and their forests and forest science and helpful when confronted by change. Two examples of place-based research that engaged community members as researchers will be presented. What factors led to collaborative outcomes that integrated citizen-informed knowledge with scientific knowledge? What lessons were learned in how best to engage community members? How did working with high school students draw even hesitant members of the community to participate? By strengthening bonds between students and their communities, both natural and social environments, we can provide young people with opportunities to better understand how they fit into the greater community and their natural environment. Hands-on learning that explores experiences in nature across generations can benefit communities, especially youth, and can provide insights into social and ecosystem change.

The Maiden Voyage of a Kinematics Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenwolfe, Matthew L.

2015-04-01

In a Montessori preschool classroom, students work independently on tasks that absorb their attention in part because the apparatus are carefully designed to make mistakes directly observable and limit exploration to one aspect or dimension. Control of error inheres in the apparatus itself, so that teacher intervention can be minimal.1 Inspired by this example, I created a robotic kinematics apparatus that also shapes the inquiry experience. Students program the robot by drawing kinematic graphs on a computer and then observe its motion. Exploration is at once limited to constant velocity and constant acceleration motion, yet open to complex multi-segment examples difficult to achieve in the lab in other ways. The robot precisely and reliably produces the motion described by the students' graphs, so that the apparatus itself provides immediate visual feedback about whether their understanding is correct as they are free to explore within the hard-coded limits. In particular, the kinematic robot enables hands-on study of multi-segment constant velocity situations, which lays a far stronger foundation for the study of accelerated motion. When correction is anonymous—just between one group of lab partners and their robot—students using the kinematic robot tend to flow right back to work because they view the correction as an integral part of the inquiry learning process. By contrast, when correction occurs by the teacher and/or in public (e.g., returning a graded assignment or pointing out student misconceptions during class), students all too often treat the event as the endpoint to inquiry. Furthermore, quantitative evidence shows a large gain from pre-test to post-test scores using the Test of Understanding Graphs in Kinematics (TUG-K).

Student project of optical system analysis API-library development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, Tatiana; Zhukova, Tatiana; Dantcaranov, Ruslan; Romanova, Maria; Zhadin, Alexander; Ivanov, Vyacheslav; Kalinkina, Olga

2017-08-01

In the paper API-library software developed by students of Applied and Computer Optics Department (ITMO University) for optical system design is presented. The library performs paraxial and real ray tracing, calculates 3d order (Seidel) aberration and real ray aberration of axis and non-axis beams (wave, lateral, longitudinal, coma, distortion etc.) and finally, approximate wave aberration by Zernike polynomials. Real aperture can be calculated by considering of real rays tracing failure on each surface. So far we assume optical system is centered, with spherical or 2d order aspherical surfaces. Optical glasses can be set directly by refraction index or by dispersion coefficients. The library can be used for education or research purposes in optical system design area. It provides ready to use software functions for optical system simulation and analysis that developer can simply plug into their software development for different purposes, for example for some specific synthesis tasks or investigation of new optimization modes. In the paper we present an example of using the library for development of cemented doublet synthesis software based on Slusarev's methodology. The library is used in optical system optimization recipes course for deep studying of optimization model and its application for optical system design. Development of such software is an excellent experience for students and help to understanding optical image modeling and quality analysis. This development is organized as student group joint project. We try to organize it as a group in real research and development project, so each student has his own role in the project and then use whole library functionality in his own master or bachelor thesis. Working in such group gives students useful experience and opportunity to work as research and development engineer of scientific software in the future.

Example Elaboration as a Neglected Instructional Strategy

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

Girill, T R

Over the last decade an unfolding cognitive-psychology research program on how learners use examples to develop effective problem solving expertise has yielded well-established empirical findings. Chi et al., Renkl, Reimann, and Neubert (in various papers) have confirmed statistically significant differences in how good and poor learners inferentially elaborate (self explain) example steps as they study. Such example elaboration is highly relevant to software documentation and training, yet largely neglected in the current literature. This paper summarizes the neglected research on example use and puts its neglect in a disciplinary perspective. The author then shows that differences in support for examplemore » elaboration in commercial software documentation reveal previously over looked usability issues. These issues involve example summaries, using goals and goal structures to reinforce example elaborations, and prompting readers to recognize the role of example parts. Secondly, I show how these same example elaboration techniques can build cognitive maturity among underperforming high school students who study technical writing. Principle based elaborations, condition elaborations, and role recognition of example steps all have their place in innovative, high school level, technical writing exercises, and all promote far transfer problem solving. Finally, I use these studies to clarify the constructivist debate over what writers and readers contribute to text meaning. I argue that writers can influence how readers elaborate on examples, and that because of the great empirical differences in example study effectiveness (and reader choices) writers should do what they can (through within text design features) to encourage readers to elaborate examples in the most successful ways. Example elaboration is a uniquely effective way to learn from worked technical examples. This paper summarizes years of research that clarifies example elaboration. I then show how example elaboration can make complex software documentation more useful, improve the benefits of technical writing exercises for underperforming students, and enlighten the general discussion of how writers can and should help their readers.« less

Methodology of problem-based learning engineering and technology and of its implementation with modern computer resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebedev, A. A.; Ivanova, E. G.; Komleva, V. A.; Klokov, N. M.; Komlev, A. A.

2017-01-01

The considered method of learning the basics of microelectronic circuits and systems amplifier enables one to understand electrical processes deeper, to understand the relationship between static and dynamic characteristics and, finally, bring the learning process to the cognitive process. The scheme of problem-based learning can be represented by the following sequence of procedures: the contradiction is perceived and revealed; the cognitive motivation is provided by creating a problematic situation (the mental state of the student), moving the desire to solve the problem, to raise the question "why?", the hypothesis is made; searches for solutions are implemented; the answer is looked for. Due to the complexity of architectural schemes in the work the modern methods of computer analysis and synthesis are considered in the work. Examples of engineering by students in the framework of students' scientific and research work of analog circuits with improved performance based on standard software and software developed at the Department of Microelectronics MEPhI.

Incorporating Risk Assessment and Inherently Safer Design Practices into Chemical Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seay, Jeffrey R.; Eden, Mario R.

2008-01-01

This paper introduces, via case study example, the benefit of including risk assessment methodology and inherently safer design practices into the curriculum for chemical engineering students. This work illustrates how these tools can be applied during the earliest stages of conceptual process design. The impacts of decisions made during…

Werbung im Englischunterricht: Das Beispiel Einhorn - Onehorn - Unicorn (Advertising Material in English Teaching: The Example "Einhorn-Onehorn-Unicorn")

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruettgens, Hannelore

1976-01-01

Presents an advertisement from "Der Spiegel," composed in English that is saturated with Germanisms. Teaching procedures based on this are suggested: finding and classifying errors, composing alternative versions, translating into German, retranslating into English. Suggestions are given for further work based on the students' own…

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Two Heads Are Better than One

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horn, Bradley; Stoller, Fredricka; Robinson, Marin S.

2008-01-01

To meet the ever-changing needs of students in the modern world, forward-thinking educators are crossing the traditional borders of their own disciplines to work with colleagues from other fields to develop novel approaches to teaching. Examples of cross-disciplinary efforts illustrate both the creativity of their participants and the promise and…

Controversy as a Mode of Invention: The Example of James and Freud.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClish, Glen

1991-01-01

Counteracts the overemphasis on introspection that potentially limits composition students' progress in argumentation by endorsing a renewal of classical rhetoric and invention. Explores texts by William James and Sigmund Freud, which are suitable works to provide the framework necessary for a confrontation-based classroom approach to invention.…

Writing with Voice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kesler, Ted

2012-01-01

In this Teaching Tips article, the author argues for a dialogic conception of voice, based in the work of Mikhail Bakhtin. He demonstrates a dialogic view of voice in action, using two writing examples about the same topic from his daughter, a fifth-grade student. He then provides five practical tips for teaching a dialogic conception of voice in…

Using Animation and Interactivity To Enrich Reading and Writing Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gladhart, Marsha A.

In the hands of inspired teachers, computers can provide opportunities for creativity and interaction that add new excitement to learning. PowerPoint and HyperStudio are just two examples of computer software that are frequently used by students to share knowledge and develop communication skills using multimedia. Publishing their work with the…

The Constructed Relief: Put the Carving Tools Away and Build a Sculpture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kostyniuk, Ron

1990-01-01

Describes origins of the constructed relief and shows some examples of contemporary artists' work. Suggests using this history to motivate students to construct their own reliefs. Outlines a four-step lesson: preliminary drawing, finished drawing, mock-up relief, and finished construction using durable materials, such as wood, acrylic sheet, or…

The Theory and Practice of Culturally Relevant Education: A Synthesis of Research across Content Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aronson, Brittany; Laughter, Judson

2016-01-01

Many teachers and educational researchers have claimed to adopt tenets of culturally relevant education (CRE). However, recent work describes how standardized curricula and testing have marginalized CRE in educational reform discourses. In this synthesis of research, we sought examples of research connecting CRE to positive student outcomes across…

The Causal Effects of Cultural Relevance: Evidence from an Ethnic Studies Curriculum. CEPA Working Paper No. 16-01

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dee, Thomas; Penner, Emily

2016-01-01

An extensive theoretical and qualitative literature stresses the promise of instructional practices and content aligned with the cultural experiences of minority students. Ethnic studies courses provide a growing but controversial example of such "culturally relevant pedagogy." However, the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of…

Stamp of Approval

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Joan; Curtis, David

1977-01-01

In an age of exquisite graphic art, perhaps the most universally viewed examples are to be found in the commemorative stamps issued by the Postal Service. At Corona del Mar High School, Newport Beach, California, students cooperated to design a stamp and display their work before the public. They therefore learn how the Postal Service selects a…

Some Unexpected Results Using Computer Algebra Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alonso, Felix; Garcia, Alfonsa; Garcia, Francisco; Hoya, Sara; Rodriguez, Gerardo; de la Villa, Agustin

2001-01-01

Shows how teachers can often use unexpected outputs from Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) to reinforce concepts and to show students the importance of thinking about how they use the software and reflecting on their results. Presents different examples where DERIVE, MAPLE, or Mathematica does not work as expected and suggests how to use them as a…

A Holistic Approach to Delivering Sustainable Design Education in Civil Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vemury, Chandra Mouli; Heidrich, Oliver; Thorpe, Neil; Crosbie, Tracey

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present pedagogical approaches developed and implemented to deliver sustainable design education (SDE) to second-year undergraduate students on civil engineering programmes in the (then) School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at Newcastle University. In doing so, the work presented offers an example of…

Scaffolding Strategies for Wiki-Based Collaboration: Action Research in a Multicultural Japanese Language Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Insung; Suzuki, Yoko

2015-01-01

Wikis can be used to encourage and support collaborative constructivist learning. However, their effectiveness depends upon the use of scaffolding strategies to guide the students in their use. This action research investigated three scaffolding strategies for wiki-based multicultural Japanese language learning: worked examples, grouping and peer…

Global Education and Local School Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otero, George

1983-01-01

Change strategies that focus on improving local schools' abilities to manage change are described, and examples of how the strategies can be applied to help the schools prepare students for life in a global society are furnished. Specific strategies are based on the work of Las Palomas de Taos, an agency promoting change in the Southwest. (PP)

A Study of Student Publications Adviser Management Style (Theory X, Theory Y).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ames, Steve

Members of the National Council of College Publications Advisers were surveyed to determine the predominant management style within which the advisers worked. The choices of management style were restrictive-Theory X and permissive-Theory Y. Respondents were encouraged to give general examples, cite specific incidents, and include clippings from…

Classroom Strategies: The Methodology of Business Education. National Business Education Yearbook, No. 34.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perreault, Heidi R., Ed.

Designed for classroom teachers, this refereed yearbook includes examples, resources, and success stories to assist business educators to provide their students with the necessary skills for success in work and in life. Part I, Examining Business and Education Environments, contains the following chapters: "Business and Industry Need Qualified…

Teaching GLEE-dership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweet, Kati; Bruce, Jackie

2016-01-01

In a world where more and more emphasis is being put on the importance of teaching leadership skills to work ready undergraduate students, instructors are often met with the challenge of finding current, engaging, real world examples to use in their classrooms. In the case of this application, the instructors propose the use of the characters and…

An Exploratory Look at Alienation in Elementary School Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Jean M.

The ongoing work life of four classes of elementary school children from relatively affluent families was examined for approximately 2 years by a participant observer/classroom teacher in an attempt to identify possible causes of student alienation, i.e., negative, unproductive or disruptive behaviors. Examples of such behaviors include hostility,…

A Conceptual Metaphor Framework for the Teaching of Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danesi, Marcel

2007-01-01

Word problems in mathematics seem to constantly pose learning difficulties for all kinds of students. Recent work in math education (for example, [Lakoff, G. & Nunez, R. E. (2000). "Where mathematics comes from: How the embodied mind brings mathematics into being." New York: Basic Books]) suggests that the difficulties stem from an…

Creating Art Environments That Address Social Justice Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tremblay, Gail

2013-01-01

In this article, I examine strategies for teaching students to make socially conscious art using a variety of media that emphasizes installation work. I present issues of social justice in the contemporary art world and include concerns of censorship that artists sometimes confront. I offer examples of team taught coordinated studies programs…

Shifting the Cantus Firmus: Australian Music Educators and the ERA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Dawn

2010-01-01

Managing the teaching-research-creative practice nexus is a concern for everyone working in higher music education, particularly those involved with the supervision and mentorship of graduate students and early career academics. This paper takes as its subject the new Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), drawing examples from research…

Faraday's Investigation of Electromagnetic Induction. Experiment No. 21.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devons, Samuel

This paper focuses on Michael Faraday's experimental research in electricity in the 1830's. Historical notes related to his work are included as well as experiments, his objectives, and illustrations of equipment for the experiments. Examples from his diary are given so that students can attempt to emulate his honest and systematic manner of…

Competence-Based Education and the Limitations of Critique

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Richard

2016-01-01

Drawing upon the work of Foucault and Latour, this article reflects on 25 years of critique of competence-based education and its continuing strength as a way of framing education and training. Using an example from England, it rehearses the argument from Foucault that, despite its student-centred discourse, competence-based education can be…

An epistemic framing analysis of upper level physics students' use of mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bing, Thomas Joseph

Mathematics is central to a professional physicist's work and, by extension, to a physics student's studies. It provides a language for abstraction, definition, computation, and connection to physical reality. This power of mathematics in physics is also the source of many of the difficulties it presents students. Simply put, many different activities could all be described as "using math in physics". Expertise entails a complicated coordination of these various activities. This work examines the many different kinds of thinking that are all facets of the use of mathematics in physics. It uses an epistemological lens, one that looks at the type of explanation a student presently sees as appropriate, to analyze the mathematical thinking of upper level physics undergraduates. Sometimes a student will turn to a detailed calculation to produce or justify an answer. Other times a physical argument is explicitly connected to the mathematics at hand. Still other times quoting a definition is seen as sufficient, and so on. Local coherencies evolve in students' thought around these various types of mathematical justifications. We use the cognitive process of framing to model students' navigation of these various facets of math use in physics. We first demonstrate several common framings observed in our students' mathematical thought and give several examples of each. Armed with this analysis tool, we then give several examples of how this framing analysis can be used to address a research question. We consider what effects, if any, a powerful symbolic calculator has on students' thinking. We also consider how to characterize growing expertise among physics students. Framing offers a lens for analysis that is a natural fit for these sample research questions. To active physics education researchers, the framing analysis presented in this dissertation can provide a useful tool for addressing other research questions. To physics teachers, we present this analysis so that it may make them more explicitly aware of the various types of reasoning, and the dynamics among them, that students employ in our physics classes. This awareness will help us better hear students' arguments and respond appropriately.

EarthLabs Meet Sister Corita Kent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quartini, E.; Ellins, K. K.; Cavitte, M. G.; Thirumalai, K.; Ledley, T. S.; Haddad, N.; Lynds, S. E.

2013-12-01

The EarthLabs project provides a framework to enhance high school students' climate literacy and awareness of climate change. The project provides climate science curriculum and teacher professional development, followed by research on students' learning as teachers implement EarthLabs climate modules in the classroom. The professional development targets high school teachers whose professional growth is structured around exposure to current climate science research, data observation collection and analysis. During summer workshops in Texas and Mississippi, teachers work through the laboratories, experiments, and hand-on activities developed for their students. In summer 2013, three graduate students from the University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics with expertise in climate science participated in two weeklong workshops. The graduate students partnered with exemplary teacher leaders to provide scientific content and lead the EarthLabs learning activities. As an experiment, we integrated a visit to the Blanton Museum and an associated activity in order to motivate participants to think creatively, as well as analytically, about science. This exercise was inspired by the work and educational philosophy of Sister Corita Kent. During the visit to the Blanton Museum, we steered participants towards specific works of art pre-selected to emphasize aspects of the climate of Texas and to draw participants' attention to ways in which artists convey different concepts. For example, artists use of color, lines, and symbols conjure emotional responses to imagery in the viewer. The second part of the exercise asked participants to choose a climate message and to convey this through a collage. We encouraged participants to combine their experience at the museum with examples of Sister Corita Kent's artwork. We gave them simple guidelines for the project based on techniques and teaching of Sister Corita Kent. Evaluation results reveal that participants enjoyed the activity and saw its value for enhancing their own appreciation of climate science. However, participants expressed skepticism about using the exercise with their own students. Teachers' perception was that students would not make the same connections that they did. From our perspective and participants' enthusiasm we encourage collaboration between art and science teachers in joint activities that emphasize the link between art and science.

Engaging teachers & students in geosciences by exploring local geoheritage sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gochis, E. E.; Gierke, J. S.

2014-12-01

Understanding geoscience concepts and the interactions of Earth system processes in one's own community has the potential to foster sound decision making for environmental, economic and social wellbeing. School-age children are an appropriate target audience for improving Earth Science literacy and attitudes towards scientific practices. However, many teachers charged with geoscience instruction lack awareness of local geological significant examples or the pedagogical ability to integrate place-based examples into their classroom practice. This situation is further complicated because many teachers of Earth science lack a firm background in geoscience course work. Strategies for effective K-12 teacher professional development programs that promote Earth Science literacy by integrating inquiry-based investigations of local and regional geoheritage sites into standards based curriculum were developed and tested with teachers at a rural school on the Hannahville Indian Reservation located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The workshops initiated long-term partnerships between classroom teachers and geoscience experts. We hypothesize that this model of professional development, where teachers of school-age children are prepared to teach local examples of earth system science, will lead to increased engagement in Earth Science content and increased awareness of local geoscience examples by K-12 students and the public.

Handbook for Individualized Instruction.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-07-01

support of exploratory development task area CF63-521-080-102 (USMC Training and Education), work unit 03.06 (USMC Professional Military Education). The...they did. Example: Suppose the subject is fire support coordination. If a student works a problem and gets the wrong answer, get him or her to walk...the answers that apply. It would be better to say, " Select the one weapon system best able to provide close air support ." Rules 2 and 3 are self

Culturally Equipped for Socio-Scientific Issues? A comparative study on how teachers and students in mono- and multiethnic schools handle work with complex issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ideland, Malin; Malmberg, Claes; Winberg, Mikael

2011-09-01

Socio-scientific issues (SSI) are not only said to increase students' interest in science, but they also strengthen the generic skills of teamwork, problem-solving, and media literacy. At the same time, these skills are prerequisites for successful work with SSI. The aim of the study is to analyze what happens when SSI are implemented in science classrooms with various degrees of ethnic diversity and socio-cultural status. We are also interested in knowing how teachers structure the SSI work from discourses on what suits different students. Quantitative and qualitative methods are combined, for example, questionnaires and ethnographic fieldwork, presented through partial least squares analysis and thick descriptions. We can notice discursive differences between 'Us' and 'The Other' and between mono- and multiethnic schools. In an earlier research, images of differences between the different student groups emerged, and we can find these in the results from the questionnaires. In an observation study, another pattern appeared that indicated similarities rather than differences between mono- and multiethnic classrooms. The students are first of all inside the discourse of 'the successful student.' Noteworthy is that the teachers' roles correspond better with the discourse than with how students actually act. The study also shows that SSI articulate a collision between different discourses on education: a discourse on differences between students in multi- and monoethnic classrooms; a discourse on how to become a successful student; and a discourse on the school's mission to educate participating citizens. It is suggested that schools should relate to, expose, and articulate discursive clashes that emerge when introducing new work forms.

The Use of Learning Study in Designing Examples for Teaching Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jian-Peng; Yang, Ling-Yan; Ding, Yi

2017-07-01

Researchers have consistently demonstrated that studying multiple examples is more effective than studying one example because comparing multiple examples can promote schema construction and facilitate discernment of critical aspects. Teachers, however, are usually absent from those self-led text-based studies. In this experimental study, a learning study approach based on variation theory was adopted to examine the effectiveness of teachers' different ways of designing multiple examples in helping students learn a physics principle. Three hundred and fifty-one tenth-grade students learned to distinguish action-reaction from equilibrium (a) by comparing examples that varied critical aspects first separately and then simultaneously, or (b) by comparing examples that separately varied critical aspects only. Results showed that students with average academic attainment benefited more from comparing examples in the first condition. Students with higher academic attainment learned equally within both conditions. This finding supports the advantage of simultaneous variation. The characteristics of students and instructional support should be taken into account when considering the effectiveness of patterns of variation.

Examining Teachers' Instructional Moves Aimed at Developing Students' Ideas and Questions in Learner-Centered Science Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Christopher J.; Phillips, Rachel S.; Penuel, William R.

2012-11-01

Prior research has shown that orchestrating scientific discourse in classrooms is difficult and takes a great deal of effort on the part of teachers. In this study, we examined teachers' instructional moves to elicit and develop students' ideas and questions as they orchestrated discourse with their fifth grade students during a learner-centered environmental biology unit. The unit materials included features meant to support teachers in eliciting and working with students' ideas and questions as a source for student-led investigations. We present three contrasting cases of teachers to highlight evidence that shows teachers' differing strategies for eliciting students' ideas and questions, and for developing their ideas, questions and questioning skills. Results from our cross case analysis provide insight into the ways in which teachers' enactments enabled them to work with students' ideas and questions to help advance learning. Consistent with other studies, we found that teachers could readily elicit ideas and questions but experienced challenges in helping students develop them. Findings suggest a need for more specified supports, such as specific discourse strategies, to help teachers attend to student thinking. We explore implications for curricular tools and discuss a need for more examples of effective discourse moves for use by teachers in orchestrating scientific discourse.

Applying the Kanban method in problem-based project work: a case study in a manufacturing engineering bachelor's programme at Aalborg University Copenhagen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balve, Patrick; Krüger, Volker; Tolstrup Sørensen, Lene

2017-11-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has proven to be highly effective for educating students in an active and self-motivated manner in various disciplines. Student projects carried out following PBL principles are very dynamic and carry a high level of uncertainty, both conditions under which agile project management approaches are assumed to be highly supportive. The paper describes an empirical case study carried out at Aalborg University Copenhagen involving students from two different semesters of a Bachelor of Science programme. While executing the study, compelling examples of how PBL and the agile project management method Kanban blend could be identified. A final survey reveals that applying Kanban produces noticeable improvements with respect to creating, assigning and coordinating project tasks. Other improvements were found in group communication, knowledge about the work progress with regards to both the individual and the collective and the students' way of continuously improving their own teamwork.

The Role of Geoscience Departments in Preparing Future Geoscience Professionals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ormand, C. J.; MacDonald, H.; Manduca, C. A.

2010-12-01

The Building Strong Geoscience Departments program ran a workshop on the role of geoscience departments in preparing geoscience professionals. Workshop participants asserted that geoscience departments can help support the flow of geoscience graduates into the geoscience workforce by providing students with information about jobs and careers; providing experiences that develop career-oriented knowledge, attitudes and skills; encouraging exploration of options; and supporting students in their job searches. In conjunction with the workshop, we have developed a set of online resources designed to help geoscience departments support their students’ professional development in these ways. The first step toward sending geoscience graduates into related professions is making students aware of the wide variety of career options available in the geosciences and of geoscience employment trends. Successful means of achieving this include making presentations about careers (including job prospects and potential salaries) in geoscience classes, providing examples of practical applications of course content, talking to advisees about their career plans, inviting alumni to present at departmental seminars, participating in institutional career fairs, and publishing a departmental newsletter with information about alumni careers. Courses throughout the curriculum as well as co-curricular experiences can provide experiences that develop skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will be useful for a range of careers. Successful strategies include having an advisory board that offers suggestions about key knowledge and skills to incorporate into the curriculum, providing opportunities for students to do geoscience research, developing internship programs, incorporating professional skills training (such as HazMat training) into the curriculum, and teaching professionalism. Students may also benefit from involvement with the campus career center or from conducting informational interviews of geoscientists, and department faculty can support these activities simply by suggesting them to students and offering encouragement. Departments can also help students expand their career options by developing networks of alumni and potential employers. Alumni networks offer real-life examples of abstract career options, while networks of employers offer internship opportunities and a direct line to job openings. Finally, the power of simply talking to students directly should not be underestimated. Asking students about their career plans, offering them information on available options, encouraging them to apply for particular internships or jobs, or inviting them to meet with alumni who are visiting campus, can have a powerful impact. In all of this, we need to be supportive of student choices. Overall, faculty can help students make more informed career decisions and develop skills that will be of value in their career through a variety of strategies, working with students as an advisor or mentor to help them explore career options. Our website provides many examples of how geoscience departments across the country work toward these goals, as well as background information on topics such as geoscience employment trends.

Assessment of Application Technology of Natural User Interfaces in the Creation of a Virtual Chemical Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagodziński, Piotr; Wolski, Robert

2015-02-01

Natural User Interfaces (NUI) are now widely used in electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles. We have tried to apply this technology in the teaching of chemistry in middle school and high school. A virtual chemical laboratory was developed in which students can simulate the performance of laboratory activities similar to those that they perform in a real laboratory. Kinect sensor was used for the detection and analysis of the student's hand movements, which is an example of NUI. The studies conducted found the effectiveness of educational virtual laboratory. The extent to which the use of a teaching aid increased the students' progress in learning chemistry was examined. The results indicate that the use of NUI creates opportunities to both enhance and improve the quality of the chemistry education. Working in a virtual laboratory using the Kinect interface results in greater emotional involvement and an increased sense of self-efficacy in the laboratory work among students. As a consequence, students are getting higher marks and are more interested in the subject of chemistry.

Using competence-based and project-related approaches to support students individually - An engineering science experience report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, M.

2009-04-01

The recent education of engineers, using the example of satellite geodesy at the Geodetic Institute of the University Karlsruhe (Germany), is still suffering from time pressure as well as from heavy curriculum content loading. Within this education field, where the academic teachers have to fulfill high requests from the new generation of students as well as from industry and from research institutions respectively, advanced satellite geodetic knowledge has to be transferred effectively and sustainably. In order to enable the students to train newest aspects related to satellite geodesy as well as important key competences, e.g. capacity for independent and academic work, reflection and evaluation skills, presentation skills, an innovative teaching concept was developed, tested, and evaluated. This teaching concept makes use of very different teaching techniques like portfolio assignment, project work, input from experts, jig saw, advance and post organizer. The concept will be presented and discussed in detail.

Student Use of Physics to Make Sense of Incomplete but Functional VPython Programs in a Lab Setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weatherford, Shawn A.

2011-12-01

Computational activities in Matter & Interactions, an introductory calculus-based physics course, have the instructional goal of providing students with the experience of applying the same set of a small number of fundamental principles to model a wide range of physical systems. However there are significant instructional challenges for students to build computer programs under limited time constraints, especially for students who are unfamiliar with programming languages and concepts. Prior attempts at designing effective computational activities were successful at having students ultimately build working VPython programs under the tutelage of experienced teaching assistants in a studio lab setting. A pilot study revealed that students who completed these computational activities had significant difficultly repeating the exact same tasks and further, had difficulty predicting the animation that would be produced by the example program after interpreting the program code. This study explores the interpretation and prediction tasks as part of an instructional sequence where students are asked to read and comprehend a functional, but incomplete program. Rather than asking students to begin their computational tasks with modifying program code, we explicitly ask students to interpret an existing program that is missing key lines of code. The missing lines of code correspond to the algebraic form of fundamental physics principles or the calculation of forces which would exist between analogous physical objects in the natural world. Students are then asked to draw a prediction of what they would see in the simulation produced by the VPython program and ultimately run the program to evaluate the students' prediction. This study specifically looks at how the participants use physics while interpreting the program code and creating a whiteboard prediction. This study also examines how students evaluate their understanding of the program and modification goals at the beginning of the modification task. While working in groups over the course of a semester, study participants were recorded while they completed three activities using these incomplete programs. Analysis of the video data showed that study participants had little difficulty interpreting physics quantities, generating a prediction, or determining how to modify the incomplete program. Participants did not base their prediction solely from the information from the incomplete program. When participants tried to predict the motion of the objects in the simulation, many turned to their knowledge of how the system would evolve if it represented an analogous real-world physical system. For example, participants attributed the real-world behavior of springs to helix objects even though the program did not include calculations for the spring to exert a force when stretched. Participants rarely interpreted lines of code in the computational loop during the first computational activity, but this changed during latter computational activities with most participants using their physics knowledge to interpret the computational loop. Computational activities in the Matter & Interactions curriculum were revised in light of these findings to include an instructional sequence of tasks to build a comprehension of the example program. The modified activities also ask students to create an additional whiteboard prediction for the time-evolution of the real-world phenomena which the example program will eventually model. This thesis shows how comprehension tasks identified by Palinscar and Brown (1984) as effective in improving reading comprehension are also effective in helping students apply their physics knowledge to interpret a computer program which attempts to model a real-world phenomena and identify errors in their understanding of the use, or omission, of fundamental physics principles in a computational model.

Mobile computing device as tools for college student education: a case on flashcards application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Congying

2012-04-01

Traditionally, college students always use flash cards as a tool to remember massive knowledge, such as nomenclature, structures, and reactions in chemistry. Educational and information technology have enabled flashcards viewed on computers, like Slides and PowerPoint, works as tunnels of drilling and feedback for the learners. The current generation of students is more capable of information technology and mobile computing devices. For example, they use their Mobile phones much more intensively everyday day. Trends of using Mobile phone as an educational tool is analyzed and a educational technology initiative is proposed, which use Mobile phone flash cards applications to help students learn biology and chemistry. Experiments show that users responded positively to these mobile flash cards.

Improve ay101 teaching by single modifications versus unchanged controls: statistically-supported examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrd, Gene G.; Byrd, Dana

2017-06-01

The two main purposes of this paper on improving Ay101 courses are presentations of (1) some very effective single changes and (2) a method to improve teaching by making just single changes which are evaluated statistically versus a control group class. We show how simple statistical comparison can be done even with Excel in Windows. Of course, other more sophisticated and powerful methods could be used if available. One of several examples to be discussed on our poster is our modification of an online introductory astronomy lab course evaluated by the multiple choice final exam. We composed questions related to the learning objectives of the course modules (LOQs). Students could “talk to themselves” by discursively answering these for extra credit prior to the final. Results were compared to an otherwise identical previous unmodified class. Modified classes showed statistically much better final exam average scores (78% vs. 66%). This modification helped those students who most need help. Students in the lower third of the class preferentially answered the LOQs to improve their scores and the class average on the exam. These results also show the effectiveness of relevant extra credit work. Other examples will be discussed as specific examples of evaluating improvement by making one change and then testing it versus a control. Essentially, this is an evolutionary approach in which single favorable “mutations” are retained and the unfavorable removed. The temptation to make more than one change each time must be resisted!

Strategies for Assessing Learning Outcomes in an Online Oceanography Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, D. L.

2003-12-01

All general education courses at the San Jose State University, including those in the sciences, must present a detailed assessment plan of student learning, prior to certification for offering. The assessment plan must state a clear methodology for acquiring data on student achievement of the learning outcomes for the specific course category, as well as demonstrate how students fulfill a strong writing requirement. For example, an online course in oceanography falls into the Area R category, the Earth and Environment, through which a student should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the methods and limits of scientific investigation; distinguish science from pseudo-science; and apply a scientific approach to answer questions about the Earth and environment. The desired learning outcomes are shared with students at the beginning of the course and subsequent assessments on achieving each outcome are embedded in the graded assignments, which include a critical thinking essay, mid-term exam, poster presentation in a symposium-style format, portfolio of web-based work, weekly discussions on an electronic bulletin board, and a take-home final exam, consisting of an original research grant proposal. The diverse nature of the graded assignments assures a comprehensive assessment of student learning from a variety of perspectives, such as quantitative, qualitative, and analytical. Formative assessment is also leveraged into learning opportunities, which students use to identify the acquisition of knowledge. For example, pre-tests are used to highlight preconceptions at the beginning of specific field studies and post-testing encourages students to present the results of small research projects. On a broader scale, the assessment results contradict common misperceptions of online and hybrid courses. Student demand for online courses is very high due to the self-paced nature of learning. Rates of enrollment attrition match those of classroom sections, if students are informed of the instructor's expectations at the beginning of the course. The level of faculty-student and student-student communication is very high, both in terms of quantity and quality, and exceeds that experienced in classroom sections. Student scores on graded assignments compare favorably to classroom sections. Overall, online courses offer a cost-effective means of addressing top priority issues, including increasing student access to learning, accelerating rates of graduation, and improving outreach to K-12 educators, especially those working on credential requirements.

Student Outreach with Renewable Energy Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buffinger, D. R.; Fuller, C. W.; Gordon, E. M.; Kalu, A.; Hepp, Aloysius F. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Student Outreach with Renewable Energy Technology (SORET) program is an education program involving three Historically Black Colleges and Universities and NASA's John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field. These three universities; Central State University (CSU), Savannah State University (SSU) and Wilberforce University (WU) are working together with NASA Glenn to use the theme of renewable energy to improve the science, engineering and technology education of minority students and to attract minority students to these fields. In this vein, a renewable energy laboratory course is being offered at WU with the goal of giving the students of WU and CSU hands on experiences. As part of this course, the students are constructing solar light posts for a local high school with a high minority population. A Physics teacher from this school and some of his high school students are involved with this project. A lecture course on energy systems and sustainability is being developed by SSU to be delivered via distance reaming to the other institutions. Summer activities are being planned at all three institutions involving student projects in renewable energy. For example, WU students will work on a study of the synthesis and properties of photovoltaic materials. In addition, CSU will present a weeklong summer program to high school students with the assistance of WU. This presentation will focus on the student involvement and achievements in the educational area to date and plot the future course of this program.

Making Space Science and Exploration Accessible

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runyon, C. J.; Guimond, K. A.; Hurd, D.; Heinrich, G.

There are currently 28 million hard of hearing and deaf Americans, approximately 10 to 11 million blind and visually impaired people in North America, and more than 50 million Americans with disabilities, approximately half of whom are students. The majority of students with disabilities in the US are required to achieve the same academic levels as their non-impaired peers. Unfortunately, there are few specialized materials to help these exceptional students in the formal and informal settings. To assist educators in meeting their goals and engage the students, we are working with NASA product developers, scientists and education and outreach personnel in concert with teachers from exceptional classrooms to identify the types of materials they need and which mediums work best for the different student capabilities. Our goal is to make the wonders of space science and exploration accessible to all. As such, over the last four years we have been hosting interactive workshops, observing classroom settings, talking and working with professional educators, product developers, museum and science center personnel and parents to synthesize the most effective media and method for presenting earth and space science materials to audiences with exceptional needs. We will present a list of suggested best practices and example activities that can help engage and encourage a person with special needs to study the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Solar Decathlon 2013

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

Lewis, Chandra; Ouyang, Derek; Brown, Victoria

2013-10-22

The Solar Decathlon is a perfect example of how the Energy Department is training and inspiring the next generation of architects, engineers and entrepreneurs. The two-year competition challenges collegiate teams to build energy-efficient, solar-powered houses. Over the course of the competition, students gain hands-on experience in everything from fundraising and marketing to design and construction. Showcasing their houses to the general public allows students to get feedback on their designs and how they work in the real world -- something that many of them would never get in the classroom.

Solar Decathlon 2013

ScienceCinema

Lewis, Chandra; Ouyang, Derek; Brown, Victoria; Ainsworth, Claire; Lee, Daniel; King, Richard

2018-02-14

The Solar Decathlon is a perfect example of how the Energy Department is training and inspiring the next generation of architects, engineers and entrepreneurs. The two-year competition challenges collegiate teams to build energy-efficient, solar-powered houses. Over the course of the competition, students gain hands-on experience in everything from fundraising and marketing to design and construction. Showcasing their houses to the general public allows students to get feedback on their designs and how they work in the real world -- something that many of them would never get in the classroom.

Physics of the Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caballero, Rodrigo

2014-11-01

With the increasing attention paid to climate change, there is ever-growing interest in atmospheric physics and the processes by which the atmosphere affects Earth's energy balance. This self-contained text, written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics or meteorology, assumes no prior knowledge apart from basic mechanics and calculus and contains material for a complete course. Augmented with worked examples, the text considers all aspects of atmospheric physics except dynamics, including moist thermodynamics, cloud microphysics, atmospheric radiation and remote sensing, and will be an invaluable resource for students and researchers.

Earth Systems Field Work: Service Learning at Local and Global Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, A.; Derry, L. A.

2016-12-01

The Earth & Environmental Systems (EES) Field Program engages students in hands-on exploration along the boundaries of the living earth, solid earth, ocean, and atmosphere. Based on Hawaíi Island, the semester-length program integrates scientific study with environmental stewardship and service learning. Each year EES students contribute 3000 hours of service to their host community. Throughout the semester students engage in different service activities. Most courses includes a service component - for example - study of the role of invasive species in native ecosystems includes an invasive species removal project. Each student completes a 4-week service internship with a local school, NGO, state or federal agency. Finally, the student group works to offset the carbon footprint of the program in collaboration with local conservation projects. This effort sequesters CO2 emissions while at the same time contributing to reforestation of degraded native ecosystems. Students learn that expertise is not confined to "the academy," and that wisdom and inspiration can be found in unexpected venues. Much of the service learning in the EES Program occurs in collaboration with local partners. Service internships require students to identify a partner and to design a tractable project. Students work daily with their sponsor and make a formal presentation of their project at the end of the internship period. This includes speaking to a non-technical community gathering as well as to a scientific audience. For many students the opportunity to work on a real problem, of interest in the real world, is a highlight of the semester. Beyond working in support of local community groups, the EES Prograḿs C-neutral project engages students with work in service to the global commons. Here the outcome is not measurable within the time frame of a semester, yet the intangible result makes the experience even more powerful. Students take responsibility for an important issue that is not quantified in terms of an end-of-semester grade and without feedback from the academic or local community. By working through the process of calculating and offsetting their carbon footprint - entirely with their own labor - students learn that every individual has the tools and the ability to create change, and that they have the responsibility to do so.

Constructing a Coherent Problem Model to Facilitate Algebra Problem Solving in a Chemistry Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngu, Bing Hiong; Yeung, Alexander Seeshing; Phan, Huy P.

2015-01-01

An experiment using a sample of 11th graders compared text editing and worked examples approaches in learning to solve dilution and molarity algebra word problems in a chemistry context. Text editing requires students to assess the structure of a word problem by specifying whether the problem text contains sufficient, missing, or irrelevant…

Ubiquitous Games for Learning (UbiqGames): Weatherlings, a Worked Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klopfer, E.; Sheldon, J.; Perry, J.; Chen, V. H. -H.

2012-01-01

This paper provides a rationale for a class of mobile, casual, and educational games, which we call UbiqGames. The study is motivated by the desire to understand how students use educational games in light of additional distractions on their devices, and how game design can make those games appealing, educationally useful, and practical. In…

Digging up the Dirt on Soil Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Ken

2010-01-01

Should middle school science teachers be concerned about students bringing in unknown sources of soil to work on in class as the activity suggests? The science is well intended, but is it safe? What are some possible safety issues that might be of concern in dealing with soil samples? This month's column provides several examples of unsuspecting…

Primary and Secondary Education in the United States. OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 585

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tulip, Peter; Wurzburg, Gregory

2007-01-01

The average educational attainment of US students is weak by international comparison. For example, mean results of PISA test scores are below the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] average. This is despite substantial resources devoted to the schooling system. One partial explanation for this is that academic standards,…

Using Dual Eye-Tracking to Evaluate Students' Collaboration with an Intelligent Tutoring System for Elementary-Level Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belenky, Daniel; Ringenberg, Michael; Olsen, Jennifer; Aleven, Vincent; Rummel, Nikol

2014-01-01

As learning technologies proliferate, it is important for research to address how to best align instruction to educational goals. For example, recent evidence indicates that working collaboratively may have unique benefits for facilitating the acquisition of conceptual understanding, as opposed to procedural fluency (Mullins, Rummel & Spada,…

Examples of Best Practice 2. Holocaust Education as a Universal Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalisman, Raya

2010-01-01

The Center for Humanistic Education (CHE) engages high-school students and teachers from the Arab and Jewish sectors in an examination of connections between the Holocaust, personal and social morals, and implications for present Israeli society. Since 1997, CHE has been working regularly with about 25 Jewish and Arab high schools, engaging about…

New Technologies, New Possibilities for the Arts and Multimodality in English Language Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Wendy R.

2014-01-01

This article discusses the arts, multimodality, and new technologies in English language arts. It then turns to the example of the illuminated text--a multimodal book report consisting of animated text, music, and images--to consider how art, multimodality, and technology can work together to support students' reading of literature and inspire…

Meeting the Challenge: Recruiting and Retaining Teachers in Hard-to-Staff Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Federation of Teachers, 2007

2007-01-01

Teacher turnover is significantly higher in hard-to-staff schools, and it is costly. Not only are billions of dollars spent annually to recruit and train new teachers, but students who are denied the best education possible often enter the workforce at a disadvantage. The problem demands strategies that work. This report identifies examples and…

Integrating the Language Arts: Alternatives and Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kane, Katharine A.

Motivated by the California English/Language Arts Framework, California teachers are working toward the goal of using the integrated language arts as tools for learning in all content areas. The core of this new curriculum is to help students make sense out of a piece of literature by moving into, through, and beyond a text. For example, a lesson…

The Salty Science of the Aluminum-Air Battery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chasteen, Stephanie V.; Chasteen, N. Dennis; Doherty, Paul

2008-01-01

Fruit batteries and saltwater batteries are excellent ways to explore simple circuits in the classroom. These are examples of air batteries in which metal reacts with oxygen in the air in order to generate free electrons, which flow through an external circuit and do work. Students are typically told that the salt or fruit water acts as an…

Infinity as a Multi-Faceted Concept in History and in the Mathematics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arzarello, Ferdinando; Bussi, Maria G., Bartolini; Robutti, Ornella

2004-01-01

This paper presents the conceptualisation of infinity as a multi-faceted concept, discussing two examples. The first is from history and illustrates the work of Euler, when using infinity in an algebraic context. The second sketches an activity in a school context, namely students who approach the definite integral with symbolic-graphic…

The Achieving Success Everyday Group Counseling Model: Implications for Professional School Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steen, Sam; Henfield, Malik S.; Booker, Beverly

2014-01-01

This article presents the Achieving Success Everyday (ASE) group counseling model, which is designed to help school counselors integrate students' academic and personal-social development into their group work. We first describe this group model in detail and then offer one case example of a middle school counselor using the ASE model to conduct a…

Making Connections: Intentional Teaching for Integrative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgs, Bettie, Ed.; Kilcommins, Shane, Ed.; Ryan, Tony, Ed.

2010-01-01

In this volume the authors document examples of programmes/courses/activities that are designed intentionally to build students' capacity to be integrative thinkers and learners. In doing so they try to analyse and name the learning that is taking place, and so make it visible to the reader. The work is intended as a resource for all those…

AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSE IN ANALYTIC GEOMETRY AND CALCULUS (MATHEMATICS XV X AP).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DEROLF, JOHN J.; MIENTKA, WALTER E.

THIS TEXT ON ANALYTIC GEOMETRY AND CALCULUS IS A CORRESPONDENCE COURSE DESIGNED FOR ADVANCED PLACEMENT OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN COLLEGE. EACH OF THE 21 LESSONS INCLUDES READING ASSIGNMENTS AND LISTS OF PROBLEMS TO BE WORKED. IN ADDITION, SUPPLEMENTARY EXPLANATIONS AND COMMENTS ARE INCLUDED THAT (1) PROVIDE ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF CONCEPTS AND…

Do Country Stereotypes Exist in PISA? A Clustering Approach for Large, Sparse, and Weighted Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saarela, Mirka; Kärkkäinen, Tommi

2015-01-01

Certain stereotypes can be associated with people from different countries. For example, the Italians are expected to be emotional, the Germans functional, and the Chinese hard-working. In this study, we cluster all 15-year-old students representing the 68 different nations and territories that participated in the latest Programme for…

The Reference Statistic Shuffle: Finding a Tool That Not Only Adds Stuff up but Improves Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northam, Sarah H.

2012-01-01

Reference librarians are constantly balancing their reference duties against other duties, for example, collection development and departmental liaison. The author works as a reference librarian at Texas A&M University-Commerce Libraries in Commerce, Texas. The university has approximately 11,000 students, a large number of whom are…

Riding the Ferris Wheel: A Sinusoidal Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mittag, Kathleen Cage; Taylor, Sharon E.

2011-01-01

When thinking of models for sinusoidal waves, examples such as tides of the ocean, daily temperatures for one year in your town, light and sound waves, and certain types of motion are used. Many textbooks [1, p. 222] also present a "Ferris wheel description problem" for students to work. This activity takes the Ferris wheel problem out of the…

Randomness, Sample Size, Imagination and Metacognition: Making Judgments about Differences in Data Sets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stack, Sue; Watson, Jane

2013-01-01

There is considerable research on the difficulties students have in conceptualising individual concepts of probability and statistics (see for example, Bryant & Nunes, 2012; Jones, 2005). The unit of work developed for the action research project described in this article is specifically designed to address some of these in order to help…

Promoting Literacy in Grades 4-9: A Handbook for Teachers and Administrators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Karen D., Ed.; Dickinson, Thomas S., Ed.

This comprehensive handbook focuses on literacy issues in grades 4-9. It is a reference guide that covers everything from the role of the principal and the characteristics of the learners to teaching the gifted and motivating the reluctant learner. Chapters offer an array of examples of student work, classroom vignettes, sample lessons, and…

Teaching Organizational Skills through Self-Regulated Learning Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cahill, Susan M.

2008-01-01

This article presents a case story of how an occupational therapist worked with Joe, a junior high student with Asperger's Syndrome, to develop better organizational skills. Self-regulated learning strategies were used to teach Joe how to keep track of his assignments as well as his grades. In addition, the case story provides a clear example of…

Implementing Service Learning into a Graduate Social Work Course: A Step-by-Step Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Evelyn Marie

2012-01-01

Service learning is a powerful pedagogical tool linking community service to academic learning. Several steps are necessary to implement service learning effectively into the curriculum. This study uses a case example as an exploratory study to pilot-test data on how service learning impacts student outcomes. The paper will (1) provide an overview…

Developing the Motivation within: Using Praise and Rewards Effectively

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crow, Sherry R.; Small, Ruth V.

2011-01-01

Motivation is a complicated issue. There are myriad reasons why people choose to do what they do. For example, employees usually work for money, students study to earn grades, heart attack victims learn that when they diet they will live longer--the list of extrinsic motivators is endless. Conversely, there are things people do just for the…

The Impact of a Comparison Curriculum in Algebra I: A Randomized Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Star, Jon R.; Rittle-Johnson, Bethany; Durkin, Kelley; Newton, Kristie; Pollack, Courtney; Lynch, Kathleen; Gogolen, Claire

2013-01-01

Comparison is a powerful tool that has been shown to improve learning in a variety of domains. In both laboratory studies and small-scale classroom studies, having learners compare and contrast worked examples has been shown to reliably lead to gains in students' knowledge. Comparison is also integral to "best practices" in mathematics…

Songs of the Caged Birds: Literacy and Learning with Incarcerated Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Peter; Mercurio, Megan; Walker, Constance

2013-01-01

This article reports on the challenges teachers face when working with juveniles who are incarcerated. For example, they must devise an English curriculum that can help students develop reading and writing skills while also becoming literate about the prison industrial complex and the ways that it governs their lives. Teachers struggle to find…

Where Are the Facts? "Jason's Gold" Gives Meaning to the Yukon Gold Rush

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasta, Stephanie; Lott, Carolyn

2006-01-01

This article discusses how fictional works can give a purposeful context and an appropriate venue for developing essential social studies concepts in middle-school students. The author uses the example of a National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) notable book, "Jason's Gold" that blends history with story to become historical…

Using Debate to Maximize Learning Potential: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firmin, Michael W.; Vaughn, Aaron; Dye, Amanda

2007-01-01

Following a review of the literature, an educational case study is provided for the benefit of faculty preparing college courses. In particular, we provide a transcribed debate utilized in a General Psychology course as a best practice example of how to craft a debate which maximizes student learning. The work is presented as a model for the…

Galvanizing medical students in the administration of influenza vaccines: the Stanford Flu Crew.

PubMed

Rizal, Rachel E; Mediratta, Rishi P; Xie, James; Kambhampati, Swetha; Hills-Evans, Kelsey; Montacute, Tamara; Zhang, Michael; Zaw, Catherine; He, Jimmy; Sanchez, Magali; Pischel, Lauren

2015-01-01

Many national organizations call for medical students to receive more public health education in medical school. Nonetheless, limited evidence exists about successful servicelearning programs that administer preventive health services in nonclinical settings. The Flu Crew program, started in 2001 at the Stanford University School of Medicine, provides preclinical medical students with opportunities to administer influenza immunizations in the local community. Medical students consider Flu Crew to be an important part of their medical education that cannot be learned in the classroom. Through delivering vaccines to where people live, eat, work, and pray, Flu Crew teaches medical students about patient care, preventive medicine, and population health needs. Additionally, Flu Crew allows students to work with several partners in the community in order to understand how various stakeholders improve the delivery of population health services. Flu Crew teaches students how to address common vaccination myths and provides insights into implementing public health interventions. This article describes the Stanford Flu Crew curriculum, outlines the planning needed to organize immunization events, shares findings from medical students' attitudes about population health, highlights the program's outcomes, and summarizes the lessons learned. This article suggests that Flu Crew is an example of one viable service-learning modality that supports influenza vaccinations in nonclinical settings while simultaneously benefiting future clinicians.

Twenty-first century learning in states: the case of the Massachusetts educational system.

PubMed

Driscoll, David P

2006-01-01

A current crisis in education is leaving students less prepared to succeed in the working world than any generation before them. Increasingly complex external, nonacademic pressures have an impact on many of today's students, often causing them to drop out of school. Only 76 percent of Massachusetts high school students graduate, and only 29 percent earn a college degree. National figures are worse. Most educational institutions share a common goal to support students in becoming skilled, productive, successful members of society, but the author argues that this goal is not being met. Despite the constant changes in the world, educational practices have remained static. Most public schools are not adapting to meet the shifting needs of students. Universities are not able to prepare the right mix of prospective employees for the demands of the job market; for example, schools are graduating only 10 percent of the needed engineers. Institutions of higher learning cannot keep up with employers' needs in an evolving global market: strong math, science, and writing abilities; critical thinking skills; and the ability to work in teams. The author draws on exemplary efforts at work in his home state of Massachusetts--whose improvements in student achievement outcomes have been some of the best in the nation--to suggest there is promise in twenty-first century learning. Middle school students involved in a NASA-funded project write proposals, work in teams, and engage in peer review. Older students participate in enhanced, hands-on cooperative school-to-work and after-school programs. Schools are starting to offer expanded day learning, increasing the number of hours they are engaged in formal learning. Yet such programs have not reached significant levels of scale. The author calls for a major shift in education to help today's students be successful in the twenty-first century.

Collaborating on convergent technologies: education and practice.

PubMed

Gorman, Michael E

2004-05-01

Converging technologies will require collaboration across disciplines. A good metaphor for such collaborations is the kind of trading zone that emerges whenever human beings from different cultures interact. NBIC must avoid trading zones that are dominated by one discipline or set of interests and instead encourage multiple stakeholders to form a shared mental model of what needs to be accomplished. An example is drawn from current work on societal dimensions of nanotechnology. Students need to gain experience working in such trading zones, in addition to acquiring disciplinary depth.

Application of Ampere’s law to a non-infinite wire and to a moving charge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aledealat, K.; Duston, C. L.

2018-07-01

In this work we demonstrate how to apply Ampere’s law to a non-infinite wire that is a part of a complete circuit with a steady current. We show that this can be done by considering the magnetic field from the whole circuit, without having to directly introduce the displacement current. This example can be used to isolate and clarify students’ confusion about the application of Ampere’s law to a short wire. The second part of this work focuses on the application of Ampere’s law to a non-relativistic moving charge. It exposes the students to the Dirac delta function in a physical example and guides them to finding the magnetic field of a moving charge in a reasonable way.

Construction of technological artifacts and teaching strategies to promote flexible scientific understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spitulnik, Michele Wisnudel

Science education reforms advocate inquiry as a way to build explanations and make informed decisions. Based on this call this dissertation (1) defines flexible scientific understanding by elaborating on content, inquiry and epistemic understandings; (2) describes an inquiry based unit that integrates dynamic modeling software; (3) examines students' understandings as they construct models; and (4) identifies instructional strategies that support inquiry and model building. A curriculum unit was designed to engage students in inquiry by identifying problems and constructing models to represent, explain and predict phenomena. Ninth grade students in a public mid-western high school worked in teams of 2-3 to ask questions, find information and reflect on the purposes of models. Data sources including classroom video, observations, interviews, student models and handouts were used to formulate cases that examine how two groups construct understanding. A teacher case study identifies the teaching strategies that support understanding. Categories within content, inquiry and epistemic understandings were used to analyze student understandings and teaching supports. The findings demonstrate that students can build flexible understanding by constructing models. Students built: (1) content understanding by identifying key ideas and building relationships and explanations of phenomena; (2) inquiry understanding by defining problems, constructing models and developing positions; and (3) epistemic understanding by describing the purposes of models as generalizing phenomena, testing hypotheses and making predictions. However, students demonstrated difficulty in using evidence to defend scientific arguments. Strategies that support flexible understanding were also identified. Content supports include: setting expectations for explanations; using examples to illustrate explanations; modeling questions; and providing feedback that prompts detailed explanations. Supports for inquiry are setting expectations for data gathering; using examples that illustrate model building; modeling the development of an argument; and providing feedback to promote coherent models. Epistemic supports include: using examples to illustrate purposes and assumptions within models, and providing feedback as students evaluate their models. The dissertation demonstrates that teaching strategies impact student understanding but are challenging to implement. When strategies are not used, students do not necessarily construct desired outcomes such as, using evidence to support arguments.

Teaching with Games: Online Resources and Examples for Entry Level Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teed, R.; Manduca, C.

2004-12-01

Using games to teach introductory geoscience can motivate students to enthusiastically learn material that they might otherwise condemn as "boring". A good educational game is one that immerses the players in the material and engages them for as long as it takes to master that material. There are some good geoscience games already available, but instructors can also create their own, suitable to their students and the content that they are teaching. Game-Based Learning is a module on the Starting Point website for faculty teaching entry level geosciences. It assists faculty in using games in their teaching by providing a description of the features of game-based learning, why you would use it, how to use games to teach geoscience, examples, and references. Other issues discussed include the development of video games for teaching, having your students create educational games, what makes a good game, handling competition in the classroom, and grading. The examples include descriptions of and rules for a GPS treasure hunt, a geology quiz show, and an earthquake game, as well as links to several online geological video games, and advice on how to design a paleontology board game. Starting Point is intended to help both experienced faculty and new instructors meet the challenge of teaching introductory geoscience classes, including environmental science and oceanography as well as more traditional geology classes. For many students, these classes are both the first and the last college-level science class that they will ever take. They need to learn enough about the Earth in that one class to sustain them for many decades as voters, consumers, and sometimes even as teachers. Starting Point is produced by a group of authors working with the Science Education Resource Center. It contains dozens of detailed examples categorized by geoscience topic with advice about using them and assessing learning. Each example is linked to one of many modules, such as Game-Based Learning, Interactive Lectures, or Using an Earth History Approach. These modules describe teaching tools and techniques, provide examples and advice about using them in an introductory geoscience class, and give instructors details on how to create their own exercises.

Techniques and Technology to Revise Content Delivery and Model Critical Thinking in the Neuroscience Classroom

PubMed Central

Illig, Kurt R.

2015-01-01

Undergraduate neuroscience courses typically involve highly interdisciplinary material, and it is often necessary to use class time to review how principles of chemistry, math and biology apply to neuroscience. Lecturing and Socratic discussion can work well to deliver information to students, but these techniques can lead students to feel more like spectators than participants in a class, and do not actively engage students in the critical analysis and application of experimental evidence. If one goal of undergraduate neuroscience education is to foster critical thinking skills, then the classroom should be a place where students and instructors can work together to develop them. Students learn how to think critically by directly engaging with course material, and by discussing evidence with their peers, but taking classroom time for these activities requires that an instructor find a way to provide course materials outside of class. Using technology as an on-demand provider of course materials can give instructors the freedom to restructure classroom time, allowing students to work together in small groups and to have discussions that foster critical thinking, and allowing the instructor to model these skills. In this paper, I provide a rationale for reducing the use of traditional lectures in favor of more student-centered activities, I present several methods that can be used to deliver course materials outside of class and discuss their use, and I provide a few examples of how these techniques and technologies can help improve learning outcomes. PMID:26240525

Techniques and Technology to Revise Content Delivery and Model Critical Thinking in the Neuroscience Classroom.

PubMed

Illig, Kurt R

2015-01-01

Undergraduate neuroscience courses typically involve highly interdisciplinary material, and it is often necessary to use class time to review how principles of chemistry, math and biology apply to neuroscience. Lecturing and Socratic discussion can work well to deliver information to students, but these techniques can lead students to feel more like spectators than participants in a class, and do not actively engage students in the critical analysis and application of experimental evidence. If one goal of undergraduate neuroscience education is to foster critical thinking skills, then the classroom should be a place where students and instructors can work together to develop them. Students learn how to think critically by directly engaging with course material, and by discussing evidence with their peers, but taking classroom time for these activities requires that an instructor find a way to provide course materials outside of class. Using technology as an on-demand provider of course materials can give instructors the freedom to restructure classroom time, allowing students to work together in small groups and to have discussions that foster critical thinking, and allowing the instructor to model these skills. In this paper, I provide a rationale for reducing the use of traditional lectures in favor of more student-centered activities, I present several methods that can be used to deliver course materials outside of class and discuss their use, and I provide a few examples of how these techniques and technologies can help improve learning outcomes.

Antiviral drug research proposal activity.

PubMed

Injaian, Lisa; Smith, Ann C; Shipley, Jennifer German; Marbach-Ad, Gili; Fredericksen, Brenda

2011-01-01

The development of antiviral drugs provides an excellent example of how basic and clinical research must be used together in order to achieve the final goal of treating disease. A Research Oriented Learning Activity was designed to help students to better understand how basic and clinical research can be combined toward a common goal. Through this project students gained a better understanding of the process of scientific research and increased their information literacy in the field of virology. The students worked as teams to research the many aspects involved in the antiviral drug design process, with each student becoming an "expert" in one aspect of the project. The Antiviral Drug Research Proposal (ADRP) culminated with students presenting their proposals to their peers and local virologists in a poster session. Assessment data showed increased student awareness and knowledge of the research process and the steps involved in the development of antiviral drugs as a result of this activity.

Student design projects in applied acoustics.

PubMed

Bös, Joachim; Moritz, Karsten; Skowronek, Adam; Thyes, Christian; Tschesche, Johannes; Hanselka, Holger

2012-03-01

This paper describes a series of student projects which are intended to complement theoretical education in acoustics and engineering noise control with practical experience. The projects are also intended to enhance the students' ability to work in a team, to manage a project, and to present their results. The projects are carried out in close cooperation with industrial partners so that the students can get a taste of the professional life of noise control engineers. The organization of such a project, its execution, and some of the results from the most recent student project are presented as a demonstrative example. This latest project involved the creation of noise maps of a production hall, the acoustic analysis of a packaging machine, and the acoustic analysis of a spiral vibratory conveyor. Upon completion of the analysis, students then designed, applied, and verified some simple preliminary noise reduction measures to demonstrate the potential of these techniques. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America

Understanding student complaints in the service learning pedagogy.

PubMed

Rosing, Howard; Reed, Susan; Ferrari, Joseph R; Bothne, Nancy J

2010-12-01

This study draws upon student evaluations across 3 years of service learning (SL) courses at a large, urban, faith-based university identifying issues of greatest concern to students. Analysis of qualitative responses revealed perspectives on the limits, pitfalls, and barriers to successful SL student work in the community replicated over the 3 year timeframe. Over 2,200 written responses were coded and tested for reliability for each of 3 years. The top three comments SL students were most likely to express included: (1) concern about their placement in the community, for example, that sites were not prepared or that further goal-setting, communication and training by the university was necessary; (2) that the university's choice of sites may have been ill considered; and, (3) that there were problems with time and scheduling. Ongoing assessment of students' perspectives on their placement experience identifies practices that can enhance their learning and contributions toward building stronger communities.

Antiviral Drug Research Proposal Activity †

PubMed Central

Injaian, Lisa; Smith, Ann C.; Shipley, Jennifer German; Marbach-Ad, Gili; Fredericksen, Brenda

2011-01-01

The development of antiviral drugs provides an excellent example of how basic and clinical research must be used together in order to achieve the final goal of treating disease. A Research Oriented Learning Activity was designed to help students to better understand how basic and clinical research can be combined toward a common goal. Through this project students gained a better understanding of the process of scientific research and increased their information literacy in the field of virology. The students worked as teams to research the many aspects involved in the antiviral drug design process, with each student becoming an “expert” in one aspect of the project. The Antiviral Drug Research Proposal (ADRP) culminated with students presenting their proposals to their peers and local virologists in a poster session. Assessment data showed increased student awareness and knowledge of the research process and the steps involved in the development of antiviral drugs as a result of this activity. PMID:23653735

Growing gratitude in undergraduate nursing students: Applying findings from social and psychological domains to nursing education.

PubMed

Fournier, Ann; Sheehan, Caryn

2015-12-01

Millennial students are often characterized as technology focused multitaskers, yet young nursing students are expected to focus on and thoughtfully engage with the person at the center of their caring efforts. Developing gratitude practices requires quiet contemplation and focus. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude in millennial nursing students may be one avenue to address concerns surrounding the provision of relationship based person-centered care by young nurses. In other disciplines, gratitude work has been studied extensively and is associated with several positive outcomes. Assignments included in most nursing programs can easily be modified to include a gratitude focus. Examples of gratitude assignments and the student reflection of these assignments are included here as a call for nurse educators to further study this concept. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrating Computational Science Tools into a Thermodynamics Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, Camilo; Magana, Alejandra J.; García, R. Edwin; Jana, Aniruddha; Krafcik, Matthew

2018-01-01

Computational tools and methods have permeated multiple science and engineering disciplines, because they enable scientists and engineers to process large amounts of data, represent abstract phenomena, and to model and simulate complex concepts. In order to prepare future engineers with the ability to use computational tools in the context of their disciplines, some universities have started to integrate these tools within core courses. This paper evaluates the effect of introducing three computational modules within a thermodynamics course on student disciplinary learning and self-beliefs about computation. The results suggest that using worked examples paired to computer simulations to implement these modules have a positive effect on (1) student disciplinary learning, (2) student perceived ability to do scientific computing, and (3) student perceived ability to do computer programming. These effects were identified regardless of the students' prior experiences with computer programming.

Pedagogical experimentations about participating science, in a european class, in France.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgio, Marion

2015-04-01

A european class is, in France, a class in which we teach a subject in a foreign language, for example science in English. I led, in my European class, during a seven weeks session, group work activities about different participating science actions. There were groups composed of three or four 16 years old students. Each group chose one type of participating science activity among : - Leading a visioconference with an IODP mission on board the Joides Resolution. - Being part of a "science songs community" with Tom Mc Fadden They divided the work and some of them studied the websites and contacted the actors to present the pedagogical or scientific background of their subject. Others had a concrete production like the organization of a visioconference with the Joides Resolution or the creation of a pedagogical song about geology. I will present some results of their work and explain the students motivation linked to this active learning method.

Interactive anatomical teaching: Integrating radiological anatomy within topographic anatomy.

PubMed

Abed Rabbo, F; Garrigues, F; Lefèvre, C; Seizeur, R

2016-03-01

Hours attributed to teaching anatomy have been reduced in medical curricula through out the world. In consequence, changes in anatomical curriculum as well as in teaching methods are becoming necessary. New methods of teaching are being evaluated. We present in the following paper an example of interactive anatomical teaching associating topographic anatomy with ultrasonographic radiological anatomy. The aim was to explicitly show anatomical structures of the knee and the ankle through dissection and ultrasonography. One cadaver was used as an ultrasonographic model and the other was dissected. Anatomy of the knee and ankle articulations was studied through dissection and ultrasonography. The students were able to simultaneously assimilate both anatomical aspects of radiological and topographic anatomy. They found the teaching very helpful and practical. This body of work provides example of a teaching method combining two important aspects of anatomy to help the students understand both aspects simultaneously. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Using a Classroom Response System to Improve Multiple-Choice Performance in AP® Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertrand, Peggy

2009-04-01

Participation in rigorous high school courses such as Advanced Placement (AP®) Physics increases the likelihood of college success, especially for students who are traditionally underserved. Tackling difficult multiple-choice exams should be part of any AP program because well-constructed multiple-choice questions, such as those on AP exams and on the Force Concept Inventory,2 are particularly good at rooting out common and persisting student misconceptions. Additionally, there are barriers to multiple-choice performance that have little to do with content mastery. For example, a student might fail to read the question thoroughly, forget to apply a reasonableness test to the answer, or simply work too slowly.

Methods and successes of New York University workshops for science graduate students and post-docs in science writing for general audiences (readers and radio listeners)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, S. S.

2012-12-01

Scientists and science administrators often stress the importance of communication to the general public, but rarely develop educational infrastructures to achieve this goal. Since 2009, the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University has offered a series of basic and advanced writing workshops for graduate students and post-docs in NYU's eight scientific divisions (neuroscience, psychology, physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, anthropology, and computer science). The basic methodology of the NYU approach will be described, along with successful examples of both written and radio work by students that have been either published or broadcast by general interest journalism outlets.

Using Framework Analysis in nursing research: a worked example.

PubMed

Ward, Deborah J; Furber, Christine; Tierney, Stephanie; Swallow, Veronica

2013-11-01

To demonstrate Framework Analysis using a worked example and to illustrate how criticisms of qualitative data analysis including issues of clarity and transparency can be addressed. Critics of the analysis of qualitative data sometimes cite lack of clarity and transparency about analytical procedures; this can deter nurse researchers from undertaking qualitative studies. Framework Analysis is flexible, systematic, and rigorous, offering clarity, transparency, an audit trail, an option for theme-based and case-based analysis and for readily retrievable data. This paper offers further explanation of the process undertaken which is illustrated with a worked example. Data were collected from 31 nursing students in 2009 using semi-structured interviews. The data collected are not reported directly here but used as a worked example for the five steps of Framework Analysis. Suggestions are provided to guide researchers through essential steps in undertaking Framework Analysis. The benefits and limitations of Framework Analysis are discussed. Nurses increasingly use qualitative research methods and need to use an analysis approach that offers transparency and rigour which Framework Analysis can provide. Nurse researchers may find the detailed critique of Framework Analysis presented in this paper a useful resource when designing and conducting qualitative studies. Qualitative data analysis presents challenges in relation to the volume and complexity of data obtained and the need to present an 'audit trail' for those using the research findings. Framework Analysis is an appropriate, rigorous and systematic method for undertaking qualitative analysis. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Young Geophysicists: `Know How' Tips to Nourish Them from Lectures and Seminars to Field Work and Conferences (Geology and Geophysics Department, Novosibirsk State University, GGD, NSU).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakhmenkulova, I. F.

2016-12-01

How to nourish young brilliant geophysicists? Here are the tips: We teach them as physicists (at the Department of Physics, together with students majoring in physics). Students have special facilities in field work, using most modern geophysical equipment. They can participate in real projects on applied geophysics during their studies. They attend special seminars and conferences for both young professionals and full-fledged scientists. Their English Language Program is focused on geophysical terminology. There are four specialties at Geology and Geophysics Department of Novosibirsk State University: Geophysics, Geochemistry, Geology, and Geochemistry of Oil and Gas. However, the curriculum for geophysicists is absolutely different from other specialties. Mathematics, physics and laboratory work are given at the Department of Physics (together with students majoring in physics). All the necessary geological subjects are also studied (including field work). During all period of their study the students work part time at many geophysical institutions. The equipment is both traditional and most modern, created at the Institute of Oil and Gas Geophysics. The students present the result of their field work and laboratory experiments in many seminars and conferences. For example, there is a traditional annual conference in Shira, Khakassia, for young professionals. Every year the Seminar in Geodynamics, Geophysics and Geomechanics is held in the Altay Mountains (Denisova Cave Camp). This Seminar was organized by the late Sergey Goldin, the Director of the Institute of Geophysics, the Head of the Chair of Geophysics, a Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In July 2016 this Seminar was devoted to 80's birth anniversary of Sergey Goldin. Several students of geophysics presented the results of their work there. Next year the seminar is supposed to be international. A special attention is given to the English course lasting for 5 years. The students learn general English at first, but then their study is focused on English for geophysicists, including special terminology. This is done for successful integration of young geophysicists into international professional community. Many GGD students are members of international professional organizations, such as SEG, SPE, AGU and others.

The Magnetic Field Along the Axis of a Short, Thick Solenoid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, Francis Xavier

2018-02-01

We commonly ask students to compare the results of their experimental measurements with the predictions of a simple physical model that is well understood. However, in practice, physicists must compare their experimental measurements with the predictions of several models, none of which may work well over the entire range of measurements. The following describes an experiment we use in the second semester of a two-semester course designed for chemistry, biochemistry, and biology majors as an example of this situation. There are three parts to the experiment. In the first part the students, working in groups of two or three, calibrate a search coil. In the second part they position the coil at various distances from the center of a thick, finite solenoid and measure the field at each position. In the third part they use three models to predict the magnetic field at each of those positions. The students must then decide if one model best predicts the results of the measurements. If no single model can do so, they must decide which model works best over which range.

Infusing and sustaining aging content in social work education: findings from GeroRich projects.

PubMed

Hash, Kristina M; Gottlieb, Jody; Harper-Dorton, Karen V; Crawley-Woods, Geraldine; Shelek-Furbee, Katherine; Smith, John David; Brown, Rita

2007-01-01

This article presents findings from experiences of 67 projects involved in GeroRich, an initiative funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation designed to infuse, enrich and sustain aging content in BSW and MSW curricula. Thematic qualitative analysis was used to uncover themes in answers to open-ended questions contained in End-of-Year 2 project reports. Content areas addressed by open-ended answers were: (1) successes and innovations, and (2) challenges requiring responses. Primary successes and innovations identified were as follows: curriculum enrichment, faculty and student involvement, student-learning activities and community. Challenges to be responded to were identified as lack of faculty involvement, competing demands on faculty and programs, and sustainability of project efforts. Examples of strategies implemented to overcome these obstacles include providing teaching resources, instituting financial and other supports, and developing strategic plans for sustaining content infusion post-funding. Experiences of the GeroRich projects offer practical considerations for other social work programs that accept the challenge of attracting and preparing students to work with the increasing population of older adults.

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING FOR PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS TRAINING OF BIOMEDICAL GRADUATE STUDENTS: PROCESS EVALUATION

PubMed Central

Jones, Nancy L.; Peiffer, Ann M.; Lambros, Ann; Eldridge, J. Charles

2013-01-01

Purpose A process evaluation was conducted to assess whether the newly developed Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum designed to teach professionalism and ethics to biomedical graduate students was achieving its objectives. The curriculum was chosen to present realistic cases and issues in the practice of science, to promote skill development and to acculturate students to professional norms of science. Method The perception to which the objectives for the curriculum and courses were being reached was assessed using 5-step Likert-scaled questions, open-ended questions and interviews of students and facilitators. Results Process evaluation indicated that both facilitators and students perceived course objectives were being met. For example, active learning was preferred over lectures; both faculty and students percieved that the curriculum increased their understanding of norms, role obligations, and responsibilities of professional scientists; their ability to identify ethical situations was increased; skills in moral reasoning and effective group work were developed. Conclusions Information gathered was used to improve course implementation and instructional material. For example, a negative perception as an “ethics” course was addressed by redesigning case debriefing activities that reinforced learning objectives and important skills. Cases were refined to be more engaging and relevant for students, and facilitators were given more specific training and resources for each case. The PBL small group strategy can stimulate an environment more aware of ethical implications of science and increase socialization and open communication about professional behavior. PMID:20663754

Myopic progression and dark focus variation in optometric students during the first academic year.

PubMed

Jiang, Bai-chuan; Schatz, Scott; Seger, Ken

2005-05-01

The aim of this research was to investigate the change in refractive error (RE) of optometric students during their first academic year and whether these changes relate to changes in their dark focus (DF). The RE and DF of 64 students were measured objectively every three months during the first academic year, a total of four times, using a Canon R-1 infrared optometer. Thirty-five of the 64 students had an additional RE and DF measurement three weeks immediately after their Summer vacation. Students completed a survey regarding the near work demands they experienced during the Winter break and the teaching semesters. Over nine months, the average RE of the students changed significantly from -2.22 +/- 1.93 (SD) D to -2.50 +/- 2.05 D (p = 0.0002). The rate of myopic progression averaged -0.37 dioptres per year. Inclusion of measurements taken on 35 students immediately after the Summer vacation showed that their change in RE during the Summer vacation was not significant (p = 0.79). For these subjects, the DF measured immediately after the vacation was significantly lower than the DF measured before the vacation (p = 0.007). The reduction in the DF after the vacations corresponded to a period of relative myopic stability in these subjects. The results of this study suggest that optometric students performing extensive near work are at risk of developing myopia. The variation of their DF values indicates the changing demand for near work during different periods of the year. After Winter and Summer vacations, the DF was lower and the myopic progression was suspended. These findings further support the notion that myopic progression is related to high near work demands and suggest that this progression can be slowed by a period of reduced near work, for example, vacation periods.

"I wanted to communicate my feelings freely": a descriptive study of creative responses to enhance reflection in palliative medicine education.

PubMed

McBain, Lynn; Donnelly, Sinéad; Hilder, Jo; O'Leary, Clare; McKinlay, Eileen

2015-10-23

The recent growth of arts and humanities in medical education shows recognition that these disciplines can facilitate a breadth of thinking and result in personal and professional growth. However creative work can be a challenge to incorporate into a busy curriculum. Offering the option of creative media as a way of reflecting is an example of how this can occur. This study aimed to examine the medical student response to being given this option to explore a visit to a patient in a hospice. This was a mainly qualitative study. In the 2012 academic programme, the class of 86 students were given the option of using a creative medium to explore their responses to both the visit and their developing communication skills. Students were required to write an accompanying commentary if submitting the creative work option. Sixty-four percent of the class chose a creative medium e.g. poetry, visual art, narrative prose, music. These students were asked to take part in research including completing a short on-line survey and consenting for their creative work and commentaries to be further examined. The creative works were categorised by genre and the commentaries analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Seventeen students completed the on-line survey and fifteen consented to their work being used for this research. Thematic analysis of the student commentaries revealed the following themes: effectiveness for expressing emotion or ideas that are difficult to articulate; engaging and energising quality of the task; time for reflection; flexibility for individual learning styles and therapeutic value. Teaching the art of communicating at end-of-life is challenging especially when it involves patients, and teachers want to ensure students gain as much as possible from the experience. Offering the option to use creative media means that students can choose a medium for reflection that best suits them as individuals and that can enable them to benefit as much as possible from their experience.

Galvanizing medical students in the administration of influenza vaccines: the Stanford Flu Crew

PubMed Central

Rizal, Rachel E; Mediratta, Rishi P; Xie, James; Kambhampati, Swetha; Hills-Evans, Kelsey; Montacute, Tamara; Zhang, Michael; Zaw, Catherine; He, Jimmy; Sanchez, Magali; Pischel, Lauren

2015-01-01

Many national organizations call for medical students to receive more public health education in medical school. Nonetheless, limited evidence exists about successful servicelearning programs that administer preventive health services in nonclinical settings. The Flu Crew program, started in 2001 at the Stanford University School of Medicine, provides preclinical medical students with opportunities to administer influenza immunizations in the local community. Medical students consider Flu Crew to be an important part of their medical education that cannot be learned in the classroom. Through delivering vaccines to where people live, eat, work, and pray, Flu Crew teaches medical students about patient care, preventive medicine, and population health needs. Additionally, Flu Crew allows students to work with several partners in the community in order to understand how various stakeholders improve the delivery of population health services. Flu Crew teaches students how to address common vaccination myths and provides insights into implementing public health interventions. This article describes the Stanford Flu Crew curriculum, outlines the planning needed to organize immunization events, shares findings from medical students’ attitudes about population health, highlights the program’s outcomes, and summarizes the lessons learned. This article suggests that Flu Crew is an example of one viable service-learning modality that supports influenza vaccinations in nonclinical settings while simultaneously benefiting future clinicians. PMID:26170731

Sharing methodology: a worked example of theoretical integration with qualitative data to clarify practical understanding of learning and generate new theoretical development.

PubMed

Yardley, Sarah; Brosnan, Caragh; Richardson, Jane

2013-01-01

Theoretical integration is a necessary element of study design if clarification of experiential learning is to be achieved. There are few published examples demonstrating how this can be achieved. This methodological article provides a worked example of research methodology that achieved clarification of authentic early experiences (AEEs) through a bi-directional approach to theory and data. Bi-directional refers to our simultaneous use of theory to guide and interrogate empirical data and the use of empirical data to refine theory. We explain the five steps of our methodological approach: (1) understanding the context; (2) critique on existing applications of socio-cultural models to inform study design; (3) data generation; (4) analysis and interpretation and (5) theoretical development through a novel application of Metis. These steps resulted in understanding of how and why different outcomes arose from students participating in AEE. Our approach offers a mechanism for clarification without which evidence-based effective ways to maximise constructive learning cannot be developed. In our example it also contributed to greater theoretical understanding of the influence of social interactions. By sharing this example of research undertaken to develop both theory and educational practice we hope to assist others seeking to conduct similar research.

Optical engineering capstone design projects with industry sponsors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunch, Robert M.; Leisher, Paul O.; Granieri, Sergio C.

2014-09-01

Capstone senior design is the culmination of a student's undergraduate engineering education that prepares them for engineering practice. In fact, any engineering degree program that pursues accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET must contain "a major design experience based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work and incorporating appropriate engineering standards and multiple realistic constraints." At Rose-Hulman, we offer an interdisciplinary Optical Engineering / Engineering Physics senior design curriculum that meets this requirement. Part of this curriculum is a two-course sequence where students work in teams on a design project leading to a functional prototype. The students begin work on their capstone project during the first week of their senior year. The courses are deliverable-driven and the students are held accountable for regular technical progress through weekly updates with their faculty advisor and mid-term design reviews. We have found that client-sponsored projects offer students an enriched engineering design experience as it ensures consideration of constraints and standards requirements similar to those that they will encounter as working engineers. Further, client-sponsored projects provide teams with an opportunity for regular customer interactions which help shape the product design. The process that we follow in both soliciting and helping to scope appropriate industry-related design projects will be described. In addition, an outline of the capstone course structure as well as methods used to hold teams accountable for technical milestones will be discussed. Illustrative examples of past projects will be provided.

Facilitating Cooperative Learning in Online and Blended Courses: An Example from an Integrated Marketing Communications Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Katryna

2013-01-01

Employers today expect that students will be able to work in teams. Cooperative learning theory addresses how skills such as decision making, problem solving and communication can be learned by individuals in group settings. This paper discusses how cooperative learning can be used in an online and blended environment to increase active learning…

Male Preschool Teacher Students Negotiating Masculinities: A Qualitative Study with Men Who Are Studying to Become Preschool Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heikkilä, Mia; Hellman, Anette

2017-01-01

The overall interest is to understand how men who study preschool teaching negotiate masculinities. Earlier research shows how male teachers negotiate masculinities when being in and entering a predominantly feminine work area, such as early childhood education [see, for example, Brody, D. L. (2015). The construction of masculine identity among…

Climate Change Series: Federal, State, and Local Policy Recommendations for Creating a Positive School Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardichon, Jessica; Roc, Martens

2015-01-01

Too frequently, education reform takes a siloed view that focuses on an individual issue instead of a broader and more comprehensive perspective. For example, students' lack of access to challenging and rigorous course work and their lack of access to experienced, engaging, and effective teachers are often discussed as separate issues rather than…

Stuck in the Middle: Career Progress, Motivation, and Engagement among Urban Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brogan, Deirdre T.

2010-01-01

The process of educational and vocational development does not occur at a single point in time. Many indicators of dropping out of high school, for example, are present by middle school (Alexander et al., 1997; Balfanz et al., 2007). Yet, research and practice focus almost exclusively on enriching the learning and work experiences of high school…

Fostering Analogical Transfer: The Multiple Components Approach to Algebra Word Problem Solving in a Chemistry Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngu, Bing Hiong; Yeung, Alexander Seeshing

2012-01-01

Holyoak and Koh (1987) and Holyoak (1984) propose four critical tasks for analogical transfer to occur in problem solving. A study was conducted to test this hypothesis by comparing a multiple components (MC) approach against worked examples (WE) in helping students to solve algebra word problems in chemistry classes. The MC approach incorporated…

Conquering Fear: The Role of Fantasy and Horror Fiction in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Compora, Daniel P.

Many English teachers face the widespread misconception that if a work of fiction is enjoyable, it cannot be good, or, conversely, if it is good, it cannot be enjoyable. Critics of horror fiction, for example, would likely argue that better reading materials are available for students to read. Inclusion of materials other than "classics" into the…

On the Distribution of Worker Productivity: The Case for Teacher Effectiveness and Student Achievement. CEDR Working Paper. WP #2016-10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldhaber, Dan; Startz, Richard

2016-01-01

It is common to assume that worker productivity is normally distributed, but this assumption is rarely if ever tested. We estimate the distribution of worker productivity where individual productivity is measured with error, using the productivity of elementary school teachers as an example. Proposals to improve teacher productivity often focus on…

Evanston Women in the Progressive Era: Women Performed Social Work Representative of National Concerns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Darlene Emmert

1986-01-01

Intended as an example of the kind of material that a student doing research on the Progressive Era might find at a local historical society or in the files of a hometown or city newspaper, this article details the philanthropic efforts of women living in the Chicago area in the early 1900s. (JDH)

The Individual Graduate Teaching Assistant Negotiating Current Preparation Models: A Case Study of Four Composition Graduate Teaching Assistants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Mandy F.

2010-01-01

Graduate teaching assistants are common fixtures on college campuses, and their roles encompass a wide range of duties, including supervising labs, working alongside mentors, and teaching a variety of beginner courses to students. It is common practice in the field of composition and rhetoric, for example, to employ second year master's students…

Extending the Learning Time for Disadvantaged Students: An Idea Book. Volume 1, Summary of Promising Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Policy Studies Associates, Inc., Washington, DC.

The Title I program, the federal government's largest elementary and secondary school program, has been redesigned in order to make improvements in the nation's poorest schools. This handbook comprises the first of two volumes that provide examples of schools and communities working together to provide children with more time to learn. The book…

Working with Missing Data in Higher Education Research: A Primer and Real-World Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Bradley E.; McIntosh, Kadian; Reason, Robert D.; Terenzini, Patrick T.

2014-01-01

Nearly all quantitative analyses in higher education draw from incomplete datasets-a common problem with no universal solution. In the first part of this paper, we explain why missing data matter and outline the advantages and disadvantages of six common methods for handling missing data. Next, we analyze real-world data from 5,905 students across…

Animating Energy: Stop-Motion Animation and Energy Tracking Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkins, Leslie J.; Erstad, Craig; Gudeman, Paul; McGowan, Jacob; Mulhern, Kristin; Prader, Kaitlyn; Rodriguez, Gregoria; Showaker, Amy; Timmons, Adam

2014-01-01

Energy is a topic that is often treated as an accounting process-a number that students are asked to calculate, but that is not particularly meaningful in itself. When we try to ascribe meaning to this number ("an ability to do work," for example), we are met with caveats and hedges. As Feynman notes when lecturing on the conservation of…

Information-Decay Pursuit of Dynamic Parameters in Student Models

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-04-01

simple worked-through example). Commercially available computer programs for structuring and using Bayesian inference include ERGO ( Noetic Systems...Tukey, J.W. (1977). Data analysis and Regression: A second course in statistics. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Noetic Systems, Inc. (1991). ERGO...Naval Academy Division of Educational Studies Annapolis MD 21402-5002 Elmory Univerity Dr Janice Gifford 210 Fiabburne Bldg University of

From Compliance to Creative Rights in Music Education: Rethinking Intellectual Property in the Age of New Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thibeault, Matthew D.

2012-01-01

This article examines one possible approach to teaching music in higher education with regards to creative rights and copyright. The author shares theoretical ideas underlying changes in content, creativity and culture brought about by the rise of new media and the Internet. Comparing examples of professional and student works, the author details…

Bayesian Inference: with ecological applications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Link, William A.; Barker, Richard J.

2010-01-01

This text provides a mathematically rigorous yet accessible and engaging introduction to Bayesian inference with relevant examples that will be of interest to biologists working in the fields of ecology, wildlife management and environmental studies as well as students in advanced undergraduate statistics.. This text opens the door to Bayesian inference, taking advantage of modern computational efficiencies and easily accessible software to evaluate complex hierarchical models.

Whatever Happened to School-Based Assessment in England's GCSEs and A Levels?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Opposs, Dennis

2016-01-01

For the past 30 years, school-based assessment (SBA) has been a major feature of GCSEs and A levels, the main school examinations in England. SBA has allowed teachers to allocate marks to their students for the level of skills that they show in their work. Such skills include for example, experimental techniques in science, performance in drama…

Computer Based Collaborative Problem Solving for Introductory Courses in Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilie, Carolina; Lee, Kevin

2010-03-01

We discuss collaborative problem solving computer-based recitation style. The course is designed by Lee [1], and the idea was proposed before by Christian, Belloni and Titus [2,3]. The students find the problems on a web-page containing simulations (physlets) and they write the solutions on an accompanying worksheet after discussing it with a classmate. Physlets have the advantage of being much more like real-world problems than textbook problems. We also compare two protocols for web-based instruction using simulations in an introductory physics class [1]. The inquiry protocol allowed students to control input parameters while the worked example protocol did not. We will discuss which of the two methods is more efficient in relation to Scientific Discovery Learning and Cognitive Load Theory. 1. Lee, Kevin M., Nicoll, Gayle and Brooks, Dave W. (2004). ``A Comparison of Inquiry and Worked Example Web-Based Instruction Using Physlets'', Journal of Science Education and Technology 13, No. 1: 81-88. 2. Christian, W., and Belloni, M. (2001). Physlets: Teaching Physics With Interactive Curricular Material, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 3. Christian,W., and Titus,A. (1998). ``Developing web-based curricula using Java Physlets.'' Computers in Physics 12: 227--232.

Working research codes into fluid dynamics education: a science gateway approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, Lachlan; Hetherington, James; O'Reilly, Martin; Yong, May; Jersakova, Radka; Grieve, Stuart; Perez-Suarez, David; Klapaukh, Roman; Craster, Richard V.; Matar, Omar K.

2017-11-01

Research codes are effective for illustrating complex concepts in educational fluid dynamics courses, compared to textbook examples, an interactive three-dimensional visualisation can bring a problem to life! Various barriers, however, prevent the adoption of research codes in teaching: codes are typically created for highly-specific `once-off' calculations and, as such, have no user interface and a steep learning curve. Moreover, a code may require access to high-performance computing resources that are not readily available in the classroom. This project allows academics to rapidly work research codes into their teaching via a minimalist `science gateway' framework. The gateway is a simple, yet flexible, web interface allowing students to construct and run simulations, as well as view and share their output. Behind the scenes, the common operations of job configuration, submission, monitoring and post-processing are customisable at the level of shell scripting. In this talk, we demonstrate the creation of an example teaching gateway connected to the Code BLUE fluid dynamics software. Student simulations can be run via a third-party cloud computing provider or a local high-performance cluster. EPSRC, UK, MEMPHIS program Grant (EP/K003976/1), RAEng Research Chair (OKM).

Designing Efficient Self-Diagnosis Activities in the Physics Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safadi, Rafi'

2017-12-01

Self-diagnosis (SD) activities require students to self-diagnose their solutions to problems that they solved on their own. This involves identifying where they went wrong and then explaining the nature of their errors—why they went wrong—aided by some form of support. Worked examples (WEs) are often used to support students in SD activities. A WE is a step-by-step demonstration of how to solve a problem. One unresolved issue is why students fail to exploit WEs in SD exercises. Yerushalmi et al., for instance, provided students with written WEs and asked them to self-diagnose their solutions with respect to these WEs. These authors found no correlation between students' SD performance and their subsequent problem-solving performance on transfer problems, suggesting that students had only superficially exploited the written WEs. The aim of this article is to describe a new SD activity that was developed to prompt students to effectively use written WEs when self-diagnosing, and to examine its effectiveness in advancing students' learning in physics.

Reporting Research: A Biologist's Guide to Articles, Talks, and Posters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clymo, R. S.

2014-12-01

Want to learn how to present your research successfully? This practical guide for students and postdoctoral scholars offers a unique step-by-step approach to help you avoid the worst, yet most common, mistakes in biology communication. Covering irritants such as sins of ambiguity, circumlocution, inconsistency, vagueness and verbosity, misuse of words and quantitative matters, it also provides guidance to design your next piece of work effectively. Learn how to write scientific articles and get them published, prepare posters and talks that will capture your audience and develop a critical attitude towards your own work as well as that of your colleagues. With numerous practical examples, comparisons among disciplines, valuable tips and real-life anecdotes, this must-read guide will be a valuable resource to both new graduate students and their supervisors.

Composing Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkins, Leslie

2015-03-01

The course Scientific Inquiry at California State University was developed by faculty in biology, physics and English to meet ``writing proficiency'' requirements for non-science majors. Drawing from previous work in composition studies, the position that we take in this course is that we should be engaging students in writing that replicates the work that writing does in science, rather than replicating the particular structural conventions characteristic of scientific writing. That is, scientists use writing to have, remember, share, vet, challenge, and stabilize ideas, and our course requires students use writing to achieve those aims, rather than produce writing that obeys particular conventions of scientific writing. This talk will describe how we have integrated findings from composition studies with a course on scientific inquiry, and provide examples of how scientific communication has resulted from this dialogue. Funding by NSF #1140860.

Theoretical Model of Professional Competence Development in Dual-Specialty Students (On the Example of the "History, Religious Studies" Specialty)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karimova, A. E.; Amanova, A. S.; Sadykova, A. M.; Kuzembaev, N. E.; Makisheva, A. T.; Kurmangazina, G. Zh.; Sakenov, Janat

2016-01-01

The article explores the significant problem of developing a theoretical model of professional competence development in dual-specialty students (on the example of the "History, Religious studies" specialty). In order to validate the specifics of the professional competence development in dual-specialty students (on the example of the…

Time and space: undergraduate Mexican physics in motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Candela, Antonia

2010-09-01

This is an ethnographic study of the trajectories and itineraries of undergraduate physics students at a Mexican university. In this work learning is understood as being able to move oneself and, other things (cultural tools), through the space-time networks of a discipline (Nespor in Knowledge in motion: space, time and curriculum in undergraduate physics and management. Routledge Farmer, London, 1994). The potential of this socio-cultural perspective allows an analysis of how students are connected through extended spaces and times with an international core discipline as well as with cultural features related to local networks of power and construction. Through an example, I show that, from an actor-network-theory (Latour in Science in action. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1987), that in order to understand the complexities of undergraduate physics processes of learning you have to break classroom walls and take into account students' movements through complex spatial and temporal traces of the discipline of physics. Mexican professors do not give classes following one textbook but in a moment-to-moment open dynamism tending to include undergraduate students as actors in classroom events extending the teaching space-time of the classroom to the disciplinary research work of physics. I also find that Mexican undergraduate students show initiative and display some autonomy and power in the construction of their itineraries as they are encouraged to examine a variety of sources including contemporary research articles, unsolved physics problems, and even to participate in several physicists' spaces, as for example being speakers at the national congresses of physics. Their itineraries also open up new spaces of cultural and social practices, creating more extensive networks beyond those associated with a discipline. Some economic, historical and cultural contextual features of this school of sciences are analyzed in order to help understanding the particular way students are encouraged to develop their autonomy.

A Voyage of Mathematical and Cultural Awareness for Students of Upper Secondary School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panagiotou, Evangelos N.

2014-01-01

Many papers have emphasized the need for and importance of particular examples and the underlying rationale for introducing a historical dimension in mathematics education. This article presents the development and implementation of a project, based on original sources, in a situation where the existing curriculum does not include history. The subject was conic sections and the motivating problems and original work which eventually found resolution in modern concepts. The project was carried out during the school year 2006-2007 with 18 students of a Greek experimental high school 2nd class (11th degree). It was devised as a series of worksheets, separate readings and oral presentations and written essays so that students might appreciate that mathematics evolves under the influence of factors intrinsic and extrinsic to it. Both epistemological and disciplinary issues are taken into account. Even though this work is just one case study, we have found that exposing students directly to primary sources in mathematics contributes greatly to motivation and understanding, and illustrates the nature of mathematics as a discipline and as a human endeavour.

Teaching Resistance through an interactive gaming lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, James G.; Sirokman, Greg; Rueckert, Franz; Cascio, Derek

2015-04-01

The use of gaming as an educational tool has proven to be an effective paradigm in modern pedagogy. Following the success of their previous work ``Sector Vector,'' the authors present a new interactive game-based laboratory to highlight the basic manipulation and calculation of resistors in circuits. ``Resistance is Futile'' delivers the lesson of basic resistor combinations in a game based exercise where teams build a continually evolving circuit. As the game progresses, students must develop long and short term plans to modify an ever-changing circuit and meet primary and secondary objectives. Each turn requires quick calculations of resistor combinations and the assessment of future options. Students are also exposed to the creation of a modular circuit, which may not conform to standard textbook examples. To determine a winner, the students work together to analyze and evaluate a potentially complex final circuit diagram. The dynamic atmosphere and competitive nature established by the gaming environment have been shown to increase student engagement and concept retention. In this presentation, we will discuss both the structure of the lab-based game and the pedagogical implications this implementation versus the traditional resistor combination laboratory exercise.

Using portfolio assignment to support students individually and sustainably -There's always a first time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, M.

2009-04-01

The recent education of engineers, using the example of satellite geodesy at the Geodetic Institute of the University Karlsruhe (GIK, Germany), is still suffering from time pressure as well as from heavy curriculum content loading. Within this education students, where the academic teachers have to fulfill high requests from the new generation of students as well as from industry and from research institutions respectively, advanced satellite geodetic knowledge has to be transferred effectively and sustainably. In order to enable the students to train newest aspects related to satellite geodesy as well as important key competences, e.g. capacity for independent and academic work, reflection and evaluation skills, presentation skills, an innovative teaching concept was developed, tested, and evaluated. This teaching concept makes use of very different teaching techniques like portfolio assignment, project work, input from experts, jig saw, advance and post organizer. This presentation will focus on the portfolio assignment component. This teaching technique was used at the GIK during the last two years for the first time, in order to support students individually. The lessons learnt within this teaching experiment are going to be presented.

An Undergraduate Course to Bridge the Gap between Textbooks and Scientific Research

PubMed Central

Wiegant, Fred; Scager, Karin; Boonstra, Johannes

2011-01-01

This article reports on a one-semester Advanced Cell Biology course that endeavors to bridge the gap between gaining basic textbook knowledge about cell biology and learning to think and work as a researcher. The key elements of this course are 1) learning to work with primary articles in order to get acquainted with the field of choice, to learn scientific reasoning, and to identify gaps in our current knowledge that represent opportunities for further research; 2) formulating a research project with fellow students; 3) gaining thorough knowledge of relevant methodology and technologies used within the field of cell biology; 4) developing cooperation and leadership skills; and 5) presenting and defending research projects before a jury of experts. The course activities were student centered and focused on designing a genuine research program. Our 5-yr experience with this course demonstrates that 1) undergraduate students are capable of delivering high-quality research designs that meet professional standards, and 2) the authenticity of the learning environment in this course strongly engages students to become self-directed and critical thinkers. We hope to provide colleagues with an example of a course that encourages and stimulates students to develop essential research thinking skills. PMID:21364103

An undergraduate course to bridge the gap between textbooks and scientific research.

PubMed

Wiegant, Fred; Scager, Karin; Boonstra, Johannes

2011-01-01

This article reports on a one-semester Advanced Cell Biology course that endeavors to bridge the gap between gaining basic textbook knowledge about cell biology and learning to think and work as a researcher. The key elements of this course are 1) learning to work with primary articles in order to get acquainted with the field of choice, to learn scientific reasoning, and to identify gaps in our current knowledge that represent opportunities for further research; 2) formulating a research project with fellow students; 3) gaining thorough knowledge of relevant methodology and technologies used within the field of cell biology; 4) developing cooperation and leadership skills; and 5) presenting and defending research projects before a jury of experts. The course activities were student centered and focused on designing a genuine research program. Our 5-yr experience with this course demonstrates that 1) undergraduate students are capable of delivering high-quality research designs that meet professional standards, and 2) the authenticity of the learning environment in this course strongly engages students to become self-directed and critical thinkers. We hope to provide colleagues with an example of a course that encourages and stimulates students to develop essential research thinking skills.

Using student writing assignments to assess critical thinking skills: a holistic approach.

PubMed

Niedringhaus, L K

2001-04-01

This work offers an example of one school's holistic approach to the evaluation of critical thinking by using student writing assignments. Faculty developed tools to assess achievement of critical thinking competencies, such as analysis, synthesis, insight, reflection, open mindedness, and depth, breadth, and appropriateness of clinical interventions. Faculty created a model for the development of program-specific critical thinking competencies, selected appropriate writing assignments that demonstrate critical thinking, and implemented a holistic assessment plan for data collection and analysis. Holistic assessment involves the identification of shared values and practices, and the use of concepts and language important to nursing.

Helping secondary school students develop a conceptual understanding of refraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashmann, Scott; Anderson, Charles W.; Boeckman, Heather

2016-07-01

Using real-world examples, ray diagrams, and a cognitive apprenticeship cycle, this paper focuses on developing students’ conceptual (not mathematical) understanding of refraction. Refraction can be a difficult concept for students to comprehend if they do not have well-designed opportunities to practice explaining situations where reflection and refraction occur. The use of ray diagrams can be useful in (a) the teacher modelling a correct explanation to a situation where refraction occurs and (b) for students to create as they practice other examples. This paper includes eight examples of increasing complexity that use a cognitive apprenticeship cycle approach to scaffold student learning. The first examples (rock fish, floating penny) are shown and a solution is modeled using a ray diagram. Three more examples (bent pencil, dropping an item in water, sunrise/sunset) are presented for students to practice, with each becoming more sophisticated. Three assessment exercises are then provided (two dots, three coins, broken tube).

Twenty-first century learning in schools: A case study of New Technology High School in Napa, California.

PubMed

Pearlman, Bob

2006-01-01

The most pertinent question concerning teaching and learning in the twenty-first century is not what knowledge and skills students need--that laundry list was identified over a decade ago--but rather how to foster twenty-first century learning. What curricula, experiences, assessments, environments, and technology best support twenty-first century learning? New Technology High School (NTHS) in Napa, California, is one example of a successful twenty-first century school. In this chapter, the author describes the components of this exemplary high school, illustrating an environment that will cultivate twenty-first century student learning. New Technology High School began by defining eight learning outcomes, aligned with the standards of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills; to graduate, students demonstrate mastery of these outcomes through an online portfolio. To help students achieve the outcomes, NTHS employs project- and problem-based learning. Whereas in traditional classrooms students work alone on short-term assignments that do not lend themselves to deep understanding, the project-based learning approach has students working in teams on long-term, in-depth, rigorous projects. Students' work is supported by the school's workplace-like environment and effectiv use of technology. Meaningful assessment is essential to project-based learning; students receive continuous feedback, helping them become self-directed learners. In fact, NTHS uses outcome-based grading through which students constantly know how they are performing on the twenty-first century outcomes. Research has shown that NTHS graduates are better prepared for postsecondary education, careers, and citizenship than their peers from other schools. To facilitate twenty-first century learning, all schools need to rethink their approach to teaching and learning. New Technology High School is one way to do so.

The Keys to Success in Doctoral Studies: A Preimmersion Course.

PubMed

Salani, Deborah; Albuja, Laura Dean; Azaiza, Khitam

2016-01-01

This article will review an innovative on-line preimmersion course for a hybrid doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program and a traditional face-to-face doctor of philosophy nursing program. The doctoral candidates include both postbaccalaureate and postmaster's students. The authors of the preimmersion course developed and initiated the course in order to address various issues that have surfaced in discussions between students and faculty. Examples of common themes identified include writing skills, statistics, life-work-school balance, and navigating instructional technology. Doctoral studies may pose challenges to students studying nursing, in regard to academic rigor and experiencing on-line education for the first time, especially for students who have been out of school for an extended amount of time or are not accustomed to a nontraditional classroom; thus, having a preimmersion course established may facilitate a smooth transition to rigorous academic studies in a hybrid program. The course, which was developed and delivered through Blackboard, a learning management system, includes the following 9 preimmersion modules: academic strategies (learning styles, creating an effective PowerPoint presentation), library support (introduction to the university library, literature review tutorial, and citation styles), mindfulness, wellness, statistics essentials, writing express, DNP capstone, netiquette, and DNP/doctor of philosophy mentorship. Each module consists of various tools that may promote student success in specific courses and the programs in general. The purpose of designing the preimmersion course is to decrease attrition rates and increase success of the students. While the majority of students have succeeded in their coursework and been graduated from the program, the authors of this article found that many students struggled with the work, life, and school balance. Future work will include the evaluation of results from graduate students enrolled in the program. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Students' clinical experience on outreach placements.

PubMed

Smith, M; Lennon, M A; Robinson, P G

2010-02-01

Primary care outreach placements increasingly feature in UK undergraduate dental curricula. The profile of clinical work undertaken on placement may differ from traditional hospital-based programmes and between outreach settings. An appreciation of any differences could inform curriculum development. To compare the profiles of clinical work experienced on a traditional hospital-based programme and outreach placements in different settings. One dental hospital and eight existing primary care block placements in England. Subjects were four cohorts of senior dental students in one UK dental school. Departmental records provided data on students' clinical experience in different settings and their achievement of placement learning objectives. Descriptive statistics for groups were compared. (1) Counts of patients encountered and of clinical procedures completed in the following categories: simple plastic restorations, endodontics, cast restorations, dentures, extractions and children's dentistry. (2) Student perceptions of placement learning reported via Likert scales. Outreach students encountered twice as many patients and typically completed about three times as much clinical work as students in the hospital, e.g. 44 cf 16 simple plastic restorations, seven cf two endodontic procedures. There were variations in profiles by setting. For example, amalgam being more likely to be used on outreach especially in the General Dental Service; more children's dentistry in community services and more extractions in Dental Access Centres. Students reported learning outcomes generally being achieved (average 94%) although with some variation by setting. Dental outreach training greatly increases the quantity of students' clinical experience in everyday dentistry compared to a hospital-based programme. Placements also increase awareness of service delivery and develop clinical skills. There are appreciable variations between outreach settings possibly reflecting their purposes. Multiple contrasting outreach placements for each student might increase the uniformity of learning experiences.

Student-inspired activities for the teaching and learning of engineering ethics.

PubMed

Alpay, E

2013-12-01

Ethics teaching in engineering can be problematic because of student perceptions of its subjective, ambiguous and philosophical content. The use of discipline-specific case studies has helped to address such perceptions, as has practical decision making and problem solving approaches based on some ethical frameworks. However, a need exists for a wider range of creative methods in ethics education to help complement the variety of activities and learning experiences within the engineering curriculum. In this work, a novel approach is presented in which first-year undergraduate students are responsible for proposing ethics education activities of relevance to their peers and discipline area. The students are prepared for the task through a short introduction on engineering ethics, whereby generic frameworks for moral and professional conduct are discussed, and discipline and student-relevance contexts provided. The approach has been used in four departments of engineering at Imperial College London, and has led to the generation of many creative ideas for wider student engagement in ethics awareness, reflection and understanding. The paper presents information on the premise of the introductory sessions for supporting the design task, and an evaluation of the student experience of the course and task work. Examples of proposals are given to demonstrate the value of such an approach to teachers, and ultimately to the learning experiences of the students themselves.

Encouraging and Attracting Underrepresented Racial Minorities to the Field of Geosciences-A Latin American Graduate Student Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caballero Gill, R. P.; Herbert, T.

2010-12-01

Recent studies have shown that interactions between same-race and same-gender faculty and graduate students are reported to have a greater impact on the future success of those students. In the same manner, I believe graduate students can play a pivotal role in training and attracting underrepresented racial minorities (URMs) at the high school and undergraduate level to pursue a career in geosciences. Working at Brown University for the last couple of years, I have been involved in a number of initiatives aimed at solidifying ties with the community. Most of my social work has revolved around mentoring underrepresented local minorities, as I feel that this area is where I can contribute the most. This year I began participating in the NSF funded Brown GK-12: "Physical Processes in the Environment" program. As a Latin American female graduate student in the geological sciences, I hope to teach the students-by example-that being a minority is not necessarily an obstacle, but rather an advantage that can offer a different, valuable point of view when pursuing their professional goals. I think that sharing part of my experiences and knowledge as a researcher with young minds contributes to the way they imagine themselves in the future, allowing them to believe that a career in science is within their reach and that higher education is a realistic option worth pursuing if they have the interest in doing so. From my short time as a graduate student, to have a greater impact in attracting URMs, it is critical to have the support of advisors and committee members. One must keep in mind that a graduate career is a time consuming commitment; therefore, it is necessary to undertake activities that will have the most impact on minority students in the short time available. The experience becomes even more effective if advisors are actively involved, particularly financially. Faculty advisors who can allocate funds to, for example support summer activities designed to involve URMs, are essentially leveraging funds because the overall return will be much greater than the initial investment.

Multilevel approach to mentoring in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonine, K. E.; Dontsova, K.; Pavao-Zuckerman, M.; Paavo, B.; Hogan, D.; Oberg, E.; Gay, J.

2015-12-01

This presentation focuses on different types of mentoring for students participating in Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs with examples, including some new approaches, from The Environmental and Earth Systems Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program at Biosphere 2. While traditional faculty mentors play essential role in students' development as researchers and professionals, other formal and informal mentoring can be important component of the REU program and student experiences. Students receive mentoring from program directors, coordinators, and on site undergraduate advisors. While working on their research projects, REU students receive essential support and mentoring from undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scientists in the research groups of their primary mentors. Cohort living and group activities give multiple opportunities for peer mentoring where each student brings their own strengths and experiences to the group. Biosphere 2 REU program puts strong emphasis on teaching students to effectively communicate their research to public. In order to help REUs learn needed skills the outreach personnel at Biosphere 2 mentor and advise students both in groups and individually, in lecture format and by personal example, on best outreach approaches in general and on individual outreach projects students develop. To further enhance and strengthen outreach mentoring we used a novel approach of blending cohort of REU students with the Cal Poly STAR (STEM Teacher And Researcher) Program fellows, future K-12 STEM teachers who are gaining research experience at Biosphere 2. STAR fellows live together with the REU students and participate with them in professional development activities, as well as perform research side by side. Educational background and experiences gives these students a different view and better preparation and tools to effectively communicate and adapt science to lay audiences, a challenge commonly facing researchers but rarely taught to future scientists. In addition, REU students act as mentors themselves to the middle and high school students in Biosphere 2 Science Academy sharing with them exciting research they are doing and their experiences about doing science and life in college.

Tales from the front lines: the creative essay as a tool for teaching genetics.

PubMed

Koehler, K E; Hawley, R S

1999-07-01

In contrast to the more typical mock grant proposals or literature reviews, we describe the use of the creative essay as a novel tool for teaching human genetics at the college level. This method has worked well for both nonmajor and advanced courses for biology majors. The 10- to 15-page essay is written in storylike form and represents a student's response to the choice of 6-8 scenarios describing human beings coping with various genetic dilemmas. We have found this tool to be invaluable both in developing students' ability to express genetic concepts in lay terms and in promoting student awareness of genetic issues outside of the classroom. Examples from student essays are presented to illustrate these points, and guidelines are suggested regarding instructor expectations of student creativity and scientific accuracy. Methods of grading this assignment are also discussed.

Tales from the front lines: the creative essay as a tool for teaching genetics.

PubMed Central

Koehler, K E; Hawley, R S

1999-01-01

In contrast to the more typical mock grant proposals or literature reviews, we describe the use of the creative essay as a novel tool for teaching human genetics at the college level. This method has worked well for both nonmajor and advanced courses for biology majors. The 10- to 15-page essay is written in storylike form and represents a student's response to the choice of 6-8 scenarios describing human beings coping with various genetic dilemmas. We have found this tool to be invaluable both in developing students' ability to express genetic concepts in lay terms and in promoting student awareness of genetic issues outside of the classroom. Examples from student essays are presented to illustrate these points, and guidelines are suggested regarding instructor expectations of student creativity and scientific accuracy. Methods of grading this assignment are also discussed. PMID:10388836

Online Prelectures: An Alternative to Textbook Reading Assignments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadaghiani, Homeyra R.

2012-05-01

To engage students in a more meaningful discussion of course material and prompt their higher thinking skills, most instructors expect students to read the course textbook for initial exposure to the course content before class. However, as many instructors are aware, most students do not read their textbook throughout the quarter.1,2 At California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) we have adopted web-based multimedia learning modules (MLMs) as prelecture assignments to help students to prepare for the class activities. The MLMs place lecture contents into the hands and control of the learners; similar to "flipped"3 or "inverted"4 classroom approaches, this method allows students to receive key course content outside of class and apply and analyze the content actively during class. In addition to initial exposure to basic principle, the MLMs provide additional worked examples that cannot be thoroughly covered in class.

OpenMinds: creating a mental health workshop for teenagers to tackle stigma and raise awareness.

PubMed

Jones, Sammy; Sinha, Kathryn; Swinton, Martin; Millar, Christina; Rayment, Dane; Simmons, Meinou

2011-09-01

As a group of four clinical medical students from Cambridge University, we undertook a Student Selected Module (SSC- "OpenMinds") whereby we designed and delivered a workshop about mental health to year 9 pupils. The aim of our SSC was to produce an interactive, informative lesson which addressed the complex issues of stigma and discrimination against those suffering from a mental illness as well as teaching the pupils how to recognise mental health problems and provide them with guidance on how to seek help. We split a fifty minute session into the following sections: tackling stigma; how common mental illness is; celebrity examples; real life examples; role play; and small group work. To engage the pupils we used a combination of teaching modalities targeting all learning. We delivered the workshop to four separate classes and received feedback from the pupils after each. We used this feedback to adapt and improve our presentation and assess the efficacy. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive with the striking results of 101/109 pupils saying that they would recommend the workshop to a friend and 68/109 pupils saying they enjoyed all aspects. Our SSC built upon work by a contingent of trainee Psychiatrists who undertook a similar project of mental health education for teenagers, called "Heads above the rest", in Northern Ireland with great success. By continuing their work we were able to demonstrate that medical students can successfully complete the same project under the guidance of a Psychiatrist, thus increasing the sustainability of the project by reducing the time burden on the Psychiatrists. Participating in the project was also valuable to our own personal development of teaching skills.

Engineering mechanics: statics and dynamics. [Textbook

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

Sandor, B.I.

1983-01-01

The purpose of this textbook is to provide engineering students with basic learning material about statics and dynamics which are fundamental engineering subjects. The chapters contain information on: an introduction to engineering mechanics; forces on particles, rigid bodies, and structures; kinetics of particles, particle systems, and rigid bodies in motion; kinematics; mechanical vibrations; and friction, work, moments of inertia, and potential energy. Each chapter contains introductory material, the development of the essential equations, worked-out example problems, homework problems, and, finally, summaries of the essential methods and equations, graphically illustrated where appropriate. (LCL)

Cyber Shovels in High School: An Online Soil Science Resource for Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krzic, M.; Basiliko, N.; Bedard-Haughn, A.; Humphreys, E.; Price, G.; Dampier, L.; Grand, S.; Dynatkar, S.; Crowley, C.

2012-04-01

Declining enrolment in soil science courses at post-secondary institutions in Canada and around the world tells us that fewer high school students are considering a career in this discipline than ever before. This may be due to soil science programs losing visibility as they are incorporated into other, larger programs; a lack of awareness of what opportunities exist for soil science professionals; or a disinclination of high school educators to use soil science scenarios as examples in their science curriculum. In 2010, we initiated a three-year, multi-institutional project aimed at introducing soil science concepts into high school curricula across Canada. The goals of this project are to promote learning about the importance of soil as a natural resource, provide useful tools that high school educators can incorporate into their lesson plans, and encourage students to pursue soil science in their higher education. The tool (http://soilweb.landfood.ubc.ca/youth/) features five main themes: (1) descriptions of soil research projects currently undertaken by faculty at five universities across Canada; (2) links to age-appropriate soil related resources that provide exercises and examples teachers can easily use; (3) profiles of soil scientists "at work" in a diverse range of careers to motivate future soil scientists; (4) examples of recent news stories about soil to highlight its relevance in our day to day lives; and (5) a soil forum for students and teachers to ask questions. This tool will be further refined by incorporating feedback obtained from high school teachers and students.

The Impact of Scientist-Educator Collaborations: an early-career scientist's perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roop, H. A.

2017-12-01

A decade ago, a forward-thinking faculty member exposed a group of aspiring scientists to the impacts and career benefits of working directly with K-12 students and educators. Ten years later, as one of those young scientists, it is clear that the relationships born out of this early experience can transform a researcher's impact and trajectory in science. Connections with programs like the NSF-funded PolarTREC program, the teacher-led Scientists in the Classroom effort, and through well-coordinated teacher training opportunities there are clear ways in which these partnerships can a) transform student learning; b) serve as a powerful and meaningful way to connect students to authentic research and researchers; and c) help researchers become more effective communicators by expanding their ability to connect their work to society. The distillation of science to K-12 students, with the expert eye of educators, makes scientists better at their work with tangible benefits to skills that matter in academia - securing funding, writing and communicating clearly and having high-value broader impacts. This invited abstract is submitted as part of this session's panel discussion and will explore in detail, with concrete examples, the mutual benefits of educator-scientist partnerships and how sustained engagement can transform the reach, connection and application of research science.

Memorable Exemplification in Undergraduate Biology: Instructor Strategies and Student Perceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, Alandeom W.; Bretzlaff, Tiffany; Brown, Adam O.

2018-03-01

The present study examines the exemplification practices of a university biology instructor during a semester-long course. Attention is given specifically to how the instructor approaches memorable exemplification—classroom episodes identified by students as a source of memorable learning experiences. A mixed-method research approach is adopted wherein descriptive statistics is combined with qualitative multimodal analysis of video recordings and survey data. Our findings show that memorable experiencing of examples may depend on a multiplicity of factors, including whether students can relate to the example, how unique and extreme the example is, how much detail is provided, whether the example is enacted rather than told, and whether the example makes students feel sad, surprised, shocked, and/or amused. It is argued that, rather than simply assuming that all examples are equally effective, careful consideration needs be given to how exemplification can serve as an important source of memorable science learning experiences.

Quantitative Literacy: Working with Log Graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shawl, S.

2013-04-01

The need for working with and understanding different types of graphs is a common occurrence in everyday life. Examples include anything having to do investments, being an educated juror in a case that involves evidence presented graphically, and understanding many aspect of our current political discourse. Within a science class graphs play a crucial role in presenting and interpreting data. In astronomy, where the range of graphed values is many orders of magnitude, log-axes must be used and understood. Experience shows that students do not understand how to read and interpret log-axes or how they differ from linear. Alters (1996), in a study of college students in an algebra-based physics class, found little understanding of log plotting. The purpose of this poster is to show the method and progression I have developed for use in my “ASTRO 101” class, with the goal being to help students better understand the H-R diagram, mass-luminosity relationship, and digital spectra.

Linking a Pharmaceutical Chemistry Workshop to Pharmacy Practice

PubMed Central

Morral, Jordi; Culshaw, Margaret; Morral, Kim; Conway, Barbara; Adams, Sylvia; Adams, Andrew

2015-01-01

This paper describes the design and implementation of a workshop to enhance pharmacy students’ appreciation of the importance of chemistry for pharmacy practice. The workshop was designed to form part of the practical work of two modules taught in the second year of the MPharm degree. In this mandatory workshop, second year pharmacy students were required to spot in the dispensary drugs based on their chemical properties like chirality, their origin and chemical structure. The lecturers involved in the workshop showed examples of the application of chemistry in the day to day work of the dispensary (e.g. calculating the dose for a patient in millimoles or how small modifications from a natural product can change its ability to cross the blood-brain-barrier). Feedback from participating students was collected via two survey instruments to examine the impact of the intervention. The survey results showed a clear shift towards a more positive perception by students of the chemistry taught in the MPharm curriculum. PMID:26839806

Magnetohydrodynamic Propulsion for the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Font, Gabriel I.; Dudley, Scott C.

2004-10-01

The cinema industry can sometimes prove to be an ally when searching for material with which to motivate students to learn physics. Consider, for example, the electromagnetic force on a current in the presence of a magnetic field. This phenomenon is at the heart of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) propulsion systems. A submarine employing this type of propulsion was immortalized in the movie Hunt for Red October. While mentioning this to students certainly gets their attention, it often elicits comments that it is only fiction and not physically possible. Imagine their surprise when a working system is demonstrated! It is neither difficult nor expensive to construct a working system that can be demonstrated in the front of a classroom.2 In addition, all aspects of the engineering hurdles that must be surmounted and myths concerning this "silent propulsion" system are borne out in a simple apparatus. This paper details how to construct an inexpensive MHD propulsion boat that can be demonstrated for students in the classroom.

Promoting Academic Physicists, Their Students, and Their Research through Library Partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozum, B.; Wesolek, A.

2012-12-01

At many institutions, attracting and mentoring quality students is of key importance. Through their developing careers, typically under the tutelage of one primary faculty member, students build portfolios, prepare for graduate school, and apply to post-doc programs or faculty positions. Often though, the corpus of that primary faculty member's work is not available in a single location. This is a disadvantage both for current students, who wish to highlight the importance of their work within the context of a research group and for the department, which can miss opportunities to attract high-quality future students. Utah State University Libraries hosts a thriving institutional repository, DigitalCommons@USU, which provides open access to scholarly works, research, reports, publications, and journals produced by Utah State University faculty, staff, and students. The Library and the Physics Department developed a partnership to transcend traditional library repository architecture and emphasize faculty research groups within the department. Previously, only student theses and dissertations were collected, and they were not associated with the department in any way. Now student presentations, papers, and posters appear with other faculty works all in the same research work space. This poster session highlights the features of the University's repository and describes what is required to establish a similar structure at other academic institutions. We anticipate several long-term benefits of this new structure. Students are pleased with the increased visibility of their research and with having an online presence through their "Selected Works" personal author site. Faculty are pleased with the opportunity to highlight their research and the potential to attract new students to their research groups. This new repository model also allows the library to amplify the existing scientific outreach initiatives of the physics department. One example of this is a recent exhibit created in the Library showcasing a student research group's 30-year history of sending payloads into space. The exhibit was a direct result of archiving the work of student researchers in the institutional repository. From the perspective of the Library, the benefits are also impressive. The Library is able to build its institutional repository, develop strong relations with faculty in the Physics Department, and have access to unpublished reports that otherwise might be lost. Establishing research groups' presence in DigitalCommons@USU provided an opportunity to meet with the Physics graduate students to discuss setting up online web portfolios, archiving their publications, and understanding publisher contracts. Developing partnerships between academic units and libraries is one more method to reach out to potential students, promote research, and showcase the talents of faculty and students. Using the Library's institutional repository to do this is beneficial for everyone.

The Pythagorean Roots of Introductory Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarage, James B.

2013-03-01

Much of the mathematical reasoning employed in the typical introductory physics course can be traced to Pythagorean roots planted over two thousand years ago. Besides obvious examples involving the Pythagorean theorem, I draw attention to standard physics problems and derivations which often unknowingly rely upon the Pythagoreans' work on proportion, music, geometry, harmony, the golden ratio, and cosmology. Examples are drawn from mechanics, electricity, sound, optics, energy conservation and relativity. An awareness of the primary sources of the mathematical techniques employed in the physics classroom could especially benefit students and educators at schools which encourage integration of their various courses in history, science, philosophy, and the arts.

Response to Intervention and Continuous School Improvement: Using Data, Vision, and Leadership to Design, Implement, and Evaluate a Schoolwide Prevention System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernhardt, Victoria L.; Hebert, Connie L.

2011-01-01

Ensure the success of your school and improve the learning of "all" students by implementing Response-to-Intervention (RTI) as part of a continuous school improvement (CSI) process. This book shows you how to get your entire staff working together to design, implement, and evaluate a schoolwide prevention system. With specific examples, CSI expert…

The Swedish Schoolhouse: A Case Study in Transnational Influences in Education at the 1870s World Fairs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundahl, Christian; Lawn, Martin

2015-01-01

At the world exhibitions of the 1870s Sweden displayed a schoolhouse, with examples of teaching material and student work. How did Sweden ship an entire schoolhouse to these exhibitions? What impact did the schoolhouse have on visitors to the exhibition? The purpose of this article is to shed light on the transnational influences operating between…

Blending Research-Based Practices and Practice-Embedded Research: Project Excite Closes Achievement and Excellence Gaps for Underrepresented Gifted Minority Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olszewski-Kubilius, Paula; Steenbergen-Hu, Saiying

2017-01-01

In this article, we advocate for a new movement in education, particularly an approach emphasizing blending research-based practice with practice-embedded research. We do so by describing and discussing Project Excite, a working example that demonstrates such a model in the context of gifted education. We first trace the history, the impetus, and…

Does Independent Schools Funding Make a Mockery of the Public Schools Funding Formula? BCTF Research Report. RR2015-01 rev2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Margaret; Kuehn, Larry

2015-01-01

This report describes the methodology used by the Ministry of Education to calculate per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) student funding for independent schools and discusses the underlying inequities when the public school funding formula is applied to funding for private schools. Vancouver school district is provided as a case example to work through…

Grassroots Activists and the Three Branches of Government: "Key Players in the Civil Rights Movement"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Elizabeth; Silvestri, Linda

2014-01-01

In order to understand the complex workings of the three branches of American government, young citizens need early exposure in the elementary years to hands-on lessons that include real life examples and opportunities for students to apply what they have learned. To that end, the authors designed a five-day, inquiry-based unit for fourth grade…

Identifying Influential Young People to Undertake Effective Peer-Led Health Promotion: the example of A Stop Smoking In Schools Trial (ASSIST)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starkey, Fenella; Audrey, Suzanne; Holliday, Jo; Moore, Laurence; Campbell, Rona

2009-01-01

The objective of the study was to develop and evaluate an effective whole-community approach to identifying a diverse group of influential young people to effectively diffuse health promotion messages among their peers. A peer nomination questionnaire, developed through extensive piloting work, was completed by 10 730 Year 8 students (aged 12-13…

Interpretation and Use of K-12 Language Proficiency Assessment Score Reports: Perspectives of Educators and Parents. WCER Working Paper No. 2016-8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Ahyoung Alicia; Kondo, Akira; Blair, Alissa; Mancilla, Lorena; Chapman, Mark; Wilmes, Carsten

2016-01-01

A number of English language proficiency exams target grades K-12 English language learners (ELLs) because of the rising need to identify their needs and provide appropriate support in language learning. A good example is the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs (hereafter ACCESS), designed to measure the English language proficiency of students identified as…

Responding to Poverty and Its Complex Challenges: The Importance of Policy Fluency for Educational Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Peter; Pavlakis, Alexandra; Lac, Van; Hoffman, Deborah

2014-01-01

We present a case example of a school leader whose understanding of both in- and out-of-school policies and issues supported 2 students who experienced severe trauma. We describe some of the principal's key beliefs and practices that led to the development of a justice-oriented school, and then contextualize her work in a "social…

A Student-Centered, Inquiry-Based Approach to Young's Double-Slit Experiment (and Other Investigations of Light's Wave Character)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Daniel Z.

2017-01-01

Young's double-slit experiment is one of the most historically significant works in physics, and one that is easily done in an introductory physics class. It is also an excellent example of an investigation that allows us to infer the nature of phenomena beyond direct observation. Unfortunately, perhaps because of this, it is often also an…

The Effectiveness of Using Incorrect Examples to Support Learning about Decimal Magnitude

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durkin, Kelley; Rittle-Johnson, Bethany

2012-01-01

Comparing common mathematical errors to correct examples may facilitate learning, even for students with limited prior domain knowledge. We examined whether studying incorrect and correct examples was more effective than studying two correct examples across prior knowledge levels. Fourth- and fifth-grade students (N = 74) learned about decimal…

An evaluation of meaningful learning in a high school chemistry course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bross, April J.

This study utilized an action research methodology to examine students' understandings of science knowledge, and meaningful learning using the SLD (Science Lecture Demonstration) and laboratory instructional method in a high school chemistry classroom. This method was a modification of the Science Lecture Demonstration Method as developed by Majerich and Schmuckler (2004, in press), the modification due to the addition of a laboratory component. The participants in this study represented a convenience sample which included one class of twenty-two, middle to high socio-economic status students (Mean family income over $75,000/year in 2005 U.S. dollars) in an honors chemistry course at a public high school in the state of New Jersey. These participants included nine girls and thirteen boys. The results of this study indicated what the students' understandings of science knowledge were, how the understandings differed among students, and to what extent those understandings were indicative of meaningful learning. These results were obtained by careful analysis of student generated concept maps, narratives from demonstration quizzes, laboratory reports, and test questions, as well as a teacher/researcher reflection upon the classroom experience. A simple taxonomy for analyzing students' understandings of science knowledge was developed, based upon the work of Majerich (2004). Findings indicated that the students' understanding of science knowledge, as well as the extent of meaningful learning that occurs in the chemistry classroom may be influenced by the roles of: explicit directions, pre-existing knowledge from elementary and middle school science classes, using examples vs. non-examples, macroscopic vs. microscopic views of nature, time for reflection, and everyday vs. scientific language. Results obtained from high school student responses confirmed Novak's observation of elementary students' lack of differentiation between the terms vapor and gas (Novak, 1998).

Intro Courses that Entice Majors and Future Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Gay

2004-05-01

University of Arkansas is part of the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), an APS/AAPT/AIP program. PhysTEC provides dramatic improvement of science preparation of teachers, developing programs to work at a range of institutions. Features of our undergraduate program already in place that benefit all students, including future teachers, and in-progress curricular revisions will be discussed. As an example, we began with introductory calculus-based electromagnetism and optics, UPII. Our goal was to improve the level of student learning, confidence, and enjoyment of science, while maintaining the resource level common to large institutions. The program is successful. Confidence is up, particularly women end the course as confident as men, with strong correlation between confidence and performance. Students who successfully complete UPII go on to earn a SMET degree. This is the majority, as we make it hard not to learn the material. Students given a 50-minute closed-book test from a 1990 class (ave=53.8%) finished in 35 minutes with an average of 69.2%. They outperformed previous classes where the concepts had been specifically addressed by 18% on multiple-choice questions. Students have a higher retention to degree than university average. Graduation rates tripled concurrent with our first UPII students graduating and continues to increase. Our method involves leading the student from concrete hands-on examples to conceptual understanding through group discussion. Experimental results provide verification. Concepts are related to familiar phenomena. Students are taught to reason in a structured manner about both conceptual and quantitative problems. Cooperative learning, found to improve retention of female and minority students, is emphasized. The increased number of majors impacts almost every aspect of the department.

Integrating Field-Centered, Project Based Activities with Academic Year Coursework: A Curriculum Wide Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelso, P. R.; Brown, L. M.

2015-12-01

Based upon constructivist principles and the recognition that many students are motivated by hands-on activities and field experiences, we designed a new undergraduate curriculum at Lake Superior State University. One of our major goals was to develop stand-alone field projects in most of the academic year courses. Examples of courses impacted include structural geology, geophysics, and geotectonics, Students learn geophysical concepts in the context of near surface field-based geophysical studies while students in structural geology learn about structural processes through outcrop study of fractures, folds and faults. In geotectonics students learn about collisional and rifting processes through on-site field studies of specific geologic provinces. Another goal was to integrate data and samples collected by students in our sophomore level introductory field course along with stand-alone field projects in our clastic systems and sequence stratigraphy courses. Our emphasis on active learning helps students develop a meaningful geoscience knowledge base and complex reasoning skills in authentic contexts. We simulate the activities of practicing geoscientists by engaging students in all aspects of a project, for example: field-oriented project planning and design; acquiring, analyzing, and interpreting data; incorporating supplemental material and background data; and preparing oral and written project reports. We find through anecdotal evidence including student comments and personal observation that the projects stimulate interest, provide motivation for learning new concepts, integrate skill and concept acquisition vertically through the curriculum, apply concepts from multiple geoscience subdisiplines, and develop soft skills such as team work, problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills. Through this projected-centered Lake Superior State University geology curriculum students practice our motto of "learn geology by doing geology."

Assessing Student Outcomes of Undergraduate Research with URSSA, the Undergraduate Student Self-Assessment Instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laursen, S. L.; Weston, T. J.; Thiry, H.

2012-12-01

URSSA is the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment, an online survey instrument for programs and departments to use in assessing the student outcomes of undergraduate research (UR). URSSA focuses on what students learn from their UR experience, rather than whether they liked it. The online questionnaire includes both multiple-choice and open-ended items that focus on students' gains from undergraduate research. These gains include skills, knowledge, deeper understanding of the intellectual and practical work of science, growth in confidence, changes in identity, and career preparation. Other items probe students' participation in important research-related activities that lead to these gains (e.g. giving presentations, having responsibility for a project). These activities, and the gains themselves, are based in research and thus constitute a core set of items. Using these items as a group helps to align a particular program assessment with research-demonstrated outcomes. Optional items may be used to probe particular features that are augment the research experience (e.g. field trips, career seminars, housing arrangements). The URSSA items are based on extensive, interview-based research and evaluation work on undergraduate research by our group and others. This grounding in research means that URSSA measures what we know to be important about the UR experience The items were tested with students, revised and re-tested. Data from a large pilot sample of over 500 students enabled statistical testing of the items' validity and reliability. Optional items about UR program elements were developed in consultation with UR program developers and leaders. The resulting instrument is flexible. Users begin with a set of core items, then customize their survey with optional items to probe students' experiences of specific program elements. The online instrument is free and easy to use, with numeric results available as raw data, summary statistics, cross-tabs, and graphs, and as raw, downloadable data. Finally, URSSA has high content validity based on its research grounding and rigorous development. We will present examples of how URSSA has been used in evaluations of UR programs. A multi-year evaluation of a university-based UR program shows that URSSA items are sensitive to differences in students' prior level of experience with research. For example, experienced student researchers reported greater gains than did their peers new to UR in understanding the process of research and in coming to see themselves as scientists. These differences are consistent with interview data that suggest a developmental progression of gains as students pursue research and gain confidence in their ability to contribute meaningfully. A second example comes from a multi-site evaluation of sites funded by the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in Biology. This study acquired data from nearly 800 students at some 60 Bio REU sites in 2010 and 2011. Results reveal differences in gains among demographic groups, and the general strength of these well-planned programs relative to a comparison sample of UR programs that are not part of REU. Our presentation will demonstrate the evaluative use of URSSA and its potential applications to undergraduate research in the geosciences.

Perception of studying dental law and ethics among postgraduate dental students in the UK.

PubMed

Wassif, H S

2015-08-14

Law and ethics is an integral part of medical and dental professional practice. The subject is touched upon in the undergraduate curriculum. Historically, dentists interested in postgraduate study in this subject have accessed courses on medical law and ethics. While there are areas of shared interest (for example, consent, confidentiality) there are differences in emphasis and content (for example, end of life care, organ transplants, etc) which are not relevant to dentistry. A new postgraduate certificate (PgCert) course was approved by the University of Bedfordshire designed specifically for dental practitioners, making it the only university accredited course in the UK that is specific to dental staff. Students' perception of the subject of dental law and ethics at a postgraduate level was not known. The first PgCert student cohort was assessed at the start and the end of the course using two questionnaires. Sixteen students, all qualified dental practitioners working in the UK, took part. The perception toward the subject of dental law and ethics was in-line with the current guideline and regulations governing the dental profession. Perception of dental law was clearer at the end of the course compared to the beginning while dental ethics remained a challenging subject.

Understanding physiology by acting out concepts.

PubMed

Yucha, C B

1995-12-01

Typically, classes in anatomy and physiology are taught via lecture and visual aids. This seems to work well for students who are primarily auditory and visual learners but not for those who learn better through kinesthetic experiences. This is the first report describing the use of improvisation to act out physiological concepts within an anatomy and physiology course. Improvisational techniques encourage active participation and allow students to personally interact with and experience difficult concepts in the classroom. In this paper, sensory modality preferences for learning will be discussed briefly. Improvisational techniques will be described, and examples of improvisations useful to convey intricate physiological concepts will be provided. Last, student responses to the use of improvisational techniques in an anatomy and physiology course will be reported.

Examples from Astronomy for High School Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dieterich, Sergio

2016-01-01

A formal course in physics is increasingly becoming a standard requirement in the high school curriculum. With that dissemination comes the challenge of reaching and motivating a population that is more diverse in their academic abilities and intrinsic motivation. The abstract nature of pure physics is often made more accessible when motivated by examples from everyday life, and providing copious mathematical as well as conceptual examples has become standard practice in high school physics textbooks. Astronomy is a naturally captivating subject and astronomical examples are often successful in capturing the curiosity of high school students as well as the general population. This project seeks to diversify the range of pedagogical materials available to the high school physics instructor by compiling and publishing specific examples where an astronomical concept can be used to motivate the physics curriculum. This collection of examples will consist of both short problems suitable for daily homework assignments as well as longer project style activities. Collaborations are encouraged and inquiries should be directed to sdieterich at carnegiescience dot edu.This work is funded by the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship Program through NSF grant AST-1400680.

Disciplining Students Receiving Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Vincent H. A., Jr.

2017-01-01

A brief synopsis of the legality of disciplining students with special needs in public education is presented. An example of a case study is also presented from the experience of the author demonstrating laws surrounding providing students with a free and public education (FAPE). Examples of the application of the laws protecting students' rights…

Within-Class Variability in Student-Teacher Evaluations: Examples and Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayson, Dennis E.

2005-01-01

Although student evaluation of instruction has been shown to produce reliable results over class averages, considerable within-class variability exists that has not been investigated. This study looked at examples of student evaluations in which students diametrically differed in their evaluation of the same instructor. Patterns were noted. A…

The third-year medical student "grapevine": managing transitions between third-year clerkships using peer-to-peer handoffs.

PubMed

Masters, Dylan E; O'Brien, Bridget C; Chou, Calvin L

2013-10-01

As third-year medical students rotate between clerkships, they experience multiple transitions across workplace cultures and shifting learning expectations. The authors explored clerkship transitions from the students' perspective by examining the advice they passed on to their peers in preparation for new clerkships. Seventy-one students from three Veterans Affairs-based clerkship rotations at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine participated in a peer-to-peer handoff session from 2008 to 2011. In the handoff session, they gave tips for optimizing performance to students starting the clerkship they had just completed. The authors transcribed student comments from four handoff sessions and used qualitative content analysis to identify and compare advice across clerkships. Students shared advice about workplace culture, content learning, logistics, and work-life balance. Common themes included expectations of the rotation, workplace norms, specific tasks, learning opportunities, and learning strategies. Comments about patient care and work-life balance were rare. Students emphasized different themes for each clerkship; for example, for some clerkships, students commented heavily on tasks and content learning, while in another students focused on workplace culture and exam preparation. These findings characterize the transitions that third-year students undergo as they rotate into new clinical training environments. Students emphasized different aspects of each clerkship in the advice they passed to their peers, and their comments often describe informal norms or opportunities that official clerkship orientations may not address. Peer-to-peer handoffs may help ease transitions between clerkships with dissimilar cultures and expectations.

New instrument for measuring student beliefs about physics and learning physics: The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, W. K.; Perkins, K. K.; Podolefsky, N. S.; Dubson, M.; Finkelstein, N. D.; Wieman, C. E.

2006-06-01

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) is a new instrument designed to measure student beliefs about physics and about learning physics. This instrument extends previous work by probing additional aspects of student beliefs and by using wording suitable for students in a wide variety of physics courses. The CLASS has been validated using interviews, reliability studies, and extensive statistical analyses of responses from over 5000 students. In addition, a new methodology for determining useful and statistically robust categories of student beliefs has been developed. This paper serves as the foundation for an extensive study of how student beliefs impact and are impacted by their educational experiences. For example, this survey measures the following: that most teaching practices cause substantial drops in student scores; that a student’s likelihood of becoming a physics major correlates with their “Personal Interest” score; and that, for a majority of student populations, women’s scores in some categories, including “Personal Interest” and “Real World Connections,” are significantly different from men’s scores.

MATLAB as an incentive for student learning of skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bank, C. G.; Ghent, R. R.

2016-12-01

Our course "Computational Geology" takes a holistic approach to student learning by using MATLAB as a focal point to increase students' computing, quantitative reasoning, data analysis, report writing, and teamwork skills. The course, taught since 2007 with recent enrollments around 35 and aimed at 2nd to 3rd-year students, is required for the Geology and Earth and Environmental Systems major programs, and can be chosen as elective in our other programs, including Geophysics. The course is divided into five projects: Pacific plate velocity from the Hawaiian hotspot track, predicting CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, volume of Earth's oceans and sea-level rise, comparing wind directions for Vancouver and Squamish, and groundwater flow. Each project is based on real data, focusses on a mathematical concept (linear interpolation, gradients, descriptive statistics, differential equations) and highlights a programming task (arrays, functions, text file input/output, curve fitting). Working in teams of three, students need to develop a conceptional model to explain the data, and write MATLAB code to visualize the data and match it to their conceptional model. The programming is guided, and students work individually on different aspects (for example: reading the data, fitting a function, unit conversion) which they need to put together to solve the problem. They then synthesize their thought process in a paper. Anecdotal evidence shows that students continue using MATLAB in other courses.

Giving Personal Examples and Telling Stories in Academic Essays.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinkel, Eli

2001-01-01

Analyzes the extensive use of personal examples and stories in the academic essays of students who are nonnative speakers of English. Draws on a large database of college examination essays to compare the use of personal examples in essays written by native and nonnative speakers. Finds nonnative students not only use examples more often than…

Diploma in Seismology for High-School Teachers in Mexico Through an Open-Source Learning Plataform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez-Campos, X.; Bello, D.; Dominguez, J.; Pérez, J.; Cruz, J. L.; Navarro Estrada, F.; Mendoza Carvajal, A. D. J.

2017-12-01

The high school Physics programs in Mexico do not consider the immediate application of the concepts learned by the students. According to some pedagogical theories many of the acquired knowledge are assimilated when experimenting, expressing, interacting and developing projects. It is in high school when young people are exploring and looking for experiences to decide the area in which they want to focus their studies. The areas of science and engineering are chosen, mainly motivated by technology and outer space. There is little interest in Earth science, reflected by the number of students in those areas. This may be due mainly to the lack of exposure and examples at the high school level. With this in mind, we are working on a project that seeks, through the preparation of teachers of this level, to bring their students to seismology and awaken in them their curiosity in issues related to it. Based on the above, and taking as examples the successful programs "Seismographs in Schools" from IRIS and "Geoscience Information For Teachers" from EGU, the Mexican National Seismological Service has launched a project that contemplates three stages. The first one consists of the design and delivery of a diploma addressed to high school teachers. The second contemplates the installation of short-period seismographs in each of the participating faculty facilities. Finally, the third one involves the active participation of teachers and their students in research projects based on the data collected in the instruments installed in their schools. This work presents the first phase. The diploma has been designed to offer teachers, in 170 hours, an introduction to topics related to seismology and to provide them with tools and examples that they can share with their students in their classroom. It is offered both online through Moodle, an open-source learning plataform, and in 12 classroom sessions. The first class started on June 2017 and will finish on November 2017. We selected high school professors from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), since their schools are based in Mexico City. Based on the results, we will adjust the program to offer it nation wide in future editions. The platform, diploma design and results on this first generation will be presented. This project has been funded by UNAM project DGAPA-PAPIME PE107317.

Students' Views of Example Generation Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breen, Sinead; O'Shea, Ann; Pfeiffer, Kirsten

2016-01-01

We report here on students' views of example generation tasks assigned to them in two first year undergraduate Calculus courses. The design and use of such tasks was undertaken as part of a project which aimed to afford students opportunities to develop their thinking skills and their conceptual understanding. In interviews with 10 students, we…

What Opportunities, When?: A Framework for Student Career Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, H.

2007-12-01

Geoscience faculty and departments have an important role to play in the professional development of their students for careers in the geosciences or other fields. We can promote career development of students at different career stages (e.g., first year students, geoscience majors, and graduate students) and in various ways by 1) providing information about jobs and careers, 2) encouraging exploration of options, 3) providing experiences throughout their program that develop skills, knowledge, and attitudes, and 4) supporting students in their job search. For example, in teaching general education classes, we can provide information about jobs and careers in the geosciences, showing images of specific geoscientists and discussing what they do, providing examples of practical applications of course content, and describing job prospects and potential salaries. For majors, this type of information could be presented by seminar speakers, through career panels, and via alumni newsletters. Exploration of options could include research and/or teaching experiences, internships, informational interviews, and involvement with a campus career services center. Courses throughout the curriculum as well as co-curricular experiences serve to provide experiences that develop skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will be useful for a range of jobs. Departments can support the job search by providing networking opportunities for students and alumni, widely distributing job announcements and encouraging individual students, offering departmental sessions on graduate school, different career options, and /or the job search process, conducting mock interviews and resume review sessions, and fostering connections between students and alumni. In all of this, we need to be supportive of student choices. Overall, faculty can help students make more informed career decisions and develop skills that will be of value in their career through a variety of strategies, work with students as an advisor or mentor to help them explore career options, and collaborate with the career service center on campus.

That is Cool: the Nature Of Aesthetics in Fluid Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hertzberg, Jean

2013-11-01

Aesthetics has historically been defined as the study of beauty and thus as a metric of art. More recently, psychologists are using the term to describe a spectrum of responses from ``I hate it'' to ``I love it.'' In the context of fluid physics, what is beautiful? What elicits a ``Wow! Awesome! Cool!'' response versus a snore? Can we use aesthetics to deepen or change students' or the public's perceptions of physics and/or the world around them? For example, students seem to appreciate the aesthetics of destruction: environmental fluid dynamics such as storms, tornadoes, floods and wildfires are often responsible for massive destruction, yet humans draw pleasure from watching such physics and the attendant destruction from a safe distance. Can this voyeurism be turned to our advantage in communicating science? Observations of student and Facebook Flow Visualization group choices for fluid physics that draw a positive aesthetic response are sorted into empirical categories; the aesthetics of beauty, power, destruction, and oddness. Each aesthetic will be illustrated with examples drawn from flow visualizations from both the Flow Visualization course (MCEN 4151) taught at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and sources on the web. This work is supported by NSF: EEC 1240294.

Introduction to Geostatistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitanidis, P. K.

1997-05-01

Introduction to Geostatistics presents practical techniques for engineers and earth scientists who routinely encounter interpolation and estimation problems when analyzing data from field observations. Requiring no background in statistics, and with a unique approach that synthesizes classic and geostatistical methods, this book offers linear estimation methods for practitioners and advanced students. Well illustrated with exercises and worked examples, Introduction to Geostatistics is designed for graduate-level courses in earth sciences and environmental engineering.

Long-Distance Free Fall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallant, Joseph

1999-04-01

One of the goals of physics education is to instill a sense of wonder in our students. We hope our natural curiosity will rub off on them and that they will apply the critical thinking skills we teach them to other aspects of their lives outside the classroom. As an example of this, consider the situation described in Milton's epic poem ``Paradise Lost''. Milton wrote that when the devil was cast out of heaven, he fell for nine days before landing in hell. In Milton's universe, hell is a separate place from Earth, but many people place hell at the center of the Earth. Based on these ideas, we can apply Newton's laws of motion to calculate the distance from heaven to Earth. This exercise is an example of the kind of intellectual exercise a physicist (or a physics student) might carry out when confronted with such information. We apply the basic principles of physics to a situation described in work of literature while making no attempt to validate or refute any philosophy, theology or ideology.

Modelling Plane Geometry: the connection between Geometrical Visualization and Algebraic Demonstration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, L. R.; Jardim, D. F.; da Silva, J. M.

2017-12-01

The teaching and learning of Mathematics contents have been challenging along the history of the education, both for the teacher, in his dedicated task of teaching, as for the student, in his arduous and constant task of learning. One of the topics that are most discussed in these contents is the difference between the concepts of proof and demonstration. This work presents an interesting discussion about such concepts considering the use of the mathematical modeling approach for teaching, applied to some examples developed in the classroom with a group of students enrolled in the discipline of Geometry of the Mathematics curse of UFVJM.

Project-based teaching in health informatics: a course on health care quality improvement.

PubMed

Moehr, J R; Berenji, G R; Green, C J; Kagolovsky, Y

2001-01-01

Teaching the skills and knowledge required in health informatics [1] is a challenge because the skill of applying knowledge in real life requires practice. We relate the experience with introducing a practice component to a course in "Health Care Quality Improvement". Working health care professionals were invited to bring an actual quality problem from their place of work and to work alongside students in running the problem through a quality improvement project lifecycle. Multiple technological and process oriented teaching innovations were employed including project sessions in observation rooms, video recording of these sessions, generation of demonstration examples and distance education components. Both students and their collaborators from the work place developed proficiency in applying quality improvement methods as well as in experiencing the realities of group processes, information gaps and organizational constraints. The principles used to achieve high involvement of the whole class, the employed resources and technical support are described. The resulting academic and practical achievements are discussed in relation to the alternative instructional modalities, and with respect to didactic implications for similar endeavors and beyond to other fields such as systems engineering.

ASPIRE: Teachers and researchers working together to enhance student learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yager, P. L.; Garay, D. L.; Warburton, J.

2016-02-01

Given the impact of human activities on the ocean, involving teachers, students, and their families in scientific inquiry has never been more important. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines have become key focus areas in the education community of the United States. Newly adopted across the nation, Next Generation Science Standards require that educators embrace innovative approaches to teaching. Transforming classrooms to actively engage students through a combination of knowledge and practice develops conceptual understanding and application skills. The partnerships between researchers and educators during the Amundsen Sea Polynya International Research Expedition (ASPIRE) offer an example of how academic research can enhance K-12 student learning. In this presentation, we illustrate how ASPIRE teacher-scientist partnerships helped engage students with actual and virtual authentic scientific investigations. Scientists benefit from teacher/researcher collaborations as well, as funding for scientific research also depends on effective communication between scientists and the public. While contributing to broader impacts needed to justify federal funding, scientists also benefit by having their research explained in ways that the broader public can understand: collaborations with teachers produce classroom lessons and published work that generate interest in the scientists' research specifically and in marine science in general. Researchers can also learn from their education partners about more effective teaching strategies that can be transferred to the college level. Researchers who work with teachers in turn gain perspectives on the constraints that teachers and students face in the pre-college classroom. Crosscutting concepts of research in polar marine science can serve as intellectual tools to connect important ideas about ocean and climate science for the public good.

From Bench to Bedside: A communal utility value intervention to enhance students' biomedical science motivation.

PubMed

Brown, Elizabeth R; Smith, Jessi L; Thoman, Dustin B; Allen, Jill M; Muragishi, Gregg

2015-11-01

Motivating students to pursue science careers is a top priority among many science educators. We add to the growing literature by examining the impact of a utility value intervention to enhance student's perceptions that biomedical science affords important utility work values. Using an expectancy-value perspective we identify and test two types of utility value: communal (other-oriented) and agentic (self-oriented). The culture of science is replete with examples emphasizing high levels of agentic value, but communal values are often (stereotyped as) absent from science. However, people in general want an occupation that has communal utility. We predicted and found that an intervention emphasizing the communal utility value of biomedical research increased students' motivation for biomedical science (Studies 1-3). We refined whether different types of communal utility value (working with, helping, and forming relationships with others) might be more or less important, demonstrating that helping others was an especially important predictor of student motivation (Study 2). Adding agentic utility value to biomedical research did not further increase student motivation (Study 3). Furthermore, the communal value intervention indirectly impacted students' motivation because students believed that biomedical research was communal and thus subsequently more important (Studies 1-3). This is key, because enhancing student communal value beliefs about biomedical research (Studies 1-3) and science (Study 4) was associated both with momentary increases in motivation in experimental settings (Studies 1-3) and increased motivation over time among students highly identified with biomedicine (Study 4). We discuss recommendations for science educators, practitioners, and faculty mentors who want to broaden participation in science.

Examination about the effects of future career choice on time perspective in Japanese high school students.

PubMed

Tsuzuki, Manabu

2015-03-30

This study investigated types of career choice in high school students and examined the effects of career paths on time perspective development. The participants were 4,756 third grade students from nine public high schools in Tokyo. The high school questionnaire survey was conducted throughout autumn of 2008, 2009, and 2010. One year later, 962 graduates participated in the follow-up questionnaire survey by post. Distinguishing gender difference among career paths was found. Girls tend to choose significantly shorter learning careers (p < .01), for example junior college or vocational school in comparison to boys. Career indecision, i.e., students who could not set a concrete future career in high school, had significantly more negative time perspective than other groups (p < .05), which was caused by a deficiency of their basic cognitive ability. Longitudinal data showed different patterns of fluctuation in time perspective between "school to school transition" and "school to work transition". It is suggested that the "school to work transition" tends to be more critical for adolescents and has negative effects on time perspective. These results suggest that the goal content in careers may promote or inhibit the formation of time perspectives during the graduation transition.

Do Your Students Think You Are Mr. Spock from Star Trek?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watterson, Ray

If they think you are Mr. Spock from Star Trek then these two books may help you pass the time here. When I read Learning in Science (Roger Osborne and Peter Freyberg, Heinemann 1985), I: * became fascinated by the discrepancies between teacher's intentions and students' learning outcomes * determined to change the way I taught in order to reduce these discrepancies for the children and adults I was teaching * started to actively probe their understanding looking for keys to unlock and remove their misconceptions. Hence the second book by these two interesting characters. Probing Understanding (Richard White and Richard Gunstone, The Falmer Press 1992) I now approach the teaching of science as if I am teaching a foreign language to aliens. It works for me and is transmissible to others including student teachers. * Teach using real examples or objects familiar to your students * Use and teach the use of words precisely * Link the known to the unknown.

Melding Environmental Education and Creative Learning in Elementary and Middle-school Settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, S.; Baker, T.; Crofton-Macdonald, J.; Scott, M.

2017-12-01

Teaching environmental topics, such as sustainability and ecosystem management, to students through the lens of computational thinking provides unique educational opportunities. Environmental topics are an excellent source for multidisciplinary learning, as questions concerning human well-being, environmental policy, science, and mathematics can naturally be incorporated into educational discussions and activities. The use of computational modeling allows students to critically reason about and explore environmental concepts by envisioning complexity, and asking and investigating a series of "what if" questions. Students can furthermore reflect on their own relationship with their local ecology. For the past five years, we have tested and developed activities for middle school students. Through in-class activities, workshop, and summer clubs, we have explored these ideas. We plan to present examples from our work and a tentative framework for a new approach to environmental education, one reinforced by computational thinking and creative learning.