Student and teacher response system : development of an interactive anonymous real-timeformative feedback system

This paper is focusing IT-supported real-time formative feedback in a classroom context. The development of a Student and Teacher Response System (STRS) is described. Since there are a number of obstacles for effective interaction in large classes IT can be used to support the teachers aim to find out if students understand the lecture and accordingly adjust the content and design of the lecture. The system can be used for formative assessment before, during, and after a lecture. It is also possible for students to initiate interaction during lectures by posing questions anonymously. The main contributions of the paper are a) the description of the interactive real-time system and b) the development process behind it.

Sjuksköterskestudenters skattade upplevelser av lärandemiljön före och efter inrättandet av Kompetenscentrum

Bakgrund: Under senare år har allt fler kliniska träningscentra för färdighetsträning etablerats för att möjliggöra en trygg och säker lärandemiljö med simuleringsmöjligheter för studerande och personal. Klinisk färdighetsträning är en viktig del i sjuksköterskeutbildningen vid Högskolan Dalarna (HDa) där lärandemiljön på Kompetenscentrum (KC) kan bidra till en förbättring av lärandemiljön i den kliniska färdighetsutbildningen. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka sjuksköterskestudenters upplevelser via skattning av lärandemiljön för klinisk färdighetsutbildning före och efter inrättandet av Kompetenscentrum. Metod: Studien genomfördes som en enkätundersökning med kvasiexperimentell design. Enkätens baserades på Saarikoski och Leino-Kilpis mätinstrument CLES där frågeställningar om lärandemiljön modifierades med hjälp av Delphimetoden utifrån de tre olika dimensionerna: utbildningsmiljö, relation och lärarens roll. Mätningen före inrättandet genomfördes under hösten 2010 och mätningen efter inrättandet genomfördes hösten 2011. Totalt ingick 266 sjuksköterskestudenter i studien varav 198 (74 %) besvarade enkäten. Resultat: Sjuksköterskestudenter skattade upplevelsen av lärandemiljön mer positiv efter inrättandet av Kompetenscentrum där resultatet visar en signifikant högre skattning i 8 de av de 16 frågorna. Sjuksköterskestudenterna skattade att de upplever att utbildningsmiljön är mer verklighetstrogen, de är mer nöjda med färdighetsträningen samt att den inspirerar dem till att arbeta som sjuksköterska. Att relationen mellan dem och läraren bygger på respekt och att det är en mer positiv atmosfären under färdighetsträningen. Däremot påvisades ingen signifikant skillnad i studenternas upplevelse av den kliniska lärarens roll. Slutsats: Det är uppenbart att lärandemiljö har betydelse för sjuksköterskestudentens integration av såväl teoretiska som praktiska kunskaper vilket medför att färdigheterna förbättras och ger en bra grund för arbetet som sjuksköterska. Strategier bör vidtas för att vidmakthålla och utveckla lärandemiljön på KC samt fokusera ytterligare på integrering av teori och praktik.

Development of a Real-time Formative Feedback Student Response System

This paper is focusing IT-supported real-time formative feedback in a classroom context. The development of a Student and Teacher Response System (STRS) is described. Since there are a number of obstacles for effective interaction in large classes, IT can be used to support the teachers aim to find out if students understand the lecture and accordingly adjust the content and design of the lecture. The system can be used for formative assessment before, during, and after a lecture. It is also possible for students to initiate interaction during lectures by posing questions anonymously. The main contributions of the paper are a) the description of the interactive real-time system and b) the development process behind it.

A restricted curriculum for second language learners : a self-fulfilling teacher strategy?

The focus of this article is on relations between classroom interaction, curricular knowledge and student engagement in diverse classrooms. It is based on a study with ethnographic perspective in which two primary school classes in Sweden were followed for three years. The analysis draws on Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics. The results indicate that language use in the classrooms is on a basic everyday level and that high teacher control results in low-demanding tasks and low engagement among students. Interaction in the classrooms mainly consists of short talk-turns with fragmented language, frequent repairs and interruptions, while writing and reading consists of single words and short sentences. Although the classroom atmosphere is friendly and inclusive, second language students are denied necessary opportunities to develop curricular knowledge and Swedish at the advanced level, which they will need higher up in the school system. The restricted curriculum that these students are offered in school thus restricts their opportunities to school success. Thus, I argue for a more reflective and critical approach regarding language use in classrooms.

Teacher’s leadership in web-based language courses in Dalarna University, Sweden

The purpose of this presentation is to discuss how teacher’s leadership can be used as a teaching method in web based language education. The environments that offer online courses provide a wide field for discussion on the contact between teacher and student. My intention is to contribute to the debate on teacher leadership in online courses. In my earlier studies on leadership, I have explored how some religious leaders affected different social movements in Brazil during the military dictatorship (1964-1985). Pruth (2004) by examining the three kinds of legitimacy described by Max Weber I aimed at seeing and analyzing how religious leaders used different teaching methods to explain their messages to ordinary citizens. Thus my research showed how educational leadership is a way to get people to reach their goals. I became interested in the subject teacher’s leadership whenI participated in a survey of the teaching methods of language courses in Dalarna University which is funded by the NGL Center of Dalarna University. In  this project, we have made interviews with the teachers, undertaken the course plans (in the language department at Dalarna University) and categorized the learning outcomes. A questionnaire was constructed based on the learning outcomes and then either sent out remotely to teachers or completed face to face through interviews. The answers provided to the questionnaires enabled the  project to identify many differences in how language teachers interact with their students but  also, the way of giving feedback, motivating and helping students, types of class activities and materials used. This made me aware of how teachers use their leadership or not in their teaching. My focus is to look at the relationship between teachers and students as an important part of the development and quality of online courses. The teacher's performance on campus is different from online courses. I want to understand how the contact between teachers and students in online courses develop and look at how students can make use of this contact and what influence the teacher's leadership has on the ability for the students to achieve the goals of their course

The Role of Motivational Strategies in the Upper Elementary Classroom : A systematic literature review about teacher strategies that promote self-confidence, motivation and a conducive learning environment

The aim of this literature review is to investigate which strategies teachers use to motivate pupils to communicate orally in English. The literature review also investigates how these teacher strategies affect pupils. The methodology used for this investigation is a systematic literature review. Various databases have been used when searching for literature. Scientific articles and theses have been searched for. They have also been read and analyzed before they have become a part of this review. The results indicate that some teachers feel insecure when speaking English. Therefore Swedish is spoken in many language classrooms. Teachers speaking in front of the class is the traditional way of teaching, and it does not seem to be a strategy who influences pupils positively. If teachers speak the target language among pupils they often get more motivated and focused pupils who feel comfortable speaking English. Young pupils are fast learners. By exposing them to the English language in early ages they receive great opportunities to learn a foreign language and strengthen their self-confidence. Drama, songs and rhymes are preferable strategies to use when teaching young learners. What position teachers decide to take in the classroom is also a significant element when teaching foreign languages.

Distance teacher education : Experiences from Dalarna University, Sweden

In 2003 the first distance teacher education started at Dalarna University in a small scale compared with today when a large part of the teacher education is distributed as distance education. From this point of view it seems important to ask the question: How can you become a successful distance student? This paper is based on a case study. Data were collected from earlier research reports, study registers and a group interview. The most important parameters appeared to be motivation, situation in life, discipline and experiences from earlier studies and/or work experience and good relations to other students and the university teachers.

A percepção do professor acerca do seu trabalho com crianças portadoras de autismo e síndrome de down : um estudo comparativo

The aim of the present study was to investigate the teacher’s perception about working both with individuals with autism and with Down’s syndrome. A semi-structured interview was performed with 10 teachers, in two special schools, in the interior of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Each one of these interviews was compound of a range of questions, dealing with topics such as teacher’s identification, etiologic notions about the syndrome, intellectual development and clinical characteristics of the children, ways of educational intervention and finally the difficulties and feelings of the teachers concerning their work in this area and also their educational strategies. The analysis of the obtained material revealed that there are similarities and differences in the way in which the teachers perceive their students with the Down’s syndrome or Autism. One fundamental aspect which was identified related to the circumstances that led the teacher to work with these children, which were not always founded on choice. One of the concerns, which mostly differentiated the teacher’s discourse, was in relation to pleasure when working with these children. This appears more clearly regarding the students with Down’s syndrome, indicating a feeling of well-being and satisfaction of the teacher, due to the social reciprocity and communication in the relationship with the children. On the other hand, stereotyped ideas; worries with behaviors that are not specific to the anxiety and lack of self-confidence were aspects which characterized the teacher’s perception about autism. This picture might have influenced their management strategies. For example, in order to alleviate their conflicts and anxieties the teachers used strategies to maintain the students systematically busy to attempt to “control” the autism. However, the practice of “sheltering” by means of flexible work and encouragement of the autonomy based on the exercise of choice were also identified in some of the teachers. Another aspect that deserves attention is in the relation to the beliefs about the etiology of autism, specifically those concerning the mother-child bond. A simplistic view of this issue was identified, which was understood as a direct relationship of “cause and effect” rather as a reciprocal process, where each element of the dyad contributes to its quality. Finally, the results of this paper point to a complexity but not impossibility of the educational process of the so-called “special” student. However, attention should be paid to the need of founding the educational practice on knowledge, thus avoiding the emergency of distorted ideas and subsequently practices incoherent with the individual’s development.

O aluno de aprendizagem lenta no âmbito da marginalização cultural

O presenté trabalho estuda o aluno de aprendiza~ gem lenta no âmbito da marginalização cultural, utilizando literatura específica e amostra de educandos da rede escolar oficial do Município do Rio de Janeiro. A literatura específica procurou esclarecer pontos importantes relativos ao desenvolvimento intelectua~ i marginalização cultural, aos distúrbios de aprendizagem, i relação da criança com a família, ã relação do aluno com o professor bem como estudos relativos ao aluno de aprendiz~ gem lenta. Com base na literatura específica foram elaboradas entrevistas com as mães e os professores dos alunos, assim como escolhidos testes objetivos para aferição do ní vel mental e nível de prontidão para a aprendizagem de lei tura, escrita e números .dos alunos. Os resultados da analise confirmaram as hipóteses levantadas de que a carência de estimulação ambiental prejudica o desenvolvimento intelectual e acarreta maior difi culdade de aprendizagem, que a relação professor-aluno tan to pode reforçar como minimizar a problematica apresentada e que a criança oriunda de classe de baixa renda econ~mica tem maiores possibilidades de enquadrar-se na marginalização cultural. Ao final do trabalho, algumas sugestoes foram tra çadas quanto a procedimentos que possam ser adotados tanto com a população estudada como com populações semelhantes.

O professor-ator ou o jogo da sedução na relação professor-aluno

Todos nós conhecemos vários tipos de atores: os de cinema, os de televisão, os de teatro, os de circo... porém há um outro tipo de ator a quem as pessoas não se referem: o ser humano. Este ator em especial representa vários papéis ao longo de sua vida. Um deles, para muitos de nós, é o de professor. O professor-ator representa para uma platéia específica - os alunos - com um objetivo também específico -seduzi-los para que haja êxito no processo ensino-aprendizagem. O presente estudo aponta para as contribuições deste processo ator no processo educativo. Da mesma forma, ressalta o tipo de relação estabelecida com os alunos, a partir do ponto de vista, tanto do professor, como do aluno. Trata-se de uma abordagem fenomenológica sobre a relação professor-aluno e suas consequências para o processo ensino-aprendizagem.

Ansiedade e desempenho: uma análise experimental

A ansiedade é um dos conceitos mais importantes dentro da Psicologia. Uma grande quantidade de trabalhos experimentais tratando sobre os efeitos da ansiedade-de-teste, tem sido conduzida. A discussão sobre ansiedade-de-teste e sua relação com o desempenho acadêmico deve ser precedida por uma elucidação do conceito de ansiedade. Este conceito tem sido interpretado de diferentes formas pelas várias escolas de pensamento na Psicologia e Filosofia. Os dois primeiros capítulos deste trabalho são dedicados à uma apresentação dos vários conceitos de ansiedade e de teorias que consideramos importantes que abordam o assunto. A seguir, passamos a descrever a análise experimental que foi realizada com o objetivo de detectar os efeitos da ansiedade-de-teste no desempenho e verificar os resultados da manipulação da variável tempo limitado e da magnitude do "stress", na relação estudada. Grande parte da literatura sobre ansiedade tem sublinhado que a influência desta sobre o comportamento é bastante complexa. A pesquisa aqui reportada se baseia nas investigações de Spielberger que focalizam a relação entre o desempenho do estudante e seu nível de ansiedade. Como Spielberger, julgamos ser necessário controlar as variáveis dificuldade da tarefa e inteligência dos sujeitos. Com base nos resultados encontrados, concluímos que uma série de outros aspectos devem ser considerados, tais como elaboração da prova, matéria envolvida, experiências anteriores dos alunos, imagem do professor etc. Busca-se conhecer a natureza da ansiedade-de-teste e encontrar formas efetivas para controlar este tipo específico de ansiedade, de maneira a aparelhar melhor os alunos para lidarem com ele. É necessário também que os educadores tomem conhecimento das características e implicações da ansiedade-de-teste, de forma que sejam capazes de tirar partido dela e consigam minimizar seus efeitos negativos no processo ensino-aprendizagem.

Excepcionais: um estudo sobre a relação professora-aluno

A dissertação visou ao estudo da relação da professora com o aluno portador de deficiência mental. Tendo como fundamento a teoria da comunicação em Gregory Bateson, organizou-se uma pesquisa qualitativa de base de fenomenológica, com o objetivo de verificar o comportamento e a comunicação entre professora e aluno, na situação natural em que ocorrem – a sala de aula. Foram observadas onze professores e trinta e dois alunos, em três escolas para excepcionais. Partiu-se do pressuposto de que esta é uma relação de infantilização, que dificulta a auto-percepção do aluno. Inicialmente, o assunto foi situado nos temas mais amplos, que são educação e a questão do excepcional. Observou-se que o autoritarismo e a tendência à uniformização dos comportamentos, a qual é consequência da negação da diferença, mostram-se mais nocivos quando aplicados ao excepcional. Não permitem o reconhecimento da deficiência e a evolução do indivíduo, através da consciência de seus limites. Fica o aluno infantilizado, impedido de crescer como pessoa autônoma. Após as observações, analisando=se as comunicações professora-aluno, verificou-se que estas se inseriram em dez categorias, nas quais predominava o autoritarismo. A professora detinha os controles e determinava as respostas certas, sem flexibilidade neste julgamento. Evidenciou-se uma dificuldade em discernir entre limites educacionais e controles autoritariamente impostos. Os alunos agiam e reagiam dentro destes mesmos princípios, dividindo-se entre os que aceitavam o modelo determinado e os “alunos-problema” que resistiam em aceitar as regras. A educação do excepcional transforma-se num paradoxo, pois a autonomia, que é seu objetivo, significa, neste caso, submissão, tendo em vista que o aluno é orientado dentro de quadros rígidos. Conclui-se pela importância da dinâmica dos processos relacionais e de como eles influenciam o comportamento dos sujeito, mostrando-se a necessidade de reflexão sobre estes aspectos.

Defining student participation and empowerment in higher education

Customer participation has been studied for decades; however, it gained a postmodern perspective around the year 2000. Customers have become co-creators of personalized experiences, moving from the audience to the stage. In the educational context, students must take responsibility for their learning process and participate in the production of the service. This changing is providing opportunities and challenges for higher education institutions (HEIs) to redefine their relationship with stakeholders, especially with students. This study is based on the service dominant logic (SDL) perspective because students are assumed to take the role of co-creators of knowledge in the educational setting. The research uses adapted frameworks and concepts applied in organizational, knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) and also medical studies to advance the understanding of value co-creation in the HEI context. The current study addresses a lack of research in the higher education context focusing on defining students’ participation and students’ empowerment in higher education context. An empirical investigation was developed with traditional schools in Brazil. This investigation allowed the description of the constructs in the specific context. The description of student participation in HEIs context reflects the relevance of three dimensions – information sharing, personal interaction and responsible behavior. In the Brazilian context, responsible behavior is the weakest dimension in the construct, because the responsibilities are unbalanced between students and professors. The main reasons identified for this unbalanced relation were cultural issues and local regulation. Student empowerment was described as composed by four dimensions – meaningfulness, competence, impact and choice; however, one of them – choice – was identified as the weakest dimension, facing cultural and bureaucratic barriers for implementation in the Brazilian educational context. Moreover, interviewees spontaneously cited the idea of trust in the faculty as an important antecedent of student participation that must be considered when analyzing student participation and empowerment mechanisms. An additional contribution was the proposal of a theory-based framework for understanding the service dominant logic perspective in the HEI context, in which student participation and student empowerment were explored as mechanisms leading to positive student behavior toward institution.

Autoconhecimento e práticas corporais: para uma educação transpessoal integradora do saber ao ser no processo de formação inicial dos alunos de educação física

This thesis deals with the self-knowledge importance and corporal practices and the contribution of the Transpersonal Education for the initial formation process of students of Physical Education. In this context, students are stimulated to come in contact with the bases of learning to know, to make, to live together and to be for the promotion of integral education. We give priority to holistic conception of educating based in Emergent Paradigm. In this conception, student in initial formation is led to get back the view of integral being, life and love as education basis. We had as starting point, the essential dimensions to the learning geared toward the embodiment integration, autopoiesis and trans-disciplinarity. This work presents tracks for the teacher formation of Physical Education. It deals with the unfolding of teaching experiences in 2006, in Graduation Course in Physical Education of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, in subject of Corporal Conscience, offered to undergraduate students which can be characterized as an action-research. This process was chosen as knowledge and intervention method because it allowed knowing and acting at the same time, studying the conditions and results of accomplished experience. In shared meetings with reflected experiences, we appeal to the experiences of situations that had mobilized the corporal, emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions of participants. The data collected through observations, accounts, questionnaires and interviews of learning processes had been starting points for the beginning of dialogue along with students of Graduation Course in Physical Education. The findings had been interpreted through of hermeneutics and discourse analysis. In this research, participants are considered as protagonist and boosters of educative process. The theoretical basis was supported by Transpersonal Education which contributed for a peace culture and respectful relationship. In its initial formation process, this research protagonists had evidenced of the importance of transpersonal education, geared toward action and changing, new ways of being and living together, facing the daily conflicts from a human and rational perspective. The research emphasized the importance of a new look on the teacher formation of Physical Education to face the limits of fragmented formation. Thus, we recognize that through the teacher education process, the transpersonal education provided wide significant changes reported during research, extending and re-meaning different learning levels such as: cognitive, emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral geared toward the personal and transpersonal development, reiterating the relevance of self-knowledge for development and establishment of pedagogical practice which prioritizes the life direction. The necessity of integrating knowledge to being in the initial process of teaching formation was emphasized in all the transpersonal meetings