Educational inclusiveness through Ludic engagement and digital creativity

This paper describes an approach to teaching and learning that combines elements of ludic engagement, gamification and digital creativity in order to make the learning of a serious subject a fun, interactive and inclusive experience for students regardless of their gender, age, culture, experience or any disabilities that they may have. This approach has been successfully used to teach software engineering to first year students but could in principle be transferred to any subject or discipline.

Using drama techniques for the teaching of early years science : a case study

This paper investigates the effect of drama techniques when employed to facilitate teaching and learning early years science. The focus is a lesson intervention designed for a group of children aged between four and five years old. A number of different drama techniques, such as teacher in role, hot seating and miming, were employed for the teaching of the water cycle. The techniques were implemented based on their nature and on what they can offer to young children considering their previous experiences. Before the beginning of the intervention, six children were randomly selected from the whole class, who were interviewed, aiming to identify their initial ideas in regards to the water cycle. The same children were interviewed after the end of the intervention in an attempt to identify the ways in which their initial ideas were changed. The results appear to be promising in terms of facilitating children’s scientific understanding and show an improvement in the children’s use of vocabulary in relation to the specific topic.

English language teaching and educational reform in Western China: a knowledge management perspective

This study examines the impact of a large-scale UK-based teacher development programme on innovation and change in English language education in Western China within a knowledge management (KM) framework. Questionnaire data were collected from 229 returnee teachers in 15 cohorts. Follow-up interviews and focus groups were conducted with former participants, middle and senior managers, and teachers who had not participated in the UK programme. The results showed evidence of knowledge creation and amplification at individual, group and inter-organizational levels. However, the present study also identified knowledge creation potential through the more effective organization of follow-up at the national level, particularly for the returnee teachers. It is argued that the KM framework might offer a promising alternative to existing models and metaphors of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Science is Primary - Children Thinking and Learning in theChemistry Laboratory

The goal of primary science education is to foster children’s interest, develop positive science attitudes and promote science process skills development. Learning by playing and discovering provides several opportunities for children to inquiry and understand science based on the first–hand experience. The current research was conducted in the children’s laboratory in Heureka, the Finnish science centre. Young children (aged 7 years) which came from 4 international schools did a set of chemistry experiments in the laboratory. From the results of the cognitive test, the pre-test, the post-test, supported by observation and interview, we could make the conclusion that children enjoyed studying in the laboratory. Chemistry science was interesting and fascinating for young children; no major gender differences were found between boys and girls learning in the science laboratory. Lab work not only encouraged children to explore and investigate science, but also stimulated children’s cognitive development.

Constructive alignment in Computer Engineering and Informatics departments at Dalarna University : An empirical investigation

Background: Constructive alignment (CA) is a pedagogical approach that emphasizes the alignment between the intended learning outcomes (ILOs), teaching and learning activities (TLAs) and assessment tasks (ATs) as well as creation of a teaching/learning environment where students will be able to actively create their knowledge. Objectives: This paper aims at investigating the extent of constructively-aligned courses in Computer Engineering and Informatics department at Dalarna University, Sweden. This study is based on empirical observations of teacher’s perceptions of implementation of CA in their courses. Methods: Ten teachers (5 from each department) were asked to fill a paper-based questionnaire, which included a number of questions related to issues of implementing CA in courses. Results: Responses to the items of the questionnaire were mixed. Teachers clearly state the ILOs in their courses and try to align the TLAs and ATs to the ILOs. Computer Engineering teachers do not explicitly communicate the ILOs to the students as compared to Informatics teachers. In addition, Computer Engineering teachers stated that their students are less active in learning activities as compared to Informatics teachers. When asked about their subjective ratings of teaching methods all teachers stated that their current teaching is teacher-centered but they try to shift the focus of activity from them to the students. Conclusions: From teachers’ perspectives, the courses are partially constructively-aligned. Their courses are “aligned”, i.e. ILOs, TLAs and ATs are aligned to each other but they are not “constructive” since, according to them, there was a low student engagement in learning activities, especially in Computer Engineering department.

Flipped classroom and learning strategies

This paper seeks to answer the research question "How does the flipped classroom affect students’ learning strategies?" In e-learning research, several studies have focused on how students and teachers perceive the flipped classroom approach. In general, these studies have reported pleasing results. Nonetheless, few, if any, studies have attempted to find out the potential effects of the flipped classroom approach on how students learn. This study was based on two cases: 1) a business modelling course and 2) a research methodology course. In both cases, participating students were from information systems courses at Dalarna University in Sweden. Recorded lectures replaced regular lectures. The recorded lectures were followed by seminars that focused on the learning content of each lecture in various ways. Three weeks after the final seminar, we arranged for two focus group interviews to take place in each course, with 8 to 10 students participating in each group. We asked open questions on how the students thought they had been affected and more dedicated questions that were generated from a literature study on the effects of flipped classroom courses. These questions dealt with issues about mobility, the potential for repeating lectures, formative feedback, the role of seminars, responsibility, empowerment, lectures before seminars, and any problems encountered. Our results show that, in general, students thought differently about learning after the courses in relation to more traditional approaches, especially regarding the need to be more active. Most students enjoyed the mobility aspect and the accessibility of recorded lectures, although a few claimed it demanded a more disciplined attitude. Most students also expressed a feeling of increased activity and responsibility when participating in seminars. Some even felt empowered because they could influence seminar content. The length of and possibility to navigate in recorded lectures was also considered important. The arrangement of the seminar rooms should promote face-to-face discussions. Finally, the types of questions and tasks were found to affect the outcomes of the seminars. The overall conclusion with regard to students’ learning strategies is that to be an active, responsible, empowered, and critical student you have to be an informed student with possibilities and mandate to influence how, where and when to learn and be able to receive continuous feedback during the learning process. Flipped classroom can support such learning.

Learning Grammar : A study of upper secondary level students’ attitudes and beliefs concerning the learning of grammar

The communicative approach to language learning is widely taught in Western education, and yet its predecessor, the grammar-translation method, is still commonly employed in other parts of the world. In Sweden, the increasing popularity of the communicative approach is often justified by the high level of students’ communicative skills (Öhman, 2013). At the same time, students’ written texts and speech contain many grammatical errors (Öhman, 2013). Consequently, being aware of their tendency to produce grammatical errors, some students express beliefs regarding both the explicit and implicit learning of grammar (Sawir, 2005; Boroujeni, 2012). The objective of this thesis is to gain more knowledge regarding students’ beliefs concerning the learning of English grammar at the upper secondary level, in Sweden. With this purpose a survey was conducted in two schools in Sweden, where 49 upper-secondary English students participated. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to process the collected data. Despite some difference in the participants’ ages, there were many similarities in their attitudes towards the teaching and learning of grammar. The results show that the participants in both schools believe that only by applying both, explicit and implicit methods, can they obtain a high level of language proficiency. The results of this study can help teachers in planning different activities that enhance the students’ knowledge of grammar.

Vocabulário técnico e formação dos profissionais da área têxtil: necessidade, elaboração e avaliação de um dicionário de terminologia do vestuário

This research work deals with the compilation of a dictionary on clothing terminology intended to be used as a pedagogic tool as part of the teaching and learning process in the Textile Engineering Course at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. The main terms were selected and assessed by a team of textile teachers and students with the objective to be structured as a conceptual body of information on the following sub-areas of clothing terminology: materials (fabrics and trimmings) and products (garments). This research comprises three main steps: (a) characterization and understanding of the technical vocabulary in the clothing area as well as the identification of a pedagogic demand for a dictionary on clothing terminology, clearly expressed by the textile lecturers and students involved in the assessment of the need and validation of this project development; (b) a proposal for a specific methodology for the compilation of the dictionary which could help the communication process in the lecturing of clothing terminology and (c) based on the terminological principles and the technique of focal groups the dictionary was assessed. The technique of focal groups was used in the first step. In the second step the technique used was that of the terminological methodology adapted to the teaching approach in the Textile Course. In the third step the technique of focal groups was again utilized. It was observed that the main concern of lecturers and students is the lack of a standardized vocabulary, which renders difficult the communication process in both the teaching and learning activities as well as the professional ones in the textile industries. Various aspects, which can overlap, cause this lack of standardization. The main ones pointed out by the study team in the focal groups are: usage of regional words or expressions, usage of foreign words or expressions, analogies, and the low level of formal education, mainly among the industry workers. Another aspect to be considered is the lack of textile literature written in the Portuguese language of Brazil. This evidence shows the importance of a clothing terminology dictionary which will benefit both the education and professional activties in this field of knowledge. This dictionary will also give a substantial contribution to terminological standardization in our research field. With view to fulfill this demand, a dictionary of clothing terminology was compiled with 760 main entries, according to the modern practice in terminology with the necessary modifications concerning our needs. The result of the dictionary assessment was very assertive regarding its structure, contents and possible use in various contexts. The team work emphasized their contribution to the standardization process of the terms that proved to be one of the most important and difficult aspects of this researh work. The significance of this structured terminological dictionary was confirmed by the focal group participants relating to its use for teaching and learning activities, as a reference book, as a source of technical information and also as a tool for pedagogic studies and planning, as well as a significant collaboration to the pedagogic practices in the textile engineering course at University or any other educational institution. Besides, this dictionary can also be used to supply information within the textile field. We are aware that the present work will not exhaust the objectives of this research due to its limitations in opposition to the vast complexity demanded by the compilation of a complete work including all the areas and sub-areas of textile engineering. However, it is an important source for dissemination of concepts on the field of clothing terminology and a tool to effective standardization of the terms used in this subject field

Formação continuada de professores que ensinam matemática: o papel do ábaco na ressignificação da prática pedagógica

The present dissertation performs a study about abacus part on the continuous education of Elementary School s Mathematic teachers on what concerns the basic operations of addition and subtraction with (re)unification by using the manipulative and/or informatical abacus. Therefore, the research intends to answer the following question: How does a teacher reframe the pedagogical practice while teaching the Decimal Numeral System and the conventional operations of addition and subtraction with (re)unification through manipulative and informatical abacus? In order to do so, we rely ourselves on the Guy Brousseau s Theory of Didactic Situations (TDS) from 1996 that affirms the necessity to trace a way in accordance with the teaching situations that lead the student s learning; and on the work of Pierre Lévy (1993), in which the poles of communication oral, written and virtual create three ways of communication through which the learning process happens. The methodology of this paper was based on the Strategic Research-Action of Franco (2005). The didactic sequence was elaborated in accordance with TDS and used the manipulative and informatical abacus as didactic resource. With the application of the didactic sequence, it was verified that the continued formation of Elementary School s teachers concerning the operations of addition and subtraction on the initial years/levels is pertinent once it has been observed some difficulties of the teachers concerning this mathematical subject. Besides, the analysis of the didactic sequence has allowed one to realize that teachers had some difficulties concerning the numeric representation with order zero, the resolution of operations of addition and subtraction using the manipulative and informatical abacus and the realization of (re)unification on the subtraction with meaning. These observations has been discussed with the teachers and, after that, it has been done some didactic-methodological routings of the operations of addition and subtraction with re(unification) that contributes with the teaching and learning process.

A etnomatemática dos trabalhadores das cerâmicas de Russas-Ce e o contexto escolar: delineando recomendações pedagógicas a partir de uma experiência educacional

It is still common among contemporary educational proposals an overemphasis abstraction, to the formalism and symbolism of mathematical knowledge at the expense of the sociocultural aspects of Mathematics. Coming up by questioning some academic mathematical tenets and valuing knowledge developed in different sociocultural contexts within Mathematical Education, the Ethnomatematics is consolidating itself as a research field. Despite its contributions to the educational context, because its philosophical character and the paucity of debates about the subject, the implementation of educational proposals for basic education are scarce. Given this situation, this dissertation comes up with a view to develop an educational intervention in the light of Ethnomathematics in a class of 6th grade of an elementary school from a red ceramic industries workers community, located in a countryside from Russas-CE and from this intervention, to develop a set of pedagogical recommendations aiming basic education teachers. Adopting a perspective of qualitative research, particularly guided by action research, this study used observation, field diary, interviews and activities with students as tools for data collection. It was found that the use of field research as part of teaching and learning favored the placement of students as critical subjects of their own reality . Furthermore, the educational experience culminated in the development of a method of teaching based on a relationship between protocooperational Ethnomatematics and the Resolution of Problems. It is necessary to broaden the debate about the ways in which the Ethnomatematics can contribute to the school context, bringing proposals closer to the reality of basic education teachers in order to help the promotion of an education which values cultural diversity without taking away the students from the access of the academic knowledge

A multimedia environment for supporting the teaching of robotics systems

This paper aims at describing an educational system for teaching and learning robotic systems. Multimedia resources were used to construct a virtual laboratory where users are able to use functionalities of a virtual robotic arm, by moving and clicking the mouse without caring about the detailed internal robot operation. Moreover through the multimedia system the user can interact with a real robot arm. The engineering students are the target public of the developed system. With its contents and interactive capabilities, it has been used as a support to the traditional face-to-face classes on the subject of robotics.. In the paper it is first introduced the metaphor of Virtual Laboratory used in the system. Next, it is described the Graphical and Multimedia Environment approach: an interactive graphic user interface with a 3D environment for simulation. Design and implementation issues of the real-time interactive multimedia learning system, which supports the W3C SMIL standard for presenting the real-time multimedia teaching material, are described. Finally, some preliminary conclusions and possible future works from this research are presented.

Teaching robotics systems in a multimedia environment

This paper describes the development of a multimedia educational system to teach and learn robotic systems. Multimedia resources have been used to build a virtual laboratory where users are able to utilize functions of a robotic arm, by moving and clicking the mouse without worrying about the detailed robot internal operation. The multimedia system is integrated with a real robotic arm, which was also developed at the university. Through robotic topic presentations and interactive capabilities provided by this system and its tools, students can devote themselves on the learning process just as they do in the traditional face-to-face classes. and the target public of this system are the engineering students themselves.

Simulation-based cutaneous surgical-skill training on a chicken-skin bench model in a medical undergraduate program

Background: Because of ethical and medico-legal aspects involved in the training of cutaneous surgical skills on living patients, human cadavers and living animals, it is necessary the search for alternative and effective forms of training simulation. Aims: To propose and describe an alternative methodology for teaching and learning the principles of cutaneous surgery in a medical undergraduate program by using a chicken-skin bench model. Materials and Methods: One instructor for every four students, teaching materials on cutaneous surgical skills, chicken trunks, wings, or thighs, a rigid platform support, needled threads, needle holders, surgical blades with scalpel handles, rat-tooth tweezers, scissors, and marking pens were necessary for training simulation. Results: A proposal for simulation-based training on incision, suture, biopsy, and on reconstruction techniques using a chicken-skin bench model distributed in several sessions and with increasing levels of difficultywas structured. Both feedback and objective evaluations always directed to individual students were also outlined. Conclusion: The teaching of a methodology for the principles of cutaneous surgery using a chicken-skin bench model versatile, portable, easy to assemble, and inexpensive is an alternative and complementary option to the armamentarium of methods based on other bench models described. © Indian Journal of Dermatology 2013.

O teatro, a educação e a experiência de si

Pós-graduação em Artes - IA

O laboratório de anatomia sob a perspectiva da 'descrição densa': interfaces da cultura e o ensino de Ciências

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)