The UK MPharm (1) - are we over reliant on traditional teaching methods?

Introduction-The design of the UK MPharm curriculum is driven by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) accreditation process and the EU directive (85/432/EEC).[1] Although the RPSGB is informed about teaching activity in UK Schools of Pharmacy (SOPs), there is no database which aggregates information to provide the whole picture of pharmacy education within the UK. The aim of the teaching, learning and assessment study [2] was to document and map current programmes in the 16 established SOPs. Recent developments in programme delivery have resulted in a focus on deep learning (for example, through problem based learning approaches) and on being more student centred and less didactic through lectures. The specific objectives of this part of the study were (a) to quantify the content and modes of delivery of material as described in course documentation and (b) having categorised the range of teaching methods, ask students to rate how important they perceived each one for their own learning (using a three point Likert scale: very important, fairly important or not important). Material and methods-The study design compared three datasets: (1) quantitative course document review, (2) qualitative staff interview and (3) quantitative student self completion survey. All 16 SOPs provided a set of their undergraduate course documentation for the year 2003/4. The documentation variables were entered into Excel tables. A self-completion questionnaire was administered to all year four undergraduates, using a pragmatic mixture of methods, (n=1847) in 15 SOPs within Great Britain. The survey data were analysed (n=741) using SPSS, excluding non-UK students who may have undertaken part of their studies within a non-UK university. Results and discussion-Interviews showed that individual teachers and course module leaders determine the choice of teaching methods used. Content review of the documentary evidence showed that 51% of the taught element of the course was delivered using lectures, 31% using practicals (includes computer aided learning) and 18% small group or interactive teaching. There was high uniformity across the schools for the first three years; variation in the final year was due to the project. The average number of hours per year across 15 schools (data for one school were not available) was: year 1: 408 hours; year 2: 401 hours; year 3: 387 hours; year 4: 401 hours. The survey showed that students perceived lectures to be the most important method of teaching after dispensing or clinical practicals. Taking the very important rating only: 94% (n=694) dispensing or clinical practicals; 75% (n=558) lectures; 52% (n=386) workshops, 50% (n=369) tutorials, 43% (n=318) directed study. Scientific laboratory practices were rated very important by only 31% (n=227). The study shows that teaching of pharmacy to undergraduates in the UK is still essentially didactic through a high proportion of formal lectures and with high levels of staff-student contact. Schools consider lectures still to be the most cost effective means of delivering the core syllabus to large cohorts of students. However, this does limit the scope for any optionality within teaching, the scope for small group work is reduced as is the opportunity to develop multi-professional learning or practice placements. Although novel teaching and learning techniques such as e-learning have expanded considerably over the past decade, schools of pharmacy have concentrated on lectures as the best way of coping with the huge expansion in student numbers. References [1] Council Directive. Concerning the coordination of provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in respect of certain activities in the field of pharmacy. Official Journal of the European Communities 1985;85/432/EEC. [2] Wilson K, Jesson J, Langley C, Clarke L, Hatfield K. MPharm Programmes: Where are we now? Report commissioned by the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust., 2005.

Educational Model of Computer as a Base for Informatics Learning

It is proposed to use one common model of computer for teaching different parts of the informatics course, connected with both hardware and software subjects. Reasoning of such slant is presented; the most suitable themes of the course, where it is practical, are enumerated. The own author's development (including software support) – the educational model of virtual computer "E97" and compiler from Pascal language for it – are described. It is accented, that the discussed ideas are helpful for any other similar model.

Group Work as a Strategy to Improve the Effectiveness of the Learning Process

Report published in the Proceedings of the National Conference on "Education in the Information Society", Plovdiv, May, 2013

Learning to research - researching to learn

Learning to Research Researching to Learn explores the integration of research into teaching and learning at all levels of higher education. The chapters draw on the long and ongoing debate about the teaching research nexus in universities. Although the vast majority of academics believe that there is an important and valuable link between teaching and research, the precise nature of this relationship continues to be contested. The book includes chapters that showcase innovative ways of learning to research; how research is integrated into coursework teaching; how students learn the processes of research, and how universities are preparing students to engage with the world. The chapters also showcase innovative ways of researching to learn, exploring how students learn through doing research, how they conceptualise the knowledge of their fields of study through the processes of doing research, and how students experiment and reflect on the results produced. These are the key issues addressed by this anthology, as it brings together analyses of the ways in which university teachers are developing research skills in their students, creating enquiry-based approaches to teaching, and engaging in education research themselves. The studies here explore the links between teaching, learning and research in a range of contexts, from pre-enrolment through to academic staff development, in Australia, the UK, the US, Singapore and Denmark. Through a rich array of theoretical and methodological approaches, the collection seeks to further our understanding of how universities can play an effective role in educating graduates suited to the twenty-first century

Eco-car : a perfect vehicle for technical design teaching?

Design methods and tools are generally best learned and developed experientially [1]. Finding appropriate vehicles for delivering these to students is becoming increasingly challenging, especially when considering only those that will enthuse, intrigue and inspire. This paper traces the development of different eco-car design and build projects which competed in the Shell Eco-Marathon. The cars provided opportunities for experiential learning through a formal learning cycle of CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) or the more traditional understand, explore, create, validate, with both teams developing a functional finished prototype. Lessons learned were applied through the design of a third and fourth eco-car using experimental techniques with bio-composites, combining the knowledge of fibre reinforced composite materials and adhesives with the plywood construction techniques of the two teams. The paper discusses the importance of applying materials and techniques to a real world problem. It will also explore how eco-car and comparing traditional materials and construction techniques with high tech composite materials is an ideal teaching, learning and assessment vehicle for technical design techniques.

Contradições como força de mudança: o processo de formação continuada de professores do ensino médio enquanto potencializador da práxis transformadora à luz da teoria histórico-cultural

The intervention research proposed was based on the Cultural-Historical Theory based on the laws and logic of materialism historical-dialectical. Therefore, we tried to design a research process that involved all as responsible for the process. In the field of continuous teacher's training usually has been found dualistic relationship / paradoxical processes as a result of the adopted training models which are characterized by individualist human processes. The teacher training work sought to overcome this dualism, to promote the unveiling of the contradictions with regard to teaching models. As a hypothesis, we imagined that immersed in this process, teachers recognize such contradictions, and this recognition would make the contradictions become the driving force of change in teaching practice, realizing the teaching-learning-development triad as the basis of praxis. Aiming to develop a process of continuing education to bring results to the professional teachers development looking for answer the following research question: How and what the changes of teachers who participated in the Didactic-Formative Intervention process raised the quality of their teaching practices? In this context, the objective of the research was to develop a process of Didactic-Formative Intervention from the perspective of Cultural-Historical Theory with high school teachers in order to theorize about the changes in pedagogical practices of teachers and learn aspects that transform the essence teaching practice. The research involved two high school teachers of a public school in Uberlândia-MG. The training meetings took place at the school through a collective study group between the years 2013 and 2015. As procedures were used two interconnected aspects: classes observations, and a theoretical and methodological training, both for diagnosis and for the process evaluation, the second aspect has a formative dimension, and a didactic dimension (double meaning) to form didactically the teacher and to elaborate didactic procedures. The collected data were analyzed by observing the assumptions of the method, analysis by units and the processuality. As results teachers showed changes in their teaching practices regarding the organization of the pedagogical work and also centered their design educational actions based on learning and development of the students. The presence of continuous diagnosis during the classes, work with a systems of concepts and their conceptual links, problematization as a teaching method can be pointed as meaningful changes in their praxis. Regarding the training activities that emerged from the analysis of the compiled materials and analyzed throughout the process can be emphasized: forming a collective group of school teachers continuous training, diagnostics, development of practical activities, increase relationships among participants, the choice of scientific material used should have direct relation to the needs of the participants, promoting conditions that enable the emergence of contradictions between the pedagogical practice of teachers and teaching based on the perspective of the Cultural-Historical Theory. This research craved to develop and design a teachers' training processes that increase the quality of teachers life and ways of teaching in the Brazilian public school.

A Biocultural Examination of Student Learning Behaviors in Large Undergraduate Lectures

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

Music Learning Networks: Supporting the Music Learning of Adolescents

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

Moving together – conditions for intercultural development at a highly diverse Swedish school

This thesis is a case study of a primary school in a highly diverse urban neighbourhood in Sweden. Basic pre-conditions for intercultural school development are studied by examining the overall organisation of teaching, learning and opportunities for collaboration in the investigated case. The study focuses on the targeted support measures to enhance learning for students with an immigrant background: Mother tongue instruction, Swedish as a Second Language, and tutoring in the mother tongue, as well as looking at pedagogical support provided by the school library. The latter has a mission to promote learning and inclusion, where non-native speakers of Swedish are a prioritised group. Communities of practice linked to the work organisation at a meso-level are investigated, and the collaborative relationships between professional groups at the school involved in the various support measures. Teacher relationships and categorisations implied by support measures impact the learning spaces that are shaped for students and the teaching spaces within which teachers work. Collaborative opportunities and convergence of concerns in the teaching spaces combine to shape the overall space for intercultural development. The raw data for the case study consists of interviews, national policy documents and additional information on local work organisation gained through documents and observations. Four articles resulted from the case study, each focusing a specific support measure. An overarching analysis is then made of findings from these articles and the other dimensions of the investigation. The analysis describes the organisation in terms of monocultural or intercultural school cultures, pointing to significant characteristics of the landscapes of practice, with respect to their overall implications for the spaces of school development. In the discussion, findings are considered in relation to research on professional development in education, collaboration, democracy and inclusive schooling. The relative positioning of languages and cultures is given particular attention, to ascertain if the school culture is monocultural or intercultural in the sense given by Lahdenperä (2008), and to what extent it could enable intercultural development. Such positioning plays a role interms of affordances for identity, participation and engagement discussed by Wenger (1998). This case study should be understood against the wider background of recent social developments in Europe linked to globalisation and technological changes. It is argued that looking at the concrete specifics which facilitate or obstruct school development, and simultaneously reflecting on how the different forms of teaching interrelate in the overall organisation and in policy may provide a useful vantage point from which structural changes can be contemplated.The discussion underlines the importance of the physical localisation of activities, continuity in personal contacts and time available for joint pedagogical reflection, as basic conditions for effective intercultural dialogue in the organisation. Finally, the impact of policy is considered, looking at connections between levels of policy, expressed in official steering documents, and conditions for teaching and learning at the level of an individual school.

Computer-aided tool for the teaching of relational algebra in data base courses

This article describes the design and implementation of computer-aided tool called Relational Algebra Translator (RAT) in data base courses, for the teaching of relational algebra. There was a problem when introducing the relational algebra topic in the course EIF 211 Design and Implementation of Databases, which belongs to the career of Engineering in Information Systems of the National University of Costa Rica, because students attending this course were lacking profound mathematical knowledge, which led to a learning problem, being this an important subject to understand what the data bases search and request do RAT comes along to enhance the teaching-learning process.It introduces the architectural and design principles required for its implementation, such as: the language symbol table, the gramatical rules and the basic algorithms that RAT uses to translate from relational algebra to SQL language. This tool has been used for one periods and has demonstrated to be effective in the learning-teaching process.  This urged investigators to publish it in the web site: www.slinfo.una.ac.cr in order for this tool to be used in other university courses.

Predominant learning styles among pharmacy students at the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil

Background: Learning styles are cognitive, emotional, and physiological traits, as well as indicators of how learners perceive, interact, and respond to their learning environments. According to Honey-Mumford, learning styles are classified as active, reflexive, theoretical, and pragmatic. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the predominant learning styles among pharmacy students at the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study was conducted using the Honey-Alonso Learning Style Questionnaire. Students in the Bachelor of Pharmacy program were invited to participate in this study. The questionnaire comprised 80 randomized questions, 20 for each of the four learning styles. The maximum possible score was 20 points for each learning style, and cumulative scores indicated the predominant learning styles among the participants. Honey-Mumford (1986) proposed five preference levels for each style (very low, low, moderate, high, and very high), called a general interpretation scale, to avoid student identification with one learning style and ignoring the characteristics of the other styles. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Results: This study included 297 students (70% of all pharmacy students at the time) with a median age of 21 years old. Women comprised 77.1% of participants. The predominant style among pharmacy students at the Federal University of Paraná was the pragmatist, with a median of 14 (high preference). The pragmatist style prevails in people who are able to discover techniques related to their daily learning because such people are curious to discover new strategies and attempt to verify whether the strategies are efficient and valid. Because these people are direct and objective in their actions, pragmatists prefer to focus on practical issues that are validated and on problem situations. There was no statistically significant difference between genders with regard to learning styles. Conclusion: The pragmatist style is the prevailing style among pharmacy students at the Federal University of Paraná. Although students may have a learning preference that preference is not the only manner in which students can learn, neither their preference is the only manner in which students can be taught. Awareness of students’ learning styles can be used to adapt the methodology used by teachers to render the teaching-learning process effective and long lasting. The content taught to students should be presented in different manners because varying teaching methods can develop learning skills in students.

Quando for grande quero ser teu amigo: a brincadeira como mediadora da relação entre as crianças

Relatório de Estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação de Paula Frassinetti para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Educação Pré- escolar e Ensino do 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico

e-Astro: O e-learning aplicado ao ensino da astronomia: Planetas telúricos

A investigação em didáctica das ciências tem mostrado que a generalidade dos alunos manifesta cada vez menos interesse para aprender ciências. No entanto, o incremento da importância de temas científicos no nosso dia-a-dia, exige dos indivíduos um conhecimento científico cada vez mais aprofundado. O estudo da Astronomia permite abordar e interligar os conteúdos de tisica mais facilmente, tomando possível a aproximação do conhecimento científico ao conhecimento do quotidiano, mostrando a estreita ligação entre a Física, a Sociedade e a Tecnologia. O processo de ensino-aprendizagem encontra-se em mudança devido à integração das T.I.C. Através da internet e tirando partido da multimédia é possível desenvolver uma formação científica adequada que contribua para o despertar da curiosidade e do interesse dos alunos pela Ciência. Tendo em conta os pressupostos anteriores pretende-se, com este estudo, desenvolver uma plataforma de e-learning e recursos multimédia que satisfaçam estes requisitos. ABSTRACT; The investigation in didactics of sciences has been showing that the generality of students show less and less interest to learn sciences. However, the increment of the importance of scientific themes in our day-to-day life, demands from the individuals an increasingly deeper scientific knowledge. The study of Astronomy allows to approach and to interconnect physics subjects more easily, making possible the approach of scientific knowledge to the knowledge of everyday life, showing the narrow connection among Physics, Society and Technology. The teaching-learning process is in change duet the integration of the I.C.T. Through the internet and taking advantage of multimedia it is possible to develop an appropriate scientific formation that contributes to the awakening of curiosity and of the student's interest for Science. Having in mind the previous presuppositions is intended, with this study, to develop an e-learning platform and multimedia resources that satisfy these requirements.

Summit between West Chester University, Pennsylvania, USA and Universidad Nacional, Heredia Costa Rica. Global Library Literacy Initiative: An Intercultural Learning Experience

 This document describes the experience of academic cooperation between professionals in the field of library science, both from West Chester University (WCU), and the National University (UNA) of Costa Rica. The event took place at West Chester University during the week May 4th to May 8th, 2009. The objectives of this revolved around the exchange of ideas and interests in the academic and cultural relations between the two universities. In addition, it unveiled several services and procedures in the handling of information and highlighted the importance of promoting the exchange of students from both institutions. Finally, this article highlights the schedule of activities to integrate international and intercultural perspective in various areas related to the teaching-learning process, the contribution of university libraries on student success and techniques of information dissemination.