When Teaching Makes a Difference: Developing science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge through learning study

It is a common view that developing teachers’ competence to restructure or reframe their knowledge and beliefs is inevitably a complex challenge. This paper reports on a research project with the aim to develop science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) through their participation in a learning study. A learning study is a collegial process in which teachers work together with a researcher to explore their own teaching activities in order to identify what is critical for their students’ learning. During one semester, three secondary science teachers worked in a learning study together with a researcher in a cyclical process in order to create prerequisites and further identify conditions for students’ learning. During the learning study, data were collected from video-recorded lessons and stimulated recall sessions in which the teachers and the researcher reflected on the lessons to analyze their development of PCK, their students’ learning and the impact of that knowledge on their own teaching. The results provide an insight into how the teachers developed their self-understanding in which they questioned their own epistemological beliefs, aims and objectives of teaching and taken-for-granted assumptions about science teaching and learning. As such, the study provides an understanding of teacher professional learning through a careful investigation of how teachers’ PCK is enhanced through their participation in the learning study, and further, how students’ learning might be developed as a consequence.     

PBL教学方法在高校《计算机基础》课程中的应用探究

基于问题的学习PBL(Problem—based Learning)是一种全新的教学模式,PBL强调要学生在问题意情境中学习,通过教师引导、学生自主学习、小组合作来解决问题,使学生形成自主学习的能力.在高校《计算机基础》课程中引入PBL教学方法,并实施具体的案例,通过对实施具体案例结果的分析后表明,该方法不仅有效的提高了学生使用计算机的应用能力,同时也培养了学生学习计算机知识的自主能力和兴趣.     

Masterclass Pedagogy for Multimedia Applications in Teacher Education

This paper describes an elective unit in the application of new technologies for pre‐service teachers which employed a metaphor of masterclasses in its design to engage the students in value‐added interactions around their individual multimedia projects. A masterclass involves the class group auditing an individual’s detailed consultation with a “master” on work in progress. In this way, general points are demonstrated and iteratively developed through worked examples. By sharing a range of projects, the class group developed explicit understandings of pedagogical design based around the concepts of metaphor, productive redundancy, hypertextual links, and information architecture. The design of this unit’s pedagogy of pedagogies is explicated through Christie’s theorisation of curriculum macrogenre and Bernstein’s rules of recognition and realisation to show how the pre‐service teachers moved from being consumers and “natives” of digital environments to become analysts and designers of such environments.     

水处理生物学创新实验——领略微生物之美

为激发学生的学习兴趣、全面提高学生的综合应用能力与创新性思维,提出以微生物做颜料、平板培养基为画板进行创新实验,代替原本枯燥的微生物验证实验。实验涵盖了文献查阅、玻璃器皿的准备、混合菌的分离、纯培养菌种的显微鉴定、纯菌活化、图案设计及作画培养等环节。在教学与评价机制方面,借助互联网平台,让学生分享实验过程中遇到的问题或特殊的实验现象、互评实验报告,师生共同探讨以规范实验操作。充分强调学生的主体地位,培养他们发现、分析及解决问题的能力,提高教学质量与效果。最后以投票的形式选出排名前三的微生物作画成品,分享他们成功画出精美图案的实验技巧。     

Strategic Teaching: Student Learning through Working the Process

The designers of our future built environment must possess intellectual tools which will allow them to be disciplined, flexible and analytical thinkers, able to address and resolve new and complex problems. In response, an experimental and collaborative design studio was designed to inspire and build on students' knowledge and their creative thinking abilities through a series of explorative exercises and modelling. The learning experience of students undertaking this studio was enabled and guided by a collaboration of teachers experienced in both teaching and creative practice. A series of guest creative practitioners joined the studio's intensive 10‐week hands‐on workshop sessions within which students undertook set exercises. These creative research workshops then served to inform subsequent design development of the students' work through planning and documentation over a period of 4 weeks. Strategic teaching is central to the creative development process. The driving educational belief, as idea and practice, is that by bringing ideas to life in design, by working with full‐scale three‐dimensionality, students are able to cement their commitment to ‘working the process’, towards becoming excellent designers. This ambitious strategy enables students to work on the many different aspects of the design problem towards meeting their design outcome at the highest level of resolution and intent. Through a combination of pragmatic tasks – writing and developing design briefs – and visual tasks – evidence gathering and analysis of design through photographic, modelling and diagramming exercises – students were encouraged to think outside and beyond the ‘normal’ realm of design practice.     

初中低起点学生不良科学作业习惯的形成和对策

采用"施以爱心,消除学困生的情感障碍"、"设计分层作业,激发低起点学生学习兴趣"、"作业二次批改,促进低起点学生良好作业习惯的养成"、"互助小组,让低起点学生在同伴互助中养成良好学习习惯"、"家校结合,培养低起点学生良好的责任性"等教学干预可以培养初中低起点学生良好作业习惯。     

Hot Potatoes在外语教学中的应用

Hot Potatoes软件具有简便易用的特点,有助于辅助缺乏计算机技术基础的外语教师制作多种形式的网页式习题。在计算机辅助外语教学中应用Hot Potatoes能够帮助学生整合课堂与课外学习,巩固课堂所学并开展自主学习,同时还能够帮助学生适应新的四六级网考评估模式。     

Consensus-based course design and implementation of constructive alignment theory in a power system analysis course

This article presents the implementation of the constructive alignment theory (CAT) in a power system analysis course through a consensus-based course design process. The consensus-based design process involves both the instructor and graduate-level students and it aims to develop the CAT framework in a holistic manner with the goal of including different perceptions. The considerations required to implement this approach are described in detail. To examine the effect of this approach, three different course evaluations were conducted by querying the students during different stages of the course. These evaluations show that most of the students find a benefit for their learning in the implementation of CAT within the new course design. These observations are supported by a comparison of the students’ performance in the new course and the previous one. Finally, the revised two-factor study process questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) is utilised to identify the students’ learning approach towards the course. The aim is to correlate the students’ approach with their final grade to assess if students adopting a deep learning approach are rewarded with higher marks and vice versa, that is, to check if the CAT implementation was successful. Meanwhile, some of the R-SPQ-2F limitations, which affect the quality of the results, are identified and discussed. Additionally, to facilitate the practical usage of R-SPQ-2F, an algorithm was developed by the authors to rank the students’ approach towards the course. The results of the new ranking algorithm demonstrate positive correlation with the students’ final grade, which is an indication of the effective CAT implementation.     

智慧课堂教学新形态：纸笔数字书写技术教学应用

纸笔数字书写是指对手持工具进行自然书写产生的轨迹或图形等视觉符号进行数字化处理的过程,具有保留传统纸笔书写行为、采集完整书写数据、实现远程共享书写空间等优势。纸笔数字书写技术是对传统纸笔书写的信息技术赋能,它与传统课堂教学的融合能为当前信息化教学“屏幕过度依赖”带来的健康和教学问题提供新的解决方案,因而也可能成为一种新型的智慧课堂教学形态。为了证实纸笔数字书写技术的教学应用潜力,以“腾讯企鹅智笔课堂”为例开展的实证调查表明:学生使用点阵笔的整体满意度较高,女生满意度水平普遍高于男生;技术自我效能感、互动学习活动、技术使用态度和感知有用性是影响学生使用点阵笔满意度的主要因素,其中技术自我效能感和互动学习活动的影响程度最大;技术接受模型中的感知易用性对学生使用点阵笔的满意度影响并不显著,因此还需要在教学实践中不断摸索以纸笔数字书写技术为支持的最佳教学策略。     

基于人体骨架信息提取的学生课堂行为自动识别

利用计算机视觉技术和机器学习技术对学生课堂行为进行自动识别,是过程性评价的一种新方法,近年来逐渐引起了研究者的关注。文章以监控设备拍摄的实际课堂教学视频为数据源,采集、标注了学生课堂行为数据,提取了学生的人体骨架信息。在此基础上,文章采用Boosting算法和卷积神经网络算法,对基于这两类不同机器学习算法的5种模型进行了学生课堂行为自动识别准确率实验。实验结果表明,在学校教室这种识别比较困难的场景,基于人体骨架信息提取的学生课堂行为自动识别可以达到较高的精度,其中基于Boosting算法的XGBoost模型识别准确率最高。文章的研究推动了计算机视觉技术和机器学习技术的进一步应用,有助于解决学生课堂行为自动识别难题,并助力教师优化教学策略、提高教学效率。     

SMART education technologies in mathematics teacher education - ways to integrate and progress that follows integration

ABSTRACT

SMART Education Technologies (SET) are already in place to provide teachers with different software packages and technologies to facilitate their teaching. However, when it comes to mathematics teaching in Russia, the situation here is different as the articulation of such SET in the Russian context is inadequate. This study redefines mathematics teacher education with smart technologies and identifies IT competencies that are needed to cope with the redefined curriculum. The designed course programme was implemented in the Elabuga Pedagogical Institute, involving 7 teachers from the Institute, 123 students (trainee teachers) and 5 schoolteachers (experts) to keep a professional eye on the learning experience. To evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum, a survey was carried out among teachers and experts. The survey questionnaire captured the progress made in competence development alongside three modules. The progress that students were making throughout the course was evaluated at the ‘mock teaching’ lesson, where students presented their individually prepared parts of a lesson on a given topic using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The way the learning process was organised encouraged students to use various software packages to handle maths-related problems. The research results showed that the SET learning path was flexible and allowed modification of the instructional strategy to better meet the needs of individual learners.     

“学霸联盟”学习资源共享网站设计探索与实践

互联网教育在疫情期间显得尤为重要,学生完成学校网课之余,居家最多的时间依然是通过网络学习。一款学习资源共享网站的设计由此诞生,它能够实现教学信息化的理念,推动大学生学习生活更高质量、高标准。网站开发使用HTML+CSS布局、JavaScript、jQuery框架等相关技术。在网站设计开发前,对网站功能与性能需求作充分的分析。由考试动态、学习分享、人才招聘和加入我们功能模块构成,为大学生提供优质的服务。     

By design: Professional learning ecologies to develop primary school teachers’ makerspaces pedagogical capabilities

Makerspaces embody a growing movement of educators promoting constructionist learning with physical materials and digital technologies such as 3D design and 3D printing. As it gains traction in K-12 settings, the maker movement represents an interesting context in which to explore how professional ecologies can equip teachers with the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to implement twenty-first century learning in their school context. This study investigated the roles of different participants from industry, school leadership and colleagues in influencing teachers’ confidence, enthusiasm, capabilities and beliefs when teaching in makerspaces. Utilising triangulated observations of activities through online questionnaires at beginning, middle and end points, as well as postproject interviews, the study explored the participation of 27 primary school teachers in a blended professional learning programme, followed by classroom delivery of modules focusing on tablet-based 3D design applications and the use of newly instaled 3D printers. Reporting no prior knowledge or experience with makerspaces, quantitative analyses revealed significant increases in teachers’ confidence and enthusiasm. Qualitative analyses of questionnaire and interview data underscored the influence of hands-on and theoretically grounded professional learning providing practical exposure to constructionist ideas, design thinking methodologies and 3D design technologies. Findings reveal the importance of targeted professional learning coupled with a substantial collegially supported implementation phase, as well as support from school leaders and industry partners to promote meaningful pedagogical change in technology-mediated maker-based learning.     

试析小学数学课堂练习优化设计的策略

在小学数学课程教学过程中,课堂练习占据重要地位,同时也是学生学习数学知识、掌握数学技能的重要方式.高效的课堂练习具有重要意义,不但有助于集中学生在课堂学习中的注意力,让他们将所学的数学知识应用到数学习题的解答中,而且高效的课堂练习还能帮助教师了解和掌握学生的学习情况,从而针对学生对数学知识掌握薄弱的地方采取针对性的策略...     

Examining the Effect of Enactment of a Geospatial Curriculum on Students’ Geospatial Thinking and Reasoning

A potential method for teaching geospatial thinking and reasoning (GTR) is through geospatially enabled learning technologies. We developed an energy resources geospatial curriculum that included learning activities with geographic information systems and virtual globes. This study investigated how 13 urban middle school teachers implemented and varied the enactment of the curriculum with their students and investigated which teacher- and student-level factors accounted for students’ GTR posttest achievement. Data included biweekly implementation surveys from teachers and energy resources content and GTR pre- and posttest achievement measures from 1,049 students. Students significantly increased both their energy resources content knowledge and their GTR skills related to energy resources at the end of the curriculum enactment. Both multiple regression and hierarchical linear modeling found that students’ initial GTR abilities and gain in energy content knowledge were significantly explanatory variables for their geospatial achievement at the end of curriculum enactment, p < .001. Teacher enactment factors, including adherence to implementing the critical components of the curriculum or the number of years the teachers had taught the curriculum, did not have significant effects on students’ geospatial posttest achievement. The findings from this study provide support that learning with geospatially enabled learning technologies can support GTR with urban middle-level learners.     

Tablet-assisted objective structured spotter practical examination (TOSSPE): Advantages of an innovative anatomy spotter examination method for medical student assessment

The affordances of technology-based assessments, like the objectively structured practical examination, have become an integral part of gross anatomy courses. The Department of Anatomy Faculty of Medicine at the University of Warmia and Mazury developed and introduced an application for tablet devices which has been implemented in student examinations and assessments, called the tablet-assisted objective structured spotter practical examination. It was created to simplify the educational process and to build a rich learning environment, facilitating deep learning for students through examination and feedback data. The method consists of cadaver stations with traditional corresponding pin spotters in an expanded tablet application. It not only provides instant feedback on various observations of teaching–learning skills but has also positively affected the entire process of education. The method provides an unbiased evaluation of knowledge and understanding of the anatomy course, ensuring objectivity and standardization. The current study was performed on a total of 608 first-year medical students in Polish and English divisions and focused on the observed advantages since the new method was introduced. Outcomes indicate that after the implementation of the method for both the Polish and English divisions' first-year medical students, the mean score of examinations significantly increased compared to other teaching–learning methods. The study highlights that students were excited about the implementation of the new method and identified its many benefits. It is recognized that technological development and the digital environment offer a range of opportunities and added value versus traditional assessment activities, methods, and processes.     

Can tablet computers enhance learning in further education?

Interest in the potential benefits of providing tablet computers to students has grown in recent years, both in UK institutions, and across the world. Limited research studies have been reported in higher education (HE), and primary and secondary school settings, tentatively suggesting a range of positive impacts on learners, but little conclusive research has been published on the introduction of tablets in further education (FE). This article presents a case study of a single, mid-size English FE college, which piloted the provision of tablets to bounded groups of students and teachers in four diverse curriculum areas. The author was invited to help design the college’s evaluation of the pilot, which would inform a potential business case to extend the pilot to all students. One element was a qualitative research project, with data captured through a series of focus group interviews with all 64 students who received tablets, and separate interviews with their ten teachers. Findings are reported here, exploring the extent to which students and teachers perceived learning benefits from the tablets: for some learners, this was reported as enhancing the organisation of learning; supporting greater independence of learning and enabling more purposive learning. Barriers to learning enhancement were also identified, including institutional issues (frustration with technical infrastructure), and individual learner disengagement (distraction and surface engagement with mere ‘novelty’). Concluding that the tablets’ clear benefits were not automatically transformative, and engagement was not uniform, findings are relevant to FE managers and leaders of other institutions considering tablets as a possible learning panacea.     

VAK学习理论及研究生英语应用能力培养

随着教师教学理念的转变,越来越多的教师和学生更注重学习过程的产出,由此推动VAK学习理论的普遍应用。VAK学习理论主要是根据学生的实际情况和喜好特点进行分类,根据学生感知渠道的偏好,能够将学生分为视觉型、听觉型和触觉型三类,有助于激发学生自身的潜能。在进行非英语专业研究生英语教学工作中,帮助学生了解自身的实际情况,找到适合自己的学习方法,有助于更好地满足社会市场对人才提出的需求,也能够通过不同渠道得到专业素质的有效培养和提升。     

Preschoolers explore interactive storybook apps: The effect on word recognition and story comprehension

Two experiments explored the effects of reading digital storybooks on tablet computers with 25 preschoolers, aged 4–5. In the first experiment, the students’ word recognition scores were found to increase significantly more when students explored a digital storybook and employed the read-aloud function than when they were read to from a comparable print book. Their comprehension scores did not change significantly in the two conditions. In Experiment 2, the same students explored digital storybooks with more animation embedded in them. The students listened to the read aloud function on the tablet computer and explored digital storybooks in both conditions, but in one condition a teacher guided the talk about the story. Contrary to expectations, the students’ word recognition and story comprehension scores were higher in the independent condition than in the guided condition. One explanation for the higher word recognition scores when students were reading with the tablet computer is the effect of multimedia, like hotspots and/or text tracking. Although digital storybooks are not a substitute for adult interaction, these preschoolers learned surprisingly well on their own. The importance of digital storybook design, as well as what elements to look for in an e-book to encourage literacy learning are discussed.