Teaching first‐year statistics students with COVID‐19 real‐world data: Graphs

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about graphs? Although graphs have the potential to bring data to life, numerous studies show that learners struggle with graphical comprehension. Furthermore, many textbook examples on graphs are boring and appear meaningless to students. Students want to know more about something which is interesting, meaningful, and worth knowing, in other words, something relevant. With the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in December 2019, COVID‐19 is dominating the news worldwide, and the internet is flooded with visual presentations about the virus. To make statistics more fascinating and exciting, relevant and real‐world data such as these can be used in the classroom to stimulate the learning of important statistical concepts such as graphs. Curcio's three levels of graphical comprehension were used as a framework in this study, while the importance of developing a global view on distributions was also emphasized.     

Campus‐based student experiences of learning technologies in a first‐year science course

This study reports on an investigation into the campus‐based experience of university students studying mammalian physiology that was significantly supported with learning technologies. The design of the course enabled the students to interrogate the key ideas that they came across in their lectures and laboratories through online activities which prepared the students for practical classes. Close‐ended questionnaires were used to uncover qualitative variation in the population sample, particularly the differences in the concepts of learning technologies and approaches to learning technologies. Qualitative variation in concepts of, and approaches to, learning technologies was found to be significantly associated with variation in academic achievement. The outcomes have important implications for the approaches to teaching of campus‐based experiences of learning supported by learning technologies when we seek to support all students to realise their learning outcomes in technology‐mediated processes     

信息技术与中学生物教学的有效整合

信息技术与生物教学的整合是当前生物教育领域的一个热点问题。本文首先分析了信息技术与中学生物教学整合的内涵与目标,接着论述了信息技术与中学生物教学有效整合的四个特征及常用的三种整合模式,最后,对如何做好有效整合提出三点建议。     

课堂教学中信息技术与课程整合的误区分析与方法反思

信息技术与学科课程的整合是为了实现教学内容的呈现方式、学生的学习方式、教师的教学方式和师生互动方式的变革。然而在课堂教学中,信息技术与课程的整合还存在许多误区,主要包括多媒体课件屏幕代替传统的黑板板书、多媒体课件的演示代替教师与学生的活动、计算机多媒体教学完全取代传统媒体教学、过于注重信息技术使用形式忽视对学科具体内容及特点的研究、模拟实验代替分组实验训练等。信息技术与课程整合,需要先进的教育思想,信息技术是手段,课程的有效实施才是目的,二者的整合是长期的过程,整合的理论与方法需要体现在教师培训的课程与实践之中。     

数据库应用技术课程改革与研究

在充分了解信息技术应用专业群的专业知识需求和学生实际情况的基础上,对数据库应用技术课程从教学方法、教学手段、教材、教学环节、考核等多方面进行改革。同时建立教学资源库,采用基于WEB的"学教并重、学生受控自主学习"的模式,推行形成性考核评价体系和方案,取得了良好效果。     

Taiwanese teachers’ implementation of a new ‘constructivist mathematics curriculum’: How cognitive and affective issues are addressed

This paper aims to investigate the ways in which four Grade 5 teachers perceived and implemented a new constructivist mathematics curriculum, after all their past experience of traditional mathematics in Taiwan. The meaning and indicators of constructivist and traditional mathematics were explored and developed based on reviews of three countries’ mathematics curricula and studies on mathematics teaching. Through interviews and classroom observations, teachers’ practices were analyzed in these terms, separated into cognitive and affective aspects. The teachers were found to meet the new curriculum halfway, to address cognitive issues more effectively than affective ones, and to implement a common curriculum differently. The results support the need to analyze the teaching of mathematics in relation to affective as well as cognitive elements, and are discussed in relation to mathematics teaching internationally.     

Surgical Clinical Correlates in Anatomy: Design and implementation of a first‐year medical school program

Medical students state the need for a clinically oriented anatomy class so to maximize their learning experience. We hypothesize that the first‐year medical students, who take the Surgical Clinical Correlates in Anatomy program, will perform better than their peers in their anatomy course, their surgical clerkships and ultimately choose surgical residencies. We designed and recently implemented this program for first‐year medical students. It consisted of General Surgical Knowledge, Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Urology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, General Surgery, Vascular Surgery, and Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) sessions. Each session had defined learning objectives and interactive cadaveric operations performed by faculty members and students. The program was elective and had 25 participants randomly chosen. An evaluative questionnaire was completed before and after the program. Comparative analysis of the questionnaires, first‐year anatomy examination results, clinical surgical rotation scores, and residency match results will be completed. The positive opinions of surgeons increased for all medical students from the pre‐evaluation to the post‐evaluation, and there was a greater increase in positive opinions for our participants. Our participants also had the highest average overall for all combined anatomy examinations. A need exists among medical students to develop a clinically correlated anatomy program that will maximize their learning experience, improve their performance and allow them to make moreinformed career choices. The recent implementation of this Surgical Clinical Correlates in Anatomy program fulfills this need. Anat Sci Educ 2: 265?272, 2009. © 2009 American Association of Anatomists.     

Use of interactive sessions and e‐learning in teaching anatomy to first‐year optometry students

Students enrolled in the Optometry program at the University of Manchester are required to take a functional anatomy course during the first year of their studies. Low mean scores in the written examination of this unit for the past two academic years energized staff to rethink the teaching format. Interactive sessions lasting 20 minutes each were introduced during the two hour lecture sessions. In these sessions students reinforced their anatomical knowledge learned in lectures, through playing games such as anatomy bingo and solving anatomical anagrams. In addition, five e‐learning modules were also introduced for students to complete in their own time. A pre‐ and postcourse questionnaire were distributed to obtain student views on their expectations of the course and interactive sessions. Comparisons were made between written examination results from 2008 to 2009 to written examination results from the previous five academic years to see if the interactive sessions and e‐learning modules had any impact on student knowledge. In addition, comparisons were made between student performances on the functional anatomy course with their performance in all of the other assessments taken by the students during their first year of study. Analysis of the questionnaires showed that student's expectations of the course were fulfilled and the interactive sessions were well received by the majority. There was a significant increase (P ≤ 0.01) in the mean examination score in 2008–2009 after introduction of the interactive sessions and e‐learning modules compared with scores in previous years. The introduction of interactive sessions has increased student enjoyment of the module and along with the e‐learning modules have had a positive impact on student examination results. Anat Sci Educ 3:39–45, 2010. © 2009 American Association of Anatomists.     

教育技术、信息技术与课程整合

基于新课改,从教育技术、信息技术与课程整合教革的实际出发,通过对概念的分析,从哲学角度论述了教育技术、信息技术与课程整合之间的辩证关系。进一步明确了教育技术在信息技术与课程整合以及新课改中的重要地位。     

In practice: The multimedia CD as a new approach to first‐year reading programs

Buffalo State College's search for a text for its common reading ended not in the selection of a book but in the creation of a CD.The CD is now being used to spark conversations across the campus.     

Instructional technology research and development in a US physics education group

The purpose of this brief paper is to provide insight into the kinds of work being done by an education research group in a US physics department. As will be evident, instructional technology raises many interesting questions and lends itself to a wide variety of studies. References and contacts are provided for readers wanting more detailed information on the research. The paper is based on a presentation given at the Workshop on Best Practices of ICT Use in a University Environment, 24 September 2004, in Zürich.     

信息技术与课程整合的探究

目的探讨信息技术与课程整合的内涵、整合模式以及在当前存在的问题.方法文献资料法.结果信息技术与课程整合可以提高课程教学效率,改善教学效果,对不断深入推进素质教育、丰富发展教育理论有着重要意义.结论信息技术与课程整合有利于教育资源的共享,可以缓解教育公平等问题,应因时因地制宜搞好这种整合,以进一步提高教育教学质量.     

信息技术与课程整合在计算机教学中的实践与探究

信息技术与学科课程整合是现代化教学方式之一,也是现代教育发展的必然趋势。结合计算机课程的特点,给出了信息技术与课程整合在计算机教学过程中的实践和探究,极大地激发了学生的学习动机,培养了学生的创新精神、自学能力和实践能力。     

In search of well‐started beginning science teachers: Insights from two first‐year elementary teachers

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore what aspects of two first‐year elementary teachers' practices were most consistent with an inquiry‐based approach, what PCK served as a mechanism for facilitating these practices, and what experiences have mediated the nature and development of these teachers' PCK. For each of the participants data included audio‐recorded interviews, video‐recorded classroom observations, lesson plans, and samples of student work. Data analysis illustrated that both participants engaged their students in question‐driven investigations, the use of observational data, making connections between evidence and claims, and communicating those claims to others. Moreover, there was clear evidence in the findings of the study that a considerable degree of coherence existed between the two participants' knowledge on one hand and their instructional practices on the other hand. The participants perceived specific learning experiences during their programs as being critical to their development. The contribution of this study lies in the fact that it provides examples of well‐started beginning elementary teachers implementing inquiry‐based science in 2nd and 5th grade classrooms. Implications of the study include the need for the design of university‐based courses and interventions by which teacher preparation and professional development programs support teachers in developing PCK for scientific inquiry and enacting instructional practices that are congruent with reform initiatives. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47:661–686, 2010     

Creating and facilitating a teacher education curriculum using preservice teachers’ autobiographical stories

Preservice teachers’ autobiographical stories can serve as a personal, powerful, and poignant curriculum for teacher education. This research examines what and how preservice teachers learned through sharing their own and witnessing others’ autobiographical narratives in a literacy methods course. The teacher educator’s key role is examined in facilitating a public context of vulnerability in which preservice teachers shared painful stories revealing their sociocultural inequalities and personal struggles as literacy learners. Roles of the teacher educator are discussed in the transformation of autobiographies into deep understandings, universal connections and substantive strategies for preservice teachers to teach literacy effectively with diverse students.     

Reasoning with Data – Time for a Rethink?

Reasoning with data is already pervasive in society, and its importance as a life skill is increasing. We argue that the current statistics curriculum in the United Kingdom at the secondary level does not prepare our young people adequately, and suggest ways in which it could be improved.