Visualising the temporal aspects of collaborative inquiry-based learning processes in technology-enhanced physics learning

This study presents new ways of visualising technology-enhanced collaborative inquiry-based learning (CIBL) processes in an undergraduate physics course. The data included screen-capture videos from a technology-enhanced learning environment and audio recordings of discussions between students. We performed a thematic analysis based on the phases of inquiry-based learning (IBL). The thematic analysis was complemented by a content analysis, in which we analysed whether the utilisation of technological tools was on a deep-level, surface-level, or non-existent basis. Student participation was measured in terms of frequency of contributions as well as in terms of impact. We visualised the sequence of the face-to-face interactions of two groups of five students by focussing on the temporal aspects of IBL, technology enhancement and collaborative learning. First, instead of the amount of time the groups spent on a specific IBL phase, the between-group differences in the most frequent transitions between the IBL phases determined their differential progress in the CIBL process. Second, we found that the transitions were triggered by the groups’ ways of utilising technological tools either at the deep level or at the surface level. Finally, we found that the level of participation inequity remained stable throughout the CIBL process. As a result, only some of the members of the groups played a role in the most frequent transitions. Furthermore, this study reveals the need for scaffolds focussing on inquiry, technological and collaborative skills at the beginning of the learning process.     

'Preferred' patterns of academic leadership in different disciplinary (sub)cultures

Leadership and management have become subject to growing interest in the context of higher education institutions. A fundamental feature of these institutions is the division of work according to different disciplines whose perspectives, practices and tasks can vary considerably. However, research literature on leadership in academic context deals typically with the topic on a general level, not in the context of different disciplinary cultures. In this paper disciplinary differences and their impact on preferred leadership patterns are discussed in some specialisms within four disciplinary fields (history, sociology, biology and physics) on the basis of research literature and a recent qualitative study on leadership cultures in academic departments (Kekäle 1997).     

Physics Student Teachers' Ideas about the Objectives of Practical Work

The aim of this study was to discover physics student teachers' objectives forpractical work in teaching physics. The subjects of the study were physics studentteachers participating in a course titled Experimental school physics. The theoreticalbackground of the course was based on a quite unique perceptional approach, and theresults indicate that after attending the course student teachers found that the practicalwork which they had done was very useful. In particular, they felt that practical workcan foster both an understanding of the content of physics and also the actual processof learning it.     

Engineering teachers' pedagogical content knowledge

The aim of the study was to discover the essential characteristics of engineering teachers' pedagogical content knowledge by studying teachers' conceptions of their students' ideas of moment. To compare the conceptions maintained by teachers with those of their students, the most common difficulties experienced by first-year engineering students in understanding the moments of forces were looked at. The data on students' conceptions were collected by means of a questionnaire. In addition, four experienced teachers were given the same questionnaire as the students and then were asked to write what they expected the students' answers to be. The students' answers and the teachers' conceptions of their students' potential answers were compared. It was found that although the teachers originally appeared to be familiar with their students' conceptions, they were rather astonished by the general pattern of the students' thinking. It is planned that the information gathered about the teachers' pedagogical content knowledge will eventually be used to improve engineering teacher training.     

Academic Leaders as Thermostats

University of Joensuu launched atwo-year development and training project onacademic management and leadership in thebeginning of 2002. Open seminars were arrangedfor heads for departments, deans andadministrative managers. In addition,personnel administration started pilot projectswith two departments in co-operation with theFinnish Institute of Occupational Health. Theidea was to develop both (a) leadership andmanagement and (b) division of work, workability and workplace health. The author's bookAcademic Leadership (Nova Science Publishers,New York) provides a background for thispractical development project. The articledeals with academic leadership, leadershipphilosophy and the system of personnelmanagement at the University of Joensuu, thedevelopment projects, and lessons learned fromthem so far.     

A research‐based teaching sequence for teaching the concept of modelling to seventh‐grade students

The purpose of this study was to construct and study the impact of a research‐based sequence for teaching the concept of modelling to seventh‐grade science students. We identified students' notions of models and the aspects of school science to be addressed regarding the model concept, which were then taken into account when we planned the learning sequence. The idea of modelling in science was taught while the students were learning about the change of states of matter in seventh‐grade physics. A pre‐interview revealed that the students' notions of models were very limited, while a post‐interview showed that this improved in the course of the series of lessons. There was also a statistically significant difference in the students' understanding of modelling between our target group and a control group consisting of ninth‐grade students who had received only the normal teaching. However, a delayed post‐questionnaire completed a few months after the teaching sequence showed that the stability of learning results were dependent on whether models and modelling were used in the normal teaching conducted after the teaching sequence. Implications for teaching, teacher education and research are also addressed in this paper.     

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN LEARNING OF THE CONCEPT OF FORCE, REPRESENTATIONAL CONSISTENCY, AND SCIENTIFIC REASONING

This quantitative case study used a pre- and posttest design for exploring the gender differences in secondary school students’ (n?=?131, 45 males and 86 females) learning of the force concept when an interactive engagement type of teaching was used. In addition, students’ ability to interpret multiple representations (i.e., representational consistency) was documented by a pre- and posttest and scientific reasoning ability by a pretest only. Males significantly outperformed females in learning of the force concept, pre- and posttest representational consistency, and pretest scientific reasoning. However, the gender difference in learning of the force concept was not significant when ANCOVA was conducted using pretest results of representational consistency and scientific reasoning as covariates. This appeared to indicate that the gender difference in learning gain was related to students’ abilities before the instruction. Thus, the teaching method used was equally effective for both genders. Further, our quantitative finding about the relation between representational consistency and learning of the force concept supports the assumption that multiple representations are important in science learning.     

Commitment in the Context of a Merger

The University of Eastern Finland was established through a merger at the beginning of the year 2010. The article focuses on the commitment of the personnel to the organization prior to and after the merger process. The data are based on 42 theme-interviews. The study discusses the merger and its impacts on the personnel’s commitment by analysing: (a) the interviews with members of staff, and (b) key intentions, messages and choices by the university management. The differences between the orientations and viewpoints of the personnel and university management will be discussed in relation to the changing operational environment of universities. Implications for the leadership in the context of a merger will be discussed, especially from the point of view of the impact of leadership and governance on research, teaching and learning.     

Anticipating ageing: Older adults reading their medical records

In spite of the general interest in health information behaviour, there is little earlier research on how older adults, who are still active in working life but approaching retirement, differ from other age groups. A survey with Swedish patients who had ordered and read their medical record was conducted to map the preferences and motivations of older adults (born 1946–1960) ordering a copy of their medical record, and using medical records based e-health and information services in the future. The results do not indicate an obvious linear relationship between age and motivation to use online health information but show several differences between the age groups. Older adults were less interested in communication with their medical doctor by e-mail. Yet, they had searched health information in the Internet during the last week more likely than young. They were more inclined to read medical record to get an overview of their health than young, but less confident that they understood most of the content or turn to their family and friends to seek help than the elderly. When compared to younger adults and elderly people, older adults are the least confident and least motivated to use online health information. It is suggested that older adulthood can be seen as a transitory stage of life when the need of health information increases and engagement with health changes. The results agree with prior research on the potential usefulness of (online) medical records as a way to inform citizens. However, specific provision strategies may be necessary to match the needs and motivations of different age groups.