Aerial Robotics in Computer Science Education

This paper reports on experience with project courses, especially those concerning the design and construction of an autonomous aerial robot.

Dealing with this complex application task in small teams, advanced students are coached by teaching assistants in state‐of‐the‐art work in special fields of computer science.

The task includes a high potential for motivation and is sufficiently complex for a large range of techniques required. Team‐orientation is an important aspect; the students have to establish and coordinate various individual tasks.     

Game assessment: fun as well as effective

Alternative methods of assessing student knowledge are useful since assessment is increasingly being emphasized by administrators, accrediting agencies and legislators. A game (team) format to assess students' knowledge of course material was experimentally compared with the traditional format of testing a student who answers individually. Team‐game scores were more often correct than individual scores in all comparisons. Team decisions, which involved cooperation within one's group while at the same time competing against other teams, were rarely the result of a single individual deciding on the team answer. Students preferred the game‐assessment condition more and also perceived it as a more accurate measure of their course knowledge.     

Three mentoring team relationships and obstacles encountered: a school‐based case study

This case study is a continuation of a research project that investigated 149 mentoring teams in four school districts over a two‐year period. The primary goal in the first phase of the study was to identify mentoring teams that were regularly encountering problems, introduce intervention procedures, and assess the effectiveness of those procedures. In this phase, three teams were selected from the original study to represent four common problems encountered during formal mentoring: institutional barriers, issues of time, lack of emotional support, and poor interpersonal skills. Results indicate the need for a closer examination of the principal's role in the mentoring process, more attention to how mentoring coordinators and administrators use their time, a more rigorous mentor selection process, a more detailed evaluation of the teaching environment, additional support mechanisms, and more prevalent sharing of research.     

Team teaching implementation in engineering education: teacher perceptions and experiences

ABSTRACT

In 2014, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences implemented a fundamental change in its curriculum from small single topic 3–5 credits courses into 15 credits multidisciplinary courses implemented by teacher teams. This paper focuses on how teachers of Information Technology programs experienced the reform. Research data include teacher feedback and opinions that were collected during training sessions and interviews. Team teaching is a substantial change for teachers that raises concerns about time management, getting enough compensation for the work and possible loss of teacher autonomy. However, teacher teams that managed to overcome these challenges saw a variety of benefits in the new approach. Not only was team teaching seen as a means for providing students with the skills they need, but it also was discovered as a way to enhance the teacher’s own professional development.     

Case‐Based Teaching: Four Experiences in Educational Software Design

Abstract

Good teaching is good story telling. Case‐based teaching exploits the basic capacity for students to learn from stories and the basic desire of teachers to tell stories that are indicative of their experiences. The premise of software that used case‐based teaching would be to place a student in a situation that the student found interesting and where the telling of a story would be appreciated. First, case‐based teachers teach the student what he or she needs to know at precisely the point of becoming interested in knowing the information. This information should be presented in the form of stories. Law schools and business schools have been teaching this way for years. They teach cases rather than rules because, by and large, they don't have rules to teach. The second critical part of learning in a case‐based environment is teaching a student to abstract from what the student has been told, and adapting it to situations for which the student was not specifically trained.

At the Institute, we have, to date, built four examples of case‐based teaching software. The programs are:

VICTOR — a voice and image courtesy tutor — built for Ameritech

DUSTIN — a language experience — built for Andersen Consulting

CREANIMATE — a biology experience‐built for schools and supported by IBM

TAXOPS — a tax opportunity advisor and cross seller — built for the Tax division of Arthur Andersen     

Infusing an inter‐professional and inter‐university perspective into healthcare education

A national (USA) student‐led, case‐based CLinician/Administrator Relationship Improvement OrganizatioN (CLARION) competition focuses students in medical and related healthcare programs on the provision of healthcare that is safe, timely, equitable, patient‐centred, effective and efficient. Students work in four‐person, inter‐professional teams to research and analyse a designated case. They then present their findings and recommendations to a panel of independent judges. Students, with support from their faculty advisors, approach the case as they see fit. Following initial participation in this CLARION competition, an inter‐professional team of students from two universities and their advisory faculty developed a two‐semester, pre‐competition course as a model to facilitate transformation in healthcare education. The course is theoretical, empirical and practical. It has multiple levels of learning and is designed to mentor students, develop faculty, measure learning outcomes and stimulate administrators in higher education to think creatively about curriculum development across disciplines. This integrated and inter‐professional approach is pivotal in healthcare education to ensure students learn safe and evidence‐based clinical practice that meets the highest standards for quality care.     

An examination of selected dimensions of national school principals’ concerns for school administrative issues

Summary

Determining the purposes and intentions of administrative behaviour has remained problematic despite intensive research on the work behaviour of administrators. The various research methods do however provide a wealth of data on activities, locations and with whom administrators interact. This data provides a means to determine the administrative attention to different issues. Research on National School principals’ work behaviour shows that principals devote over one‐third of their activities to administrative issues, another third to pupil‐related issues and under one‐fifth to curricular and instructional issues. Fewer than one‐in‐five of the latter were with teachers. Meetings were the common means for attending to each of the three main issue areas. A major proportion of the remaining attention to pupil‐related issues was through supervision and to curricular and instructional issues through teaching. While the majority of principals’ attention was self‐initiated, a significant proportion was scheduled especially for supervision and teaching. Principals need to examine their patterns of administrative attention to see if it accords with their stated goals and values. The need for the provision of certain administrative skills would seem necessary if the patterns emerging from this research are not what principals’ perceive as their pattern of attention.     

Sixth forms in secondary technical schools

Abstract

The Employability Skills Profile (ESP) was developed in 1992 by the Conference Board of Canada in conjunction with leading business people and educators from across the country. Critical abilities that employers are looking for in Canada fall under Academic, Personal Management and Team Work Skills. There is widespread belief that having these skills increases the probability of career success. One rural and one suburban secondary school in eastern Ontario participated in a pre/post‐research study. Twenty‐four teachers completed questionnaires ranking the ESP on (1) their personal belief in the importance of the skills; and (2) the degree to which the skills were incorporated into their teaching practice. A training intervention on the ESP was conducted prior to the post measure and focus group interviews were held on each site. Results indicated that Personal Management Skills were ranked most important, followed by Academic Skills and Team Work Skills. Application to actual teaching indicated informal teaching of the skills when students ‘absorbed’ the skills through classroom policies and management practices. Recommendations deal with the need for more school and business collaboration.     

Supporting students to develop collaborative learning skills in technology-based environments

The paper focuses on the question of how to advance collaboration through the Web and support lifelong learning. First, the theoretical framework and architecture of a new web‐based tool, the ‘IQ Team’, is introduced. IQ Team is an interactive online assessment and support system to learn social skills needed in cooperative work, and belongs in an interactive online assessing and tutoring system, ‘IQ Form’, developed for the Finnish Virtual University. IQ Team has three main elements: (1) interactive self‐evaluation test banks, (2) online tutoring sets and (3) learning diaries. In the creation of IQ Team, the validation process was conducted with two samples (n = 259 and n = 275). The online students’ social skills in different groups were explored, and the feedback data from different user groups were analysed. The online students scored high values for social skills, and no differences were discerned between university, Open University and technical students. The qualitative data (n = 35) were collected in order to get users’ feedback of the tool. The qualitative data consisted of interviews, open‐ended questions and online discussions. The users of IQ Team reflected that the tool benefited them to become aware of their group work skills and developed their collaborative learning skills. IQ Team provides a powerful tool for online instruction and communication in higher education and in the Open University to promote joint‐regulated learning.     

EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY: NOT BY CHANCE

Abstract

This study examined correlations between teachers’ attitudes toward mathematics/teaching mathematics and the practice of developmentally appropriate mathematics. This study tested two independent variables: (1) kindergarten teachers’ attitudes toward mathematics; and (2) kindergarten teachers’ attitudes toward teaching mathematics; and their relationships with the practice of developmentally appropriate mathematics.

The researcher designed a survey questionnaire by cross‐referencing several instruments and the review of related literature. A sample of 200 kindergarten teachers was randomly selected from the Indiana Department of Education website directory. Of the 200 kindergarten teachers, 81 teachers participated in this study by returning the survey questionnaire to the researcher via the postal service, e‐mailing, or posting the response over the Internet.

Each independent variable was tested to determine the level of its statistical significance by using multiple linear stepwise regression procedures. The results of this study revealed that kindergarten teachers’ attitudes toward teaching mathematics were found to be a significant variable correlating with the practice of developmentally appropriate mathematics, but kindergarten teachers’ attitudes toward mathematics were not a significant variable.     

Bringing in Bourdieu's theory of social capital: renewing learning partnership approaches to social inclusion

Abstract

This article considers the concept of ‘team’ in a second‐level school setting, in the context of the priority given to teams in the implementation and co‐ordination of a variety of programmes (The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme; the Leaving Certificate Applied; The Transition Year Programme and the Junior Certificate School Programme) in post‐primary schools. Having proposed a definition of ‘team’, which speaks to the moral purpose of education, the article identifies the competition for appointment to posts of responsibility leading to the co‐ordination of such programmes as a factor which, potentially, works against the creation of successful teams. The creation of co‐ordination posts has the potential to redistribute power and influence in schools, and create impediments to the realisation of a team culture based upon respect, autonomy and equality. For this reason, consideration needs to be given to the separation of team formation and the competition between individuals for career advancement and promotion.     

案例教学法应用於教育法规课程之探讨

案例研究提供真实情境让管理者处理两难或不确定问题,案例也是让学生从学习生涯去描述案例或问题的学习方式,能促使学生面对案例问题中学习如何做决定。本研究具体目的：一、在教育法规课程中,探讨案例教学法的功能。二、分析在教育法规课程中,使用案例教学法的限制。三、在教育法规课程实施案例教学後,教师封案例教学法的反思与成长。本研究运用访谈、省思札记等方式来蒐集资料。研究发现案例教学能协助学生批判思考、解决问题、反省与应用知识等。     

Image Gap Analysis: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT

This paper reports the results of an image study conducted by a college of business among business people in the service area of the university. A mail survey of 2000 businesses was randomly selected using a commercial mailing list. Results reveal the current image and provide guidance for defining a desired image and, subsequently, preparing a marketing program that will communicate that image.     

Simulating the multi‐disciplinary care team approach: Enhancing student understanding of anatomy through an ultrasound‐anchored interprofessional session

Quality of healthcare delivery is dependent on collaboration between professional disciplines. Integrating opportunities for interprofessional learning in health science education programs prepares future clinicians to function as effective members of a multi‐disciplinary care team. This study aimed to create a modified team‐based learning (TBL) environment utilizing ultrasound technology during an interprofessional learning activity to enhance musculoskeletal anatomy knowledge of first year medical (MD) and physical therapy (PT) students. An ultrasound demonstration of structures of the upper limb was incorporated into the gross anatomy courses for first‐year MD (n = 53) and PT (n = 28) students. Immediately before the learning experience, all students took an individual readiness assurance test (iRAT) based on clinical concepts regarding the assigned study material. Students observed while a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician demonstrated the use of ultrasound as a diagnostic and procedural tool for the shoulder and elbow. Following the demonstration, students worked within interprofessional teams (n = 14 teams, 5–6 students per team) to review the related anatomy on dissected specimens. At the end of the session, students worked within interprofessional teams to complete a collaborative clinical case‐based multiple choice post‐test. Team scores were compared to the mean individual score within each team with the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. Students scored higher on the collaborative post‐test (95.2 ±10.2%) than on the iRAT (66.1 ± 13.9% for MD students and 76.2 ±14.2% for PT students, P < 0.0001). Results suggest that this interprofessional team activity facilitated an improved understanding and clinical application of anatomy. Anat Sci Educ 11: 94–99. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

FEEDBACK FROM CLASSROOM RESEARCH PROJECTS

A survey of faculty and administrators who successfully completed a staff development course on classroom feedback/ research techniques is reported. The results indicate two directions which classroom research activities appear to have taken. The first is an emphasis on the assessment of teaching over student achievement and learning skills. The second one involves a positive use of feedback results in the planning of follow‐up instructional activities. The value of classroom research endeavors appears to have outweighed the time it takes to prepare the assessment instruments, to implement the activities and to analyze the results. The paper concludes with a discussion of the need for institutional support systems to develop classroom research activities.     

第三届广西大学生结构设计竞赛获奖作品分析

"广西大学生结构设计竞赛"是广西高校建筑类专业方面层次最高、规模最大的专业技能大赛,大赛以设计"经济、安全、实用、美观"的建筑结构模型为宗旨,并进行现场实际加载验证比拼。以第三届获一等奖作品为例,阐述如何注重加强对土建类大学生实践能力和创新能力的培养,如何提高学生对所学专业知识的认知和应用,从而激发学生的学习兴趣和创新激情,真正实现"以赛带教,以赛促学"的目的。     

Team Machine: A Decision Support System for Team Formation

This paper reports on the cross‐disciplinary research that resulted in a decision‐support tool, Team Machine (TM), which was designed to create maximally diverse student teams. TM was used at a large United States university between 2004 and 2012, and resulted in significant improvement in the performance of student teams, superior overall balance of the teams as well as overwhelmingly favorable reactions from stakeholders. An empirical study is conducted comparing the performance of teams created by TM compared to teams manually allocated by a subject matter expert. The findings show that optimally balanced teams perform better than those created manually. TM serves as a broad‐based example of how to integrate business analytics into interactive search by conflating human judgment with algorithmic efficiency in the context of team formation. The contribution of this research to the academic community is a model and solution method which can be easily implemented to solve a very important and recurring issue faced by many MBA programs and empirical evidence of its value. The outcomes of this study include empirical evidence of increased team performance, significant administrative time savings, improvement to team diversity, and increased satisfaction from students and administrators with the team formation process.     

国家级优秀体育教学团队师资结构的现状分析

对国家级优秀体育教学团队师资结构的现状进行研究和分析,发现团队师资结构的优化体现在高学历成员比例继续提高和成员趋向于年轻化,同时部分团队呈现人员职称搭配不合理的现象。团队带头人的教学能力、科研能力和管理能力均处于学科领先水平,有利于国家级优秀体育教学团队的申报、建设和发展。