More than chalkboards: classroom spaces and collaborative learning attitudes

Learning Environments Research - The well-known benefits of collaborative learning have prompted the development of active learning classrooms that are designed to facilitate peer interaction....     

Professional Models of School Absence Associated with Home Responsibilities

It has been estimated that 10% of all school absence is due to children undertaking duties associated with their homes. Despite this, the phenomenon remains under‐researched. In this study, qualitative interviews with three groups of professionals concerned with absence due to home responsibilities (teachers, education welfare officers and educational therapists) are reported. The discourses of these professionals were analysed in terms of their perspectives on prevalence, models and solutions to absence due to home responsibilities. Teachers saw a solution in educating parents concerning the value of schooling. Education welfare officers saw a need to address the wider problems faced by some families. The therapists identified underlying psychodynamic issues which need to be resolved. It is hypothesised that this disagreement has led to a failure to create a ‘master discourse’ on this phenomenon and how it might be resolved, and consequently it has not been constructed as a ‘social problem’.     

An Examination of the Outcomes of a Brief and Innovative Partnership: SJSU and Udacity

In an examination of a brief and innovative partnership, we compared outcomes for two disciplines, Elementary Statistics and General Psychology, across three formats: online as part of the San José State University-Udacity partnership (termed SJSU Plus), face-to-face (FTF), and online in a redesigned course offering. We also examine predictors of student performance in the SJSU Plus courses. The first offerings of the SJSU Plus courses showed poorer performance compared to their FTF and redesigned online equivalents. Redesigned online courses and FTF courses had similar pass rates. SJSU Plus course performance was significantly improved in the second offering of the Elementary Statistics course. More completed assignments in the SJSU Plus courses were associated with higher exam scores and final grades. We conclude that mode of delivery did not contribute significantly to variations in pass rates.     

Take away body parts! An investigation into the use of 3D‐printed anatomical models in undergraduate anatomy education

Understanding the three‐dimensional (3D) nature of the human form is imperative for effective medical practice and the emergence of 3D printing creates numerous opportunities to enhance aspects of medical and healthcare training. A recently deceased, un‐embalmed donor was scanned through high‐resolution computed tomography. The scan data underwent segmentation and post‐processing and a range of 3D‐printed anatomical models were produced. A four‐stage mixed‐methods study was conducted to evaluate the educational value of the models in a medical program. (1) A quantitative pre/post‐test to assess change in learner knowledge following 3D‐printed model usage in a small group tutorial; (2) student focus group (3) a qualitative student questionnaire regarding personal student model usage (4) teaching faculty evaluation. The use of 3D‐printed models in small‐group anatomy teaching session resulted in a significant increase in knowledge (P = 0.0001) when compared to didactic 2D‐image based teaching methods. Student focus groups yielded six key themes regarding the use of 3D‐printed anatomical models: model properties, teaching integration, resource integration, assessment, clinical imaging, and pathology and anatomical variation. Questionnaires detailed how students used the models in the home environment and integrated them with anatomical learning resources such as textbooks and anatomy lectures. In conclusion, 3D‐printed anatomical models can be successfully produced from the CT data set of a recently deceased donor. These models can be used in anatomy education as a teaching tool in their own right, as well as a method for augmenting the curriculum and complementing established learning modalities, such as dissection‐based teaching. Anat Sci Educ 11: 44–53. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

Colleagues’ roles in the professional development of teachers: Results from a research study of National Board certification

This study investigated the nature of interaction among teachers that occurred around the National Board certification (NBC) process and how that collegial interaction influenced teachers’ professional development. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 teachers who were either considering NBC, in the process, or had been awarded NBC. Interview data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Results indicated that teacher interactions triggered by NBC helped one another's professional development in several ways: (a) enhancing reflection on teaching practice, (b) establishing a professional discourse community, (c) raising the standards for teaching performances, and (d) facilitating collaboration. Implications for teacher professional development were discussed.     

Orthopedic resident anatomy review course: a collaboration between anatomists and orthopedic surgeons

A challenge for new residents and senior residents preparing for board examinations is refreshing their knowledge of basic science disciplines, such as human gross anatomy. The Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Utah School of Medicine has for many years held an annual Orthopedic Resident Anatomy Review Course during the summer months for all of its residents. The primary purpose of the course is to renew competencies in basic science disciplines so that incoming residents more quickly reach a level of functional proficiency and to afford senior residents a platform to teach their junior colleagues. Before 2005, this course was conducted with minimal participation from anyone outside of the Department of Orthopaedics. Many of the residents voiced concerns that the educational benefits were not proportionate to the time invested. To improve the teaching of orthopedic-related anatomy, an educational collaboration between the Departments of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Orthopaedics was established in 2004 and continues to the present time. The major objectives of refining the course pedagogy, developing a Course Manual and Dissection Guide, and evaluating the results by administering a course survey questionnaire are described in this article. Implementation of all facets of the revised course has resulted in better participation by orthopedic faculty and more favorable reviews by the participating residents. Based on current levels of interest and positive comments from course participants, the Anatomy and Orthopedic faculty course directors plan to continue to develop course materials and pedagogy.     

Partially Flipped Linear Algebra: A Team–Based Approach

Abstract

In this article we describe a partially flipped Introductory Linear Algebra course developed by three faculty members at two different universities. We give motivation for our partially flipped design and describe our implementation in detail. Two main features of our course design are team-developed preview videos and related in-class activities. We share quantitative data and qualitative lessons learned related to our project.     

海桐花属一些种类的新异名

作为对英文版“Flora of  China”海桐花科的分类学修订结果，提出了海桐花属6个种的8个新异名，并分别进行了讨论。     

A comparative study on the effectiveness of the computer assisted method and the interactionist approach to teaching geometry shapes to young children

The purpose of this study is to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of computer assisted teaching of geometry shapes and an interactionist approach to teaching geometry in kindergarten versus other more traditional teaching methods. Our research compares the improvement of the children’s geometrical competence using two teaching approaches. The first one employs our ICT oriented learning method specifically targeting Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) and the van Hiele model for geometry shapes. The second method is based on the interactionist approach of teaching children in kindergarten. The sample consisted of 139 Greek kindergarten children from Crete. We conducted interventions based on the above two methods, in two experimental groups. The first experimental group consisted of 50 children who were taught geometry shapes according to the principles of Realistic Mathematics Education with the use of appropriate educational software. The second experimental group consisted of 45 children who were taught about geometry shapes with an interactionist approach without the use of computers. The control group consisted of 44 children and was taught about geometry shapes following the ways teachers chose to put the basic pedagogical principles of Curriculum for kindergarten into practice without the use of ICT. Children in all groups were pre-tested and post-tested for their geometry performance. The results showed that the teaching approaches of our interventions, the one with the additional use of ICT and the interactionist one, contribute significantly more to the development of kindergarten children’s geometry competence as compared to other traditional methods.